Johan who?
The centerpieces of the proposed trade for Santana last offseason were either Lester or Ellsbury. As the baseball cliche goes, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.
I'd love to know what the 2008 Red Sox season in the Santana-era alternate universe looks like, but the real one we're seeing right now seems like a pretty good one.
Think about this: If the Sox had made the deal, the other components to the trade would likely have left Julio Lugo or Alex Cora at shortstop (Lowrie would be gone) and the Sox without Justin Masterson in the 'pen (which means Mike Timlin would probably be out there instead).
Would you rather have a post-season team with Lowrie (who can also play third), Masterson, and Ellsbury/Lester? Or would you rather have a team with Santana, Timlin, Cora, and Ellsbury/Lester?
(Not to mention Michael Bowden, who is not on the post-season roster but looked good in his limited play earlier this year and could be a factor in the next year or two.)
Throw in the salaries of these guys versus that of Santana ...
Man, I'm glad that trade didn't happen. Say Santana's free agency were to begin a year later than it did. The Sox would <i>never</i> entertain the thought of a trade of that magnitude after THIS season, knowing what their guys are legitimately capable of.
They would have given up far, far too much for Santana, as good as he is.
While Jon Lester may not - yet - be as feared and dominant as Santana, he seems to have the potential to be just as reliable (and, at a fraction of the cost). In a playoff series, when a pitcher's impact is tremendous but the number of games played is limited, Lester and Santana seem to be of equal game value at this point. But for the rest of the series, for everyday players, I'm glad we have guys like Ellsbury and Lowrie out there. They can make a difference more than just every third day. It's very reassuring.
Once again, nice job, Theo. Your patience is a gift.
The centerpieces of the proposed trade for Santana last offseason were either Lester or Ellsbury. As the baseball cliche goes, sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.
I'd love to know what the 2008 Red Sox season in the Santana-era alternate universe looks like, but the real one we're seeing right now seems like a pretty good one.
Think about this: If the Sox had made the deal, the other components to the trade would likely have left Julio Lugo or Alex Cora at shortstop (Lowrie would be gone) and the Sox without Justin Masterson in the 'pen (which means Mike Timlin would probably be out there instead).
Would you rather have a post-season team with Lowrie (who can also play third), Masterson, and Ellsbury/Lester? Or would you rather have a team with Santana, Timlin, Cora, and Ellsbury/Lester?
(Not to mention Michael Bowden, who is not on the post-season roster but looked good in his limited play earlier this year and could be a factor in the next year or two.)
Throw in the salaries of these guys versus that of Santana ...
Man, I'm glad that trade didn't happen. Say Santana's free agency were to begin a year later than it did. The Sox would <i>never</i> entertain the thought of a trade of that magnitude after THIS season, knowing what their guys are legitimately capable of.
They would have given up far, far too much for Santana, as good as he is.
While Jon Lester may not - yet - be as feared and dominant as Santana, he seems to have the potential to be just as reliable (and, at a fraction of the cost). In a playoff series, when a pitcher's impact is tremendous but the number of games played is limited, Lester and Santana seem to be of equal game value at this point. But for the rest of the series, for everyday players, I'm glad we have guys like Ellsbury and Lowrie out there. They can make a difference more than just every third day. It's very reassuring.
Once again, nice job, Theo. Your patience is a gift.
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