by Hal Bent, BostonSportPage.com
Yes, the Patriots did not play well against Tampa, but the big blow-out is the Red Sox roster in the potential deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers which appears likely to happen.
De La Rosa looks to me like a prospect for the bullpen, with fantastic velocity but needing work on his other pitches. If he can pick up some secondary pitches he throws for strikes, he's a top 3 starter, but likely the role is the bullpen.
James Loney is trash. A free-agent at the end of the year, some small-market team will grab him for cheap money based on potential. The worst thing that could happen is Loney hitting the cover off the ball the last six weeks of the season and the Sox throwing money at a crappy hitting first baseman. Ivan De Jesus is a backup infielder at best, and Jerry Sands can play first base and left field and hits well at AAA, but has not taken the next step at the major league level. Neither is expected to make any kind of impact in Boston, but look for them in Pawtucket, RI the next three years.
I have been all but begging the Red Sox to blow up this squad of losers. Now my fingers are crossed hoping that the deal goes through and the Red Sox can look to 2013.
Yes, the Patriots did not play well against Tampa, but the big blow-out is the Red Sox roster in the potential deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers which appears likely to happen.
The Red Sox would make a historic salary dump of NBA proportions by basically trading Adrian Gonzalez for top pitching prospect Allen Webster. Rubby De La Rosa? He's decent, but not a potential top-line starter like Webster. Check out the report on Webster a few weeks ago at baseballprospectus.com:
Fewer teams at the trade deadline were busier than the Dodgers, and few affiliates had more scouts flying in to see them during July than Double-A Chattanooga. While only Ethan Martin was dealt, heading to the Phillies in the Shane Victorino deal, nearly every team talking to the Dodgers inquired about right-hander Allen Webster, and with good reason, as the 22-year-old right-hander, after a tough first half, has a 2.13 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break. “It's all there,” said a National League scout who was taken off his coverage to see the team. “When everything is going, he has three average-to-plus pitches and knows what to do with them.” The scout noted that Webster's game has matured, as well. “He knows he has a really good—and potentially special—changeup, but he's not over-relying on it anymore,” the scout explained. “It's like he finally figured out that setting that pitch up with 92-94 mph heat is the best way to go about it, and his curveball has improved as well. He used to get over the ball and it wouldn't finish, but now it's breaking through the zone much better.”
De La Rosa looks to me like a prospect for the bullpen, with fantastic velocity but needing work on his other pitches. If he can pick up some secondary pitches he throws for strikes, he's a top 3 starter, but likely the role is the bullpen.
James Loney is trash. A free-agent at the end of the year, some small-market team will grab him for cheap money based on potential. The worst thing that could happen is Loney hitting the cover off the ball the last six weeks of the season and the Sox throwing money at a crappy hitting first baseman. Ivan De Jesus is a backup infielder at best, and Jerry Sands can play first base and left field and hits well at AAA, but has not taken the next step at the major league level. Neither is expected to make any kind of impact in Boston, but look for them in Pawtucket, RI the next three years.
The deal comes down to the Dodgers getting the first baseman they need to make a run and build around and taking Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett (watch this idiot blow up the deal at the last minute by using his 5-10 status to nix the trade--wait, is this an opposite jinx that allows the deal to go through?) and their bloated contracts off their hands so the Sox can clear over $60 million off the books. Short of Webster, the Sox are not getting a one of those mega-prospect hauls, but I think clearing out some cancers from the clubhouse are worth it.
I have been all but begging the Red Sox to blow up this squad of losers. Now my fingers are crossed hoping that the deal goes through and the Red Sox can look to 2013.
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