SB Nation - Jeff Bailey

Minor League Update -- 11/09/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:34:06 -0000

Remember Javier Lopez? Turns out he's a free agent.

The Over The Monster top prospects list should start being compiled fairly soon. We'll be using reader voting again, with a slightly different format which should make it so that "write ins" aren't necessary.

Arizona Fall League

Luis Exposito: 3-8, 2B -- .286/.324/.429

-Expo's numbers just keep on improving since the bad start.

Jose Iglesias: 2-8, HR, K -- .222/.286/.378

-Again some pop out of Iglesias. His bat is clearly a work in progress, and he needs to work on plate patience BIG TIME (4 out of 5 at bats last game were 1-pitch at bats. The other was a strikeout. Though he did record RBIs on 3 of 5, so it's worth considering that it might have been somewhat situational.)

Ryan Kalish: 4-9, 2B, 2 BB, K -- .292/.368/.333

-After putting on a surprising power performance during the regular season, it's all but disappeared for Kalish in the fall. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. It could be fatigue, it could be what he's working on, but he's shown he can smack 20+ out. His emergence as a patient hitter who's gonna get on base a lot is much more important.

Casey Kelly: 0-4, BB, K

-Whoo!

Randor Bierd: 3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K – 5.60 ERA, 12:9 K:BB, 1.19 WHIP

-A poor fall can't be a good sign for Bierd's flickering career.

Richie Lentz: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 0.77 ERA, 13:2 K:BB, .77 WHIP

-Lentz is putting on quite the show after getting pounded in Portland this year. A dramatic improvement in control (33 BB in 36 IP to 2 in 12) can't hurt.

Chris Province: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 3.12 ERA, 8:4 K:BB, 1.04 WHIP

Dustin Richardson: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K – 5.19 ERA, 13:7 K:BB, 1.85 WHIP

-Includes 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K in the Rising Stars game. That inning will not be included in season numbers.

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .261/.352/.391 in 46 ABs

Dominican Winter League

Mark Wagner: 1-8, K – .296/.390/.500

-Can't dominate every week.

Jose Capellan: 7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 0 K – 3.71 ERA, 4:10 K:BB, 1.53 WHIP

-The ERA isn't horrible. But the peripherals...Oh the peripherals.

Sydney Winter League

The brothers Moanaroa and Mitch Dening have been hanging out in Aussie.

Mitch Dening: .500/.600/1.500 in 4 ABs

Boss Moanaroa: .357/.500/.429 in 14 ABs

-Still want to see the power.

Moko Moanaroa: .250/.357/.250

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 1.80 ERA, 4:4 K:BB, 1.40 WHIP

Felix Doubront: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 2.84 ERA, 2:0 K:BB, .95 WHIP

Leandro Marin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 3.38 ERA, 4:0 K:BB, 1.13 WHIP

List of Red Sox Minor League Free Agents

Edit: I have been correctly called out by poster Chebornek for not crediting SoxProspects.com for having gotten my information for this list from them. It was an oversight, and certainly in no way malicious. SoxProspects.com is a fantastic site and I encourage any and all of Over the Monster's readers to visit it--they're honestly a better resource than I am.

Technically, some of these names aren't minor leaguers, but it's worth noting them separate from the obvious big name guys.

Zach Borowiak

Robert Coello

Nick Green

Derrick Loop

Dave McKae

Iggy Suarez

Good luck to all the free agents in finding somewhere to play—whether back with Boston or elsewhere.

(Javier Lopez is a pretty surprising name, if you ask me.)

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:47:50 -0000

by Jeff Roberson - AP

Todd Coffey walks around the mound as Matt Holliday rounds the bases following a three-run home run Tuesday.

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Some things to read while pursuing other opportunities.

Walking Albert Pujols to get to Matt Holliday didn't work out so well for the Brewers last night. Todd Coffey is accepting blame for the loss, but David Brown of Yahoo wonders why the Brewers didn't just take their chances with Pujols.

I promise I'll limit myself to one paragraph on J.J. Hardy today, so if you're sick of hearing about him, feel free to skip ahead. He denied being asked to take ground balls at third, and says it makes sense for him to be traded this offseason. Miller Park Drunk is helping Alcides Escobar fill in the void by giving him some tips regarding interaction with the ladies.

I'm not banging my head against the desk yet, but I'm keeping a space clear in case I need to start. Adam McCalvy's game preview for today has a look at the catching situation for next season, and Jason Kendall says he'd like to return. Of course, Mike Rivera also says he'd like to play every day.

Buried in the "Notes" section of that preview might be the bigger news: Ken Macha is adjusting his rotation to bump Yovani Gallardo back a few days. Gallardo will now pitch on Saturday instead of Thursday. The move will get him one less start in September, hopefully saving his arm for a more competitive 2010 team.

We've been talking a fair amount about Prince Fielder lately, but Ryan Braun had a pretty good August too, and earned a spot on MLB Notebook's August All Star Team.

In the minors:

The Brewers have two prospects in the top 25 in Project Prospect's rankings of position prospects. Alcides Escobar (#14) is the no-brainer, but for the first time I can recall, it's actually Caleb Gindl joining him in the top 25. Mat Gamel and Brett Lawrie both earned honorable mention.
Lawrie is one of four Brewer prospects who either have left or will leave their minor league teams to play for Team Canada in the Baseball World Cup. He'll be joined by pitchers Nick Bucci and Jim Henderson and center fielder Adam Stern.
Glancing at Baseball America's Minor League Transactions, I noticed the Brewers released pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen. Wilhelmsen was a former 7th round pick and top prospect for the Brewers, but as a commenter noted in this Mug, he eventually fell out of the organization due to a substance abuse issue. Wilhelmsen was re-signed out of the independent leagues earlier this season, but his second run with the Brewers lasted less than a month.

With last night's loss, CoolStandings dropped the Brewers' playoff chances to 0.1%. They're so far out of the playoff race, they don't even appear in Baseball Musings' Massive Tie Scenario.

Around baseball:

D-Backs: Acquired pitcher Kevin Mulvey from the Twins as the PTBNL in the Jon Rauch deal.
Dodgers: Designated outfielder Jamie Hoffman for assignment.
Rangers: Designated pitcher Thomas Diamond, their #1 pick in 2004, for assignment.
Rays: Designated reliever Joe Nelson for assignment to make room for Sean Rodriguez, acquired from the Angels as the PTBNL in the Scott Kazmir deal.
Red Sox: Designated outfielder Jeff Bailey for assignment.

There are dozens of major league debuts and returns being made this week as rosters expand, but it's possible the best story is happening in Houston, where Aaron Boone has returned to the active roster just five months after undergoing open heart surgery.

On this day in 2002, Kerry Wood struck out four Brewers in the fourth inning and hit a two run home run as the Cubs beat the Brewers 17-4 in game two of a doubleheader. The Brewers won game one behind two solo home runs from Ronnie Belliard.

Happy birthday today to Wes Littleton, who has split 2009 between Huntsville and Nashville and turns 27 today, and to Rick Manning, who turns 55.

That's all I've got for you today, unless you're interested in meat market specials.

Drink up.

Game Story: Uncontrolled Bed-Wetting.

Allen Chace — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:18:21 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Let's try to remember a better time. Like yesterday, when this guy pitched.

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So, allow me to tell you a short story.

A team is cruising to victory, with almost a double-digit lead. The offense is clicking, and the future HoF starter threw 4 innings before the game was delayed for rain. A young reliever comes in, and resumes pitching brilliance for 2 innings.

Then, something disastrous happens; the opposing team forgot that they were supposed to lose this game, and the first team (our heroes) reminds us all that an entire bullpen can have an off-night. I'm not sure there's anymore I want to say about this game.

We wish for Adam Jones to be okay, and for a better day for Josh Beckett tomorrow.

If you'd like to relive the crapfest, follow along after the jump...

The longer story?

Well, John Smoltz gave us something to look forward to. I have great faith that he'd have gone at least 6 while allowing no more than one additional run given how he looked through 4.

Masterson was excellent for 2 innings, and reminded us that that should probably be the extent of his use unless we stretch him out again as a starter.

Personally? I feel like MDC should have been given a chance to get the last out in his inning. It was one hit. Every subsequent reliever did worse. That's pretty easy for me to say, though, with the benefit of hindsight.

Saito or Bard or Ramon was a tough decision for Tito, but I feel like "not Saito" should have been the easiest. He's looked pretty good, but I've thought for awhile that he's not quite up to par w/r/t feel of his stuff yet. Doesn't mean he can't get outs, but he seems like a guy to bring in at the beginning of innings right now and not during. Again, hindsight.

Good show from the offense, though Bay seems ice-cold lately. I wouldn't be entirely against shifting him down in the lineup if Papi's confidence is high enough to move back into the 3rd or 4th slot on a semi-regular basis.

Sherrill was an excellent decision for the O's in the 9th, even with R-R-R-R-R due up. Tito had to be thinking about PHing with Drew and/or Kotsay for Bailey and/or Lugo. With regard to the hitters coming up, it made no sense (CC'ers will probably agree that Sherrill isn't really a "true"? closer), but it keeps Drew and his .384 OBP on the bench. As an aside, though, Sherrill does have the best peripheral numbers in that pen.

First Half Minors Recap Part 1: Pawtucket and Portland

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:22 -0000

Portland Sea Dog and top prospect Lars Anderson's slow start has headlined an up-and-down Sea Dogs lineup. Via i225.photobucket.com

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The end of June marks the halfway point in the season for the upper levels of the minor leagues, and the starting point of short-season ball. For the A-level teams (Salem and Greenville), it also represents a fresh start, as the records are reset and the team with the best record to that point is granted a post-season berth. As significant a milestone as this is, it makes sense to use it as a time to look back at the season thus far, and for teams like the Lowell Spinners and GCL Red Sox, the season to come.

At the top of the Red Sox farm system, the Pawtucket Red Sox has been all about the pitching. Filled primarily with insurance guys who would play in case of injuries in the main club, the lineup is solid but largely uninteresting. Early backups Chris Carter and Jeff Bailey provided mostly frustration for Sox fans, and Aaron Bates is a relatively recent addition. The rotation and bullpen, on the other hand, have stolen the show.

Though their torrid starts have slowed some, Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden have done everything and more to prove they are ready for the big leagues—particularly Buchholz, whose complete game 1-hitter has highlighted a dominant season. Clay sports a 1.93 ERA, a .172 batting average against, and a 69:22 K:BB ratio which is actually marred by his last 3 games, over which he's given up 10 bases on balls. Bowden, though at first putting up better numbers than even Buchholz, has been brought back to Earth by a 4 inning, 6-run effort to start June off, and a 1 inning disaster giving up six earned runs again. Still, a 3.26 ERA is nothing to sneeze at.

The bullpen has been an unsung treasure for Pawtucket. While the big name in Daniel Bard has left to find his place in the crowded Boston bullpen, he leaves behind a ridiculous 29 strikeouts in 16 innings—one of them immaculate—and a 1.13 ERA.

Picking up the slack are a pair of journeymen castoffs from the Baltimore Orioles in Fernando Cabrera and Rocky Cherry. Cherry's 24:17 K:BB ratio in 33 innings and his WHIP of 1.29 suggest his 1.35 ERA is somewhat lucky, but Cabrera has been nothing but impressive. After struggling with control last year, Cabrera has only walked 11 in 32 innings while striking out 33. His 19 hits bring his WHIP up to a paltry .94.

Other notables in the pen are Hunter Jones, who had an unimpressive stint with Boston during Daisuke's first DL trip, and Javier Lopez who seemed to fall off a cliff after an impressive 2008 campaign and has had trouble even in AAA.

Unfortunately for Pawtucket, the experienced lineup and impressive pitching hasn't quite got them in the postseason yet, sitting 4.5 games back of the perennial powerhouse Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and a game back in the wild card race.

If Pawtucket is the system's pitching powerhouse, than Portland is where you'll find the offense. Josh Reddick, Lars Anderson, and Ryan Kalish are all top-10 prospects in the system with Anderson leading the way, and catcher Mark Wagner has been having a spectacular year offensively and defensively. But where everything seems to be going right for Wagner, the other 3 have all faced growing pains.

Lars Anderson was mired in a well-documented slump resulting in a particularly bad May (.194/.318/.376), and while he seems to've come out of it somewhat in June, his numbers have dipped again somewhat and he's not really outperforming his April numbers by that much. Josh Reddick got off to a fantastic start, clobbering 6 home runs in April en route to a line of .288/.358/.644, but missed all of may with an injury and hasn't found his groove yet. He's yet to hit another home run, and is only hitting .239/.255/.304 on the month. Ryan Kalish is also seeing depressed numbers after a fantastic start. Never really a big-power guy, Kalish put on a show in 32 games in Salem,hitting 5 home runs in 32 games and accruing a .504 slugging percentage. Kalish experienced the typical post-promotion slump, and managed an OPS of only .445 while striking out in around 30% of his plate appearances with Portland in May. Kalish has showed significant signs of improvement, however, posting a .738 OPS in June with a .355 OBP, striking out only 5 times so far.

Wagner has also hit something of a road bump in June, which could be considered regression to the mean for him. A .321/.371/.434 line is by no means disappointing for the month, though, and Wagner still appears to be on the fast track to AAA. The former pitcher is also still throwing out about 70% of base stealers.

Other notables in Portland's lineup include Jorge Jimenez, who has returned to Earth somewhat after a stellar April, Bubba Bell who was recently promoted to Pawtucket, and Argenis Diaz who is in the middle of a very disappointing season and not showing any signs of coming out of it.

The pitching staff in Portland is limited to essentially 2 names: Junichi Tazawa and Felix Doubront. Though both are currently on the DL, these appear to be phantom injuries basically intended to rest the pair for a week or so. Tazawa is currently sporting a 2.92 ERA after getting off to a slow start against the more advanced MiLB competition, and seems to be less walk-happy than a certain countryman of his, keeping his BB/9 below 3 while striking out a tad unde 9 per. Tazawa's ceiling is still questionable, but as of right now there's no reason not to think he can pitch in the majors some day.

Doubront has managed to survive and eke out a 3.19 ERA despite 50 hits and 23 walks in 53 innings. A high strikeout total has contributed to that likely as much as a 1.26 GO:AO ratio, as has a relatively low home run count of 4. Whether he can keep it up or not is definitely in question.

The lack of consistency in the lineup, as well as mediocre contributions from most of the rotation and bullpen has led the Sea Dogs to a 32-36 record, 6.5 games back of the division-leading Connecticut defenders. It seems they're unlikely to improve on it, too, with one of their best batters, Aaron Bates, having been promoted and with Mark Wagner not far behind. Even Tazawa might not be too far from a Pawtucket trip depending on the fates of Buchholz and Bowden. Then again, the big names in the lineup will hopefully not be held down for long, and a resurgent offense could be enough.

The Pawtucket Red Sox Roster Crunch

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:08:01 -0000

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For some, it's just a stop on the way to the majors. For others, it has been home for years. With a surge of new talent on the way from the Portland Sea Dogs, Boston's AAA-affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox are about to have a major roster shake-up.

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When doing Minor Lines on an average night, Pawtucket is the least interesting team to look at. The notable names on offense, up till the promotion of Aaron Bates, were all guys who were likely to be bench players at best in their career. Chris Carter, Dusty Brown, Jeff Bailey, Jonathan Van Every. Talented ball players who often rank amongst the elite at AAA, but can't seem to take the next step and enter the world of the Majors.

Portland, on the other hand, is perhaps the most interesting team. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick were the obvious standouts coming into the year. Wagner has exploded onto the scene with Aaron Bates. Ryan Kalish was promoted after only a month in Salem to start the year, and has slowly but surely begun to adapt to the tougher competition (.308/.325/.385 in June vs. .133/.212/.233 in May). Even less noticeable guys have performed, as 26-year-old Bubba Bell was promoted to Pawtucket today.

When a player is promoted in the minor leagues, much like in the Majors, there always has to be a counter move. Someone has to be traded, released, sent to the DL, promoted or demoted in order to make space. With such a large wave of players having legitimate shots at Pawtucket, and such a large amount of guys seemingly stuck at AAA, the Red Sox are faced with an obvious problem. Who stays, who goes, and what do we do with those who go?

Dusty Brown and Carlos Maldonado share duties behind the plate. They both share similar skill sets—good defensively, mediocre offensively—but Maldonado is a 30-year-old recent signing while Dusty Brown is a 26-year-old who has spent the last 8 years in the Red Sox farm system. Brown could also possibly carry some value down the line as a backup catcher once Wakefield decides to hang up his glove, so when Mark Wagner inevitably comes knocking, expect Maldonado to get the boot.

If Jorge Jimenez makes the jump sooner rather than later, the Sox will have an interesting choice. The PawSox have 3 players who can all play 2B, SS, and 3B in Gil Velazquez, Angel Chavez, and Travis Denker. Velazquez and Chavez are similar players. Both are older (29 and 27 respectively) with good gloves and mediocre bats. Chavez is better offensively, while Velazquez can also play all outfield positions. Travis Denker is something of a defensive liability, but is only 23 and has a somewhat better bat. The organization will probably elect to keep Denker due to his age and offense, but the choice between Chavez and Velazquez is harder. With the value the Sox put on versatility in the minor leagues, though, Velazquez seems to have an edge up.

The most crowded positions, though, are the 1B/DH and Outfield positions. Pawtucket currently rotates a trio of Jeff Bailey, Aaron Bates, and Paul McAnulty through the corner outfield and 1B positions with Jeff Natale, Freddy Guzman, and Chris Carter (usually at the DH) getting occasional turns. Currently on the DL, Zach Daeges and Jonathan Van Every are also often slotted in. Sometime next year, though, it's not at all unlikely that a majority of these spots will be filled by players currently in Portland. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick will replace Jeff Bailey and Paul McAnulty in the starting group. Kalish will take over at center field, with Reddick seeing some starts there too.

If the Sox think they can get value for any of the guys currently in the group, they'll likely ship them off. Jeff Bailey, Chris Carter, and Jonathan Van Every are the most familiar names on the list, and the ones most likely to get some small returns. On the other hand, they're also the ones most likely to start the year with the Major League club. Depending on the future of Rocco Baldelli, Nick Green, Julio Lugo, and Mark Kotsay (not to mention David Ortiz), the Red Sox could quickly find themselves in need of a new 4^th outfielder or backup middle infielder. Bubba Bell would likely be one of the top candidates for a trade. It seems Bailey and Carter might again be fighting for a job next season, but without a spot at Pawtucket to fall back on. And if the Sox resign any of their current backups or add a few veterans in the offseason, then there could be no room for anyone.

Over the last few years, Pawtucket has stagnated a little. Aside from a few major players moving up (Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowrie), there has been an established core of AAAA position players who every so often get their shot at a cup of coffee. Now, the core seems destined to be broken up. Already, Chip Ambres was traded to the Mets and Sandy Madera was released. For some, the change will mean new opportunities. Whether with the Red Sox or another team, some of them certainly have the ability to at least be major league backups. For others, it will be just another move in a long series of moves in their long minor league careers. And for some more it may just be the end of the road. But for the Red Sox, it will mean a vast well of talent on the very edge of the making the Majors, and a much more interesting PawSox box score.

Trades: Oh the Realities!

Allen Chace — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:48:01 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

Contemplating a bad pitch, or an imminent move? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)

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The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't mean to rein in Randy. I kind of mean to rein in everyone else with some "facts" with regard to trades, real and imagined.

1. Adrian Gonzalez isn't walking through that door. Hey. I love the dream as much as anyone, and it's ridiculous to say that he's untouchable or unavailable. But when his "availability" is contingent on us sending San Diego 8-12 of our top 20 prospects, it starts to lose a little bit of its luster. I'm not interested in that kind of deal, and I very much doubt that Theo would be interested in said deal as well.

2. If Adam Dunn walks through that door, it will most likely mean that someone else who has meant a lot to this organization over the last several years will have played his last game as a Red Sox. I'm not saying we won't be brought to the point of considering this, I'm just saying that the Sox aren't going to trade for Dunn and use him in the field more than once a month or so. Somewhat ditto for Victor Martinez and Mark DeRosa in that they make a lot more sense on a team that doesn't have David Ortiz than one that does.

3. When it comes to defensive upgrades at SS, Jack Wilson is more likely than anyone else. This is partially good, because Wilson's relatively high salary for an all-glove no-hit SS means that Pittsburgh will probably be receiving the baseball equivalent of a wooden nickel.

4. We can imagine that many of our minor leaguers have trade value, but here are the ones who actually do: Lars Anderson, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Nick Hagadone, Ryan Kalish, Luis Exposito, Stolmy Pimental, Josh Reddick, Mark Wagner, and to extend a bit to the bigs, Justin Masterson and Daniel Bard. Here are examples of minor leaguers with negligible or no trade value: Jonathan Van Every, Kris Johnson, Dusty Brown, Travis Denker, Chris Carter, and Jeff Bailey. Neither list is all-inclusive, but a good rule of thumb is this: If you can easily imagine parting with the player, then it's probably easy for the opposing club to decline such a trade, unless they would have monetary reasons to do so (the aforementioned Wilson.).

5. Nick Green and Julio Lugo provide acceptable offense from the 9 spot and the SS position in general. Names like Miguel Tejada and Michael Young make no sense for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that neither would solve the actual problem at SS: fielding.

6. While Miguel Cabrera is a fantastic pipe-dream, that Detroit firesale we were hearing about all winter won't come to fruition as long as the team is performing this well. Adam Everett could be available, I suppose, though I imagine Detroit would look for an NL team first if they make that decision. Ditto for Texas, who would have no real motivation to trade a player like Omar Vizquel right now. He might be a bit of a luxury for them as a utilityman, but he's a very affordable luxury for a team in 1st place.

7. Jed Lowrie is coming back. My hope is that they're going to be conservative in getting him back on the field, but he will be back, even conservatively, probably by the end of the month. Wilson might be the only appropriate acquisition we could make happen by then.

8. Me no wants to trade with Oakland. This isn't a fact, I suppose, but Billy Beane very rarely loses trades. The team, if any, that gets Matt Holliday from him this summer could very easily live to regret it. On that note, however, Matt Holliday is probably the reason that the Sox haven't been as aggressive extending Jason Bay as some think that we should. If Holliday can turn it on and prove he can hit in that big park in Oakland and in the AL, then the Sox will probably make a push for him in the offseason. Say what you want about Bay being a better player, but Holliday is definitely better defensively, and I have to imagine that's something going through the minds of everyone in the FO.

9. We're not getting a prospect back from Brad Penny. A role player is likely, one who would fill the hole of good defensive SS or of reliable RH 4th OF. That's still a good trade, because in a hypothetical world, we'd need that role player more than we would need a 5th starter when we still have Smoltz, Buch, and Bowden yet to start games in the MLs this season.

10. We've got some albatross contracts, just like many other teams. Spin it however you want: Julio Lugo and David Ortiz have negative value. If they depart, it'll be for nothing but some contract relief. Possibly. We're not going to be unloading J.D. Drew or Daisuke anytime soon either. Drew is a positive offensively and defensively, despite his real or imagined fragility and contract status. Daisuke would be giving up far too soon on an intriguing if still sometimes (all right, often) frustrating starting pitcher whose CONTRACT (not total cost, CONTRACT) is very reasonable from the Sox' point of view.

11. If a BIG move is coming this summer, it's probably going to involve something few of us would be emotionally ready for, such as the previously alluded to release of David Ortiz or a possible trade of Jonathan Papelbon. React in surprise if you must, but Paps will be 29 to begin next season, and while I don't think he'll be actively shopped, we're kidding ourselves if we believe that Theo wouldn't be prepared to go with Saito or Bard or maybe even Masterson in the closer role if someone puts a great offer on the table for Paps, who is looking for top dollar at every opportunity.

12. I guess that's all. Maybe I'm blowing smoke as much as the next guy, but I think it's important to be reasonable and thoughtful when thinking about trade rumors, especially this early in the season.

Beckett Outduels Swarzak, Red Sox Split Series

Adam Peterson — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:03:55 -0000

Anthony Swarzak (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 SO, 4 BB) gave the Twins their 7th quality start in the last 8 games, but it wasn't enough to beat Josh Beckett (7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 8 SO, 4 BB) and the Boston Red Sox this afternoon at the Metrodome. The Twins lost an opportunity to rise a game above above .500 for the 5th time, falling to 24-25 on the season. Boston moved a half game in front of the Yankees, at 28-20. With the loss, the Twins' problems in day games this season continue, falling to 3-11 in early starts.

Swarzak followed up his stellar debut (7 shutout innings) with another solid start, as he shut down the Red Sox through the first four innings (3 BB and a single). On the other side, Beckett's only blemish was a Joe Crede solo homerun in the second. Boston tied the game in the top of the 5th with a Jason Varitek solo homerun, but Swarzak got out of the rest of the inning unscathed.

After trading scoreless innings in the 6th, things got interesting in the 7th. Swarzak had thrown about 95 pitches to this point, going for another made sense against the bottom of Boston's order. Unfortunately, Varitek led off with another homerun to put Boston up 2-1. Jeff Bailey followed with a Texas Leaguer to short right center that Matt Tolbert couldn't quite grab over his shoulder. Jesse Crain came in to relieve Swarzak, getting Julio Lugo to fly out to right field. Ron Gardenhiredecided to play the lefty - righty matchup by bringing Sean Henn (not to be confused with Sean Penn)to face Jacoby Ellsbury. Henn hit Ellsbury, putting runners on first and third. Dustin Pedroia then hit a fly ball to Jason Kubel in right field. Kubel made a perfect throw home on the fly to Mike Redmond, and it appeared that Redmond tagged Bailey on the arm. Unfortunately, home plate umpire Todd Tichenor saw the play differently, calling Bailey safe. Redmond (rightfully, IMO) proceeded to get in Tichenor's face and was ejected in less time than it takes Delmon Young to strike out... Seriously, this one was like watching Bull Durham. "He must have called him a c***sucker". Gardenhire came out to protest, and immediately joined Redmond at the night crawler table. This put the Twins in a tough spot, as Joe Mauer had to move from DH to catcher and Henn into the #8 spot in the batting order. Anyone want to take bets on whether we bring up Jose Morales as a third catcher?

The bottom of the 7th saw its own drama, as Josh Beckett went on a 10 second temper tantrum after a borderline fastball on the outside corner was called a ball. In a very smart move to protect his pitcher, Varitek got between Beckett and Tichenor and was tossed in short order. Terry Francona decided the foursome was incomplete, so he came out to request an ejection and join the others. Did Beckett have an argument? Perhaps, it was a borderline call, but Swarzak had a similar, closer pitch called a ball against Julio Lugo in the 5th. No argument there...I suppose because he hasn't yet reached prima donna status. After the 7th, Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon posted zeroes to give Boston the split.

Stars:

#3 Brendan Harris (2 for 3, BB, 1B, 2B)

#2 Luis Ayala (2 IP, H, 0 R) - Kept Boston scoreless in the 8th and 9th, gave us a chance to come back

#1 Joe Crede (1 for 4, HR) - Accounted for the only run.

I considered Swarzak for a "star", but in the end, 6 IP / 3 R is pretty middle of the road. Not really any runs saved there.

Duds:

#3 Mike Redmond (0 for 2) - Grounded into a big double play with two on in the second.

#2 Denard Span (0 for 3, 3 SO) - At least he had a sacrifice bunt

#1 Todd Tichenor - Don't think he's earning a playoff spot yet...

Game 46: Penny keeps Twins at bay

Randy Booth — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:25:50 -0000

More photos » by Hannah Foslien - AP

7 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Kevin Youkilis (20) stops the ball from rolling into the Minnesota Twins' dugout after a throwing error in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Minneapolis, Monday, May 25, 2009. Red Sox won 6-5. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)

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FINAL SCORE: Red Sox 6, Twins 5
PLAYER OF THE GAME: 1-5 (Ells, Pedey, Youk, Bay, Lowell -- 13 for 25, five runs, five RBIs)

Brad Penny, you're starting to look like a major league pitcher.

Penny struggled in the sixth inning, but ended up going 5.1, allowed three runs, six hits, no walks and struck out seven. That's what we like to see out of our No. 5 starter.

The offense was supplied from the top of the order (note: David Ortiz was on the bench). The 1-5 starters had 13 hits, including a 4 for 5 day from Mike Lowell. Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay each had two RBIs.

Ramon Ramirez and Hideki Okajima were both perfect in relief. Ramirez went 1.2 without allowing a hit and striking out one. Oki worked an inning and struck out one.

Jonathan Papelbon worked the 9th and gave up a two-run home run to Joe Mauer, but the Sox still hung on to win 6-5.

Another game tomorrow: Jon Lester v. Nick Blackburn.

EDIT: In accordance to lone1c's preference, I must mention: Jeff Bailey hit a home run which, in the end, turned out to be the difference in the score. Thank you, Mr. Bailey. Now we know and knowing is half the battle.

Game 39: Wakefield proves to be ace of staff

Randy Booth — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:10:33 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

7 months ago: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tim Wakefield gets a handshake as he walks into the dugout at the end of the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday, May 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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FINAL SCORE: Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 1
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tim Wakefield (W, 8IP, 5H, 1R, 2BB, 3SO)

Josh Beckett? No. Jon Lester? Nah. Daisuke Matsuzaka? Not even close.

Who's the ace of the Red Sox staff this year? None other than Tim Wakefield.

Wakefield got the Sox back on the right track tonight by going eight innings and allowing just five hits, one run, two walks and striking out three. Wakefield personally stopped the losing streak by shutting down the very good Blue Jays offense.

The Red Sox scored all their runs in the second. Jeff Bailey singled to score Mike Lowell and George Kottaras hit a sacrifice fly that scored J.D. Drew. After that, the bats went silent but it was all Wakefield would need.

Wakefield's only run surrendered came on a solo shot to old friend Kevin Millar in the fifth inning.

Jonathan Papelbon earned the save after a 12 pitch 9th inning.

This is obviously a good win because the more Ls you can put on the first place team, the better. The Blue Jays probably aren't going to sit back and die this season, so the head to head matchups are key. The Red Sox could swing the East around if they can sweep the Jays this series.

Brad Penny takes on Brett Cecil at 7 on Wednesday night in game two.

Game 37: Beckett, Sox win one on the road

Randy Booth — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:54:28 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Papi's got his lens on you.

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FINAL: Red Sox 5, Mariners 3

Why thank you, Josh Beckett. You finally put forth a pretty good performance.

It wasn't the best start this season by a Sox starter, but it was Beckett's best since Opening Day. He went seven full innings, surrendered four hits, three runs (two earned), walked three and struck out five while throwing 120 pitches. It was just what the Sox and their bullpen needed to grab a victory.

The offense was supplied by trifecta of J names: Jason Bay hit a two-run home run in the first inning, Jason Varitek did the same in the second inning and Jeff Bailey got off the schnide by hitting a solo shot in the 5th. The power was back -- at least for one night.

The bullpen picked up right where Beckett left off. With the tight score, Hideki Okajima worked the first two outs of the 8th and Ramon Ramirez finished it off by getting a groundball to end the inning. Jonathan Papelbon earned his AL-leading 10th save in a one-hit 9th inning.

See, this was the game that should have happened with Jon Lester on the mound the other night. Unlike Lester, Beckett held the lead and let the bullpen finish the job. We can't blame Lester completely for that loss, but in many ways these two games were very similar -- but one had a much better finish to it.