Coco Crisp to Boston....

[Stu]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

It isn't necessarily the players involved that are the problem, its the motivation behind the trade. We would have to pay Crisp a fair amount of money in 2009. What people fail to realize outside of Cleveland is that Dolan really does not like to spend money at all. Since he took over, the salary has literally been cut in half. If it wasn't for the good farm system, we'd be horrible because he just doesn't want to spend money on anyone. So when 2009 rolled around, Dolan would likely just let him go because why keep an expensive proven player when you can have cheap prospects.

Maybe I misunderstood but I find it hard to believe that they'd be so cheap that they're getting rid of Crisp 3 years before he becomes a FA just to avoid paying him then.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

no, we're not... bjf must be disgruntled about something else. Think about it we locked up Hafner, Sabathia, and Martinez... it has nothing to do with money. It has to do with improving the team IMO.

[jt45]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

All the talk in Cleveland is that Marte is going to play OF for us.

Even at 3rd, we did this once. The best player in the minors a few years ago was Brandon Phillips. Guess where he's still at?

You will be making a gigantic mistake putting him in the OF. Atlanta tried and he doesn't have the build, nor is he athletic enough to do it.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

no, we're not... bjf must be disgruntled about something else. Think about it we locked up Hafner, Sabathia, and Martinez... it has nothing to do with money. It has to do with improving the team IMO.

It's nothing but money. He's a free agent after next season. He wants 8-10 mil a year, and he won't get that. But we offered him like 2-3 mil a year, so we were light years apart. I would have been happy with 6-7 mil a year for him though, but Dolan won't ever pay that much.

If you think this trade had nothing to do with money, then you are sadly mistaken. Dolan is cheaper than anyone.

We have sold more season tickets than tickets sold last season already, but that's still not enough for him to spend money. I don't want him to blow money, but keep a popular player like Crisp is another thing. We are loaded in OF's in the minor's though. Franklin Guiterriez, Jason Cooper, Brad Snyder, Brian Barton are four to jump out at me right away.

Besides Kevin Kousmanoff, we don't have any 3rd basemen prospects, so if that was really the driving force, I'm fine with it. But we just signed Boone to a new contract, he's still got years left, one of the best defensive 3rd basemen in the league, and can hit.

Just in knowing this team's history under Dolan, if the player wants money, he's gone. That's how it's been the entire time he's been here.

[bjf1377]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

no, we're not... bjf must be disgruntled about something else. Think about it we locked up Hafner, Sabathia, and Martinez... it has nothing to do with money. It has to do with improving the team IMO.

Haha trust me, I try to be one of the most optimistic people around, but you just can't ignore the fact that Jacobs had the team up around a $90 million salary and we were contending for the World Series. Then Dolan comes around, chops it down to a $41 million salary (right now) and it took us a few years to come back around to contending status. Obviously he was smart enough to realize that some of the more popular and better players needed to be locked up, but when you see something like this, it just kinda makes you want to scratch your head. Granted, I won't complain about any of this until a few years down the road, but you can still see that money is playing at least a minor role in this.

As for the 3B situation in the minors, there is like you said Kousmanoff, but you can't forget about Matt Whitney. Shapiro was raving about this kid a year or two ago and then he screwed up his knee real bad. If he can recover and return to form, who knows, he may be a good 3B down the line.

[CWood2]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

Riske may very well be an upgrade to Mota, but if we have too many arms as just about every Sox fan has suggested to me, why did we simply swap one? And as far as backup catchers go, Josh Bard is probably the lightest hitting signal caller in the league, whereas Shoppach projects to be an adequate starter... Calling him a "younger John Flaherty" as one paper did, regardless of Shoppach's stock, pretty much says it all. Marte for Crisp is a debate only answered with time, but how the rest of these guys got included is beyond me.

[Stu]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

Riske may very well be an upgrade to Mota, but if we have too many arms as just about every Sox fan has suggested to me, why did we simply swap one? And as far as backup catchers go, Josh Bard is probably the lightest hitting signal caller in the league, whereas Shoppach projects to be an adequate starter... Calling him a "younger John Flaherty" as one paper did, regardless of Shoppach's stock, pretty much says it all. Marte for Crisp is a debate only answered with time, but how the rest of these guys got included is beyond me.

I don't think we have too many arms, just too many starters. I think David Wells will be traded but I have no problem going into spring training with the pitching staff we have right now. These types of things have a way of working themselves out.

[CWood2]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

I don't think we have too many arms, just too many starters. I think David Wells will be traded but I have no problem going into spring training with the pitching staff we have right now. These types of things have a way of working themselves out.

I happen to think the same way. I'm just confused why we'd want another right handed reliever that probably can't close when we don't need to replace Mota and already signed Tavarez in anticipation of this..unless they said no to all the prospects we were asking about?

[rsox]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

The way this could end up playing out is Crisp will start in CF for the Sox (obviously). With all the injury's and inconsistencies the Sox bullpen has had one more arm can't hurt (wish it was a lefty though) and Bard will either beat out Flaherty for the backup Catcher job or start the year at AAA.

For the Indians Marte will play in some capacity by next season if not sooner. Mota for Riske is a wash, but as said above one more arm can't hurt and Shoppach will likely be spun in another trade, the Phillies have been looking for a young Catcher to replace Lieberthal after this season and there are rumors about them sending Jason Michaels to Cleveland, maybe the Phillies asked for Shoppach also.

[Misfit]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

Mota is an injury risk while Riske has a track record of being tough on lefties. I think that is what the Red Sox targeted him for as they don't have any reliable left-handed relievers. Or it could be that the Indians need Mota to get Michaels and the Red Sox felt they needed to get a reliever back. It also insures that Hanson can start the season at Triple A, which I think is the best thing for him.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

As for the 3B situation in the minors, there is like you said Kousmanoff, but you can't forget about Matt Whitney. Shapiro was raving about this kid a year or two ago and then he screwed up his knee real bad. If he can recover and return to form, who knows, he may be a good 3B down the line.

I've watched Matt Whitney play the last 2 years at Lake County, trust me, he'll never be at 3rd for the Tribe.

[bjf1377]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

I've watched Matt Whitney play the last 2 years at Lake County, trust me, he'll never be at 3rd for the Tribe.

I envy you for being able to go to a few of their games. I went to my high school's 2 playoff games there last spring and I love that stadium and I want to see at least one or two Captain's games this summer.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

I envy you for being able to go to a few of their games. I went to my high school's 2 playoff games there last spring and I love that stadium and I want to see at least one or two Captain's games this summer.

I have season tickets, I see about 50-60 games there a year and was at the banquet last night. Good times there.

[Stu]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

Per WEEI the deal is being held up because of concern's over Mota's health. Sounds like the Indians are trying to pilfer another prospect. Rumors are Delcarmen could be heading to Cleveland as well. Either that or Riske could be dropped as well.

[Beantown]

Re: Boston to trade Marte and Mota for Crisp

Hmm, I don't know which I'd rather do...remove Riske, or add Delcarmen.