Justin Masterson Trade No Master Stroke

When someone feels as though they’ve been wronged and that it demands some sort of response, it’s often suggested that the person writing the letter “sit on it.”  Don’t send out the scathing rebuke into the ether until you’ve let the dust settle. 

Hearkening on the “time heals all wounds” refrain, the aggrieved party typically settles down and the once scathing letter is mollified by more benign phrases.  After all, sometimes, an injustice is actually a boon in disguise.

The sporting world is full of these misconceptions of reality, like the Philadelphia Eagles drafting Syracuse product Donovan McNabb instead of Ricky Williams in 1999; or a beleaguered, unrocket like Roger Clemens leaving the Red Sox after several sub-par years, only to have his thrusters re-ignited in Toronto.

And while the most recent Red Sox transaction—Justin Masterson for Cleveland’s Victor Martinez—has all the potential to be a great deal, the outcome is likely to be another misconception of reality: In short, what looks like a good deal now, won’t look so great when the veneer fades away. 

Not if you’re a Red Sox fan, at least.

In the initial aftermath of the Sox acquiring Victor Martinez, things were looking up at the friendly Fenway confines.  Before embarking on their current six-game road trip, the acquiring of Victor Martinez had all the hallmarks of a steal of a deal.  V-Mart’s numbers speak for themselves: A .545 average (6-for-11) 5 RBI, and an OPS of 1.182 in two games of play at Fenway.  Some truly amazing numbers, no doubt. 

And as impressive as his numbers have been in his week with the Sox, they haven’t been quite as gawdy with the Indians.  Sure, the Vic-meister rounds out the top three catchers in batting average for the year (third only to Joe Mauer and A.J Pierzynski), but his July numbers leave one wanting: a .175 batting average (14-80), 10 RBI, and a middling .530 OBP. 

Anyone can have a bad month, sure, but the point is that the Red Sox weren’t in dire need of batting to begin with. 

With less than 60 games remaining in the regular season, the Red Sox are in the top 10 in batting average (tied for eighth), fourth in runs scored, fifth in RBI, fourth in OBP, and second in doubles (15 ahead of the third place Rays).  That’s in the entire league.

How’s their pitching?  Nowhere near as impressive.

Since the All-Star break, they’re 18th in ERA, have nine losses to their credit (12th worst in the league), and only eight wins (by comparison, the worst team in the league, the San Diego Padres, have the same number of wins).

This from a team that had “too much” pitching at the start of the season.

By trading Justin Masterson, the Red Sox traded a key cog.  His post-season performance last year aside—where he appeared nearly every night and was a crucial component of their making it to the seventh game of the ALCS—he’s already surpassed his 2008 strikeout total, has improved his strike out to walk ratio, and is slated to start for Eric Wedge and the Indians next week, according to multiple reports.

Masterson proved masterful in his first stint with the Tribe Aug. 1, pitching three scoreless innings (45 total pitches), no walks, and four strike outs.   

The best deal for the Sox at the trading deadline would have been no deal at all, certainly not a deal that sends a 23-year-old flamethrower with a linebacker-like physique (6’6”, 250 pounds) to a team with, since the All-Star Break, a better ERA than Boston, more registered Ws than Boston, fewer losses than Boston, more innings pitched than Boston, and fewer earned runs than Boston.

In short, Epstein’s dealing of Masterson was no master stroke.  Martinez’ and Masterson’s respective careers— never-mind the rest of the season—will indicate as such.