Big names are whispered each July as Major League Baseball’s trade deadline nears, but by and large July 31 is inconsistent without significant movement. On Thursday, Billy Beane and Ben Cherington made sure in 2010’s deadline didn’t pass with no blockbuster.Emerging late as a prospective mystery team inside race to accumulate Jon Lester, the Oakland Athletics landed the left-hander in MLB The Show 18 Stubs conjunction with Jonny Gomes and cash through the Boston Red Sox for Yoenis Cespedes as well as a competitive balance pick in 2015.Rapid reaction has labeled the trade as being a win-win even though it well might be, we’ll simply have to wait several months to see the actual way it all plays out.Lester immediately upgrades an unsafe Oakland rotation, that can now feature Sonny Gray, Jeff Samardzija, Scott Kazmir and Lester from the postseason. The Athletics were already considered one in the favorites to win the World Series and adding Lester only increases those odds.The 30-year-old, who'll be a totally free agent after the time of year, won a couple World Series using the Red Sox and features a 0.43 ERA, 0.762 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in three Fall Classic starts (21 innings). If there's one thing the top Oakland’s rotation lacked it absolutely was extensive playoff experience, but that problem has become solved.Lester can be enjoying the most beneficial season of his career in the perfect time. He features a 2.52 ERA, 1.119 WHIP and 149 strikeouts in 143 innings, but his brilliance has become wasted over a Boston team which has regressed since surging with a championship nine months ago. His dominance within the mound not merely allowed Cherington to swing to the fences in a very trade, it increases his price tag as being a free agent this winter.For Lester, the trade boosts his market price. He will stop tied to draft pick compensation, which may have turned some teams from pursuing him.In addition to Lester, the Athletics also acquired Gomes, who enjoyed one among his best seasons in 2012 with Oakland. The outfielder has struggled this holiday season -- .234/.329/.354 in 246 plate appearances -- but with the very least he’ll be comfortable within the clubhouse and also be undeterred with a deep postseason run. He’s a .143/.236/.245 hitter in 55 playoff plate appearances, but used to be a symbol of Boston’s success last fall.Grade for Oakland: A-Beane is shooting for the ring in 2010; despite a reputation of claiming the postseason is really a crapshoot. He thought the handle the Chicago Cubs that brought over Samardzija and Jason Hammel would push the Athletics in the edge, but Hammel may be terrible. He carries a 9.53 ERA and a pair of.118 WHIP in four starts off with Oakland (17 innings).Oakland were forced to part with two valuable pieces, an electricity hitting outfielder which will likely be the top hitter moved ahead on the deadline along with a competitive balance draft pick, for the rental player but this MLB 18 Stubs minimizes risk. Lester seems unlikely to re-sign with all the Athletics, meaning they’ve shed Cespedes’ $10.5 million salary for next season. Gomes will also be a no cost agent this winter.Trading Cespedes costs Beane an enormous potential trade chip next summer and produces a void inside outfield. The Athletics were in place to sacrifice some offense though because they lead baseball in runs scored and rank fifth in OPS (.733).Cespedes is lauded for his power, but his slash line (.256/.303/.464) isn’t nearly as good as you may imagine. As a group, Oakland’s outfielders have hit .268/.340/.440 in 2010. The void in left field might be filled by committee. Gomes will team with Sam Fuld, who is inside mix after having a trade while using Minnesota Twins (for Tommy Millone) within the wake in this deal.The Red Sox were reportedly looking for any nice package for Lester and ultimately pulled the trigger using a deal that didn’t include any top-level prospects. Instead, Cherington adds Cespedes to a outfield which includes produced very poorly plus a draft decide which should be around No. 70 next June. Instead of relying over a prospect that is pumped and seasoned by Oakland, Boston will possess the chance to evaluate and select who they desire their next prized prospect being.Grade for Boston: BThe Red Sox will swiftly be graded how the next ten months progress. Lester caused it to be clear prior to your trade that they understood the business enterprise end and wouldn’t exclude re-signing with Boston when he’s free to in a very few months. If the Red Sox finish up re-acquiring Lester, after landing Cespedes for just a year-plus as well as a high pick, they deserve an A+.It may appear like that would be in the expense from the Athletics, but that’s the situation. Beane got what he wanted in a very rental pitcher in the top of his game for that final three months with the season without parting through an actual prospect.Even if Lester signs elsewhere (see: New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers), the Red Sox still benefit in the deal. They badly needed an increase offensively inside the outfield if Cespedes is constantly on the hit simply for power, he’s under contract only from the end of next season. You shouldn’t eliminate Boston shopping Cespedes next summer either, adding to your potential windfall that originated on this deal. A new long-term deal isn’t out on the question either, something the A’s couldn’t have afforded.The draft pick is usually a more significant piece than even Cespedes, who may have won days gone by two Home Run Derbies with tremendous displays of power, but patience may have to be employed. It's also worth nothing when Boston had held onto Lester and hubby signed elsewhere this winter, they might have received a superior pick as compensation next June.Leading up towards the Oakland trade, the selling price for Lester was believed to become two Grade A prospects. Boston is confident they’ll turn the draft pick in to a top-level prospect, but they also passed on landing another in exchange to get a Major League bat. Lester’s pending free agency and what goes on with Cespedes on the next year will determine if that was obviously a smart sacrifice.
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