Because laughter is the best medicine for abject frustration and despair on the subject of the free falling Red Sox, here's a peek at what happened behind closed doors: (Warning: some NSFW language)
VISITORS' CLUBHOUSE, TROPICANA FIELD, JUNE 27, 2016
DOMBROWSKI: You're killin' me, guys! KILLIN' ME! The goddamn Tampa Bay Rays have lost ELEVEN STRAIGHT and were making us look like the freakin' Chicago Cubs in comparison and what do we do? We give up NINE MOTHERFUCKIN' RUNS in the first three innings! To the juggernaut offense that is the TAMPA BAY FUCKIN' RAYS!
HANLEY: I thought they were the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
PEDEY: Hello? What rock have you been sleeping under for the last 8 years, dude? Last time they were the Devil Rays, Julio Strangeglove Lugo was my double play partner.
DOMBROWSKI: Speaking of double plays, who leads THE MAJORS in grounding into them? YOU, Dustin Luis Pedroia! YOU! Ever thought of putting the ball in the air with the bases loaded and less than two out? Allow me to introduce you to the concept of a sacrifice fly.
EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, PEDEY! How does it feel to get eaten out by the boss man?
DOMBROWSKI: Have you been hanging out with Remy? I was CHEWING OUT Pedey. Speaking of chewing, when you gonna throw something that's not a meatball RIGHT SMACK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATE???
EDUARDO: But my amigo Clay said...
DOMBROWSKI: When did I hire CLAY "BATTING PRACTICE" BUCHHOLZ to be the pitching coach? Speaking of the pitching coach, WHATCHA TALKIN' 'BOUT, WILLIS? The entire pitching staff, save for maybe one certain knuckleballer...
WRIGHT: I'm never pitching in a sauna AGAIN, you hear me?
PRICE: I hear ya, bro! Texas can kiss my ASTRO!
ASTRO: Woof Woof!
DOMBROWSKI: Very apt description of this team's pitching, Astro. Unfortunately, the pickins are slim out on the trade market and Sox Nation will have a stroke if I send Mookie, Xander, Moncada, and Benny to Atlanta for a guy whose last name sounds like the capital of Iran. Hey, is Farrell still breathing over there? I haven't heard a peep outta him about how he's lost control of the clubhouse and how he won't give his best hitter some time to rest his weary limbs.
XANDER: I'm knackered, boss! So completely knackered I don't know where my arms and legs are half the time. The errors, they keep coming because I need a NAP! (Yawns)
MOOKIE: How am I supposed to hit clutch 15-run home runs every time I come to the plate, man? The struggle is real, boss, it's REAL!
FARRELL: Don't mind me. I'm planning my FEXIT. I've brought some candidates to replace me.
WILL FERRELL: Baseball's pretty fun, guys. Remember when I played for a bunch of different teams last year during Spring Training?
PHARRELL: Because I'm HAPPY! Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof. Because I'm HAPPY! Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth. Hire me, Boss, because a HAPPY team is a WINNING team.
TOREY LOVULLO: What am I? Chopped liver?
DOMBROWSKI: Where's Buck Showalter when we need him?
PAPI: He in the O's dugout while they start runnin' away with da division! Me, I'm hella glad this season's my last. My feet, they be KILLIN' me, man!
JBJ: I sure miss my hitting streak. Those were good times, right X-man?
MOOKIE: Shhhhhhh! X is sleeeeeeeeeeeeping because the skip made his tired ass play and risk injuring the limbs he sometimes forgets he has.
PORCELLO: On the bright side, I pitch tomorrow. Cookies anyone? I made them myself and if I do say so, they're delicious.
DOMBROWSKI: I'm sure the Rays will enjoy them tomorrow. Logan Forsythe is fond of chocolate chip, but Evan Longoria prefers peanut butter and Desmond Jennings gobbles up oatmeal raisin.
WRIGHT: Why can't I PITCH in this dome? Knuckleballs LOVE domes. They're nice and climate-controlled. Just ask Wake.
BUCHHOLZ: Whatever. As long as I get to make my next start. I'm going for the record for runs given up in the first inning. How about 7? Over/Under?
PEDEY: Suck it, CLAY! Want me to rip YOU a new one too, because I will. I made Eddie cry.
EDUARDO: I got some rosin in my eye, give me a break!
HANLEY: Remember how I hit a couple of home runs last week? I'm da MAN!
DOMBROWSKI: Then WHY DO YOU INSIST ON LOOKING AT STRIKE THREE WITH THE BASES LOADED??? Can ANYBODY lead this GODDAMN team?
DONALD TRUMP: On the minuscule chance that my campaign funds run dry, I can MAKE THE RED SOX GREAT AGAIN.
DOMBROWSKI: Thanks, but no thanks. NEXT!
BOBBY VALENTINE: Honey, I'm still free! Take a chance on me!
DOMBROWSKI: Um...NO! NEXT!
PEDEY: You could bring that Moncada kid up to play my position and I'll do it. You've SEEN how good I am at lighting a fire under their asses.
DOMBROWSKI: Tempting as it is to cut back on the double plays this team grounds into, you yelled at Eddie and the team still lost. NEXT!
TEK: I hear former catchers make fine managers and nobody can forget how I made A-Rod eat leather back in '04
PEDRO: I can be da pitching coach. I can teach them all to pitch like it's me in 1999.
DOMBROWSKI: Intriguing...
I'm not necessarily advocating that Tek and Pedro, neither of whom have coaching experience, jumping in as manager and pitching coach. However, can the pitching get any worse than it is right now?
Monday, June 27, 2016
Thursday, July 9, 2015
On The Edge
The Red Sox have quietly started digging themselves out of the hole they dug in May and early June as their bats have come alive, led by Xander Bogaerts, Brock Holt, Mookie Betts, and Alejandro De Aza, with some key contributions at the plate by Hanley Ramirez and David Ortiz. Clay Buchholz has put together a string of dominant starts that we hope continues tomorrow night and though the second half. Eduardo Rodriguez has taken a few lumps (and tipped a few pitches) but he looks very promising. Wade Miley has had more good starts than bad ones. Rick Porcello has scuffled big-time, but having Ryan Hanigan back behind the plate helped guide him through a quality start last night in which he earned the W.
Some rather large issues remain, even as their record and outlook on the season has improved. The biggest issue is a bullpen with so few trustworthy options and too many relievers that bring anything but relief (unless you happen to be batting for the opposing team). Outside of Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa (against anyone but the Toronto Blue Jays), and most of the time, Alexi Ogando. Tommy Layne is a serviceable LOOGY, but you don't want him facing many righties. Craig Breslow hasn't been reliable since the 2013 ALCS. Robbie Ross, Jr. is not the guy you want on the mound in a late and close game either. Matt Barnes is getting taken yard just about every time he enters the game. If the Red Sox are going to keep inching toward .500 and climbing the standings, they need to shore up that bullpen.
Would it be worth converting Joe Kelly to a reliever? The Red Sox have done this before with struggling starters such as Andrew Miller and Junichi Tazawa with excellent results. Wade Davis of the Kansas City Royals was also converted from mediocre starter to lights-out reliever. Kelly has the velocity to be a flamethrowing reliever. The command might be a problem, however. If he can tighten his command and control, it's conceivable that he could be the kind of bullpen arm the Red Sox need and he would not come with the prospect cost of relievers outside the organization.
Other than Kelly, the Red Sox could look into Henry Owens as a reliever, at least for the rest of this year. It doesn't mean he won't ever start games again, but if they can solve their bullpen problem without having to make a trade, Owens in the 'pen shouldn't be ruled out. The same could be said for Brian Johnson, although he may be more needed as a starter with Masterson looking more and more like his days of being an effective major league pitcher are behind him.
The next issue would be the first base problem, namely what to do about Mike Napoli. Napoli raked in Spring Training and it looked like his offseason sleep apnea surgery had rejuvenated him. Once the season started, however, he has looked woefully overmatched at the plate, struggling to adjust to what he and the Red Sox perceive as an expanded strike zone. He's only 33, but wasn't Kevin Youkilis around that same age when he seemingly lost his ability to hit a baseball? Being a catcher earlier in his career meant more wear and tear on his body over the years.
Within the organization, they have Brock Holt, Travis Shaw, Allen Craig, and Daniel Nava. Holt has the most ability with the lumber, but he is not built like a first baseman and doesn't hit for enough power. Also, he is too valuable as a super utility player, filling in wherever he is needed. His versatility and his batting average have earned him his first All Star berth. Shaw is a 25-year-old who had mediocre numbers in AAA, which doesn't portend sustained success at the major league level. Allen Craig is also underwhelming in Pawtucket and it doesn't appear that Nava is making a case for himself either.
First base is where the Red Sox may have to bite the bullet and trade for someone if they are still playing good baseball at the deadline. They may have to do so with the bullpen and/or starting rotation as well, but there are more internal options on the pitching side with a chance of working out than there are with first base. If they go on a major tear and feel like a playoff push is realistic (they're not quite there yet), a top of the rotation starter would be in play if only as insurance against Buchholz's health and Rodriguez's being a rookie who may have innings limits.
In stark contrast to the dark days of May and early June (and April, where the starting pitching is concerned), the Red Sox are a fun team to watch. The young core, led by a trio of 22-year-olds in Rodriguez, Bogaerts and Betts, are among the biggest contributors to the team's resurgence. Big Papi may not scare as many pitchers as he used to, but his power hasn't left him. Hanley's glove is best utilized at DH, but it's unrealistic to expect Papi to play first base more than once or twice in a blue moon. His bat, however, is looking more like it did in April, before he crashed into an outfield wall and saw his power and average plummet in May. They appear to be having more fun and playing more cohesively. Who knows how long this will continue? Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Some rather large issues remain, even as their record and outlook on the season has improved. The biggest issue is a bullpen with so few trustworthy options and too many relievers that bring anything but relief (unless you happen to be batting for the opposing team). Outside of Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa (against anyone but the Toronto Blue Jays), and most of the time, Alexi Ogando. Tommy Layne is a serviceable LOOGY, but you don't want him facing many righties. Craig Breslow hasn't been reliable since the 2013 ALCS. Robbie Ross, Jr. is not the guy you want on the mound in a late and close game either. Matt Barnes is getting taken yard just about every time he enters the game. If the Red Sox are going to keep inching toward .500 and climbing the standings, they need to shore up that bullpen.
Would it be worth converting Joe Kelly to a reliever? The Red Sox have done this before with struggling starters such as Andrew Miller and Junichi Tazawa with excellent results. Wade Davis of the Kansas City Royals was also converted from mediocre starter to lights-out reliever. Kelly has the velocity to be a flamethrowing reliever. The command might be a problem, however. If he can tighten his command and control, it's conceivable that he could be the kind of bullpen arm the Red Sox need and he would not come with the prospect cost of relievers outside the organization.
Other than Kelly, the Red Sox could look into Henry Owens as a reliever, at least for the rest of this year. It doesn't mean he won't ever start games again, but if they can solve their bullpen problem without having to make a trade, Owens in the 'pen shouldn't be ruled out. The same could be said for Brian Johnson, although he may be more needed as a starter with Masterson looking more and more like his days of being an effective major league pitcher are behind him.
The next issue would be the first base problem, namely what to do about Mike Napoli. Napoli raked in Spring Training and it looked like his offseason sleep apnea surgery had rejuvenated him. Once the season started, however, he has looked woefully overmatched at the plate, struggling to adjust to what he and the Red Sox perceive as an expanded strike zone. He's only 33, but wasn't Kevin Youkilis around that same age when he seemingly lost his ability to hit a baseball? Being a catcher earlier in his career meant more wear and tear on his body over the years.
Within the organization, they have Brock Holt, Travis Shaw, Allen Craig, and Daniel Nava. Holt has the most ability with the lumber, but he is not built like a first baseman and doesn't hit for enough power. Also, he is too valuable as a super utility player, filling in wherever he is needed. His versatility and his batting average have earned him his first All Star berth. Shaw is a 25-year-old who had mediocre numbers in AAA, which doesn't portend sustained success at the major league level. Allen Craig is also underwhelming in Pawtucket and it doesn't appear that Nava is making a case for himself either.
First base is where the Red Sox may have to bite the bullet and trade for someone if they are still playing good baseball at the deadline. They may have to do so with the bullpen and/or starting rotation as well, but there are more internal options on the pitching side with a chance of working out than there are with first base. If they go on a major tear and feel like a playoff push is realistic (they're not quite there yet), a top of the rotation starter would be in play if only as insurance against Buchholz's health and Rodriguez's being a rookie who may have innings limits.
In stark contrast to the dark days of May and early June (and April, where the starting pitching is concerned), the Red Sox are a fun team to watch. The young core, led by a trio of 22-year-olds in Rodriguez, Bogaerts and Betts, are among the biggest contributors to the team's resurgence. Big Papi may not scare as many pitchers as he used to, but his power hasn't left him. Hanley's glove is best utilized at DH, but it's unrealistic to expect Papi to play first base more than once or twice in a blue moon. His bat, however, is looking more like it did in April, before he crashed into an outfield wall and saw his power and average plummet in May. They appear to be having more fun and playing more cohesively. Who knows how long this will continue? Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
A Brief Ray of Sunlight
This Red Sox season has been horrible in every sense of the word. The list of what has gone wrong for the team is getting longer every day. However, even in the worst of seasons, there are bright, shining moments and Brock Holt provided such today by being the first Red Sox player in nearly two decades to hit for the cycle in a 9-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves. He started his 4-hit game with a double off the Monster in the first inning. In the fifth, he singled to right. In the seventh, he extended the Red Sox lead with an opposite-field dinger. Finally, in the eighth, he hit a triple to the deepest part of the ballpark to complete the cycle. You can see all of those hits here.
Brock Holt has been on the short list of things that have gone right for the Red Sox this year. That list includes Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts. Straddling the "good" list and the "bad" list have been Mookie Betts and Eduardo Rodriguez, who was clearly on the "good" list before getting lit up like a Christmas tree by the Blue Jays on Sunday. He can make it back on the good side by bouncing back with a strong outing on Friday against the Royals. Mookie has shown flashes of the dynamic player we saw last year, but he still has some adjustments to make. Holt is a super utility player whose bat forces its way into the lineup more often than not. He's hitting over .300 for the year and he can play any position but pitcher and catcher. Lots of dead weight needs to be removed from this roster, but Brock Holt is a keeper.
Brock Holt has been on the short list of things that have gone right for the Red Sox this year. That list includes Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts. Straddling the "good" list and the "bad" list have been Mookie Betts and Eduardo Rodriguez, who was clearly on the "good" list before getting lit up like a Christmas tree by the Blue Jays on Sunday. He can make it back on the good side by bouncing back with a strong outing on Friday against the Royals. Mookie has shown flashes of the dynamic player we saw last year, but he still has some adjustments to make. Holt is a super utility player whose bat forces its way into the lineup more often than not. He's hitting over .300 for the year and he can play any position but pitcher and catcher. Lots of dead weight needs to be removed from this roster, but Brock Holt is a keeper.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Hope? Nope.
Like the fabulous Opening Day win in Philly, the weekend's
three-game sweep of the A's and the 7-run eighth inning on Sunday was a
mirage in the hot, dry desert that is the Red Sox 2015 season. After
Monday's off-day, the horribly inconsistent offense ruined another great
outing by Eduardo Rodriguez. Tonight, Sandoval and Porcello showed
off their epic bust potential, the former by getting stupid on the
basepaths trying to stretch a single into a double (after Xander was out
for doing the very same thing) and the latter by giving up 5 runs.
Heaven forbid they actually carry forth some momentum after pulling off
their first series sweep of the season.
Of course, the team they swept, the Oakland A's, have an even worse record than the Red Sox, so it's not as if they swept a contending team like Twins, Astros, or (shudder) Yankees. The Red Sox are, even if their record doesn't show it yet, by far the worst team in the division. Most of the time, they play as if they would rather not win. There are bright spots on this team (Pedey, Xander, Holt, EdRod, and, for the most part, Buchholz) but the guys who were supposed to carry the offense and hit for power (Hanley, Ortiz Sandoval, Napoli) have an all-or-nothing approach at the plate and have failed miserably, except for Hanley in April. Ortiz, sad to say, looks washed up, as does Napoli. Sandoval (He's not Panda to me until he plays better) looks like something out of the Carl Crawford/Edgar Renteria book. Joe Kelly, Wade Miley, and Clay Buchholz have been more consistent than Rick Porcello (is he the pitching version of Crawford?). Mookie is suffering from Sophomore Slump. Rusney is raw at the plate and in the field.
Most of the disinterested and unfocused play falls on the players themselves, but poor leadership from the field coaches as well as the front office and ownership should be held accountable too. Fundamentals are lacking across the board and they are heading for their third losing, last-place finish in four years. This ownership team did a great job of bringing the Red Sox three world series championships in 10 years and they had the Red Sox competing for the better half of the 2000s, but the 2010s, with the exception of 2013, have been a different story and it's fair to wonder whether the days of the Red Sox being a consistent contender are behind them as long as Fenway Sports Group is at the helm.
Of course, the team they swept, the Oakland A's, have an even worse record than the Red Sox, so it's not as if they swept a contending team like Twins, Astros, or (shudder) Yankees. The Red Sox are, even if their record doesn't show it yet, by far the worst team in the division. Most of the time, they play as if they would rather not win. There are bright spots on this team (Pedey, Xander, Holt, EdRod, and, for the most part, Buchholz) but the guys who were supposed to carry the offense and hit for power (Hanley, Ortiz Sandoval, Napoli) have an all-or-nothing approach at the plate and have failed miserably, except for Hanley in April. Ortiz, sad to say, looks washed up, as does Napoli. Sandoval (He's not Panda to me until he plays better) looks like something out of the Carl Crawford/Edgar Renteria book. Joe Kelly, Wade Miley, and Clay Buchholz have been more consistent than Rick Porcello (is he the pitching version of Crawford?). Mookie is suffering from Sophomore Slump. Rusney is raw at the plate and in the field.
Most of the disinterested and unfocused play falls on the players themselves, but poor leadership from the field coaches as well as the front office and ownership should be held accountable too. Fundamentals are lacking across the board and they are heading for their third losing, last-place finish in four years. This ownership team did a great job of bringing the Red Sox three world series championships in 10 years and they had the Red Sox competing for the better half of the 2000s, but the 2010s, with the exception of 2013, have been a different story and it's fair to wonder whether the days of the Red Sox being a consistent contender are behind them as long as Fenway Sports Group is at the helm.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Dare We Hope?
After two 4-2 wins over the Oakland A's, the Red Sox looked to be facing the inevitable 4-0 loss with the "My Kingdom For Some Run Support" Buccholz on the mound. Buchholz was far from his best and lasted less than 5 innings, but, from what his teammates had shown him, he would need to have shut out the A's to have a chance of getting the W. The Sox were down 4-0 going in the 8th inning and they were 1-26 when trailing after the 7th, as clear an indictment as there will ever be of the lack of resilience of the 2015 squad.
But something happened in the 8th that seemed unthinkable given the way the Red Sox have played this season: They came from behind late in the game and put up a 7-run inning! It all started with Rusney Castillo's first home run of the season. The Red Sox saw 11 batters step up the plate in the 8th, with the biggest hit coming off the bat of Xander Bogaerts, who took his team from trailing by one run to leading by one run with a 2-run double off the Monster. Alexandro De Aza and Rusney added some insurance to make it 7-4 and unlikely closer Tommy Layne set the A's down in order in the 9th to nail down the win.
Games like this can get a team who has been stuck in quicksand all season headed in the right direction. Or they can be anomalies--bright spots in an otherwise miserable season. I would like to think the June 7 game against the A's was the former, but this season has given me little reason for such optimism. They were facing the team with the worst record in the American League, although they just came off of a sweep of the Tigers and they had given the Yankees fits a few weeks back.
Amid all the depressing statistics this team has amassed, none more damning than the -42 run differential for the month of May, there have been some bright spots on this team. The pitching has been solid more often than not after a horrid April. Eduardo Rodriguez has looked like a beacon of hope in his first two starts. Xander Bogaerts has been another bright spot, improving both his offense and defense after an underwhelming rookie year laboring under Mike Trout-esque expectations. Two 22-year-olds cannot be expected to carry the team, however. That's just not fair. However, if there is a time for the Red Sox to show they are capable of going on a winning streak, it's now. Momentum is on their side and they have the chance to do some damage in the AL East. Whether they will do so, however, remains to be seen.
But something happened in the 8th that seemed unthinkable given the way the Red Sox have played this season: They came from behind late in the game and put up a 7-run inning! It all started with Rusney Castillo's first home run of the season. The Red Sox saw 11 batters step up the plate in the 8th, with the biggest hit coming off the bat of Xander Bogaerts, who took his team from trailing by one run to leading by one run with a 2-run double off the Monster. Alexandro De Aza and Rusney added some insurance to make it 7-4 and unlikely closer Tommy Layne set the A's down in order in the 9th to nail down the win.
Games like this can get a team who has been stuck in quicksand all season headed in the right direction. Or they can be anomalies--bright spots in an otherwise miserable season. I would like to think the June 7 game against the A's was the former, but this season has given me little reason for such optimism. They were facing the team with the worst record in the American League, although they just came off of a sweep of the Tigers and they had given the Yankees fits a few weeks back.
Amid all the depressing statistics this team has amassed, none more damning than the -42 run differential for the month of May, there have been some bright spots on this team. The pitching has been solid more often than not after a horrid April. Eduardo Rodriguez has looked like a beacon of hope in his first two starts. Xander Bogaerts has been another bright spot, improving both his offense and defense after an underwhelming rookie year laboring under Mike Trout-esque expectations. Two 22-year-olds cannot be expected to carry the team, however. That's just not fair. However, if there is a time for the Red Sox to show they are capable of going on a winning streak, it's now. Momentum is on their side and they have the chance to do some damage in the AL East. Whether they will do so, however, remains to be seen.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Red Sox Front Office Has To Learn A Hard Lesson
The Red Sox organization is going to have to learn the hard way that the wishful thinking method of roster construction could lead them to their third losing season in four years. The entirely unexpected 2013 championship run was a lightning-in-a-bottle scenario and the Red Sox front office deluded themselves into thinking that they can get away with filling a roster with second or third-tier players for shorter contracts and be competitive every year.
For 2014, after letting Ellsbury walk to their archrivals, they assumed that Jackie Bradley, Jr. would seamlessly assume center field. Plan B: Reclamation project Grady Sizemore. They also brought in AJ Pierzynski, who was poor defensively and never lived up to his offensive hype, not to mention the reputation for being a poor clubhouse presence. The result: Last place in the AL East and a 71-91 record.
This off-season, they signed two big offensive targets Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, but they failed to improve their starting rotation after trading Jon Lester and John Lackey at the deadline last year. Instead, they traded for Rick Porcello (a #3 who could be a #2 with a proper ace leading the staff) and Wade Miley (#3 or #4 at best), and signed reclamation project and former Red Sox Justin Masterson. Remaining from the 2014 rotation were Joe Kelly and the maddeningly inconsistent Clay Buchholz. Result so far: Second worst ERA in the majors and last place in the AL East with a 14-17 record.
Not only is the pitching the problem so far this season, but the offense that was assumed would offset the runs allowed by the rotation has gone AWOL with runners in scoring position, just like it did last year. David Ortiz is showing signs of age-related decline and Mike Napoli, who raked in spring training, has been toting a brutal sub-Mendoza average. Promising youngster Mookie Betts has not quite lived up to his potential with the bat and reserve outfielders Nava and Craig have been non-factors at the plate. Both of the presumed catchers for 2015 are lost for the season, forcing Blake Swihart to come up before he is ready.
Would another losing season and more empty seats at Fenway shake the Red Sox brass out of their delusions that they can get by with chasing mediocrity as long as they don't get saddled with long, expensive market-value contracts for aging players? Or will they start drafting more high-ceiling pitchers so they can "grow their own ace"? If they do finish under .500 again this year, a major overhaul is needed in the front office to get them back to winning consistently like they did in the mid-late 2000s. They are a large market team with a payroll around $200 million who has no business being cellar-dwellers more often than not.
It is still early in the season, but there is no shortage of holes in this team that may not be able to be fixed from within the farm system or in trades. Whether or not a new pitching coach will be able to turn things around with the rotation remains to be seen. The RISP problem still remains, even with a new hitting coach this year and needs to be addressed. It's going to be a long, uphill battle to contention for the 2015 Red Sox and possibly for future teams too if the front office remains set in their ways.
For 2014, after letting Ellsbury walk to their archrivals, they assumed that Jackie Bradley, Jr. would seamlessly assume center field. Plan B: Reclamation project Grady Sizemore. They also brought in AJ Pierzynski, who was poor defensively and never lived up to his offensive hype, not to mention the reputation for being a poor clubhouse presence. The result: Last place in the AL East and a 71-91 record.
This off-season, they signed two big offensive targets Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, but they failed to improve their starting rotation after trading Jon Lester and John Lackey at the deadline last year. Instead, they traded for Rick Porcello (a #3 who could be a #2 with a proper ace leading the staff) and Wade Miley (#3 or #4 at best), and signed reclamation project and former Red Sox Justin Masterson. Remaining from the 2014 rotation were Joe Kelly and the maddeningly inconsistent Clay Buchholz. Result so far: Second worst ERA in the majors and last place in the AL East with a 14-17 record.
Not only is the pitching the problem so far this season, but the offense that was assumed would offset the runs allowed by the rotation has gone AWOL with runners in scoring position, just like it did last year. David Ortiz is showing signs of age-related decline and Mike Napoli, who raked in spring training, has been toting a brutal sub-Mendoza average. Promising youngster Mookie Betts has not quite lived up to his potential with the bat and reserve outfielders Nava and Craig have been non-factors at the plate. Both of the presumed catchers for 2015 are lost for the season, forcing Blake Swihart to come up before he is ready.
Would another losing season and more empty seats at Fenway shake the Red Sox brass out of their delusions that they can get by with chasing mediocrity as long as they don't get saddled with long, expensive market-value contracts for aging players? Or will they start drafting more high-ceiling pitchers so they can "grow their own ace"? If they do finish under .500 again this year, a major overhaul is needed in the front office to get them back to winning consistently like they did in the mid-late 2000s. They are a large market team with a payroll around $200 million who has no business being cellar-dwellers more often than not.
It is still early in the season, but there is no shortage of holes in this team that may not be able to be fixed from within the farm system or in trades. Whether or not a new pitching coach will be able to turn things around with the rotation remains to be seen. The RISP problem still remains, even with a new hitting coach this year and needs to be addressed. It's going to be a long, uphill battle to contention for the 2015 Red Sox and possibly for future teams too if the front office remains set in their ways.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
If You Wanna Win This Ballgame...
This song is sung to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It"
If you wanna win this ballgame, score ten runs!
If you wanna win this ballgame, score ten runs!
'Cuz the pitching is so crappy, Red Sox Nation isn't happy
'Cuz the only way to win is score ten runs!
The starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
The starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
They can't get through the sixth inning and the bullpen they are thinning
'Cuz the starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
Their winning record won't last very long
Their winning record won't last very long.
Their pitching will catch up to them and losses will start rolling in
If they don't hurry up and fix what's wrong.
If you wanna win this ballgame, score ten runs!
If you wanna win this ballgame, score ten runs!
'Cuz the pitching is so crappy, Red Sox Nation isn't happy
'Cuz the only way to win is score ten runs!
The starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
The starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
They can't get through the sixth inning and the bullpen they are thinning
'Cuz the starting pitchers aren't up to snuff.
Their winning record won't last very long
Their winning record won't last very long.
Their pitching will catch up to them and losses will start rolling in
If they don't hurry up and fix what's wrong.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
Starting Off With A Bang (Or Five)
The Red Sox offense made a big statement on Opening Day in Philly, clubbing 5 big flies off of Phillies pitching, 4 off of Red Sox offseason trade target Cole Hamels, to bash their way to an emphatic 8-0 win over the Phillies. Clay Buchholz set the tone by pitching 7 shutout innings of 3-hit ball and the bats backed him up big-time. Pedey and Hanley each went yard twice, with Hanley's second dinger being of the grand salami ilk. Leadoff hitter Mookie Betts hit one out as well, and got on base at total of three times. Pedey flashed the leather as well as the lumber, making sure anybody and everybody knew that rumors of his decline were greatly exaggerated.
Today's opening game was the kind of best-case scenario game that characterized the 2013 Red Sox. It's exciting and it can set the tone for great things in 2015, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. There are 161 games to go. However, starting out with a dominating 9-strikeout performance from a guy they are relying on heavily to front the rotation (along with Wednesday's starter Rick Porcello) is an encouraging sign. The truest test will be how Buchholz, Porcello, and the rest of the team perform against the tougher teams in the league, but it sure is better to win against the teams you are (on paper) supposed to beat than to have them beat you.
An energized offense will make this season fun to watch and if the rotation and bullpen can keep the team in the game, the season will be closer to 2013 than to 2012 and 2014. Coming into 2015 with a true leadoff hitter helps. This was sorely lacking in 2014, save for some good stretches with Brock Holt in the first half. Mookie is an advanced hitter for being just 22 and he's a spark plug at the top of the order. Strengthening the middle with Hanley and Panda in the offseason let Pedey return to his natural spot as the #2 hitter. When they return to an AL ballpark on Friday, they will have a 3-4-5-6 of Papi, Hanley, Napoli, and Panda. Victorino, Bogaerts, and Hanigan will make for a rather strong bottom of the order.
Tomorrow's an off day (weird Opening Week schedule) and Wednesday, Porcello, who just signed a 4-year extension, toes the rubber against Harang. Baseball's back!
Today's opening game was the kind of best-case scenario game that characterized the 2013 Red Sox. It's exciting and it can set the tone for great things in 2015, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. There are 161 games to go. However, starting out with a dominating 9-strikeout performance from a guy they are relying on heavily to front the rotation (along with Wednesday's starter Rick Porcello) is an encouraging sign. The truest test will be how Buchholz, Porcello, and the rest of the team perform against the tougher teams in the league, but it sure is better to win against the teams you are (on paper) supposed to beat than to have them beat you.
An energized offense will make this season fun to watch and if the rotation and bullpen can keep the team in the game, the season will be closer to 2013 than to 2012 and 2014. Coming into 2015 with a true leadoff hitter helps. This was sorely lacking in 2014, save for some good stretches with Brock Holt in the first half. Mookie is an advanced hitter for being just 22 and he's a spark plug at the top of the order. Strengthening the middle with Hanley and Panda in the offseason let Pedey return to his natural spot as the #2 hitter. When they return to an AL ballpark on Friday, they will have a 3-4-5-6 of Papi, Hanley, Napoli, and Panda. Victorino, Bogaerts, and Hanigan will make for a rather strong bottom of the order.
Tomorrow's an off day (weird Opening Week schedule) and Wednesday, Porcello, who just signed a 4-year extension, toes the rubber against Harang. Baseball's back!
Monday, March 30, 2015
Player to watch for 2015: Mookie Betts
With all the bitching I have done about the underwhelming Red Sox starting rotation, the 2015 squad's offense should be exciting and fun to watch. Besides the high-profile additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo "Panda" Sandoval, on of the key reasons for watching while the Sox are up at bat is Mookie Betts. Mookie, who played 52 games for the moribund 2014 team was one of the few bright spots last summer as he slashed .291/.368/.444 with 5 HR and 18 RBI and adjusted remarkably well to a position switch from 2B to CF. Mookie is charismatic, high-energy, and fills the leadoff hitter void left by Jacoby Ellsbury. Only 22, he has advanced plate discipline and can frustrate pitchers at the plate and on the basepaths.
At the start of Spring Training, Victorino was named the starting right fielder and it was up to Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo to duke it out for the right to patrol center field. Rusney injured his oblique before Grapefruit League games even started and Mookie made absolutely certain that center field was his for the taking, hitting a blistering .452 so far, making some webgem catches along the way. For his part, Castillo has recovered from his injury and made a case of his own, but Mookie has nailed down center field, meaning Castillo has to upset the oft-injured vet Shane "Shanf" Victorino for RF, with LF belonging to Hanley Ramirez.
With the addition of two middle-of-the-order bats, Dustin Pedroia can return to his familiar spot in the two-hole while Mookie bats leadoff. Big Papi will bat third, with Hanley in cleanup and the Panda fifth. Mike Napoli, rejuvenated after a gruesome-but-necessary sleep apnea surgery, bats sixth, which leaves either Rusney or Shanf in the seven-hole, Xander Bogaerts eight and Ryan Hanigan ninth. That lineup should do a lot more damage than the flimsy 2014 edition. The pitching is a dead horse I've already beaten, but the ascension of Mookie Betts, in addition to Xander Bogaerts, should once again make the Red Sox a weapon of pitcher destruction when they're up to bat.
At the start of Spring Training, Victorino was named the starting right fielder and it was up to Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo to duke it out for the right to patrol center field. Rusney injured his oblique before Grapefruit League games even started and Mookie made absolutely certain that center field was his for the taking, hitting a blistering .452 so far, making some webgem catches along the way. For his part, Castillo has recovered from his injury and made a case of his own, but Mookie has nailed down center field, meaning Castillo has to upset the oft-injured vet Shane "Shanf" Victorino for RF, with LF belonging to Hanley Ramirez.
With the addition of two middle-of-the-order bats, Dustin Pedroia can return to his familiar spot in the two-hole while Mookie bats leadoff. Big Papi will bat third, with Hanley in cleanup and the Panda fifth. Mike Napoli, rejuvenated after a gruesome-but-necessary sleep apnea surgery, bats sixth, which leaves either Rusney or Shanf in the seven-hole, Xander Bogaerts eight and Ryan Hanigan ninth. That lineup should do a lot more damage than the flimsy 2014 edition. The pitching is a dead horse I've already beaten, but the ascension of Mookie Betts, in addition to Xander Bogaerts, should once again make the Red Sox a weapon of pitcher destruction when they're up to bat.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Can The Red Sox Hit Their Way Past Rotation Shortcomings?
The Red Sox offseason so far has been a puzzling one. On one hand, they loaded up on offense by signing both Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. On the other hand, they waded in the pool of mediocrity when building their pitching rotation. After failing to top the Chicago Cubs' offer to sign Jon Lester (and perhaps souring negotiations with him by lowballing him last March, then trading him to Oakland at the deadline), they loaded up on mid-rotation arms, leaving a gaping hole at the top.
Of the arms they did add, Porcello has the most potential of roughly approximating an ace. He had his best season yet in 2014, with a 3.43 ERA and 1.231 WHIP. He's 26 years old, heading into his prime years. Still, expecting him to lead a rotation at this point in his career is downright unfair. He's a newcomer to the team and the pressure-cooker market that is New England. In Detroit, he was a mid-back rotation starter by virtue of being on the same team as Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander. He has more years of MLB experience than your average 26-year-old, since he broke into the bigs at the tender age of 20 in 2009. However, he would benefit from being the number 2 guy instead of the guy who is relied upon to stop a losing streak or start the first game of a hypothetical playoff series.
The guys behind Porcello, including Justin Masterson, Wade Miley, Joe Kelly, and the enigmatic Clay Buchholz don't inspire a wealth of confidence. Masterson is coming off of a horrific season in which his ERA was in the high fives. Wade Miley has been up and down and recently recorded an ERA in the fours playing for a National League team. Joe Kelly is a back of the rotation type, as we saw in the two months after the deadline. That brings us to the most maddening pitcher the Red Sox have since the departure of Daisuke Matsuzaka. When Buchholz is good, he is very, very good. When he is bad, as he was last year, it's painful to watch. Then there is keeping him off the DL, which is a challenge unto itself. He has not shown enough year-to-year consistency to be counted on to lead the rotation.
James Shields is still available, but his asking price is sky-high given his age and his tendency to be a flyball pitcher. Jordan Zimmerman and Doug Fister would be an upgrade on the current rotation, but the Nationals have no pressing need to trade them, unless they want to clear salary. Therefore, they have all the leverage and can ask for the moon, the stars, and a couple of planets thrown in for good measure. Bringing Jon Lester back was the Red Sox' best chance at building a strong rotation for 2015 without sacrificing the team's best prospects.
The rest of the AL East is not looking all that spectacular. The Rays still have a higher-ceiling rotation than the Red Sox, but they lost quite a few offensive players this winter. The Orioles have lost a few stars of their own and they haven't upgraded their rotation either. The Blue Jays have had an offseason similar to the Red Sox, loading up on offense while not improving much on the rotation. The Yankees have Tanaka, if he's healthy, as well as Pineda. However, the rest of the rotation stacks up pretty evenly with that of the Sox.
However "meh" the AL East looks, the Central and West could easily crush any dreams the Red Sox might have of playing deep into October should they slug their way through a bottom-heavy rotation to win the division or sneak into a Wild Card berth. The 2005-esque rotation could make them a one-and-done candidate, especially in the expanded Wild Card era where one game decides who advances to the division series.
Is it really fair to the offense to expect them to pick up the slack from a so-so pitching rotation? If the Red Sox bats feel like they have to put up 3 or 4 runs every night, they will start pressing, which rarely produces good results. The Red Sox offense spent pretty much all of 2014 pressing, particularly the multiple rookies expected to carry their weight. We saw where that got them, even early in the season, when the pitching was usually very good. If the rotation overperforms, a la 2013, they have a chance to return to October baseball. However, there is just as much, if not more, potential for disaster with as many question marks as the Red Sox have toeing the rubber. An ace may only pitch every five games, but he takes some pressure off of the rest of the rotation and gives the offense a bit of a breather.
Of the arms they did add, Porcello has the most potential of roughly approximating an ace. He had his best season yet in 2014, with a 3.43 ERA and 1.231 WHIP. He's 26 years old, heading into his prime years. Still, expecting him to lead a rotation at this point in his career is downright unfair. He's a newcomer to the team and the pressure-cooker market that is New England. In Detroit, he was a mid-back rotation starter by virtue of being on the same team as Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander. He has more years of MLB experience than your average 26-year-old, since he broke into the bigs at the tender age of 20 in 2009. However, he would benefit from being the number 2 guy instead of the guy who is relied upon to stop a losing streak or start the first game of a hypothetical playoff series.
The guys behind Porcello, including Justin Masterson, Wade Miley, Joe Kelly, and the enigmatic Clay Buchholz don't inspire a wealth of confidence. Masterson is coming off of a horrific season in which his ERA was in the high fives. Wade Miley has been up and down and recently recorded an ERA in the fours playing for a National League team. Joe Kelly is a back of the rotation type, as we saw in the two months after the deadline. That brings us to the most maddening pitcher the Red Sox have since the departure of Daisuke Matsuzaka. When Buchholz is good, he is very, very good. When he is bad, as he was last year, it's painful to watch. Then there is keeping him off the DL, which is a challenge unto itself. He has not shown enough year-to-year consistency to be counted on to lead the rotation.
James Shields is still available, but his asking price is sky-high given his age and his tendency to be a flyball pitcher. Jordan Zimmerman and Doug Fister would be an upgrade on the current rotation, but the Nationals have no pressing need to trade them, unless they want to clear salary. Therefore, they have all the leverage and can ask for the moon, the stars, and a couple of planets thrown in for good measure. Bringing Jon Lester back was the Red Sox' best chance at building a strong rotation for 2015 without sacrificing the team's best prospects.
The rest of the AL East is not looking all that spectacular. The Rays still have a higher-ceiling rotation than the Red Sox, but they lost quite a few offensive players this winter. The Orioles have lost a few stars of their own and they haven't upgraded their rotation either. The Blue Jays have had an offseason similar to the Red Sox, loading up on offense while not improving much on the rotation. The Yankees have Tanaka, if he's healthy, as well as Pineda. However, the rest of the rotation stacks up pretty evenly with that of the Sox.
However "meh" the AL East looks, the Central and West could easily crush any dreams the Red Sox might have of playing deep into October should they slug their way through a bottom-heavy rotation to win the division or sneak into a Wild Card berth. The 2005-esque rotation could make them a one-and-done candidate, especially in the expanded Wild Card era where one game decides who advances to the division series.
Is it really fair to the offense to expect them to pick up the slack from a so-so pitching rotation? If the Red Sox bats feel like they have to put up 3 or 4 runs every night, they will start pressing, which rarely produces good results. The Red Sox offense spent pretty much all of 2014 pressing, particularly the multiple rookies expected to carry their weight. We saw where that got them, even early in the season, when the pitching was usually very good. If the rotation overperforms, a la 2013, they have a chance to return to October baseball. However, there is just as much, if not more, potential for disaster with as many question marks as the Red Sox have toeing the rubber. An ace may only pitch every five games, but he takes some pressure off of the rest of the rotation and gives the offense a bit of a breather.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Bitching About The Pitching
It's official. Jon Lester is a Chicago Cub now. I wish him all the best and if he can bring a championship to the Cubs, the Windy City could very well be renamed Lestertown. I don't begrudge his decision. After all, it's not like he signed with the Yankees. I still respect him and what he did for the Red Sox while he was here, helping them win two World Series. That being said, I'm sure going to miss him and I sure as hell wish he were the Red Sox' 2015 Opening Day starter.
As of now, it's anyone's guess who takes the hill on Opening Day because this rotation has no leader. Buchholz may be the longest tenured member, but trying to predict which version of him the Red Sox will get in 2015 is a fool's errand. Someone with such a high ceiling and such a low floor cannot be expected to lead this rotation. After losing out on Lester, the Sox went out and collected a glut of #3 starters in Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, and Justin Masterson. Out of the three, I have the highest hopes for Porcello, but he's a #2 at the very most and more conservatively, a #3 on a team that expects to contend for a championship.
If the 2013 and 2014 World Series taught us anything it is that the team who wins it all has an ace who can end the game for the other team. For the 2013 Red Sox, that was Jon Lester. For the 2014 Giants, it was Madison Bumgarner. Once Bumgarner toed the rubber in Game 7, it was all over for the Royals. He was the difference in a hard-fought series. The Royals simply did not have a pitcher that could shut down the opposition like Bumgarner did for the Giants. Expecting the Red Sox to go from worst to first to worst to first again is hardly realistic, but if you're building a team with championship aspirations, you need that stopper. It's amazing that the Royals got as far as they did without a Bumgarner-esque pitcher of their own.
When the Red Sox picked up both Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, two of the best free agent hitters on the market, in late November, it appeared they were ready to go all in for 2015. Of course, landing Lester was far from a sure thing, especially since they traded him at the deadline. However, since Lester is no longer an option, I was hoping they would trade for more of a top of the rotation guy and not a set of mid-rotation arms. Three #3s do not make a #1. It's good to have depth to avoid absolute disaster on the back end, but putting the burden on a Porcello, a Miley, or a Masterson to lead the rotation is just not fair. Porcello, at 25 could surprise us all and become a Bumgarner 2.0, but having to adjust to the AL East won't do him any favors. Miley will have an even bigger adjustment to make, coming from the pitcher's park haven that was the NL West. Masterson is coming off a truly dreadful season and looks like more of a reliever than a starter. Joe Kelly is a good, solid #4.
With Lester out of the picture, who should they target to lead the rotation?
1. Jordan Zimmermann: He would be my first choice, providing he doesn't cost the Red Sox Mookie Betts and preferably not Bogaerts or Swihart either. With the Nats planning on competing, it's going to take a blue chip to land Zimm, even if he's a one-year rental. Even though he comes from the NL, he has enough talent to take a chance on him.
2. Johnny Cueto: Another potential ace coming from the NL who might command too high a prospect haul and comes with an injury history. However, if he's healthy and doesn't cost the Red Sox Mookie, Xander, or Blake, he's worth it.
3. Max Scherzer: This one falls under pipe dream because it will require stupid money. If they couldn't pony up for their home-grown ace, fat chance they shell out the king's ransom for Scherzer.
4. James Shields: He's getting long in the tooth and his performance in the World Series was a huge red flag, but he's a veteran presence among youngsters and won't cost as much as Lester or Scherzer and no prospects have to be given up to get him. He's more of a #2 and his best days might be behind him. Still, he's durable and for 2015 and maybe 2016 he can be that veteran presence at the front of the rotation.
5. Cole Hamels: His numbers against the AL are a huge red flag, especially if the Phillies are commanding the best prospects for him. The Red Sox don't play enough interleague games to take the chance here.
6. Doug Fister: Like Shields, he's more of a #2. He's also a 1-year rental. However, he's more capable of leading a rotation than any of the current Red Sox starters.
The rest of the offseason is going to be interesting, seeing what else, if anything, the Red Sox do to improve the rotation. If they stand pat, we're looking at a third or fourth place team. It's better than last place, but it's not going to make them competitive.
As of now, it's anyone's guess who takes the hill on Opening Day because this rotation has no leader. Buchholz may be the longest tenured member, but trying to predict which version of him the Red Sox will get in 2015 is a fool's errand. Someone with such a high ceiling and such a low floor cannot be expected to lead this rotation. After losing out on Lester, the Sox went out and collected a glut of #3 starters in Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, and Justin Masterson. Out of the three, I have the highest hopes for Porcello, but he's a #2 at the very most and more conservatively, a #3 on a team that expects to contend for a championship.
If the 2013 and 2014 World Series taught us anything it is that the team who wins it all has an ace who can end the game for the other team. For the 2013 Red Sox, that was Jon Lester. For the 2014 Giants, it was Madison Bumgarner. Once Bumgarner toed the rubber in Game 7, it was all over for the Royals. He was the difference in a hard-fought series. The Royals simply did not have a pitcher that could shut down the opposition like Bumgarner did for the Giants. Expecting the Red Sox to go from worst to first to worst to first again is hardly realistic, but if you're building a team with championship aspirations, you need that stopper. It's amazing that the Royals got as far as they did without a Bumgarner-esque pitcher of their own.
When the Red Sox picked up both Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, two of the best free agent hitters on the market, in late November, it appeared they were ready to go all in for 2015. Of course, landing Lester was far from a sure thing, especially since they traded him at the deadline. However, since Lester is no longer an option, I was hoping they would trade for more of a top of the rotation guy and not a set of mid-rotation arms. Three #3s do not make a #1. It's good to have depth to avoid absolute disaster on the back end, but putting the burden on a Porcello, a Miley, or a Masterson to lead the rotation is just not fair. Porcello, at 25 could surprise us all and become a Bumgarner 2.0, but having to adjust to the AL East won't do him any favors. Miley will have an even bigger adjustment to make, coming from the pitcher's park haven that was the NL West. Masterson is coming off a truly dreadful season and looks like more of a reliever than a starter. Joe Kelly is a good, solid #4.
With Lester out of the picture, who should they target to lead the rotation?
1. Jordan Zimmermann: He would be my first choice, providing he doesn't cost the Red Sox Mookie Betts and preferably not Bogaerts or Swihart either. With the Nats planning on competing, it's going to take a blue chip to land Zimm, even if he's a one-year rental. Even though he comes from the NL, he has enough talent to take a chance on him.
2. Johnny Cueto: Another potential ace coming from the NL who might command too high a prospect haul and comes with an injury history. However, if he's healthy and doesn't cost the Red Sox Mookie, Xander, or Blake, he's worth it.
3. Max Scherzer: This one falls under pipe dream because it will require stupid money. If they couldn't pony up for their home-grown ace, fat chance they shell out the king's ransom for Scherzer.
4. James Shields: He's getting long in the tooth and his performance in the World Series was a huge red flag, but he's a veteran presence among youngsters and won't cost as much as Lester or Scherzer and no prospects have to be given up to get him. He's more of a #2 and his best days might be behind him. Still, he's durable and for 2015 and maybe 2016 he can be that veteran presence at the front of the rotation.
5. Cole Hamels: His numbers against the AL are a huge red flag, especially if the Phillies are commanding the best prospects for him. The Red Sox don't play enough interleague games to take the chance here.
6. Doug Fister: Like Shields, he's more of a #2. He's also a 1-year rental. However, he's more capable of leading a rotation than any of the current Red Sox starters.
The rest of the offseason is going to be interesting, seeing what else, if anything, the Red Sox do to improve the rotation. If they stand pat, we're looking at a third or fourth place team. It's better than last place, but it's not going to make them competitive.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Panda AND Hanley? Can They Pitch?
I could hardly believe what I was reading this morning when I saw on my facebook news feed that the Red Sox have reached agreements with both Pablo "Panda" Sandoval and erstwhile Sox farmhand turned superstar Hanley Ramirez. Part of me is thrilled to have two huge impact bats joining an offense-starved team. Part of me is wondering, is this the 2010-2011 offseason all over again? Still another part of me is wondering, what about the pitching?
This being November 24, the offseason is far from over, so there is plenty of time and still plenty of $$$ to add to the pitching staff. When you go all in with guys like Panda and Hanley, however, it makes little sense not to add an elite starting pitcher (or two) to a currently laughable rotation. Signing Lester (or Scherzer) is just about mandatory now, as is bringing aboard a #2 starter that is not a steep drop-off from #1.
It's obvious that Panda will play third base, but what isn't so obvious is where Hanley Ramirez will play. Hanley started his career in the Red Sox system and was traded to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in 2005. He has played most of his career at shortstop, but the Red Sox have a promising young shortstop in Xander Bogaerts. While Bogaerts struggled for much of the year, he finished strong and it would be premature to give up on him as a shortstop. It's possible Hanley could move to the outfield to pave the way for a Yoenis Cespedes trade. When Big Papi calls it a career, Hanley could move to DH.
This offseason just got real...
This being November 24, the offseason is far from over, so there is plenty of time and still plenty of $$$ to add to the pitching staff. When you go all in with guys like Panda and Hanley, however, it makes little sense not to add an elite starting pitcher (or two) to a currently laughable rotation. Signing Lester (or Scherzer) is just about mandatory now, as is bringing aboard a #2 starter that is not a steep drop-off from #1.
It's obvious that Panda will play third base, but what isn't so obvious is where Hanley Ramirez will play. Hanley started his career in the Red Sox system and was traded to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in 2005. He has played most of his career at shortstop, but the Red Sox have a promising young shortstop in Xander Bogaerts. While Bogaerts struggled for much of the year, he finished strong and it would be premature to give up on him as a shortstop. It's possible Hanley could move to the outfield to pave the way for a Yoenis Cespedes trade. When Big Papi calls it a career, Hanley could move to DH.
This offseason just got real...
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Bring Back Jonny!
If the Red Sox hope to compete next year, their top priority needs to be signing Jon Lester. Max Scherzer is out there as well and is considered a better pitcher than Lester--the top free-agent pitching prize on the market. He presents a bigger risk, however, as he has yet to make the transition from power pitcher to finesse pitcher and he has not played in a market like Boston. Lester has made the transition and he's spent all but two months of his career in Boston. Even though he's a year older than Scherzer, he is worth a long term (six-year) deal in the $150m range. I would certainly not be upset if the Red Sox sign Scherzer to a long-term deal, but I think they would be wiser to turn to the guy they know and they've watched develop.
As it stands right now, the Red Sox need two pitchers at the top of the rotation. Lester, should they be smart and pony up the $$$ and the years for him, solves the #1 slot, but who is #2? A free agent? Trade? There are a lot of nice options on the trade market, but none of them, short of the pipe dream of trading for Chris Sale, are at the level of Lester. Hamels is close, but his numbers in limited time against the AL have been abysmal. He would also cost a big prospect haul (Don't trade Mookie!). Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos of the Reds have been mentioned, as have Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross of the Padres. The Red Sox need reliable pitchers atop the rotation because Joe Kelly is a #3 at the very best and who knows what we'll get out of Clay Buchholz. Then, we have the assorted flotsam and jetsam that toed the rubber in August and September to fight for the #5 spot. Getting that #1, however is the first step.
As it stands right now, the Red Sox need two pitchers at the top of the rotation. Lester, should they be smart and pony up the $$$ and the years for him, solves the #1 slot, but who is #2? A free agent? Trade? There are a lot of nice options on the trade market, but none of them, short of the pipe dream of trading for Chris Sale, are at the level of Lester. Hamels is close, but his numbers in limited time against the AL have been abysmal. He would also cost a big prospect haul (Don't trade Mookie!). Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos of the Reds have been mentioned, as have Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross of the Padres. The Red Sox need reliable pitchers atop the rotation because Joe Kelly is a #3 at the very best and who knows what we'll get out of Clay Buchholz. Then, we have the assorted flotsam and jetsam that toed the rubber in August and September to fight for the #5 spot. Getting that #1, however is the first step.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Crowned Royals
If you'd have asked anyone at the beginning of the season who would be representing the American League in the 2014 World Series, how many would have picked the Kansas City Royals? Even in the eighth inning of the AL Wild Card game they looked like a long shot, down 7-3 to the A's with Lester on the mound. Something happened in that eighth inning, however, that flipped on a switch that has yet to be flipped off. The Royals wreaked havoc on the basepaths, rallied to tie the game, and won it in extra innings. This set off a chain of events that had the A's, Angels, and Orioles dazed, their mouths hanging open as if to say "Wha happened?" The Orioles, coming straight off their dismantling of the Detroit Tigers, looked poised to make the ALCS a hard-fought series, but the Royals stunned them too.
For fans of Kansas City's blue man baseball group, this playoff appearance, let alone World Series appearance, is long overdue. In 1985, when much of the young roster wasn't yet born, the Royals defeated the Cardinals in the Fall Classic 4 games to 3. If the Cards can extricate themselves from the Giants' October magic, The Missouri Series would have a long-awaited sequel. However, the Giants in the 2010s have been an extremely dangerous team in October, with two previous postseasons of unreal playoff mojo. Can they match the special post-season [barbecue] sauce that Kansas City is cooking up?
If it is indeed the Giants meeting the Royals for the 2014 Fall Classic, it will be the first time in a non-shortened season (of at least 154 games) that neither of the two teams meeting in the World Series won at least 90 games in the regular season. The Royals went 89-73; the Giants went 88-74. Even in the strike-shortened 1995 season (144 games), the Braves won 90 and the Indians won 100. In the Wild Card era, two Wild Card teams have met in the World Series only once before, in 2002, when the Angels beat the Giants 4 games to 3.
Five years ago, the Royals and Orioles were at the bottom of the AL heap. To see those two teams in this year's ALCS is a testament to greater parity in baseball. Player development is in and big spending on free agents on the back nine of their careers is out. That's not to say that teams in transition such as the Red Sox should rely exclusively on youngsters and prospects. That makes for a long rebuilding process, which would send ticket sales, merchandise sales, and NESN ratings plummeting. It just doesn't play in the New England sports market. The Red Sox need a balance of pricey vets and talented youngsters and therein lies the challenge.
For fans of Kansas City's blue man baseball group, this playoff appearance, let alone World Series appearance, is long overdue. In 1985, when much of the young roster wasn't yet born, the Royals defeated the Cardinals in the Fall Classic 4 games to 3. If the Cards can extricate themselves from the Giants' October magic, The Missouri Series would have a long-awaited sequel. However, the Giants in the 2010s have been an extremely dangerous team in October, with two previous postseasons of unreal playoff mojo. Can they match the special post-season [barbecue] sauce that Kansas City is cooking up?
If it is indeed the Giants meeting the Royals for the 2014 Fall Classic, it will be the first time in a non-shortened season (of at least 154 games) that neither of the two teams meeting in the World Series won at least 90 games in the regular season. The Royals went 89-73; the Giants went 88-74. Even in the strike-shortened 1995 season (144 games), the Braves won 90 and the Indians won 100. In the Wild Card era, two Wild Card teams have met in the World Series only once before, in 2002, when the Angels beat the Giants 4 games to 3.
Five years ago, the Royals and Orioles were at the bottom of the AL heap. To see those two teams in this year's ALCS is a testament to greater parity in baseball. Player development is in and big spending on free agents on the back nine of their careers is out. That's not to say that teams in transition such as the Red Sox should rely exclusively on youngsters and prospects. That makes for a long rebuilding process, which would send ticket sales, merchandise sales, and NESN ratings plummeting. It just doesn't play in the New England sports market. The Red Sox need a balance of pricey vets and talented youngsters and therein lies the challenge.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Let's Go...Royals?
With apologies to Lorde...
My Red Sox are staying home
And the Nats got taken out by the Giants
I'm not really fond of Buck
And the Cards just made the World Series last year
Chorus:
So now I'm all about Hosmer, Shields, Lorenzo Cain, Greg Holland
Gordon, Butler, Dyson, Vargas, Guthrie
Behind the plate, they've got Salvador Perez
Now they're up two to none--That's what speed do, extra-inning baseball
Cain is able, two games from the World Series
Been fun to watch, they haven't been there since '85
This month I root for the Royals (Royals)
Though I still miss last year
Gotta find a team to cheer
Blue October's in this year
Go win the AL pennant (pennant)
The fall classic's in your reach
So beat the O's, the O's, the O's, the O's
And then win the World Series
The Royals won the first Wild Card
They put the drop on the Oakland A's and Jon Lester
Took the Angels down in three
Then they beat the O's, there in Charm City
Chorus
For October, they're my team
They suffered so many bad seasons
Now it's their time to shine, it stands to reason
To root for the Royals (Royals)
Though I still miss last year
Gotta find a team to cheer
Blue October's in this year
Go win the AL Pennant (pennant)
The Fall Classic's in your reach
So beat the O's the O's the O's the O's
And then win the World Series.
My Red Sox are staying home
And the Nats got taken out by the Giants
I'm not really fond of Buck
And the Cards just made the World Series last year
Chorus:
So now I'm all about Hosmer, Shields, Lorenzo Cain, Greg Holland
Gordon, Butler, Dyson, Vargas, Guthrie
Behind the plate, they've got Salvador Perez
Now they're up two to none--That's what speed do, extra-inning baseball
Cain is able, two games from the World Series
Been fun to watch, they haven't been there since '85
This month I root for the Royals (Royals)
Though I still miss last year
Gotta find a team to cheer
Blue October's in this year
Go win the AL pennant (pennant)
The fall classic's in your reach
So beat the O's, the O's, the O's, the O's
And then win the World Series
The Royals won the first Wild Card
They put the drop on the Oakland A's and Jon Lester
Took the Angels down in three
Then they beat the O's, there in Charm City
Chorus
For October, they're my team
They suffered so many bad seasons
Now it's their time to shine, it stands to reason
To root for the Royals (Royals)
Though I still miss last year
Gotta find a team to cheer
Blue October's in this year
Go win the AL Pennant (pennant)
The Fall Classic's in your reach
So beat the O's the O's the O's the O's
And then win the World Series.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Closing the Book on 2014
I'm sorry I haven't blogged in awhile. I'd drafted some posts, but canned them because they were too knee-jerk and too negative. Now that the season is [mercifully] over, here are my more calm and rational thoughts on 2014 and how the Red Sox can improve for 2015 and beyond.
The 2014 season served as a reminder that exceedingly few prospects transform into legitimate major-leaguers overnight. Even Mike Trout, the poster boy for seamless transition to the big-time, had his struggles at the beginning. Trout's struggles were very brief and his meteoric ascension into superstardom has set the bar impossibly high for prospects around the game. For the sake of this Red Sox blog, we will focus the two prospects that the team attempted to lean heavily on going into the season: Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts.
For Bradley, who struggled at the plate with limited time in the majors in 2013, he was supposed to be the future in center field--an elite defender with a decent bat that could soften the blow of losing Jacoby Ellsbury to "the dark side". Bradley consistently impressed with his glove, once throwing a ball over the center field wall while standing on home plate, but struggled mightily with the bat, hovering over the Mendoza line all season. For a brief time in July, he looked like he was starting to turn it around, only to return to business as usual for the remainder of the season, even after being sent down to Pawtucket to work on his swing.
Xander Bogaerts had a far more favorable introduction to the Show at the end of the 2013 season and into the post-season, eventually supplanting Will Middlebrooks at third base. He was an impact player when the lights were brightest and looked destined to follow through on the gargantuan potential he was thought to have possessed. Through the early days of the 2014 season, he continued to show promise with the bat, even as he struggled playing shortstop. His defensive struggles at one of the most important defensive positions in the game prompted the Red Sox to make an emergency call to a still-unsigned Stephen Drew. Xander was moved back to third base and Drew's long layoff proved lethal for his lumber.
Around that time, Xander had begun sliding into a slump that no one could have seen coming. He had absolutely vanished at the plate while still dealing with some defensive struggles, leading some fans and media to believe that maybe the hype and pressure to perform in Boston was too much for him after all. How else to explain the baffling disappearance of his bat? The slump was so prolonged that, once Bradley was sent down to Pawtucket, it was fair to wonder whether Bogaerts would follow suit. He never did and his slump continued until mid-August, when he was plunked in the helmet by a pitch and was placed on the 7-day concussion DL. When he re-emerged in the final days of the month, his bat began to register a pulse. The days of rest while on the DL appeared to have been the best thing to happen to him all season, giving him a week away from the game to recoup and regroup. He finished the season on a strong note, batting .313 in September.
The story of the 2014 Red Sox rookies wasn't all about the struggles, however. Brock Holt made a case to be a regular in the lineup when he hit .348 in April after being cut from the major-league squad in favor of Jonathan Herrerra leading up to opening day. His second half saw a rather steep drop-off, but he was the Red Sox' most versatile player and projects more as a super-utility player than a starter.
Mookie Betts wasn't even on the radar in 2013, but he tore up the upper minors in 2014, leading to his first call-up in late June. He had another brief call-up before he was up for good in August. Betts ended the year hitting .291 with 5 HR and 18 RBI, spending his last two weeks playing second in place of the injured Dustin Pedroia. Second base is his natural position, where he is blocked by Pedroia. The 2015 outfield is crowded with Yoenis Cespedes, Rusney Castillo, Allen Craig, Daniel Nava and Betts. Some of those outfielders could be traded and, unfortunately, the most attractive trade chip is the charismatic Mookie, whose style of play is reminiscent of the World Championship 2013 team. It would be painful to trade such a talented and likeable guy. If the reward is right, however (and it would have to be a much-needed #1 or #2 starter or middle-of-the-order bat) such a trade might be a necessary sacrifice (think Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in 2006).
As for the starting rotation, it would be a gross understatement to say that a lot of things changed from Opening Day to September 28. Gone are Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy, and Felix Doubront. The August and September rotation included the likes of enigmatic Clay Buchholz, trade return Joe Kelly, the Buchholz-esque Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman and Anthony Ranaudo. Save for a strong performance here and there, it was a rotation of opposing teams' dreams and Red Sox fans' nightmares.
Ironically it was Webster, who, at times looked petrified on a major-league mound, who finished the season the strongest. De La Rosa, as a consequence of being used as a starter early in the season, showed signs of dead arm as the season ended. Workman and Ranaudo might be better off in the bullpen. Joe Kelly looks like a solid mid-back end starter. We know Buchholz is sticking around, for better or worse, unless he is surprisingly dealt in a buy-low trade. What is missing are two legitimate front-line starters and that's where the Red Sox have their work cut out for them, especially if they want to avoid giving out long contracts to pitchers over 30. Jon Lester coming back is a longshot, especially if he pitches the Oakand A's deep into October. Cy Young winner Max Scherzer will also cost a bundle in money and years. James Shields is a few years older and likely less expensive, therefore being the most likely Red Sox target.
The Red Sox made some big gambles that backfired spectacularly on them this year. They gambled on rookies to replace free-agency losses. They threw a monkey wrench into clubhouse chemistry by signing AJ Pierzynski. They relied too heavily on guys like Daniel Nava and Shane Victorino who both had career years in 2013. While Nava recovered from his early season slump, Victorino just couldn't stay on the field. Pedey stayed on the field, but battled yet another secret injury, to the detriment of his batting line. Napoli also battled nagging injuries all over his body that caused him to miss games here and there. The starting pitching, led by Lester and Lackey, kept the team in the game more often than not in the first half, only to have the offense let them down game after game.
The front office has a lot of work to do in getting the Red Sox back to respectability next year. There are lessons to be learned from what happened in 2014. Not all of the problems the Red Sox faced were the result of poor planning. An extreme reversal of fortune, a pendulum swinging wildly the other way after catching more than their share of breaks in 2013, played a role as well. That said, leadership roles within the organization must be at least a subject of discussion in the offseason.
A World Championship season followed by a last-place finish clouds the picture of where or whether improvements need to be made with the coaching staff, but it wouldn't hurt to consider whether, say, a new hitting coach might help maximize the potential of some of the younger players. The makeup of the team in 2013 was heavy with veterans where as the 2014 offense depended on the production of several rookies or near-rookies. A team moving in the direction of younger players has different coaching needs than a veteran-laden squad. To be fair, Greg Colbrunn dealt with health issues during the season. The role of assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez is unclear--how many major league teams have two hitting coaches? Do too many cooks spoil the soup?
The Red Sox having played their final game of 2014, I plan on rooting for my hometown team, the Nationals, in the post-season, hoping they learned their lessons from 2012 and at least make it to the NLCS this time, if not the Fall Classic. I will root for Jon Lester to pitch the A's into the ALDS, partly because there are so many former Red Sox on that team. I can take solace in the fact that neither the Yankees nor the Rays will be playing October baseball either.
The 2014 season served as a reminder that exceedingly few prospects transform into legitimate major-leaguers overnight. Even Mike Trout, the poster boy for seamless transition to the big-time, had his struggles at the beginning. Trout's struggles were very brief and his meteoric ascension into superstardom has set the bar impossibly high for prospects around the game. For the sake of this Red Sox blog, we will focus the two prospects that the team attempted to lean heavily on going into the season: Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts.
For Bradley, who struggled at the plate with limited time in the majors in 2013, he was supposed to be the future in center field--an elite defender with a decent bat that could soften the blow of losing Jacoby Ellsbury to "the dark side". Bradley consistently impressed with his glove, once throwing a ball over the center field wall while standing on home plate, but struggled mightily with the bat, hovering over the Mendoza line all season. For a brief time in July, he looked like he was starting to turn it around, only to return to business as usual for the remainder of the season, even after being sent down to Pawtucket to work on his swing.
Xander Bogaerts had a far more favorable introduction to the Show at the end of the 2013 season and into the post-season, eventually supplanting Will Middlebrooks at third base. He was an impact player when the lights were brightest and looked destined to follow through on the gargantuan potential he was thought to have possessed. Through the early days of the 2014 season, he continued to show promise with the bat, even as he struggled playing shortstop. His defensive struggles at one of the most important defensive positions in the game prompted the Red Sox to make an emergency call to a still-unsigned Stephen Drew. Xander was moved back to third base and Drew's long layoff proved lethal for his lumber.
Around that time, Xander had begun sliding into a slump that no one could have seen coming. He had absolutely vanished at the plate while still dealing with some defensive struggles, leading some fans and media to believe that maybe the hype and pressure to perform in Boston was too much for him after all. How else to explain the baffling disappearance of his bat? The slump was so prolonged that, once Bradley was sent down to Pawtucket, it was fair to wonder whether Bogaerts would follow suit. He never did and his slump continued until mid-August, when he was plunked in the helmet by a pitch and was placed on the 7-day concussion DL. When he re-emerged in the final days of the month, his bat began to register a pulse. The days of rest while on the DL appeared to have been the best thing to happen to him all season, giving him a week away from the game to recoup and regroup. He finished the season on a strong note, batting .313 in September.
The story of the 2014 Red Sox rookies wasn't all about the struggles, however. Brock Holt made a case to be a regular in the lineup when he hit .348 in April after being cut from the major-league squad in favor of Jonathan Herrerra leading up to opening day. His second half saw a rather steep drop-off, but he was the Red Sox' most versatile player and projects more as a super-utility player than a starter.
Mookie Betts wasn't even on the radar in 2013, but he tore up the upper minors in 2014, leading to his first call-up in late June. He had another brief call-up before he was up for good in August. Betts ended the year hitting .291 with 5 HR and 18 RBI, spending his last two weeks playing second in place of the injured Dustin Pedroia. Second base is his natural position, where he is blocked by Pedroia. The 2015 outfield is crowded with Yoenis Cespedes, Rusney Castillo, Allen Craig, Daniel Nava and Betts. Some of those outfielders could be traded and, unfortunately, the most attractive trade chip is the charismatic Mookie, whose style of play is reminiscent of the World Championship 2013 team. It would be painful to trade such a talented and likeable guy. If the reward is right, however (and it would have to be a much-needed #1 or #2 starter or middle-of-the-order bat) such a trade might be a necessary sacrifice (think Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell in 2006).
As for the starting rotation, it would be a gross understatement to say that a lot of things changed from Opening Day to September 28. Gone are Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jake Peavy, and Felix Doubront. The August and September rotation included the likes of enigmatic Clay Buchholz, trade return Joe Kelly, the Buchholz-esque Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman and Anthony Ranaudo. Save for a strong performance here and there, it was a rotation of opposing teams' dreams and Red Sox fans' nightmares.
Ironically it was Webster, who, at times looked petrified on a major-league mound, who finished the season the strongest. De La Rosa, as a consequence of being used as a starter early in the season, showed signs of dead arm as the season ended. Workman and Ranaudo might be better off in the bullpen. Joe Kelly looks like a solid mid-back end starter. We know Buchholz is sticking around, for better or worse, unless he is surprisingly dealt in a buy-low trade. What is missing are two legitimate front-line starters and that's where the Red Sox have their work cut out for them, especially if they want to avoid giving out long contracts to pitchers over 30. Jon Lester coming back is a longshot, especially if he pitches the Oakand A's deep into October. Cy Young winner Max Scherzer will also cost a bundle in money and years. James Shields is a few years older and likely less expensive, therefore being the most likely Red Sox target.
The Red Sox made some big gambles that backfired spectacularly on them this year. They gambled on rookies to replace free-agency losses. They threw a monkey wrench into clubhouse chemistry by signing AJ Pierzynski. They relied too heavily on guys like Daniel Nava and Shane Victorino who both had career years in 2013. While Nava recovered from his early season slump, Victorino just couldn't stay on the field. Pedey stayed on the field, but battled yet another secret injury, to the detriment of his batting line. Napoli also battled nagging injuries all over his body that caused him to miss games here and there. The starting pitching, led by Lester and Lackey, kept the team in the game more often than not in the first half, only to have the offense let them down game after game.
The front office has a lot of work to do in getting the Red Sox back to respectability next year. There are lessons to be learned from what happened in 2014. Not all of the problems the Red Sox faced were the result of poor planning. An extreme reversal of fortune, a pendulum swinging wildly the other way after catching more than their share of breaks in 2013, played a role as well. That said, leadership roles within the organization must be at least a subject of discussion in the offseason.
A World Championship season followed by a last-place finish clouds the picture of where or whether improvements need to be made with the coaching staff, but it wouldn't hurt to consider whether, say, a new hitting coach might help maximize the potential of some of the younger players. The makeup of the team in 2013 was heavy with veterans where as the 2014 offense depended on the production of several rookies or near-rookies. A team moving in the direction of younger players has different coaching needs than a veteran-laden squad. To be fair, Greg Colbrunn dealt with health issues during the season. The role of assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez is unclear--how many major league teams have two hitting coaches? Do too many cooks spoil the soup?
The Red Sox having played their final game of 2014, I plan on rooting for my hometown team, the Nationals, in the post-season, hoping they learned their lessons from 2012 and at least make it to the NLCS this time, if not the Fall Classic. I will root for Jon Lester to pitch the A's into the ALDS, partly because there are so many former Red Sox on that team. I can take solace in the fact that neither the Yankees nor the Rays will be playing October baseball either.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
It's a Sad, Sad, Sad, Sad World
No, Lester hasn't been traded yet, but it seems all but inevitable now. Rumors are circulating about Lackey being traded as well. Imagine a rotation led by Clay Buchholz. Sad and scary times indeed! The offense is doing their usual sputtering thing, even though Xander is showing signs of improvement at the plate, if not in the field. On the other hand, JBJ seems to have undone whatever progress he had made. The Red Sox were annihilated by the Blue Jays yet again and have dug themselves back to 12 games under .500. They are a worse team this year than they were in the 93-loss 2012, led by Bobby Valentine.
If they lose 40 of the 54 games remaining, they will lose 100 games for the first time in nearly 50 years. After winning a World Series, however improbable and fluky that win was, following it up with a 100 loss season is hard to fathom. It's about as Jekyll and Hyde as it comes. The current ownership may have seen three World Championships in its tenure, but it has also seen the team go from worst to first back down to worst again (and, in all likelihood, even worse than the first "worst".). The trade deadline may very well be a fire sale leading to a long rebuilding process. They ownership may spin a tale about quick rebuilding, but when you sell away your top pitcher, a homegrown guy at that, with no ready replacement, no "Plan B", the quick rebuild story is BS. Sell off Lackey too? Is the plan "Wait 'til 2020"? Or is there a plan at all?
Winning the World Series last year was a great thing, but it raised expectations. As for me, I wasn't expecting a repeat. I was, however, expecting them to at least be competitive, or even somewhat respectable. But this? I was not expecting this, but maybe I should have been. After all, the front office did some significant subtraction from the team what won it all without adding much to offset what they took away. What kind of message did that send the team? "Sorry, but we're not going to help you this year. You're on your own. Good luck with that."?
What the Red Sox are putting out on the field now is disheartening, depressing, and a far cry from just a short year ago. With the moves the front office seems to want to make, expect more of the same in the years to come. I fail to see how drifting about aimlessly in the bottom of the MLB barrel will help the development of the prospects on which the Red Sox are banking so heavily.
If they lose 40 of the 54 games remaining, they will lose 100 games for the first time in nearly 50 years. After winning a World Series, however improbable and fluky that win was, following it up with a 100 loss season is hard to fathom. It's about as Jekyll and Hyde as it comes. The current ownership may have seen three World Championships in its tenure, but it has also seen the team go from worst to first back down to worst again (and, in all likelihood, even worse than the first "worst".). The trade deadline may very well be a fire sale leading to a long rebuilding process. They ownership may spin a tale about quick rebuilding, but when you sell away your top pitcher, a homegrown guy at that, with no ready replacement, no "Plan B", the quick rebuild story is BS. Sell off Lackey too? Is the plan "Wait 'til 2020"? Or is there a plan at all?
Winning the World Series last year was a great thing, but it raised expectations. As for me, I wasn't expecting a repeat. I was, however, expecting them to at least be competitive, or even somewhat respectable. But this? I was not expecting this, but maybe I should have been. After all, the front office did some significant subtraction from the team what won it all without adding much to offset what they took away. What kind of message did that send the team? "Sorry, but we're not going to help you this year. You're on your own. Good luck with that."?
What the Red Sox are putting out on the field now is disheartening, depressing, and a far cry from just a short year ago. With the moves the front office seems to want to make, expect more of the same in the years to come. I fail to see how drifting about aimlessly in the bottom of the MLB barrel will help the development of the prospects on which the Red Sox are banking so heavily.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Just Pay Him Already!
If you heard the "ka-chings" that went off after every strikeout, every scoreless inning of Jon Lester's outing against the Royals today, that was the southpaw's price tag getting higher. Lester blanked Kansas City over 8 frames, earning his tenth win and the first Red Sox sweep of an opponent since Big Papi was in Little League. In one corner is Jon Lester, his 2.50 ERA, his history of post-season dominance, and his 200-inning durability. In the other corner, Ben Cherington and a pathologically gun-shy front office who would sooner call Brian Cashman up with Lester's jersey size than give him a long-term, big-money contract extension. Yes, the Carl Crawford mega-contract bombed. Yes, Adrian Gonzalez left his power on the West Coast. No, neither Gonzalez nor Crawford were brought up in the Red Sox system and neither knew beforehand what it was like to play in a baseball and media-crazed city like Boston.
Taking a gamble on Lester would be taking a gamble on a known entity as far as how well he could pitch in the AL East and handle playing in Boston, pitching at a hitter's park like Fenway. Sure he had a crappy 2012 and he gets a little agitated when calls don't go his way, but he's battle-tested in one of the toughest markets in MLB. All free-agent pitchers of his talent level and career pedigree are going to be paid up the wazoo. If the Red Sox think they can replace Lester by a trade or another free agent, they would be taking a bigger risk than extending him even if the "replacement" is on a shorter deal. Why? It's unknown how said "replacement" will respond to pitching in conditions that Lester has pitched in for the past seven years.
Replacing Lester from within the farm has its own risks, the greatest of which is the unfair pressure he would inevitably be under to be the new ace of the staff. None of the current pitchers in the rotation are front-line material. Lackey, if he returns, will be 36 and he has battled some inconsistency of late. Buchholz has been wildly inconsistent and has trouble staying healthy. Peavy is gone, likely at the trade deadline, and Workman and De La Rosa project as back-of-the-rotation guys. Even top pitching prospect Henry Owens is projected to be a #2 or #3 at best and he has yet to pitch in the major leagues.
If the Red Sox want to contend next year, they need to sign Lester. As Lester ages, maybe one of the youngsters will outperform his projection and become an ace, but asking him to be #1 from the moment he suits up for his Red Sox debut is not the way to go. They have enough young players making league minimum that they can afford to sign Lester to the kind of deal he deserves. The only question is, will they pony up and do it or go small market and try to sell a multi-year rebuilding process with the highest ticket prices in baseball.
Taking a gamble on Lester would be taking a gamble on a known entity as far as how well he could pitch in the AL East and handle playing in Boston, pitching at a hitter's park like Fenway. Sure he had a crappy 2012 and he gets a little agitated when calls don't go his way, but he's battle-tested in one of the toughest markets in MLB. All free-agent pitchers of his talent level and career pedigree are going to be paid up the wazoo. If the Red Sox think they can replace Lester by a trade or another free agent, they would be taking a bigger risk than extending him even if the "replacement" is on a shorter deal. Why? It's unknown how said "replacement" will respond to pitching in conditions that Lester has pitched in for the past seven years.
Replacing Lester from within the farm has its own risks, the greatest of which is the unfair pressure he would inevitably be under to be the new ace of the staff. None of the current pitchers in the rotation are front-line material. Lackey, if he returns, will be 36 and he has battled some inconsistency of late. Buchholz has been wildly inconsistent and has trouble staying healthy. Peavy is gone, likely at the trade deadline, and Workman and De La Rosa project as back-of-the-rotation guys. Even top pitching prospect Henry Owens is projected to be a #2 or #3 at best and he has yet to pitch in the major leagues.
If the Red Sox want to contend next year, they need to sign Lester. As Lester ages, maybe one of the youngsters will outperform his projection and become an ace, but asking him to be #1 from the moment he suits up for his Red Sox debut is not the way to go. They have enough young players making league minimum that they can afford to sign Lester to the kind of deal he deserves. The only question is, will they pony up and do it or go small market and try to sell a multi-year rebuilding process with the highest ticket prices in baseball.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
A Shred of Optimism
To say Red Sox 2014 season has been horrible is a gross understatement. Bad decisions and good ones that didn't work out are both to blame for the hideous hangover season that transformed the Sox from a run-producing machine to a lethargic opportunity-wasting bunch of hopeless hackers. That being said, one of the leaden clouds over this year's team (but certainly not the only one!) has been removed in the DFA-ing of AJ Pierzynski. Replacing the free-swinging, abrasively opinionated veteran backstop is young defensive whiz Christian Vazquez, who was promoted from Pawtucket in time for Wednesday night's walk-off win. Vazquez has impressed so far not only with the glove, as was to be expected, but with the bat as well. Granted, the sample size is minuscule and the competition is either not much better than (White Sox) or worse than (Astros) the Red Sox, but having a guy who can control the opponents' running game is an upgrade even if the offensive spark does not last.
The jettisoning of Pierzynski is a sign that the front office is committed to using 2014 as a proving ground for promising prospects since they are an extreme longshot for contention this year. If they can unload Peavy, who has actually pitched fairly well of late, if lacking in run support to improve his record, they will clear a rotation spot for Rubby De La Rosa or one of the other talented arms biding their time in AAA.
As far as the youngsters currently on the team are concerned, Jackie Bradley, Jr, in particular, is finally starting to put it together at the plate. His Gold-Glove caliber defense in center field has allowed him some time to work on getting his bat up to speed and the results are starting to show. Mookie Betts has seen his hot streak cool down significantly since getting called up to the bigs, but he looks like he's making the necessary adjustments and his speed is something that has been sorely lacking in the Sox lineup since Ells departed for The Dark Side. Xander Bogaerts is slowly, but surely coming out of his deep slump. Brock Holt is still abusing baseballs with not a hair out of place and has played every position but pitcher and catcher.
On the pitching side of things, Brandon Workman has hit a bump in the road since returning from his controversial suspension. He is winless since then and has seen his ERA balloon to 4.13. Rubby De La Rosa struggled a bit in Pawtucket upon being demoted in a roster crunch last month and came up last Wednesday with a so-so outing (5 IP, 3 R). Though not a rookie by any stretch, Clay Buchholz has appreciably improved since coming off the DL. He helped the Sox take an easy 11-0 win over the Astros by pitching a complete-game shutout.
Since Pierzynski was DFA'ed, the Red Sox are 4-1 with two walk-off wins. Granted, the stretch was against the White Sox and the Astros, not the A's and Tigers, but with the depths the Sox had sunk to so far in '14 (ahem, being swept by the Cubs), I'll take that 4-1 stretch no matter who the opponent. The improvements the rookies (among others) have made will, in all likelihood, not get them anywhere close to undoing the damage done to the season so far. However, if they can pick up where they left off once the All-Star Break ends, at least they will be a more fun team to watch.
The jettisoning of Pierzynski is a sign that the front office is committed to using 2014 as a proving ground for promising prospects since they are an extreme longshot for contention this year. If they can unload Peavy, who has actually pitched fairly well of late, if lacking in run support to improve his record, they will clear a rotation spot for Rubby De La Rosa or one of the other talented arms biding their time in AAA.
As far as the youngsters currently on the team are concerned, Jackie Bradley, Jr, in particular, is finally starting to put it together at the plate. His Gold-Glove caliber defense in center field has allowed him some time to work on getting his bat up to speed and the results are starting to show. Mookie Betts has seen his hot streak cool down significantly since getting called up to the bigs, but he looks like he's making the necessary adjustments and his speed is something that has been sorely lacking in the Sox lineup since Ells departed for The Dark Side. Xander Bogaerts is slowly, but surely coming out of his deep slump. Brock Holt is still abusing baseballs with not a hair out of place and has played every position but pitcher and catcher.
On the pitching side of things, Brandon Workman has hit a bump in the road since returning from his controversial suspension. He is winless since then and has seen his ERA balloon to 4.13. Rubby De La Rosa struggled a bit in Pawtucket upon being demoted in a roster crunch last month and came up last Wednesday with a so-so outing (5 IP, 3 R). Though not a rookie by any stretch, Clay Buchholz has appreciably improved since coming off the DL. He helped the Sox take an easy 11-0 win over the Astros by pitching a complete-game shutout.
Since Pierzynski was DFA'ed, the Red Sox are 4-1 with two walk-off wins. Granted, the stretch was against the White Sox and the Astros, not the A's and Tigers, but with the depths the Sox had sunk to so far in '14 (ahem, being swept by the Cubs), I'll take that 4-1 stretch no matter who the opponent. The improvements the rookies (among others) have made will, in all likelihood, not get them anywhere close to undoing the damage done to the season so far. However, if they can pick up where they left off once the All-Star Break ends, at least they will be a more fun team to watch.
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