The Red Sox agreed with John Lackey to a five-year contract. It looks like it will be for more than the $82.5 million A.J. Burnett received, or about $17 million per year.
Lackey, 31, is 102-71 with a 3.81 ERA in eight seasons with the Angels, and he would join Josh Beckett and Jon Lester at the top of a powerhouse rotation in Boston. The Mariners, Angels and Mets are among the other teams interested in signing Lackey.
If Lackey can return to his pre-injury levels, this contract will be a bargain. Even if he just produces what he did in 2009, the Red Sox are fine. Over the last two seasons, the biggest change in Lackey was the increase in this home run rate from 0.84 per nine to 1.14 per nine. Moving out of the AL West into more friendly home run parks in the AL East might raise that even more.
I’m somewhat surprised the Red Sox would go five years on an older pitcher, but they must be very confident of Lackey’s health. A Beckett, Lester, Lackey rotation will be as solid as they come in the American League.
This signing officially makes Dice-K the best 4 starter in all of baseball now. Thier line-up is unsettling if your’re a Sawk fan though. Is the Lowell deal going to go get done? Does Papi have anything left? I doubt the Sox have a willingness to meet Bay’s asking price….and C’MON really?….are you really going to go with J.D.Drew again in right? And lastly, are Theo, skip Terry Franc and Papelbon going to get along next year? Regardless, that starting staff will keep them in 4 out of every 5 games.
The Angels have become slower, older and are now without their ace. Can it get any worse in Anaheim?