Red Sox get RHP Schilling from Arizona in five-player deal


November 28, 2003
PHOENIX (Ticker) - The Boston Red Sox struck the first offseason blow in their century-old rivalry with the New York Yankees.

Boston completed the long-rumored trade for Curt Schilling on Friday, acquiring the hard-throwing righthander from the Arizona Diamondbacks for pitchers Casey Fossum and Brandon Lyon and two minor leaguers.

The deal was announced shortly after Schilling agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Red Sox worth a reported $25.5 million. According to ESPN, the deal also includes a mutual option for 2007 at $13 million.

Arizona's announcement capped a frenetic day in which the Diamondbacks received a one-day extension from Major League Baseball from the original 5 p.m. EST deadline.

"The objective here is to try and get something before you get nothing," Diamondbacks managing general partner Jerry Colangelo said at a news conference. "That's No. 1 and that certainly was the case for Curt."

Schilling will be paid $12 million next season, but it was not immediately clear whether Arizona will pick up any of the existing contract. Colangelo did make clear that there is no acrimony with the three-tiem All-Star.

"Curt was brought here to help us win a World Series. He did that, he pitched for 3 1/2 years with our club," Colangelo said. "He won 58 games with us during that time and did a great job. The fact was, he had one year left on his contract and his chances of him coming back beyond this year were not real strong."

In addition to Fossum and Lyon, Arizona received lefthander Jorge De La Rosa and outfielder Michael Goss.

Boston general manager Theo Epstein had been lobbying Schilling and reportedly had Thanksgiving dinner with the Schilling family in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

The addition of Schilling gives the Red Sox an impressive 1-2 combination with three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez as they try to finally unseat the Yankees in the American League.

Even at 37, Schilling is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. He was 8-9 with a 2.95 ERA during an injury-plagued 2003 season but was 45-13 with 609 strikeouts in 516 innings the previous two years.

Schilling biggest attraction to Boston may be that he helped defeat the hated Yankees in the 2001 World Series. Without a championship since 1918, the Red Sox have watched New York win four in the past seven seasons.

The trade undoubtedly will send shockwaves through the Bronx and possibly push Yankees owner George Steinbrenner closer to a spending spree that could include the re-signing of Andy Pettitte and the addition of Gary Sheffield.

The New York Daily News reported Friday that the Yankees could sign Sheffield by the end of the weekend.

Fossum is the key to the deal for Arizona. Epstein considered the lanky lefty untouchable last winter, refusing to add him in a deal with the Montreal Expos for righthander Bartolo Colon.

Bothered by injuries last season, the 25-year-old Fossum was 6-5 with a save and a 5.47 ERA in 19 games, including 14 starts. He was 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 2002, bouncing between the bullpen and the starting rotation.

Fossum was drafted out of high school by the Diamondbacks in 1996.

"It's only taken us eight years, but he's finally a Diamondback," Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. joked.

Lyon, 24, spent part of 2003 as Boston's closer, going 4-6 with nine saves and a 4.12 ERA in 49 games.

There had been reports earlier this week that the Diamondbacks would follow this trade by obtaining slugger Richie Sexson from the Milwaukee Brewers.

"Monday morning, we go back to work with the phones," Garagiola said.

This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

cbfranchise3 Wrote:This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

yea, you're right. A better thing for the Yankees to get would be a relief pitcher.

cbfranchise3 Wrote:This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

hasnt milwood already resigned with the phillies

flyingswoosh Wrote:

cbfranchise3 Wrote:This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

yea, you're right. A better thing for the Yankees to get would be a relief pitcher.

with clemens gone, and wells aging, they really need to keep pettite, and find some help for him and mussina in the starting rotation

tysramm1 Wrote:

flyingswoosh Wrote:

cbfranchise3 Wrote:This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

yea, you're right. A better thing for the Yankees to get would be a relief pitcher.

with clemens gone, and wells aging, they really need to keep pettite, and find some help for him and mussina in the starting rotation

What happened to Clemens?

He retired.

tysramm1 Wrote:

cbfranchise3 Wrote:This puts pressure on New York to not only resign Pettite but also go after Colon or Millwood.

hasnt milwood already resigned with the phillies

the phillies offered millwood a 3 year contract, worth between 9 and 10 million per year. But Scott Boras said they're looking for 13 million per year over 5-7 years.

9 to 10 million is absurd enough for Millwood, but 13 million is just insane. With the way the economy of baseball has gone down over the past few years, there is no way Millwood should get 9 to 10 million. He was 14-10 with a 4.01 ERA. Those numbers hardly jump out at you. Let's put it this way, Jason Schmidt doesn't even make 6 million/year.

jason shmidt wasnt really recognized as a star pitcher until last year

tysramm1 Wrote:jason shmidt wasnt really recognized as a star pitcher until last year

not exactly. Before he signed his new contract before last season (4 years 30 million), he was coming off a season where he went 13-8 with a 3.45 ERA. Millwood is coming off a season where he went, 14-12 with a 4.01 ERA. tell me which is better.

Also, do you consider Millwood to be a star pitcher?

yea i consider milwood to be a star pitcher

ESPN.com news services
Now that the Red Sox have added Curt Schilling, how long will it take their bitter rivals to respond?


It may not be long. The Yankees' signing of free agent slugger Gary Sheffield is imminent, Newsday reported in its Saturday editions.


According to the newspaper, some details need to be sorted out, but the deal is all but done. Sources close to the situation told Newsday that the contract would be for three years, plus a team option for a fourth year, for a total of $38 million to $40 million.


However, the New York Daily News is reporting that the Yankees won't jump the gun, and will wait to sign Sheffield until after Dec. 7.


That's the last day the Braves can offer arbitration. If they do, and Sheffield turns them down, then Atlanta cannot negotiate with him anymore. That would leave the Yankees as the only serious contender for his services, even though they would still have to give up a draft pick to the Braves.


In any event, it appears Sheffield is heading to the Bronx. The 35-year-old outfielder has played for the Brewers, Padres, Marlins, Dodgers and Braves during a productive, albeit sometimes stormy career. With the Braves last season, Sheffield hit .330 with 39 homers, 132 RBI and 18 stolen bases.


Dwight Gooden, a former Yankee pitcher and Sheffield's uncle, helped convince the All-Star outfielder to go to New York.


The Yankees are looking for a corner outfielder to go with regulars Hideki Matsui and Bernie Williams. Last season, after they traded Raul Mondesi, the Yanks used Karim Garcia, Juan Rivera, David Dellucci and Ruben Sierra in the outfield with mixed results.


Getting Schilling was a high priority for the Yankees. However, the Yankees reportedly could not match the group of minor leaguers that the Red Sox eventually gave up for Schilling.


The Yankees also have their sights set on keeping free agent Andy Pettitte in the Bronx. Free agent Bartolo Colon and Montreal's Javier Vazquez are also on their wish list.

tysramm1 Wrote:yea i consider milwood to be a star pitcher

is this the same millwood who has never strung together two great seasons in a row? He's had under a 4.00 ERA only twice in his 6 year career.

with a lack of good starting pitchers, and the fact that a lot more runs are being scored latley, his numbers over the last couple of seasons are very good

So...
Horacio ramirez
Adam Eaton
Matt clement
Jake Peavy
Brad Penny
David Wells
Brian Lawrence
Jeff Suppan
are all Stars. They must be, considering their ERA's were between 4.00 and 4.20. According to you, these guys are stars. That's a lot of stars. I never knew that some of these number 3 starters were stars.

Since Schmidt's ERA in 2002 was 3.45, he must've been a star. But to me it sounds like you're saying he wasn't a star, while you are calling a very good #2 starter (millwood) a star.

In my mind, star pitcher means 5-7 pitchers in baseball. Millwood is not a star. Schmidt is a star. Pedro is a star. Schilling, Prior, Zito, and a couple others are stars. Stars are the best we have in baseball. A pitcher like Millwood that is IMO top 20 at best is not a star.

Star or not, I want Millie.

i didn't say you wouldn't want him, but my point is that he's not a star. he's a very good #2 starter, but definitely not a 9 million/year pitcher.

I agree. More in the 4-5 million range.

cbfranchise3 Wrote:In my mind, star pitcher means 5-7 pitchers in baseball. Millwood is not a star. Schmidt is a star. Pedro is a star. Schilling, Prior, Zito, and a couple others are stars. Stars are the best we have in baseball. A pitcher like Millwood that is IMO top 20 at best is not a star.

there is a difference between superstars and stars, pedro, zito, shilling, johnson, thats the group of only about 5 players. Then come the stars, very good players, that aren't quite as good, but still very good.