Grade the Trade: Red Sox trade John Lackey to the Cardinals for Joe Kelly

At the 2014 MLB trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals got on the phone and made a deal. Years later, the deal continues to impact these two franchises. The 2013 World Series foes were able to come together and execute a transaction to help both teams immediately and in the long-term.

Veteran pitcher John Lackey headlined the deal as he went from a floundering Red Sox team to a contending Cardinals squad. Along with Lackey, the Cardinals also received minor league pitcher Corey Littrell. In exchange, St. Louis sent first baseman/outfielder Allen Craig and pitcher Joe Kelly to Boston.

This trade could have turned into a blockbuster deal if things worked out a little better for everyone involved. Lackey’s extensive postseason experience and success made him an incredibly desirable piece for the Cardinals. At the time, Craig and Kelly were no slouches either.

Lackey did pitch well for the Cardinals in the season and a half he spent with St. Louis. Although, he wasn’t too amazing in the final months of 2014 before the Cardinals fell in the postseason.

The following year was far more productive, featuring 13 victories and a 2.77 ERA. This set Lackey up for a big payday from the Chicago Cubs the following season.

Meanwhile, up in Boston, the Red Sox had a much different experience with Craig and Kelly.

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After several really good years with the Cardinals, Craig’s talents took a nosedive. A change of scenery failed to help him get back to producing runs. In just under 200 plate appearances for the Red Sox, Craig hit a pitiful .139. He hasn’t received a big league at-bat since 2015.

Kelly, on the other hand, has managed to turn his career around this season. Like Craig, he struggled early on for the Red Sox. He eventually moved from a starter to a reliever last year where he began to show his value. In 2017, Kelly has been one of the key pieces to the Red Sox bullpen. His job is to set up those later innings for closer Craig Kimbrel. As a still relatively young player, Kelly has found his niche.

At first, the Cardinals won this deal based solely on Lackey’s 2015 season. However, it’s beginning to look like the Red Sox got the better of them.

The fact that Lackey moved to the rival Cubs after his two seasons with the Cardinals should certainly play a factor in grading this trade. Lackey was key in helping the Cubs win the 2016 World Series just as Kelly may be this year for the Red Sox.

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More directly, Lackey’s time with the Cardinals was uneventful. His team won lots of regular season games but never came away with a championship.

Until Kelly’s time in Boston ends, this trade looks like a draw. The ultimate factor will be how far he can go with the Red Sox. After all, that’s the goal in any trade.