Henry Disapproves of Crawford Signing
The Red Sox troubles in the clubhouse that were noticeable on the playing field are now spreading to the upper echelons. The latest news: John Henry claiming he disapproved signing Carl Crawford.
It seems almost impossible to believe that an owner would not be in accord with spending so much cash on one player. Henry, who appeared on a Boston radio station on Friday, took the time to clarify that the signing Crawford was purely a baseball decision which he did not agree with at the time.
During the offseason Carl Crawford was signed by the Red Sox to the note of seven-years for $142 million. The left fielder had spent his first nine years in Tampa Bay where he was a perennial thief on the bases. He averaged 45 steals a season while with Tampa. Crawford has never been a power hitter and received power hitting money.
Unfortunately, some baseball organizations have spoiled players to the point where, rather than paying them for what they're worth, they compete with other clubs by outbidding them. Another example would be Jayson Werth not being worth the $126 million he received for seven years with the Nationals.
Carl Crawford came off a very disappointing campaign for the Red Sox. His .255 batting average and .289 on base percentage were close to over 40 points below the average numbers he put up in Tampa Bay.
What makes Henry's statement more demoralizing is the way the season finished for Crawford. With a line drive hit to him, the ball popped off out of his glove as he attempted a shoestring catch. With the dropped catch Crawford's, along with the Red Sox, season was over.
The disjointed clubhouse has created a tough environment for players like David Ortiz. Ortiz has been a major piece in the Red Sox's success in the past couple of years. In an interview with ESPN's Colleen Dominguez he said that there is a lot of drama in Boston causing him to question if he would like to play there next year.
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