> If this trade goes through the Dodgers will have one impressive batting order: Kemp, Ethier, Ramirez, Gonzalez, Crawford (next year).
Same was said about the thought of having Gonzalez and Crawford in the Sox lineup - how'd that work out? Gonzalez had little impact after last year's AS game. He was a rally killing hole in the middle of the Sox lineup since then. Yeah, he got RBIs that showed up in the yearly stats - but he was totally MIA during any clutch situation. I know that it's been said the he had lots of late inning RBis - how many meant anything? Especially last year when the two hitting in front of him (Ellebury and Pedroia) had .400 OBPs and were top 5 (I think) in the MVP balloting - how he could he help but pile on the RBIs. Every time he came up it seemed there was a runner in scoring postition. But he never did it against the better teams. He had very little positive impact at the plate - always seemed to loaf running the bases (yeah he's slow anyway, but his loafing often saved infielders or outfielder on the other teams errors was he jogged around the bases. It killed me to watch that. And, I have no idea whatever happened to his batting eye - at one point he went more than a month without a walk this year - how can a middle of the lineup guy not walk? This year they often intentionally walked the hitter in front of him (this even after he was dropped to 6th in the lineup and that someone was Cody Ross or Will Middlebrooks) just to get to him... this Sox fan is happy to see him go. I hope he performs well for the Dodgers. But I wouldn't count on it. Watch his games, not his stats (sorta like "buy the card, not the holder"?). Same for the other 2 - big names, little impact. Beckett has lost a few MPH off the fastball and can no longer get away with mistakes - maybe in a league without a DH he'll survive a few more of those mistakes. Even with a change of scenery and an attitude adjustment it might not work for him - I wish him well but I think his days of being a dominant pitcher are behind him. Crawford - he seems to be burdened by his contract. It's heavy - too much it seems - he's weighed down - indecisive at the plate on the bases, and in the field - hard to believe that he won gold gloves (he's been atrocious in the field - at least when he gets on the field - too much money for a guy who can't get on the field... he seems to try hard, always hustles, wants to win - but it just wasn't working for him. The Sox have been abysmal since last September and these 3 are a big part of the core that was supposed to lead them. And where have they lead them? The Dodgers are getting 3 big names - but, based upon recent performance, thats all they are, names - names of guys that were once stars. I have my doubts about whether they can ever reach that level again. I don't think that they ever would in Boston... good luck to them in LA.
I'd have let the 3 go for a box of balls, all of that money tied up with little production for it was killing them... this looks like an NBA trade (at least from the Sox perspective). It's all about the money. You have to take my bad contracts to get the player (Gonazalez) you want (and I suspect that the Sox were actually tired of Gonzalez act anyway). Now the Sox are no longer prisoner of the salary cap - we'll see how they do in developing and acquiring talent (and attitude) over the next couple of years.
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