Baseball Musings 11/23/05

I'm a little behind on the baseball writing these days, so lets get started.

Has the world gone mad?

Big News! Josh Beckett (SP) and Mike Lowell (3B) to the Red Sox - Anibal Sanchez (SP), Hanley Ramirez (SS) and Jesus Delgado (RP) to the Marlins. - The deal isn't final, but looks like it will be soon. On one hand, I love the deal. How often do you get, arguably, the best 25-year-old starter with World Series MVP credentials in any deal. On the other hand, Sanchez could be great. Overall, Sox make out pretty well, especially if Lowell can get his swing back.

Two crazy trades today:
Carlos Delgado (1B) to the Mets - Y. Petit (SP) and Mike Jacobs (C/1B) to the Marlins - Woah. Do the Mets just enjoy getting fleeced? First they give up Kazmir for a bag of doorknobs, now they send Petit for a 33 year old 1B. Not that Delgado is bad, he's not, but with lots and lots of money in the back end of his contract, the Mets take on a lot for giving up two good to decent prospects.

Jim Thome (1B) to the White Sox - Aaron Rowand (OF) to Philadelphia + a dumptruck full of money to Chicago no doubt. This one is a shocker to me. But at least Ryan Howard will have a place next year.

Some ramifications for these trades:

1. Does Delgado going to the Mets end any Manny to the Mets rumors? Or, could the Mets flip Delgado to the Sox in a Manny trade? Oh, the options are endless.

2. Does Thome going to the White Sox mean that they don't think they'll be able to resign Konerko? Or does Thome replace Frank Thomas? And why would you take on the monster Thome contract than resign Frank Thomas at a lower price?

3. With Beckett in the rotation in Boston, who does to the pen? Papelbon? Arroyo? Neither?Does it matter - If the Sox send Wells to the Padres, they will likely not be getting an starter, so that opens the rotation to one. So, the Sox rotation next year could be: Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, Papelbon (or Arroyo). And now, the Red Sox have 3 of the last 5 World Series MVPs on the team (Schilling, Manny & Beckett). We'll see how long that lasts.