>From Alex Speier (sic) at WEEI.com: This offseason, the Sox shaped their offseason roster primarily through free agency in no small part because of how the team valued the young center fielder. The club contemplated pursuing starter Javier Vazquez<http://audio.weei.com/baseball/boston-red-sox/javier-lopez.htm>from the Braves <http://audio.weei.com/baseball/atlanta-braves.htm>, but it became clear that Atlanta <http://audio.weei.com/basketball/atlanta-hawks.htm>would want a young big-league outfielder in return. In the case of the Sox, according to major league<http://audio.weei.com/baseball/major-league-baseball.htm>sources, that would have meant Ellsbury, a cost the Sox deemed too high. And so, Vazquez ended up with the Yankees (in exchange for Melky Cabrera<http://audio.weei.com/baseball/new-york-yankees/melky-cabrera.htm>and prospects Mike Dunn <http://audio.weei.com/baseball/boston-red-sox/mike-lowell.htm> and Arodys Vizcaino), and the Sox ended up acquiring John Lackey<http://audio.weei.com/john-lackey.htm>as a free agent. The Sox considered pursuing Tigers<http://audio.weei.com/baseball/detroit-tigers.htm>outfielder Curtis Granderson<http://audio.weei.com/baseball/new-york-yankees/curtis-granderson.htm>. But again, doing so would have meant parting ways with Ellsbury (as well as other key pitchers such as Clay Buchholz and/or Daniel Bard<http://audio.weei.com/daniel-bard.htm>), and so, the Sox decided to hold onto their inventory of young talent and round out their outfield with Mike Cameron<http://audio.weei.com/mike-cameron.htm> .
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/alex-speier/2010/05/21/things-we-learned-ellsbury-set-punctuate-key-w?page=0,0 Interesting and troubling. So, by this account, the Sox didn't have as much young talent as the Yankees do to fill the holes on their major league roster. Ellsbury obviously couldn't be included in both deals. And even if they focused on just one deal they would have had to severly ding the major league squad to do it. (Buchholz, Bard AND Ellsbury?!!?.) I'm not sure this passes the smell test. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Red Sox Citizens" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/redsoxcitizens?hl=en.
