Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff
News Flash: According to various reports, the Red Sox are closing in on a contract with free agent outfielder J.D. Drew. In a development that may or may not be related, trade talks involving Manny Ramirez are also heating up.
Teddy’s Take: I don’t like where this is headed!
Before you get all worked up and accuse me of Red Sox bashing again, hear me out. I don’t think signing Drew is as bad a move as others are making it out to be. Conversely, I’m not against trading Manny. I just hope doing one doesn’t mean you HAVE to do the other.
In a pefect world, I’d love to see a Sox batting order featuring both guys. How nice would it be to have Ramirez protecting David Ortiz and Drew protecting Manny? I don’t care how often Drew gets hurt…he won’t miss more time than Trot Nixon did and is a much better player than the Sox previous right fielder. Even the reported money ($14-15 million over 4-5 years) isn’t that unreasonable in this exploding marketplace. With a little tweaking to the rest of the lineup and a bullpen overhaul, you’ve got a title contender again.
What I fear is happening though, is that they’re going to use Drew as a replacement for Manny. In that case, you’ve got a downgrade in one spot, plus you’ve diminished what Big Papi will contribute because he’ll never get pitched to in any threatening circumstance. (Please, don’t ask me to get excited about the possibility of Julio Lugo being the other shoe to drop…I don’t want to barf on my keyboard!)
Again, I realize that a Ramirez trade might be a necessity now. I also understand you’re never going to get equal value and will probably have to settle for prospects. That’s fine. Do it and get it over with if you have to. Frankly, I’m tired of the annual soap opera.
But if that’s the case, why was
I’ll be curious to see what else Theo Epstein has up his sleeve. All logic dictates another big bat besides Drew will arrive somehow, from somewhere, once Ramirez is traded. What worries me is the Red Sox GM hasn’t made many logical maneuvers since 2004.
That’s my take…what’s yours? Can the Sox return to the playoffs with J.D. Drew replacing Manny Ramirez in the lineup? Is there another available player out there that would help fill the void? Should
I agree with you Teddy, although Manny needs to go, hopefully Drew isn't the only answer to replacing Manny. They're gonna need a lot more than that.
Are there any other middle of the road free agents out there worth mentioning? Is there any chance the Angels have someone Theo has in mind?
Needless to say, the reason they haven't been after players like Lee and Soriano is because of their pathetic attempt at imitating the Patriot logic of value-ing players. And they don't even have a cap system to work under. Unfortunately, nobody besides Belichick and Pioli have actually mastered the science in any sport. Which means maybe it is unfair to expect anybody from anywhere to do what has been done in Foxboro.
Which brings me back to the Pats . . .enjoy them while you got them! They are a force to be reckoned with! The Sox are not.
The Angels would be the perfect partner. It makes so much sense for both sides, I'm afraid it won't happen.
Manny would like it there...he and Vlad could share the load...they're trying to attract the hispanic market from Los Angeles...and they have a ton of young prospects that fit the Sox needs, even some that are major leauge ready. I think a package that included either (SP)Ervin Santana, (2b)Howie Kendrick or (SS)Brandon Wood should be enough to get the deal done. I'm not sure if it's because the Sox are asking for more than one of the group or if the Angels aren't smart enough to pull the trigger. Remember, this is the team that just opened the vault for Gary Matthews Jr., so you have to question their judgement.
The other LA team might be a great fit, too. The Dodgers have some attractive options like (OF)Matt Kemp, (SP)Chad Billingsly and potential stud closer Jonathan Broxton that would fit nicely here. Unlike the Angels trio, one by himself shouldn't be enough to get the job done, but two of the three might do the trick.
Other than that, I would have loved to see a guy like Dave Dellucci brought in to help platoon with Wily Mo Pena (too late for that thought)...I think you're going to see them make a serious run at Eric Gagne to close, with Joe Borowski as a fall back option or maybe even as a setup guy with potential to close should Gagne get hurt again...And I'm petrified we're goint to see a middle infield of Lugo & Pedroia, but that's where it appears they're headed.
There are also rumblings they may go after Rocco Baldelli, who I think is a very intriguing player and might just be available since the Devil Rays have so much outfield depth and need pitching. Do the Sox have what it takes right now? No, but perhaps prospects from the Manny deal might be used. Give me Drew, Baldelli and a closer instead of Ramirez, and this cranky Sox fan might actually smile!