Via MLBTradeRumors come a few tidbits on the Sox from New York Post writer Joel Sherman. Among them: an executive is quoted as saying the Red Sox want Crawford "out in the worst way."
Well, that solves it! Let's trade him!
Among the issues facing the Red Sox in trying to untether Carl from their roster:
1. In a year and a half with the team, he has been awful and/or injured.
2. He is facing Tommy John surgery that is so needed that the player is talking about it openly.
3. He is in an 0-for-17 slump and has a patent pending for "flailing at sliders that bounce in front of the plate." The patent office expects it to be ready in six to eight weeks.
4. Most importantly, Carl is due $102.5 million over his final five seasons of his contract (after this year), which cover his age 31-35 seasons. And considering his last two years are two prime years, and have been awful, it's pretty hard to imagine somebody would take that on without the Sox paying handsomely.
Some of you are probably saying, "Fine, just pay him and let him go." But that's not the answer. Let's say somebody takes Carl and we pay half of the money to him, which probably is unrealistic but let's roll with it anyway. That means we will have paid Carl $85 million for a year and a half of, literally, below-replacement-level play. Wouldn't you rather take the chance with the extra $50 million that he is actually an above-average player once he is healthy? I know a sunk cost is a sunk cost and all that, but I don't believe he's a sunk cost. Yet.
The solution is simple: Schedule the Tommy John surgery, like, yesterday. The recovery process is supposedly much shorter for non-pitchers; it seems to be in the six-months range, so he should be back to normal by February. Let him start next year on time, with the whole team, and leave him in one spot (preferably the 2-hole) in the lineup. Let him have a normal year. If he's still awful, then we can think about selling him off just to free up the roster spot. But we haven't reached that point yet.
