The Red Sox are in extra innings against the Yankees as they try to get back to .500. Currently 50-51, Boston is 4.5 games back from a wild card spot. Here are the latest off-the-field rumblings…
- The Red Sox have explored the possibility of trading Josh Beckett, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. One general manager told Heyman it's "unlikely" that a team would take on Beckett, who would have to waive his 10-and-5 rights to facilitate a deal. As Heyman points out, however, Beckett's mediocre numbers and large contract make it likely that he'd clear waivers and be eligible for an August trade.
- One Major League executive insisted to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com that the Red Sox are "trying to dump" Beckett but it's unlikely they'd be able to find a taker without a big discount.
- Edes writes that the Red Sox aren't willing to part with the type of prospects they would need to surrender in order to acquire Josh Johnson from the Marlins.
- Edes also hears that the Red Sox are shopping Ryan Sweeney.
- The Red Sox were in on Francisco Liriano all the way to the end before the Twins dealt him to the White Sox, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Sox need to do something….
I’d be all in favor of them adding pieces that will contribute in 2013 and even beyond. I don’t think that it’s prudent to try to deal prospects for this season, as it’ll be difficult for them to get the division title and therefore not risk being a one-and-done team in the playoffs. They should hope that regression to the mean helps them out and perhaps build for next year while remaining competitive.
ehhh, id like them to move some pieces like beckett, crawford if we could. I’d love to see what kalish, lavarnway, wilson, iglesias, pimentel, britton have to offer. We cant possible do any worse with em.
I’m sure that the Sox would love to move Beckett and Crawford too, but it takes 2 to tango in any trade.
As for Iglesias, I’m no fan of “Belanger” Iglesias. His all glove, no stick won’t fly with Sox fans. Not one bit. He should be trade bait.
The “Sox” DID do something. They’ve traded for Kevin Youkilis, Brett Myers, and Francisco Liriano.
The Red Sox don’t HAVE the prospects needed to get Josh Johnson, it’s not that they “aren’t willing to part ” with them!
you have to be kidding.
Incorrect. Between Josh Johnson’s issues with injury and his contract, he isn’t worth a huge prospect haul. The Red Sox have a middling farm system, but they’d certainly could get a deal done.
yes they do.
barnes, xander, bradley???/
I wouldn’t trade any of those 3 for JJ. Not worth it.
I’m guessing at least 20 replies to this by 10:00 am tomorrow.
Anything said against Red Sox or Yankees will always bring about tons of people scoffing at what was just said, wether its true or untrue.
Its the most annoying part about them. No one has a correct opinion other than yanks or sox fans.
wrong.We just dont want to part with them.a package of xander bogaerts,brentz and ranuldo is enough to get josh johnson.
Dodgers should kick the tires here.
Getting rid of Beckett at this point would be stupid!! Sweeney as well!!
JJ didn’t help his case any today in scouts eyes.. He was working 91-95 and all over the place and even tied his career high for BB in a game with 6. Not all on him as the H/P umpire was changing his strike zone every inning, though JJ was not sharp at all today.
Who would want Ryan Sweeney? Are average defensive outfielders with no speed and no power that high in demand?
sweeney is elite defensively in RF and has an average/above average arm.
from a 4th outfielder, or the LH half of a RF platoon, you can do worse.
If the Red Sox couldn’t beat that miserable prospect haul from the White Sox, I guess they didn’t want him all that much.
THey should go after someone with more consistency, even if he isn’t spectacular. I said before the season started they needed a healthy workhorse type, even if he posts a 4.5 ERA, juts someone who can make all his starts and keep them in the game because their offense is still very good.
They have four of those.
Did anyone in their rotation make all of their starts aside from Felix Doubront?
Lester has made 21 starts (Doubront has made 20). Also, Beckett and Buchholz have gone a couple fewer starts, but they have thrown about as many innings (107.2 Buchholz, 108.1 Beckett, 113.1 Doubront, 126.1 Lester).
Agree and think both of will also that Liriano is far worse of a rotation patch work than even bedard was last season. Not only is he a FA, but has been terribly inconsistent for years.
Not worth anything better than a very low prospect and Boston already has a guy (franklin Morales) in the BP who put together as many good starts this year (or close) as Liriano has.
It’s called.. Pass.. lets focus on someone that can actually help if the team insists on another SP acquisition.
I’ll take masterson however
Also, just about any team other than the White Sox and maybe the Marlins or Brewers can put together a prospect package good enough to entice most teams, it’s just a matter of whether they’d want to trade them or not. Miami values JJ very highly though.
No team is going to part with the prospects needed. Josh Johnson stays in Miami. If JJ improves to finish the season, they will trade him. If not, they’ll keep him for 2013 and the only chance to trade him is if the Marlins repeat this season.
Ok is anyone else out there in MLBTR land asking themselves “what the hell is Ben Cherington doing?”. One minute theyre in on Liriano until the end, then theyre calling teams trying to dump Beckett then theyre wanting to deal Ross and Sweeney but they want to bring in Garza and others.
Are they buying or selling? I personally dislike the red sox organization and I am having a wonderful time watching this trainwreck of a season. But WOW,,, what a trainwreck its been for Cherington and Valentine. Just an awful season in absolutely every way. There is no excuse in the world to be losing this many games with the talent they have on that team.
“There is no excuse in the world to be losing this many games with the talent they have on that team.” Right, and that’s the general manager’s fault how exactly?
Moving Beckett frees up money to make other moves, and trading Ross and Sweeney only makes sense at this point. Ross is a free agent at the end of the season and if they can get a couple decent prospects for him instead of letting him walk and getting nothing it only makes sense, and if someone wants to give you prospects for your 4th outfielder (Sweeney) you do it every time. Adding Liriano or Garza both seemed like bad ideas to me, but they both have reasons (Liriano likely would have been to placate the fan base [look, we tried to do something] and Garza would have also helped them in the future, as well as brought back draft compensation).
LOL! don’t be cocky
poor season?
maybe to his standards, but even him not at his best is pretty good . and yes the al east is tough for starting pitchers, but good stuff plays well in any division .
Yeah it’s odd. For a board full of saberheads it’s hard to understand why people ignore that he has FIP of 3.09 which is the 10th best in all of baseball. His LD% and BaBIP are higher than you want to see he’s still managed to have some good quality starts (11 games w/ 6 IP and 2 ER or less). His control is an issue this year though more than it looks.
Still, I wouldn’t give up the level of prospects that the Marlins are asking. 1 top 50 and some good but lower level high ceiling guys should do it. (ex a Mason Williams + Ravel Santana + Dante Bichette type deal).