Red Sox pay $11 million to rid themselves of Edgar Renteria

[Jim Kuhn]

I am not real sure how this baseball saving dollars thing works? It sound like if the Cardinals sign Mark Mulder to a five year $60 million dollar contract and turn and pay someone $10 million to take him they have saved $10 million dollars in payroll? It seems to me like they would actually be LOSING $10 million dollars in payroll?

I think this trade is really hard to gauge as you are trading a proven veteran plus money for a prospect. I would think Renteria straight up for Marte would be a bad trade for the Red Sox. Giving up your starting shortstop for a player that may make it to the major leagues some day. They also created a whole at shortstop. Time will really tell with this trade.

I assume the consensus is the Red Sox made a terrible signing with Renteria? Or do people think with the added value of Marte the signing was a good one. I think another way to look at the trade is the Red Sox 'bought Marte' for $11 million as Renteria cost them nothing (probably a draft pick)?

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[kenberman]

Jim,
There are different ways to look at the deal; in hindsight, or in todays terms.

Nobody would dispute that the Red Sox signing of Renteria was a disaster. But, there are no "take backs" in baseball, so they had to do what was best, today, to fix this mistake. Getting somebody to take their mistake, and most of his salary, while getting a top-flight prospect was a great solution to solve the problem.

was it worth them spending $21M or whatever (his salary, plus $11M) for 1 year of Edgar Renteria in return for Marte? I doubt it.

but was it worth them spending $11M to GET RID of the mistake, free up the reminder of the contract, while getting a top prospect? absolutely.

[Toro]

I don't look at this deal as Renteria + $11 million for the prospect. I believe the Red Sox would have given Renteria for nothing to any team willing to take on his contract. It was a mistake that they wanted to erase.

Renteria was a free agent aquistion that "cost" the Sox nothing other than a draft pick. Since he wasn't playing anywhere near to his contract his "value" to the Sox was zero, maybe even less than zero.

So I look at this trade as $11 million for the prospect. Is the Atlanta Braves top prospect worth $11 million? I really don't know as there is no precedent for teams selling their top prospects that I know of.

[sublime]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't look at this deal as Renteria + $11 million for the prospect. I believe the Red Sox would have given Renteria for nothing to any team willing to take on his contract. It was a mistake that they wanted to erase.

Renteria was a free agent aquistion that "cost" the Sox nothing other than a draft pick. Since he wasn't playing anywhere near to his contract his "value" to the Sox was zero, maybe even less than zero.

So I look at this trade as $11 million for the prospect. Is the Atlanta Braves top prospect worth $11 million? I really don't know as there is no precedent for teams selling their top prospects that I know of.

[/ QUOTE ]

like you said earlier, its 8million as there is virtually no chance in hell renteria would be worth picking up the option on at the rate he was going.

it takes a player 6 FULL seasons of MLB service before they become free agents. so if we use the 11 million figure, then they are basically adding 1.8m each year to martes salary (which starts at 325k if i am correct?). so lets say for arguments sake that with the added 1.8m, he will be paid an average of 3m over the next 6 years. the red are gambling that he will produce like rolen, yet be paid like muellar. if he produces like muellar, then he gets paid like muellar. a good calculated risk IMO. use the 8m figure and it becomes even sweeter.

EDIT: from anotehr board:

[ QUOTE ]
Sublime, the $3 million buyout is included in the $11 million that the Sox are paying based on my understanding. The $11 million paid to Atlanta becomes $8 million paid if Renteria's option for 2009 is exercised.

[/ QUOTE ]