Heyman says Lackey/Corey Littrell to Cardinals for Kelly/Craig
- Thread starter MakMan44
- Start date
This...
...after you posted this in another thread...
...bifurcated by a tweet stating Lackey intends to play for his league minimum option next year is amusing to say the least.
twibnotes said:
...after you posted this in another thread...
twibnotes said:
...bifurcated by a tweet stating Lackey intends to play for his league minimum option next year is amusing to say the least.
rembrat said:
nobody wants to make a shitty first impression, even lackey. hes not going to show up and be like 'hey, fuck you. you guys just got fucked trading for me'.
I would argue that it isn't very often a player hits his prime and he falls off a cliff. It is certainly a possibility that Allen Craig never returns to form. I think it's pretty clear that if he was hitting as well as he had previously hit, we would have never gotten close to this trade. With that said, this is the epitome of a buy low candidate. I certainly feel that the risk is worth the reward when it comes to Allen Craig.Savin Hillbilly said:
I like this trade. Yes, I like it for emotional and irrational reasons. I have always been very impressed by Allen Craig. I have always been anxious that Lackey's particular blend of okay/good stuff and good control was going to slip. I find Joe Kelly a very intriguing pitcher whose floor would seem to be a very useful back end of the bullpen guy. And I'm not suggesting that the Cardinals coaches don't know what they're doing and that Nieves and Farrell are pitching savants by comparison. But sometimes a different set of eyes can make a difference. They got him this far. He's useful as is. There's at least some chance that Nieves and Farrell can get him just a bit further and that would be very nice. So, yes, my reaction is quite a bit emotional but I like this trade.
twibnotes said:
I agree with this but it seems to be easier to pickup starting pitching than power bats, so some risk was to be expected to get a potential middle of the order bat. We'll see what 2015 brings, hopefully he comes into the season healthy and closes his deficiencies in inside pitches that have appeared this season. Post steroid era, I'll take all the power bats we can get and hope they have a good game plan for pitching replacements. We'll certainly get a chance to see the kids the rest of 2014 to see who's real and who is going pumpkin.
Kenny F'ing Powers said:
I wanted Taveras and Martinez for Lackey, Puig and Seager for Lester, and then to trade Doubront and Middlebrooks for Giancarlo Stanton.
Today has been a colossal failure.
Yeah, just because Lackey said the right thing about the 2015 option doesn't mean it's true.
It's pretty obvious that agents in all sports are advising players to say they love wherever they're playing, that like Lester they'd "definitely" give a hometown discount, etc., etc. It's smart business, and obviously, it doesn't prevent their agents from doing the opposite of what their clients have said publicly. I live in NY, and Carmelo Anthony said publicly that he would take a hometown discount. He ended up demanding a max contract.
It's pretty obvious that agents in all sports are advising players to say they love wherever they're playing, that like Lester they'd "definitely" give a hometown discount, etc., etc. It's smart business, and obviously, it doesn't prevent their agents from doing the opposite of what their clients have said publicly. I live in NY, and Carmelo Anthony said publicly that he would take a hometown discount. He ended up demanding a max contract.
If I'm Middlebrooks, I'm tripping Craig every chance I get.
"Oops, didn't see you there. You can go home now."
"Aw, want me to call Jim Joyce and see if he'll make it all better?"
"Now THAT was obstruction."
"Oops, didn't see you there. You can go home now."
"Aw, want me to call Jim Joyce and see if he'll make it all better?"
"Now THAT was obstruction."
Valek123 said:
It seems Craig's power disappeared after he signed a long-term contract. a similar phenomena have occurred with other players recently (Crawford's speed took a nose dive, for instance). Just sayin' Performance enhancing drugs have health risks, want to be around to enjoy those millions.
Agreed with what someone else said, Craig scared me in the WS last year, he roped Koji back when people weren't roping Koji.
If he can fix himself at the plate and get healthy (if he's not) this could be a great trade.
If he can fix himself at the plate and get healthy (if he's not) this could be a great trade.
If anything, it will be like watching a new team for the rest of the season. Makes it worth paying attention to again.
MakMan44 said:
I see Theo's PR machine still going strong...
Those of you who have been stating with confidence Lackey wouldn't play for $500k need to acknowledge there has been, and remains, absolutely zero evidence that was ever the case. Could it happen? Sure...but it could also happen with any other player on the roster too. Just because a bunch of people here who have never met the guy think it is possible doesn't mean it is so.
But his fall is precipited by a serious foot injury. It's not out of nowhere.Kenny F'ing Powers said:
I've never stated with any confidence that he absolutely wouldn't play for the minimum next year, but I'll gladly make a Jimmy Fund bet that he's extended by the end of spring training next year. To me, anyways, a serious commitment to a discounted option year would have been, say, $5 million with a $1 million team buy-out. $500K just screams "placeholder to trigger negotiations" to me, and I'd guess both sides assumed as much when the agreement was signed.PedroKsBambino said:
Kenny F'ing Powers said:
FTFY.
I mean, it's pretty surreal that anyone who watched Nomar Garciaparra's career could say something like that. Never mind Mo Vaughn and many, many others.
Just a reminder that adding guys with real power is very, very difficult right now through any avenue. They got two hitters who have, very recently, been considered the most dangerous hitters on their respective teams without trading 3 prospects or signing an older player to an onerous contract. That's good GM'ing.
P'tucket said:
I have posted the same; I imagine the Sox would have said that was the most likely use of the team option, too, at all points in time. Why people here have made it into some difficult issue, or predicted Lackey doing something unheard of, is beyond me.
And injuries derailing a career is the norm?Savin Hillbilly said:
Look, I agree that this whole trade is predicated on health. None of us, however, know if hes broken and the Sox seem to think he isn't.
1m
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
heard tigers tried on lackey. didnt want to give up smyly for him. have talked about price.
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
heard tigers tried on lackey. didnt want to give up smyly for him. have talked about price.
Yeah, it's a nice machine, but ...PedroKsBambino said:
Today provides some evidence that Ben was not joking about April "15.
That being the case, you need a pretty compelling argument for trading Lackey. I don't think it comes in the form of the two guys who we got in return. They are nice players with some upside, but in my view they don't warrant parting with Lackey on his contract if you think there will be smooth sailing.
I suspect the FO saw storm clouds, and unless they were hallucinating, that is more than enough reason to make this trade.
With all the young players, they can't afford sideshows or shit shows. There are 54 games left. Those will be meaningful games given the tightness of the playoff races. This is an invaluable developmental period for the kids. If it's handled properly everyone will get a ton out of it.
Professionalism and achievement also have to be the hallmarks if spring training. They just can't afford bad examples or major distractions.
I think this explains a couple of departures the last two days.
It is also worth noting that the Cardinals willingness to let him go isn't necessarily an indication that they think he is done. They have Taveras coming up and needing an outfield spot, and Matt Adams is having a good year over at first base. The only other spot for Craig would be LF, but Matt Holliday still has a couple years left on his deal. Given his struggles this year, they could afford to deal him without hurting their lineup in the short term, and have the organizational depth to cover his loss over the next few years.
dcmissle said:
Exactly.
If Lackey had unequivocally told the Sox that he would honor his contract next year (as he apparently just did with the Cardinals), wouldn't the Sox have kept him or maybe developed a better trade market for him?
Color me surprised if Lackey doesn't bitch about that contract next Spring, and I wouldn't blame him. It's one thing making an agreement with one team which says if I don't provide the level of service you are expecting, then I will play the final year at a ridiculously cheap price. It's another going to a new team to which you have no affiliation and playing that year there.EvilEmpire said:
Definitely. Lackey would have much less trade value (if any) at the end of the year. It is just not reasonable to expect him to be content playing for $500K. So if you're the Red Sox, and you want to have him in your rotation next season, realistically you would have had to consider extending him for at least an additional year at a sufficient price to make the average salary look good. Same goes for any other team, which is why no one would have dealt much for him this offseason. Now he at least provides value down the stretch, which is what the Cardinals are paying for. They have negotiating leverage over him the following year, but I doubt that was a key motivation for them to make this deal.
NESN just showed Lackey getting in his truck in same parking area as Lester left from. Henry didn't show up for a hug. Maybe instead will pour a cup of beer on his head from a 2nd floor window 
strek1 said:NESN just showed Lackey getting in his truck in same parking area as Lester left from. Henry didn't show up for a hug. Maybe instead will pour a cup of beer on his head from a 2nd floor window
I'd imagine whatever goodbyes with Lackey happened inside away from the cameras.
Clearly the Lester hug outside in view of everyone was just a calculated move with an eye toward negotiations this winter.