Off Season Stuff Part 1
10 minutes ago (plus or minus), the Red Sox traded Coco Crisp. The fact he was traded probably surprises no one. The fact it took this long after the 2007 World Series probably surprises quite a few of us.
Crisp wasn't happy when Ellsbury took his job in October 2007 and didn't like the idea of the roles reversing this past season, which they pretty much did. Interestingly enough, Ellsbury lost his job to Crisp in the post season this year. I guess that was just a two week thing though and Ellsbury, unquestionably the centerfielder of the future, is also the centerfielder of right now.
The Red Sox sent Crisp to the 1985 World Champions, getting reliever Ramon Ramirez in exchange. I've never heard of him, but I like that at first glance he seems reliable with a 2.64 ERA in 71 appearences.
Also, according to redsox.com, the Sox and the Yankees are fighting over A.J. Burnett. Why? He's been in the division 3 years and pretty much did nothing substantial. He won 18 games this year, which I notice is the only the third time in his career. The Second was 2005, another free agent year for him. The 1st was 2002. I don't know if he was up for arbitration at the end of that season, but I wouldn't be surprised. Curt Schilling once said Burnett might have the best stuff of anyone in the American League. That might be true, he's just never healthy enough to prove it.
The Yankees want Lowe, Sabathia, and Burnett, the Red Sox only apparently are going after Burnett.
Aside from questioning Burnett, I'd also question why the Yanks would want D-Lowe. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything he did, getting a save in the clincher of the 2003 ALDS and winning the clinching games of the 2004 ALDS, 2004 ALCS, and 2004 World Series.
But 2004 was in a contract year when he pitched so crappily he was removed from the rotation for the post season. He got the ALDS win cause the game went to extras and he was the long man. He got the ALCS win cause Wakefield volunteered to pitch as a long reliever in the game 3 blow out and gave up his game 4 start, which the team gave to Lowe. Wakefield also volunteered to pitch long relief in game 5 if necessary (it was) and gave up his possible game 7 start, which Lowe got. Based on the ALCS, Francona let him start in the World Series. Did he pitch well in the post season? Yeah. I give him all the credit in the world for it, but I wouldn't want him back. I think physically, Lowe's a great pitcher. He's got talent. But as soon as anything goes wrong, be it an error by the second baseman, or the umpire making a bad call he loses it mentally and immediately gives up 3 runs. I haven't seen him much as a Dodger (if at all...) so maybe he's fixed that. Perhaps someone who watches the NL with regularity could comment.
Lastly, Dustin Pedroia won the AL MVP. Congratulations to him. Mo Vaughn was the last Red Sox in 1995, and that helped heal the wounds I had as a 10 year old after watching the Red Sox get swept by Cleveland out of the first round of the playoffs that year. No offense to Dustin, but that trick doesn't do it for me anymore.
