Red Sox Are the New Yankees

Columns — By Scott Ham on August 25, 2009 4:04 pm

Remember when it was the Yankees who snapped up people at the deadline, usually eating a decent amount of cash to relieve some team from two months and a few million dollars?  People used to complain that the Yankees were just flexing their financial muscle and taking advantage of other teams.

Well, meet the new Yankees: the Boston Red Sox.

If the $50 million bid just to speak to Daisuke Matsuzaka didn’t convince you that the Red Sox are no longer small market, the amount of money spent on fringe players and pickups this season should.

Now, the Sox have picked up Billy Wagner from the Mets and will pay the remaining dollars on his contract, despite Wagner only being able to pitch every third day.

A curious move for the team with the best bullpen ERA in the AL?  Sure.  But, why not?  If anyone in their pen has options, it’s worth seeing what Wagner can give you if you have the money to spend.

That “if” is all the difference, isn’t it?  It was worth taking a $5 million flier on John Smoltz because the Sox didn’t get their big ticket item this winter (hint: Tex…).  Instead, they’ve spread the wealth around depth on the likes of Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Victor Martinez, and now a few months of Billy Wagner.

Throw enough of it around and something will stick.  It hasn’t exactly worked out for the Sox as of yet, but then, this money was just going to sit there.  It was either go for veteran depth or eat it.

The other factor here, as Rob Neyer and some others have pointed out, is the possibility of the Red Sox offering Wagner arbitration.  If Wagner declines and he is a type A free agent, the Sox would get two draft picks as compensation.  You can be sure the Red Sox are eyeing that little fact as well.

If Wagner blows up, though, that may not be a risk worth taking.

Tags: Billy Wagner, Boston Red Sox