Red Sox Should Trade For Lidge

Given Jonathan Papelbon's recent hints about starting in 2007, there's a lot of hubbub about who might close for the Red Sox next season.

Let me preface this by saying that I agree with Baseball Prospectus's Nate Silver: Papelbon should remain a closer.  His utter dominance in relief, the taxing nature of his splitter, the open question about his ability to throw 200 innings.  Why risk it?  As Silver says, "A great closer is as valuable as all but the very best starters, once we properly account for the effects of leverage."

But say the Red Sox do use Papelbon as a starter in 2007 (I'm not anywhere near convinced they will).  Who's going to pitch the ninth inning in Boston?  It's really not their style to pursue any of these guys.  Only Eric Gagne has the potential to be elite, so the Boston papers are throwing his name around.  But let's not forget that Gagne has thrown all of 15.3 innings over the last two seasons.  He's a very risky signing, especially if he would require an inflated offer to leave L.A.

The better solution, in my mind, is to try to trade for Brad Lidge.  Lidge is still healthy and it would be a buy low situation.  It wouldn't be the first time the Red Sox have looked at acquiring him.  Lidge is still racking up the strikeouts, though his control has slipped to a dangerous level.  He won't be a free agent until after the 2008 season.

Whether or not the Red Sox target Lidge, relying on one of the available free agent closers doesn't seem like their style.  They gave Keith Foulke a big contract after 2003, but Foulke was one of the game's dominant closers at the time.  There's no similar free agent option this year.  How about a creative solution: give the job to a starter?  Matt Clement, Adam Eaton, Ted Lilly, Gil Meche, Kerry Wood, or Randy Wolf could surprise as a closer if one of them is willing to give it a shot. 

Comments

[Kramerica Industries]

What about Hirotoshi Ishii(a hard throwing lefty from Japan with a very solid strikeout rates,when i find the numbers i will post them) The red sox tried to acquire last year and will probably try to get him again

I like Brad Lidge for the roll he needs a change but Boston might not be it

If tehy sign Gagne i think they have to sign guys like Baez or Borowski as set up men and back up closers if Gagne would go down again i would give Gagne a David Well deal two years 8 mill guaranteed with a ton of incentives

[Kramerica Industries]

http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Headline_Archives/2005/10/are_the_red_sox_1.html

thats a bostondirtdogs report from last year about the sox and Ishii

[start_wearing_purple]

I can see them going after Gagne, but with no promises about being a closer. Though Lidge, well it might be good for him to get away from Pujols...

[Kyle]

What do they offer to get Lidge??? Do they trade Willy Mo and a couple prospects? I dont see the Red Sox having the players to get that deal done

[RotoAuthority]

They'd have to deal someone they weren't counting on for this year...not sure if they have the prospects for Houston.

[start_wearing_purple]

Lidge's value has dropped so boston could probably get him for a combination of Edgar Martinez, Clay Bucholz, and Brandon Moss, and maybe they could convince them they could use Hinske...

[mike]

no way the sox are going to give yup buchholz for lidge. buchholz right now is boston's top pitching prospect. i could see a combo with branon moss or david murphy with some other guys but the sox wont trade away their best pitching prospect for lidge. trading for lidge makes perfect sense for the sox but it also depends on what the astros are asking for. alot of teams would be interested in lidge

[mike]

what do you think the chances are ramirez opts out and becomes a free agent from the cubs? if he does then i could see the sox really going after him hard. that would allow them to trade away lowell and it would really give them a great 3,4,5 in the line up. how much does ramirez project to be seeking? lowell makes 9 million a year so i could see the sox throwing say 13-15 million a year for ramirez. will hurt the defense a bit but its a huge offense upgrade. then that allows youk to stay at first where he has done a great job all season. carlos pena or hinske then will be back up which is what they really are anyways.

[start_wearing_purple]

I don't think the Sox are gonna trade Bucholz or Bowden for that matter. I was replying to Kyle just to say the Sox have a decent farm system to make a good trade. They have enough position players to trade a few off and hold onto their pitchers.

As fro A-ram... I'm willing to say 99% chance. Especially if the yanks make a play to trade arod, the sox trade lowell, angels aren't willing to give up their future to get Tejada, A few big spenders will see Ramirez as a better alternative than Carlos Lee.

[NYCBOY21]

Ishii is a bum, check out his numbers with the mets. he dosent even have a job right now.

[stewartcorner]

Here is an idea i had...

if Pap goes to the starting rotation we would def. need a closer. I like the looks of Ryan Wagner in Cincy. Maybe we should try to trade Trot to them. If we can work out a deal of Manny for Arod, we would get a player who might actually play everyday. Put Kapler as an everyday player as his replacement.(you know you love Kap!) now you can let Gonzalez go somewhere in a trade. Get the deal done for Andruw Jones (bye CoCo). trade Lowell for a starter like Kenny Rogers and you would have a great lineup.

1.Youkilis 3b
2.A-Rod ss
3.Ortiz dh
4.A.Jones rf
5.Varitek c
6.Pena lf
7.Hinske 1b
8.Kapler cf
9.Pedroia 2b

rotation
1.Schilling
2.Beckett
3.Rogers
4.Wakefield
5.Paplebon

relief
Tavarez, Hanson, Timlin, Delcarmen, and Wagner as the closer.

does this seem to make any sense?

1.

[ryan]

I personally believe that Gagne would be a really good pick up if not the best possible pick up for us. With the execption of his last two seasons, look at the numbers he put up prior to the injury. Also i believe that we should persue Pettite and Zito. Give Lester another year in the minors or in the bullpin as we are loosing Curt at the end of next season.

Possible rotation:

1. Schilling
2. Zito
3. Beckett
4. Pettite
5. Wakefield

Also, as you have many young arms ready for this season, you only have to make a few random pick ups for the bullpin.

[RotoAuthority]

Kind of hard to ignore the last two seasons and a bunch of surgery. I mean, if we ignore 2005-06 Sammy Sosa looks like a decent option.