Olney suggests Sherill to the Sawx???

[Mike B]

Why do we want Ellsbury? Why would they trade their starting CF?

The answer is we want players and Ellsbury is a player. He could play left and help form the best defensive outfield in baseball. He would also hit two and help form the best 1-2 in baseball. The problem is, as you surmised, hell no the Red sox would not trade their starting CF. Lowrie is a different story. I think they would trade him.

[rirams96]

Living in sox nation a couple things they are talking about up here.

Lowrie has not impressed Red Sox management. They claim he is very arrogant and not willing to learn from the veteran players.

Also that Theo is lookng for a long term solution at SS. They obviously were not happy with Lugo prior to the injury and they don't see Lowrie as the answer.

If the Orioles trade with Boston they better do better than Bowden, Lowrie and Carter. In my opinion if we trade in division the price does up drastically.

Great win last nite that is why I have watched every game this year. Not played perfectly but they never quit and that leads to exciting games.

[WebLink21]

Would you do Lowrie and Bowden - seems like an Andy Mac kind of move. A young SS who can hopefully hold down the fort and a good young pitcher to add to the stable.

I would do this in a second. I don't understand (and wll never understand) why people say that we shouldn't trade within the division. Yes, we would have to fce Sherill more in the future, but hopefully they would have to deal with a younger, better O'e team in the future. If we cut off trading with teams in the division, I think we cut off very good pipelines for trades and getting as much talent as possible on this team.

[PoorMike]

Under Epstein, the Red Sox have traded the following notable (by this I mean that they are highly rated have actually done something approaching useful after being traded) prospects at or around the July 31 deadline:

2003: Freddy Sanchez

2004: Matt Murton

2005: None

2006: None

2007: Kason Gabbard, David Murphy, Engel Beltre

5 prospects in 5 years, and it's debatable if Murton is "notable." The Nomar trade really mortgaged nothing, and their larger trades (Crisp, Beckett/Lowell, Schilling, the Mirabelli debacle) have all been in the offseason. In short, there is no evidence that the Sox will become more likely to make a desperate trade at the deadline. In fact, 2005 and especially 2006, where they sat on their hands and fell into 3rd place, are evidence to the contrary. And I really don't think they'll break that pattern to trade one of their top pitching prospects and top infield prospects, who they need RIGHT NOW, in order to get George Sherrill. Kason Gabbard was a junkballing, low-ceiling LHP who rode the Pawtucket shuttle and was interchangeable with David Pauley and Devern Hansack. He was desirable to Texas because their pitching completely sucks. He is not comparable to Michael Bowden. David Murphy had no place on the team, unlike Jed Lowrie, unless people think the Red Sox are going to start Alex Cora at SS for the entire month of August. Engel Beltre is high-ceiling but he's 18 and nowhere close to the majors. The Gagne deal simply isn't the same as the Sherrill deal being proposed here.

True, they do 'need' him 'right now'..but he wasn't a starter when everyone was healthy. He wasn't even on the 25 man.

[PoorMike]

The answer is we want players and Ellsbury is a player. He could play left and help form the best defensive outfield in baseball. He would also hit two and help form the best 1-2 in baseball. The problem is, as you surmised, hell no the Red sox would not trade their starting CF. Lowrie is a different story. I think they would trade him.

I thinking more of practical terms. I doubt we would think of asking a contender for a starting player. If BOS wants him that bad, we'd be better off taking a package of prospects.

[WebLink21]

Living in sox nation a couple things they are talking about up here.

Lowrie has not impressed Red Sox management. They claim he is very arrogant and not willing to learn from the veteran players.

Also that Theo is lookng for a long term solution at SS. They obviously were not happy with Lugo prior to the injury and they don't see Lowrie as the answer.

If the Orioles trade with Boston they better do better than Bowden, Lowrie and Carter. In my opinion if we trade in division the price does up drastically.

Great win last nite that is why I have watched every game this year. Not played perfectly but they never quit and that leads to exciting games.

Very nice post. Appreciate the insights from up there.

[Ruzious]

I thinking more of practical terms. I doubt we would think of asking a contender for a starting player. If BOS wants him that bad, we'd be better off taking a package of prospects.

Including Ellsbury makes basically no sense for either team, as he's more valuable to Boston, and major league ready higher ceiling prospects are more valuable to the O's. And unless the O's are trading Roberts, they don't need a .700 OPS leadoff hitter.

[Spoonless]

So what?

Lowrie could be our SS for the next 8 years.....He'd have a bigger impact both for us and against the Sox than Sherrill would with them and against us.

BTW here's what Sickels had to say on Lowrie:

He thought about changing him to a B+ but thinks his grade of A- will ring true.

From what they've been saying on the radio over here in Red Sox country is that Lowrie will likely end up away from SS, likely at 2B. So, I guess we could slot Lowrie in at SS, and if we can trade Roberts and pick up a young SS, slide Lowrie over. It just doesn't sound that Lowrie would really be a long-term solution at SS.

All the other research on him that I've been able to find says he has a "decent glove" and "below-average range" and that he'll likely be a 2B. I did see one report that said he could man SS "adequately."

That said, I'm sure he's a better option than what we've been running out there, but we'd definitely need to get an additional piece with him to make it worth Sherrill.

[Foley]

For those of you saying Boston should trade Lowrie for Sherrill, who exactly do you expect them to play at short for the rest of the season?

Lugo is out for at least 4-6 weeks, and some reports say much longer. Lowire is an important piece of their team right now, and there is no quality player behind him. Trading a starting shortstop for a situational lefty is not a move that a team does in order to improve. It would force them to a) use Alex Cora as the starting SS, which would be a black hole in the lineup and weaken the bench at the same time, or b) make a trade for another shortstop, which would be just as bad. Making a trade that forces you to make another trade puts you in a very bad spot.

[Dipper9]

You can't trade sherrill to someone in our division, that doesnt do us any good. We'd run into him in the ninth one day and he'd shut us down.

Ummm...I think the ninth belongs to some Palpabon fella. But point taken!

I would trade him to whomever gives the best package, regardless of what team that is.

[elsid]

Here is today's take from Olney, discussing the Angels...quoted

The Orioles are letting teams other than their AL East rivals know that they are willing to talk about closer George Sherrill, and he would fit in perfectly for the Angels, in the immediate future, and in the big-picture. Sherrill would give them another excellent reliever for an already strong bullpen in 2008, and he would give them the great matchup lefty they have lacked for years. "Talk about shortening the game," a rival official mused. "Their bullpen would be incredible."

And Sherrill would give the Angels a clear alternative to Francisco Rodriguez as the closer heads into free agency and looks for an eight-figured salary; Sherrill will be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter. "The Angels' farm system isn't as deep as it once was," said an AL talent evaluator, "but to get Sherrill, that would make sense."

And in other news...quoted

Gary Matthews has a torn ACL

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/matthews-rodriguez-angels-2099002-season-run

[The Wedge]

elsid, I hope you stick around, forums wise, if your bro gets traded.

[cbm5042]

Well that would mean they are trading for a closer and not just a set up man so I mean really the sky is the limit. I would want the same thing that Colorado asked for Holliday and its a ton. One of Ervin Santana or Joe Saunders, Adenhart, and a prospect.

[Old#5fan]

The Red Sox, Olney says, would probably love to land Sherrill and have prospects to offer, but isn't sure the O's would trade with a division rival.

I would hope Mcphail could get it done for the right package. I dont think the philosophy of not dealing in the division still hold true... Eh Right???

Would might it take for a Sherrill to the Red Sox deal to work. :scratchchinhmm:

If they trade Sherrill to any division rival but particularly the Sox, Yankees or Rays which will undoubtedly strengthen them considerably for the foreseable future, then they better make sure they trade Roberts, Mora, Millar, Huff, Hernandez, and possibly even Scott for prospects, because if they do something like this (trade one of their best players within the division) they are conceding they are in a complete and full rebuild mode and this team won't be competitive until at least five years in the future. In other words their should be a wholesale purge of any veteran approaching 30 or older. Otherwise, this would be a totally stupid move IMO.

[clapdiddy]

If they trade Sherrill to any division rival but particularly the Sox, Yankees or Rays which will undoubtedly strengthen them considerably for the foreseable future, then they better make sure they trade Roberts, Mora, Millar, Huff, Hernandez, and possibly even Scott for prospects, because if they do something like this (trade one of their best players within the division) they are conceding they are in a complete and full rebuild mode and this team won't be competitive until at least five years in the future. In other words their should be a wholesale purge of any veteran approaching 30 or older. Otherwise, this would be a totally stupid move IMO.

So, if they acquire two guys from a division rival that they can put in their lineup immediately they are conceding that they are in complete rebuild mode?

A closer on this team is replaceable with Johnson and/or Ray when he comes back. We don't have ANY position players outside of Wieters and possibly Reimold who are ready to contribute to this team next season. And....who's to say they don't acquire a closer in the off season?