There has a been a rumor going around this morning that started on a Kansas City radio station that the Boston Red Sox were set to trade Coco Crisp to the Kansas City Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez.
According to Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe, the rumor has now been confirmed as the Red Sox will announce the trade at noon today.
Update:
The trade is official now. The Red Sox receive Ramon Ramirez from the Royals in exchange for Coco Crisp.
For the Red Sox, it’s a salary dump as Coco was set to receive $5.75 million in 2009 and has an $8 million option with a $500K buyout in 2010. Ramirez isn’t even arbitration-eligible yet and will be under the control of the Red Sox for 4 seasons.
The move hands Jacoby Ellsbury the starting center field position and a chance to play on an every day basis. Last season, he shared center field with Coco and also played the other outfield positions, giving Coco a chance to showcase his skills.
In 118 games last season, Crisp hit .283 with 7 home runs, 41 RBI and 20 stolen bases. His OBP was .344.
Ramirez appeared in 71 games last season and finished with 2.64 ERA striking out 70 in 71.2 innings.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has a take from a Major League scout on Ramirez.
“Throws 92-95 with a heavy, late-life fastball . . . Gets away with mistakes over the middle of the plate because his fastball has so much late life . . . second-best arm in that bullpen (to Joakim Soria) . . . Likes to challenge hitters . . . Definitely a setup man with potential to be a closer down the road . . . Plus fastball, plus slider, has a splitter or something that resembles a splitter . . . Average command . . . Deceptive delivery makes it hard for righthanded hitters to pick up his fastball . . . Hitters can’t pick up his arm slot on the backside . . . Needs to tweak his off-speed pitches . . . Can throw his slider too hard . . . Very athletic. Fields his position well . . . Has an above-average 1.22 [second] release point [from the breaking of his hands to catchers mitt] on his slide step, 1.3 from the windup . . . Works fast.”
With the Red Sox acquiring Ramirez for the back end of their bullpen, it could mean that the Red Sox will be moving Justin Masterson back into the starting rotation. It could also mean that they could trade some pitching to the Rangers for catching. Of course that’s all speculation right now.
I’m sure you realize that I’m in tears right now. :::bangs head against wall:::
Yes I do realize that. Will this make you a fan of the Royals now?
Fear not! It’ll just make me check in on how Coco is doing, just as I do with various other favorites around the majors.
I dont know how anyone can call this a salary dump when this team is willing to spend and has spent $20 million a year on one player and has paid the entire remaining salary of a player just to get rid of him. Coco’s contract had no effect in the Sox wanting to trade him. In fact they were the one’s who signed him to that deal when they got him from Cleveland. To classify something as a “salary dump” infers the team is cutting costs which we know is far from the truth.
Coco was traded because they feel they have the CF of the future in Ellsbury. The fact that Ramirez isn’t arb eligible yet is a bonus but that stuff isn’t a factor in whether this team makes a deal or not.
This definitely gives the Sox some more flexibility in the ‘pen. I’m still worried about what the Yankees are doing, however. I think that it’s a lock that they land Sabathia, and they are the frontrunners for Burnett and Lowe, too. All of a sudden, New York will have a scary starting rotation (unless Boston sneaks in and nabs Burnett). I’d also like to see the team land another big bat to protect Big Papi. My dreams of Matt Holliday playing left field at Fenway are now gone, so I wonder, who else could the team try to land (if anyone)?
BHG
Do you really think the Yankees are going to spend $140 M on Sabathia, $75 M on Burnett and $65 on Lowe? I’m not sure even Hank is that stupid.
I also hope the Sox stay far away from Burnett and Holliday, who will be a FA at years end and may get moved again mid-season. He and Bay are virtually the same player and I like what Bay brought to the team.
There was some interest in Lowe on Boston’s end but Boras came out the other day and said he’s looking for Zito $$$$, $18 M a yr for D-Lowe.