Jon Lester & Johnny Gomes to A's, Yoenis Cespedes & Comp Pick to Boston

Now with Lackey gone they could pull off the rare trade of your complete World Series winning starting rotation the very next season trick!

Cespy is going to drive Red Sox fans nuts with his defense. The everyday Cespedes is not throwing everybody out, it's booting a routine ball and hoping he throws somebody out to make up for it. Despite that I'm going to miss him in Oakland. The only surprise in this trade was that it was this year and not next because A's only had him through 2015. He isn't the type of guy the A's would start spending on. Cashing in for an upgraded shot at a title is something A's fans have been waiting for for a very long time.

The funny thing is though that A's fans aren't going to miss his bat all that much. This just opened up more playing time for the three catchers that are raking it right now (Moss/Norris/Vogt). Toss in Gomey and having an Ace on the mound every day? Yes, please.

Surprised Athletics were willing to trade one of their best power hitters to get him.No one left in minors?

SINFULONE said:

Surprised Athletics were willing to trade one of their best power hitters to get him.No one left in minors?

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Nate Freiman !!!

If Oakland signs Lester then oak ***** boston. How or why did Boston not lock up their homegrown ace??

for those who thinks he will resign with boston are dreaming
you just traded your best homegrown starter since Clemens

Cespedes is overrated and overpayed anyway. He's a .240-.250, 25 homer, 80 rbi player with an excellent throwing arm.
He's hyped because he was a great Cuban player and his Home Run Derby wins.

I'm kind of on the fence about this deal. Cespedes is a great player but only under contract until the end of next season. We needed a power OF bat and he seems to fit the build though so that's good. Hope we can extend him past 2015 though to make the trade a little more valuable. I was hoping for a top prospect like Bell or Pederson but everything I read on MLBTR was saying that LA and Pit were very reluctant to trade any of those players, so I'm not too surprised a deal between those clubs did not happen.

I will say this...I don't see any team coming CLOSE to beating Oakland in the postseason. Pitching wins games in October and no team can match them, well execpt maybe for Detriot now that they made that trade but even so, my $$$ is on Oakland. Hope you didn't want a World Series championship this season LA....because once again it's going to be an AL team.


I'm still optimistic that we can work out a deal in the offseason for Lester....and sign Scherzer as well. Hey, a man can dream, right?

onionring9 said:

Cespy is going to drive Red Sox fans nuts with his defense. The everyday Cespedes is not throwing everybody out, it's booting a routine ball and hoping he throws somebody out to make up for it. Despite that I'm going to miss him in Oakland. The only surprise in this trade was that it was this year and not next because A's only had him through 2015. He isn't the type of guy the A's would start spending on. Cashing in for an upgraded shot at a title is something A's fans have been waiting for for a very long time.

The funny thing is though that A's fans aren't going to miss his bat all that much. This just opened up more playing time for the three catchers that are raking it right now (Moss/Norris/Vogt). Toss in Gomey and having an Ace on the mound every day? Yes, please.

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Probably not, we had Gomes in LF who is arguably 10x worse defensively and he doesn't have a cannon for an arm. Gomes made some of the the worst defensive plays I've seen in a long time this season.

Austin said:

Cespedes is overrated and overpayed anyway. He's a .240-.250, 25 homer, 80 rbi player with an excellent throwing arm.
He's hyped because he was a great Cuban player and his Home Run Derby wins.

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Hey we can use one of those guys here in Boston, lol.

scotty216brs said:

I'm kind of on the fence about this deal. Cespedes is a great player but only under contract until the end of next season. We needed a power OF bat and he seems to fit the build though so that's good. Hope we can extend him past 2015 though to make the trade a little more valuable. I was hoping for a top prospect like Bell or Pederson but everything I read on MLBTR was saying that LA and Pit were very reluctant to trade any of those players, so I'm not too surprised a deal between those clubs did not happen.

I will say this...I don't see any team coming CLOSE to beating Oakland in the postseason. Pitching wins games in October and no team can match them, well execpt maybe for Detriot now that they made that trade but even so, my $$$ is on Oakland. Hope you didn't want a World Series championship this season LA....because once again it's going to be an AL team.


I'm still optimistic that we can work out a deal in the offseason for Lester....and sign Scherzer as well. Hey, a man can dream, right?


Probably not, we had Gomes in LF who is arguably 10x worse defensively and he doesn't have a cannon for an arm. Gomes made some of the the worst defensive plays I've seen in a long time this season.

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I am right there with you from that angle. There's no question he's an upgrade from Gomes. I should have said my comment a bit differently because my angle was less about the comparison and more about knowing what Boston is getting. All my Boston buddies only know Cespedes for the HR derby and his arm but have no idea how frustrating he is because of all the routine balls he boots. There is no question this was a win-win for both teams.

But man, that Price deal that just happened. Oof, if/when Oakland and Detroit go head to head, that should be the best series of the entire post-season.

Jon Lester's highest similarity comp on Baseball Reference: Teddy Higuera. Just sayin'. 2. Mark Mulder 3. Cole Hamels 4. Jered Weaver 5. James Shields

Similarity by age: 1. Milwood but 2. Pettitte 3. Beckett 4. Mulder 5. Lackey

You don't see players like Scherzer, Verlander, or Price in those comps. I'm just pointing out that Lester has had great postseasons, great moments, and he doesn't get hurt, but Lester is not the bonafide NUMBA 1 that he's being made out to be today.

onionring9 said:

I am right there with you from that angle. There's no question he's an upgrade from Gomes. I should have said my comment a bit differently because my angle was less about the comparison and more about knowing what Boston is getting. All my Boston buddies only know Cespedes for the HR derby and his arm but have no idea how frustrating he is because of all the routine balls he boots. There is no question this was a win-win for both teams.

But man, that Price deal that just happened. Oof, if/when Oakland and Detroit go head to head, that should be the best series of the entire post-season.

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Yeah I also think it's a win/win for both teams. You are going to LOVE Lester there in Oakland, man he's been lights out all year. I can't see you guys losing a series in the postseason now.

I understand your point about Cespedes defense and I was aware of it, but yeah like I said we had Johnny Gomes in LF for most of the year and he's so so bad to watch. He's a good hitter off the bench, but he's not the guy you want in as a defensive replacement.

RedSoxSoul said:

Jon Lester's highest similarity comp on Baseball Reference: Teddy Higuera. Just sayin'. 2. Mark Mulder 3. Cole Hamels 4. Jered Weaver 5. James Shields

Similarity by age: 1. Milwood but 2. Pettitte 3. Beckett 4. Mulder 5. Lackey

You don't see players like Scherzer, Verlander, or Price in those comps. I'm just pointing out that Lester has had great postseasons, great moments, and he doesn't get hurt, but Lester is not the bonafide NUMBA 1 that he's being made out to be today.

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none of those players are on his level in October and that's what matters to a team like Oakland.

jcmint said:

If Oakland signs Lester then oak ***** boston. How or why did Boston not lock up their homegrown ace??

for those who thinks he will resign with boston are dreaming
you just traded your best homegrown starter since Clemens

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I think it's interesting so many are driving the Red Sox train on here full steam ahead.Sure, they picked up some decent players, but they dealt their best homegrown SP as you mentioned without any guarantee he'll even he back.I can't believe Red Sox haven't resigned him by now.Hell, he said all along he would take less to stay there, he's a proven ace in playoffs, and he's relatively young.Both sides should have been able to work out a deal by now.

hive17 said:

That's $21 million the A's won't be paying the next 2 years. Cespedes figured to be, what, 1/8 of their payroll next year (using this years's opening day payroll)? Oakland doesn't have that kind of money. I always figured they only signed him to trade him once his salary started to increase.

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This was my thought as well. I honestly like this trade for both sides. Boston has the resources to restock (or return Lester) in the winter.

Hey Jon, here's the deal...we all know this season is lost so we need to do some rebuilding a la 2012. We see you as part of the teams future and here's what we envision...The Boston Red Sox would like to send you to a contender and get some missing pieces for next year's team all the while giving you the opportunity to win another world series championship in the meantime. So don't take us trading you as a sign of the Red Sox are not loyal to you. We have every intention of offering you a contract in off season and hope that you can help bring back some championships to Boston in the years to come.

Obviously that's a hypothetical conversation but if you think for a second convos like these don't take place now and again your dreaming.

When Boston signs Lester in the off season, yes I'm saying when vs if doubters will look back and see the pure genius of Boston GM. ;-)

Musial Collector said:

Hey Jon, here's the deal...we all know this season is lost so we need to do some rebuilding a la 2012. We see you as part of the teams future and here's what we envision...The Boston Red Sox would like to send you to a contender and get some missing pieces for next year's team all the while giving you the opportunity to win another world series championship in the meantime. So don't take us trading you as a sign of the Red Sox are not loyal to you. We have every intention of offering you a contract in off season and hope that you can help bring back some championships to Boston in the years to come.

Obviously that's a hypothetical conversation but if you think for a second convos like these don't take place now and again your dreaming.

When Boston signs Lester in the off season, yes I'm saying when vs if doubters will look back and see the pure genius of Boston GM. ;-)

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This is the scenario that I envisioned. Might not happen but if it does then Cherington is a brilliant man.

Weird, weird day to be a Red Sox fan.

scotty216brs said:

none of those players are on his level in October and that's what matters to a team like Oakland.

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My main point is other than this year I've never considered him a true Ace(some of this is to answer why the Sox my not sign him [MENTION=1897]jcmint[/MENTION]). He was a big part of the collapse in 2011, the farce that was 2012, and he's having a career year at the age of 30. He's also used to having proven playoff horses on the same staff, be it Josh Beckett or John Lackey. Now he's the no doubt #1 on a staff with Sonny Gray who is unproven, Jeff Samardzija who is also unproven, Jason Hammel who's just steady and Scott Kazmir who's a total reclamation project. Will Lester perform like an Ace in the postseason? Probably. Just saying it's not a slam dunk and I don't see Lester getting better from here on out either. I also think people are crazy saying that the A's staff matches up to the Tigers.

Postseason Pitching Via Baseball Reference

Detroit

Verlander 7-5 3.28 ERA 1.071 WHIP 10.4 K/9 15 GS
Scherzer 4-2 3.42 ERA 1.139 WHIP 12.0 K/9 9 GS
Price 1-4 5.06 ERA 1.313 WHIP 8.4 K/9 4 GS
Sanchez 2-4 2.92 ERA 1.227 WHIP 10.1 K/9 6 GS

Oakland

Lester 6-4 2.11 ERA 1.043 WHIP 8.0 K/9 11 GS
Gray 0-1 2.08 ERA 1.231 WHIP 8.3 K/9 2 GS
Samardzija 0-0 9.00 ERA 2.000 WHIP 0.0 K/9 0 GS
Kazmir 1-2 5.20 ERA 1.734 WHIP 6.4 K/9 7 GS

I'd take Detroit's staff all day long and Detroit's lineup same thing. I could argue Verlander's been as good as Lester and Price is incredibly shaky but he's never had this much help in the rotation either. Scherzer and Sanchez are definitely better bets in the postseason than any of the Oakland guys.

Not sure why I went on that tangent other than to say I'm pleased with Cespedes back for Lester. Even if the Yo man only does what's been mentioned in this post he's still the best offensive outfielder since Manny the Sox have had. And speaking of Manny [MENTION=1983]onionring9[/MENTION], we all watched him in the outfield too, along with Gomes, Cespedes will look like a gold glover compared to those guys!

Pretty good deal for both teams IMO.

Cespedes isn't over-paid but his price is too high for Oakland to justify unless the guy is putting up HUGE numbers.

They have NO shot at re-signing Lester, but they know that. And don't under-estimate the Gomes addition, particularly his PHing.

However, the Tigers thievery of Price probably makes all the A's moves a moot point anyway...:lol:

Oh wait.

gt2590 said:

Postseason Pitching Via Baseball Reference

Detroit

Verlander 7-5 3.28 ERA 1.071 WHIP 10.4 K/9 15 GS
Scherzer 4-2 3.42 ERA 1.139 WHIP 12.0 K/9 9 GS
Price 1-4 5.06 ERA 1.313 WHIP 8.4 K/9 4 GS
Sanchez 2-4 2.92 ERA 1.227 WHIP 10.1 K/9 6 GS

Oakland

Lester 6-4 2.11 ERA 1.043 WHIP 8.0 K/9 11 GS
Gray 0-1 2.08 ERA 1.231 WHIP 8.3 K/9 2 GS
Samardzija 0-0 9.00 ERA 2.000 WHIP 0.0 K/9 0 GS
Kazmir 1-2 5.20 ERA 1.734 WHIP 6.4 K/9 7 GS

I'd take Detroit's staff all day long and Detroit's lineup same thing. I could argue Verlander's been as good as Lester and Price is incredibly shaky but he's never had this much help in the rotation either. Scherzer and Sanchez are definitely better bets in the postseason than any of the Oakland guys.

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I'm waiting to hear that argument....