In acquiring right-handed pitcher Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A's, the Boston Red Sox get a Proven Closer on the cheap, giving up nothing they're likely to miss, while the Oakland A's get a package that probably represents fair value but might seem like a weak return given the way the industry and fans alike tend to overvalue that ninth-inning role. I'd do this deal if I'm Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington rather than give Jonathan Papelbon the deal he got from Philadelphia.
Bailey has had trouble staying healthy the last two years, and had Tommy John surgery in college (when he was overworked like he was a disposable item). But when he's pitched, he's been an above-average reliever, helped by a good ballpark and very good defenses behind him.
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Keith Law
ESPN Insider- Senior baseball analyst for Insider
- Was special asst. to Blue Jays GM
- Wrote for Baseball Prospectus
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Keith Law
Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. He appears regularly across the ESPN family of networks, providing analysis on all baseball topics.
Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.
He also writes about food, literature, and other subjects on his personal site, The Dish. Check it out here.
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2012 Top Prospects
- Organizational rankings: Padres on top
- Law's top 100:
Index | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100 - Top 10 prospects by organization
- Top prospects who missed top 100
- Sleeper prospect for every team
- Impact prospects for 2012 (Feb. 13)
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2012 MLB Draft:
- MLB Draft Blog
- Law's Future Fifty (updated 4/10)
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