So, yesterday was exciting to say the least. After spending all day Wednesday refreshing twitter to see if Jon Lester had been dealt, it was one transaction after another on Thursday. While there are still some fans who are unhappy with the trades, I am definitely not one of them.
While I was hoping that the Red Sox held on to John Lackey, I really can't complain with what they go in return. Here's my quick review of each trade which went down yesterday. Eventually I'll get around to looking at each new player more in depth.
Trade 1- Lester and Gomes to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes- So this came down as I was driving to work. Let's say I was jubilant. As I've stated many times before, trading Lester at this point needed to be done. Getting a bat like Cespedes in return is about as great a return as could be imagined. Seeing Gomes leave was absolutely fine by me. While his presence in the clubhouse last season seemed to be a catalyst, I really felt it was more of a detriment this season. I guess I've never been a fan of attention whores and prefer players who are about getting their job done.
Trade 2- John Lackey and Corey Littrell to St. Louis for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly- While I wanted to keep Lackey assuming we could restructure his deal and he wouldn't "retire" next season, I really can't complain about this. Having a lot of friends who are Cardinals fans and seeing how they reacted to this trade pretty much lets you know we got some good players in return. With both players locked up for the immediate future and the realization that Lackey's contract was going to cause some problems, this was definitely a good deal.
Trade 3- Andrew Miller to Baltimore for Eduardo Rodriguez- Miller is a 29 year old pitcher at the end of a contract who has never pitched in the post-season. This gives him the chance to pitch in some meaningful games and still gives the Red Sox the opportunity to resign him in the offseason. What's not to like about that? Rodriquez is a left-handed pitcher who was the number 3 prospect for the Orioles. Is there ever anything wrong with getting a 21 year old stud from a team in your conference for a player with a contract about to expire. Nope.
Trade 4- Stephen Drew to Yankees for Kelly Johnson- Thank god. While this is good for the Red Sox because it allows the young guys to play, it still is pretty odd. I have several messages from friends about the curiosity factor here. In my opinion, this is just the Yankees kissing up to Scott Boras by making his client feel wanted. Yup, that's all I've got.
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