Headlines

  • Write For MLB Trade Rumors
  • Reds Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List With Shoulder Strain
  • Frankie Montas To Miss Next Start Due To Shoulder Inflammation
  • Pirates Getting Plenty Of Interest In Jose Quintana
  • Mets Activate Max Scherzer, Designate Chasen Shreve For Assignment
  • Dodgers, Austin Barnes Agree To Two-Year Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Sox Should Trade For Lidge

By Tim Dierkes | September 16, 2006 at 4:00pm CDT

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. 

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Boston Red Sox Brad Lidge Jonathan Papelbon

2007 MLB Free Agents: Luis Gonzalez
Main
2007 Boston Red Sox
View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Write For MLB Trade Rumors

    Reds Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List With Shoulder Strain

    Frankie Montas To Miss Next Start Due To Shoulder Inflammation

    Pirates Getting Plenty Of Interest In Jose Quintana

    Mets Activate Max Scherzer, Designate Chasen Shreve For Assignment

    Dodgers, Austin Barnes Agree To Two-Year Extension

    Anthony DeSclafani Out For The Season

    Juan Soto Open To Extension Discussions With Nationals

    Nationals Exercise 2023 Options On Mike Rizzo, Dave Martinez

    Mets To Activate Max Scherzer On Tuesday

    A’s Designate Adam Kolarek, Option Cristian Pache

    Blue Jays Sign Sergio Romo

    Bryce Harper To Undergo Thumb Surgery

    Royals Trade Carlos Santana To Mariners, Promote Vinnie Pasquantino

    Major League Baseball Issues 12 Suspensions For Angels – Mariners Brawl

    Recent

    Write For MLB Trade Rumors

    Pavin Smith Suffers Wrist Fracture

    Giants Place Evan Longoria On Injured List

    Avila: Tigers Have Not Had Recent Contact With Eduardo Rodriguez

    Rockies Designate Colton Welker For Assignment

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Blue Jays Designate Shaun Anderson For Assignment

    Reds Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List With Shoulder Strain

    Pirates Designate Austin Brice For Assignment

    Chris Taylor Diagnosed With Foot Fracture

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Willson Contreras Rumors
    • Ian Happ Rumors
    • Luis Castillo Rumors
    • Brandon Drury Rumors
    • Andrew Benintendi Rumors
    • Jose Quintana Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • MLB Player Chats
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2021-22 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2022
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version