Results tagged ‘ Ben Cherrington ’
Could Beckett Be Traded?
It’s no secret that Josh Beckett has lost a lot of fan support since last September. Just yesterday it was reveled that he and Clay Buchholz went golfing even though he was “resting” a lat injury. Shortly after people were calling for him to be traded or just outright released. Now this is a little unrealistic, it’s not like he’s completely unproductive (although tonight he looked it) there’s still trade value. Obviously the Sox would have to eat most of his contract ($51 million over the next 3 years) so the question is a waste of $20 million+ worth keeping the fan base and taking a bad influence out of the clubhouse. I’m not saying I’m on board with it, but if Ben Cherrington is here are some teams that may be takers.
San Diego Padres: This may seem like an odd match, but this is the same team that was willing to take John Lackey, plus with 3 of their starters on the DL they could use a pitcher right now. Beckett could also be a teacher to their young pitchers, but in baseball only.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Another interesting team, but they want pitchers at any cost. Their staff has filled up, but I’m sure they’d welcome Beckett to the team.
Los Angeles Angels: The Angels have a lot of bad contracts and they want pitching depth, so in an extreme case they could swap contract for contract. It’s not likely, but it’s a possibility.
Kansas City Royals: People have been saying all they need to contend is pitching, and with a system full of quality prospects they could match up nicely. It’d be difficult to get them to part with prospects, but the amount eaten by the Sox would determine the size of the return.
This is only list of teams that could take Beckett off our hands right now. All are long shots, but still possibilities. I think what this proved the most was that trading Beckett would be difficult and futile. They won’t get a huge return and they’d still have to pay him. I’m sorry if you hate him, but he’s likely here to stay.
Red Sox Aquire Marlon Byrd
Today the Red Sox acquired Marlon Byrd from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Michael Bowden and a player to be named later. I have mixed feelings about this move. On one hand it’s nice to have an experienced center fielder, but is it a pressing need? Not really. After what unfolded today Ben Cherrington should have put center on the back burner and focused on relief. The thing I like most about at this move though, is how much we have to pay. Bowden’s not the top prospect he once was and he really needed a change pf scenery before he was going to have success at the big league level. Also, the Sox only have to pay $400k of his $6.5 million contract. This move is either a hit or miss, and who knows we might be able to flip him to somebody for relief help.
Bailey Out; Aceves In
I know I’m slow to break the news but Andrew Bailey will be out recovering from UCL surgery on his thumb. He’s unsure how he injured it, but its believed that it happened when he colided with Alex Presley at first base in a game against the Pirates. Now the Sox are tasked with finding a replacement closer and they think they have it in Alfredo Aceves. Even though Ben Cherrington said he had confidence in Mark Melancon as a closer when he acquired him it seems to of changed.
I don’t Aceves is a closer type guy. He does his best when he’s pitching multiple innings rather than trying to lock down one inning. Melancon should be the obvious choice because of his past closer experiance with the Astros, but its clear there’s very little faith in him. In the end I think the Sox will end up using a closer by committe style in the ninth, where whose ever hot gets the ball. It might end up being the best idea due to all the talented, but not quite closer-like relievers in the pen.
John Lackey Out for 2012
During his press conference, Ben Cherington dropped a bombshell. He announced that John Lackey will have Tommy John Surgery and miss the 2012 season. Now this isn’t a terrible thing for the Sox, because they were ready to just cut costs and get rid of him. Now he’ll come back stronger in 2013 and actually help out the team. Hopefully the surgery will help him get back on track and back to the way he pitched for the Angles.
Cherrington Announced as GM
Today the Red Sox announced that Ben Cherrington would become the team’s new GM. Cherrington has held nearly every scouting job of the Red Sox proving his strong background. Based on his press conference he appears to be a well-rounded GM. He identified all the Sox weaknesses and his plans to fix them. I think he’l be very successful in Boston.
Why Theo Leaving is a Good Thing
Most Red Sox fans, myself included, are saddened by Theo Epstein‘s looming departure, but it does have some positives. Theo has made some great moves throughout his career. He made fantastic trades and found some great under valued players. But in recent years he’s slipped up on one thing. He has read the free agent market terribly. He has also taken advantage of John Henry’s wallet by overspending on just about everyone of the free agents he’s picked up. He just struggles with making an adequate contract offer that meets both sides needs. He’s always gone way over the top for veterans services. He should know that their near decline, and if they want more years than their bodies are going to give them than just stay away. Theo was never able to stay away. He was so overly aggressive that it hurt the Sox rather than helped them. The only time he’s backed off a contract for health is with Jason Bay, and it proved to be an excellent idea. Didn’t anybody learn from that, or is everyone still upset we lost a guy whose hit .251 the past two years? The Mets are just as upset as we are with the contracts of Carl Crawford, John Lackey, J.D. Drew, and Mike Cameron. If Theo takes this approach in Chicago, the Cubs will be buried in debt due to terrible contracts. Another problem I’ve had with Theo is his protection of the farm system. Guys like Lars Anderson whose value was sky high a few years ago and the Sox had no use for him, but Theo had some sort of plan for him. Now he’s not even worth an unhealthy Rich Harden. Years ago he could of been used as guy in a Adrian Gonzalez type trade, but now that will never happen, except as a throw in. I’m not saying toss away all homegrown guys, because that would be insanity, but guys who aren’t going to serve a purpose when their value is at his highest needs to be moved if the right deal is made. Another good example is Josh Reddick. Right now, other teams are admiring the fantastic job he’s done this year, but he still wasn’t the most consistent guy. The Sox can sell high with him, because they have a plethora of internal and external options in the outfield. Hopefully, Cherrington will realize everything Theo did wrong and do them right.
See Ya Theo, Hello Ben
The 2011 season for the Boston Red Sox can’t get much worse. They’ve lost a massive lead in the Wild Card, their Manager, and now their General Manager. Theo Epstein has agreed to a five year deal with Chicago Cubs. He hasn’t left yet due to the Sox and Cubs trying to work the compensation for losing Theo. Theo has been one of the best GMs in all of baseball since he took the job in 2002. He’s helped the Sox win 2 World Series in his tenure here. He won’t be forgotten by Sox fans even though he betrayed us in the end. It’s also been leaked that Assistant General Manager, Ben Cherrington, will be replacing Theo. He’s been with the Sox since 1999, so he knows his way around the organization. He’s a fitting replacement since he’s dedicated the past 12 years of his to the Sox. He has no prior experience as GM except for when Theo stepped down in 2005. During that short period of time Cherrington, Padres current GM Jed Hoyer, and Larry Lucchino orchestrated the Josh Beckett trade, which was one of the greatest moves in Red Sox history. Most people in baseball say that Cherrington is the right man for the job, and we can only hope that they’re right.
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