So, a series of Sox moves today heating up the stove.
OC in the OC. Yup, Orlando Cabrera is now with the Angels, for a very decent contract indeed (4 years / $32 million). If Theo moves Mientkiewicz it’ll be like we don’t keep anyone from the Trade. And yet they all seemed to be perfect Sox for those 3 months - goofy (I’ll always remember OC’s handshakes - or at least, that he had a million different special handshakes), great smiles (Dave Roberts). The Sox helped the OC in the end by setting the market in getting Renteria for 4/40. Although I didn’t quite believe I would see the day that the Angels would come to their senses and get rid of David Eckstein.
Dave Roberts to the Padres for Jay Payton and Ramon Vazquez: good move for both sides. Roberts wanted to start, and would you begrudge that of the man who had the Greatest Stolen Base in Sox History? (Granted, the way the Sox have played station-to-station over those years, it’s not like there were really that many great ones, but still…) Vazquez looks like a standard backup infielder in the Ricky Gutierrez mould, while Payton fulfills the backup outfielder / Trot’s Right-Handed Platoon Partner role that Gabe Kapler filled last year. Payton’s 1-year line against LHPs (can’t go back 3 years, that would take his Coors years into account): .283/.369/.401. Nixon’s 3-year line (he hardly batted against LHPs this year, with only 15 ABs): .220/.293/.348.