Beckett blockbuster nets Marlins four prospects

By Jim Callis
November 24, 2005

Since Roger Clemens established himself in the mid-1980s, the Red Sox almost always have had one of the very best starters in the American League. First Clemens, then Pedro Martinez, then Martinez and Curt Schilling in 2004. But when Martinez left for the Mets and Schilling was hurt, the 2005 Red Sox lacked an ace and it showed.

Boston took steps to remedy that shortcoming, completing a seven-player deal with Florida on Thanksgiving. The Red Sox got Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota in exchange for four prospects: shortstop Hanley Ramirez and righthanders Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado and Harvey Garcia.

The Marlins' motivation was financial. The Red Sox will assume the last two years and $18 million on Lowell's contract, and they also face arbitration with Beckett and Mota. They also shed salary in another big trade on Thursday, sending Carlos Delgado to the Mets.

Beckett, a 25-year-old righthander, has yet to achieve the superstardom predicted for him but still has No. 1 starter stuff, not to mention the 2003 World Series MVP award. Beckett can reach the upper 90s with his four-seam fastball, get good sink on his two-seamer at 92-94 mph and make hitters look silly with his curveball. He also has a good changeup. He's coming off his best season yet in 2005, when he went 15-8, 3.38 in 29 starts, though he did make two trips to the disabled list, one with recurring blister problems on his right middle finger and another with a strained left oblique. In 180 innings, Beckett had a 166-58 K-BB ratio while limiting opponents to a .234 average and 14 homers. He has a career 41-34, 3.46 record in 106 games, and his ERA is significantly lower in Florida (3.14) than elsewhere (3.83).

Lowell, 31, is coming off his worst season, having batted .236/.298/.360 with eight homers and 58 RBIs in 150 games. He hit .293/.365/.505 with 27 homers and 85 RBIs in 158 games in 2004, and there has been no explanation for his decline. He did win a Gold Glove at third base in 2005, where he has solid range, good hands and a strong arm. He's a career .272/.339/.461 hitter with 143 homers and 578 RBIs in 989 games.

Mota, a 32-year-old righthander, could be a boost to a Boston bullpen that finished next-to-last in the majors with a 5.15 ERA. Mota was one of the game's top setup men in 2003-04, though he slipped this year when he was bothered by elbow inflammation that landed him on the disabled list in May. He went 2-2, 4.70 with two saves and 14 holds in 56 games. He had a 60-32 K-BB ratio in 67 innings, while opponents hit .254 with five homers against him. When he's right, Mota works primarily with a mid-90s fastball and a plus changeup. He also mixes in a slider. He has gone 22-24, 3.61 with seven saves and 81 holds in 386 career games.

Ramirez, 21, is one of the game's top shortstop prospects but also something of an enigma. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2000, he never has has a breakout year to match his considerable tools. He batted .271/.335/.385 with six homers, 52 RBIs and 26 steals in 122 games this year at Double-A Portland. Ramirez has the bat speed, raw power and pitch recognition to hit .300 with 20-plus homers per season, but he has yet to show the focus and preparation to get him there. He has above-average speed and shortstop range, as well as a plus-plus arm. The Marlins don't have an obvious starter at shortstop, so Ramirez could get a long look in spring training. He struck out in his two big league at-bats in September.

Sanchez, 21, established himself as one of Boston's best pitching prospects after recovering from surgery to move a nerve in his elbow in 2003. He went 9-6, 2.85 in 25 starts between high Class A Wilmington and Porltand in 2005. He had a 158-40 K-BB ratio in 136 innings, and held opponents to a .212 average and 12 homers. Sanchez has a 93-95 mph fastball, yet his changeup might be his best pitch. He's still refining his curveball, though he flashes a solid-average breaker at times.

Delgado, 21, has bounced back strong since missing the 2002 and 2003 seasons following Tommy John surgery. Signed as an outfielder out of Venezuela in 2001, he has a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 98 mph, and his changeup currently is a better pitch than this curveball. He went 7-3, 3.50 with two saves in 33 relief appearances at low Class A Greenville this year. He had a 69-39 K-BB ratio in 72 innings, and opponents batted .215 with three homers against him.

Florida originally signed the 21-year-old Garcia out of Venezuela in 2001. They released him in 2002, and he quickly hooked up with the Red Sox, whose international scouting director at the time was Louie Elajua—the Marlins' director of Latin American scouting when they signed him. Garcia's stuff is very similar to Delgado's. Garcia throws a little harder on a consistent basis, but his secondary pitches haven't made as much progress. He went 3-5, 2.01 with six saves in 32 relief outings at Greenville. In 45 innings, he had a 54-18 K-BB ratio, .275 opponent average and three homers allowed.