Boston dumped two promising lefty's today. The Celtics shipped Al Jefferson (shoots left handed) to Minnesota in a blockbuster deal to get 10-time All-Star Kevin Garnett. And the Red Sox packaged southpaw Kason Gabbard to Texas for former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne. Neither franchise should look back.

Jefferson will eventually be an All-Star. Gabbard is 4-0 and has a promising career. But Al Jefferson is not a franchise player. And Gabbard was not one of the Sox top prospects. By that measure, given what each team (The Sox and C's) got in return, they made the right trades.

Garnett is more Larry Bird than Bill Russell. He's a big man who can shoot, rebound and pass.
What is not to love?

Gagne is not what he once was with the Dodgers---arguably the most dominant closer ever. But after two elbow surgeries and back surgery he is back to being very, very good.

Red Sox starters will feel like they're back... in Little League. 6 good innings is all that will be needed on most nights. Then baseball's best bullpen will take over: Manny Delcarmen, Mike Timlin, Gagne, Hidecki Okijima and Jonathon Papelbon.

The fact that Gagne is willing to accept a role as a setup man to Papelbon tells me he's serious about winning. And by trading away 5 players and two first rounders to get Garnett tells me that Danny Ainge is serious about winning too.

Gagne and Garnett--- it sounds like a French-American law firm. But in Boston, they could holds the key to winning for two proud franchises----one that is long overdue for success and one that can taste it again. Who would have thought 20 years ago that Boston's long suffering fans would root for the Celtics, not the Red Sox. Times have changed, and so too have the Celtics and Red Sox.