Printer-friendly

Contact Author

August 1, 2007

Transaction Analysis

Deadline Day

by Christina Kahrl

BOSTON RED SOX Team Audit | Team DT Cards | Team Articles | Team Statistics

Return to Top

Traded RHP Joel Pineiro and cash to the Cardinals for a PTBNL; acquired of Eric Gagne from the Rangers for LHP Kason Gabbard, OF-Ls David Murphy and Engel Beltre. [7/31]

For the Red Sox, this might seem a deliciously low price to pay to get Gagne, with the added benefit that it ended up leaving the Bronx Bombers a bit flat-footed, so you can forgive them some amount of self-delighted glee. Gabbard and Murphy were both essentially filler players for the Sox (of admittedly differing degrees), and the only trailing leg, far-distant shoe that has to drop to properly assess the full price paid will be how well Beltre pans out. That's why the Rangers made this deal, certainly, and why they could settle for a back-end rotation regular and a fourth outfielder as the rest of the package for Gagne. For the Sox, adding Gagne to baseball's best bullpen just makes things that much tougher for their competition. Since the Red Sox do rate behind the Tigers and Yankees in offensive firepower, and rank with the Tribe, it's not a bad idea to play to a particular strength given that these are not only their rivals for playoff spots, but their competition once they get there. As a staff, the Sox are a half-run better in Fair Runs Allowed as a staff than the next-best likely playoff team, the Angels, and eight-tenths of a run better than the second-best, the Indians. So, there's really not much question that the Sox hold a significant advantage in pitching, and given that they have some premium offensive weapons, Curt Schilling coming back, and even Coco Crisp slugging .500 this past month, how much does anyone want to invest in hoping that Julio Lugo somehow spoils it all?