Red Sox Allen Craig Not On Giants’ List

As fast as rumors of Boston Red Sox outfielder Allen Craig being potentially dealt to the San Francisco Giants spread across the country, they were dashed away.

Earlier in the week, Giants’ outfielder, and spark plug of the team, Hunter Pence broke his arm and was reported to be sidelined for the next 6-8 weeks. He suffered the injury from being hit by a pitch delivered from Corey Black of the Chicago Cubs. This event started churning the rumor mills around the league. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale then suggested in a tweet that Craig may be exactly the player the Giants would want:

Many media platforms then started churning more about the logjam of outfielders in the Red Sox organization. However, CBSSports.com reporter Jon Heyman tweeted later that the move would be unlikely:

That is the trouble with rumors: they spread, regardless of their validity. Of course, anything could happen at this point, which is what drives people to listen to rumors. Sometimes, they have a funny way of coming true.

In this particular case, however, Heyman seems likely to have the right end of the stick.

At worst, Pence will return to the Giants’ outfield in May. There is no question, at this point, that Pence would immediately start in the outfield, once he has been cleared to play and a possible short rehab stint in the minors. All that the trade would cause is a problem for the Giants, instead of the Red Sox, in terms of playing time.

More from Red Sox History

• Two notable Red Sox anniversaries highlight current organizational failures
• Contemporary Era Committee doesn’t elect any former Red Sox to Hall of Fame
• Johnny Damon calls Red Sox out, reveals hilarious way he skirted Yankees’ grooming policy
• Remembering the best Red Sox Thanksgiving ever
• Red Sox World Series legends headline 2023 Hall of Fame ballot

Craig stands to make $25.5 million until 2018, with a $13 million team option following. That contract is built for long-term plans, not a short-term bandage. Even if a thought occurred to the Giants to move Craig to first base, they would wake up from their slumber to realize that they have a solid-playing

already there. That is, if the Giants would even want to entertain the remote possibility of parting with any great assets, particularly pitching, just to cover a hole in April.

It does not seem reasonable that the Giants would want to take on another high-priced salary as a quick fix. With Craig’s play being sub-par last season, with a lot to prove this spring, he does not seem like great trade-bait on his own. Unless there is some extensive package designed by the Red Sox to make any deal by the Giants worthwhile, this rumor seems to have stalled.