The Red Sox were opened for business for the off-season on Thursday when they swung a trade with the Florida Marlins, getting outfielder Jeremy Hermida for minor league pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez.Theo Epstein wasted no time in letting the baseball world know he's going to be active in the Hot Stove League, pulling off the deal in the hours after the World Series concluded. Hermida has struggled the last two years, after a solid year in 2007.
I don't know if the Red Sox see Hermida, who turns 26 in January, as an every day player, as some are thinking he might be a replacement if Jason Bay leaves (and he officially filed for free agency yesterday). But I would bet he might be the Red Sox' fourth outfielder next season. (That could mean the end for Rocco Baldelli in a Red Sox uniform.)
The timing of yesterday's trade tells me the Red Sox will be very busy this offseason. Hermida could be a movable piece, or he could be a big part of next season. It's just hard to make an definitive statement on that right now.
And also yesterday, I had nearly 500 hits on this site, as my Site Meter numbers went crazy right as the World Series was concluding. And what were people looking for? The common search words were "Yankees" "payroll" "2009." Yep, the obsession with the billions they spent to finally win/buy a championship led folks to a post I put up back in March: Red Sox vs. Yankees: 2009 Total Payroll. Well, on the bright side, at least the aftermath of Wednesday night's unfortunate events brought some new folks to my site.
And speaking of the MFY, here's an interesting article by Joe Posnanski about the Yankees and their bloated payroll that's worth reading. Thanks to my buddy Dave for bringing it to my attention.
I think Hermida has more upside than Baldelli had, so for what the Sox gave up, it is a great deal. What Hermida gives them will left to be seen. As far as Sox fans complaining about the Yankee payroll, it is moot and should be beneath them. The yankees have ALWAYS spent more than everyone else and will continue to do just that. Just because they spend that money does not always translate into championships. This was a team that shelled out money for Kevin Brown, and Randy Johnson, et al and never won a championship with them. It just so happens that when they were going into a new stadium they made a splash and signed the 3 of the top 5 available free agents. It got them what they wanted, the championship, however, I like to see CC and Burnett living up to those deals in the long run. In a couple years I can see CC bloated and laboring in the 4th inning of a hot July start, and AJ giving them 2 full years of active use while spending time on the trainer table/DL. Never thought they truly need Teixiera, they already had too many guys that were 1st base/DH types and what they needed was a CF; They did it to stick it to the Sox. They were fortunate that the 3 FAs produced, and it got them the ring. But we are still talking about a team that lost to the Florida Marlins who had a 1/10 of their payroll. Certainly the money helps reel in top notch players but those players need to gel as a unit and stay healthy. As a Sox fan, I wont whine about the Yankees payroll, I just want to beat them next year!!!
ReplyDeleteI like the trade - one of the posters in the Joe P article said he thought Texeira turned down more money from O's - I do not believe that to be true. Litterally in 99.9 percent the players go where the most money (a lot of union pressure). Mike Lowell and Mike Hampton are very rare exceptions. I find it almost comical when writers try to guess where a players is going to go (his wife likes it there, he wants to hit in NL blah blah) - when it is the highest offer and starting in 2001 the Yankees almost always offer the most money.
ReplyDeleteIt has always bothered me when we are grouped with Yankees as big spenders when really the Yankees deserve their own category (as article mentions). They outspend us by about basically 8 all star players worth
Thanks for your post, Casejonz. You are entirely correct that big money doesn't guarantee titles. A lot of things have to go right in order for it to happen. New York of course has the deepest pockets to overcome mistakes like Brown and Johnson, and there's a lot of luck involved. It remains to be seen how those FA choices payoff for them down the road. I just want the Red Sox to continually put a good, competitive team on the field. It's not a "birthright" to see them win and I'm enjoying the past decade of Red Sox like no other.
ReplyDeleteThe O's were never serious contenders for Tex. He wanted to play for NY, and he and Dr. Evil got the best Sox offer, and NY topped it. They would have, no matter how high the Sox went. I will never look at Teixiera as a "Red Sox mistake."
I agree that is why Masserotti of the Globe needs to leave the Mark Tex thing alone - we were never going to get him.
ReplyDeleteA dominant Beckett which as I have said before can still happen puts us right there.
Okay Tex is from Severna Park, MD-which is 15 miles south of Baltimore and went to Mt. Saint Josephs HS. That school is a perennial athletic powerhouse.
ReplyDeleteAt the time I realized that The O's really were wasting their time. Forget that the Yanks were offering Bolivia, for The O's and 27-ish other teams, it is too much of a limited budget spent on one player.
28 teams in baseball have to develop resources and bide time until they create a window of contention.
If Andy MacPhail is left alone, The O's will contend in two years. They already had Adam Jones from The Bedard trade and Matt Weiters as the first wave of AA/AAA talent, esp. pitchers.
I have to say - I do find myself complaining about the Skankees' payroll. So I also understand when other, much poorer teams complain about ours. But it is true that, although ours is much much more than some teams, the Yankees payroll is in a class by itself, and it does warrant some griping. Justified or not.
ReplyDeleteOff subject - Q, I added another picture of myself in someone else's hangout to my collection. I guess you don't even know this, but for a while now my facebook picture has been a shot of me sitting in Professor Thom's. I'm in California now, and got to meet Zenslinger from JoS at his hangout in San Francisco last week. Very briefly, but still very cool to do so. I hope next time I'm in NYC I'll be able to get back to Thom's at a time when you're actually there.
For now though, it's back to North Carolina. Road trip starts tomorrow.
My concern about money is that the Red Sox spend it wisely, and in the right places. New York will always have a gargantuan payroll, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. It's not illegal or immoral. Complaining about it won't change anything. It's a fact of life. Unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteSoSock, send me a Facebook friend request if you can. Hope you are doing well. Love to meet you at Thom's next time you're in town!