Sox blow it up!

[Scrat1]

Yeah, I don't see why people are celebrating this move. It's definitely the end of an era--the Sox have dominated for the past decade--but I preferred them going the way of the Phillies. The Sox could very easily be back to fighting weight in the next couple of years. I was really looking forward to seeing 35 year old Carl Crawford blooping a single once every three or four games.

[lint06]

Let's just hope this doesn't light some kind of fire under their butts and they start playing out of their minds.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Call me crazy, but I think I would have claimed him. 100+ million or not. Of course I'm not the one cutting the checks. He's a hell of a ballplayer and there's noone in the organization at that position to get excited about.

They apparantly wanted gone for his attitude more than anything else. Be interesting to see if they stay with Bobby V. next year.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/2012/08/25/red-sox-verge-trading-beckett-gonzalez-crawford/S0ZiybrrzbshA92QDWupQO/story.html

Gonzalez had become a whiner who seemed to be involved in starting a group to complain about Valentine. He seemed to have an opinion on everything, and rubbed his managers the wrong way. Gonzalez was never the guy we thought he was supposed to be, no leadership skills whatsoever.

[Todd-O]

ding-dOng is right!

Robert Andino killed the Red Sox last year. He cut off the head and sent the GM and Manager packing...

The Youk trade and now this deal were almost like the last twitches of a lifeless carcass preparing to rot into the earth.

GO BIRDS!

[El Gordo]

Yeah, I don't see why people are celebrating this move. It's definitely the end of an era--the Sox have dominated for the past decade--but I preferred them going the way of the Phillies. The Sox could very easily be back to fighting weight in the next couple of years. I was really looking forward to seeing 35 year old Carl Crawford blooping a single once every three or four games.

Maybe so, but that's a couple of years when the O's look to be pretty good. Any less competition in the AL East is a plus for us. And please, they aren't going to be a better team this year because of the trade. They just got their stomach pumped. Ever had that done? Not many feel like jumping up right after and dancing the Tarantella

[SilentJames]

There is a weak FA market this offseason. The sox will be weaker than they have been for the next couple of years, combine that with the yankees' aging and the Jays' system the AL East will be very interesting for a minute.

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[Fan4Life]

I saw that Lester was put on Waivers as well.

[bluedog]

Crawford and Beckett are salary dumps..Gonzalez was a clubhouse cancer apparently. The Sox are going to rebuild. Good for us.

This is NOT good for us. This is horrible for us. The Sox were a team headed into oblivion with a number of devastating contracts hanging around their neck and now they are going to get a free pass to go out and reload. Far better for us that they have to suffer through 5 years of Crawford's contract and an AGon who is performing well under his 21M a year number than what's about to happen.

Team's with as many young weapons as the Red Sox have don't rebuild, they RELOAD. They now have the financial and roster flexibility to be right back in the thick of things next year.

The Dodgers might as well have dropped a flaming bag of poop on the doorstep of the other teams in the AL East.

[SilentJames]

They freed up money yes, but I think it was far more likely that Gonzalez started living up to his deal than not. They have holes at key places now and probably will be weaker than expected for the next couple of years.

I doubt the Red Sox go right back to giving out huge contracts. Just because they have the ability to make moves does not mean they will make the right ones or they will work out.

The Sox are going to be in flux for a couple years now as they make some serious decisions about the direction of the team.

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[weams]

Did they buy a mid fielder today?

[weams]

The Red Sox have been dead for a while

There is a weak FA market this offseason. The sox will be weaker than they have been for the next couple of years, combine that with the yankees' aging and the Jays' system the AL East will be very interesting for a minute.

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I am sure at some point they will come back to life. It is not this year or next.

[Mashed Potatoes]

I also would look into what it would take to get Pedroia. The guy obviously doesn't like Bobby V, and with a rebuild going down, he may want out. Who better to take BRob's spot than his best buddy Pedroia?

I prefer liking my team.

[Ampontan]

I also would look into what it would take to get Pedroia. The guy obviously doesn't like Bobby V, and with a rebuild going down, he may want out. Who better to take BRob's spot than his best buddy Pedroia?

That's the problem. Take any thirty guys selected at random for their abilities, whether on a baseball team or a business enterprise, and not everyone is going to like everyone else. When things go well, people overlook it.

Professionalism, however, means also overlooking it when things don't go well. It doesn't mean doing creepy kid stuff behind the manager's back to make it worse. I can understand not liking Valentine, but that doesn't call for some of the stuff he is supposed to have done.

Interesting sidelight --- reading up on this clubhouse coup yesterday on a Boston fan's website turned up the almost plaintive wish that they could have Showalter instead of Bobby V.

Who'd a thunk it? The Red Sox nation is envious of the Orioles.

[tennOsfan]

Nice to see the Red Sox turn into the Big Lots of the AL East!

[Ruzious]

I think - considering AGon cleared waivers (showing that the rest of baseball thinks he's over-paid), the Dodgers were very foolish to take on Crawford's salary (assuming they did) and give up some good young talent. It's frustrating when a big market team gets bailed out that way. Otoh, I am glad the O's don't have to face AGon the rest of the way and I'm hopeful Beckett's replacement will stink.

The Dodge boys are in the hunt for the playoffs - if they don't make it, they're going to be seriously questioning themselves on the trade and might be looking to unload some salary to tthe AL.