Wednesday, December 9, 2009

"If the Sox think (newly acquired player) will be their savior, they're in big trouble!"

Just because the Sox acquired a new player doesn't mean they think that player alone is going to take them to the promised land. It means they think they'll be a better franchise for acquiring this player than they were without him.

Sometimes an acquisition is to build depth, like a utility player who doesn't hit well but plays many positions. Or like a pitcher who can give them competent (not necessarily outstanding) innings the rest of the team won't have to pitch (ex. Paul Byrd for starting pitching depth in '08 and '09. Both times there were SoSHers who posted something to the effect of the title of this blog entry, as if the Sox thought Byrd would be a top of the line starter). Or a player who can hit LHP in place of someone in the lineup who doesn't hit well vs. LHP.

Curt Leskanic wasn't acquired in '04 to be a savior, but he helped keep the Sox alive in '04 ALCS Game 4 when the rest of the bullpen was excessively used. Bobby Kielty wasn't acquired in '07 to be a savior, but he helped the Sox win the World Series clincher.

Sometimes an acquisition is for payroll flexibility, in dollars and/or years (ex. the Sox sign player A for 1 year/$4.5 million when better player B is 34 and would have cost 4 years/$45 million).

There are too many possible reasons to think of for one blog entry (ex. trade value, draft pick compensation, etc.), but the point is that it takes many transactions in general to build a team that has a chance to win a championship, not just one acquisition.