Red Sox - Dodgers Mega Deal

First the details:

Dodgers get:
Josh Beckett
Carl Crawford
Adrian Gonzalez
Nick Punto
12 million dollars

Red Sox get:
James Loney
Allen Webster
Rubby De La Rosa
Ivan De Jesus
Jerry Sands

Now this is mostly a sign that the Red Sox are blowing up the team and starting over.  Beckett, Crawford, and Gonzalez were their three highest-paid players and potentially all had bad contracts moving forward.  The players the Red Sox received are not stars, though Webster and De La Rosa both have potential.  This was a way for Boston to clear a ton of salary.  The Red Sox will only pay $12 million of the contracts on the four players they are moving, thus saving nearly $260 million through 2017.

This is bittersweet for me.  On the one hand, I am happy they are doing something to move forward.  On the other, I have never seen the Red Sox pull this kind of thing before.  A complete rebuilding without clear replacements for the players lost.  Loney will take over at first, but his numbers are not impressive and he will be a free agent after the season.  Boston does not have a clear first base prospect in the minors after trading Anthony Rizzo for Gonzalez and Lars Anderson earlier this season.  Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia could spend some time there and Mike Napoli will be on the market this offseason.

Boxscore: May 7, 2012: Red Sox 11 Royals 5

For my birthday this year, my wife bought tickets to the Red Sox visiting the Royals on May 7.  This was the first game in six years that I been to, luckily it was another big offensive game for the Red Sox.

Felix Doubront took the mound for Boston on this night.  It was one of his big games after a Red Sox loss.  Doubront pitched 6.1 innings scattering seven hits.  He did give up five runs, only three of which were earned as Will Middlebrooks made an error in the game.  He struck out two and walked three.  This was not one of his better games, but it was enough.  Vicente Padilla pitched the rest of the game for a save.  His eephus pitch was used a few times that night.

The offensive hero of the night was Middlebrooks who connected for a three run home run in the first to right field and then a two run home run in the eighth to left.  He also doubled, going 3 for 5 on the night.  Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run home run and David Ortiz hit a solo shot as well.  Ortiz's was deep to center field.

Every Red Sox starter had at least one hit.  Pedroia and Cody Ross doubled, everyone else contributed at least a single.  Mike Aviles, Darnell McDonald, and Kelly Shoppach each had one hit.  Adrian Gonzalez and Marlon Byrd had two, with Gonzalez driving in a run.  Aviles and Pedroia each stole a base.  Nick Punto made it into the game at the end as a defensive replacement.

There was not a lot to say about the Royals offense.  Mike Moustakas doubled, but all of their other hits were singles.