BOYZZZ!
Cespedes is not really an All Star calibre player, even though he has won 2 HR Derbies, and made the All Star team.
He is a poor man's all star. I would rather have Brett Gardner/Jacoby Ellsbury type...
Oh you'd rather have two guys who wear pinstripes. SUURRRRPRRRISE! Considering everything The Red Sox did very well.
So now, they wind up with an all-star outfielder custom-made to hit at Fenway and there's still a good chance Jon Lester may re-sign with them. Who knows, maybe that was the plan all along between both parties. Use Lester's trade value to bolster up the team.
Yes, the Red Sox got someone who could develop into a more consistent threat. If you look at Ortiz' stats before coming to Boston his hitting issues and strengths were much the same.
On the idea that the plan all along has been to use Lester as bait only to bring him back I think this has the same flavor as a fantasy conspiracy theory. Lester has always struck me as being very straight up and you would need his compliance to pull such a game off. Plus his agents have to put their reputations on the line and they have a lot more at stake than just handling Jon Lester. I don't see it happening. It would be down right incredible, but I don't see it.
With both Lester and Lackey going that accounts for the top two pitchers of the 2013 World Series Championship team. That's a huge hit. In my view a solid pitcher is worth almost any two solid hitters. e do have a guy named Henry Owen in AA who is tearing up that league with 14 wins, and may very soon be at AAA, but that's far from being a oven stalwart, especially one with such as superb playoff record as Lester. There are also some top notch pitchers at AAA Pawtucket like Drake Britton and Anthony Ranaudo, but again, they are prospects with good to very good potential, not proven MLB pitchers like the two we just traded.
Oakland is an up and coming team with year round fantastic weather,...
Weather...you're saying weather will decide? OMG! You do realize bud that Boston and New York have nearly identical weather, so you're saying he wouldn't choose NY as well. Oy vey.
And if he's in it strictly for the money, he may even agree to join the Yankees, who will likely be without their top pitcher (Tanaka) next season. Sabathia will be back, but he's getting up there in age. Nova will be back, but i've found him to be a disappointment. Sure, Pineda will also be back, but he's been mostly injured over the past 3 years and it now looks like he's career injury-prone & totally unreliable.
This deal may put Lester off Boston. If I were him I wouldn't be very happy about either being traded, or used as bait if Doc's theory has any chance. New York will be pouring money offers at him, but their team is ready to fall apart for many reasons. If the division hadn't turned into a slew of light weights this year NY would be 4th now. They're lucky they've got great relievers. It will take some damn fine contract offer to get Lester there. I think Doc's right that the Dodgers or Angels have a better chance.
The Red Sox have virtually clinched last place with these deals, and a historic two last places finishes sandwiched around a World Series win. Is that a sandwich that is tasty, or vile? I would say the bread portion of the sandwich has a little mold on it.
The Red Sox have obviously pulled the plug on this year to go into serious rebuilding mode as I said yesterday. It's a smart move rather than trying to keep Lester and Lackey for new long term mega contracts, which would then make them both very undesirable to other teams, and hoping a tweak here or there in the batting order will do the trick. The retooling is THE major benefit of the 2013 World Series, buying Cherington time to do this.
You'd kiss John Farrell on the mouth with tongue to have had another World Series win and last place the year before and after be damned.
p.s. Personally, i can't see Drew being much of an improvement over Roberts. Drew hasn't played second base in ages & he can't hit. I had question marks about Roberts earlier on, but he's impressed me over the past couple of months.
Drew is considered a solid fielder, but Sox fans have been tired of him since he has turned into a huge hole in the lineup. He did hit 13 HRs last year, most early, but he was EPIC for horrible throughout the playoffs, and this year Sox fans close their eyes when he comes to bat. If he's an improvement in NY then...HOLY SHIT!. Many......mmmmmmmmmmmaany THANKS Yanks.
So the cat is out of the bag now, the Red Sox are dedicated to rebuilding. So far I give Cherington a B+ on the Lester deal and a B- overall because there's so much more to work out.
Cheers,
Merlot