紅襪是交易大限大贏家嗎？ - 美國職棒

from USA Today

The Boston Red Sox might have quietly won the 2014 MLB trade deadline

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/boston-red-sox-trade-deadline-winners-mlb-2014

Major League Baseball’s annual July 31 non-waiver trade deadline ended in a
flurry of activity highlighted by the blockbuster trade that sent David Price
from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Detroit Tigers. But though both the Tigers and
Athletics significantly improved their postseason chances by adding aces
Thursday, no team did more this month to improve its long-term outlook than
the Boston Red Sox.

Dating back to their July 26 trade of Jake Peavy to the San Francisco Giants,
the Sox parted with a slew of players set for free agency after the season —
most of whom would not merit qualifying offers and so would not bring back
compensatory draft picks. Long out of 2014 contention, the club significantly
improved its chances for 2015 with a series of smart deals.

For Peavy, GM Ben Cherington scored Class AAA pitching prospect Edwin Escobar
— ranked the No. 56 overall prospect by Baseball America entering the season
— and righty reliever Heath Hembree, who has posted gaudy strikeout numbers
at every minor league stop.

On Thursday, the Sox first sent ace Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes —
both free agents after the season — to the Oakland A’s for outfielder
Yoenis Cespedes and a competitive balance pick.

Soon afterward, they traded pitcher John Lackey and Class A lefty Corey
Littrell to the St. Louis Cardinals for struggling slugger Allen Craig and
pitcher Joe Kelly. Lackey is the only significant big-league player the Red
Sox traded that they controlled for 2015. But because of a clause in Lackey’
s contract, he’s slated to earn only the league minimum next season because
he had Tommy John surgery in 2011. Some have speculated that Lackey will
retire rather than pitch for $500,000.

Later in the day, Cherington flipped lefty reliever Andrew Miller to the
Baltimore Orioles for Class AA pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, who was ranked the
No. 65 overall prospect by Baseball America before the season.

(In minor deals, the Red Sox also traded infielder Stephen Drew to the
Yankees for utility man Kelly Johnson, and sent struggling pitcher Felix
Doubront to the Cubs for a player to be named. Drew and Johnson are both free
agents after the season, and Doubront had a 6.07 ERA for the Sox in 2014.)

So Cherington traded all of one player under contract for 2015, and there’s
some chance that guy won’t even play. In return, he landed three
big-leaguers who can help the Sox return to contention in 2015 and three
promising pitchers in the high minors who could contribute sometime soon.

Cespedes, signed through 2015, instantly shores up a corner outfield position
at Fenway. A righty bat with power, he should slide into the middle of the
Red Sox’ lineup and go to town on the Green Monster.

Craig has struggled this season after three straight good years at the plate.
He’s been a good enough hitter at every professional stop that he seems a
strong bounce back candidate for 2015, and he is signed to a team-friendly
deal through 2017 with a team option for 2018. He’s limited defensively, but
versatile — shifting between outfield corners and first base over the past
few seasons.

Kelly won’t exactly replace Lester, but he’s a competent Major League
pitcher with a career 3.25 ERA, well suited to a spot in the back of the Sox’
rotation or the middle of their bullpen. And he’s under team control
through the end of the 2018 season.

Just last year, the Red Sox showed how quickly a team can move from last
place to first place with some good moves and good fortune. Their deadline
deals show they intend to do the same in 2015, adding sturdy Major League
contributors and forcing their ballyhooed prospects to earn their roles in
the show.

Don’t go inking them into the 2015 playoffs yet, of course: Cherington just
traded away almost the entire starting rotation that helped them to the 2013
championship. But Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields all look likely to
hit the open market come November, and the Sox have the type of minor league
depth required to add frontline starters via trade.


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