Adam LaRoche traded to Red Sox

[pjalst]

Pearse gets Called up. I just saw this:


Update No. 2, 3:40 pm EDT: Additional (disappointing) details here from the Post-Gazette:

[GM Neal] Huntington confirmed that 1B Steve Pearce(notes) will join the team in Phoenix tomorrow, but that OF Lastings Milledge is not coming. Outfielder Jeff Salazar(notes) will stay.

Huntington also said he expects Pearce to get "an extended look, something he really hasn't had."

The 26-year-old Pearce isn't nearly as interesting as Milledge. Pearce was hitting .287 at Triple-A Indy with 13 homers and three steals in 10 attempts; he's hit .254/.306/.397 in 206 big league plate appearances. John Russell recently described Milledge as "very close" to the majors, so there's still hope.

[Amatter32]

Pearce might not be as interesting as Milledge, but he is worth a look.

[Big Pimpin]

Anyone else besides me see this as a good spot for the Giants to nab Nick Johnson cheap? I mean when the Giants/Nats talk they will say that the Pirates got such and such for LaRoche and they are comparable players.

Nick Johnson is about 10 times the player that Adam LaRoche is. I don't see them being comparable at all.

[converge241]

MLB Trade Rumors

More Moves Could Come For Red Sox
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 22 at 3:32pm CST]
Boston's big acquisition could be a prelude to more moves for the AL Wild Card leaders. GM Theo Epstein said in a conference call this afternoon that his team will continue to be "very active" in discussions around the league, though he addressed the team's main need by adding Adam LaRoche. The 29-year-old first baseman provides the Red Sox with a solid bat against righties and insurance in case Mike Lowell needs time off.

The team added LaRoche to win this year. Epstein said possible compensation picks after the season weren't a key component to the deal because it's "far from a certainty" that LaRoche will rank as a Type A or B free agent after the season. He's not currently ranked as a Type B free agent, but he's on the cusp of becoming one.



Historically, LaRoche's OPS has been 128 points higher after the All-Star break, but the Red Sox aren't expecting monster numbers from their new first baseman. Epstein said the team's defensive metrics rank him as a sound fielder.


LaRoche will join the team in Boston for the weekend series against the Orioles.

[pjalst]

Anyone else besides me see this as a good spot for the Giants to nab Nick Johnson cheap? I mean when the Giants/Nats talk they will say that the Pirates got such and such for LaRoche and they are comparable players.

Nick Johnson is about 10 times the player that Adam LaRoche is. I don't see them being comparable at all.

When he's not on the DL

[CadensDad]

Anyone else besides me see this as a good spot for the Giants to nab Nick Johnson cheap? I mean when the Giants/Nats talk they will say that the Pirates got such and such for LaRoche and they are comparable players.

Nick Johnson is about 10 times the player that Adam LaRoche is. I don't see them being comparable at all.

When he's not on the DL

Unless I'm missing something I don't see how Johnson is "10 times better" than LaRoche, I know his OBP is alot higher but other wise they seem kinda close. (Not trying to be a pain and start something, just not seeing the huge difference.)

Plus N.J. does always seem to miss a lot of time. But my point or really my question is does this lower the package for Nick Johnson?

[Big Pimpin]

Unless I'm missing something I don't see how Johnson is "10 times better" than LaRoche, I know his OBP is alot higher but other wise they seem kinda close. (Not trying to be a pain and start something, just not seeing the huge difference.)

You realize getting on base is the single most important thing to scoring runs, right? Put it this way, you may think some of their stats look similar, but so far this year Johnson has been worth 13.5 runs more than LaRoche, which is almost 1.5 wins. In half a season. He's actually already surpassed LaRoche's entire offensive output from 136 games in 2008. Throw in that Johnson has always been graded as the better fielder of the two, and you come to the conclusion that Johnson is a much better player than LaRoche.

LaRoche is a good platoon guy that won't kill you when he plays against righties. He's moderately useful to a team that has money to burn and can put him in the right situations. Johnson is a damn good player when he's healthy.

[bigken117]

Gammons' insight:

This deal has been on the table for three weeks, and after Boston lost its fourth straight Tuesday and declined to trade Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez, the Red Sox took Adam LaRoche.

The Red Sox will work LaRoche, Mike Lowell and David Ortiz in the 1B, DH and 3B spots, with Kevin Youkilis moving back and forth between first and third.

Boston's team OPS has declined every month, and in the last four years, LaRoche's second-half OPS is .938.

If the bolded part is true, and I take it with a grain, then the Sox must really be worried about Wake, Smoltz, and Dice K.

[BUCCOFAN]

Do Pitt fans really boo LaRoche every time he comes up to bat?

I am not one that booed, (haven't been down to the Burgh this season) but ya, the boo birds were out (watching most of there games on Extra Innings Package). At times. Especially lately. HE is just soooooo inconsistent, it ain't funny. Probably why Bobby Cox and the Braves soured on him three years ago. ONE thing the Buc's and I will miss, will be his GOLD GLOVE play @ 1B. Seriously. This guy can pick it. That alone will help the Sox not that Youk aint any good.....