First off, I should say that I was driving around last Sunday morning when I first heard this trade might be a possibility and I wasn't happy about it. Not happy in much the same way Terry Francona probably wasn't happy when the Red Sox decided not to re-sign Kevin Millar. When Boston traded Edgar Renteria to Atlanta for Andy Marte, they got arguably the best prospect in baseball. I liked Renteria even though he had a tough 2005, but getting Marte was considered a steal. Of course, there was still the little problem of Boston being without a shortstop. And with Damon taking his circus act to New York, they were also without a centerfielder. And because it's the off-season, that can only mean that "Manny being Manny" is in full swing, and his desire to be traded, coupled with Theo temporarily quitting his job to headline birthday parties as the Dancing Gorilla, muddied things up personnel-wise, even more.
Now, Theo's back, Shaughnessy and Ryan have their respective panties in a knot, and Boston is in the middle of trying to get a centerfielder to replace Damon, some middle relief help, and sign a shortstop. Originally, I hated this trade because (a) Coco Crisp sucks and (b) Andy Marte might be the next Mike Schmidt. To say I don't watch anything other than Red Sox games (and the occasional inning of the Pirates here and there) would be an understatement along the lines of "Mark Madden's just a tad overweight, and Dan Shaughnessy isn't a vindictive, hateful prick, he's just misunderstood." I mention this because, I only saw six games worth of Coco Crisp last season, and I don't remember him really doing much at all. And, for the love of god, his name is Coco Crisp. Why not just call him Count Chocula, or Frankenberry and get it over with.
Plus, by throwing in Marte, this trade basically means that Boston traded Edgar Renteria for some second-rate cereal. Yep, that didn't make me all that happy. I called my buddy Mike right after hearing the story, and his reaction was exactly the opposite of mine. He liked the trade since, well, the Sox need a centerfielder, and they already have two third basemen. And no, Mike Lowell probably won't be around for that much longer, but to hear Red Sox fans talk last season, you would've thought Kevin Youkilis was going to be the next Wade Boggs, he just "need his shot." Well, now he's going to get it. And not only that, Crisp is actually a pretty good player. His numbers are very similar to Damon's, he's six years younger, and substantially cheaper.
There's still the little issue of who's going to play shortstop. My vote is for Manny. Why not? If you think the guy was fun to watch in left field, imagine him turning two, or forgetting to cover 2nd base on a steal? Or with the infield in, watching him throw home on a close play, only to have it bounce eight times, and by the time Varitek picks it up (and yes, it's already stopped rolling), the runner could've rounded the bases ... twice. Alright, that's probably not the best idea, and this is why Boston will end up sighing Alex Gonzalez. No, he can't hit, but as Dave Pinto mentioned earlier this week, it looks like the Red Sox are willing to trade more offense for more pitching and defense. And just as long as the runs scored/runs allowed differential remains the same, Boston should be right in the thick of things next fall.
However, if things fall through, the Sox are worse off. As my buddy Mike said:
"There's not a Red Sox fan in America that can be happy with that news. No centerfielder, no shortstop ... at least they found another first baseman that can't hit."On the upside however, if Mota stays in Boston, he should be able to step right into the middle relief roles vacated by Matt Mantei and Scott Williamson. And concerning J.T. Snow, he, sir, is no Kevin Millar. And that's a good thing, even if he can't hit.
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As long as I'm talking about the Red Sox, I guess I have to mention the Return of Theo. Is this the biggest non-story of the off-season? Seriously? Does anybody actually care that Theo's back? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have him, gorilla suit or not, but it's not "Coco Crisp is coming to Boston" type stuff. What's weirder is the obsession Dan Shaughnessy and Bob Ryan have with the Red Sox not divulging any details on Epstein's return. What's to know? The guy left work on Halloween in a monkey get up, and after a few months off, walking the earth like Cain in Kung Fu, he's back. If this was Manny, then you've got a story (although, would anybody really be that surprised to find out Manny wears gorilla costumes out in public?). Theo? Not so much. This probably has more to do with Shaughnessy not getting all the access he'd like, but luckily, that guy's burned so many bridges, nobody cares. As I see it, it's a win-win: Boston gets Theo back, and Shaughnessy gets disrespected, Rodney Harrison style. Sounds good to me.
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