Red Sox sign Crawford... WOW

[DasTex]

7 years - $142 million! The Boston lineup is going to be scary good. Sorry Yankee fans, even with Lee, it's going to be tough to stop that lineup.

Being a Ranger fan, this pretty much tells me there is no way NY is going to let Lee go now. The only way is if Cliff decides to stay in Texas for less money.

Time to put the target on KC and get Greinke!

 

[RoyTheHammer]

7 years - $142 million! The Boston lineup is going to be scary good. Sorry Yankee fans, even with Lee, it's going to be tough to stop that lineup.

Being a Ranger fan, this pretty much tells me there is no way NY is going to let Lee go now. The only way is if Cliff decides to stay in Texas for less money.

Time to put the target on KC and get Greinke!

Crawford deserves that money a heck of alot more than Jayson Werth does.. and this is coming from a Phillies fan. Its amazing how idiotic the Nats GM was to make a move like that. Boras is truly the master i guess.

Im hoping the Phillies get Greinke though. Just heard a couple rumors today that Amaro is looking into it.

 

[Bigdog]

Well as many fans have said about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, it looks like the Red Soxs are doing just that. They have spent a total of 300 million dollars on just two players. Red Soxs fans can't say that about the Yankees any more. Maybe they are turning into the Evil Empire.

 

[Hoofbite]

Well as many fans have said about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, it looks like the Red Soxs are doing just that. They have spent a total of 300 million dollars on just two players. Red Soxs fans can't say that about the Yankees any more. Maybe they are turning into the Evil Empire.

Why not? The Yankees burn money like it's going out of style.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Why not? The Yankees burn money like it's going out of style, they own the mint printing it, they're getting funds from the gov't to buy the ink, USDA kickbacks on the cotton they use for the paper, and DOE tax breaks by declaring the burnt cash as a recycled biofuel.

Fixed it to more adequately describe the reality of the situation.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

If the Spanks get Lee they will still beat the Sox...

Pitching > Hitting

Especially in the playoffs.

 

[Alumni2k11]

Boston is surely the team to beat next year IMO (and I'm a NYY fan). Is 7 years a good idea for a speed guy? I guess we will see. I'm curious to see how Bostons 2011 payroll ends up matching with the Yanks.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Boston is surely the team to beat next year IMO (and I'm a NYY fan). Is 7 years a good idea for a speed guy? I guess we will see. I'm curious to see how Bostons 2011 payroll ends up matching with the Yanks.

Sure, I would sign a speed guy for seven years. Although Crawford is going to be 29. That means he will be 36 at the end of the contract. Signing him for 7 years means he needs to have Ricky Henderson's longevity. There is a difference between Crawford and Henderson. Henderson had a .400+ OBP for his entire career. At $20M a year, you had better have a OBP close to .400 or at least have some power. Crawford has neither. Granted when he gets on base, he can be a terror, (though not like Ricky) but the man has to get on base more than he does to be worth $20M a year. Especially at seven years!?!? Would I do this? Not for $20/year and not for 7 years even at $15M/year. (maybe 5 years @ $15M)

It amazes me that these teams dump so much money into these players with 100% guaranteed contracts. I mean from the outside, it just looks absolutely ludicrous business wise.

 

[joseephuss]

Well as many fans have said about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, it looks like the Red Soxs are doing just that. They have spent a total of 300 million dollars on just two players. Red Soxs fans can't say that about the Yankees any more. Maybe they are turning into the Evil Empire.

That has been true for several years now. The Yankees and Red Sox have the highest pay rolls and then there is a big gap to the average pay roll. I guess the Mets are up there as well, but they suck.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Boston is surely the team to beat next year IMO (and I'm a NYY fan). Is 7 years a good idea for a speed guy? I guess we will see. I'm curious to see how Bostons 2011 payroll ends up matching with the Yanks.

I wouldn't say that.

The Red Sox scored 782 runs last year. The Yankees scored 823 runs.

Crawford is a very good player. But he's never hit more than 20 homeruns and he doesn't walk very often.

And it's still only December 9th.

I would think the Yanks still have a move or two up their sleeves.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That has been true for several years now. The Yankees and Red Sox have the highest pay rolls and then there is a big gap to the average pay roll. I guess the Mets are up there as well, but they suck.

The Red Sox have been trying to "buy" competitive teams for many years. The darts and jabs they throw at the Yankees are pretty hollow.

 

[ajk23az]

If the Spanks get Lee they will still beat the Sox...

Pitching > Hitting

Especially in the playoffs.

Except for the fact that the Red Sox already have a very very good pitching staff

Lester...Lackey..Beckett...Bucholz..Daisuke..

Add in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford...yikes...

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

If the Spanks get Lee they will still beat the Sox...

Pitching > Hitting

Especially in the playoffs.

This.

All ya'll Ranger fans should really not have to be told this. Good pitching beats good hitting. You pitched lights out against the Yankees in the ALCS and you shut down the best offense in the majors. You pitched like crap against the Giants and lost in the World Series.

Good pitching always beats good hitting IMO.

 

[YosemiteSam]

This.

All ya'll Ranger Fans should really not have to be told this. Good pitching beats good hitting. You pitched lights out against the Yankees in the ALCS and you shut down the best offense in majors. You pitched like crap against the Giants and lost in the World Series.

Good pitching always beats good hitting IMO.

Sort of, we lost to the Giants because they pitched better than any team has in years.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Sort of, we lost to the Giants because they pitched better than any team has in years.

I agree that the Giants pitched well. I never said they didn't pitch well. I said your pitching sucked in the Series and I think that's true.

In game 1, Lee gave 14 hits.

In game 2, Wilson gave up 8 hits.

In game 4, Hunter gave up 8 hits.

In game 5, Lee gave up 7 hits.

That was not typical of what the Rangers were doing in the Playoffs.

 

[WDN]

According to Heyman of sports illustrated Boston was of the 2 mystery teams that offered Lee a 7 year deal.

 

[bbgun]

The Red Sox are ruining baseball!!!!

Sorry. Just trying to beat the holiday rush.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

The Red Sox are ruining baseball!!!!

Sorry. Just trying to beat the holiday rush.

 

[Bigdog]

The Red Sox have been trying to "buy" competitive teams for many years. The darts and jabs they throw at the Yankees are pretty hollow.

Amen to that. The Red Soxs are the best team money can buy now.

 

[Rogah]

If the Spanks get Lee they will still beat the Sox...

Pitching > Hitting

Especially in the playoffs.

I agree that pitching beats hitting, but I am not so sure it is a clear advantage for the Yankees. In a short series, I'd take Boston's rotation over NY's (even if they got Lee), but I'd say NY has the advantage in the bullpen based primarily on the strength of their closer.