Wagner doesn't really want to be there, and cynical BoSox fans are already waiting for him to fail.
Forced marriage, no honeymoon. Seems Papelbon's displeasure is the only "feel-good" aspect of this trade.
This trade was a win all around;
1. The Mets are out from under his salary
2. The Red Sox are covering the tab, so they don't have to give up much of value
3. They're going to offer Wagner arbitration, when he walks, they get 2 picks to replace the players they sent to the Mets.
I don't see how the Sox get two picks. If they offer arbitration, why would Wagner decline? He's guaranteed more than $8 million and likely to get $10 million. Who's going to give him more money or multiple years? What is one team that needs a closer and has that kind of money to blow on the position?
More likely, I see the Sox trading Papsy and offering Wagner arb to re-sign him for a year. They win if he declines (unlikely) and if he accepts they have an able closer for one year. Papsy is their only tradeable chip apart from the youngsters, and they certainly need the upgrade on offensive but with nothing decent available on the market apart from the defensively challenged they usually avoid.
[3] Just what I was thinking. How's Cashman looking now? He's got CC, Hughes, Melky, and still a potentially useful young Kennedy, rather than a rehabbing-for-2010 Santana. Cashman deserves props for the biggest decision he made from '07 to '09.
Here's to hoping he goes all Karim Garcia on Papelbon.
[1] Huh, I was thinking more about Eric Gagne than... who is that guy you mentioned, anyway?
[1] Agreed.
In other news, hey, isn't it a shame that Cashman didn't trade Hughes and Melky and who-knows-what-else for Johan Santana, now out for the year with bone chips in his elbow?
Wagner doesn't really want to be there, and cynical BoSox fans are already waiting for him to fail.
Forced marriage, no honeymoon. Seems Papelbon's displeasure is the only "feel-good" aspect of this trade.
[3] nah, the shame is that Johan pitched his arm off for nothin'. Hate seeing talent like that wasted.
This trade was a win all around;
1. The Mets are out from under his salary
2. The Red Sox are covering the tab, so they don't have to give up much of value
3. They're going to offer Wagner arbitration, when he walks, they get 2 picks to replace the players they sent to the Mets.
I don't see how the Sox get two picks. If they offer arbitration, why would Wagner decline? He's guaranteed more than $8 million and likely to get $10 million. Who's going to give him more money or multiple years? What is one team that needs a closer and has that kind of money to blow on the position?
More likely, I see the Sox trading Papsy and offering Wagner arb to re-sign him for a year. They win if he declines (unlikely) and if he accepts they have an able closer for one year. Papsy is their only tradeable chip apart from the youngsters, and they certainly need the upgrade on offensive but with nothing decent available on the market apart from the defensively challenged they usually avoid.
[7] I agree. The market right now favors accepting arbitration more than any market maybe in the history of free agency.
The NYT says Wagner projects to be Type A -- is that really the case? If he's Type A, that's going to make it even harder to sign for big bucks.
[3] Just what I was thinking. How's Cashman looking now? He's got CC, Hughes, Melky, and still a potentially useful young Kennedy, rather than a rehabbing-for-2010 Santana. Cashman deserves props for the biggest decision he made from '07 to '09.
[4] Watching those two rednecks brawl in the bullpen will make me feel good.
In related news, the Roid Sox still will not win the AL East and will still be lucky to hold onto the Wild Card.
[9] Word.
[10] Double word.
This move doesn't move me, for some reason.
[12] It's a low risk, high reward move