Josh Beckett went out on a low note yesterday:

After a string of starts in which Beckett looked like the pitcher he is supposed to be, including an eight-inning, six-hit, no-run outing against the Twins last Thursday, which manager Terry Francona suggested was his best in Boston, Beckett reverted to his old ways last night.

Giving up a two-run home run to Greg Norton in the first inning and that three-run shot to Rocco Baldelli in the seventh in his last act of the season in a demoralizing 11-0 loss to the Devil Rays, Beckett finished 2006 allowing 36 homers.

So, as Francona slowly walked to the mound to lift Beckett, moments after his ERA had ballooned to 5.01 on that swing from Baldelli, the pitcher was sent off with a farewell Francona did not want him to have to endure, the opposite of the one Curt Schilling had experienced the night before.

Beckett, head down, walked slowly off the mound, and away from the criticism and mislocated fastballs that marred his introduction to the Red Sox. ``I expect a lot out of myself," Beckett said. ``I get paid like one of the best baseball players in the world and I expect to be one of the best baseball players in the world. I'm not out there, just content going six innings, giving up three runs every time, everybody talking about how I had a quality start. I'm not interested in that.

`` I expect to go deep in games, eventually when Curt leaves here -- who knows when that will be -- I expect to be the Opening Day starter. That's what I want. These are all stepping-stones toward that."

Altough some to be steps back. The Hardball Times has not updated win shares through last night, but we can get an idea of how the big winter trade worked out. Beckett and Lowell combined to collect 28 win shares, 12 for Josh, 16 for Mike. Given Lowell's 9 last season, that was a big improvement. But Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez combined for 33 win shares; twenty-three by the shortstop and 10 by the pitcher in half a season. To put it simply, the Beckett trade was not a cost effective deal. Despite the improvement in the team's defense, Boston's ERA rose 0.1 runs.

And while we can't forsee injuries to any of these parties, Ramirez is probably going to be playing many more years than Lowell, so if Sanchez pitches okay, this deal was clearly a win for the Marlins. Theo is probably happy this wasn't done on his watch.