Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

[Dispatch]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Crawford and Ellsbury are going to give opposing catchers nightmares.

Crawford
Pedroia
Youkilis
Gonzalez
Ortiz
Drew
Tek/Salty
Ellsbury

I feel guilty about this.

[ProStylez]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

They've been the same team for years now.

Which is why I said they have BECOME the Yanks!
I don't remember the last time the Red Sox spent this much on two players.

[House Hogan]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Now they can possibly trade Ellsbury and get some damn bullpen help.

[Beantown]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Crawford and Ellsbury are going to give opposing catchers nightmares.

Crawford
Pedroia
Youkilis
Gonzalez
Ortiz
Drew
Tek/Salty
Ellsbury

I feel guilty about this.

I got a very big smile on my face when I read that.

If I ever hear another Red Sox fan say that the Yankees overspend, I'm seriously going to punch them. I've gotten in fights with my own family over it before, and the Sox have proven me right this off-season.

As far as the contract...do I think he was worth that much more than Werth? Absolutely. Do I think either of them are worth this much? Nope.

[BatsareBugs]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

"But, there needs to be something that makes these smaller-market teams spend money!"

Yes, we could have a salary floor that forces the small market teams to spend more money, but let's take the San Diego Padres. Even if the organization was forced to spend money, maybe in a perfect year for San Diego, with considerations to it's market and all other factors, the team would likely have a payroll around $80-$90 million, would that make them competitive when the top players are now commanding a yearly salary in the $20 millions?

Let's say the Padres had Adrian Gonzalez at $22, that leaves $58-$68 million for the remaining 24 spots. That leaves at $2.41 million to $2.83 million per player. Now let's put Adrian on the level of a big market team... a team with at least $160. For the same amount a year, they have at $138 left per player or $4.82 million. Let's say on both teams 23 of the spots are filled by players receiving $2 million. The big market team can go ahead and pursue the player it needs, but because it has $92 million remaining while the Padres only have $12 million remaining, probably only good enough for a #4 veteran these days or an above average position player.

Now let's get into what if the star player got injured? Who can absorb the bigger blow to payroll?

And it's not only teams like the Red Sox and Yankees to blame who give the top players the highest contracts, teams that give mediocre players $10 million a year contracts are just as responsible.

[duke776]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Dang, I wanted to see the outfield of Crawford-Bourjos-Hunter. That would've been nice, I'm dissapointed (even though I'm not an Angels fan).

I'd assume Jacoby Ellsbury or Mike Cameron are now going to be on the market? Not sure which one, but it seems logical one would be on the move.

[Knight165]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

I guess the recession is officially over.
Business as usual.

M.K.
Knight165

[Scottdau]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Go get some pitching. That wins championships. great signing.

[55]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Enjoy him, Red Sox fans. He is one hell of a player and a great guy off the field too. I completely understand him taking a multi-year, 20 million dollar per year deal to be on a good team, especially after Sternberg already said that he is going to be a cheapskate and lower team payroll after three consecutive winning seasons.

I have no animosity towards Carl Crawford at all, but it's just a shame that we didn't get the job done this postseason. If the Rays weren't such solid contenders this year, they could have at least attempted to trade him at the deadline for something if they knew they had no intentions of resigning him.

I see a lot of promise in Desmond Jennings, but let's face it, Crawford is easily the greatest Tampa Bay (Devil) Ray in our young franchise's history and there is going to be a lot of pressure on him to perform right away. It's just such a shame to have an organization that drafts so well and then lose our prospects in their primes.

The Rays still have a young, solid core of players (Longoria, Price, Upton, Hellickson, Brignac, Davis, Jennings, Garza, etc.) but the AL East just got that much tougher this week. This is going to be a tough season for Rays fans, especially having to see Crawford donning a division rival's uniform.

In closing, congratulations to the Red Sox for signing one of the best all-around players of the last decade and congratulations to Carl Crawford for getting a well deserved payday and getting to play for a great franchise who has a rich history and will win a lot of ballgames. Stuart Sternberg, on the other hand, can go straight to hell.

Spoiler

At least he didn't sign with the Yankees. Phew!

[Chaos81]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

My point is a cap doesn't force the Pirates/Royals/etc to spend...you need a floor more than you need a cap imo.

The same Royals who were within a half million of the Reds and Rays, $15 million ahead of the Rangers, and $30 million ahead of the Padres in opening day payroll? The problem with the Royals isn't lacking of spending, the problem is the idiot spending the money.

That's not to say the Royals couldn't spend more money, they probably could, just trying to point out they're not in that "holy cow they're hardly spending any money" group these days.

[Kobalt]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Go get some pitching. That wins championships. great signing.

Red Sox tried.

The Sox are one team that made a seven-year offer to Lee, according to officials with another club.

From Ken Rosenthal's blog

[House Hogan]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Sneaky, sneaky Boston.



But that begs the question of who the other mystery team is.

[Trucrypt]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Man, Adrian Gonzalez and now Crawford? What's next, Lee?!?!? If they get Lee, they better win a world title.

[snepp]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

And people wonder why the Yankees and Red Sox are hated.

I don't hate them for spending money, they have it, it has to go somewhere. I hate them due to the ignorant, douchebag, bandwagon fans that they inevitably end up attracting.

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Red Sox agree to terms with Carl Crawford

Wow...honestly didn't expect Theo to pull the trigger on that after getting Adrian. So, so happy. Crawford is my favorite player and it's awesome to see him on my favorite team. Ridiculous contract, but there's a lot of that going around.

This is one of my"get back up to Mass" years too (I try to catch a home game every other year or so...wish I could afford more)