Red Sox trade for Curt Shilling

[Dynasty]

Curt Shilling waived his no-trade clause and is now on the Red Sox who sent Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, and two minor leaguers to the Diamondbacks to get him.

The Red Sox aren't losing any of their starting pitchers from 2003 so Shilling will join Pedro Martinez, Tim Wakefield, and Derek Lowe to form a very formidle top four starters. Combined with 2003's best offense, the Red Sox have made a huge step forward to winning that elusive World Series.

However, I think something else is going on as well. The Red Sox gave Shilling a contract extension which will pay the pitcher $12 million in 2004, $12.5M in '05, $13M in '06, and $13M in '07 if Shilling makes certain performance levels. They gave him the extension despite the Red Sox having significant budget problems starting in 2005 when Pedro, Garciparra, Lowe, Varitek, and some others are free agents. I think the acquisition of Shilling is going to give the Red Sox the option of not resigning Pedro after the 2004 season- an option I expect them to exercise if Pedro demands a very big, very long term contract ($15M/yr for 4+ years).

I don't think most fans are expecting 2004 to be Pedro's last season in a Red Sox uniform but I am. Theo Epstein is not the type of GM to give out monster contracts, especially to pitchers who have been somewhat fragile. With Shilling signed for at least the next three years, the Red Sox have their ace pitcher in place. Their not going to commit ~$60M to another one. Instead, Theo will be using that money for beter budget flexibility.

[andyfox]

Schilling is 37. While he apparently is on a Roger Clemens type of training program, he is coming off a year in which he was limited to 8 (9?) wins (despite a solid ERA). But Epstein may be thinking exactly what you're pointing to: Schilling is a horse, Pedro a somewhat primadonnaesque character who may not have what it takes to extend his career beyond age 35.

Let's not forget the Sox came within a bloop hit of going to the World Series. Say what you want about Wells bugging out of game 5 in the World Series, he still pitched 200 innings and won 14 games and without both him and Clemens, the Yankees will be hard-pressed to have their starting pitching, which has always been their strength, up to last year's standards.

[Josh W]

agreed...agreed...agreed...agreed

and, oh, Andy...they still don't have Pettite locked up, do they?

J

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Now we'll see if Theo can pull off the Manny for A-Rod deal.

[Ragnar]

As a Diamondback fan I want to thank the Red Sox for taking the two biggest prima donnas off our roster. You've seen what a child B.K. Kim is, but you haven't seen the biggest jerk in baseball, Curt Schilling up close and personal.

He was a workhorse until the 2003 season, however, much of his success is based on his knowledge of the National League hitters. If his splitter is on he is great, but if it isn't he is a fly ball--home run pitcher, much more suited to the National League than the American and really badly suited to Fenway. For the last few years his splitter has really been on about one out of four starts.

He never recovered his velocity this season after his injury and it is questionable whether he ever will.

Schilling's nickname in the locker room is "red light" because when the camera is on he is there promoting himself. The fact that he was on the same team with Randy Johnson helped because Randy toned him down. Being with Pedro won't do the same thing.

The Diamondbacks didn't just want to dump salary, they have significant concerns about whether Schilling would be as effective into his late 30's and early 40's. You don't notice them getting rid of Johnson and Gonzales, who also have large salaries. They are going to use the money they cleared and players they got to go after Richie Sexson.

Andy points out that Schilling is on a Roger Clemans type of physical program, but he only started it this time last year.

This is a very risky move for the Red Sox. Unfortunately for them they must take this type of risk to compete with the Yankees. Perhaps it will work, but I doubt it.

Ragnar

[andyfox]

Nope. I hear they're talking about Colon now. Colon strikes me as a guy who'll look like Cy Young in half of his starts and end up going 14-13. I'd rather have a proven professional like Pettitte.

Clarkmeister said not to worry, the Yankees will come up with the goods. I'm not so sure.

[ripdog]

I doubt that Schilling has that title locked up, though I don't folow the Diamondbacks and barely follow the Mariners anymore. I'm torn between handing that title to Griffey Jr. or Randy Johnson. In the end I have to give it to Johnson for intentionally tanking prior to the trade to Houston, after which he reverted back to the dominating pitcher we knew he was. I'll never forgive him for that.

[andyfox]

You're only looking at ex-Mariners. There are plenty of other contestants whose qualifications are top-notch. Manny Ramirez, for example. Or Ruben Sierra, who, after being traded by the Yankees, said all they care about is winning.

[Josh W]

Saying Randy Johnson intentionally tanked is laughable.

He's a headcase, and always will be. But in half his starts, he was a Cy Young pitcher. I saw him pitch a one hitter against detroit, winning 2-0, with the game on the line the whole way. The win was preserved by an amazing diving catch in the top of the 8th by Shane Monahan (a name from the past you'll recognize, no doubt).

Saying he was downright bad half the time is accurate. Saying he has focus problems is an understatement. But accusing the man for ruining the integrity of the game, that's totally uncalled for.

As for the biggest jerk in the game....geez, so many to choose from. Any domestic abuser or athlete named "Al Martin" will top my list.

Josh

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

badly suited to Fenway

This may come as a surprise to people unfamiliar with the AL, but Fenway is *not* a homerun park. In fact, over the past 10 years it ranks as one of the 5 toughest AL parks to hit a home run in.

The Wall takes away as many home runs as it creates, and right field is an absolute tomb. For example, a ball caught at the stands edge of the visitor's bullpen in Fenway would be halfway back in the bleachers at Yankee stadium.

Sure, you get quirky little homers that curve around the pole in right, but 10 strides into fair ground, RF is 380'. Popups do go over the wall in left, but many balls that are homeruns to left anywhere else are singles in Fenway.

What Fenway *is* is a high-batting-average park due to the fact that there is close to 0 foul ground.

[B-Man]

It's only December, and I'm sure the Yankees are going to re-load between now and March, but the Red Sox should be the favorite to win the World Series in 2004. If they go into the post-season with their starting pitching healthy, they are going to be awfully tough to beat.

On top of that, the Patriots have won 8 games in a row, are 10-2, and should get a bye in the 1st round if not home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (if the Chefs lose at Denver sunday, and the Pats win at home vs. Miami, the Pats would be positioned as the #1 seed in the AFC). It's a great time to be a Boston sports fan.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Carl Everett, and even though isn't really close, Griffey gets 2nd.

[andyfox]

I realize he's a fine player, who had a great year last year, and last year's Karim Garcia/Raul Mondesi/David Dellucci/Juan Rivera right field situation was not very becoming for a champsionship caliber team, but shouldn't they be worried about their pitching? I mean, Clemens is gone, Wells is most likely gone, Pettitte is considering being gone. That leaves Mussina, Weaver and Contreras. Yikes. I hear talk of Tom Gordon and Kenny Lofton, neither of whom, to the best of my knowledge, would make a very good starting pitcher.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I hear talk of Tom Gordon and Kenny Lofton, neither of whom, to the best of my knowledge, would make a very good starting pitcher.

Unlike Lofton, at least Flash was once a more than competent starter. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Besides, their bullpen does need some help.

[WillMagic]

I really think the yanks will do better than Kenny Lofton and his empty .330 OBP.

They probably have someone in the farm system who plays as well and doesn't cost a few million a year.

Or they could stick with Bernie.

Will

[andyfox]

I'm sure they're looking at Lofton as a 4th outfielder, part-time DH. Doubtful Bernie will play 162 ever again, so Lofton would certainly see some playing time. With Posada, Jeter and Soriano, the Yankees get production out of positions other teams look at (for the most part) as defensive positions and have always gotten away with a weak hitter in the outfield (left field before the arrival of Matsui, and right field since the retirement of O'Neill).

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
...shouldn't (the Yankees) be worried about their pitching? I mean, Clemens is gone, Wells is most likely gone, Pettitte is considering being gone. That leaves Mussina, Weaver and Contreras.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can be sure the Yankees will be working on the rotation during the offseason. Today, they acquired Montreal Expos 27-year old RH pitcher Javier Vasquez in exchange for 1B Nick Johnson, OF Juan Rivera, and LH pither Randy Choate. The Red Sox made a lot of effort to get Vasquez last year but the Expos would only part with Bartolo Colon. Now, the Yankees may end up with both those pitchers.

The deal is great for the Yankees pitching staff. But, it's troublesome for their defense which is going to be old and fragile on the right hand side if Giambi plays a lot of first base and Sheffield is in right field.

[andyfox]

Johnson was a good fielder; Giambi is a butcher.

The Yankees fielding has hurt them in the last two World Series they haven't won. There was Rivera's throwing error in game 7 in 2001, followed by Brosius's inexplicably not throwing to first to complete a double play on the second bunt. And poor fielding lost them game one of this year's World Series, as well as cost them any chance they might have had to win game 6, with Jeter's error giving the Marlins one run and the inability to throw out the runner at home giving them another.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Johnson's a pretty good hitter, too, who will only get better. He may not have Giambi's power, but you have to ask, in the new reality of steroid testing, whether or not Giambi will have Giambi's power.

I did hear some guy on the radio this morning babbling about the Yankees getting JT Snow. But knowing the mix of people who call D&C, it may just be insane babbling.

[andyfox]

Snow would make sense. A good fielder, a smarter hitter than he was in his youth, a left handed bat to replace Johnson, and he started out in the Yankee organization.

Johnson has a chance to be a good player in the Olerud mold, I think. He walks a lot, has decent power, and has shown he can hit for average.