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Monday, July 30, 2007

Union Leader: Speier: Sox Beat: The best trade ever?

The Derek Varitek Wreck...An excellent look back at the Heathcliff Slocumb deal.

“(Piniella) said we’re not going to win without a bullpen, and we need a guy in the ‘pen,” remembered Marlins scout Roger Jongewaard, who oversaw Seattle’s amateur scouting and player development at the time. “We were desperate at the time. I didn’t think we were THAT desperate, personally, but that’s the way it goes.”

Less than 24 hours later, the Mariners bit hard and traded top prospect Jose Cruz Jr. to the Blue Jays for Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric. When news of that deal made the rounds of front offices, Duquette immediately dialed Woodward.

“I was just praying,” recalled Duquette, “that they’d still have some interest in Slocumb.”

Thanks to A Large Regular.

Repoz Posted: July 30, 2007 at 08:17 AM | 21 comment(s)
Related News: General, History, Boston, Seattle

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1. JPWF13 Posted: July 30, 2007 at 10:32 AM (#2461338)

The Mariners enjoyed a palpable sense of relief. The team believed that its fatal flaw had been addressed.

"We thought we had become better at the time, definitely," recalled Cora. "Varitek and Lowe, we basically didn't know who they were. At the time, we said, 'Who cares? They're in Triple-A--they're not helping us here.'"

Exhibit # 97,875 for the proposition that you shouldn't ask your players for trade advice.

It was a very good trade for the Sox, best ever? Get real.

2. plim Posted: July 30, 2007 at 10:35 AM (#2461340)

almost makes me forget about bagwell for andersen....almost =P

3. Moscow Hiding In The Shadows Posted: July 30, 2007 at 10:40 AM (#2461344)

almost makes me forget about bagwell for andersen....almost =P

or Schilling and Brady Anderson for Mike Boddicker, which was the Red Sox version of Smoltz for Doyle Alexander.

4. Sometimes it Rains (sj) Posted: July 30, 2007 at 10:41 AM (#2461347)

not even close to the best ever, not even close to the best Sox trade in the last 15 years. that would be Pedro for Pavano and other assorted nothings, or Schilling for injured minor leaguers.

5. villageidiom Posted: July 30, 2007 at 10:57 AM (#2461365)

or Schilling and Brady Anderson for Mike Boddicker, which was the Red Sox version of Smoltz for Doyle Alexander.

I remember when I was younger (before the Lowe/Varitek/Slocumb deal) seeing a book that listed the best and worst trades for each MLB team. I don't remember if Ruth for cash or Bagwell for Anderson was listed as the worst, but I distinctly remember it had listed the Boddicker/Schilling/Anderson trade as the team's best.

Back then I used to read the backs of cereal boxes, and Dan Shaugnessy, too.

6. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:06 AM (#2461376)

Bad headline, doesn't really match the article, where this quote seems the closest to saying it. And it says something realistically.

"It was one of the best trades the Red Sox ever made and one of the worst for the Mariners, ever," added Jongewaard. "But you never know that at the time."

7. SoSH U at work Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:11 AM (#2461383)

I remember when I was younger (before the Lowe/Varitek/Slocumb deal) seeing a book that listed the best and worst trades for each MLB team. I don't remember if Ruth for cash or Bagwell for Anderson was listed as the worst, but I distinctly remember it had listed the Boddicker/Schilling/Anderson trade as the team's best.

I find it hard to get worked up over the Boddicker deal. He pitched very well for the club and they won the division two of his three years. He provided just what they were looking for when they acquired him. And while we all know what Schilling's accomplished, it's hard to imagine the Sox would have been the beneficiary of his great years anyway.

8. Sam M. Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:15 AM (#2461391)

that would be Pedro for Pavano and other assorted nothings, or Schilling for injured minor leaguers.

Oh, I don't know about the Schilling trade being better. I think the Sox have gotten more value out of Varitek and Lowe than out of Schilling. You're just still mad about the Diamondbacks making that trade.

9. Russlan is an overhyped Met BTFer Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:16 AM (#2461393)

Johan Santana for Jared Camp? That's pretty damn good.

10. There's a chill wind blowing in Misirlou's soul Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:19 AM (#2461397)

Rick Monday, Bill Buckner, Ivan Dejesus, Larry Bowa, Ryne Sandberg, and Dennis Eckersley for Ken Holtzman.

11. Sir Stamford Raffles Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:21 AM (#2461398)

Johan Santana for Jared Camp? That's pretty damn good.

In a similar vein, Bobby Abreu for 200-odd games of Kevin Stocker.

12. SoSH U at work Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:26 AM (#2461401)

You guys do realize he's not talking about the best trade in baseball history, but Red Sox history.

13. TVerik fondly recalls Todd Palin's facial hair Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:28 AM (#2461404)

On the other hand, I thought the Pedro trade was great for Boston at the time, and I don't know if another single team was transformed as dramatically from the acquisition of one player than the Pedro-era Sox since the Twenties.

14. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:34 AM (#2461415)

You guys do realize he's not talking about the best trade in baseball history, but Red Sox history.

they got Jackie Jensen for Mickey McDermott and Tom Umphlett, but then youse guys are too young to remember that

15. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: July 30, 2007 at 11:46 AM (#2461432)

How about Lyn Lary and cash for Joe Cronin?

16. bond1 Posted: July 30, 2007 at 02:56 PM (#2461771)

Derek Lowe traded his wife for hot blonde babe Carolyn Hughes

17. Softball-Playing Human Refuses to Be Walked Posted: July 30, 2007 at 03:02 PM (#2461783)

The worst part about that is I no longer get Carolyn Hughes eye candy on Fox Sports.

18. karkface killah Posted: July 30, 2007 at 05:38 PM (#2461995)

Derek Lowe traded his wife for hot blonde babe Carolyn Hughes

Well played, sir.

19. Cowboy Popup Posted: July 30, 2007 at 05:47 PM (#2462010)

it's hard to imagine the Sox would have been the beneficiary of his great years anyway.

Good point. Hell Duquette probably would have run him out of town when he was the GM or some other thing would have come up and then he never would have returned.

20. rdfc Posted: July 30, 2007 at 07:31 PM (#2462150)

When I was writing up the Sox' 10 best trades and 10 worst trades for The Ultimate Red Sox Companion</plug>, I debated endlessly about whether the Varitek /Lowe trade or the Pedro trade should earn the #1 spot. In the end, I chose the Pedro deal, but it could have easily gone the other way.

21. Vaux, A.B.D. Posted: July 30, 2007 at 07:39 PM (#2462163)

The great thing about the Schiling/Anderson for Boddicker deal is that Schilling was on the Red Sox team that won it all anyway, so they didn't really lose anything. He wouldn't have been around in the late 90s, when having him would have made a difference.

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Union Leader: Speier: Sox Beat: The best trade ever?

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