On Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent a shock wave through the baseball world by acquiring three former All-Stars from the Boston Red Sox. While the San Francisco Giants probably took notice to the moves, they shouldn’t be overly worried.
The Dodgers picked up Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto from the Boston Red Sox (h/t The Associated Press via ESPN). They had to give up James Loney and four minor league players, including two of their top pitching prospects.
The deal seems like an all-in move that should push the Dodgers past the Giants in the NL West race.
San Francisco doesn’t have to worry all that much. Yes, three huge names are moving to the rival dodgers, but only one is actually having a decent season. Crawford will not even see the field until next season due to Tommy John surgery this week.
Josh Beckett is a shell of the dominant pitcher he once was. He is 5-11 this season with a subpar 5.23 ERA. Those stats hardly represent someone who could be counted on during a playoff run. Yes, Beckett used to be dominant; that’s not the case anymore. However, he was 13-7 with a 2.89 ERA in 2011, so he may give L.A. one or two more decent seasons in the future, but not this year.
Gonzalez is the one player in the deal who could be a thorn in the Giants’ side down the stretch. Gonzo is batting .301 with 16 home runs on the season. He returns to his home state and could be in for some big seasons over the next few years. Gonzalez flourished in the National League as a member of the San Diego Padres, belting 161 homers in five seasons.
The Giants currently hold a three-game lead over the Dodgers in the race for the NL West. Although the offense can be lackluster at times, the pitching staff is dominant. Matt Cain is turning into one of the best in the league, and Tim Lincecum seems to be rounding into postseason form.
So, while the Dodgers make all the headlines, the Giants will just keep doing what they do: winning games with pitching and defense.
While this deal seems to be a blockbuster, all it really does is add one big bat to the middle of the order. That’s nothing Cain and the boys can’t handle.
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