Red Sox, Dodgers Deal Proves Selig's Owner Bias

No Bud, you are not #1; more like a #2.

After hearing earlier today that the mega-deal between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers had been completed, WDHA-FM jock Jim Monaghan and I joked about "where is Bowie Kuhn when you need him?"

Commissioner at the time Kuhn struck down two simultaneous deals back in June, 1976 that were strictly player sales. The circumstances were not the same as today's mega-deal, but the amount of money at the time was comparable to what took place today.

Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley tried to sell Vida Blue to the Yankees and Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Red Sox for a combined $3.5MM. Kuhn said "uh uh" and voided the deals. His decision held up in a court of law.

That brings us today, where the commissioner is Allan Huber "Bud" Selig, a former owner whose moves are all for the owners. He does not have the best interest of baseball in mind, to paraphrase Kuhn (who must be rolling over in his grave), but to maneuver players and money so that the owners continue to make a profit.

Today's deal, which began in talks yesterday, sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers for James Loney and four prospects. Crawford had season ending Tommy John surgery on his left elbow this past Thursday, so he won't have an immediate impact in LA other than his contract.

Crawford was a huge disappointment in Boston and was just finishing up the second year of the seven-year, $142MM contract he signed prior to the 2011 season. Gonzalez was dealt to Boston prior to last season and then signed a seven-year, $154MM deal. Gonzalez recently made headlines as one of the reported players who contacted owner John Henry about firing manager Bobby Valentine. Henry said "...not happening" and Gonzalez is gone. Victory, for now, to Valentine, who could use all the wins he can get.

The Dodgers will be taking on all but $12MM, the amount of money Boston has sent along, on the two major contracts. Beckett still has two years and over $30MM remaining on his deal. Punto is the pauper in this whole thing, owed the remainder of the two-year, $3MM deal he signed last year.

While players aren't being literally sold as Finley attempted back in 1976, for all intents and purposes it's the same thing. The Red Sox get to scrub $248MM off of their payroll (Crawford's 102.5MM for five years + Gonzalez's 126.5MM for six years + Beckett's 31.5MM for the next two years -$12MM sent to LA) over parts of the next six seasons. Loney is playing on a one-year deal that pays him $6.375MM, will be arbitration eligible and will also be in his first year of free agency.

The Red Sox will receive rhp Allan Webster and utility man Ivan De Jesus Jr., plus two minor leaguers to be named later. This past December Baseball America ranked Webster as the number two prospect in the Dodgers' farm system. The 23-year old was selected in the 18th round of the 2008 MLB amateur draft and was at the Double-A level prior to the deal.  De Jesus, son of the former Major Leaguer of the same name, has played 40 games at the big level the past two years and is currently at Triple-A. The 25-year old has produced very average numbers since the Dodgers drafted him in the second round in 2005.

Even if neither prospect, or the two to be added, pan out, the Red Sox freed up their roster of a ton of money that can be spent more economically in the future. But back to the point at hand. The deal should have not been allowed without the Red Sox having to fork over much more money. The team is certainly not hurting for cash, though they will claim otherwise, being all small market and such (Bull#($*). But as usual Selig rubber stamped the deal as he has done any time Boston or Florida has been involved since the nefarious ownership swap of 2002 (Henry from Florida to Boston, Loria from Montreal to Florida, Montreal to the league office).

The only thing worse than this deal was Loria's con job on the fans of Florida for a new stadium and his quick selling off of parts once the Marlins season went into the tank this season.

It's well past time for Selig to go, and it's time for a true unbiased commissioner to take over. Unfortunately, the owners will never let that happen.