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

[RallyMo]

The A's now have 10,000 Cespedes shirts that were supposed to be passed out on Saturday.

 

Should they send them to Boston?

 

I mean, at least there will be 10,000 people to collect them all in Boston. I doubt you could say that about Oakland.

[HaloMagic]

They can give them to the same village they send the ALDS winner shirts to.

[laagamer]

Holy crap.

 

I've been out of the loop for a few days.

 

WTF!

 

You gotta be kidding me...

[mtangelsfan]

Butch'rd, we will see you next season I guess.

 

Good move for the A's and the Sox.  I don't like this one bit.  Still think the Angels can win the division.  They just have to start hitting again.

[ten ocho recon scout]

They can give them to the same village they send the ALDS winner shirts to.

and boom goes the dynamite

[RallyMo]

They can give them to the same village they send the ALDS winner shirts to.

 

You smoked that one farther than a Cespedes HR derby ball.

[Stradling]

Butch'rd, we will see you next season I guess.

Good move for the A's and the Sox. I don't like this one bit. Still think the Angels can win the division. They just have to start hitting again.

Don't tell Butch'rd what to do.

[stormngt]

I look at this trade much like the Street trade for us. Yes Lester makes them better. However how much better? The already had a grest.pitching staff. They will be in the playoffs. Their pitching will be tough to be at in the playoffs; however I believe eve losing Cespedas will hurt them more than they think.

[Angel Oracle]

Don't tell Butch'rd what to do.

Grrrrr.....but point well taken.

[Docwaukee]

The A's now have 10,000 Cespedes shirts that were supposed to be passed out on Saturday.

 

Should they send them to Boston?

 

I mean, at least there will be 10,000 people to collect them all in Boston. I doubt you could say that about Oakland.

you could sell them to Colorado and tell the Rockies fans that they corrected the Tulo jersey.  

[Stradling]

Sorry AO, I couldn't resist. Hope you aren't offended.

[Mark68]

My take: I hate this trade with every fiber of my being. We face the A's 10 more times this year, which means that potentially, we face Lester, Gray, and or Samardzija as much as 3x each. No picnic.

Plus now, the A's now have three excellent starters to each go twice in a 7-game series (and the fourth, Kazmir, isn't exactly a pushover, either).

Brad Pitt made this trade for those reasons, although I'm sure the latter holds more water. Also, because he made the Samardzija and Hammel deal early enough to correct in case Hammel remembered he was Jason Hammel.

Cespedes' production can be replaced by using an effective platoon strategy, and no team is better at doing just that.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox get a player who should thrive in that environment for the next year plus, and they'll most likely sign Lester in the off-season.

It's a good trade for both teams, which makes it a very bad one from the Halos' perspective.

[laagamer]

I look at this trade much like the Street trade for us. Yes Lester makes them better. However how much better? The already had a grest.pitching staff. They will be in the playoffs. Their pitching will be tough to be at in the playoffs; however I believe eve losing Cespedas will hurt them more than they think.

 

I don't. Cespedas was a over-hyped and over-rated hitter. 

 

Lester is legit. 

[laagamer]

If you think Cespedes was really that good a hitter, at age 28, then you need to stop watching MLB Network so much. 

[Chimi]

While the A's are definitely better after this trade, according to my best friend who lives in A's territory, it's not a very popular one with the fans. Cespedes is a huge fan favorite up there and a lot of people are pissed he is gone.

[RallyMo]

While the A's are definitely better after this trade, according to my best friend who lives in A's territory, it's not a very popular one with the fans. Cespedes is a huge fan favorite up there and a lot of people are pissed he is gone.

They won't care if they are winning more and then win a title.

[Palomar]

I see it as trading a player that can help you every day for a player that can help you every 5th day.  I know the stats and history of Lester but no matter how great the pitcher....they can always break down in an instant. Will be interesting.

[Sherlock31]

They won't care if they are winning more and then win a title.

They'll probably go on a riot when they lose the WC game.

[gotbeer]

Why the A's might have traded Cespedes, IMO.

 

• He makes $10.5 million next season.  That is a huge amount for the A's.  That's 1/8 their entire payroll.  There was no chance the A's would re-sign him after 2015.
• Cespedes has a .767 OPS this season, .788 for a career, and has gone from a .861 to a .736 to a .767.  We aren't talking a Trout and a .970, or a Pig and a .943, or a Stanton and a .935.  We are talking a sub .800 hitter.  
• We all know his exploits with the arm.  And yet he's been barely over a replacement player this season on D at a 0.6.  His previous seasons, he's been a -1.1 and a -0.5.  
• Moneyball.  What I saw from the movie (OK don't laugh, no way am I going to read a book), OBP is a big part of Beane's thinking.  And Cespedes has a .303 OBP this season.  That puts him 10th on the team for players with over 100 PA's.  

But I do think that Cespedes will crush in that bandbox of Boston.  His skillset fits much better there, than in Oakland.   So it's a win for the Red Sox.  For the A's, the Mausoleum will always be a pitchers park first.  Beane is looking to win now, because on his payroll limitations, now might be it, because tomorrow he might not be able to afford any of the main players.  

[Inside Pitch]

While the A's are definitely better after this trade, according to my best friend who lives in A's territory, it's not a very popular one with the fans. Cespedes is a huge fan favorite up there and a lot of people are pissed he is gone.

 

Winning games will likely make for short memories but it is interesting to see Susan Slusser mentioning that the players are sort of taken aback by the loss of Cespedes.   He was obviously well liked by fans and in the clubhouse.

[sneaky_flute]

Cespedes is overrated but all the posters on the MLB forum are calling for Beane's head LOL. 

[Chimi]

Cespedes is overrated but all the posters on the MLB forum are calling for Beane's head LOL.

I think Cespedes brought excitement to an otherwise boring team. He definitely gave them more personality.

[arch stanton]

Winning games will likely make for short memories but it is interesting to see Susan Slusser mentioning that the players are sort of taken aback by the loss of Cespedes.   He was obviously well liked by fans and in the clubhouse.

I was wondering about the thoughts of the core of the team. Do they think it insulting that being the best team in baseball wasn't enough to keep them from getting parted out. Or are they just wondering how Lester will do when he gets penciled in at 2B.

[HaloMagic]

Luckily for Beane he's a co-owner on the team with the best record in baseball. He doesn't really have to worry about losing his job. And the fans here already don't support that team. The only thing that makes them show up is winning. Which makes Beane's job a little easier. All he has to do is find a way to win. Then the fans will support him.

[HeavenlyHalos]

so...  better.. you know you assume a lot here, but hey i guess thats ok as long as you agree with the consensus.

so again i ask why bother?  2.5 games down, they have an easier schedule, and... they just got better.  season over right?  isnt that the bottom line most of you want to hear?   any attempt to spin this as anything else is immediately beaten into submission and dismissed as ludicrous

At the end of the were in a one game playoff against King Felix and everyone has already said we would lose that so... time for a fire sale then?

 

What the pubes are you talking about?