Here's your blockbuster trade

[iliketurtles 0]

Daaaaamn the Cubs bent Boston over and gave it to them with no lube on this one. How do you trade a freaking All-Star SS for essentially.. depth? You've got to get Clement in that deal. They trade Nomar for average players, don't get rid of Lowe, and don't get a starting pitcher. How can Boston consider this good?

Cause it's not. It fucking sucks.

[Guest Wildbomb 4:20]

Well, the Sox needed someone who, could, you know, play DEFENSE at first.

 

Although, I would have liked to see some starting pitching come over, this should bolster the D, which would help me and the Red Sox Drinking Game, so this way I may be able to remember a game. The offense also now has some speed, which is about time.

 

--Ryan

...who isn't quite sure what to think about this trade...

[2GOLD 0]

Well, look at it this way. You got rid of the guy who didn't want to be shortstop for a solid shortstop with a strong bat which should excel in Fenway. You grabbed a solid back up left handed bat.

 

It's not like the deal was horrible for Boston.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Mient can also start at 1B leaving Ortiz at DH and Manny in LF giving us 3 great hitters for the 3-4-5 behind two speedsters in Damon/Roberts if they hit in front of them.

[Guest Wildbomb 4:20]

Looking at this more...I'm still not sure. The Sox had the mega opportunity to get some fantastic pitching, and didn't. Huh?? The defense improved immensely, and the offense took a hit in the average, RBI, OBP department, but added more speed, which was needed.

 

Cubbies still made out like bandits.

 

--Ryan

[2GOLD 0]

Now suddenly Nomar was happy to be a Red Sox...alright

 

AND THE CUBS GOT MONEY!

 

The Red Sox PAID to trade Nomar...oh this is just awesome.

[Guest Bad Brad Jacobs]

Still, none of this is going to matter.

 

 

Neither team is going to the postseason. The Cards and The Yankees are the two best teams in baseball and they will be until October. It will take two postseason flukes for any other team to even end up in the world series.

[Bored 0]

Yes because we know everything always goes to form in the baseball playoffs.

[Cartman 0]

Meintkeiwicz whatever the spelling will end up starting 90% of the games at 1B now thank god.

 

Hopefully Roberts plays full time in RF til Nixon is healthy(if ever).

 

Their pitching is fine, and it will look BRILLIANT with this awesome defense behind it.

 

Boston is #2 in the Al in runs scored and #5 in batting average...Most of that came without Nomar in the lineup.

 

He wasnt happy, he made everyne else miserable, and he was leaving anyways. Good to see the Sox get something valuable in return unlike Clemens.

 

(I won't say Vaughn because there was a legit REASON to let him walk)

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Still, none of this is going to matter.

 

 

Neither team is going to the postseason. The Cards and The Yankees are the two best teams in baseball and they will be until October. It will take two postseason flukes for any other team to even end up in the world series.

They got rid of the Wild Card?

[JangoFett4Hire 0]

Pitching and defense is what allegedly wins championships, not players with grudges against the management. Nomar was one of the all time greats to wear a B on his cap, and it's sad to see him go, but this was a deal that had to get done. End of an era in Boston.

 

By the way, Czech and Chong, have fun watching Nomahhhh. I'm sure he's glad to be in a place where his name will be properly pronounced!

[the max 0]

I'm glad they got something for him. They wanted to sign him back, but he refused contracts to remain with the team. Management has a lot of players to go after in the off-season, and this is one less now.

 

I like the defense, and two decent bats are good enough for me. Papi and Manny can pick up the slack, I'm sure.

 

Would have liked to have seen D-Lowe go, and Clement come over in the deal, but, what can you do? I guess Old Man Wallace thinks he can help D-Lowe and have him ready for the postseason.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Horrible, horrible trade for the Red Sox. Orlando Cabrera stinks at the plate this season. Mientkiewicz is slugging an abysmal .363. Dave Roberts is hitting .253, with absolutely no power. These are the type of players you pick up on waivers, not the kind you trade a top star for.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

In fairness, I shouldn't group Roberts in there, as that was a separate deal.

[Precious Roy 0]

I agree. Sure, they got some D, and sure they got some more speed, but they also gave up a very valuable commodity down the stretch and a top prospect AND money. They gave up far more than they got and it's never good to be the one moving the best player in the deal. Everyone tries to rationalize the horrible numbers Cabrera and Doug M have put up this year, but all excuses aside, neither one has done jack at the plate. Plus isn't Cabrera a free agent after the season also? Guess they figure they can get him cheap because of the shitty year he's had.

[The Czech Republic 0]

By the way, Czech and Chong, have fun watching Nomahhhh. I'm sure he's glad to be in a place where his name will be properly pronounced! 

I dunno bout that.

 

NOMAH!!=NOMAIR. Nomair Gairsy-apaira.

 

And "Czech and Chong"? What the hell is that, some stoner Cub fan comedy duo? I got a Baseball Jones oh baby oo-way-ooh.

[KingPK 0]

Now that I see that they gave up money to Chicago on top of Nomar and a good prospect, they SHOULD have gotten Clement on top of everything else.

 

I like the defensive upgrade, but they gave up too much for too little.

[the max 0]

I didn't know about the cash either.

 

Fuck. I don't want Derek Lowe on my team anymore.

[Cartman 0]

They traded a disgruntled player who has a bum wrist and nagging achillies injury for two healthy gold glove cheap role players.

 

I'll take it.

 

More money to spend on the FA market in the offseason too since Lowe will either walk or sign for cheap money, Te the same, and Pedro will sign for around 14 mil.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

They traded a disgruntled player who has a bum wrist and nagging achillies injury for two healthy gold glove cheap role players.

 

From ESPN.com.....

 

Placed first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz on  the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 7, with left  wrist soreness

 

Pain has been as much a part of Doug Mientkiewicz's career as his clutch bat and his Gold Glove. He's hoping this season won't hurt.

 

Minnesota Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz returned to workouts Sunday morning after hyperextending his left knee the day before during a fielding drill.

 

Twins first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz was scratched from Wednesday's lineup after he sustained a bruised left wrist when a ball hit him during batting practice.

 

From BPro......

 

Keep an eye on his back problems going forward--Cabrera woke up every morning last season in pain.

Edited August 1, 2004 by alkeiper

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

One thing forgotten in this trade is that the Expos got a really good deal here. Brendan Harris for Cabrera would have been good on its own merits, and they got Francis Beltran as well.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

*nods*

 

I liked Beltran during the brief period I actually got to watch him. He definitely has the potential to be a closer or a set-up guy as soon as he goes through the growing pains.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

From Jayson Stark.....

 

Oh, we understand that, because of economic realities many teams can't relate to, the Twins felt they had no choice but to hold onto the Justin Morneaus and Jason Kubels who loom as their future stars.

 

Jesus Christ, are these writers on crack? No choice? Teams are BUILT with future stars. These guys are BETTER.

[Guest Wildbomb 4:20]

After watching some of last night's Sox game...I still hope to never see Kevin Millar play the outfield. Ever. Again. Hell, Dave McCarty is better in the outfield.

 

Hopefully Roberts will get most of the playing time in the outfield, leaving the bench with Reese/Bellhorn (depending on the day), Kapler, Millar, Youkilis, and McCarty. Right-handed heavy, but what can you do. It's what the Sox usually are anyways.

 

I like the new aspect of speed on the team. It opens up the small-ball possibility, which is something Sox haven't done in...well, forever. They can still crush the ball with Ortiz and Ramirez, who'll pick up (in my mind) more RBI opportunities with the speedy Damon and Roberts batting in front of them. Varitek is also a power threat, and he's had a pretty good year at the plate.

 

My Projected Sox Line-up:

Damon CF

Roberts RF

Ortiz DH

Ramirez LF

Varitek C

Mientkiewicz 1B

Cabrera SS

Mueller 3B

Bellhorn/Reese 2B

 

Still an extremely dangerous line-up. Probably not as explosive, but with a bolstered defense, hopefully they can win those one run games.

 

--Ryan

...who is again plugging WERS 88.9 FM in the Boston range @ noon for a complete breakdown of the deal, without Shaughnessy, Gammons, and the like...

[The Czech Republic 0]

 

He looks like he's about to cry.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Here's a look at the prospects involved in the deal...

 

Henri Stanley(26, OF)

2004: .299/.383/.470 in 51 games in AAA. Has 23 BB’s vs 27 K’s.

2003: .292/.368/.445 in 135 games in AAA. Had 60 BB’s vs 93 K’s.

2002: .314/.408/.542 in 127 games in AA. Had 72 BB’s vs 85 K’s.

2001: .300/.408/.525 in 114 games in A. Had 73 BB’s vs 84 K’s.

 

Matt Murton(22, OF)

2004: .301/.372/.452 in 102 games in A. Has 42 BB’s vs 61 K’s.

2003: .286/.374/.397 in 53 games in A. Had 36 BB’s vs 37 K’s.

 

Francis Beltran(24, RP)

2004: 2.84 ERA in 6 games in AAA.

2003: 2.96 ERA in 31 games in AAA.

2002: 2.59 ERA in 39 games in AA.

 

Brendan Harris(24, IF)

2004: .311/.353/.531 in 69 games in AA. Has 16 BB’s vs 40 K’s.

2003: .280/.364/.425 in 120 games in AA. Had 51 BB’s vs 72 K’s.

2002: .329/.395/.532 in 110 games in A. Had 43 BB’s vs 57 K’s. .321/.345/.547 in 13 games in AA. Had 2 BB’s vs 5 K’s.

 

Justin Jones(20, SP)

2004: 3.78 ERA in 15 games in A so far.

2003: 2.28 ERA in 16 games in A.

2002: 1.80 ERA in 11 games in Rookie Level. 1.80 ERA in 1 game in A.

[nl5xsk1 0]

I don't get how anyone can say that this is a horrible trade for the Sox ... they got something for a player that was going to leave at the end of the year, and if they'd held onto him through the postseason and then let him walk, they'd have gotten nothing. Yes, they got probably 65-cents-on-the-dollar for him, but 65 cents is still better than no cents.

 

Plus, he'd become such a cancer to the team, it's addition via subtraction, so to speak. The person that Nose-mar had become, even before the ARod debacle, was summed up perfectly in an article in this morning's Globe:

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds..._for_him_to_go/

 

Everyone was buoyant and gripped with the prospect of going to Oakland and winning Game 5 . . . everyone except for the star shortstop. He got on the bus, turned toward the excited throng, and said, "Why is everyone so happy? As soon as we lose, everyone's just going to rip us."

Not IF we lose, but as soon as we lose. Way to stay positive.

 

Good riddance.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

 

He looks like he's about to cry.

Yeah, but that was his mugshot for 2004 with an Expos cap digitally placed in there. I read an article over at MLB.com about Gonzalez bidde adeu to Chicago. I'll tell ya, while it's great to get a big upgrade and have Gonzo's bat out of the lineup, I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. He's going from a contender in one of the best baseball atmospheres in the game, to a last-place team in a dead-end situation where there's more empty seats than people in the stadium.

 

Some of his quotes from the piece sounded like he was pretty much crushed by the move. Apparently he was originally informed he was heading to Boston, only to be told he'd been dealt once more. It's a shame his depature comes a day short of Greg Maddux going for 300. Sounds like he really wanted to be there but now, he said something along the lines of "I guess I'll just have to watch it on TV."

 

Too bad his lasting memory of playing for the Cubs in Wrigley will be getting booed after striking out in his final at-bat for the team.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Watch The Game 6 Error over and over and see if that makes you feel any better about the whole thing.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I know, I know. You know, speaking of last postseason; we always talk about Gonzo's error as costing us a trip to the World Series, yet no one seems to remember Mark Grudzielanuk's costly error in Game 1, that should've been a double play and kept the ninth inning open for the Marlins to take the lead. Had they been able to shut the Marlins down there, Sosa's homer in the ninth would've been the game-winner and the series probably would've been a clean sweep.