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The Boston Red Sox are making up for their poor 2010 season by making a big splash this offseason.

After trading for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez last week from the San Diego Padres, the Red Sox have reportedly signed free agent outfielder Carl Crawford to a 7 year, $142 million contract, according to the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has confirmed the deal as well.

As of Wednesday the Red Sox were not considered Crawford’s first choice, many believed the coveted outfielder was leaning toward signing with the Los Angeles Angels.

Crawford has played in the AL East his entire career as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, so he knows the Red Sox front office is dedicated to building a winner every season.

With the additions of Gonzalez and Crawford, are the Red Sox the favorites to win the World Series next season?

Right now, you’d have to say yes.

Boston nearly made the playoffs last year despite missing major players such as Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury to lengthy injuries. 

With Crawford likely to be the leadoff man in the lineup, the Red Sox finally have a speed demon on the basepaths. Ellsbury’s constant injury struggles have rid the Sox of their only speed threat.

Crawford is a very good fielder, and like most everyone, will probably see his batting statistics improve due to playing 82 games a year in the hitter friendly confines of Fenway Park.

With Crawford playing the role as the best outfielder on the team, and still at a young age, Ellsbury becomes expendable.

Although, coming off a poor season, Ellsbury is not likely to be moved until the tradin deadline, because he currently has perhaps the lowest trade value of his young career.

Gonzalez gives the Red Sox a little bit of everything. His hitting credentials are well known, but he is a superb defensive player, having won two gold gloves.

Gonzalez has accumulated at least 30 home runs and 99 RBIs in each of the least four seasons, and accomplishing this feat in the pitcher heaven of Petco Park in San Diego makes it more impressive.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has done well so far this winter to improve the team, but he has yet to improve the biggest weakness of 2010, the bullpen.

The bullpen roster is likely to be much different on opening day than it is now. With the Red Sox having spent a lot of money on two guys already, they will likely find some cheap, veteran relief pitchers.

With the Red Sox asserting themselves this offseason with a determination to go back to the World Series, their archrival New York Yankees now have to sign Cliff Lee. Do they even have a choice?

The only Yankees headlines this winter were the re-signings of captain Derek Jeter, and hall of famer to be closer Mariano Rivera.

With the additions of Crawford and Gonzalez, the Red Sox have a better all around lineup than the Yankees, and are younger as well.

Boston’s starting pitching is very deep too, and veterans Josh Beckett and John Lackey are sure to bounce back after injuries and inconsistency plagued their 2010 seasons. 

Jon Lester has emerged as a staff ace, and Clay Buchholz has become a player who could be a perennial all star.

The Red Sox are not done loading up for a serious 2011 run, but what they’ve done so far is very impressive.

They have acquired an offensive machine in Gonzalez for not to steep of a price in terms of prospects given up, and have acquired a young and athletic outfield star in Crawford.

But more importantly, they have kept these two players away from their competitors in the American League.

Boston will be fully healthy to start next season, and will be armed with the best lineup Red Sox fans have ever seen.

It’s fair to say, that for now, the Red Sox are the clear favorites to win the 2011 World Series.

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The Boston Red Sox have reportedly signed free agent outfielder Carl Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million contract, which not only drastically improves their lineup and defense, but also puts an immense amount of pressure on the New York Yankees to lock up Cliff Lee.

Two days after trading for Padres slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Theo Epstein has nabbed the No. 2 player on the open market, meaning Brian Cashman must come away with the crown jewel in order to keep pace.

The Bombers have reportedly offered Lee a six-year, $140 million contract, but must now wait as the pitcher mulls over other offers from the Rangers, the Nationals and maybe other clubs.

The Yankees had been eyeing Crawford for some time now, but the need for another outfielder decreased slightly with Brett Gardner’s impressive 2010 campaign and Curtis Granderson’s strong finish to the season.

Still, Crawford, who has stolen 400 bases over the past eight season and has hit over .300 in five of the last six years, would have been a major upgrade from what New York has now.

But, with Lee being their primary target, the Yanks probably didn’t go as far as they normally would in negotiations with Crawford.

This could be a good thing in the end as it frees up some extra cash to throw Lee’s way. If New York had to go to a seventh year with the 32-year-old Lee, they’ll be more willing to do so now, knowing they won’t have to hand out another massive contract this offseason.

The addition of Crawford and Gonzalez to a lineup that already includes Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz gives Boston a clear advantage over the Bombers offensively.

Further, the move makes it even more important that New York increases its pitching depth. Putting Lee behind—or in front of—CC Sabathia in the rotation would give the Yankees the most intimidating 1-2 punch in baseball.

Now they just need to go out and get it done.

Follow me on Twitter at @   JordanHarrison.

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report’s New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com.

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While the Yankees have free agent pitcher Cliff Lee directly in their sights, the Winter Meetings continue around them.

Teams are trying to find talent wherever they can in the hopes of bolstering their respective team for 2011.

While Lee is the biggest free agent on the market, outfielder Carl Crawford is a close second.

Crawford’s combination of speed, power and defense makes him a fit for almost every team. His price tag is going to be very high after another free agent outfielder, Jayson Werth, signed a seven-year, $125 million contract with the Washington Nationals.

Crawford was already going to ask for a contract of around seven years, but it’s going to cost even more to land him than it did Werth because Crawford is a much better overall player.

Going into the offseason, the Yankees were considered the favorites to land Lee since they can offer him the most money. And if Lee wants a chance to play for a contending team every season, the Yankees again appear to most logical destination.

The Yankees have made the first public offer for Lee at six years, $140-150 million.

That’s probably more money than any other team will offer the lefty, and the years are probably the ceiling as well.

But while Lee obviously has to sign somewhere, he and his agent Darek Braunecker haven’t formally engaged any team in negotiations. Instead, they’re biding their time and waiting for something.

Lee is holding the Yankees hostage, preventing them from aggressively pursuing any other free agent. And while the Yankees sit in a holding pattern, the rest of the market is developing around them.

A report is coming out of the Winter Meetings that says outfielder Carl Crawford, potentially the Yankees’ free agent fall-back guy should they loose out on Lee, is going to land with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com is reporting that, according to “multiple high-ranking baseball sources,” the outfielder is expected to land with the Angels.

The Yankees reportedly feel they have enough in their budget to sign both Lee and Crawford. But if they have to keep waiting on Lee just to give them a chance to start negotiating, will Crawford sign with another team?

There are multiple reports that Crawford is the Angel’s No.1 focus and one baseball source said, “It was almost like he’s already on their team.”

The Angels will have to decide exactly how far they’re willing to extend themselves financially to keep Crawford away from teams like the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers or Detriot Tigers that are also interested in the outfielder.

The Yankees need Cliff Lee; it’s no secret. With Andy Pettitte likely to retire and A.J. Burnett unreliable, the Yankees’ starting rotation needs a shot in the arm. Clif Lee is the perfect perscription.

But while they sit on their hands, waiting for Lee to even engage them in talks, Carl Crawford might be slipping through their fingers.

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Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee are still available in Major League Baseball Free Agency. Some of the major names have already landed with new teams including Jayson Werth and Victor Martinez.

That leads to the question of who are the best remaining free agents. While it is a simpler process to measure these players from a numbers standpoint, who are the best value players remaining. In other words, who provides the most “bang for the buck”.

Let’s take a look at the 50 most valuable players still available on the market.

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As soon as GM Theo Epstein & Company completed the trade to acquire Adrian Gonzalez, and long before they boarded a plane for Florida to attend the MLB Winter Meetings, their collective attention immediately turned to other priorities. What is next on the agenda?

Epstein has made it clear the club has a couple of needs that need to be addressed this week: a pair of relievers and a right-handed bat.

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Since Jayson Werth’s surprise signing with the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Philadelphia has been left with a giant void to fill in the outfield. 

Many rumors have been thrown around as to how the Phillies are looking to replace Werth.  Some rumors include signing San Francisco’s Aaron Rowand and moving top prospect Dominic Brown into the starting position.  However, with Jayson Werth out, the Phillies have a lot of freed-up money.  Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford is the top outfielder available since Werth signed on Sunday. The Phillies seem to be passing him by with very little interest.

Why?

Werth brought speed, great defensive ability and a powerful bat to the club.  Crawford possesses these same abilities, and to a point may be able to surpass Werth’s talent.  Over the past five seasons Crawford has 71 home runs, 372 RBI, 240 stolen bases and hit .301. 

In the same time frame Werth has 102 home runs, 343 RBI, 71 stolen bases and hit .268.  While Werth has more power than Crawford, Crawford has more RBI, stolen bases and has a higher batting average than Werth. 

The Phillies already have power in their lineup in the form of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and the occasional power streak of Raul Ibanez.  Their only true base-stealing threats left after the departure of Werth are Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.  Should the Phillies pursue Aaron Rowand, the only speed in the outfield would be Victorino in center field. 

Rowand has clearly lost some speed over the years and Ibanez is relatively slow thanks to age.  Crawford can help stabilize the outfield and also add a very strong arm. 

Crawford could be a strong fit in Philadelphia if they are willing to pay the money now.  Philadelphia has always been a team that focuses on the present more so than the future and the addition of Crawford could help them make another run for the World Series in 2011. 

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WOW!

That’s what came to mind when I read about the Washington Nationals signing OF Jayson Werth to a 7-year $126 million deal. Jayson Werth? Really?

That got me thinking. If Werth can command that kind of money, what is Carl Crawford worth? In the simplest terms, he is worth more. Let’s take a look at a few ways Jayson Werth made sure he is going to get it.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.  With the Jayson Werth deal signed, sealed and delivered, and the Adrian Gonzalez trade done (with the extension to be announced later), the entire baseball world is wondering where Cliff Lee will sign.

Lee’s agent Darek Braunecker today met with the various teams interested in Lee. Braunecker met with New York Yankee and Texas Ranger officials. There was even talk the Boston Red Sox met briefly with Lee’s agent, probably just to keep tabs on what the Yankees are up to.

Anyway, the domino theory is very much in play. Unless guys are offered what is now called “Jayson Werth-type” deals (that means out of their mind contracts in terms of years and money), lots of people are going to wait to decide until after Lee signs.

I have spoken with various people on the floor—including Ken Rosenthal, Jon Heyman, Bill Madden and countless others. I do not like to deal in rumors, but I generally like to ask opinions and then offer my own thoughts.

Some thoughts are met with a “that’s interesting” or “that’s possible,” while a few were met with a quick “never happen.”

Everybody has a story and an idea, but here is what is being discussed now.

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As baseball continues to evolve and new players crop up, talent is becoming a premium.

Small market teams have to keep a different mentality than their large market counterparts. The Kansas City Royals will always operate differently than the New York Yankees; building a team through the draft and using their better players as trade chips rather than sign the big-name players available through free agency.

But while that fact will probably never change, there is a new, alarming trend in baseball which could prove damaging to the game itself.

More and more, teams are signing players to huge contracts that lock their payroll into a single player, thereby preventing them from growing in constructive ways.

There have always been teams like the Yankees (I hate to use them as the example, but they’re the best one), who swoop in a sign players to contracts no other team can match.

In 2008, the Yankees signed first baseman Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million contract. They basically came in at the last moment and bidding against themselves, over paid Teixeira by untold millions.

While it yielded them a World Series Championship, it’s hard to justify Tex’s contract. Most recently, free agent outfielder Jayson Werth signed a seven-year, $125 million contract with the Washington Nationals.

The signing raised eyebrows across the baseball world and many general managers have called the deal “irresponsible.”

Though the owner of the Nationals, Ted Lerner, is one of the richest team owners in baseball, the Naitonals are still a small market team.

Despite fielding a sub-.500 team every season, Nationals fans can look forward to No.1 draft picks every season (Bryce Harper and Stephen Strausberg for example), but having such a huge contract invested in Werth could make it impossible to sign these draft picks to acceptable contracts down the road.

Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, already under contract through 2013, just signed a 10-year, $157 million contract. Tulo is coming off a huge season (.315/27/95), but the contract will take him through age 35 and he has had issues with injury in every season. Since his first full season in 2007, Tulowitzki hasn’t started more than 155 games, and missed 40 games with a broken wrist last season.

With ace Ubaldo Jimenez and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez needing new contracts soon, how much money will the Rockies have to pay them? If it costs them two players to pay Tulowitzki, it wasn’t worth it.

National’s GM Mike Rizzo justified the Werth contract by saying that, in order to lure the big name players to small market teams, sometimes it’s necessary to overpay. In other words, why would a player chose a team less likely to win consistently than a team that is always in contention if not for the money?

A fair point. But such contracts can only hurt in the long run by destroying payroll flexibility. What’s the point if Jayson Werth will be the best player on the team for his entire seven-year contract? Do the Nationals expect to win anything in the next seven years?

Yes, seven years is a very long time, but how many losing seasons have the Pittsburgh Pirates had to endure?

18 if you really don’t know.

People who disagree with me might point out Alex Rodriguez‘s contract (10-year, $275 million signed in 2007) as a long term deal which is beneficial to both sides. A-Rod gets his millions while the Yankees get one of the best offensive players into the middle of the lineup. All true. But can you really say A-Rod is not overpaid, no matter what kind of stats he puts up?

Angels fans are worried now that the Werth contract will price them out of the running for Carl Crawford. They’re worried that if a player like Werth can get seven years and $125 million, how much will a better overall player like Crawford want.

That is the perfect example of the consequences of these big deals. The Angles are the best fit for Crawford, but will they have to go to eight, even nine years and $130-150 million to sign him? Maybe.

Paying players huge, payroll eclipsing salaries isn’t anything new of course, but are we going to see more seven, eight, nine and ten year contracts from small market teams desperate to attract the big players?

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego solving the problems at first and third, there are only two positions left for the front office to address: catcher and left field.

GM Theo Epstein might be happy with Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate with returning captain Jason Varitek serving as the backup, but he will not be happy with the outfield situation. JD Drew and Mike Cameron are in the last years of their contracts and Jacoby Ellsbury is floating about between left and center.

Ideally, the Red Sox need someone to play left and free agent Carl Crawford is not only the best fit, but will likely the best outfielder to hit the market for the foreseeable future. Still, there are doubts about him.

So, here are the reasons he would work as a Red Sox and the reasons he would not.

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