Al's Trade Deadline Column

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Trade Deadline Report

 

My take on all the deadline trades over the weekend. Check it out.

[Cartman 0]

Wow...just...wow...

 

Boston got rid of a guy who missed most of this season and when he returned he stayed far away from his teammates with a couple exceptions.

 

Example: A few weeks ago at Yankee stadium, the Sox were rallying back late in a game and the entire team was standing at the top step of the dugout cheering their teammates on, while Nomar sat back on the bench all by himself.

 

He needed to go, and the Sox needed something in return for him. There wasnt much interest in Nomar due to his injury and his impending free agency so Theo got what he could and in doing so improved the one GLARING problem this team has....Defense.

 

While Nomar sat out with his achilies injury, the Boston Red Sox were still in the top 5 in the league in average and runs scored...So they obviously didn't NEED Nomar's bat as much as they NEED solid defense.

 

I'l back that up in saying that by me watching every game I see how they lose games. They have lost at least 10 games because of their shitty defense. They lead the major in unearned runs allowed to boot.

 

Cabrera is having a sub par year compared to his career numbers, and now gets to play in meaningful games for the first time ever pretty much Who knows what he can/will do in Boston. He was one of the coveted SS free Agents to be this offseason...but now will definitely sign an extension to stay in Boston.

 

Meintkewicz is no worse than Millar with the bat and MUCH MUCH better with his glove than anyone on the Sox including McCarty.

 

I'm sorry but I take this over losing Nomar for nothing at season end any day. They were NOT going to win anything this year WITH Nomar, so why not change things for the benefit of the players and the team as a whole.

 

Still I think this team won't win anything, but that's cause Management did make one huge mistake. Firing Grady Little.

 

Can't fire a manager thatr every player on the team loved to play for..especially when your bringing 20+ players back from the previous ALCS berth season.

 

I fault Henry and Theo for THAt, but not for trading away Garciapparra...doing HIM a favor he wanted.

 

Listening to his press conference after he was traded he said TWO times that he was just happy he was going to a team that wanted him. If going after Arod hurt a professional baseball player that badly than he not worth the money Boston was paying him anyways.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

Good read.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Cabrera is having a sub par year compared to his career numbers, and now gets to play in meaningful games for the first time ever pretty much Who knows what he can/will do in Boston. He was one of the coveted SS free Agents to be this offseason...but now will definitely sign an extension to stay in Boston.

 

Cabrera's career numbers coming into this season were 268/318/415. He's 29 years old, so that's pretty much his established level of play. That doesn't exactly indicate a shortstop a World Series hopeful would like to have. Cabrera has never had an above-average OPS in his career, and that includes his career year last season.

 

Meintkewicz is no worse than Millar with the bat and MUCH MUCH better with his glove than anyone on the Sox including McCarty.

 

How much defense do you need at first base? And Mientkiewicz is much worse at the bat. Millar has a 76 point edge in OPS over their careers, and a 118 point edge this season.

 

I'm sorry but I take this over losing Nomar for nothing at season end any day. They were NOT going to win anything this year WITH Nomar, so why not change things for the benefit of the players and the team as a whole.

 

They likely could have gotten better players through compensation draft picks.

 

Still I think this team won't win anything, but that's cause Management did make one huge mistake. Firing Grady Little.

 

I actually think Little should've stayed, but the media crush made that a near-impossibility.

 

Its not that they traded Nomar. Its that they traded him WITH a prospect for two players I wouldn't have taken off the waiver wire.

[Brett Favre 0]

Cabrera's career numbers coming into this season were 268/318/415. He's 29 years old, so that's pretty much his established level of play. That doesn't exactly indicate a shortstop a World Series hopeful would like to have. Cabrera has never had an above-average OPS in his career, and that includes his career year last season.

the OPS numbers on Cabrera are due to the fact that he played with the Expos. The Sox have a better lineup and he should see some pitches, + its in Fenway. Everyone hits better at Fenway.

[Brett Favre 0]

How much defense do you need at first base? And Mientkiewicz is much worse at the bat. Millar has a 76 point edge in OPS over their careers, and a 118 point edge this season.

You do need good defense at first. Look at the past World Series winners (Spiezio, Grace, Derek Lee, Tino Martinez). Defense at first base is needed, good thing the Yanks have Clark.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

the OPS numbers on Cabrera are due to the fact that he played with the Expos. The Sox have a better lineup and he should see some pitches, + its in Fenway. Everyone hits better at Fenway.

 

What is it about the Expos that makes his hitting poor? And if Montreal affects his performance, then why isn't he the kind of moody player the Sox try and avoid? And if everyone hits better at Fenway, why not pick up someone who hit better outside of Fenway?

 

If the problem is lineup protection, why didn't he hit in 2002, with Wilkerson, Vidro, and Vlad Guerrero hitting behind him? Look, outside of last year, Cabrera has never done anything to indicate he's better than a replacement level ballplayer.

 

You do need good defense at first. Look at the past World Series winners (Spiezio, Grace, Derek Lee, Tino Martinez). Defense at first base is needed, good thing the Yanks have Clark.

 

The best defensive first basemen are usually worth about a half-game in the standings. Its simply not an important defensive position.

[Brett Favre 0]

the OPS numbers on Cabrera are due to the fact that he played with the Expos. The Sox have a better lineup and he should see some pitches, + its in Fenway. Everyone hits better at Fenway.

 

What is it about the Expos that makes his hitting poor? And if Montreal affects his performance, then why isn't he the kind of moody player the Sox try and avoid? And if everyone hits better at Fenway, why not pick up someone who hit better outside of Fenway?

 

If the problem is lineup protection, why didn't he hit in 2002, with Wilkerson, Vidro, and Vlad Guerrero hitting behind him? Look, outside of last year, Cabrera has never done anything to indicate he's better than a replacement level ballplayer.

 

You do need good defense at first. Look at the past World Series winners (Spiezio, Grace, Derek Lee, Tino Martinez). Defense at first base is needed, good thing the Yanks have Clark.

 

The best defensive first basemen are usually worth about a half-game in the standings. Its simply not an important defensive position.

Cabrera also wanted to leave Montreal at the beginning of the year, so it had to do something with that.

 

You atleast need a good defense first basemen, not the best, but good. The Red Sox before Mcblahblahblah had horrible defense at first.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Cabrera also wanted to leave Montreal at the beginning of the year, so it had to do something with that.

 

But why tank the season during a contract year?

 

You atleast need a good defense first basemen, not the best, but good. The Red Sox before Mcblahblahblah had horrible defense at first.

 

Sure you need some good defense, but you can't carry a .363 slugging percentage at a hitters' position just to get some defense on the field.

[MrRant 0]

You should do a column on teams that SHOULD have made some moves.

 

Like the M's.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Cabrera was hitting .246/.298/.336 prior to joining the Red Sox yes, however he's had 28 BB's vs 31 K's so it was just a matter of getting hits which he hasn't done thus far. I do think he'll rebound strongly this season as he's had 47, 43 and 41 doubles the last few seasons while able to put up 10-15 HR's a season. The Monster can only help his doubles and I think he'll get up around .280-.290/.340-.350/.450-.460 levels overall thanks to his adjustment to the AL.

 

Doug Mientkiewicz can easily get .300/.380-.390/.450-.460 when he's hitting well. Granted his SLG suffers a ton, believe me I'm aware of that. However he has 661 PO in 702 TC for the Twins in 73 games started(77 total). David McCarty has 229 PO in 259 TC at 1B this year in 19 games started(59 games total). Kevin Millar has 260 PO in 305 TC in 38 games started(38 total). David Ortiz has 250 PO in 273 TC in 30 games started(33 games total). I think the defensive upgrade is great enough and he's capable of hitting .300/.380+ that he'll work out for us.

 

Also Dave Roberts gives us a better RFer which sends Millar either to 1B to share time with Mientkiewicz or causes Millar to share time with Ortiz as DH.

[Guest Anglesault]

How much defense do you need at first base?

Horrendously bad firstbasmen has been a key factor in three of the Sox losses to the Yankees this year.

 

Oh, and al, you'll be happy to know I found Moneyball on the cheap at Costco and actually bought it. I'm up to chapter 3 or 4. Right after they tell you what an awful manager Tony La Russa is.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The book never says Tony LaRussa is a bad manager. It just says that Sandy Alderson didn't implement his organizational strategy because Tony had his own ideas, and they worked.

[Guest Anglesault]

The book never says Tony LaRussa is a bad manager. It just says that Sandy Alderson didn't implement his organizational strategy because Tony had his own ideas, and they worked.

It seems to suggest that the only reason Alderson didn't storm in and threaten La Russa's job was because he thought if would be perceived as overstepping his bounds.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Alderson wouldn't have threatened LaRussa's job, but he certainly did have his own ideas about running a ballclub, and specifically, an organizational philosophy. Moreover, I think the book extended a feeling that went beyond LaRussa, that managers in general were more responsible for a player's approach than the organization as a whole.