Mike Cameron agrees to a 2 year, $15.5 million deal with Red Sox

[trwi7]

I'm just glad it wasn't with the Cubs.

[sheetswannabe]

Same thing I said to my friends. Good for him, he's going to play for a great team with awesome history. Miss you Cam-Boogie!

[AJAY]

I guess that means Boston is giving up on signing Jason Bay, right???

 

And yes, thank god Cameron did not sign with the Cubs.

[jjkoestler]

2/15.5 is a nice deal for the Sox. Best wishes Cam.

[DuWayne Steurer]

At that price, I sure wish Melvin would have found a way to keep him.

[Ennder]

This makes up for the Lackey deal, this is a complete steal.

[colbyjack]

I think this is an interesting move. Obviously Theo Epstein values what Cameron brings to the team, but he's going to fall short in matching Bay's production offensively. It sounds as though the Red Sox view him as the replacement in LF, where IMO his defense would be wasted a little (or at least he won't be as valuable) with Ellsbury in CF and Drew (and Hermida given Drew's inability to stay healthy) in RF. Unless the Red Sox have another move up their sleeve, I'm guessing this also takes them out of the running for Matt Holliday.

 

They could sign Adrian Beltre next, going the pitching and defense route, as they would be solid at every position on the field. Their offense would still be potent, although it doesn't appear, unless they make another big move or two, that they will be as dangerous as they were a few years ago, not to mention not nearly as dangerous as the Yankees' lineup.

 

They should easily have the best starting staff 1-5, but I'm wondering if they would have been better off trying to land a big bat like Holliday.

[Milltownhooker]

colby, I bet Boston targets Adrian Gonzalez first in a trade & has Beltre as the fallback.

[dadofandrew]

Reports have him in CF with Ellsbury in LF...Cameron is aging, so he can be expected to decline, especially over 2 years.

[colbyjack]

colby, I bet Boston targets Adrian Gonzalez first in a trade & has Beltre as the fallback.

 

I've heard they could pursue Nick Johnson as well, but yes, Gonzalez would give them another big bat their lineup could use.

 

Reports have him in CF with Ellsbury in LF...Cameron is aging, so he can be expected to decline, especially over 2 years.

 

And I've heard Ellsbury stays put. Regardless, Cameron & Ellsbury is a step down from Ellsbury & Bay. The fact that Cameron is aging and can be expected to decline doesn't help that fact. They will need to get that offense from somewhere else.

 

A full year of VMart behind the plate could do it, as could an acquisition like Gonzalez, but again, at this point in time I think Holliday might have been a better pickup than Lackey + Cameron.

[dadofandrew]

I much prefer Lackey and Cameron to Holliday, as Lackey pitches instead of your now 6th best SP. That said, I'd go with Nick Johnson at 1B and spend money on the bullpen. BOS does not have the prospects left to be shipping 3-4 for Adrian G.

 

Cameron should play CF, as he has a far better arm, but you never know.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Good for Cam. I wish him the best.

[BREWCREW5]

Cameron is reportedly great person and teammate. He is very good defensively. Some on here are in love with the guy. He K's a ton and seems to hit the homerun when it is needed the least, like when you are up by 5 in the top of the ninth.

[Darnell Junior]

Good luck to him. I always enjoyed watching him play.

[homer]

Good for Cam. Two years would have been a bit much for the Brewers to offer, IMO. Glad he's not a Cub - would hate to boo him http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[TooLiveBrew]

I wish Cam all the best, as well. Kinda confusing to see him sign somewhere & not play CF, but he obviously got a nice payday.

 

 

He K's a ton and seems to hit the homerun when it is needed the least, like when you are up by 5 in the top of the ninth.

 

Just like pre-2009 postseason un-clutch A-Rod!

[kramnoj]

Here's hoping Cam helps the Sawx to the playoffs and beyond.

 

I don't know if this speculation belongs here, or deserves its own thread. I figure it somewhat revolves around Cameron, just because he was the pivotal decision that had to be made regarding salary and how much one believes a run is a run.

 

We knew Cam had said that he was willing to make a sacrifice to stay with the Brewers. He was willing to take a paycut, but we don't know if he would have only accepted a one year deal. So, you're the GM of the Brewers, and you can't get the SP you want out of Hardy and you have the option to bring back Cam at a reduced salary, or let him go and invest that money into a SP. You can spend the same amount of money that Melvin has spent so far this year. What could have been, in this otherworld?

 

So far Melvin has spent (for 2010 only)

 

Wolf $9.25M

Hoffman $8M

Hawkins $3.5M

Zaun $2.15M

Counsell $2.1M

Vargas $1M?

 

I get about $26M.

 

Given what we know so far, what would you have done differently?

 

I think I would have brought back Cameron for $8M. I think I would have taken Bowden for Hardy, if that was the best deal available (based on what we heard). I was happy with keeping Hoffman, and I was happy with Wolf, but fully realize that 2012 could easily hurt. That means that I would have spent my money with those 3 players, and would have and Lucroy/Kotteras at C. I would have a better offense, but a weaker bullpen, and less reliability at UI (figure Hurricane for that).

 

That's my strategy with a couple of minutes of thought but not running numbers.

 

Edit:

 

I wrote that the decision would have to be Cameron or a SP, but that is obviously wrong, as Cameron plus a SP could have been done, if sacrifices were made elsewhere. The main point stands, would you like Cameron at around $8M, or money spent in other areas?

[logan82]

I would take out Wolf or Zaun/Hawkins/Counsell/Vargas or Hoffman/Vargas. Any of the 3 I would be willing to do. I really don't much care for anything Melvin has done so far this offseason except maybe the signing of Counsell and Zaun. I would give up either for Cameron any day.

[Baldkin]

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Boston move Ellsbury for Miguel Cabrera.

[TooLiveBrew]

They'd probably have to include Buchholz if they wanted to start talking about Miggy. Not sure if BOS would want to do that or not.

[JoeHova]

I'm sad to see Mike go, I wish he was coming back to Milwaukee next season. At the same time, good for him for getting a 2 year deal, something he wasn't able to do the last time he was a free agent (although that was probably partially because of his impending (at the time) suspension).

[battlekow]

So, in retrospect, bad decision to not offer arbitration to Cameron?

[RightFieldCoder]

If we offered Cam arbitration, Cam might have accepted to spend another year here. I don't think DM had the budget to sign who he wanted to sign and also pay Cam's salary.

 

I'm happy for Cam. I'm also happy I won't have to root against him in '10.

[endaround]

Cameron late and close .239/.386/.358. # of Cameron HRs when greater than 4 run difference 2, within 1 run 8 tie game 3.

[Invader3K]

It's funny to see some of the Sawx fans whining about this. I think some of them would rather have Bay or Holliday, but I think this is the smarter move for them in the long run. And if Cameron is bad next year, they could just go out and sign someone else next off-season anyway.