The Red Sox are contacting teams to determine their trade interest in Carl Crawford, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Red Sox reached out to both the Marlins and the Dodgers, but no deal appears close.
“There’s nothing going on with Carl,” Red Sox GM Ben Cherington told Rosenthal. “He’s our left fielder and we’re glad to have him back in our lineup.”
Crawford is in the second year of a seven-year, $142MM contract he signed following the 2010 season. His contract allows him to block trades to two teams and states that teams can’t flip him to the New York Yankees. Crawford, who returned from the disabled list two days ago, has lingering elbow issues that could require Tommy John surgery at some point. The 30-year-old posted a .255/.289/.405 line last year in his first season with the Red Sox.
Some Marlins officials are frustrated with Hanley Ramirez, so Rosenthal suggests Cherington could look to acquire the former Red Sox prospect for Crawford. Jose Reyes could also be considered a trade chip, Rosenthal writes.
There is no comment that can do that headline justice. Just don’t try.
a 2-year $142 million deal? He must have an awesome agent. Kidding, obviously.
We’re at least 4-5 years away from those kind of contracts.
Different eras but lets assume players like Mays, Mantle, Ted Williams, Cy Young, Babe Ruth, and Henry Aaron achieved the same numbers today. With today’s market each of those players would be making 26+ Million.
For sure, but that is because they were the best players in the league. Like arod, Pujols, Fielder, Votto, Sabathia, Teix, AGon, Howard. are all near the best talent.
Please take a look at A-Rod and say he is still a “top talent”.
You’ll say the same thing towards the latter part of each players’ respective deal on that list. You have to overpay for the declining years to guarantee the prime years. When the deal was signed, he was a top talent.
Not anymore, but when he signed the contract he was coming off a 50 hr year. That would put him as one of the best in league, an MVP season. Crawford is not an MVP type calibre.
Two year, $142M contract!
I don’t see any team taking him. Not just because of the $ (which I’m sure the Sox would pay a good amount of), but as mentioned, lingering elbow issues and might get Tommy John which would cause him to miss at least a year.
I think the Sox will be stuck with him, but who knows.
Usually when position players get Tommy John they only miss a few months.
Ahh right you are, my bad. But still, I just don’t see any team taking him.
I dont understand not wanting him. He had one bad year and is a stud player. The arm can be fixed! Its really not that big of a deal for him. I would prefer to keep him, however
I think more so because of his contract. It’s not easy to trade away a $100 million player. I wouldn’t call him a stud player anymore. He’s only had one 4 WAR season (that was his final year with the Rays which it was over 5 actually). This is not to say he isn’t good, and I think nearly every team in the majors would take him.
But again, don’t expect him to go anywhere if the Sox don’t pay a good portion of the contract.
“He’s only had one 4 WAR season”
using baseball-reference, crawford has had five 4+ WAR seasons. the others, before last year’s disaster, were 2.0, 3.7, and 2.3. ordered for recency, they look like this:
2.0
4.6
4.1
4.2
3.7
2.3
4.7
6.6
[lastyear]
the results on fangraphs are even better
Mistake on my part, I was looking at Offensive WAR (I missed the little o next to WAR)
I wasn’t a fan of the contract from day one because of the money (not the talent, I still think he’s a good player despite the last year and a half), but it would be silly for teams not to be interested in him as long as Boston was eating a reasonable amount of the contract.
For sure. I thought it was a bad contract from the start. He is talented no doubt, but to me a $20M player should have no significant downsides. And he isnt quite at that level. He should be taking more walks and hitting more homers for that salary. Sox paid big to keep him from the yankees.
If he does get traded they will have to eat salary. And if it goes through i think it will be because BC wants to void some of the bad contracts theo handed out.
I think he should have the Tommy now…because if he has it now he would be ready and healthy for a next season and if he has at the end of the season he won’t be ready for spring training and miss a couple of weeks rehabbing in the regular season
He can have Tommy John in October and be ready for baseball activities when spring training starts. Position players only take a few months to come back from the surgery.
are you quinnjack?
No? (what’s a quinnjack?)
A guy on pro sports daily, has the same pic as you and same mannerisms. lol, swing and a miss!
A guy on Pro Sports Daily. He has the same pic and mannerisms as you. Lol, swing and a miss!
are you quinnjack?
Who is John Galt?
Okay, apparently your post explaining this got deleted (weird…), but I saw it.
That’s really odd, but no it’s not me. I’ve never been on pro sports daily.
Just a coincidence. very odd you all have the same pic.
So Crawford mad 70 million last year?
Two year $142 million contract?
I’d try to trade him too. He’s staying though… obviously.
“Some Marlins officials are frustrated with Hanley Ramirez, so Rosenthal suggests Cherington could look to acquire the former Red Sox prospect for Crawford. Jose Reyes could also be considered a trade chip, Rosenthal writes”.
How does this guy have a job? Crawford for Hanley? I know he’s having a below average year but c’mon.
And yet, two posts later on MLBTR…
Agreed, although hanley has had a couple down years in a row. I think he may benefit from a change of scenery.
I think Miami just financed a Gazillion dollars for a dramatic change of scenery if I am not mistaken….
Soriano for Crawford. Getterdone, TheoJed!
Theo’s obviously a fan.
Less than 0% chance of that happening
I am of the minority but I would like to keep Crawford. I know he is over paid but he has looked like his old self since return, small sample, but has looked good.
If he can perform at the levels of old, and I think he can, he will be a very nice 2 hitter or 3 hitter and cause havoc on the bases.
I am also not a huge fan of Han Ram. Attitude has been an issue and is not something the sox need. I do like Reyes a lot, and he would lock up the ss position for a long time but his injury history mixed in with the current injury situation with sox doesnt seem to mix well.
I think they are stuck with him. He is a very good player, just the biggest problem is that he is overpaid. There is nothing they can do about that now, so just move on and decide if he is a good player or not, and he is.
You might as well. He’s probably one of the three or four least tradeable players in baseball.
And I don’t know that’s he’s “overpaid” per se, if he’d approximated his TB performance, he’d be pretty appropriately paid. It’s more that he’s been injured/terrible.
Um…”two-year, $142MM contract”? The man makes 71 million annually?
$71 million a year for Crawford. That is over $2.25 a second.
see, I don’t want to trade him…he is looking like the old Crawford again even though he is not 100%….but im open to the possibility if we can get someone who is good…hey, the Marlins are sellers…Giancarlo Stanton? Josh Johnson? In my dreams and not likely…still think the Sox should give him a chance and I think just like Dunn last year it was a fluke adjusting to a new team
crawford will be crawford as long as he bats 2nd and steals and keeps stealing bases. Last year, he would get throw out stealing and wouldn’t attempt another stolen base for a week. I think he will excell with valentine and his small ball play.
I agree, I think Valentine will have a huge effect on Crawford. Lets hope he does! He obviously had a huge effect on Youkilis, so lets hope it turns out better with Carl.
he will be better. You saw what a healthy crawford and ellsbury can do. Plus we get pedroia back to bat 3rd we will be unbeatable. hahah
Well, we will be very beatable. We will now lose games 11-10
Keith Law says that the trade market for Carl Crawford is actually pretty…..Insiders Only
Quite honestly, I’ve had dreams that were less confusing. This would be highly bizzare for Miami, if this has an validity. What do they gain from a overpriced LF who has some elbow/wrist problems?
They could potentially get rid of an under-producing headache while simultaneously receiving an all star outfielder and money to make it more reasonable. Additionally, as stated all over the interweb, position players can successfully play through this type of injury.
I get that if it was next year. It’s just odd that coming off major surgery there would be any interest at this point. Especially wrist and future TJ surgery.
If the reports that the Marlins initiated talks are correct, maybe there’s more going on on their end? Idk just a thought.
It would’ve been the same question I would’ve asked when the Cubs traded away Big Z and a big chunk of his contract for Chris Volstad. What do the Cubs get? Oh, they get rid of the headache that was Big Z. What do the Marlins get in a Crawford trade? They get rid of the headache that is Hanley Ramirez. Plus, Hanley is “the one that got away” to the Red Sox, so that boosts the chance that the Red Sox are willing to overpay for him and eat up a good part of Crawford’s contract.
But wouldn’t the Marlins rather throw out a line for prospects with other teams, instead of taking on the contract of Crawford with the risk of issues due to wrist (which is a huge injury to baseball players, ask Nomar) and tommy john?
Well if they can get prospects somewhere else for Hanley, sure, but trading for Crawford isn’t that bad anyway.
Hanley is a couple years removed from some superstar seasons, at shortstop of all places. They wont give tht up for a lf that is way overpaid.
this is disturbing.
Red Sox should keep him. Lackey, on the other hand, should be looked to move.
Personally, that shimmy you do, makes me want to puke!
You once said:
“I’m the only winner on this team. The rest of ’em, they’re losers. Either by choice, or by birth.”
Ben, I will come aboard to fill in for at DH Ortiz. I’m better than Daniel Nava Hot Like Lava. Plus your NESN ratings will go up, which is the most important thing in Boston.
Carl Crawford? Nah! If the Orioles could trade for someone, I would love to see Alex Gordon in an O’s uni.
Its a shame Crawford was a good player, however who is going to want that contract?
As for Hanley Ramirez or Jose Reyes, I dunno.
Reyes contract in my opinion wasn’t that bad, he just hasn’t produced like he has in the past in 2012.
Gordon won’t be going anywhere. The Royals are not far from serious contention in the Central (really just needs a starting rotation that isn’t anchored by Bruce Chen). Gordon is a fan favorite and he does a great job on defense and offense.
You got them good, Red Sox. Now the Yanks can’t take Crawford off your hands.
I could be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure I remember reading at the time that it was Crawford who wanted that provision added in there. I’ll see if I can find it again.
I think Gonzalez has the same clause, which makes me think it was Red Sox request. I wonder how such a clause is even legal.
Can’t remember a position player signing that has gone this bad this quick. Maybe Jason Bay?
Its just starting to work. 3 SB last night
LOL at bosox.
YES! Red Sox, please take Hanley off our hands, and we’ll take Crawford off yours. Come on Marlins, give us a real LF and put Logan Morrison in 1B. Then trade Carlos Lee for anyone who can play 3B.
No thanks, would want no part of Ramirez
for crawford? i’d do that deal every single day. and i like carl crawford
Makes beyond 0 sense. He’s looking more like the Tampa Bay Crawford
Its been encouraging but it has only been two games. He seems like a really nice guy and i would have liked to see him do well. Hanley is capable of being one of the best in the game but from what I hear he’s a bit of a punk and we have plenty of those as it is on the Sox. I’m not a Reyes guy so no thanks.
I do have to wonder, what could get into a player’s head that he demands a no-trade clause to the YANKEES? Doesn’t he want to win and make money?
This is probably a provision in his contract as dictated by the Red Sox, not Crawford’s agent. Also, trade blocking viable teams gives the player/agent leverage to negotiate some form of compensation if a potential trade comes up.
Well, that makes sense.
Im not certain, but I think it was Crawford who wanted that in his contract.
A lot of players put it in there as a negotiating tool. They agree to waive their no trade if the Yankees agree to given them more $$. Most of the time it’s not that they don’t want to go there, they just know the Yanks will pay them.
Theo must be smiling in Chicago.
Wells for Crawford? haha
crawford isnt that bad.
overpaid? yes
useless? not quite
Don’t think the Red Sox or Carl Crawford need to worry about the Yankees being interested in.
He would fix their problem in left, They wouldn’t take on that salary though, Hamels would cost about the same amount.
LOL! That’s all.
Johan Santana and Jason Bay for Crawford and a prime prospect or two … Money is close
The Marlins are not going to trade for any big contracts, Loria is already trying to trade away the teams large contracts, just months after handing out $300 mil in deals to free agents. They are the worst run team in MLB and should be seized by the league.
2 games back and he is back to his old self? Not likely. He should have taken a discount and stayed in TB. I don’t think he can handle Boston mentally- next time he loses a game he will Revert to last years antics.
He would be making half what he is making to stay in tampa. They have noone over 10M I believe with carlos pena.
Crawford was an all-world player in Tampa.. he has one lousy year and now he’s garbage?
I realize his contract makes him unmoveable but to hear some guys talk about him like he is a career 220 hitter is laughable.
Think White Sox fans are demanding that they trade Adam Dunn this season?
bay for crawford.
Crawford for Reyes OR Hanley UNLESS we plan on losing Els because if we lose Els Crawford will look good leading off for us….what about Beckett for reyes or hanley?
if i remember correctly Theo really wanted Crawford but the brass were not sold on the idea, Theo won and added Crawford…could Carl be in trade talks with Garza or Dempster? something could happen with these 2 teams…( and i’m not saying straight up..1 for 1…but )