Done: Lester and Gomes from the Red Sox to A's for Yoenis Cespedes

[Hollyw00d]

Interesting. I wonder if the A's are confident they'll sign Lester??? because they just traded their best outfielder with, I believe, 3 years left on his deal.

[QuinlansMinion]

Interesting. I wonder if the A's are confident they'll sign Lester??? because they just traded their best outfielder with, I believe, 3 years left on his deal.

I dont think the A's are ever confident they will sign anyone. 

[Stradling]

Interesting. I wonder if the A's are confident they'll sign Lester??? because they just traded their best outfielder with, I believe, 3 years left on his deal.

Only one year left on his deal.

[Hollyw00d]

Only one year left on his deal.

Yes you are correct, thanks.

I thought they signed him to a 6 year deal initially

[Stradling]

Yes you are correct, thanks.

I thought they signed him to a 6 year deal initially

That's weird because I thought the same thing.

[Agalloch]

I panicked this morning on the way to work until I saw it was for Cespedes. I don't think they're better or worse but the chemistry is gonna have an impact. Hopefully it's beneficial to us but I'm done panicking till we see how it plays out

[gurn67]

As an Angels' fan, I love the move. I'm just glad to see a notorious Angels' killer out of the division. (30 RBI in 36 Games) for a guy with a career 4.44 ERA vs. the Halos. Guys who hit 34 points higher with RISP in their career don't grow on trees, and the A's just let one go. Oakland has one of the best, if not the best, late inning clutch offenses I've ever seen. That comes from having chemistry, and guys who trust one another to get the job done. They've literally taken out the middle of the of that. Huge gamble by Beane.

By the way, according to every message board I've seen, the Angels might as well pack it in. The Tigers and A's are already scheduled to face each other in the ALCS.

[nando714]

Their rotation doesnt scare me as much as it does some of you. But then again I still have flashbacks to Kazmir giving up a crap load of runs.

Who the heck is Sonny Gray? Jeff Samardija is an overrated NL pitcher. Lester doesnt care about Oakland, hes going back to Boston and cant wait to get back there soon enough. I didnt think their offense was built for the playoffs, but its even worse now that they lost Cespedes. Their offense without Cespedes doesnt scare anyone above .500.

Yeah, well there you have it.

/thread. ..lock it up

[Troll Daddy]

^{Lester won't be going back to the A's or the Red Sox but you can bet every dollar in your pocket he will be pitching his a** off for the A's.}

[disarcina]

haven't read all the posts here but Cespedes for Lester and Gomes is a pretty high price to pay for Lester as a two month rental.

 

But A's need to win NOW although, they just completed that 10 year lease extension at the horrible (for baseball) ballpark where they are now playing......the Oakland Coliseum, home of the Raiders.

 

Lester is likely to be back with the BoSox next year -- NO WAY, Oakland signs him. NO WAY.

 

So you trade Cespedes for two months of Lester and then get Gomes who has some power but sure racks up the K's and his best defensive position is DH.

 

This is a steal for the BoSox.........the Yankees should protest the trade.........

[disarcina]

So Cespedes is signed through 2015 - great deal for the BoSox -- they have a chance to extend Cespedes.......I really like his style of play.......he's a spark-plug, some power, speed, good field......good arm in the OF.......

 

I really think this deal is a steal for the BoSox.......

 

I agree with other posters who say this Cespedes trade will impact the chemistry in the A's clubhouse.......

 

Lester and the other pitchers A's got recently (although Hammel has not done well for them) will really help them down the stretch but I think the Halos and the new pen depth we have may actually be the better (and cheaper) way to go........

 

for the Halos -- it means to get Lester as a two month rental we would have had to part with someone like Calhoun.........and a two month Lester is not worth that price IMO.

 

Dodgers didn't get Lester, I'm convinced, because Kemp's contract is for much money for too long (through 2020? Something like that).

[Oz27]

I find this a very hard trade to judge for the A's. I feel like the Red Sox have done well out of it but it's possible the A's have too. To some extent it feels like overkill to give up one of your better position players to improve an already ridiculous rotation, but on the contrary they probably have improved what they have now. People saying this is primarily focused on the playoffs are exaggerating, but there certainly seems to be some of that in mind and that's an interesting change in philosophy from the A's.

[sneaky_flute]

Cespedes isn't that good, but the A's record with and without him in the lineup is pretty curious. Maybe there's something to the chemistry thing. 

[Oz27]

3.0 WAR from 100 games. Cespedes is a pretty nice player on a reasonable contract. And there's always the hope he'll return to his rookie-level performance.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

A's grossly overpaid, IMO - which is fine with me.

[Ohtaniland]

 

 

Beane has balls.

[disarcina]

looks like the A's also got a draft pick -- so deal not quite as lopsided......

 

I thought MLB teams couldn't trade draft picks like they do in the NBA and NFL.......

 

oh well.

[disarcina]

I think Cespedes is pretty good..........that throw he lade from the LF line vs. Halos was pretty impressive.

 

his offensive stats speak for themselves.........

 

I'd like Cespedes on our club !!

[SoCALkid]

You already know Gomes is going to become a .330+ clutch hitter for the A's and hit like 10 walk off hits before the post season.  

[ukyah]

just to help floplag cool his jets. i said somewhere lost in the beginning of this thread that i see the trade as a net negative for the A's. they improved an already dominant starting staff, but at the cost of their moto bat, their 2nd best hitter next to donaldson. if they can replace that with a platoon, then i'll be wrong about the trade. either way, beane has dramatically altered the team composition of a team that had the best record in baseball. i'm hesitant to call that wise. beane should get the benefit of the doubt because he's earned it, but it's hardly a trade without some legitimate questions being raised.

[Ohtaniland]

Moneyballz deal.

[nate]

looks like the A's also got a draft pick -- so deal not quite as lopsided......

 

I thought MLB teams couldn't trade draft picks like they do in the NBA and NFL.......

 

oh well.

 

Boston got the draft pick from the A's.

 

Teams can trade the new competitive balance picks.

Edited August 1, 2014 by nate

[Lou]

looks like the A's also got a draft pick -- so deal not quite as lopsided......

 

I thought MLB teams couldn't trade draft picks like they do in the NBA and NFL.......

 

oh well.

the red sox got the draft pick from the A's

[QuinlansMinion]

Their rotation doesnt scare me as much as it does some of you.  But then again I still have flashbacks to Kazmir giving up a crap load of runs.  

 

Who the heck is Sonny Gray?  Jeff Samardija is an overrated NL pitcher.  Lester doesnt care about Oakland, hes going back to Boston and cant wait to get back there soon enough.  I didnt think their offense was built for the playoffs, but its even worse now that they lost Cespedes.  Their offense without Cespedes doesnt scare anyone above .500.  

 

Yeah, well there you have it. 

Bump.

[Sherlock31]

Thank you Billy, you Da Man!!!