Thursday, September 14, 2017

A Big Trade

Sorry I have not been posting much lately.  I have had a lot of other things going on these days.  

Anyway, here is a pretty big trade I worked out recently:
1.  2009 Topps Heritage Chrome Dustin Pedroia.  Good to have Pedroia back in the lineup.  Eduardo Nunez has been good, but Pedroia's defense is terrific.

2.  2012 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Elite Series Deven Marrero.  Marrero does not hit much, but his defense makes him a decent backup infielder.

3.  2014 Topps Heritage Chrome Refractor Jon Lester.  I still think Boston made a mistake in trading Lester away.

4.  2015 Donruss 1981 Press Proof Dustin Pedroia.

5.  2015 Donruss Elite Series Dustin Pedroia.  As you can see, I added some nice Pedroia cards in this deal.

6.  2015 Panini Prizm Camo Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts needs to be more consistent.  He goes through extremes and it gets frustrating.

7.  2015 Panini Prizm Black and White Checker Xander Bogaerts.

8.  2015 Panini Prizm Blue Pedro Martinez.  Pedro is still the most recent Red Sox Hall of Famer.  Hopefully someone will join him next year.

9.  2015 Topps Heritage Chrome Yoenis Cespedes.  Cespedes just did not work out well for the Red Sox.  But he was traded for Rick Porcello who had a Cy Young season last year, so there is that.
10.  2016 Donruss Optic Cyan David Price.  Price has not been as advertised for much of his stint in Boston either yet.

11.  2017 Donruss 1983 Magenta Back Mookie Betts.  Mookie is heating up and just the right time.

12.  2017 Donruss 1983 Season Stat Line Mookie Betts.

13.  2017 Donruss Variation Mookie Betts.  This one is a photo variation of Mookie.

14.  2017 Donruss All Stars Mookie Betts.

15.  2017 Donruss Elite Dominator Mookie Betts.  Lots of Mookie cards here too.

16.  2017 Donruss Elite Dominator Rick Porcello.  Here is last year's Cy Young winner, who has struggled quite a bit this season.

17.  2017 Donruss Elite The Elite Series Hanley Ramirez.  Another player who has struggled quite a bit this season, but the power is still there.

18.  2017 Donruss Optic Chris Sale DK.  For awhile, Sale looked like the runaway Cy Young winner this year.  I think Kluber for the Indians will probably come away with it.
19.  2017 Donruss Optic Jackie Bradley Jr.  He has to win the Gold Glove this year, right?

20.  2017 Stadium Club Mitch Moreland.  Moreland has been a great defensive first-baseman with some decent pop.  He is not likely to be back in Boston next season though.

21.  2017 Stadium Club Dustin Pedroia.

22.  2017 Stadium Club David Ortiz.  Love the photo here.

23.  2017 Stadium Club Contact Sheet Mookie Betts.

24.  2017 Stadium Club Scoreless Streak Chris Sale.

25.  2014 Donruss Elite Elite Series Xander Bogaerts.

26.  2017 Donruss Optic Andrew Benintendi.  I have always loved the old Rated Rookie logo.  Benintendi will finish second in the AL ROY race.

27.  2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Mini Relics Mookie Betts.  I was not originally supposed to get this card, but the other trader was very late in sending the cards and gave me a couple of extras for my patience.  Patience is a virtue.  He did not have to do that and I had no idea he was doing it, but I am very grateful.
28.  2017 Donruss Diamond Collection Yoan Moncada.  This was another throw-in.  I am even happier about this one.

29.  2017 Donruss Optic Prizm Chris Sale DK.  And we end with a nice Sale card.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Topps Now: Aug. 4, 2017

Boston seems like they have played an inordinate number of extra-inning games this season.  The nice thing is that that leaves lots of room for walkoff victories.  And that was the case on Aug. 4 against the White Sox.  First-baseman Mitch Moreland delivered a walkoff home run in the 11th inning against the unfortunately-named Aaron Bummer.  Moreland appears on his first Topps Now card with the Red Sox.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Topps Now: July 26, 2017

Yes, in just his second Major League game, Rafael Devers already went deep.  He would prove to be a very valuable addition to the Red Sox lineup, bringing in some much-needed power.  And of course, he would appear on a lot more Topps Now cards.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Topps Now: July 25, 2017

Rafael Devers already has a lot of Topps Now cards.  It helps being the top prospect for a major market team who just made his Major League debut.  It also helps that he has played quite well since arriving in the Majors.  This is the MLB debut card.  Devers started at third base and was the youngest Red Sox starting position player since Luis Alvarado in 1969.