Three Aces for the Boston Red Sox
To get the best pitching the Boston Red Sox will feel the pain of young talent being shipped elsewhere.
The Boston Red Sox have one ace. One ace will not get you much in a card game but three aces? Three aces are almost a guarantee of a nice pot being under your control and three aces in a pitching rotation is something special – very special. But with ace acquisition comes pain.
The Boston Red Sox have traditionally thought bat before arm when constructing a team. Much, of course, was centered on a ballpark whose configuration awarded the right-handed slugger and even the left-handed one. From Jimmie Foxx to Manny Ramirez that right-handed power bat would take precedence over a strong arm.
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Examining the recent successes (and failures) it is noted that the centerpiece of such success revolves around pitching – and not just any pitching, but the ace type pitching. In fact, go back even further to Cy Young, Smoky Joe Wood and even a young lefty called Babe Ruth to see how formidable pitching became key ingredients to a World Series flag. Historically the Red Sox staff of the late 1940s had several aces. But back to the recent – at least my version of recent.
For me, recent can be 1967 and Jim Lonborg or 1975 and Luis Tiant. Maybe Roger Clemens and 1986 and carried into the Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester and the round of flags collected in the new century. Ownership knows this – hence David Price.
Baseball is a unique sport in that the defense controls the ball and the primary ingredient of defense is pitching. A pitcher controls the game. Fear of a slugger? Just walk him or if you have a stud that needs a challenge go Mano a Mano.
You never have enough pitching. Never. Remember a few seasons back when the mantra was what are we going to do with John Smoltz and Brad Penny? Will we end up with an eight-man rotation? By the end of the season, Paul Byrd was in the rotation. Pitching is a fragile resource that has created a legion of orthopedic specialist who are now capable of exotic procedures to rebuild shredded arms.
Trade a wooden bat for a rubber arm and not the other way around. – John Gillooly
Now we see it at the beginning in 2016 with the continued exploits of Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, and Rick Porcello. Or the huge dent caused by injury to Eduardo Rodriguez. The subsequent bullpen burnout may follow along as the season progresses. So what do you do? Bold moves in the past for Beckett, Pedro and Schilling. Now another flurry of bold moves.
Here are some options on pitching and just what would you be willing to pay?
Chris Sale
Boston fans love Mookie Betts. Such an exciting player and with such incredible potential is rare. And potential? Betts has already delivered in a big way. The slash is certainly a statistical eye-catcher with .291/.341/.479 in 2015 but I actually find the power far more intriguing.
In 2015, Betts slammed 18 home runs and had 77 RBI, which is a nice total for a leadoff hitter. The power – home run power – was equally distributed with nine on the road and at home, but what really catches my ancient eyes is 42 doubles and eight triples. Betts has exceptional speed and gap power and is often mentioned as a Mike Trout and Bryce Harper player without the abundant home run totals.
Betts is the real deal and in all probability a future All-Star and possible MVP. Only 23-years-old Betts clearly demonstrated his athleticism with a transfer from second base to the outfield – a seamless transition. This is a once in a generation player.
If you want one of the best pitchers available it will cost you Betts and probably a bit more. That pitcher is Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox. Take emotion out of the equation and this would be a splendid deal for the Red Sox.
Sale is now a four-time All-Star and his pitching credentials are extraordinary. Twice Sale has led the American League in SO/9 and maintains a low BB/9 of 2.2 for his career, but that BB/9 is far lower the last three seasons. Sale doesn’t walk many and strikes out a bundle. In 2015, Sale had the best SO/W in the league. For those who consider WAR the end all statistic Sale checked in second in the league in 2015 at 6.2. Price was first at 6.4. Need a negative? The BABIP of .323 in 2015 or a GB% of 42.6 – a GB% influenced by strikeouts.
Sale is signed for the next three seasons and is an ace. Sale – at 27-years-old – is in his prime and one would expect many years of productive service. But with pitching there is always the threat of injury and an extensive list can be created just of careers ruined in Boston with arm injuries. The whole risk reward thing.
I would not hesitate to trade Betts (and probably a high minor league talent) for Sale. Sale has been mentioned before and some recent issues in Chicago may make a move even more viable. For Boston, that would mean a need for an outfielder and in comes Rusney Castillo. Downgrade for sure, but compensated by incredible pitching talent.
The Red Sox could have had Sonny Gray. Boston was all set to draft Gray as their number one selection in the 2011 draft, but fate intervened in the form of the Oakland Athletics who drafted just before Boston. Goodbye Gray and hello to Matt Barnes.
Gray is mentioned continuously since the A’s and Billy Beane is notorious for trading players. Gray has everything you want in an ace since he is young, talented and controllable since his free agent kiss is not until 2020.
Oakland is a pitchers park yet Gray does better on the road. The now 26-year-old right-hander has had back-to-back 14 win seasons with Oakland, does not issue a plethora of walks and keeps the ball in the ballpark with a career HR/9 of 0.7. Simply put Gray is one of the best in the league.
To get one must give and that would certainly be another player that is young and talented so step right up Xander Bogaerts! Bogaerts returned from the defensive and offensive ashes of 2014 with a remarkable 2015 that saw XB finish second in the league in hitting.
The improvement as a hitter and fielder are well noted and XB expects to remain at short – Scott Boras permitting – for the next ten seasons or so. Bogaerts downside – if one wishes to consider it as such – is home runs. So what? Bogaerts had 35 doubles and 81 RBI and one would expect that home run negative to evaporate. Smart money would say expect 15-20 a season.
Like Sale any move on Gray would require a taste more – probably another prospect high rated prospect or prospects and everyone knows that all our top five prospects will eventually be in the HOF (sarcasm switch now off). The various trade analyzers point that out simply because the discussion is ace and ace is a premium price. For Boston, you go defense and that would be the light hitting Deven Marrero.
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There it is – two more aces and that gives you three in your hand. And that is usually a winning hand. With what remains? Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, and Rick Porcello – just think of Frank “Trader” Lane and how that situation would be handled.