It now rests in the hands of Red Sox upper management where two of their star players will ultimately end up. According to a report from ESPN ScoreCenter, both first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and pitcher Josh Beckett were claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the Sox to either trade them, allow them to leave, or retain them. They are also apparently trying to shop Carl Crawford to L.A. as well, eliminating the two free-agent signings which excited Boston sports fans nationwide. It will be a shame if this deal does go through given Gonzalez’s and Crawford’s still obvious talent, but it would be a move for the best. Clearly these guys are nothing but trouble given the way they’re all being hung out to dry, so why would we want to keep negative energy in a losing clubhouse? Get rid of it and cover up the holes leftover. As I said before, a great hitter can be replaced by two or three solid hitters. And an above-average outfielder can be replaced by a call-up or a free agent of equal ability. Like the other two, an average starting pitcher is also fairly dispensable. While I was at first taken aback by the boldness of this move, I wholeheartedly support it. Let’s start to get this team on the right track before the end of the season, hopefully leading into a fairly progressive offseason. This move should certainly give the team a rise, and while these players may not have been the only problem they are certainly large enough of one to be dealt. This could be the start of new beginnings for the Red Sox, and I could not be more ready to embrace them.
-Ryan Hartley
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August 24, 2012
