November 21, 2005
Sox on verge of getting Beckett
By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

ESPN's Peter Gammons reported this evening that the Red Sox have come to a tentative agreement to deal Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, and a player to be named later to the Marlins for pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram is also reporting that, according to a major league source, "the Marlins, who are once again believed to be engaging in an austerity drive to significantly lower payroll, decided to accept the Red Sox offer."

Unidentified sources outside the Red Sox have told Gammons that the deal is contingent on the finalization of paperwork and all players passing physicals. According to Gammons, an announcement isn’t expected for another day or two, which opens up the possibility it could still fall apart.

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reported that, according to an unidentified baseball official with knowledge of the discussions, only some last-minute haggling over money appeared to be holding up completion of the deal. Stark went on to report that the Marlins would include cash in order to offset some of the $18 million still owed to Lowell over the next two seasons.

According to ESPN.com, the Marlins had originally wanted lefthanded pitcher Jon Lester in the deal, but Boston hesitated. Instead, the Red Sox reportedly agreed to add a second minor leaguer if Florida accepted Sanchez instead.

Gammons added that the player to be named later will be a Red Sox minor leaguer who is not currently on the 40-man roster. Gammons also reported that "the Red Sox have no comment."

what dumbfuck on the marlins agreed to this trade, christ

The Marlins want to get rid of Lowell's contract, so it's somewhat understandable. Also, Sanchez is a pretty good prospect.

marlins are having a firesale.

Rumors over the weekend had Beckett & Lowell going to the Rangers for Blalock and a pitching prospect. I know Blalock's production was down last year, but that still seems like a better deal for the Marlins. I'd imagine they could have turned around and dealt Blalock to someone for prospects. Don't know if that feel through or not, but this deal screams salary dump.

Also wonder who's negotiating this deal for the bosox. They haven't named a GM yet have they?

I would guess it'd be Lucchino.

Another way of saying what I said.

Trading high priced players, which fans love to call firesales, are often a legitimate way of building teams. Everyone screamed firesale after 1997 too, and they won the World Series with those prospects in 2003. It may not be the quickest way (see Yankees/Red Sox) but I find it to be more fun than hiring mercenaries, and then you don't have fans of other teams hating your team for "buying the pennant" (which, recently coming from Boston, always struck me as hilarious since the difference in spending between the Yankees and Red Sox was so marginal compared to between them and most other teams).

That was long and rambling, so I hope it makes sense.

The other part of the Marlins firesale besides Delgado is Juan Pierre, whom the White Sox are very interested in.

AKA the "We're becoming the Yankees with every passing transaction" dance.

How long til you don't have a farm system either? A Red Sox fan happy about letting go of Hanley Ramierez isn't that smart of a Red Sox fan. Enjoy maybe competing this year, then relying on signing old Free Agents to huge deals in 2 years. The Red Sox are the Yankees.

p.s. fuck you.

wow i didn't know retards could read minds.

Or was that just your mind being ecstatic over getting a young, unproven pitcher that has been on the DL 9 times in 4 years?

seriously, what's your fucking problem? it's not like i said "haha we got beckett and the white sox didn't". go back to your bears thread and jack off over another meaningless win.

I'm just saying this is a bad Yankee-esque trade for the Red Sox.

Wow... another great pitcher who will miss at least half the season due to pussy injuries. Good works, Boston!

They are giving up WAY too much here.

You sure seem pretty angry about it.

It's not like Ramirez was going to play short since Renteria is there for the next 3 years. We have Dustin Pedroia who'll probably come up to play 2nd if we don't resign Graffinino. We still have a bunch of good young pitchers (Papelbon, Lester, Delcarmen, Hansen) we've brought up or are in the farm system. I really don't think our farm system is as depleted as the Yankees apparently is.

Don't get me wrong, I'd take Beckett in a minute... but not for 2 stud prospects and not with Mike Lowell. I guess they can absorb that contract though.

Ah, Hot Stove time and the start of College Hoops. A wonderful time to live!

I've heard Lester might even be the third player still. Your farm system will be toast soon now that Epstein is gone.

Hanley was expendable, let's face it - with Pedroia and Renteria. Sanchez was only one of 4 top pitching prospects. Beckett is 26 and has 103 wins, christ, that rules. The Sox pitching staff is well-known for helping blister injuries (D. Lowe), so I'm not too worried there.

I really don't see the Yankees comparison, but hey, suit yourselves...

This is a good move. Theo built the farm system up enough to serve one of the two purposes of a farm system: you either bring your guys onto the big league team, or you trade them to someone else for a major league player or two. The Sox needed front-line pitching a heck of a lot more than they needed a short stop/possible 2B.

Yeah, and then added "p.s. fuck you".

the real question is where does Overbay land, or will the Brewers hang on to him. I hear it might be the Mets.

this happened to a girl on my softball team once.

Orioles again were interested in Beckett but alas no dice.

Jim Beattie & Jim Bowden were both interviewed AGAIN today by the Red Sox for the GM position. Beattie did nothing for the O's so I cannot imagine him actually running a team efficiently.

Nomar is being heavily touted by the O's. I doubt it'll happen as he has LA, or a west coast team on his mind. Basically they want to bring him in as a 1b or OF, with a incentive deal.

How does this impact the Sox keeping Manny or going after Konerko? As a Yankees fan, there is an upside to either. If the Sox lose Manny, awesome; he kills the Yanks like no one not calling himself Papi. If they get Konerko, there is some scenario running around where the Yanks send Pavano back to Florida for Delgado, and then ship Delgado to the White Sox for Rowand and Marte. The hot stove warms up...

Also, why does everybody crap on the Yankee farm system? Last year they produced a second baseman (Cano) who finished second in ROY voting and a pitcher (Wang) who kept them afloat for a good period before getting injured. They still have a few guys waiting in the wings, but more to the point, for the next five years they pretty much have their core locked up (Jeter, Arod, Giambi, Matsui, Cano, Pavano, Mussina, Wright, Wang, Rivera are all two or more years left) and so don't really need too many pieces to come from the farm (outside of bullpen and a starter, maybe). So there. The real fault of the Red Sox is that they don't take care of their own stars; see Nomar, Pedro, soon Manny, but also Boggs and Clemens.