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David Pinto comments on the Beckett trade here and here. Both times he notes that the Red Sox are going for "win now" rather than rebuilding -- but it doesn't seem to me like that's a wildly goofy thing to do. The Red Sox are one year off from a World Series victory and they have three postseason appearances in a row; in theory, at least, it makes sense to try and keep the streak going rather than rebuild.
I personally like the trade. The Sox had an abundance of minor league pitching, some of which will contribute next year. Lowell and Youklis between them should solve first and third base. The rotation is something like Beckett, Clement, Schilling, Wakefield, Papelbon, and Arroyo as the backup -- shuffle that as you see fit, but it's about right. The kids plus Timlin could be a good bullpen.
The big problems are in the outfield. Manny's probably gone. Damon's almost certainly gone. Trot Nixon will miss half the year again. I think you really need three outfielders who can start and play reliably and that's a tough set of holes to fill.
