Sox interested in Mark Buehrle

[SeanBruschi54]

According to the Boston Herald, "baseball sources" with the Red Sox confirmed Sunday that the team is interested in Mark Buehrle.
However, the newspaper contradicts an earlier report in the Chicago Tribune by saying that the Red Sox are far from desperate to land Buehrle and can afford to be patient. The White Sox are said to want "at least one top-level Red Sox pitching prospect, probably Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester."

No thanks, dont feel like giving up two big farm hands.

 

[stinkypete]

I'm comfortable giving up Buckholtz, not Lester. Lester has already shown that he can be a solid #3 man in the rotation when he's healthy again. Buehrle would be, at best, the #2 guy in our rotation, with some potential downside.

 

[Fixit]

Don't need him.

 

[DarrylS]

Wouldn't give up Bucholz, maybe Lester though, but he is a rental player right now, would not take Buehrle here unless he signed a contract extension.

 

[Foley]

I'd give up Lester way faster than I'd give up Buchholz. Buchholz is doing exponentially better than Lester did at AA, and Lester has always had his flaws as a starter (control, declining K rates, high pitch counts), Buchholz has yet to show any. If everything goes right for Lester he has the chance to be a good major league starter, if everything goes right for Buchholz he has the chance to be a great one. Those who are not familiar with him may not realize how fantastic a prospect he really is, but most scouts view him as one of the top 3-5 pitching prospects in baseball, something that was never said about Lester. And even Bowden who hasn't done great in AA is still 2 years younger than Buchholz and only about half a year behind him... he is easily a few months away from being in the upper echelon of pitching prospects too.

But all that said, if the trade involves Buchholz, Bowden, Lester or Ellsbury, I'd be against it, and I'm pretty sure any potential trade would involve at least one of them.

 

[Urgent]

Given that the Sox are a higher payroll team, with Clement and possibly Schilling coming off the payroll next year, they could more readily accept Buerhle's longer-term cost than many other teams.

Presumably, if they trade for him they are at least serious about an extension. If they win the bidding for Buerhle, it means they beat other teams seeing him as a long term solution.

From Chicago's point of view, they will get a first and a first-supplementary pick for him next year. That's two top prospects that they get to choose. So they are going to expect at least two top prospects back for him.

I look forward to seeing Lester pitch with the Sox. But Buerhle is basically what we hope Lester becomes - a solid #3 pitcher, a lefty in the rotation, a dependable 200 inning guy. A Lester for Buerhle trade just gives the Sox a much more proven, dependable version of Lester. You would have to add another prospect. I assume either a guy like SS Lowrie at AA, or an outfielder like Moss or Murphy.

Then you have a rotation going forward of:
Beckett
Matsuzaka
Buerhle
Buchholz
Schilling/Wakefield/Tavarez/Bowden

Beckett, Matsuzaka, Buerhle, Buchholz, and Bowden would all be locked up long term. Schilling, Wakefield, and Tavarez provide a potential bridge.

If Buerhle goes to free agency, the Yankees can grab him.
If he is traded elsewhere, especially to an NL team, less of a concern for the Sox.

 

[Foley]

My only major gripe with trading Lester to get Buehrle is that I don't see Buehrle being significantly better than Lester in the coming seasons, considering the disparity in their contracts. I've never been an enormous fan of Lester, but he can likely give the team 13-16 wins a season and a 4.20-4.50ERA in the next 5 years while Buehrle can likely give 15-18 wins and a 3.60-3.90ERA in that same span. Certainly Buehrle is better, but with Lester being cost controlled in those 5 years while Buehrle costing about $15M per year the difference in performance evens up.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

I'd give up Lester if an extension was worked out before the trigger is pulled. I would not trade Lester for 3 months of Buehrle + compensation picks.

Buehrle has no good reason to agree to an extension when he is 3 months or so from free agency.

Therefore, I would not trade Lester.

Buchholz is a level of prospect above Lester, so there's no way he enters the equation.

/rant on

I think selling teams do not want to wake up to the reality that prospects are more valued than they used to be. The-idiot-who-must-not-be-named in DC couldn't accept reality and lost Soriano for compensation picks last year (and they didn't even get a #1 because the Cubs's was protected). Every year teams overplay their hands and fail to get anything for their players entering free agency.

And the freaking Mets did no one a favor when they traded away Kazmir a few years ago. every GM thinks that he can rip-off another desperate team. Yes getting a Kazmir is great, but those deals happen less as front-offices get smarter in valuing prospects and you're better off getting something than nothing.

If you want top prospects you have to do what the Marlins did with Beckett or the Indians with Crisp, and trade guys that have a couple years of arbitration left. Teams with money will trade for them and buy them out of arbitration, getting a year or two tacked on. Instead we get GMs trading away 3 months of a player and expecting a haul in return. Idiots.

/rant off

 

[patriotspride]

buehrle is overrated imho.there is no way i give up buchholz even if buehrle signs a exstention .the yankees dont have the top prospects to land buehrle so that isnt a concern .even if they did hes not that good .

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

buehrle is overrated imho.there is no way i give up buchholz even if buehrle signs a exstention .the yankees dont have the top prospects to land buehrle so that isnt a concern .even if they did hes not that good .

In fairness, the Yankees have Hughes and Chamberlain. They just (rightly) refuse to even discuss them.

 

[patriotspride]

In fairness, the Yankees have Hughes and Chamberlain. They just (rightly) refuse to even discuss them.

the point im making is the chokees have far less to offer than the sox do .they have hughes who they wont part with so basically they have nothing to offer the wsox.the redsox have four to five guys down on the farm that other teams would love to have

 

[BradyManny]

I'm comfortable giving up Buckholtz, not Lester.

Have you been living in a cave?

 

[BradyManny]

My only major gripe with trading Lester to get Buehrle is that I don't see Buehrle being significantly better than Lester in the coming seasons, considering the disparity in their contracts. I've never been an enormous fan of Lester, but he can likely give the team 13-16 wins a season and a 4.20-4.50ERA in the next 5 years while Buehrle can likely give 15-18 wins and a 3.60-3.90ERA in that same span. Certainly Buehrle is better, but with Lester being cost controlled in those 5 years while Buehrle costing about $15M per year the difference in performance evens up.

As usual, your Sox related post is on point. Well put.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Buerhle's a solid #3 pitcher and he will help this year. He is making 9.5M though so it may be overkill in terms of the salary. I suppose I'd trade Lester if the short term gain puts the Sox over the top and wins em a World Series. The thing is though, with a 10 game lead, how urgent is making a move for more starting pitching when your team is already one of the best in MLB?

 

[frankiesfly]

Mark isn't going any where he is no longer on the trading block. He will be signing an extension with White Sox.

 

[frankiesfly]

As of tonight Mark Buerhle is now rumored to be going to another team. There was also word that he was seen emptying his locker in Chicago. Mark wants to stay in Chicago but for some reason a deal can't be reached. Mark can be on another team as soon as tomorrow or within the next few days. No team has been named on where he might be going. As far as the Sox they weren't even talked about. I wouldn't doubt that the Sox take interest, it would be a huge addition to an already good pitching staff.

 

[frankiesfly]

Mark Buerlhe is now staying in Chicago. He just signed a 4 year extension.