"The Trade"

I think back to the day that Nomar Garciapara was traded.  That was a huge risk.  Theo Epstein rolled the dice by shipping out an all star caliber player while the team was in a pennant race.  It worked out gloriously, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a major gamble.

Today we see a trade that will possibly go down in Red Sox history as an even bigger deal.  Three all star caliber players, all traded at once in the same deal for essentially a handful of prospects.  I really am sad to see Adrian Gonzalez go.  He's a hell of a player, and he should have been a bigger factor with the Red Sox than he was.  Who knows, maybe if the team's culture had been a little better last year he might have lead us to great things.  Still, he was never going to live up to the expectations, and more importantly he was never going to live up to the tons upon tons of money he was being paid.  Carl Crawford had no business coming to Boston.  He was a great player in Tampa Bay and I am positive, without any doubts, that he will be a great player again.  We just didn't need him.  We already had Jacoby Ellsbury to fill every role that Crawford could have filled.  Also, like Gonzalez, Carl was never ever going to be able to live up to the tons and tons upon tons and tons of money he was being paid.  He came to Boston with huge expectations and he crumbled under the pressure.  Again, I am sure that eventually he would have come around.  In fact, the 31 games he played this year were pretty positive.  It doesn't matter though, for the money he was making he had to be a hall of fame quality player and he just isn't.

Beckett... Oh Josh Beckett...

I've been bitching a lot about Josh Beckett for the last year.  He's been awful since the September collapse began last year.  He's come off like a total asshole too.  Every time he opens his mouth you just want to yell at him and call him a douche.  Despite all of that though, I will go to my grave as a Josh Beckett fan.  The way he destroyed the Yankees in the World Series when he was playing for Florida.  The way he dominated the universe in 2007 and was utterly unbeatable in that post season.  When he's on he is the man.  The problem is, he hasn't been the man in 12 months.  He's been an ass.  I hope this trade shakes him out of whatever was holding him back this year.  I hope he becomes the great pitcher he was even last season.  Let's not forget that he was having a great season right up until the September collapse last year.  He's still got it in him, he just didn't seem to care this year.  For Boston fans, not caring is an unforgivable sin.  All we Boston fans ask is for you to play like your life depends on it, and if you don't do that then we will voice our displeasure.  Josh Beckett has been hearing a lot of that this year.  Hopefully this trade will re-light the fire for him.  I hope he is great for the Dodgers.

Oh yeah, and Nick Punto too.  Ummm... yeah.

As for the players the Red Sox get in return?

I really don't care.  Maybe I'll care another day, but for now I am just so happy that management actually did something that I just want to enjoy it while it lasts.