Extra Bases

“The Red Sox have traded center fielder Coco Crisp to the Royals for righthanded relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez, the Globe’s Nick Cafardo has confirmed.”

This Ramirez seems pretty good.
2008: 71.2 IP, 70 K, 31 BB, 2 HR, 46% Groundball %, 2.69 FIP

A couple ways this acquisition could impact the team. Ramirez could be packaged with someone else (ex. Bowden) for another player, like Salty. Also, Ramirez could anchor the pen and push Masterson into the rotation.

Is more the 3 years away from free agency, despite being 27 years old. Ramirez has a mid-90s fastball, a splitter and a slider, and keeps the ball in the park better than MDC. Ramirez did not do terribly well in ’07, but he did pitch well in ’06 for Colorado of all places.

Coco Crisp is only a year away from free agency, so it’s hard to complain about what we got out of the deal.

He has a good K-rate, but looks like he lacks control: 3.89 K/9 and 6 WP last year. There’s some speculation as to whether this trade signals that Masterson will start next year. It might just as well signal a trade of Masterson (or Bowden) to Texas for a catcher—which I hope isn’t Salty.

It’s hard to assess this trade until we see the subsequent moves. Drew has back problems, so a 4th OF may be very important. All I know is Ellsbury better step up next year.

Our bullpen got better and younger. I would of preferred Sean Marshall of the Cubs, but still a good trade for the Sox.

Ramirez was Soria’s setup man.

My guess would be that the Sox resign Mark Kotsay bc he plays all 3 OF spots and 1b.

Also it looks like Bowden is the odd man out: Buchholz is going nowhere from the reports on what other teams are asking for, Masterson seems like the Sox “swingman” so that leaves Bowden for a catching deal.

We dealt from a position of strength and created a pretty formidable bullpen.

CL: Papelbon
8th: Masterson/Oki
7th: Delcarmen/Ramirez
Loogy: J. Lopez
Long Relief: Bucchoz? Bowden?

This gives us a lot of flexability. We can move Masterson to the rotation or trade another bp arm (Delcarmen or Ramirez).

Hmm, I sleep in and look what happens! Coco gets traded…

On this surface, this looks like a good trade but I’ll have to dive into the numbers more…

Can we keep the name Coco for the next young OF with a great glove, bad arm? Wait, that’s Ells.

stuff that we forgot about Coco. I have never heard of that guy before, but it sounds like a good deal.

Good!!!!!!!! It all means a better future for the Sox, and shows Sox management is indeed serious about fixing the glaring problems of 2008!

I am already getting excited about 2009, but it could easily have been another story if Lugo , Wakefield, Crisp and Varitek were kept around. Therefore, one down and 3 to go. Keep it up management!

But I am all for cost-controlled relievers with lots of Ks.

I don’t want to discuss whether or not it was a good trade or not, but whether or not this was to get things rolling.

Getting rid of Coco sounds a lot like something is going to happen in order to get a good 4th OF back. Does this mean Theo goes hard for Tex to platoon him, Youk, Els, Drew, Lowell, and Bay? 6 players, who should be starting, for 5 positions would create a pretty good insurance policy if one of them gets hit with the injury bug. Just a thought.

Or does this mean getting rid of Coco might free up a few extra million to spend on the highly speculated AJ?

Any other Sox going to be traded? (besides the typcial Tek and Lowell arguement)?

I have a strong gut feeling this is the start of a trade to Cleveland for Shoppach/Victor and Guttierez. The Indians need a closer and Ramirez could do that for them; and clearly the Royals would not have dealt him to the Tribe. I can see Lowell as a fit in Cleveland, as well. Guttierz’s defense is great and he would make a perfect 4th OF for this team. I don’t know all the pieces involved, but I could really see it happening.
I’m not buying for one second Masterson will come out of the bullpen, so flipping Ramirez is a possility.