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Trades do not always work out for all the teams involved. The goal of each trade is different. Some teams acquire players to help the postseason push. Some trade stars to acquire prospects who can be a part of the next good team. No matter the reason, there is always the chance that a trade will not work out for one or possibly both sides.
But there are those rare ones that work out for everyone. This is a story of such a trade.
As the Red Sox deal with the Marlins this week, it got me thinking about connections between the two franchises. The first one that came to my mind (other than the near World Series matchup they had in 2003), was a pretty major trade in November of 2005.
The deal, in case you don’t remember, sent Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to the Sox in exchange for a Harvey Garcia... oh and Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. At the time, Ramirez was a top prospect in the Red Sox system and Sanchez had yet to pitch in the majors. Here’s how it all worked out.
Its easy to say the Red Sox won the trade. If the point of playing 162 games every year is to eventually win the World Series, then this is an open and shut case.
Despite a rough first year in Boston (5.01 ERA, 5.12 FIP, 95 ERA+), Beckett was incredible for the 2007 World Series title-winning squad. He led the majors in wins (20) while posting a 3.27 ERA and MLB-leading 3.08 FIP. He should have won the AL Cy Young that year and nobody can tell me otherwise.
Beckett’s best efforts didn’t even come in the regular season, as his work in the 2007 postseason was sensational. Across four starts and 30 innings, he allowed only four earned runs (1.20 ERA) while striking out 35 batters and allowing a .178 opponent batting average, helping the Sox win their second World Series in four years. While he would never recapture that magic and was eventually a major culprit in the great Chicken and Beer Caper, that 2007 season alone was worth the trade.
But Beckett wasn’t the only player that came over. Mike Lowell, who was the MVP of the 2007 World Series, was a metronome at the hot corner for the Red Sox. From 2006 to 2009 he never had a batting average below .274 or above .324 and he had at least 17 home runs, but no more than 21 in each season. His best work was in 2007 when he earned his fourth All Star bid, and only one with the Sox, while slashing .324/.378/.501 with 21 home runs and a career-high 120 RBI. It was the best season of his career, as he was worth a personal-best 5.0 bWAR and capped it all off with a World Series ring.
Beckett and Lowell obviously gave the Sox a whole lot, but the Marlins weren’t left baning their palms against their heads. Instead, they got an MVP-caliber shortstop for more than six seasons, as Ramirez was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2006 before three-straight top 15 MVP finishes. He accumulated 26.9 bWAR during his time with the Marlins before eventually being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On top of Ramirez’s work, the Marlins also got more than six years of solid pitching from Sanchez. Although he never managed to replicate his 2006 season when he went 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA, Sanchez was still a well above average starter (111 ERA+) in 794 1⁄3 innings as a Marlin.
This is the blueprint for how a trade is supposed to go, at least from an objective standpoint. While one team “won” the trade (Red Sox), the other did not go home empty handed.
As we discussed a bit in yesterday’s links, the pitching staff has been excellent. (Jason Mastrodonato; Boston Herald)
Matt Barnes knows that he struggled on the road last season. (Christopher Smith; MassLive)
We got vintage Hanley Ramirez last night. (Jason Mastrodonato; Boston Herald)
Ramirez was once a 30-30 player and although it may be tough to do it this year, he knows what he needs to do to be successful. (Nick Cafardo; Boston Globe)
I firmly believe that Chris Sale can do anything. How about bunting? (Christopher Smtih; MassLive)