Red Sox ≠ Yankees

In the last week the Red Sox have dropped an estimated $300 million dollars on two players (estimated because the Gonzalez extension won't be announced until Opening Day, and the Crawford deal is pending a physical). The consensus among baseball-types is that Boston most definitely "won" the Winter Meetings, which is obvious to anyone paying a modicum of attention. Unfortunately, Boston.com Sox contributor Bob Hohler clearly isn't happy without something to gripe about.

Hohler penned a piece this morning entitled "Sox spend up a storm: Unprecedented deals put Boston in the Yankees' big-money league." The premise of the article seems to be that Red Sox fans can no longer complain about the behemoth budget of their neighbors to the south because Theo went on a "shopping spree" of his own this winter.

He goes on to point out that when it comes to financial clout, the Red Sox are much closer to the Yankees than the Rays, Royals, or Pirates. I have a simple, one-word answer to this allegation: DUH. I don't think you could find anyone whining that the Red Sox were among the underprivileged teams in MLB. I've said it here before: the Red Sox are upper middle class, while the Yankees are essentially Angelica Pickles.

The Yankees, simply based on their location in the biggest city in the United States, have a revenue stream that even a market like Boston can never hope to match. That said, the Sox have a lot more to work with than most teams, but because they have to compete directly with New York, they have to get creative. If Carl Crawford had been the Yankees priority this winter, there's no doubt he'd be getting measured for pinstripes at this very moment (yet another reason we should thank Cliff Lee for beating the Yanks in the playoffs).

The Red Sox landed Crawford because they had more money than the Angels. This is undoubtedly true, but we're only having this conversation because Brian Cashman has other players on his mind, and thank goodness Cliff Lee and his agent are dragging out the process. On the other hand, the Red Sox have not yet paid a penny in their acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez.

As I'm sure you're all aware, the Red Sox have NOT extended Gonzalez just yet, and the only thing they've paid is prospects - some of the top young players in the minors. Minor league players are something every team has to offer, and there are definitely issues with unfair financial clout in the draft, but the fact is that the worst teams are often the poorest, and thus get higher picks than either the Sox or Yankees.

So yes, while the Red Sox have presumably spent $300 million on players this winter, it is VERY different from the Yankees offseason of 2008. Don't believe me? Let's recap: New York acquired CC Sabathia through free agency, even bidding against themselves, because they can, and awarding him the richest contract ever for a pitcher. They then acquired AJ Burnett, again through free agency, risking more money and years on him than anyone else was willing to, because they can afford an $80 million blunder/injury machine. Lastly, they brought Mark Teixeira into the fold, through - you guessed it - free agency, awarding him the richest contract for a first-baseman.

So, to recap, the Yankees presumptive Opening Day starting lineup includes three players that are homegrown, Jeter (kept as a free agent), Posada (kept as a free agent), and Cano. The Red Sox presumptive Opening Day lineup includes Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, and Lester (none of whom have EVER been free agents), as well as Gonzalez, who was acquired through TRADE, not through throwing boatloads of cash around.

The Red Sox are, as they have always been, a good mixture of the homegrown, the traded for, and the free agents. The Yankees are more like a collection of mercenaries with a SINGLE cost-controlled homegrown player in Robinson Cano.

Tell me again how the Red Sox are just the same as the Yankees?

Pinch me, I'm dreaming.

[Screengrabbed from Boston.com]

This was my thought in the wee hours of this morning. I had gone to be early for me, around 11pm, about 25 minutes before the Globe first reported the Crawford deal. At 4am I woke up to see my phone glowing. I got out of bed, picked it up, and read a text from a friend that said: "Carl crawford signs w/ Boston 7 yrs $142 mill". Since I was up already (and in a slight state of panicked excitement) I checked on the internet, and it was true.

My efforts to go back to sleep after the confirmation that Carl Crawford is now a Red Sox were pretty futile, but I managed to doze off around six. When I woke up for class two hours later, my first thought was that the whole thing had been a wonderful dream, but, as you know, it was true.

I have to be honest: I never thought Crawford would be coming to Boston. Especially after the Adrian Gonzalez deal, I assumed the Red Sox would stay in on the speedy outfielder simply to drive up the price for New York while they were still preoccupied with Cliff Lee. Like many people (Torii Hunter among them), I took it for granted that Crawford would be patrolling the field at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, but I'm certainly thrilled to have him in Boston.

Bill James predicts a typically good year for Crawford in 2011: 149 games played, .300 BA, .350 OBP, .398 SLG, 14 HR, 71 RBI, and 42 SB. Keep in mind that Crawford's power numbers will likely improve from those predictions because he'll be playing 81 games in the friendly confines of Fenway.

Perhaps the best part of the Crawford deal is the fact that he'll no longer swipe about a million bags on us every season (including six in one game) - he'll be stealing all those bases on our behalf. Coupled with a (hopefully) recovered Jacoby Ellsbury and the perennially discounted JD Drew, Crawford makes our outfield one of the speediest in baseball.

I can't believe this is real...

Twenty-three for me... Please?

I want an Adrian Gonzalez jersey. Right now. Unfortunately, as I mentioned yesterday, the first baseman's presumptive number is currently worn by outfielder Mike Cameron, who has no obligation to give it up (other than being slightly vilified by a rabid and excited fan base).

For all intents and purposes, Cameron has already agreed to give up #23 to Gonzalez for a small donation to charity, but these things have to be official. What does all this mean for fans? Nothing, unless you're like me and itching to get your hands on a Gonzalez jersey.

Neither the Red Sox online store through MLB nor the Yawkey Way store has Gonzalez T-shirts or jerseys on sale yet. So what, you might ask, they have the customize your own option. This is what I assumed, but apparently MLB has a rule that you're not allowed to use the name of a player on another team on your jersey.

Okay, but what about the guy who wants HIS name and HIS number on a jersey, and he happens to be named Gonzalez. Not exactly an uncommon name.

But I digress. The point of this is simply to implore MLB to get its act together and put those AGon jerseys on their (virtual) shelves in time for the holidays - and Hanukkah ends tomorrow night. It's not like MLB to pass up on money-making, and this one is a no-brainer: get on it, Selig!

Yo, Adrian [Gonzalez]!

It's official. Adrian Gonzalez (who, according to baseball-reference, has no middle name) is a Boston Red Sox. I've been pinching myself all day, and this is no dream - I can hardly contain myself.

I watched the press conference this morning (which started late, shocking), and was entertained and intrigued by turns. It's obvious that the Red Sox front office has coveted Gonzalez for years, almost to the point that Theo was more of a stalker than a scout. The baseball numbers are promising to say the least, and Boston.com's Extra Bases posted a very revealing graphic this afternoon:

[Click the graphic for the link]

Because Gonzalez has been hitting in Petco Park for the last five years, his numbers are an understatement - and they were nothing to sneeze at to begin with. The Padres ballpark is where doubles go to die, as illustrated by the graph above, which plots the location of Gonzalez's batted balls last year and overlays them in Fenway Park. As you can see, there are at least "15 balls at Petco that would have been hits at Fenway and most of those would have been for extra bases."

I'm sure most of you are aware that the lefthanded slugger was playing through some pain last year... I can't wait to see what Gonzalez will be able to do in a friendly ballpark when he's healthy.

Aside from that, I'm confident that Gonzalez will fit into the clubhouse with no trouble at all: he seems like a quiet, friendly, confident guy, and as Mike Cameron pointed out, it doesn't hurt that he's bilingual.

He also already has an impressive grasp on what it takes to be embraced by the fans of New England (being a top player doesn't hurt). Gonzalez had quite a few quotable quips during the presser, but the two that come most quickly to mind cover subjects near and dear to the heart of any true Boston fan. The first? "I'm very excited to be here in Boston. And I'm ready to beat the Yanks."

Slam. Dunk. Put down the Evil Empire and I'm with you. If that wasn't enough, he lavished praise on Ted Williams, and then mentioned that his "good friend" Dave Roberts had nothing but good to say about the Red Sox and their fans. Swoon:


The biggest controversy so far seems to be over jersey number. Gonzalez wore #23 in San Diego, but it currently belongs to Sox outfielder Mike Cameron. Cameron had initially wanted #25 or #44 when he came over, but #25 was Mikey Lowell's, and the memory of Jason Bay as #44 was still fresh in everyone's mind. Now, it's conceivable that Cameron will take #25, and give #23 to Gonzalez in if the new first baseman will make a donation to a Boys and Girls Club (via Boston.com).

So when can I get one of these jerseys? They're not on the Yawkey Way or Redsox.com online shops, and I was hoping to ask for one for Christmas. Hurry it up, MLB - you're losing money, and we all know that's not your style.

Yes, this is really happening...

More later.

The Red Sox are not cheap.

Remember this guy? Proof.

The Marlins are cheap. The Rays are cheap. The Pirates are downright Scrooge-like. If I hear one more Red Sox fan bemoaning the "fact" that the Sox front office is "too cheap" to sign Adrian Gonzalez, I'm going to scream in frustration.

The problem in these talks is not money. It's never money, unless the Yankees are involved, because we all know Midas himself couldn't outbid the Junior Steinbrenners. No, the Red Sox are not afraid to overpay in dollars for talent (for proof, look no further than the draft bonuses that they've given out in recent years), but they are afraid of overpaying in terms of years.

This makes sense. Think back to when the Sox signed Manny Ramirez, way back in December of 2000. The slugging outfielder was given a guaranteed eight years, with two team options for 2009 and 2010, with a total value of $160 million, plus bonuses for the usual things (MVP, ASG, etc.). I think you know where this is going, but the front office had soured on Manny by 2006, and even the fans were tired of his act by 2008. He was shipped off to Mannywood in LA, the Sox got Jason Bay, and the rest is history.

The moral of the story is, of course, that you can never anticipate what a player will look like in three years, let alone eight. I would never venture to guess that Adrian Gonzalez has the kind of ego and make up issues that Ramirez does, but the point stands: the Red Sox are cautious in giving out long contracts, because they've been down that road before, and it doesn't end well.

I know that AGon is crazily consistent (I posted about it yesterday, in fact), but you never know when he'll break a few ribs in a freak accident a la Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury, or foul a ball off his foot like Pedey, and he might never be the same.

I can totally support the front office standing firm on this issue, because they value roster flexibility, and handing out crazy-long deals isn't conducive to that kind of strategy.

All that said, SI's Jon Heyman is reporting that a deal DID get done, and the press conference will be tomorrow. Hopefully, the terms make sense for both sides.

Adrian Gonzalez to Boston

As I'm sure you've all heard by now, Adrian Gonzalez is headed to the Red Sox. The slugging first baseman will cost the Sox three of their most highly touted prospects, Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Rey Fuentes, but you have to give up value to get value in return.

Also, it's possible that one or all of the minor leaguers going to San Diego will never reach their potential, and the Red Sox are getting about as close as you can to a sure thing in baseball. Gonzalez was in Boston today getting a physical (he had surgery in October after playing through some pain in the later parts of the 2010 season), and the deal will be official as soon as the Red Sox and agent John Boggs can work on a contract extension.

Fun Fact: A-Gon played in Portland for the Double-A Seadogs when they were a Marlins farm team.

Adrian Gonzalez is a premier player entering into the prime of his career. The former Padre is twenty-eight years old, and in his seven MLB seasons (2 partial, 5 total), his numbers look like this: .284 BA, .368 OBP, 168 home runs, .511 SLG, and 525 RBI.

Bill James projects 2011 to be a typically great year for Gonzalez: 161 games played, .285 BA, .378 OBP, .512 SLG, 33 home runs, and 102 RBIs. It's also important to keep in mind that James calculated these predictions under the assumption that Gonzalez would be playing 81 games in the cavernous Petco Park, and that his numbers will most likely improve in the friendly confines of Fenway.

Current members of the Red Sox roster are excited to have Gonzalez join them. Daniel Bard, after being reassured that the deal did not include him, was enthusiastic, and Dustin Pedroia had nothing but praise for the All-Star: "I'm excited to play alongside him. It's going to be fun. When you hear his name for three years, something might happen. It's awesome to happen now. We picked up a player who's one of the best hitters in the game, so everyone's excited. We've got an All-Star. He's outstanding. We're excited and I think everyone's pumped to get to spring training and start everything."

Tim Wakefield, the grizzled veteran, acknowleged the long-term nature of the deal, noting that after a few years of discussion between the Padres and Sox, the trade has "finally some to fruition. It's a great addition to our club. Not only are we getting a quality player but we're also getting a quality guy." I don't know about you, but I trust Wake's opinion when it comes to class acts.

Obviously, this means that the Red Sox will not be bringing back the other Adrian, Mr. Beltre, despite his amazing 2010 performance for Boston at the hot corner. However, this does mean that the Red Sox will be awarded compensation picks for Beltre, Victor Martinez, and Felipe Lopez, meaning that they'll have five total picks in the first round and the sandwich round between the first and second rounds. This is nothing to sneeze at, especially since Theo has been very successful with drafting, and the 2011 draft class is projected to be very deep.

All in all, this is a fantastic move. I couldn't be happier, and I was itching all day to blog about it, and to get your reactions. Do you think this makes up for letting Victor Martinez walk? What kind of extension do you think Gonzalez will see? Do you expect the Sox to go after Jayson Werth or Carl Crawford as well?


[All quotes from this post are from Boston.com's Extra Bases blog; credit to Peter Abraham and the Globe staff]