SB Nation - Tim Wakefield

Rival Hot Stoves: Red Sox

jscape2000 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:00:31 -0000

by Stew Milne - AP

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The Red Sox are chasing the Yankees again, and once again both front offices are looking at the same assets.

1. The Lineup Right Now:

Martinez

Youkilis

Pedroia

Lowell

Lowrie

Anderson

Ellsbury

Drew

Ortiz

Beckett

Lester

Matsuzaka

Wakefield

Buchholz

Bard

Okajima

Ramirez

Papelbon

2. Prospects to Watch:

Josh Reddick- an outfielder with the speed to play all 3 spots, Reddick's bat didn't perform well in his September call up. HIs high batting average has carried him quickly through the minors (only 18 games at AAA and less than 90 games at AA). He's a see it- hit it type, and I wonder if his defense is strong enough to make Jacoby Ellsbury a trade chip in the quest for a certain high profile pitcher from North of the Border.

Michael Bowden- the 23 year old compares to IPK- high 80s to low 90s fastball, plus command of fastball and curve. He saw 16 innings of work in Boston (8G, 1 start), be he pitched very well in AAA Pawtucket (24 starts, average 5.1IP, 106H, 44BB, 88K). As a trade chip or as the first replacement starter, Bowden is a part of the Red Sox future.

Lars Anderson- the big first baseman had a terrible season in 2009, hitting a Jose Molina-esque .233/.328/.345 in 119 games in his second year at AA. He'll need a big bounce back to put his career back on track.

Matchup with the Yankees:

Victor Martinez's defense as a full time catcher will make Posada look like Bill DIckey. The right side of the infield will stand up with anybody in the league, but the Sox suffered through a season of near replacement level on the left side, so it's no surprise that the front office has wondered if their Gold Glove 2B might not play a good enough SS to sign or trade for a strong second baseman.

At the moment the Red Sox have the stronger rotation. Adding Halladay, or adding Lackey and seeing Halladay go anywhere but New York, would make the Red Sox the AL favorites.

The Quick ReLoad:

The Red Sox took $12M off the books before the start of the 2009 season. Another $40M came off at the end of season. If Boston has only $30M to spend, that's enough to make the second best team in the AL even more imposing.

A left fielder is a must-have, but there are a slew of available left fielders, and all of them could handle the small patch of grass in the shadow of the Green Monster.

Either the Red Sox have to acquire a shortstop, or they have move Pedroia and choose from the relatively stronger crop of second basemen.

Wrap-up:

The Sox got basically nothing from Matsuzaka, and replaced his quality with Brad Penny and John Smoltz. Even if a trade for Halladay weakened the Red Sox for a decade, it would make them a frightening team to face in 2010, both over the regular season and in a playoff series.

My sincerest hope is that Theo learned nothing from his lightning in a bottle 2009 approach. Another season of Nick Green at short and Tim Wakefield as the #3 pitcher would make me a happy Yankee. My fear is that the $50M that have come off the books in the last 2 seasons is on its way back into the payroll.

11/15 - Values, Defense, and Financial Planning

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:00:17 -0000

Still trying to catch up. Hopefully, I'll have a short night of homework sometime this week and I can post a bunch of links. Anyways, here's a bunch of more recent links (I'll save the still-relevant ones from earlier this week for later).

First, since I promised it to ferret:

Criminals of WAR - THT

I'm guilty of several of these offenses. Good reminder that it's not the end-all stat.

And now, some fielding fun:

How the Gold Gloves Work - Inside the Book

Try to avoid puking.

2010 UZR Projections - Beyond the Box Score

And guess who's projected as the worst CF?

With the Jumping and the Diving and the Whole Thing - The Baseball Analysts

Web Gems counting, for giggles.

Why Jason Bay is still unsigned - Extra Bases

Kinda old, but it still applies; it's not like he's signed somewhere yet.

After the jump, money, plans, and the minor leaguers.

Most of the Money Has Already Been Spent - Fenway West

Depends if Theo really is planning to go up to the CBT, but even then, the majority of the budget has been eaten up.

The Red Sox Are Cheap Bastards. Acquire Jeremy Hermida Now Pursuing Hideki Matsui - Masshole Sports

Red Sox fans should be asking what the hell is going on? Lord knows Im baffled.

Just thought I'd sum up this link for y'all.

Report: Yankees Trademarked 'Yankees Suck' Chant In 1996 - The Onion

Someone with an education in intellectual property, can you tell me if acronyms are considered the same as the words they represent? Not completely related, just wondering if "MFY Suck" would count, when the MFY finally do this.

Pay the price for Gonzalez - Chad Finn's Touching All The Bases

Well written and pretty convincing.

Mariners launch new online matchmaking service for sharing season tickets - Mariners.com

Very well run club, and now that they have a good GM, the team should start catching up to the fans.

Trade Market: Closers - MLBTradeRumors.com

The Matsuzaka Plan takes shape - Extra Bases

Dusty got him to attend the Atheletes' Performance Institute. I'd imagine a short, angry man doesn't have that much trouble convincing people do things.

Here’s a thought: Votto, Harang to Boston? - Fire Brand of the American League

This idea sounds amazing now - but how much would it cost? It would push Vic to the bench on his off-days, but I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Hideki Matsui: An Ageless Talent - Arn Tellem - The Huffington Post

An agent has taken to the web to get his client signed; had to happen eventually. Now if someone would just publish the entire copy of one of Boras' small novels, we'd be entertained for weeks.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade C: Jason Varitek - Fire Brand of the American League

Damn, I thought Mirabelli had it locked up.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade SP5: Tim Wakefield - Fire Brand of the American League

And he'll only be on the team for one year next decade. That's going to be an emotional year for Timmeh, now that he's made it clear it will be his last. (Although I'd laugh if he manages to get the record this season by some crazy twist.)

Michael Bowden May Still Have Something to Offer Red Sox - NESN.com

Most people remember Bowden's short-lived stint with the Red Sox in 2009 by his performances against the Yankees, which included the good, the bad and the ugly. But no one's ability and talent should be judged on just three outings, even if they were against the world champions.

Well, duh.

A look at Red Sox prospect Casey Kelly - THT

Nothing groundbreaking, but a good look from outside OTM. Same goes for these two links:

Scouting Report : Jacoby Ellsbury - Bleacher Report

Scouting Report : George Kottaras - Bleacher Report

Interesting take on Kott's defense.

GM Meetings Day 2: Open Thread

Jesse — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:34:55 -0000

Check back periodically for updates...

4:00 pm: Afternoon updates from Joe C.

Congrats to Joe Mauer, who wins his second Gold Glove. Well deserved.
Apparently the GM's are expected to discuss intant replay? I had no idea. At any rate it hasn't been discussed yet.
Bonser, Neshek and Slowey have been reinstated from the 60-day DL.
Joe promises more tonight.

12:45 pm: Some news from around the league

It sounds like Jason Varitek will pick up his part of the option to stay with the Red Sox, which will be a favor to teams across the American League if he continues to hit like he has the last two seasons. Which he probably will. In related news, Tim Wakefield is never going to stop pitching. NEVER.
If the Twins want to put together a package for Roy Halladay to really make a run with an Ace in hand for 2010, it will have to be a package of "quality over quantity". Sorry, Cmath.
Lunch time trade question: would you trade Jesse Crain and Delmon Young to the Royals for David DeJesus? Is it a realistic scenario?

9:30 am: Catching up on the highlights from yesterday

• Carl Pavano wouldn’t mind sticking with the Twins as long as the money is right. Quotes from his agent, Tom O’Connell, imply that Pavano won’t settle for another contract asking for his client to re-establish himself. If he’d still be willing to take an incentive-laden contract at a reasonable price (say something like one year, $5 million with $500K for reaching 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200 innings) with an option for a second year, I’d do that. He’s a Type-B free agent, but I’m not sure he’d make more than that taking the arbitration route (which the Twins are sure to offer).
• Twins General Manager Bill Smith has mentioned there will be interest in free agent starting pitchers during the off-season. I have to believe that only three spots (Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey) are locked down.
• It sounds like Ron Gardenhire wouldn’t mind bringin back Orlando Cabrera as the team’s second baseman next season, but it seems highly unlikely the front office would follow through on that.
• The Orioles claimed Armando Gabino off waivers.
• Justin Huber cleared waivers, paving the way for his possible return to Rochester (or the Twins) in 2010.
• Juan Morillo has been added to the 40-man roster, bringing the current tally to 33 (not including 60-day DL guys Boof Bonser, Pat Neshek and Kevin Slowey, or impending free agents Ron Mahay, Mike Redmond, Joe Crede, Pavano and Cabrera).
• Tim Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors has posted his yearly series where he guesses where the top 50 free agents will end up. He thinks Adrian Beltre (number nine on his list) will end up in Minnesota.
• Before the Twins snapped up J.J. Hardy, a number of other teams had been in contact with the Brewers, including the Red Sox, Reds and Blue Jays.

Sox Bargain Gets Cheaper: Wakefield Agrees to 2-Year Contract

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:03:40 -0000

More photos » by Eric Shelton - ASSOCIATED PRESS

5 months ago: Boston Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield delivers to the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of their baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, July 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Shelton)

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Thanks to Drugs Delaney for breaking the news here on OTM.

Long said to be one of the best bargains in baseball, Tim Wakefield's perpetual $4 million team option will not be picked up for the first time since 2005. Instead, the Red Sox today signed him to a two-year deal worth $5 million with incentives thought to be worth a maximum of $2 million. Those 2 years should gives him a good shot at taking over some team records--not a surprise, given his lengthy tenure with the team.

For the Sox, this deal not only shaves off about a million dollars from their 2010 budget, but more importantly, given its frontloaded nature ($3.5 million in 2010, $1.5 million in 2011) gives them salary relief to spend on the impressive 2011 free agent class.

Red Sox re-sign Tim Wakefield

Eli Greenspan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:18:23 -0000

More photos » by Eric Shelton - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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WEEI.com's Rob Bradford is reporting that the Red Sox have come to terms on a two-year deal with pitcher Tim Wakefield.

The new contract will pay the 43-year-old a guaranteed $5 million — $3.5 million in ‘10 and $1.5 million in ‘11 — with the opportunity to earn various incentives that could bring the package’s total worth to approximately $7 million over the two years.

The signing comes after the Red Sox declined his 4 million dollar club option for the 2010 season. Wakefield, who underwent surgery on a herniated disk, is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

He is just three wins away from tying the record for most wins by a pitcher in a Red Sox uniform, currently shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young at 192.

Wakefield To Undergo Surgery, Likely to Return for 2010

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:56:52 -0000

More photos » by Eric Shelton - ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Tim Wakefield is set to undergo surgery Wednesday to fix the herniated disk in his back, a procedure which shouldn't stop him from coming back next season. Assuming all goes well, Theo seems happy to have him back.

"Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein during his Monday press conference. "We haven’t sat down and finalized anything. Obviously we want to see how the surgery goes and then both sides will sit down and talk."

Wake was, as usual, worth more than his $4 million option last year. So long as the Sox can keep getting the same level of production out of him, it makes sense to have him back. Given his age and fragility, though, expect the Sox to either have a backup for Wakefield, or to use the Knuckleballer in a back-up role himself.

The Sox will likely fill the 5th/6th starter position with another low risk, high reward candidate. While the strategy proved unsuccessful last year, with both Brad Penny and John Smoltz proving to be of little help, Theo Epstein recently stood by his decision, and suggested the team would try it again. Certainly, though, this year's crop of names is rather more impressive, with Erik Bedard, Justin Duchsherer, Rich Harden, and Ben Sheets highliting the list.

Poll

What should Tim Wakefield's role be with the 2010 Red Sox?

5th starter.

147 votes

6th starter/long relief. Sign a low-risk, high-reward free agent.

69 votes

6th starter/long relief. John Lackey is worth top dollar!

31 votes

None. Decline his option.

25 votes

Other (Comment away!)

2 votes

274 votes | Poll has closed

Dissecting the Red Sox Roster: Pitching

Ben Buchanan — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:01:09 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Make no mistake, Jon Lester is the current and future ace of this Red Sox staff. Sorry, Beckett, but it's time to pass the torch. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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I was originally going to post this the day we lost-I had written it as something of a therapeutic exercise-before I realized that this might be a "the body is still warm" situation. I thought that fit with the title. Anyways, we've all had time to cool off, time to grieve, and I think it's about time we move on. The stove is warming up, so let's get right to work, starting with a player-by-player review of the current and free-agent bound Red Sox. Who's going, who's staying, and who has trade value.

Daniel Bard: As a young, cost controlled player, Bard provides an immense positive for the Red Sox in the pen. Groomed as a closer throughout his career, Bard may not be ready yet, but he certainly gives the Sox flexibility in the event that Papelbon does become a sought-after commodity, both in the decision to act on a potential trade, and in the pieces they may get back, since they would not necessarily need a closer in return.

Josh Beckett: In the final year of his contract, Beckett actually has a lot to prove. Beckett has largely been living off his 2007 reputation with the Sox. While he was by no means bad this year, his 4.03 ERA in 2008 is not what we expect of an ace-type pitcher, nor is his 3.86 this year. Looking further into the stats, he's giving up quite a few more walks and homers, and striking out fewer of late too. This has lead to a steadily rising FIP from 3.08 in 2007 to 3.24 in 2008 and 3.63 in 2009. His tRA has also risen dramatically from 3.09 in '07 to 4.57 in '09. Ultimately, the Sox cannot approach Beckett's free agency with the idea that he's a necessary commodity. 2 years ago this idea might seem ridiculous, but as is Beckett may be a very replaceable pitcher for the money he will want.

Clay Buchholz: With his salary in check and his potential finally starting to show, Buchholz should be a valuable part of the Red Sox for years to come, whether as a future ace that many project him as, or as a solid #3 man. The real question with Buchholz is what his trade value is. There haven't been many trades mentioned throughout this last year that haven't involved the young hurler, but it seems that the Sox and potential trade partners just cannot agree on his worth. While his much-improved showing during this regular season may have raised his stock, it's still questionable whether the rest of the league sees him as being worth as much as the Sox feel he is. I doubt the Sox deal him unless he gets value near that of a potential ace.

Paul Byrd: The Byrd man is gone, possibly for good. After getting no interest from anyone until the Sox were forced to sign him due to injuries and poor results from FA signings, Byrd may even choose to go out on his own terms and retire. Either way, there are better options for the Sox in the offseason.

Manny Delcarmen: Around the trade deadline, the Sox had a great chance to get value for Delcarmen. Now they'd be lucky to get any trade offers. Even with a good start to the season, teams would need to see prolonged success to believe in him. Given the talent he's got, it would be smart for the Sox to keep him on as a low-leverage bullpen man if the rest of the pen gives them the option, and then trade him the second a team shows significant interest. He's still under team control for a number of years though, so it's not a big risk (yes, I know, low-risk high-reward is a crap buzzword right now).

Jon Lester: Not much to say here. He's our ace, he's young, he's under team control for many years. He's one of the most definite of the Red Sox' pieces.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Much has been made of Daisuke's difficulties with the management and coaching staff of the Red Sox. And certainly the Sox can't be happy with him after he all-but-sacrificed his season with the team to pitch in the WBC. He is young, he isn't too expensive (well, not now after the posting fee) and he does have plenty of ability, but there are many questions as far as Daisuke's future is concerned. If Daisuke recommits himself to the team this offseason, then perhaps the Sox will recommit themselves to the idea of the Wunderkind Daisuke. But if the Sox can get good value on him, despite their weak bargaining position, they may jump at it, even if it does mean hurting their position in the Japanese prospect market.

Hideki Okajima: Okajima will be entering his first year of arbitration-not free agency-and as such is likely not going anywhere anytime soon. However, Sox fans do have to question how good Oki is going to be from here-on-out. 2009 was a down year for Oki, as his ERA rose to 3.39, though his peripherals were largely unchanged. He lost a few strikeouts, and gave up 2 more homers (though, when you're giving up 6 on a year, that's not a small deal), but his HR/FB% was up similarly, and his BABIP was up too, suggesting it might be some luck. The fear has to be that the league has figured out Oki and his bizarre delivery. In this case, only time will tell. If Okajima can return to form, it'd be a significant boost to the Red Sox' pen.

Jonathan Papelbon: After blowing up to end the season on a horrible note, plenty of Sox fans were calling for Paps' head. The post-loss fervor seems to have died down, but the idea is still out there. Papelbon has not been as good as he was in 2007, though he has by no means been bad, average, or even just above average. Let's make no mistake, he's one of the games best. However, the Sox are going to lose him one way or another in a couple of years, and Daniel Bard certainly has the stuff to replace him soon, if not now. Ultimately, it seems likely the Sox very quietly inform the league that his name is out there, and then if someone decides to overpay for a relief pitcher due to the "closer" title, give it a long, hard look.

Ramon Ramirez: Another cost-controlled pen arm, Ramirez started the season hot but struggled as the year went on. While his 2.84 ERA is still very low, his high walk rate and middling strikeout rate lead to a high FIP and ERA. If Ramirez can return to early-season form next year, he'll be a valuable part of the pen. If he returns to being a guy they can't trust in late innings, though, the organization will have to choose when to cut and run.

Takashi Saito: Saito is an interesting case. The team holds a $2.5 million option on him, and while his tiny ERA would seem to make this an easy decision, there are many things that suggest otherwise. The first is that his peripherals are universally worse. His K/9 are down, his BB/9 up, his HR/9 up. His FIP and tRA have risen tons compared to his career averages, and he seems to have lost his ability to induce ground balls. The team has also shied away from using him in pressure situations, and if he's only gonna pitch blowouts and 6^th innings than he's likely not worth the money it would take to keep him-especially if his numbers regress towards what his process suggests they should.

Note: South Coast Ghost correctly points out that the option is actually worth quite a bit more, as Saito fulfilled all his incentives for remaining on the active roster, as well as two for innings pitched. This brings the option value up to $6 million with $1.5 million in incentives remaining to be had. If it was a tough call for Sox management before, it's even harder now.

Billy Wagner: To the Red Sox, Wagner represents draft picks. Beautiful, beautiful draft picks. A type-A free agent, Wagner will net the Sox the top draft pick of any team that signs him, and a supplementary pick after the end of the 1^st round-assuming he doesn't retire. While earlier, it was questionable whether the 38-year-old Tommy-John patient would garner enough interest for a team to sacrifice a pick, 26 strikeouts in 16 innings should turn a few heads, not to mention a 1.72 ERA. The Sox have already agreed to pass on Wagner's $8 million team option, and it seems unlikely he will accept arbitration if the Sox offer it, since his reason for demanding they pass on his option was his desire to close. In essence, the Sox have a chance to recycle Carter and Lora for first-round talent. Now that's a deal.

Tim Wakefield: As per usual, Wakefield outperformed his 4 million dollar option, and as usual it would be foolish of the Sox not to pick up his contract if he's willing to come back. But given his status as a perpetual injury risk, the Sox had also better be sure they have a back up ready. If he chooses to call it a career, then it will be the end of a long and fruitful career that set the bar for loyalty.

Sunrise Sox Links (?), 10/13 - Wrapping and Unwrapping Seasons

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Maybe I should have checked to make sure that BS kid was still away before I started talking about Jed. Aw, shoot.

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I'm back and I've got a lot of links - going to do some rapid fire linkage today:

Why the Red Sox lost to the Angels - THT

The fact of a short series is that anything can happen.

Why the Angels beat the Red Sox - THT

Sean breaks down how the Angels rode a strong defense and steady relief pitching to the ALCS.

Two different perspectives. I can still feel the hate coming from the Angels, and it feels good.

Of course, EVERYONE wants in on the Paps story:

Lester on Booing Papelbon: ‘It Was Uncalled For’ - Full Count

Sorry, Lester, but he deserves it...

Papelbon Messed With His Mechanics - Sox Tea Party

Loss Will Fuel Papelbon - Full Count

It had better - whatever issues that he seemed to have fixed by the end of the regular season need to be examined in depth this offseason.

Torii Hunter scolds boo birds - BostonHerald.com

"Papelbon, I got so much respect for him, man. I definitely think he’s one of the best closers in the game. That’s terrible, actually."

Your evaluation of him? Yeah, it is. The best closers in the game didn't consistently lean over the cliff this season.

Blown Saves vs. Fielding Independent Pitching: Graph of the Day - Beyond the Box Score

Not entirely sure that I get what was trying to be shown here... Perhaps that Paps should have had more blown saves, based on his FIP? Seems like more of an anti-saves point.

After the jump, more links wrapping up the season and unwrapping the next season - we like our holidays to come early, apparently.

The Real Kevin Youkilis Is Missing - Sox Tea Party

Youkilis scratched out one double in 12 ABs en route to a .083 BA. Throw in his mental miscues in Game over at first base and you have reason to wonder what was going on? How can Youkilis play so poorly?

Because you're judging a player based on the equivalent of, say, 4 paragraphs? Forgive me if I have to check the previous Tea Party link to make sure this guy knows baseball, especially when you blame Youk for the errors/blown calls at 1B, when he should be credited with saving runs.

Boston Red Sox's Weak Record Outside of Division Foreshadowed ALDS Sweep - Bleacher Report

Decent breakdowns until they got into looking at records against individual teams - WAY too small of sample sizes...

BtB Power Rankings Season Review: AL East - Beyond the Box Score

Yes - the Rays had a better team than us. This is one of the many reasons why I'm not COMPLETELY pissed about the results of the series. That said, it was fun to rant when people made fun of me for wearing a Sox shirt yesterday.

Beckett wants his Tek-nichian back in 2010 - Full Count

Sorry, Beckett, but the only way he's coming back is as a coach. Check previous posts for more on this.

Astros to interview Bogar, Mills - Full Count

Good luck guys - just wish we could have polished their resumés with a nice World Series ring.

Bay plans to test free-agent market; Wakefield headed for surgery - The Providence Journal

Tim Wakefield will have surgery this week on his back to repair a herniated disk.

Get well soon, Timmeh.

Bay Contemplates ‘Uneasy’ Future - Full Count

Theo and Tito look ahead to 2010 - Full Count

Guess who they talked about? Let's follow my facial expressions as I read this:

Lowrie is an important factor for us as well.

:D - R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (sorry Aretha)

[T]his is a young player we really believe in who has been hurt as a big league player. We’ve not seen the type of player he can be yet at the big league level because he’s been playing hurt the entire team.

:/ - He was pretty good while playing with a major injury though.

At some point, the player has to get healthy to be able to show what he can do and to be able to help the organization. I don’t think we can hand a job to him because he hasn’t proved his health yet at this point.

:O - Blaming Jed for his wrist not healing when y'all held him back from getting surgery? Weak.

But at the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re sitting here at this time next year, hopefully with champagne and not having one of these post-mortems,

:P

but looking back and saying, wow, he really got healthy and proved himself in winning that job or playing his way into a meaningful role.

@>~~~>~~~ - I mean, :)

So we’ll see. Now it’s on him. He’s got to get himself healthy and make an impact. We can’t stake our season on the hope that he’ll be healthy. We have to have other options."

: | - Well, dur, Theo. We have to have other options EVERYWHERE.

Did you see Sox failure coming? I did - Fire Brand of the American League

These posts never come off well. NG, you want to set the standard for the crazy-meter (and decide what we're doing about the bet)?

That's all I've got. Thanks again to USG and Randy for covering me while I took some personal time off. Looking forward to talking about how we dominated everyone we've played this time next year. For now, let's just talk and share some links, man.

ALDS Preview: Breaking down the Los Angeles Angels' key players

Randy Booth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:01:05 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

2 months ago: The Los Angeles Angels mob the field after clinching the AL West title with an 11-0 win over the Texas Rangers in an MLB baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Today is the day: the first game of the American League Division Series. The Red Sox are in Los Angeles prepping for the Halos as we speak. Jon Lester, getting warm. Jason Bay, doing voodoo on his bat. Terry Francona, shoving chew in his mouth like it's going out of style.

With that, her is your primer on the Angels' key players for the start of tonight's series.

Lineup

Chone Figgins

#9 / Third Base / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 5-8

Weight: 180

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Jan 22, 1978

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Chone Figgins	158	615	114	183	30	7	5	54	101	114	42	17	.298	.395	.393

Here's the good news: Tim Wakefield will not be pitching in the ALDS, meaning Chone Figgins can not steal off of him. Figgins' biggest asset is his speed. The Angels have stolen 15 bags against the Sox this year (second most against any team behind the Yankees), and Figgins has stolen six of those, the most steals he has against any team this season (and that's in just nine games). Figgins has gotten on base at a .395 clip against the Sox this season, so it'll be important to try and keep him off the basepaths or he'll do a lot of damage.

Bobby Abreu

#53 / Right Field / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Mar 11, 1974

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Bobby Abreu	152	563	96	165	29	3	15	103	94	113	30	8	.293	.390	.435

Abreu was one of the best pickups of the offseason when it comes to "guys you don't expect much out of." The stats really don't lie with Abreu -- he's a solid player that doesn't have too many holes in his game (well, there's that defense thing. But that's negligible, right?). The way Abreu can hurt the Sox is just by forcing a lot of pitches. He's currently 5th in the AL in pitches per plate appearance at 4.21 (Figgins is 4th at 4.22, but our man Kevin Youkilis leads at 4.40). If the Sox can get Abreu out early in counts, they'll save a lot of pitches for later in the game.

Torii Hunter

#48 / Center Field / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-2

Weight: 225

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 18, 1975

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Torii Hunter	119	451	74	135	26	1	22	90	47	92	18	4	.299	.366	.508

Hunter is one of the Halos' bigger power threats, but not their biggest. Hunter missed a lot of games this year, but he was still able to put up a lot of good numbers -- in 119 games, his .869 OPS was the best of his career. Like a lot of players in this lineup, he's a threat to do almost anything. He'll hit home runs, steal bases, walk at a pretty good rate; he's their No. 3 hitter for a reason.

Vladimir Guerrero

#27 / Designated Hitter / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-3

Weight: 235

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 09, 1976

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Vladimir Guerrero	100	383	59	113	16	1	15	50	19	56	2	1	.295	.334	.460

This is not the same Vladimir Guerrero you're used to, but he's still pretty good. With that said, he's striking out more this season and he's walking less than he ever has. His power is down, too, but he still can't be labeled a "non-threat." If you leave him a flat curveball, he probably will deposit it into the bleachers.

Juan Rivera

#20 / Left Field / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-2

Weight: 230

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 03, 1978

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Juan Rivera	138	529	72	152	24	1	25	88	36	57	0	1	.287	.332	.478

Rivera is kind of going the opposite route of Vlad. Rivera, in his first full season, is walking more and striking out less, while putting up solid power numbers. He's also a pretty solid fielder in left (except this moment -- what happened there?). Fortunately, Rivera has struggled against the Sox this season, hitting just .194 in eight games.

Kendry Morales

#19 / First Base / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-1

Weight: 225

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Jun 20, 1983

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Kendry Morales	152	566	86	173	43	2	34	108	46	117	3	7	.306	.355	.569

Clearly the Angels' MVP this season, Morales is just one of many scary hitters in this lineup. He leads the team in home runs (34), RBIs (107), slugging (.571) and OPS (.927). He also leads in strikeouts, which may be one of his few weaknesses. The good thing is that he's cooled down this past month, hitting just .269 in September and October with four home runs. He also sported a .200 batting average against the Sox in 35 at-bats this year.

Howie Kendrick

#47 / Second Base / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 5-10

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 12, 1983

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Howie Kendrick	105	374	61	109	21	3	10	61	20	71	11	4	.291	.334	.444

Geez. There isn't a break in this lineup, is there? Kendrick doesn't walk a lot, but he can usually get a bat on the ball. He doesn't have much power, but he's decent on the basepaths and is an above-average defender. He'd probably be a bigger factor on a team without such a good lineup.

Mike Napoli

#44 / Catcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-0

Weight: 215

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 31, 1981

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Mike Napoli	114	382	60	104	22	1	20	56	40	103	3	3	.272	.350	.492

Mike Napoli, or better known as this guy, has always seemed to be a thorn in the Sox's side. He has three home runs against the Sox this year, tied (with the Blue Jays) for the most he's hit against any team. Like Morales though, Napoli has struggled lately, hitting just .192 in September and October. He strikes out quite a bit, but he has a lot of power. Memo: don't give him anything to hit.

Erick Aybar

#2 / Short Stop / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 5-10

Weight: 170

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Jan 14, 1984

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Erick Aybar	137	504	70	157	23	9	5	58	30	54	14	7	.312	.353	.423

Another guy that hits for average. But luckily, Aybar doesn't have the power as most of his other teammates have. He is kind of a pest at the plate though, because he doesn't strike out very often. The Sox should be more worried about what he does on defense, as he mans the shortstop position pretty well. Aybar is expected to start against right handed pitchers.

Maicer Izturis

#13 / Short Stop / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 5-8

Weight: 170

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Sep 12, 1980

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Maicer Izturis	114	387	74	116	22	3	8	65	35	41	13	5	.300	.359	.434

There's not a big difference between Aybar and Izturis. Izturis hits for average, but not much power and plays solid defense. Just another guy that can make contact with the ball, basically.

Pitching Staff

John Lackey

#41 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-6

Weight: 245

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 23, 1978

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - John Lackey	11-8	27	27	1	1	0	0	176.1	177	84	75	17	47	139	3.83	1.27

The ace of this Angels staff will be on the hill for game one against the Sox. Lackey has pretty much been his normal self this season after a rocky start which saw his ERA at 6.05 after May. In the second half he rebounded though, going 7-4 with a 3.05 ERA. He only faced the Sox once this season, but it was a good start, holding the Sox to two runs in 7.2 innings. Thankfully, Dice-K was pretty good in that game, too. Lackey started two games in last year's ALDS and did pretty well against the Sox, allowing just four runs in 13.2 innings. The best thing the Sox can do against Lackey is what they try to do against any pitcher: make him throw, throw, throw. The Sox can beat Lackey -- they've done it before -- but patience is the best asset they can have against him.

Jered Weaver

#36 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-7

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 04, 1982

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Jered Weaver	16-8	33	33	4	2	0	0	211.0	196	91	88	26	66	174	3.75	1.24

This season was Weaver's best since his rookie campaign. He's striking out batters at a consistent rate (7.42 per 9) and batters are hitting .248 off him. He is walking more batters and giving up more home runs than normal, but it's not too far off his career average. After a rough July (6.88 ERA) and August (4.58), he allowed just 13 runs in 37.2 innings in September and October. More bad news, though: Weaver is a deceptive pitcher who has handled the Sox this season in two starts. He allowed just one earned run in 13.2 innings and notched 12 strikeouts. He'll start game two.

Scott Kazmir

#22 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jan 24, 1984

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Scott Kazmir	2-2	6	6	0	0	0	0	36.1	28	8	7	1	10	26	1.73	1.05

Yup, we have to face Kazmir again -- except this time he's not wearing Tampa Bay colors. And since that trade that sent him packing to the West Coast, Kazmir has been pretty dominate, allowing just seven runs in more than 36 innings of work. This looks more like the 2007 Kazmir than the pre-trade Kazmir of 2009. His strikeouts are actually down with the Halos, but so are his walks (from 4.05 per 9 to 2.48). Batters are also hitting just .215 against Kazmir since the trade. He has always pitched well in Fenway too, notching a 3.05 ERA in 73.2 innings. The Sox will find success against Kazmir if he sees the Sox and thinks he's a Ray again -- maybe he'll mentally crack. That'd be nice.

Joe Saunders

#51 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jun 16, 1981

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Joe Saunders	16-7	31	31	1	1	0	0	186.0	202	102	95	29	64	101	4.60	1.43

Saunders will start game No. 4, but let's hope we won't have to see him. The good thing is, if the Sox do face Saunders, he's not as good as he was last year. More walks, more home runs and overall, just better success for hitters this season against Saunders. He wasn't that good against the Sox this season either, allowing six walks and 15 hits in 12.2 innings.

Ervin Santana

#54 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-2

Weight: 185

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Dec 12, 1982

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Ervin Santana	8-8	24	23	2	2	0	0	139.2	159	83	78	24	47	107	5.03	1.47

The Sox won't see Santana start a game, but will most likely see him come out of the bullpen. Santana missed a lot of time this season (trust me, I was his faithful fantasy owner) and just hasn't been able to replicate his 08 season. He struck out two less batters per nine innings than last season and is walking at a higher rate (1.93 in '08, 3.07 this season). The Sox shouldn't have a lot of trouble hitting Santana -- if they see him.

Brian Fuentes

#40 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-4

Weight: 230

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Aug 09, 1975

	W-L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	BS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	ERA	WHIP
2009 - Brian Fuentes	1-5	65	0	0	0	48	7	55.0	53	24	24	6	24	46	3.93	1.40

The closer of the staff, Fuentes jumped ship from Colorado last season to replace Francisco Rodriguez. The results haven't been to pleasant: his ERA is up more than a run, his WHIP is up 0.3 and his strikeouts are down. That's the NL-AL switch for you. Despite his struggles, he had 48 saves on the season, the best in baseball. (This doesn't really say much for him, except the opportunities given to him. He blew seven saves to go along with it -- fourth most in baseball.)

Poll

How will the ALDS between the Red Sox and Angels finish?

Red Sox in 3

22 votes

Red Sox in 4

153 votes

Red Sox in 5

62 votes

Angels in 3

36 votes

Angels in 4

57 votes

Angels in 5

28 votes

358 votes | Poll has closed

Optional workout notes, Nick Green still "not good enough to play"

Randy Booth — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:10:43 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Nick Green talks to David Ortiz in the dugout after pitching the eighth and ninth innings of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. The White Sox beat the Red Sox, 9-5. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Browse more photos »

The Red Sox held an optional workout todayy before the team hopes the plane for a 3:15 p.m. flight to the West Coast:

The players in attendance here are Nick Green, Brian Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Jacoby Ellsbury, Billy Wagner, George Kottaras, Takashi Saito and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Green still is having difficulty with his back, though he said he was better, but "not good enough to play."

The rest of the team appears eager to get out of Boston and to Anaheim, Calif. They were simply playing out the string in the regular season, and now the true fun begins.

"This is kind of where it starts," Jason Bay said. "I think everyone's aware of that, but once we get to Anaheim, start working out, it will kick in a little bit more. But, yeah, you work your butt off from February to this point, ultimately on a game-to-game basis now."

Anyone want to take any bets if we're going to see Nick Green this postseason? I think it's a definite he won't be ready for the ALDS, but from the sounds of it, it looks like we won't see him at all for the rest of October. This means Jed Lowrie is the team's backup shortstop. Let's hope he is healthy enough, too.