Red Sox Acquire Cespedes, Pick for Lester, Gomes

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

We didn’t see this coming: WEEI’s Alex Speier reports that the Oaland Athletics have acquired Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes from the Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes.

This makes the third front line starting pitcher added to the A’s rotation in less than a month, with Lester joining Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel who came to Oakland from Chicago at the beginning of July. Along with Sonny Gray, this gives the A’s perhaps the best starting rotation in the American League. Possibly in all of baseball. It certainly signals that the A’s are going for it without hesitation or pause in 2014.

For the Red Sox: a big problem — production in the outfield — is solved. They didn’t get the sorts of prospects everyone expected they’d get. But in Cespedes they received one of the most powerful hitters in the game who is under team control through 2015. And of course the Red Sox have the means to extend Cespedes if they like what they see from him over the next year and a half. It is worth wondering if his batting line — already good on the power side, even if lacking in the on-base side of things — improves in a more hitter-friendly park like Fenway.

We’ll have much more on the fallout from this monster deal, including what it means for Boston, for Oakland and for the rest of baseball as the day goes on.

GREAT trade for the Sox, not everybody agrees on the radio around here, but I'm excited to watch Cespedes next time I go to Fenway.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

You get a middle of the order bat for next year, add a competitive balance pick (and the Red Sox were considering holding Lester so they could get the compensation pick had he left via FA) and they still have the chance to re-sign Lester for next year. I like that they moved him for a player not prospects, because you know what you are getting back, as prospects sometimes don't pan out.

The Athletics have the most runs scored in MLB, so offense isn't their concern. Considering they only had Cespedes until after next season, they made a great trade here. They can also take the money from Johnson and Cespedes and sign someone to fill Cespedes' spot next season. That's about $20 million they have available next year just from those two not being on payroll.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

I love MLBN take. Basically, Oakland is not trying to get Baseball America to love them. They are tired of waiting. They are willing to pay the price for a title and they aren't going to waste time on making deals that gets them to where they want to go.

 

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

It's a great trade for both teams, the A's won't pay Lester after the season, so he could still come back to Boston, my prediction is that he won't, because somebody that feels like they are close to a deep playoff run is going to give him 5+ years probably 115-130 mil, and Boston will not be that team. They LOVE Workman, De La Rosa.... Anthony Ranaudo is promising, Owens, Allen Webster... super young pitchers but Boston didn't have to part with any of them to get the bat that they desperately needed. Cespedes can be thrown between Pedroia and Papi or Papi and Napoli and offer some nice protection for them.

Lackey almost certainly will be gone, yes, there is a team option that is dirt cheap, but from what I hear on the radio around here, Lackey will retire before he plays for 500k. Lackey doesn't exactly come off as the role model type veteran that will be a mentor to the young guys... so that will be something the Sox need.

 

[Tailback U]

Nice trade for both...but I especially like it for the A's.

Cespedes is a freak of nature and awesome to watch but he's a .250 power hitter. The a's will do just fine without him.

Gonna miss his arm and bombs but I think it's a great trade for the a's because he wasn't going to be in Oakland in 2016 anyway.

 

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

Nice trade for both...but I especially like it for the A's.

Cespedes is a freak of nature and awesome to watch but he's a .250 power hitter. The a's will do just fine without him.

Gonna miss his arm and bombs but I think it's a great trade for the a's because he wasn't going to be in Oakland in 2016 anyway.

.250 power hitter is not bad right now, pitching has been dominant the past couple seasons really... the power hitter part is the important part for the sawx...

And his arm... the Red Sox now have a gold glove caliber outfielder in Jackie Bradley with a cannon for an arm, and Cespedes who can throw some guys out from the field, having two guys like that and hopefully a healthy Victorino is insanely better than where they were a month ago. Pair that with Vasquez behind the plate and there are some live arms on defense in Boston, I like where the team is, haven't been driving around much today so I haven't heard input from the Boston fans on the radio.

 

[ryne candy]

GREAT trade for the Sox, not everybody agrees on the radio around here, but I'm excited to watch Cespedes next time I go to Fenway.

I was listening to 670 The Score (from Chicago) and they were playing a sports station for Boston bashing Cubans and asking what good has come from them..."remember Bay of Pigs"...lol. Won't be long till those guys are suspended.

 

[MVPete]

Yoenis will be overrated as long as he keeps winning Home Run Derbys. Nice power bat for the Sox though.

 

[Tailback U]

.250 power hitter is not bad right now, pitching has been dominant the past couple seasons really... the power hitter part is the important part for the sawx...

And his arm... the Red Sox now have a gold glove caliber outfielder in Jackie Bradley with a cannon for an arm, and Cespedes who can throw some guys out from the field, having two guys like that and hopefully a healthy Victorino is insanely better than where they were a month ago. Pair that with Vasquez behind the plate and there are some live arms on defense in Boston, I like where the team is, haven't been driving around much today so I haven't heard input from the Boston fans on the radio.

Surely you saw this play?

 

[Senser81]

Guy looked safe.

 

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

Surely you saw this play?

Yes, that would be one instance that I recall

 

[Tailback U]

Guy looked safe.

He's no Puig.