ESPN: John Lester traded to Oakland

[gpap]

Now Lackey traded to St. Louis for junk...

Peavy nets two Top-10 Organizational prospects, but Lester and Lackey get none?

I am baffled that we decide to blow it up and sell off our assets for major league junk. We didn't get one prospect for Lester, Lackey, Gomes, Doubront. Not one!

Red Sox don't need anymore prospects, they need proven players.

Unless you're thinking of acquiring top prospects to flip in the offseason for either Hamels or Stanton (or both.)

As for the trades made today, I think the Sox made out pretty darn good.

In the Lester deal, you weren't going to get a better return for a 2 month rental and Cespedes gives them some much needed offense!

Finally for Doubront, you'd be lucky if you get the body of Hoffa in return.

[kozlodoev]

Clay Buchholz is basically the only guy who touched the ball for us in the 2013 WS that is still on the team.

He can't go fast enough. I've had way too much of his "now you see me, now you don't" act.

[JOMVP]

If you take out the emotional attachment to Lester for a minute (a hard thing to do, considering.) The Red Sox made out really good on this deal, Yeonis Cespedes has established himself as a major league outfielder and hitter, and he still hasn't completely grown as a complete ball player yet. Its only his third year, he fits perfectly for this ball club because we desperately need outfield power. I think his average will start rounding out in the .280 range, and he's proven he can hit 30 HR's and drive in 80-100 runs. The lineup just got loads better with just one addition. Pedroia, Ortiz, Cespedes, Napoli is a hard stretch of hitters for pitchers to get through.

Back to Lester, I think its pretty telling that the Red Sox traded him to a team that has no interest in resigning him this offseason. I think it tells you they plan on making a serious offer to retain him for next year and beyond.

[JOMVP]

I forgot to mention the Lackey trade. Allen Craig is a SNEAKY GOOD addition. He is having a terribly down year, but when this guy is on, he is a great right fielder. I'm actually getting excited, and I'm not even a huge baseball fan.

[hpantazo]

Wow, the Sox are going nuts with trading. They just traded Andrew Miller and Stephen Drew in two separate deals now, Drew to the Yankees even.

[kozlodoev]

Wow, the Sox are going nuts with trading. They just traded Andrew Miller and Stephen Drew in two separate deals now, Drew to the Yankees even.

Miller for a good starer prospect, not sure how I feel about this one.

[pearljammer10]

I forgot to mention the Lackey trade. Allen Craig is a SNEAKY GOOD addition. He is having a terribly down year, but when this guy is on, he is a great right fielder. I'm actually getting excited, and I'm not even a huge baseball fan.

This jumped out to me most and I'm surprised I haven't heard much chatter yet about this deal. Craig is a great pick up for the next few years. He should have some zany number at Fenway.

[Beat LA]

Excuse me, Red Sox fans, but can someone please explain to me why Boston is having a liquidation sale?   I know that this season hasn't gone how anyone wanted, expected, it to, but to trade your two best pitchers, in the regular and postseasons just makes no sense to me.  Lackey out-dueled Justin Verlander in a critical game 3 on the road last year   How many guys can do that?  Pitching doesn't exactly grow on trees.  Trust me, I know, haha.  You can never have enough pitching.  EVER!

[Csfan1984]

Boston Marlins fire sale after a title?

[gpap]

Excuse me, Red Sox fans, but can someone please explain to me why Boston is having a liquidation sale?   I know that this season hasn't gone how anyone wanted, expected, it to, but to trade your two best pitchers, in the regular and postseasons just makes no sense to me.  Lackey out-dueled Justin Verlander in a critical game 3 on the road last year   How many guys can do that?  Pitching doesn't exactly grow on trees.  Trust me, I know, haha.  You can never have enough pitching.  EVER!

They were going to lose Lester in free agency so getting a power bat in Cespedes is a pretty good deal.
As for Lackey, I don't think he was going to pitch for $500,000 next season so as might as well get something for him as well, which they did.

[hwangjini_1]

Wow, the Sox are going nuts with trading. They just traded Andrew Miller and Stephen Drew in two separate deals now, Drew to the Yankees even.

Miller for a good starer prospect, not sure how I feel about this one.

i know what you mean. miller, when on, was great. but the sox picked him up for a song, when his stock was low. to keep him beyond this season would require a significant raise in salary.

my guess is that ben believes he can repeat his earlier magic and pick up another relief pitcher who is down and out. or, he thinks the kids down on the farm can fill out the bull pen.

i trust ben on this one. i think he just made a huge number of trades that put the sox in a good position for the next few years.

and, if hopes/dreams/rumors are correct, they may be able to woo lester back to the sox next year....and get to keep cepedes. 

[hwangjini_1]

I forgot to mention the Lackey trade. Allen Craig is a SNEAKY GOOD addition. He is having a terribly down year, but when this guy is on, he is a great right fielder. I'm actually getting excited, and I'm not even a huge baseball fan.

This jumped out to me most and I'm surprised I haven't heard much chatter yet about this deal. Craig is a great pick up for the next few years. He should have some zany number at Fenway.

yes, and rodriguez too. very young and definitely a lottery ticket type of pitcher. but he has potential to be pretty good.

[kozlodoev]

Wow, the Sox are going nuts with trading. They just traded Andrew Miller and Stephen Drew in two separate deals now, Drew to the Yankees even.

Miller for a good starer prospect, not sure how I feel about this one.

i know what you mean. miller, when on, was great. but the sox picked him up for a song, when his stock was low. to keep him beyond this season would require a significant raise in salary.

my guess is that ben believes he can repeat his earlier magic and pick up another relief pitcher who is down and out. or, he thinks the kids down on the farm can fill out the bull pen.

i trust ben on this one. i think he just made a huge number of trades that put the sox in a good position for the next few years.

and, if hopes/dreams/rumors are correct, they may be able to woo lester back to the sox next year....and get to keep cepedes. 

Also, Miller is apparently a FA as well after the end of the season, so the Lester logic applies too -- if you think you can sign him, it doesn't matter if he plays the last 2 months of the season elsewhere.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

You guys are going to love Yoenis.

Heart and soul of that Oakland team, everybody in their mothers are shocked that the A's traded him.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Wow...  Very surprising.

Yeah a big pivot from prospect gathering trade to a good starting position player.

I guess the A's concluded he wasn't likely to repeat his rookie performance and his baseline was more line with his last two years play.

The A's just wont be able to pay him a ton of money. Or that's what everyone here thinks. He can be a Free Agent next year and may ask for a ton. And knowing Oakland, cheech...