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Animalman said:
I dunno if Schilling and Clement will still be around in 2007(though for two entirely different reasons). Boston has restocked their rotation quite nicely for the future, though, as Peter Gammons reminds us all constantly.



I thought Schilling had an option for 2007 that automatically vested. I could be wrong. I don't see Clement being moved too easily over the life of his contract. Could happen, might not. Still, the idea of a starting three of Beckett, Papelbon, and Lester is definitely appealing. Maybe throw DiNardo in there for a second lefty.

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Not really. Cleveland already had a centerfielder(a better one) in Grady Sizemore, so Crisp was playing left, a position where his offensive numbers were far less impressive. The main guy Cleveland got in return, Andy Marte(originally from Atlanta in the Renteria trade), is an excellent all-around third base prospect, and will probably also be a better player than Crisp. So, not only did they trade a guy they didn't need, but they got one of the best prospects in baseball in return. Crisp is a nice player, but he's not a star. Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro was the real thief in this one, I think.

That being said, Boston made some shrewd moves this offseason. They got Hee-Seop Choi and Wily Mo Pena for peanuts(I'm not an Arroyo fan). Choi could be another Ortiz breakout candidate: he has similar skills, and, like Ortiz, was a minor league masher who wasn't ever really given a chance to shine. Of course, Ortiz's transformation in Boston was hardly a predictable one. As for Pena, he may never learn the strike zone, but he's extremely talented and could end up being Nixon's replacement sooner rather than later.



I think both teams got what they wanted in the Crisp/Marte trade, without even mentioning Shoppach, Bard, and the other incidental players. The Sox needed this trade to get the heat off for the whole Damon debacle - they were definitely the losers in the court of public opinion. And Cleveland got one of the best prospects in the game, a guy who could probably fill in at any time.

(And I agree with the rest of Animalman's post.)

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