Cards get John Lackey from Red Sox, John Lackey Traded To St. Louis Cardinals

The Red Sox continued to remake their roster on Thursday, sending No. 2 starter John Lackey, a minor leaguer and $1.75 million to the St. Louis Cardinals for first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig and righthander Joe Kelly.

It was their second big deal of the trade deadline day. The Red Sox have traded their top two starters, Lackey and ace Jon Lester, and remade the lineup of what was a weak-hitting team by adding Yoenis Cespedes and Craig.

The 30-year-old Craig has played primarily right field and first base on his career. He is having a down season, hitting .237 with seven homers and 44 RBI for the Cardinals. But Craig hit .312 with an .864 OPS and 46 home runs from 2011-13.

Kelly, 26, is 2-2 with a 4.37 earned run average in seven starts. He is 17-14 with a 3.25 ERA in 68 career games, 38 of them starts. He was on the disabled list much of this season with a left hamstring strain.Craig is signed through 2017 with a team option for $13 million or a $1 million buyout for 2018. He is owed $25.5 million from 2015-18.

Lackey ends what was a tumultuous five seasons in Boston. The righthander was signed to a five-year, $82.5 million deal before the 2010 season. He was 26-23 with a 5.32 ERA over the first two seasons, pitching with an injured elbow for much of the 2011 season.

Lackey missed the 2012 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is 21-20 with a 3.55 ERA since over 50 starts including 11-7, 3.60 this season.

Lackey had a 2.77 ERA in five playoff appearances last season, going 3-1. He won the deciding game of the World Series, holding the Cardinals to one run over 6⅔innings. Now he joins the Cardinals, who are fighting for a playoff berth in the National League.

Lackey was seen as a likely candidate to be dealt because his contract is appealing. While owed the balance of his $15.25 million salary this year, next year his contract has a club option for just $500,000.

His 2015 salary was triggered by a clause in his contract that stipulated he play for that amount if something like Tommy John elbow surgery would sideline him for a significant time at any point during his stay in Boston. Sitting out the 2012 season triggered that clause.

Lackey has told the Cardinals he will honor his contract, although the sides working out an extension is also possible.

The Red Sox also sent Single A lefthander Corey Litrell to the Cardinals.

The Red Sox may have other moves to make. Adding two outfielders creates a roster jam that includes Daniel Nava, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Shane Victorino.

The Red Sox also need a starter to replace Lackey in the rotation. At least temporarily, that could be Triple A righthander Anthony Ranaudo.

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John Lackey Traded To St. Louis Cardinals

Sources:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/07/31/reports-john-lackey-traded-cardinals/TsGpxBXGtkGz46kXbRlUzO/story.html

Yoenis Cespedes is a good catch for Red Sox

We’ve seen the incredible out-of-body throws Yoenis Cespedes has made from left field. We’ve seen his power to all fields. We’ve seen his baserunning ability.

He is, basically, a five-tool player. So why did the A’s trade their cleanup hitter for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes? Well, they did it because they believe pitching will bring them over the top and into the World Series. A championship is the one thing that’s eluded Billy Beane’s run of superb teams with a limited budget.

Beane has always been willing to give up something to get something. So he gave the Red Sox what they wanted - a centerpiece player who can help revamp their offense, give them outstanding defense and as he heads into his prime years become a more complete player.

 

Cespedes has a .767 OPS but a.303 on base percentage with only 28 walks. That flies in the face of what the Red Sox offense has looked like the past few years, but this is where Melvin believes Cespedes will get so much better.In a recent discussion with A’s manager Bob Melvin, who threw batting practice to Cespedes almost every day, he commented that at some stage of his career he’s going to pull all facets of his game together and become an even greater force.

A powerfully built man, Cespedes, who comes in at a shade under 6 feet and 220 pounds of muscle, has 17 homers and 67 RBI for the A’s. He is hitting .256. His value will also be in protecting David Ortiz in the lineup. And with Mike Napoli’s power, the Red Sox now have two power bats in the middle of the order from the right side.

The Red Sox outfield is now one of the top defensive outfields in baseball. Cespedes and Jackie Bradley Jr.’s arm should really help deter opposing runners from taking the extra base.

If the Red Sox keep Shane Victorino in right and he stays healthy, that becomes an excellent defensive mix.

Losing Jon Lester is never good. But if you had to lose him, why not lose him for an impact offensive player?

The Red Sox also received a competitive balance pick from Oakland. So this is almost as if the Red Sox lost Lester as a free agent. This way they get the draft pick and they get the All-Star player.

The Red Sox didn’t get any prospects in the deal, but there could be more ahead. Andrew Miller is sought after by a dozen teams so he should bring quite a bit in return.

Those prospects can bring you established players.

As we’ve pointed out, replacing Lester is one of the hardest things to do. We’ve mentioned Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels as a possibility with four years and an option remaining on his contract.

A free-agent like James Shields could be a possibility as his price tag will be far less than Lester’s. Cliff Lee could also be a possibility with two years remaining on his contract if he doesn’t go in a deal in the next month.

Losing Lester is tough, but with a premiere slugger in an era where power is hard to find the Red Sox came out of it pretty well.

Cespedes is a free-agent after next year, so the Red Sox have to begin thinking of an extension for the 28-year-old outfielder. He will make $10.5 million next season.

Sources:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/07/31/yoenis-cespedes-good-catch-for-red-sox/DyJrJQBnJ7bM5NgfCxL5aN/story.html