A-Gon

[MarcoPolo]

From mlbtraderumors:

Red Sox, Dodgers Nearing Blockbuster: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

6:15pm: The Red Sox and Dodgers are currently reviewing medical records, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (via Twitter). The deal would include Rubby De La Rosa, James Loney, Jerry Sands, Ivan De Jesus, and a top prospect, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link).

6:04pm: Adrian Gonzalez was scratched from the lineup and summoned from the dugout into the clubhouse along with Nick Punto, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (via Twitter).

5:52pm: There are two deals on the table, one mega deal involving Carl Crawford and another with just Beckett and Gonzalez, tweets Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe.

5:48pm: Though the deal may not happen in its current nine-player form, something is expected to happen, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

5:10pm: Dodgers minor leaguers in the trade talks have included Allen Webster, Zach Lee, Rubby De La Rosa, and Jerry Sands, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

5:06pm: The Red Sox would receive prospects and not just salary relief if the deal happens, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

4:52pm: Boston would send some cash to Los Angeles if the sides complete a deal Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Morosi confirms that the sides are close to a trade (Twitter links).

4:34pm: The Red Sox and Dodgers are closing in on a trade that would send Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to Los Angeles, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports (on Twitter). Hurdles remain, but the sides continue working toward a deal.

The Dodgers recently won the claiming rights to Gonzalez and Beckett. Gonzalez can't block a trade to Los Angeles, but Beckett must approve any assignment as a player with ten and five rights. Crawford and Punto cleared waivers earlier this month and can be traded without waiver-related restrictions.

The Dodgers have been willing to take on considerable salaries since their new ownership group gained control of the club at the beginning of the 2012 season. Adding the four Red Sox players would represent a substantial financial commitment:

Gonzalez will earn $21MM per season through 2016 and obtain a raise to $21.5MM for 2017-18. The total exceeds $130MM when accounting for the remainder his 2012 salary.
Beckett will earn $15.75MM per season through 2014. As noted above, he must approve any trade.
Crawford will earn $20MM in 2013, $20.25MM in 2014, $20.5MM in 2015, $20.75MM in 2016 and $21MM in 2017. His contract allows him to block trades to two teams.
Punto earns $1.5MM per season through 2013.

 

[SFAnthem]

Does anyone know if it's a Beckett and AGon deal only? Or if Crawford and Punto and involved?

There's goes the doggies lack of depth.


Shit just got real real.

 

[dredinis21]

Justin Upton just got claimed as well.

Wtf?!? By whom? I would hope the Giants would put a claim in considering what their current LF situation looks like.

 

[Stokes1931]

Does anyone know if it's a Beckett and AGon deal only? Or if Crawford and Punto and involved?

There's goes the doggies lack of depth.


Shit just got real real.

If it goes down, and my LA friends are already getting the trophy case ready, it might not be enough for the Dogs.

Crawford is out for at least a year, having just undergone Tommy John surgery.

Punto is a good character guy, but little else.

Beckett is at the eye of the storm in Boston over the "chicken and beer" incidents in the bullpen. Besides, he has been terrible all season: 5.21 ERA, 5-11 record.

The key is AGon. His Padre numbers were video-game-ish, considering that stadium. His Boston numbers have not been as good, power wise, but dude can still hit for average, and with RISP, and he can field his position well.

All that for several prospects, and an additional $263 MILLION in payroll over the next six years?

But I suppose anything is better in LA after the McCourt Era. The Commish may have something to say about all these dollars floating around, though.

 

[SFAnthem]

If it goes down, and my LA friends are already getting the trophy case ready, it might not be enough for the Dogs.

Crawford is out for at least a year, having just undergone Tommy John surgery.

Punto is a good character guy, but little else.

Beckett is at the eye of the storm in Boston over the "chicken and beer" incidents in the bullpen. Besides, he has been terrible all season: 5.21 ERA, 5-11 record.

The key is AGon. His Padre numbers were video-game-ish, considering that stadium. His Boston numbers have not been as good, power wise, but dude can still hit for average, and with RISP, and he can field his position well.

All that for several prospects, and an additional $263 MILLION in payroll over the next six years?

But I suppose anything is better in LA after the McCourt Era. The Commish may have something to say about all these dollars floating around, though.

AGon makes them immediately better and the dogs can take a hit if one of their heart of the lineup guys slumps/gets injured.

I concede nothing but it makes them stronger in the short term.

 

[gp956]

AGon makes them immediately better and the dogs can take a hit if one of their heart of the lineup guys slumps/gets injured.

I concede nothing but it makes them stronger in the short term.

The shit just got realer.

 

[MarcoPolo]

NYTimes is saying it's a done deal (except they haven't gotten Beckett's approval yet)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/sports/baseball/red-sox-and-dodgers-press-the-reset-button.html

 

[Stokes1931]

NYTimes is saying it's a done deal (except they haven't gotten Beckett's approval yet)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/sports/baseball/red-sox-and-dodgers-press-the-reset-button.html

The next time the NYTimes is correct will be the first.

 

[dredinis21]

Ultimately, it really just seems as if the Dodgers are spending money just to spend at this point. They are putting all their eggs in the TV Rights basket in hopes that they strike a deal (minus their own network) similar to the Yanks when the reality is that A-Gon is no Teixiera, HRam is no A-Rod, Beckett is no CC, Crawford is no Granderson, etc. The true gold standard, ironically, are the players they already had in Kemp and Kershaw. The deal is also reportedly for two of their top three prospects, something they really don't have much of to begin with.

I really am starting to like what they are doing as a Giants fan. Based on what I'm seeing, they basically went all in and put the mortgage to their house up for the next 5 yrs that this plan would work, when current production trends towards a downward spiral. Short term they are better (which ain't saying much) but long term they are possibly going to look much like what the Red Sox have looked like all season long, overpaid and underwhelming. Keep at it Agent Ned!

 

[SFGRTB]

Dodgers are clearly sweating, and Agent Ned is going all in. This is his contract year and he is shooting for the world.

 

[SFGRTB]

The deal is officially done, the BoSox are paying $12MM of the $270MM owed overall.

 

[Mays-Fan]

Ultimately, it really just seems as if the Dodgers are spending money just to spend at this point. They are putting all their eggs in the TV Rights basket in hopes that they strike a deal (minus their own network) similar to the Yanks when the reality is that A-Gon is no Teixiera, HRam is no A-Rod, Beckett is no CC, Crawford is no Granderson, etc. The true gold standard, ironically, are the players they already had in Kemp and Kershaw. The deal is also reportedly for two of their top three prospects, something they really don't have much of to begin with.

I really am starting to like what they are doing as a Giants fan. Based on what I'm seeing, they basically went all in and put the mortgage to their house up for the next 5 yrs that this plan would work, when current production trends towards a downward spiral. Short term they are better (which ain't saying much) but long term they are possibly going to look much like what the Red Sox have looked like all season long, overpaid and underwhelming. Keep at it Agent Ned!

It's like the Dodgers bought a storage locker from the Bosox.

Beckett may be done, as is Crawford, at least certainly for this year. A-Gon, though is a clear improvement, and worth it to LA if he produces, which he will. I suspect he hated Valentine (who doesn't?), and Boston was not his cup of tea either.

I hate to say it, but LA is the perfect place for A-Gon, and I suspect he will thrive there. And as much as we hate to admit it, with HanRam now hitting well (.963 OPS in Aug), the middle of their order is impressive, with HanRam, Agon, and Kemp. Some of their supporting cast is none to shabby Ethier. (Sorry.) Cruz and AJ Ellis have raked in August as well.

It's going to come down to that last series in LA.

"Do I hear $270 million?"

 

[gp956]

It's a good thing we locked up Cain when we did.

 

[dredinis21]

SO with this trade reportedly already having gone through, do you all think that Giants management realizes that we may have to "keep up with the Jones" and start to open the wallet a bit or do you think they continue to hold the status quo? I would like to see them make a REAL push to get Upton in the offseason considering that Sabean said that re-signing Melky and keeping Pence was not a financial issue. To get a guy of Upton's talent would be HUGE and is exactly what the middle of our lineup...and LF desperately needs. But I digress. Do you think that Giants mgmt opens their wallets more now that the Dodgers have taken on 270 mil in salary?

 

[gp956]

SO with this trade reportedly already having gone through, do you all think that Giants management realizes that we may have to "keep up with the Jones" and start to open the wallet a bit or do you think they continue to hold the status quo? I would like to see them make a REAL push to get Upton in the offseason considering that Sabean said that re-signing Melky and keeping Pence was not a financial issue. To get a guy of Upton's talent would be HUGE and is exactly what the middle of our lineup...and LF desperately needs. But I digress. Do you think that Giants mgmt opens their wallets more now that the Dodgers have taken on 270 mil in salary?

No.

 

[dredinis21]

No.

Care to elaborate as to why you may think this way?

 

[gp956]

Care to elaborate as to why you may think this way?

The Giants are on their own path, whether their player budget goes up or down in the very near future will have little to do with this specific deal. Of course, long-term, salaries are rising due to the new money flowing from regional sports networks, so the Giants player budget will most likely go up by 30M-40M over the next half decade. It's probably more correct to see this Dodger deal, and the eventual increase in the Giants payroll as having a common cause, i.e. the new tv money. No doubt though, that some will see the correlation and attribute a casual relationship.

 

[Stokes1931]

Bad contracts, sure, but not bad people - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/08/california_here.html

 

[mistgl]

The Giants are on their own path, whether their player budget goes up or down in the very near future will have little to do with this specific deal. Of course, long-term, salaries are rising due to the new money flowing from regional sports networks, so the Giants player budget will most likely go up by 30M-40M over the next half decade. It's probably more correct to see this Dodger deal, and the eventual increase in the Giants payroll as having a common cause, i.e. the new tv money. No doubt though, that some will see the correlation and attribute a casual relationship.

If anything, I think the Dodgers mad spending guarantees we keep SJ. No way Selig gives that territory to the AAAAs and expects us to compete with LA. Losing that money would make the best rivalry on the west coast so lopsided it's not even funny.

 

[calsnowskier]

SO with this trade reportedly already having gone through, do you all think that Giants management realizes that we may have to "keep up with the Jones" and start to open the wallet a bit or do you think they continue to hold the status quo? I would like to see them make a REAL push to get Upton in the offseason considering that Sabean said that re-signing Melky and keeping Pence was not a financial issue. To get a guy of Upton's talent would be HUGE and is exactly what the middle of our lineup...and LF desperately needs. But I digress. Do you think that Giants mgmt opens their wallets more now that the Dodgers have taken on 270 mil in salary?

Which status quo are you referring to?

(opening day payrolls)
2012 - $117M (does not include Rowand)
2011 - $118M
2010 - $98M
2009 - $82M

The G's have increased payroll 16M, 20M and 11M in the last 3 off seasons.