BOS - LAD

[Chuck]

BOS gets:
Williams, Bart 29 RF 83 83 $9,000,000 2
Klee, Nick 19 SP 68 94 $32,300 Arb 68
Herrod, Patrick 22 SP 83 93 $47,100 Arb 68
Carbajol, Gaetan 22 SP 65 86 $32,300 Arb 68

LAD gets:
McCluskey, Sam 29 LF 93 93 $32,200,000 2

Again we run into the dilemma with McCluskey – deal him for what I’m told (this time) is a good package, or keep him until his contract runs out, extend him into his mid-30s at maybe 25-28 mil a year and take a chance he dies off. I could wait a season and try and trade a 30-year-old player who will need that 25-28 mil a year to extend into his mid-30s and take a chance of getting something decent for him. I don’t see that happening.

We will suffer some without him but I really don’t believe enough to take the chance of losing him next year for a draft pick. If McCluskey is 26 this is a no-brainer, I keep him, but he’s 30 when his contract runs out so this is what I think is the right thing to do. We drop off in our two-hitter spot but I don’t believe that will hurt us too badly in the long run.

This also gets Sam out of the AL, at least for now.

[sxr007]

I am getting Herrod from Cincy and directly moving him to Boston. Hope McCluskey doesn't die off while I wait for my SP to grow up. Hate loosing Klee but not going to get a player like McCluskey without giving up things.

[AndyP]

I want to make sure it's clear where I stand on this. And it's regardless of my involvement in it, Herrod and MacDade was happening either way. And if i needed to, I'd accept taking that deal back.

I approve. Klee is probably as good a prospect as is going to be made available and the depth of this trade is better for Boston. I wouldn't take the Detroit package straight up for Klee, largely because I have serious reservations about Alcocer. And I have since that draft. Would I do this deal in Boston's place? Probably not, but only because I wouldn't want to move McCluskey just yet.

However, Chuck's reasoning for wanting to is sound and thought-out. He's gambling his lineup offensively is close enough with Morgan in it to make up for the loss, while saving a ton of money and adding some real prospects to his farm at the same time.

So, again, I approve.

And frankly, the trade bitching lately is over the top. Chill the fuck out. Show a little respect to each other and the league and do your best to be fair. No one is above making a bad deal or criticism. If you see it differently than someone, that's ok. We're not all going to agree. Go out of your way to make sure you're not screwing the other guy over. You want to win the deal in your eyes? Fine. Try to win the deal. But make sure you didn't salt the earth in the process. The other guy, and the league, deserves better than that.

This deal is fine.