The Red Sox are “actively” exploring the market for available outfielders, a major league source told Alex Speier of WEEI.com. However, it’s unlikely that the Red Sox will find a starting center fielder on the trade block this early in the season.
Two American League talent evaluators wondered aloud to Speier whether the A’s Coco Crisp could be a fit. Crisp has been displaced from center field, where his value is greatest, to left field by the signing of Yoenis Cespedes. Oakland is also said to like several prospects in the Red Sox’s system and the two teams came close on a deal that would have brought Gio Gonzalez to Boston in a prospect-driven deal.
Goose
Dear Red Sox,
Have you heard about this guy, Vernon Wells? He’s like, really good! You should check him out. He hits dingerz and stuff. Really, you should check him out. Really. Please?
Love,
The Angels
Fangaffes
Sure. And you’ve heard of John Lackey, right? Let’s make a deal.
start_wearing_purple
Lackey on the DL is still far more valuable than Vernon Wells in the field.
Zach 12
Doesn’t Coco make 7 million this year? Might be a little pricey..
User 4245925809
13m over the next 2 seasons actually.
Myself? I could care less.. I love the guy.. Tremendous player, athlete and gamer, but can’t see beane moving him cheaply at all.
Snoochies8
a’s COULD pick up most of it, but that would maybe require a slightly better prospect
Wes Whitenack
The bigger problem would be that he’s under contract for 2013 as well and there wouldn’t be a spot for him.
Guest 4664
They could probably flip him to the Rays pretty easily this offseason. Upton will almost surely sign elsewhere. And the Rays were the runners-up for Crisp this past offseason.
GreenMonsta
Sox dont trade with Rays, Rays dont trade with Sox. Bad blood.
Thomas Osborne
Marlon Byrd? which would be funny, not sure Boston wants to deal with Theo and the Cubs
G-Code260
The Cubs would give up Byrd for a bag of baseballs. They have been trying to trade him away for months to make way for young outfield prospect Brett Jackson.
sourbob
Not true. If the Cubs wanted to unload, for “a bag of baseballs” a 3 WAR CF with one reasonably priced year on his deal, they’d have a line out the door. They’re hanging onto him to let the market develop while they push back Jackson’s service time clock.
Theo’s MO is to maximize the value of all assets. That’s what he’s doing with Byrd. It’s still not going to get them a top prospect, but they’ll get something for him, for sure.
GreenMonsta
Then why didnt he wait and maximize Masterson’s value?
Randy
unless its a third base man i don’t think the A’s will trade him to the redsox
Snoochies8
a’s are in need of some decent middle infield minor league depth.
we only have a couple decent to good middle infield prospects
Randy
im cool with that i just think we need a third base man donaldson is not gettin it done and i would think if he keeps struggling we will look to trade for one
Snoochies8
stephen parker!! although he kinda sucks on defense
Guest 4665
The A’s have been trying pretty hard to find a good, solid 3B for years now. But there’s none out there to be had, unfortunately. At least not in their price range.
Snoochies8
there are some league minimum guys like conor gillaspie and matt carpenter, and they could bring up stephen parker after a month or two if he’s hitting well enough
User 4245925809
Outside shot (maybe not even outside) Boston doesn’t pick up the 13m option for Youk this off season. Now.. How much longer he can continue to be a league average (at best) defensive 3b is a question as he is a GG caliber 1b and far better suited to play there an not sure how much his pull power would play out at Oakland either.
jwsox
whitesox will eat half of his contract to send rios your way, for a single A pitcher
Lastings
Bobby Abreu, get your glove ready…
chico65
I think there’s a better chance of seeing Lars Anderson
Billy Wyatt
Coco Crisp was already a failure in Boston once, why try again?
MaineSox
Crisp was actually a pretty valuable player in Boston when he was playing, the problem was he only got full playing time one year in Boston (and Jacoby is simply better, so he displaced him in ’08).
User 4245925809
Probably was the most valuable 4th OF in the game during his time as well and got plenty of game time then as well, just never had a FT job much once Ells broke into the league, but man oh man.. I haven’t see anyone play CF at Fenway like Crisp since Freddie Lynn. That guy (Crisp) gets such good reads on balls and can run down almost anything.. Ells has nothing on him defensively, other than a throwing arm. Crisp is a much better overall defensive CF.
start_wearing_purple
Crisp’s problems were more about pressure and misuse. He was basically Johnny Damon’s replacement so fans treated him like that. Add to that we used him as a leadoff hitter when that was never his real strength. I tend to think Crisp starting a war against the Rays in 2008 had less to do with Bartlett getting in his way and more about him blowing off steam in a frustrating situation.
I like Crisp, but I don’t think he fits with the Sox. We need a stopgap for a couple of months, not a guy with a 2-year deal. We still potentially have Kalish in a couple of months.
MaineSox
“I like Crisp, but I don’t think he fits with the Sox. We need a stopgap
for a couple of months, not a guy with a 2-year deal. We still
potentially have Kalish in a couple of months.”
This.
I’ve made this same point when his name has been mentioned a couple times in other threads.
GreenMonsta
With the injuries that outfield suffers, there’ll be plenty of room for 450 abs (at least). Ellsbury seems brittle. Sox keep positive spin on Crawford, so we dont know whats going on with him. And between Sweeney and Ross there will be some slumps for sure.
MaineSox
Getting a flying knee to the ribs, and getting jumped on by a 200lb SS doesn’t exactly make you brittle.
Crisp isn’t taking ABs from Crawford, he can’t play RF, and Ellsbury is expected back in 6 weeks or so, so by mid-season (at the very latest) he becomes a bench player, and he’d still have all of next season too.
Don’t forget Kalish gets added to the mix around mid-season or so as well. There really is no room (or need) for a guy who would want to be, and should be, starting (and is getting paid like a starter).
melonis_rex
crisp wasn’t a failure in boston. Ellsbury, Manny, and Drew were all just better at that point.
GreenMonsta
failure? still developing, they shoulda kept him.
Devern Hansack
How about Che-Hsuan Lin?
kimofromkauai
More “Linsanity”?
MaineSox
If he could hit at all that would be a no brainer (I’m actually for the idea anyway, personally), but he’s probably a low .200’s hitter with a low .300’s OBP and no power in the majors. His defense is soo freaking good though…
Devern Hansack
I think he’d be able to hit .230/.320/.300 and play possibly the best defense in the majors. I understand the Sox probably want him to have more time in the minors, but he could pull together a two win season just defensively.
MaineSox
He hit .235/.325/.293 in 378 plate appearances in AAA last year, so I think the line you suggested would probably be a best case scenario for him in the majors this year.
Devern Hansack
True. I came up with what I had through looking at AA equivalency.
User 4245925809
I was bummed when Repco got called up last night/Lin sent down.. Lin just isn’t going to get a chance with Boston it looks like…
Anonymous_Robot
Even as a Taiwanese, I don’t expect that he is ready for the Major.
He’s best AVG was .275 at AA in 2010, also he doesn’t have much power.
Actually, I’m pessimistic on his career in Redsox 🙁
MazzJr
Jason Bay? He did really well last time he was in a Red Sox uni. Just saying, as a Mets fan I wont mind if he is taken back
Havok9120
Which tells you something right there about why Boston probably shouldn’t do that.
CommonSenseMets
Boston probably shouldn’t trade for anybody in this thread. I’d take nothing and like it if it gets Jason Bay off the team.
Bob9988
At least no one has mentioned Chone Figgins yet. Oh wait…
Melvin McMurf
vernon wells is available
angels will throw in 5 mill
$19253129
Only if they take John Lackey back.
jacklions
Work something out with the Twins? Either Span or Revere?
nick1538
Once Ellsbury is healthy, what do they do?
Guest 4666
I’m not sure if Crisp would be a real good fit for the Sox right now, unless Ellsbury is out longer than expected. But it would be great for the A’s if they could find a way to trade him. I like Coco. But a Smith/Gomes LF platoon would be just as good, offensively. Plus they both have better arms (although not nearly as much range).
Or they could also call up Michael Taylor and finally give him an opportunity at the ML level. He’s killing the ball in Sacramento right now, and is still young enough to break out. They could put him in LF, and leave Smith/Gomes to platoon at DH until Manny (potentially) takes the DH reigns on May 30th.
ElGaupo77
The Pirates have a slew of CFs if Boston wants a cheap one. Tabata could be a stud in Fenway and has a great contract. Presley is LH and has 5 years of control. Gorkys Hernandez in in AAA and plays Bourjos-level D. Marte is the stud prospect and would take a ton to pry him away.
Lastings
Tabata isn’t going anywhere. The Pirates locked him up in the offseason, and regardless there is no way Pittsburgh would let him go. Boston doesn’t need a great player to fill Ellsbury’s void. He’s only going to be gone for two months, not the season. They just need a serviceable stop gap, until Crawford returns. Then, the stop gap player can just return to the bench…
sheilendr
can’t be exploring too hard, Cubs have been hawking Marlon Byrd from the rooftops for the past 3 months
Lily
You know any Cubs-Sox trade will be analyzed beyond comprehension. The first time Byrd strikes out, Theo is a genius. The first 3-for-4 game he has, Theo is an idiot. And this would go on forever.
Lily
At this point, I don’t care if they talk Tom Poquette or Bob Zupcic out of retirement. Darnell McDonald is doing that thing again. He left his bat (and, obviously, his batting eye) in Florida….much like last year.
Stoibs
I think a Byrd for Bowden trade would be beneficial to both clubs. Crsip would probably require something much more valuable and has a lot of money owed to him.
goredsgo
u guys can stubbs for a back of balls and a bag of seeds
chico65
Say what now?
jjs91
Didnt ordonez do well at the end of last yr if hes healthy he should at least get a call, how much could it posibbly cost?
Anonymous_Robot
If Johnny Damon didn’t sign with Indians, will Redsox target him ?
Colin Christopher
Sox and Royals should hook up on a deal for Mitch Maier or Jason Bourgeois. Heck, Maier can even help the Sox out of the pen in a pinch.
bucsws2014
Nate McClouth would be perfect in Boston. Good enough defensively in CF. Decent power. Cheap. Can slide back to bench when Ellsbury returns. Bucs desperately need middle IF depth, could even be AA.
Bryce
Skip Schumaker from Cards, can play all 3 outfield positions and 2nd base. High character,highly likable player who hits close to .300. Has 2 year contract for $1.5 million per year. Cards are trying to keep rule 5 player on roster all year and have Matt Carpenter tearing it up so no room for Skip when he comes off rehab without either losing Komutsu or sending Carp down
Barth
If the Sox can get Oakland to take Shoppach for Crisp we can make history, but repeating the same trade as we made a few years back.