Changing Sox: Red Sox Complete Trade for Peavy

Last night, the Red Sox made a three-team deal that landed them starting pitcher Jake Peavy from the White Sox and Triple-A right-handed-reliever Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers.  They sent Jose Iglesias to the Tiger and three minor leaguers to the White Sox.  The White Sox received outfielder Avisail Garcia from the Tigers.

My initial reaction to this trade was Really?

I’m not saying the trade for Peavy is bad.  Peavy brings a veteran presence to the team, which will be beneficial in the next two to three months.  To compete with the stellar Rays pitching, the Red Sox needed to obtain a starting pitcher with experience, and they did that by obtaining Peavy.  Also, Peavy will be reunited with Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves.

Peavy won’t be a rental player, which is reassuring since the Red Sox gave up their best defensive infielder (in the entire organization) for him.  Peavy is signed through next season with a vesting option for 2015, and the Red Sox are now responsible for that contract. 

This season, Peavy has pitched 80.0 innings with a 4.28 ERA and a 1.138 WHIP.  However, Peavy was also injured part of the season with a rib fracture and has only pitched two games since coming off the disabled list.

Last season, Peavy made the All-Star team and won the Gold Glove for AL Pitcher.  He had an 11-12 record, but held a 3.37 ERA and a 1.096 WHIP. 

In his career, dating back to 2002, Peavy has a 3.49 ERA, 1.177 WHIP, and won the NL Cy Young Award in 2007, when he was with the Padres. 

So, obviously, my concern isn’t with obtaining Peavy because, as I’ve stated before, the Red Sox needed another starter.  When Buchholz returns from the disabled list, they’ll have the option of going to a 6-man rotation to rest the pitchers for the playoffs.

My concern is with losing Iglesias.  For the season, Iglesias was hitting .330 with a .787 OPS in 62 games.  He showed amazing defense and versatility by moving to third base when Middlebrooks was out/demoted.  For years, we fans had heard how amazing of a player Iglesias was and how he was the team’s “shortstop of the future.”  Well, the future is now the past.

Iglesias was 5 for his last 43 at-bats, which sent his average into a tailspin since it was above .400 for so long this season.  24 of his 70 hits were infield hits, but that meant he had speed on the base paths.  (If you watched the game last night and saw Iglesias’ terrible base running when he tried to stretch a single into a double, you may not consider him a threat on the base paths).

Just throwing this out there: since 2004, the Red Sox have traded away 11 shortstops (Garciaparra, Renteria, Vazquez, Lugo, Lowrie, Scutaro, Punto, Aviles, Navarro, Ciriaco, and now Iglesias).  Other shortstops since 2004: Cabrera, Crespo, Pedroia (for 6 games), Reese, Cora, Gonzalez, Green, and Drew.  The shortstop position really is a revolving door.

With Iglesias moving on to the Tigers, the door is now open for Xander Bogaerts in the future.  If that doesn’t work out, there are still 2-3 more shortstop prospects in the organization that have great potential.  My guess is we’ll see Bogaerts in September; and who knows, he may have the same effect on this team as Ellsbury had on the 2007 team.  And, we know what happened in 2007…

Another possibility would be for the Red Sox to make a trade to get Michael Young.  Young has been linked on and off with the Red Sox for weeks now.  Earlier this week, it was reported Young would only accept a trade to the Rangers; but last night, there were reports that some Red Sox players had talked to Young and he would now accept a trade to the Red Sox.  Young would be a rental player, but he could also be the bat the Red Sox are looking for this season. 

Cherington said last night that someone will be called up from Triple-A to fill the void left by Iglesias, but he wouldn’t confirm who was coming up.  Could this be a smoke screen?

For now, the Red Sox have the established starter they wanted in Peavy.  Workman, who has pitched wonderfully in 3 starts and earned his first win last night, can now work out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season. Once the void at shortstop/third base is worked out, the Red Sox should have a roster that hopefully sends them into the playoffs (first place in the division is ideal).

If there are more trades made today, I’ll try and update the blog when I have some time.  You may want to check back later today and/or tomorrow.

Another reminder, I will be on vacation next week and will not be posting during that time.  I will still do Twitter Friday this Friday though.

Pedroia’s Extension, Braun’s Suspension, and Buchholz to the Rescue in September(?)

 I warned you Monday that I would probably have a lot more to write about for today’s post.  Well, I do, starting with probably the best news the Red Sox have released all season:

Pedroia’s Extension

Yesterday, it was announced that Pedroia would be signing a 7-year/ $100 million extension, meaning he’ll be signed with the Red Sox through 2021.  He’ll be 38 years old at that point.  This is the first $100 million contract signed by a second baseman in MLB history.

I’m thrilled that Pedroia signed the extension, especially the fact that he signed before seeing what Robinson Cano will get in free agency after this season.  Pedroia plays the game well and with a driven spirit; the way every team wishes every player played, and the way fans love to see these men play.  Pedroia has heart, and he wears it on his sleeve.  You can tell he loves playing the game and that he loves playing in Boston.

Pedroia was originally signed through the 2014 seasons with a team option of $15 million for the 2015 season.  With the extension, Pedroia will be paid approximately $14.29 million a season, which is very team friendly, in my opinion.  It’s estimated that Cano could demand about $20 million a season.  Statistically, Pedroia and Cano are comparable; but honestly, I think Pedroia means more to the Red Sox than Cano means to the Yankees.

An interesting note, the Red Sox have only given out four $100 million-plus contracts, including Pedroia’s deal.  The other three players were all traded to the Dodgers (Manny Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford). 

I don’t see that happening with Pedroia.  In fact, my bet is he gets the “C” put on his jersey sooner rather than later.

I have to add this comment that The Boston Globe included in their article  A television reporter asked Pedroia if his teammates would treat him differently now that he had the hefty extension,  Pedroia delivered a classic response: “Not really.  They still have to look down at me.”

Braun’s Suspension

Ryan Braun was suspended by Major League Baseball on Monday for the remainder of the season without pay for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.  It was a total of 65 games.  Suspensions of other players are going to follow, reportedly next season, after appeals are handled.

Braun is essentially losing $3.4 million, a drop in the bucket of his 5-year/ $105 million extension he signed in 2011.  The Brewers are in last place in the NL Central Division and 20 games out of first, so there’s really no hope the Brewers will be making a comeback this season. 

Does the suspension hurt Braun financially?  Not really.  Does the suspension hurt Braun’s reputation?  Yes.  Does the suspension hurt other accused players chances of successfully appealing their own suspensions because of the Biogenesis link?  Definitely.

The fact that Ryan Braun took his suspension without appealing shows MLB had significant evidence against him.  If they didn’t, I’m sure Braun would’ve fought the suspension, especially after he successfully appealed his last suspension.  With Braun serving his suspension without appeal, it’ll also give more credential to the employees at Biogenesis who are cooperating with MLB’s investigation.

Braun’s Suspension’s Effect on Alex Rodriguez

In connection to Braun’s suspension is Alex Rodriguez.  There have been so many rumors floating around about what, if any, suspension A-Rod (A-Roid?) will be serving; I’ve heard anywhere from 150-games to a lifetime ban.

This is for sure, the fact that Rodriguez impeded MLB's investigation shows more guilt than if he just kept quiet.  It’s been widely reported that MLB has more evidence against A-Rod than they had on Braun. 

If I were a part of the Yankees organization (and thank goodness I’m not), I’d be looking for a way to void Rodriguez’s contract.  FAST.

Buchholz to the Rescue in September?

As mentioned on Monday, Clay Buchholz visited Dr. Andrews.  Buchholz was given reassurance by that he didn’t have structural damage to his shoulder, and he just had inflammation.  Dr. Andrews also said that Buchholz wouldn’t cause any damage by pitching with the inflammation.  Good news, right?

Well, Buchholz went on record yesterday saying he hoped to make 4 to 5 starts the remainder of the season.  The guy hasn’t pitched since June 8^th, so I understand that he needs to build his arm up again.  But, if he had no damage and it’s taken so long for him to get a second opinion, part of my wonders what would’ve happened if Buchholz had been checked out by Dr. Andrews earlier.  Could he be pitching now?

In my opinion, the Red Sox need to get another starting pitcher.  Garza went to the Rangers on Monday, so that really only leaves Peavy and Norris.  The Sox seem to be more inclined with Peavy, at this point. 

If the Red Sox land a starting pitcher, they can go to a six-man rotation for September.  This, I feel, would be a great thing for the team.  It’ll give the starters more rest between starts to keep them fresh for the playoffs.  Plus, it’ll also have the starters in a sort-of competition for those starting positions in the playoffs.

That’s what I have for today.  It was a longer post, but so much had happened the past couple days, I had to comment on it all.  Let’s hope for another Red Sox win tonight!

Random Thoughts

The Red Sox took 2 of 3 from the rival Yankees this past weekend.  They won last night’s game in dramatic form when Mike Napoli hit a game-winning home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11^th inning. 

The Red Sox are currently 1.5 games up on the Rays, who they happen to start a four-game series with today.  It’s going to be a battle. 

Today, I thought I’d ease into this week with a Random Thoughts post, since I know by Wednesday’s post, there will be a lot more news to report.

∙  Clay Buchholz is schedule to visit Dr. Andrews today in Florida.  The Red Sox are saying this is just to give verification that Buchholz won’t cause further damage by pitching on the mound.  Buchholz had been amazing this season, but he hasn’t pitched since June 8^th, which has been almost two months now.  If he needs Dr. Andrews to give him reassurance, maybe he needs to visit a sports psychologist as well.  I’m serious; maybe he has a bigger fear of getting hurt than to not pitching again. 

∙  The Red Sox are said to be interested in Jake Peavy, Bud Norris, and Matt Garza (again).  They reportedly had scouts at Peavy’s start this weekend, and they think Norris’s asking price is too high at this point.  The Red Sox have seemed to be linked to Garza the past few years.  Supposedly, the Red Sox don’t want a rental, so my bet is they make a play on Norris.

∙  Speaking of rentals, the Red Sox are still linked to Michael Young.  Young would be a rental, especially since the Red Sox have talent at shortstop/third base in the Minors for future seasons.  His bat would be nice to have on the team, but the Sox seemed to be doing pretty well despite a power bat coming from shortstop/third base.

∙  Lester’s start was pushed back from Sunday to Tuesday.  The reason given was to give him more rest, but it was just the All-Star Break.  How much rest does he need?  Plus, there were some rumors going around that Lester could be traded.  I’m not sure if the Red Sox are to the point of wanting to trade Lester, but it is an interesting thought.

∙  I’m starting to think we’ll see Xander Bogearts in the Majors before we see Will Middlebrooks again. 

∙  I’ve been a bad Red Sox fan these past couple weeks.  It’s been over 2 weeks since I watched a baseball game.  Reasoning: they were on the West Coast before the All-Star Break, then it was the All-Star Break, Friday I was in Chicago for a concert, Saturday the game wasn’t on in the Midwest; and last night, I only watched about an hour and a half of the game (and it was a Sox-Yankees game!).  Not good.  I’m definitely planning on watching the game tonight.

∙  Speaking of the concert I went to on Friday; it was a New Kids on the Block concert.  (Don’t judge, I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember.)  NKOTB is from Boston, and they wore Red Sox apparel during the concert.  Donnie Wahlberg wore a (sparkly) Sox hat during most of the show, all of them wore (sparkly) Red Sox “Boston Strong” jerseys during the last set of the show, and they played even played “Shipping Up To Boston.”  Unfortunately, they changed the words to “Shipping Up To Chicago,” but I still sang them the correct way.  I wasn’t a fan of the sparkly stuff either; one of them even wore a sparkly Patriots hat.

∙  The trade deadline is a mere 9 days away.  If the Sox are going to make a move, they’ll be making a move soon. 

∙  Did you know Jonny Gomes has 5 home runs in his last 19 games?  He’s also hit safely in his last 11 starts. 

And that’s all I have for today.  Make sure to check back Wednesday because I’m sure they’ll be more news to report.  Hopefully, the Sox can put some distance between themselves and the Rays this week.  Go Sox! 

More Thoughts on the Trade Market

I hope everyone had a great weekend; I know I did!  My family had a garage/moving sale Thursday and Friday, and I made out pretty well.  We’re having it again this coming Friday and Saturday, and I hope to do even better.  Every little bit will help in my move to Connecticut.  Saturday, I went wedding dress shopping with my brother’s fiancée, which was a lot of fun.  Yesterday, we packed up all my boyfriend’s belongings into a UHaul U-Box, and it was much like a Tetris game to make everything fit.  Plus, I was able to get some of my things in it as well.  Most of my winter clothes are in that box; so there’s either no backing out now or I’ll have to buy new clothes

For the Red Sox re-cap, the Angels took 2 of 3 from the Sox this weekend.  The Red Sox won the first game, and they should’ve won the second game.  When you have a 4-run lead in the bottom of the 9^th with only one on and 2 outs, you should really win those games.  But, the Red Sox lost that game and lost Andrew Miller to the disabled list.  With the bases loaded (Miller’s doing), Uehara game in to try and shut it down.  He left the 9^th inning with a blown save and let four runs score to tie the game 7-7.  Josh Hamilton hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 11^th, and the Red Sox fell.  Lackey got the loss in last night’s game despite pitching extremely well (2 runs in 7.0 innings with 9 strikeouts.  His ERA is now 2.80).

But, back to the topic of the trade market for the Red Sox.  They need fresh relievers, maybe now more than ever with Miller out.  (An aside, Miller is out with a sprain, but it may be more serious than that.  They’re going to run tests on him, and we should have more information after that).  Farrell’s been relying on Tazawa and Uehara maybe a little too much, and they’re starting to show wear.

Again, I think obtaining a closer may be the best solution at this point.  The team can move Uehara back to the set-up role, and Tazawa could pitch the 7th inning  At this point, Bailey’s a nice reliever to have pitch when things aren’t critical (either up or down by 3+ runs, in my opinion).  Aceves is a force in the bullpen, but he could also be a good trade chip.

The Red Sox have been linked to Matt Garza of the Cubs, but I’m not sure a starter is the best solution now.  Buchholz is going to be having reahab starts probably by the end of the week, and should be back around July 24^th.  Lackey’s been the key to this pitching staff for most of the season.  Doubront and Dempster have been consistent the past month or more, and Lester had a good outing his last time.  Really, Lester is the only piece of the starting rotation that concerns me, and that’s really hard for me to say.

I know the Red Sox would like an upgrade at 3^rd base, but I’m not sure it’ll be worth the price.  Iglesias has pretty much won the starting shortstop position, and Middlebrooks has been hitting extremely well in Triple-A (last I saw, he had a .304 average and many RBIS- including 8 in one game, which set a record).  The Sox could always bring Middlebrooks back up.

Personally, if I was the General Manager, I would try to keep as many of the changes internal, if possible.  The Sox don’t want to trade away the farm for a deal that may only improve them this season.  The Red Sox have a good prospect at shortstop (Xander Bogaerts), who some are saying could switch to third base.  Middlebrooks could play first base (he even started to practice playing first base before being demoted).  An infield of Middlebrooks, Pedroia, Iglesias, and Bogaerts could be very interesting.

Well, people, that’s all I have for now.  As the rumors and trades pick up, I’ll be sure to update the blog.  Also, if you weren’t aware, Manny Ramirez signed a minor league deal with the Rangers last week.  With Cruz possibly being disciplined to some extent in the Biogenesis stuff, I’m sure Manny will be back in the Majors. 

One last note, David Ortiz (starting DH), Clay Buchholz, and Dustin Pedroia were named to the All-Star team.  Kojo Uehara is in the final vote, so remember to vote for him.  Vote #HighFiveCiti here.

Trades

The Red Sox made two trades yesterday. They sent Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik to the Diamondbacks for Craig Breslow. They also sent Lars Anderson to the Indians for Steven Wright.

Craig Breslow is a left-handed reliever who has had a good season thus far. He has a 2.70 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 rates. He’s also pitched 43 1/3 innings thus far this season. Plus, he also won’t be a free agent until after next season. The thought is that by acquiring Breslow, the Red Sox are now able to move Franklin Morales back into the rotation.

Breslow has already had a stint with the Red Sox, back in 2006. He pitched 12.0 innings then, with a 3.75 ERA, a 9.0 K/9 rate, and a 4.5 BB/9 rate. He didn’t give up a home run while with the Sox then, but he has given up 5 this season.

Steven Wright is a 27-year-old knuckleballer who has been in Double-A this season. He has a 2.49 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. He’s also pitched 115 2/3 innings this season. The addition of Wright gives the Red Sox more starting pitching depth. Plus, since Wakefield has retired, the Sox need a knuckleballer that will be with them for the next 20 years.

Trade Deadline Today

The trade deadline is today. It could either feel like Christmas (landing someone of value to put an optimistic spin on the season), purgatory (nothing of significance happens), or hell (the team becomes “sellers). I’m hoping from anywhere between purgatory and Christmas. Do I see a huge deal happening for the Red Sox? No.

MLBNetwork is having live coverage for most of the day. Unfortunately, I will be at work during this time. I will be relying on Twitter, MLB Trade Rumors, and probably my brother for information. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but my brother would love to be a GM, especially for the Sox. Today is his favorite day of the season because he loves watching the transactions take place.

MLBNetwork has already had some fun with the trade deadline today. Look at the tweets that have already transpired:

Kevin Millar @KMillar15
Breaking news @MLBNetwork has just traded the back hair of @TheMayorsOffice in exchange for the hamburger meat chest hair of @ChrisRose

Billd1530 @Billd1530
@KMillar15 @MLBNetwork @TheMayorsOffice @ChrisRose Just in… Millar’s frosted hair for Trump’s rug and caterpillar eyebrows, and a PTBNL.

Kevin Millar @KMillar15
Well played @Billd1530

Chris Rose @ChrisRose
@KMillar15 @MLBNetwork @TheMayorsOffice hey, I just woke up, where did my chest hair go? And why is my back so itchy?

So what could the Red Sox possibly end up doing today? I think we’ll probably see some shuffling of the bullpen, for one. That seems to happen with every team at the trade deadline. Relievers need to be moved around so opposing players aren’t too comfortable with them.

There has been a little chatter about the Indians looking to trade Justin Masterson, and the Red Sox are supposedly interested. Masterson’s had a down year: 7-9, 4.47 ERA, 1.381 WHIP. But, the Sox are supposedly interested in a 3-4 starter. Wouldn’t Masterson fit that category? Heck, he’d be close to the “Ace” of the team with his ERA!

In all seriousness, I do hope that the Sox can pull off a trade for Masterson. Not only has he become a workhorse since he was traded to the Indians (remember, he was the key piece in the Victor Martinez trade), but he won’t be a free agent until 2015. Plus, he’s relatively cheap, only having a $3.83 million contract this year, his first arbitration eligible year.

There’s been quite a bit of talk about Beckett being traded. Cherington has said that Beckett will not be traded, and I believe him. Billy Ripkin on MLBNetwork last night was saying he doesn’t believe Beckett will be making his start tonight for the Red Sox, that he will be traded. Not buying it. I’ve said it before, Beckett has 10-5 rights and would have to approve any trade; he won’t unless it’s to the Rangers, most likely.

Kelly Shoppach’s been the other player who keeps coming up in trade talks. It makes sense, trade away Shoppach to make room for Lavarnway. However, it appeared that the Mets and Rangers were the two teams most interested. The Mets have seemed to drop out.

It should be an exciting day; and hopefully, the BoSox can pull something great off.

Less Than a Week Left Until the Trade Deadline

First, I apologize for taking almost a week off from the blog. It was a packed vacation away, and I had a great time. Even if I had decided to take my laptop with me, I don’t think I would’ve had time to write anything. So, for those who follow daily, please accept my apologies.

Second, I am refusing to write about the catastrophe the weekend series against the Jays was. I had very limited cell phone service where I was staying, but the few times I did check the scores to the games, I was a bit embarrassed to be a Sox fan. When the Sox fell below .500 after Monday’s nights’ game, I think the realization for the rest of the season became clear.

A few of my friends and family members who are Red Sox fans are still holding out hope that the Sox can get it going again. They are currently 4.0 games out of a wild card spot, which seems doable with more than two months left. However, there are 7 teams in front of them for the spot, and only three teams in the AL have a worse record (Seattle, Kansas City, and Minnesota). The Sox are currently tied with the Blue Jays.

Yes, a lot can happen in two months. The Sox could go on an amazing winning streak. Our pitchers can remember how to pitch consistently well. Ortiz can heal quickly and hit .350 for the rest of the year. Ellsbury and Crawford could both start hitting around .300 with a combined 50 bases. I think I’ve already posted all this as wishful thinking.

The truth is, the Sox need to make adjustments to this team. Having players come off the DL isn’t enough anymore. There needs to be some changes, and I don’t know if the Sox are willing to make the changes at this point.

The Sox were said to be in on Dempster, Garza, and Hanley Ramirez at one time or another. Ramirez was just traded to the Dodgers. A deal to send Dempster to the Braves is reportedly in place, though he would have to agree to it. Every team seems to be in on Garza. It was reported that the Sox had a scout to watch Greinke last night, but a pitcher with anxiety issues isn’t what the Sox need right now.

The Sox did end up trading Brent Lillibridge to the Indians for right-hander Jose De La Torre. This return may be decent considering De La Torre is 26 and had a 2.91 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 55 2/3 innings for Cleveland's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates this year. There’s at least potential there.

Supposedly, the Sox are scouting Josh Johnson as well, though I haven’t heard a lot of serious talk regarding the Red Sox and Johnson. It seems like the Rangers and the Angels have the most interest.

Personally, I don’t know if the Red Sox have the pieces to make a huge trade that would send them to the play-offs this year. Their talented young players like Middlebrooks and Lavarnway seemed destined to become permanent fixtures at Fenway. Ciriaco and Nava seem to the be two players most likely to go, but I think they’ve both lost stock in the past week.

With less than a week left before the trade deadline, there will be more rumors flying around about who the Red Sox are willing to deal and attain. How many of these rumors will prove to be true is the real question.