seantoo said:
Maybe it's a pipe dream, but picture the same 2015 line-up w/ Pedroia (& possibly another piece (or multiple) such as Barnes or Middlebrooks or Buchholz) traded for a corner slugging RH outfielder, preferably RF. Betts takes over secondbase. Victorino, Nava and Holt battle it out for LF or RF depending on what corner OF is filled by THE trade. Holt becomes the super utility as he's done this year and is your first choice to start when the inevitable injuries occur. Cecchini converts to LF full time in Pawtucket. What happens to Middlebrooks, Doubront and Buchholz?
For Starters ideally you have Lester, Lackey (another discussion), FA signing, De LA Rosa, and whichever top pitching prospect is ready among Ranaudo or Webster, whichever one loses the battle becomes part of your pitching depth while pitching as a starter in Pawtucket. Keep Doubront as a swing man for more depth perhaps? Owens and Johnson ideally are both a year behind.
So what happens in 2016 when Vic is gone, Nava is 33 and showing age related decline while hitting his arb years, and Holt is exposed as just a good utility guy?
And who is the slugging RH corner OF we can get so easily by trading Pedroia, but not via any other kind of trade? Stanton? If the Sox wanted him they would be able to get him with farm hands already in-house. I'm sure a package of Swihart + Owens would get the ball rolling and given that Swihart is following Vazquez and Owens is following the Pawtucket quartet it would result in a better Red Sox 25 man roster.
As for Betts, I'll reiterate a point I've mentioned on this forum before. The Red Sox gave JD Drew $15M per to play RF. They're paying Victorino $13M per. It is pretty clear that the organization sees a RF with center field range, a good arm, and the potential to post an OPS north of .750 as an incredibly high value player. Under that premise I don't see how Betts loses a cent of value to this organization as it's long term right fielder (same for Bradley if he winds up there instead) versus playing 2B, CF, etc.. Fenway has unique dimensions and the Sox clearly look to establish a home field defensive edge in RF as a result.
The club's offense depends on if the young guys start hitting and to what degree. One slugging corner OF isn't going to fix the problems with this team if Bogaerts, Bradley, etc. continue to be black holes. The Red Sox with Pedroia right now rank 3rd in WAA league-wide at 2B. The only other positions where the club is even in the top half right now is 1B (7th) and DH (15th). This team has plenty of holes to fill without creating another one by inviting transition at the one constant they have, and signed long term at a bargain price no less.
Honestly, I wish the Sox had given Pedroia a full no-trade clause with his extension just to put ideas like this to rest once and for all. Competitive clubs do not dump the face of their franchise signed well below market rate giving top of his position production in some crazy shuffling of the deck chairs move to fix a different hole.