October 07, 2008
Trades that could have Been
Joe Christensen now thinks Johan Santana for Jon Lester straight up would have been a good trade.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:00 AM
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That Joe Christensen sure is diplomatic given the way the entire proposed package for Santana performed this year for Boston. Of course, time will tell on the Mets prospects they got, but Boston's deal, assuming it was for real sure looks pretty good.
In terms of on-field talent, Santana for Lester is pretty even. In terms of running a franchise, Lester is a far more valuable property: A front-of-rotation talent who's paid at a pre-aribtration rate and is years away from free agency. That gives the Red Sox a huge advantage over the Mets, in terms of allocating resources and building a competitive roster.
I would be surprised if Lester's peak is as good as Johnans... or that he would truely be more valuable in the next few years (not accounting for money and playoffs)
still, as pointed out, all of these are not set in stone until at least 5+ years after the trade.