....Beane has some serious nads to be trading Cespedes in the middle of a pennant race and looks like the A's are going for broke this year. Lester will really bolster an already solid rotation.
for the Sox. They add an OF that should destroy Fenway for the next five years and save 150M . They probably would have overpaid Lester to stay after the season. No pitcher is worth a 5-7 yr deal.
Charles Finley was a visionary. Only offer one yr deals and make all players free agents every year. Pay a SP 25M and he is injured his first year ? Don't sign him again and you just saved the team 150M.
A good but not great player who still has a lot of hype attached to his name because of his YouTube videos. It's not a bad deal for a rental like Lester, though.
capone had mentioned from his SOTI in Seattle that the A's had been quietly shopping Cespedes for a while now. So it shouldn't be that shocking he was dealt, particularly for pitcher like Lester.
Beyond that, Boston has had the "good" fortune that when they are having a down year, they suck complete ass and are out of it, thus making it easier (and smarter) to be able to trade off big name contracts/soon to be free agents and go in the tank the rest of the way and get ready for the next season.
The Yankees were strapped by being still in shouting distance, and also trying to keep competitve for their farewell tours of legends (Mo and Jeter). They should have traded Cano last year and didn't do it because they were still somewhat in the hunt for a playoff spot. This year they have no one worth trading for really.
Oakland lucked out when Cespedes chose them in International Free Agency. But YC is all flash and little substance. He will hit his homeruns and throw runners out, but he is not an Oakland A type of player.
With that said, YC will be the next Papi in Boston. Bombs over the Monstah, the smile, the flash, that will be "their guy" for a while. Plus, there is a chance Boston can re-sign Lester in the off season.
Cespedes is pretty clearly overrated and just hasn't been that great of a hitter over the last two seasons. Gomes can probably give them something close to that offensive production (though he's much less of a defender). And it makes Oakland the clear favorite with a potentially dominant playoff rotation. I like it for them, though it is obviously risky with Lester being a rental.
especially in light of the fact that Lester has said he'd go back to the RS in FA when the season is over. Idiots.
This is Oakland's chance THIS YEAR. They have had historically awful playoff losses in previous seasons. They also have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. If you can add a top 15 pitcher who is a lefty, with playoff experience (2 rings), you don't think twice about it.
Plus Gomes will hit about 2/3 the homeruns that you lose is Cespedes.
Oakland wins this trade if they win the World Series, bottom line.
think "overrated" is being thrown around a bit too liberally here. Is he a superstar? No. But by almost any measure he's an above average regular in terms of OF's and owed 10.5 next year (below market value). He's not as good as his highlights but he's the best or second best OF on his team on 99% of the teams in the league.
he'll likely hit better in Fenway because virtually everyone does when Â
especially in light of the fact that Lester has said he'd go back to the RS in FA when the season is over. Idiots.
This is Oakland's chance THIS YEAR. They have had historically awful playoff losses in previous seasons. They also have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. If you can add a top 15 pitcher who is a lefty, with playoff experience (2 rings), you don't think twice about it.
Plus Gomes will hit about 2/3 the homeruns that you lose is Cespedes.
Oakland wins this trade if they win the World Series, bottom line.
This. For the first time in many moons, this is a year where both Boston and the Yankees are not big factors. So 2 of the biggest payroll teams on the block are not much of a threat. Their biggest threat is likely the Tigers at this point so you want to be able to match up against their starters in the playoffs and Lester helps in that regard to get your chance to go to the World Series.
a bigger Beane fan than most on here but this is really a wild gamble. I think it goes without saying if they win the WS this year that Cespedes was a small price to pay but that's basically the only way he "wins" this trade (outside of Lester shockingly staying).
a bigger Beane fan than most on here but this is really a wild gamble. I think it goes without saying if they win the WS this year that Cespedes was a small price to pay but that's basically the only way he "wins" this trade (outside of Lester shockingly staying).
Oakland is not paying top dollar for stars, we all know that. They weren't going to pay YC and they won't pay Lester. Which is fine. So it makes sense to get a top lefty on your team for October with a legit chance to win it all.
division series is going to be something else. Havn't really stayeed up late to watch playoff baseball in a while, but I think I'd make an exception for that one.
for sure. I'm just saying it's a total gamble. Either it ends up working out (World Series) or it's a "loss" of a trade. Losing 1 year of Cespedes isn't going to end up being franchise crippling or anything, it's just the trade has 1 possible "winning" outcome for Oakland.
deadkurtrulz: When Finley proposed to "make them all free agents", Marvin Miller nearly shit himself. The other owners were too stupid to see it. Miller knew that the only way to get ridiculous $$ was to control and limit the talent available in any one year. He was brilliant, as was Finley. Kuhn and the other owners were shortsighted.
puts alot of pressure on the A's. Sort of like when the pressure wason the Yanks. World Series or the season is a failure.Plus there is no guarantee that they even win the division.
Sox get something for nothing. A's now have the best rotation in baseball, get 2/3rds the production they traded with Gomes for the next 50 games, lower their payroll by trading Cespedes and still have flexibility to upgrade their OF spot with the money they are saving.
Is a decent player. But we all know he's never walked or hit as much as Beane would like. They know they can't re-sign Lester, but also probably fine with not paying Cespedes almost 10 mill next season.
Source: Boston also getting a competitive balance draft pick from Oakland. Boston will send cash to the A's.
Yanks are now in panic mode?? Will A's sign Lester to long term deal? That is a nice rotation.. Gray,Szmardja, Lester, Hammels.
They didn't always, but after their lost Bobbby V year they sure have, starting with the way they ass-raped the Dodgers in that ridiculous deal
Charles Finley was a visionary. Only offer one yr deals and make all players free agents every year. Pay a SP 25M and he is injured his first year ? Don't sign him again and you just saved the team 150M.
Beyond that, Boston has had the "good" fortune that when they are having a down year, they suck complete ass and are out of it, thus making it easier (and smarter) to be able to trade off big name contracts/soon to be free agents and go in the tank the rest of the way and get ready for the next season.
The Yankees were strapped by being still in shouting distance, and also trying to keep competitve for their farewell tours of legends (Mo and Jeter). They should have traded Cano last year and didn't do it because they were still somewhat in the hunt for a playoff spot. This year they have no one worth trading for really.
With that said, YC will be the next Papi in Boston. Bombs over the Monstah, the smile, the flash, that will be "their guy" for a while. Plus, there is a chance Boston can re-sign Lester in the off season.
Great Trade
curious what the A's OF will look like.
Burns / Crisp / Reddick ?
This is Oakland's chance THIS YEAR. They have had historically awful playoff losses in previous seasons. They also have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. If you can add a top 15 pitcher who is a lefty, with playoff experience (2 rings), you don't think twice about it.
Plus Gomes will hit about 2/3 the homeruns that you lose is Cespedes.
Oakland wins this trade if they win the World Series, bottom line.
Then again, when big papi starts getting him on the magic juice, maybe he'll turn into a monster.
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especially in light of the fact that Lester has said he'd go back to the RS in FA when the season is over. Idiots.
This is Oakland's chance THIS YEAR. They have had historically awful playoff losses in previous seasons. They also have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. If you can add a top 15 pitcher who is a lefty, with playoff experience (2 rings), you don't think twice about it.
Plus Gomes will hit about 2/3 the homeruns that you lose is Cespedes.
Oakland wins this trade if they win the World Series, bottom line.
This. For the first time in many moons, this is a year where both Boston and the Yankees are not big factors. So 2 of the biggest payroll teams on the block are not much of a threat. Their biggest threat is likely the Tigers at this point so you want to be able to match up against their starters in the playoffs and Lester helps in that regard to get your chance to go to the World Series.
Oakland is not paying top dollar for stars, we all know that. They weren't going to pay YC and they won't pay Lester. Which is fine. So it makes sense to get a top lefty on your team for October with a legit chance to win it all.
ALCS
Samaradjzia vs Scherzer
Lester vs Verlander
Gray vs Sanchez
Kazmir vs Porcello
Hammel vs Smyly (if they both go 5 man)
You can fit him for Pinstripes or Dodger Blue
Lester is not resigning with OAK. This is a rental, pure and simple. But if it gets them a title, no one will care
I think he will hit a lot better in the band box up in Boston. But this is a good move by Beane.
You can fit him for Pinstripes or Dodger Blue
Or Seattle, they seem to have a lot of money to throw around and Lester is from the Pacific Northwest