Tag Archives: Carl Crawford

October 2, 2012 · 5:50 AM

Limping To The Finish, Again

Going back to my baseball preview column I did at the beginning of the season I had said the Orioles would be good in 3-5 years if they gave Duquette a chance, but were still in rebuilding mode. Well it turns out he was able to do it in year one. Meanwhile I couldn’t put the Sox in fourth, bet they’re sitting in last and could stay there with one more loss.

The Orioles and Athletics both took me by surprise. I think they took all of baseball by surprise. But at the end of the day, I love it.

Sure I’m a Sox fan at the end of the day, but I hated what the Sox had become. They became the Yankees during their stretch of not winning World Series. Remember after the 90′s when the Yankees started going after every big name free agent? Mussina, Giambi, etc. They dumped Tino Martinez for a Jason Giambi who was on all kinds of steroids and the Yankees’ fans hated them for it.

Well, the Sox did some of the same. Not so much replacing an icon that everyone loved with a juicehead, but they spent all their money wrong. They went after John Lackey and Carl Crawford when they should have been going after Jayson Werth. They needed a right handed bat and instead they signed Crawford, then tried to sell the fans on the acquisition.

This past off-season they made a few trades (none that really worked) after they lost their closer to free agency. They should have just re-signed him. Not saying the bullpen was a huge problem this season (starters were the real issue) but having Aceves in your rotation may have helped things. And I still believe that Mark Buehrle would have been a great free agent pickup in the off-season because he eats innings.

As we look ahead (it’s all we can do) we see that the free agent crop this coming off-season isn’t great. Josh Hamilton is a bat that’s out there but isn’t going after that big bat available in free agency what screwed you with Crawford?

It’ll be interesting to see what Uncle Larry decides to let Puppet Ben do this off-season. Will he be allowed to trade Jacoby (their only chip)? Will he be allowed to overhaul the roster? Will he be allowed to fire Bobby V and bring in his own manager? So many questions abound as the team limps to what is a guaranteed last place (maybe a tie for) finish.

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August 27, 2012 · 6:54 AM

Reset Button Pressed

The Twitter-sphere started blowing up just after lunch on Friday. The Dodgers had put a claim in on Adrian Gonzalez after the Sox had placed him on waivers earlier in the week.

Then the fun really started.

ESPN who was probably the slowest to report the claim, had reports that not only was Gonzalez claimed but the teams were working on a deal that would send Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford (fresh off Tommy John surgery), and Nick Punto to Los Angeles.

I couldn’t believe it. Stunned, I listened and watched for any and all updates on the situation. By Saturday afternoon it was official and all those guys were gone. Boston had pulled off the impossible and freed themselves of over $262 million dollars in contracts. The kicker is unlike the Julio Lugo, Edgar Renteria, etc. the Sox are only paying $10-$12 million of the $262 million.

Wow.

The team was able to dump Beckett who’s head everyone has been calling for for over a year. They were able to get out of the stupid contract they signed Crawford to. And it cost them Adrian Gonzalez. To see what the sox got back, CLICK HERE, ESPN had a good break down.

I’ve been saying it for months now but the Sox really have lost their way. Cherington acknowledged the same thing. They turned into the Yankees after they’d won all those World Series up till 2000. Home grown talent, then adding in a few free agent pieces, and not trading away the farm. The Yanks did it while Stenbrenner was suspended, here’s hoping the Sox can do this now.

I tweeted as you can see on the right, if they fire Uncle Larry, I’ll buy a brick. That’s how excited I am by this deal and the reset button it represents.

I don’t think the team is done either.

I want to see what other moves they’ll make. Can they find a taker for Lackey this offseason. Will they send Lester on his way if someone claims him on waivers? Will the team use some of the freed up cash to sign Ellsbury longterm or will they try to move him this offseason too?

The transformation has started. The team’s finally getting younger and they’re cleaning out some of the bad eggs. All of a sudden I’m getting excited again for the Sox. Can’t wait to see what other moves Cherington makes now that he’s apparently off his leash.

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July 19, 2012 · 5:46 AM

Trade Crawford?

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With the MLB non-waiver trading deadline coming up, I’m watching the rumor mills like a hawk. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/ is really the best site I’ve found for this stuff. It’s a cornucopia of trade rumors and you can sort by team.

Yesterday’s big headline was the Sox had started calling around offering Carl Crawford. The rumor was Crawford to the Marlins for Hanley Ramirez. Then it was Ramirez and Jose Reyes. Then it was Ramirez or Reyes.

This report came from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. A respected journalist who certainly has reputable sources. His reports were shot down by Peter Gammons when he was on with Felger and Mazz yesterday afternoon.

Here’s my issue. Gammons is a guy I used to go to for everything. But then he left ESPN. Now he works part time for MLB and part time for the Sox. The second one is suspect.

How are we supposed to believe that Gammons isn’t on the Sox payroll? Meaning he’s collecting a check from the Sox can they compromise his integrity? “Peter, when you go on the air, deny the Crawford rumors.” And like a good soldier he follows orders?

I’d like to think it’s not true but at the same time I picture Lucchino standing next to him while he’s on the phone making sure he says what the Sox want out there.

I know Crawford sucked last year, will need Tommy John, and has a contract he’ll never be worth. But you know Ellsbury is leaving when his contract is up, and since they’re essentially the same player wouldn’t you try and move Ellsbury?

Or is the plan to dump Crawford’s contract and throw the kitchen sink at the oft injured Ellsbury?

Regardless, I have to say, I love hearing this kind of rumor. It shows the club wants to win now and wants to make a bold move to do it. Now whether or not they have the balls to pull the trigger…

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July 10, 2012 · 6:33 AM

The Break

The Red Sox season has taken a merciful break. The wrapped up the first half limping to a .500 finish while dropping three of four to the Yankees over the weekend. They currently sit 9.5 games out of first place and in last place in the AL East.

Where do they go from here?

Well, the fans don’t think very far according to a poll over on ESPN.com. I have to agree.

Take out the likeness factor that I’ve talked about for most of the year and even back to last year. We know we don’t like this incarnation of the Red Sox. But it’s about the name on the front as my buddy Matty says.

The team is set to get back Buchholz (upset tummy), Crawford (Sally wrist), and Ellsbury (longest shoulder injury ever). In theory that would upgrade any team in a minute. But let’s look at it a little closer.

Buchholz is actually having the worst season of the “big three” in the rotation. His ERA is currently the 6th worse in the AL. So getting him back from the DL on an upset tummy, not really a good thing. If they said something was off on his mechanics and he needed to work it out, you’d feel so much better than an upset tummy.

Crawford has already said he’ll need surgery after the season. Don’t do us any favors Carl. You just go have it now. Your anemic .220 batting average can find its way back to the lineup next year. We’re in no rush to see you.

Finally Ellsbury and his shoulder. After his MVP like season last year, we really hoped he’d gotten over his sandyvagititus. He hasn’t. With Boras coaching him along to stay on the DL, his potential will never be realized. Hall of Famers are Hall of Famers because they put up those MVP type seasons every year. They don’t sit out half a season with an ouchie. Jacoby will never be the player he could be because he refuses to toughen up.

So think back to the Johan Santana for Ellsbury and Lester trade that was offered a couple years back. You’d pull the trigger on it today right? I mean for all that Santana was hurt in NY, Ellsbury was hurt up here. Lester has become mediocre almost overnight. It’s sad.

So I’m in the belief of a team that will possibly finish below .500. Sure they may get over .500 a few more times but I think last September will repeat itself. So again, I hope they blow it up. Start trading guys. Ellsbury, Beckett, Matzucrappa, even Lester. Watching the young guys play .500 baseball beats the shit out of watching these multi-year millionaire contracted assholes on the field.

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July 3, 2012 · 6:46 AM

Climbing Back In

Did you know the Red Sox weren’t in last place anymore? It’s true, I swear. In fact they’re in a tie for fourth place and a half game out of third. The currently sit behind Baltimore and New York 6.5 games out of first and four games over .500.

So the team managed to get over the .500 mark, finally. But then they split the series with the lowly Mariners after winning five straight series. Then sent the craptastic one to the hill last night again the other AL West whipping boys, the A’s. Dice-K continued to look Matzucrappa-esque.

Matzucrappa was apparently injured and had to leave the game. So for all that the local sports shows were talking about the team’s seven starters and how the rotation would work, injuries will certainly take care of it for them. So Dice-K leaves the game with “neck tightness” after giving up five runs in a typical craptastic start digging his team a whole for them to try and fight out of.

Add on to Dice-K’s injury the fact that rookie Will Middlebrooks has a hamstring that could possibly put him on the DL and all of a sudden you’re rethinking the Youkilis trade. Well, not quite, but who’s going to play third? Nick Punto? Great.

The team should be getting Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury back from injury soon but the productivity you’ve been getting from your outfield is better than anything that Crawford gave you last year. And Jacoby, if the team was smart, would be a deadline trade chip.

So for all that the team has climbed out of the cellar and gotten themselves over .500, they’re only two games ahead of the last place Blue Jays who sit at .500. They have players that still don’t care (Beckett, Buchholz), so I think the whole thing is still being held together with scotch tape. It could collapse at any moment. It’s nice to think they’re becoming likable like I said last week but I don’t think that they’re built for the long haul. I guess we’ll have to keep watching. Ugh.

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