<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>red sox expected to get ML ready OF and pitcher back for lackey from <a href="https://twitter.com/stlcards">@STLCards</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/GordonEdes">@GordonEdes</a> 1st mentioned lackey trade</p>&mdash; Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonHeymanCBS/statuses/494884756165648386">July 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Not a rental.

Just looked into his contract. He is making $15.25 million this year; club option for 2015 of only $500,000.

Hope we didn't give up OT for him. Maybe Grichuk? Jay?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sox get Kelly, Craig for Lackey</p>&mdash; Peter Gammons (@pgammo) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgammo/statuses/494886818702438400">July 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Craig and Kelly for Lackey

Goodbye Craig.

LOVE THIS TRADE.

Jeff Passan ✔ @JeffPassan
Red Sox are sending around $1.75M to the Cardinals. Final trade: John Lackey and ~$1.75M to St. Louis for Allen Craig and Joe Kelly

I imagine Cards fans on this board love this deal as much as other Cards fans hate it.

Great return for a guy who might never bounce back (age 30, foot problems, dimiinishing returns for 3 straight years) and a SP who is the epitome of "JUST A GUY."

IMO

I don't see how you can't like it. Not only do you lose Craig's contract, you open up RF for Taveras (so the manager has to play him) and do away with Kelly who doesn't miss bats very well.

Fenway will eat him up.

Seems like a good one on its face value.

Cardinal thinking assumptions?:

Wacha is done for the year.

Kelly will never get past 5 innings regularly and they can trade a relief guy.

Mo and Matheny differed on OT's playing time and Craig starting.

Craig is just not in a slump but they misjudged him and needed out from under that contract.

Team chemistry needed changing. Lester and AJ are not go along to get along players. Both will call out someone.

Apparently this really "stunned" the clubhouse. They all really liked Craig and Kelly.

Seems pretty easy to me. Don't hit .210 with shitty power numbers and shitty every other number you can imagine, or be an average pitcher or you might get traded.

Thanks for your service guys, good luck.

I don't think this has anything to do with Wacha

The Cards fans I'm seeing freak out about it are not even freaking out about what happens if Craig returns to form (And becomes a .300/.500 SLG guy again).

They're freaking out about Joe Kelly because he had a (LUCKY) 2.67 ERA last despite, despite allowing almost 1.4 runners per inning and striking out practically no one.

Craig might do that, I doubt it, but he may.

But Kelly is the definition of average starting mlb pitcher.

they can continue to like him...If they want to play with him...get traded to Boston