Great start by new Sox GM

[Waquoit]

Lackey will miss the entire '12 season for Tommy John surgery. It couldn't hurt. Maybe the time off will give the guy a chance to reflect and he comes back refreshed and rarin' to go.

 

[Deepster]

Lackey will miss the entire '12 season for Tommy John surgery. It couldn't hurt. Maybe the time off will give the guy a chance to reflect and he comes back refreshed and rarin' to go.

That's one way of looking at it, I guess.

You could also look at it as 32 million down the toilet for a really bad 2011 and nothing in 2012.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Anyone read the Globe story about Theo and the Cubs today? Its weird, they are talking about him in Chicago as if he's the GM.
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseba...ask_with_chicago_cubs_is_decidedly_difficult/

Who honestly cares who the President of the Cubs baseball operations is? Can anyone name 3 team's worth of president of baseball ops? Who is Billy Beane's POBO?

In a way this is full circle for Theo as he thought GM meant he was in control and he was continually bummed to find out that he answered to Lucchino. So now he turns into Lucchino.

 

[Danzz]

Lackey will miss the entire '12 season for Tommy John surgery. It couldn't hurt. Maybe the time off will give the guy a chance to reflect and he comes back refreshed and rarin' to go.

Anyone else think that Cherington sounds exactly like Theo? Not just his voice but also his speaking style. It is as if Theo never left.
Lackey wasn't going to be in the rotation anyway so maybe surgery helps everyone save face. It is hard for me to believe that a pitcher who can throw 93 needs Tommy John surgery. A labotomy or shock thearpy may be a better option.

 

[60'sfan]

How someone needing elbow surgery could throw in the mid-90's is indeed a mystery. However, Lackey was a pretty good pitcher for a lot of years and something went awry. Whether he can come back and be the pitcher he used to be in 2013 is something we can only speculate on. The only thing we know for sure is that any chance of off-loading him just flew out the window.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Lackey was untradeable regardless. I think the most interesting part of this is that the Sox likely benefit from some insurance coverage on his contract. I bet that frees up monies much moreso than a trade would. Also they disclosed that the injury triggers a club option for 2015 at MLB minimum. Perhaps the Sox can pick up this option after 2012 (assuming they wait to get 2012 insurance coverage based on higher number) and then average his salary down so instead of 15.95MM (painful to even type) for 2013 & 2014 maybe you average in an extra year at say 500K minimum and its 'only' $10,680,000 for 3 years.

Small consideration, but do out for the season player contracts count towards the luxury tax?

 

[swami7774]

I think the FO had a little talk with Lackey, and "urged" him to get the operation. That way they remove a toxic presence from the roster next year, remove the possibility of some really ugly fan reaction at Fenway, and remove the worst starter in their history from the rotation.
Addition by subtraction. They can eat the money.

 

[zyron]

I think the FO had a little talk with Lackey, and "urged" him to get the operation. That way they remove a toxic presence from the roster next year, remove the possibility of some really ugly fan reaction at Fenway, and remove the worst starter in their history from the rotation.
Addition by subtraction. They can eat the money.

You think he is having an operation that he doesn't need that will make him go through rehab for a year because the front office told him to?

 

[mauconnfan]

Lackey will miss the entire '12 season for Tommy John surgery. It couldn't hurt. Maybe the time off will give the guy a chance to reflect and he comes back refreshed and rarin' to go.

PAVANO

 

[Danzz]

PAVANO

Pavano was throwing 88 down from 93. Big difference.

 

[suzyq]

PAVANO

Is that a suggestion or a warning?

 

[Danzz]

Is that a suggestion or a warning?

I'll take the result Pavano had for Lackey. Pavano went on to have a decent few years in Minnesota after surgery and the Sox would take that out of a refirbished Lackey.

 

[swami7774]

You think he is having an operation that he doesn't need that will make him go through rehab for a year because the front office told him to?

I think every pitcher could have some kind of surgery. I think the FO figured this was an ideal time for Lackey, and he agreed.

 

[suzyq]

I'll take the result Pavano had for Lackey. Pavano went on to have a decent few years in Minnesota after surgery and the Sox would take that out of a refirbished Lackey.

I don't think the source of Lackey's issues resides in his arm.

 

[Deadrody]

Lackey will miss the entire '12 season for Tommy John surgery. It couldn't hurt. Maybe the time off will give the guy a chance to reflect and he comes back refreshed and rarin' to go.

if he needs tj, then "reflecting" is not what he needs. you don't just have TJ for the fun of it

 

[Deadrody]

Lackey wasn't going to be in the rotation anyway

really ? and you base that on what, exactly?

 

[Deadrody]

In a way this is full circle for Theo as he thought GM meant he was in control and he was continually bummed to find out that he answered to Lucchino. So now he turns into Lucchino.

Well, except he is going to hire his own hand-picked GM so they can work together. rumored to be the current padres GM, and his former #2

 

[Danzz]

really ? and you base that on what, exactly?

Oh I don't know, maybe his era over 6 might get the new Sox manager thinking that he would have a better rotation with just about anyone.

 

[Waquoit]

if he needs tj, then "reflecting" is not what he needs. you don't just have TJ for the fun of it

The two things aren't mutually exclusive and a little reflection never hurt anyone. You should try it sometime.

 

[Deadrody]

The two things aren't mutually exclusive and a little reflection never hurt anyone. You should try it sometime.

Feel free to take your own advice. Good lord.

If the man was / is injured, his problem isn't a "lack of reflection".

 

[Deadrody]

Oh I don't know, maybe his era over 6 might get the new Sox manager thinking that he would have a better rotation with just about anyone.

Sorry, but you don't banish a guy making $15+ million to, what, the bullpen for mopup duty ? The fact is, despite his epic level of SUCK, he was still good for 1.5 WAR, valued at $6.8 million if you wanted to replace that production in free agency. Its not hard to imagine Lackey improving on that (before the injury was known)

The idea that he "wasn't going to be in the rotation" unless he was lost to injury is delusional. That would be about the same as assuming Carl Crawford "won't be in the lineup anyhow". He actually contributed LESS war than Lackey and he'll make over 19 million next year. And I guarantee Crawford will be in the Sox lineup next year.