My question is whether this takes us out of the Beltre sweepstakes. Cameron would come on the cheap (1 year + mutual option?), but that still leaves a hole at 3B if the Lowell trade ever goes through, and I’m not too excited about a Youk/Kotchman combo. Where does Max Ramirez fit in? It seems like we have a few too many pieces here, and I really don’t foresee a trade for A-Gon.

It’s only reasonable. The Red Sox are the kind of team that looks year after year to win a championship on a budget, and paying Lackey 85 mill was probably an extraordinary effort. THey got burned with the Texeira deal and they were not going to let it happen again. But with lackey in, Bay is out (unless they figure a 1 or 2 year contract) it looks more like they’re looking to replace Beckett down the road, its doubtful really that he’ll be back to his old shape. Even if he’s ‘back’, this deal doesn’t resolve the power problem. The Manny-Big papi one-two punch is all gone and it may be decades before another one is found. And the red sox line up is no encouraging. Pitching alone doesn’t win you championships. Besides,the Yankees already beat Lackey twice in the playoffs.

You win championships with great pitching, not who’s playing left field.

Epstein has no reason not to part with Bucholz and another OF prospect if it means you can get Adrian Gonzo on board. Due to the Lackey signing, no need to bank on Bucholz’s “potential”, which obviously hasn’t materialized enough for the Sox to be confident in putting him in the rotation for a full year. You know what you’re getting out of AG, and with Bay leaving, they need a middle of the order run producer. How sweet would his swing look hooking homers around Pesky’s pole?

Every media outlet I’ve seen is assuming Cameron goes to LF because he has already discussed accepting a move to a corner OF position.