SB Nation - Brian Anderson

Don't Worry About Alex Rios, Greg Walker is on the case

The Cheat — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:53:52 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

Alex Rios is pulling off the ball just a tad...

Alex Rios has $58.7M left on his contract, is coming off a season in which he hit .199/.229/.301 after joining the White Sox, and has, at times, appeared completely lost at the plate. But don't worry, Greg Walker is planning a special trip to Puerto Rico help turn Rios around.

As the Sox slipped further out of the race in September, Rios channeled '06 Brian Anderson and I plotted a post about the Sox most important off-season acquisition; a new hitting coach. You know, one that actually does something, makes obvious adjustments to struggling players instead of letting them 'hit their way out of it' and preaching on about the magical powers of the obverse side of a baseball card. My reasoning was simple; the Sox had roughly 60M reasons to find a hitting coach who would actually do something besides spout cliched baseball platitudes.

But I never expected Walker to be back, certainly not on a two-year deal. I severely underestimated the nepotism factor. You could say it's sticking with the Devil you know vs. the Devil you don't. Only now the Devil's got a plan, traveling camp Walker...

"Quentin and Rios are the two guys that we wanted to work with specifically. They are young middle of the order hitters and should be with us a long time. Q is a guy that watches a lot of video and is a bright guy. We're going to look at the good, bad and the ugly the last few years and come up with a gameplan. No swinging or anything like that. Just some time spent with him, mostly on the computer, come up with a plan.

"We want [Rios] to work on some things in the offseason with no pressure. I wanted to firm up that we're all on the same page."

So while I have to applaud Walker for finally taking a more visibly proactive approach, that little voice in the back of my mind dutifully reminds me; it's Greg Freakin' Walker. He's about as effective as ExtenZe.

Dissecting the Red Sox Roster: Batters

USG — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:32:20 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

This man swings a big bat. A very, very big bat. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Well, this took me a little longer than I expected, but oh well. Continuing in the player-by-player breakdown of who we had in 2009 and what they are to the team in 2010, I give you the batters.

Brian Anderson: Let's start things off easy, shall we? Brian Anderson really brought nothing to this team in 2009. Sure, he had that one really good game against Cleveland when nothing mattered, and his 1.028 OPS is pretty to look at if you ignore how many ABs it took. But he's not a major league player. If he's willing to be stuffed back in the minor leagues, maybe he comes back as very mediocre insurance. But if not, the Sox should have no qualms with dumping the failed prospect.

Rocco Baldelli: Rocco wasn't all that bad as far as a bench bat is concerned. He had a very low OBP, but brought a little pop to the lineup when he was slotted in and finished with a mid-700s OPS. He even played a good center field in limited innings, if his UZR came in below average in the outfield over the year. Ultimately, though, Rocco does not bring any solid reliability to the bench. He's got obvious injury risks, and if you can't rely on a guy to come off the bench and give you a solid AB regardless of how often he plays is not necessarily the guy you want. Unless his price is very low, I expect the Sox will let him walk in favor of someone more reliable.

Jason Bay: Now here's where things get interesting. Let's look at the facts: Jason Bay was a fantastic offensive producer for the Red Sox. He lead American League outfielders in numerous offensive statistics, and was a great middle-of-the-order guy every month but July. Now, it's tempting to just say "sign him"—and I think the Red Sox ultimately will. But I'm not sure that's going to be a good idea. For a team where the goal has long been to exploit the unexploited market and avoid overpaying based on name and hype, Jason Bay seems like exactly the wrong sort of signing: a guy with big numbers where people often look (RBI, HR, and yes, OBP, SLG, and wOBA) but crap numbers where they do not (UZR). If Bay wants to sign with us, he'd better understand that he will have to DH when we ask him to DH.

J.D. Drew: Seriously, for those of you Drew-haters—and I know a few still linger—ask yourselves if you're not a bit too caught up in his 2007 numbers. Last year he was a top-10 outfielder by wOBA, top-3 by OPS. And unlike his similarly offensively gifted outfielder Jason Bay, Drew is a very solid defensive outfielder as well, worth 9.7 runs above replacement, good for 6^th amongst major league right fielders. Is he costly? Yes, but he's a ridiculously good player and worth every penny in '08 and '09. I'm not saying we should resign him after his contract runs out in 2 years, but until then he's an integral part of this team that's probably being underutilized batting 8^th every other game.

Jacoby Ellsbury: There's not a lot left to be said about Jacoby Ellsbury that hasn't already been said here. A seemingly great defensive outfielder due to speed and the occasional flashy dive or leap, Ellsbury's abilities do not hold up well under scrutiny. Bad jumps and poor routes lead him to being one of the worst defensive center fielders by UZR, and offensively the problems are the same as usual: OBP, OBP, OBP. As a leadoff hitter, that number should be higher than it is, though he's made improvements, it's questionable whether that's due to improving skills or a higher BABIP this year. The K% and BB% are moving slowly in the right direction, but to stay in CF he's going to have to improve his defense, and if he wants to make it in left, he's going to need to improve his bat way more than he has so far.

Joey Gathright: He's a good guy to have in the system, but he's not one you want for the long haul. He's not got a bat to be worth a spot on the bench except when you're in the postseason and can expect to be playing your starters every single game and might just need that one key SB. Otherwise, hes' a roster spot best used on a solid all-around player.

Alex Gonzalez: There's gotta be a little bit of emotion involved in the decision making process for those who want to bring the more diminutive A-Gon back. The Red Sox hadn't had a guy let them feel safe on a ball hit to the SS hole for a while, and Gonzalez gave them that for a short time. Add in a few clutch hits, a surprising number of homers, and replacing a combination of Julio Lugo, Nick Green, and Brian Woodward and I'm surprised we haven't had statues going up left and right. But looking at Gonzo's case rationally, he's not at all worth the $6 million option on his contract, and he's probably not a great player to keep on. First off, even his .316 OBP this year with the Sox was very nearly a career high. He is, undoubtedly, a black hole in the lineup. And in the field, while he's good, he's not great and he's not likely to get any better as he gets older. This guy is not a solution to the long-term problem, he is a short-term stopgap who kept Sox fans from tearing out their hair. In his short time with the Sox, Jed Lowrie has shown no signs of driving Sox fans insane with fielding errors, and has the potential to swing a big bat. Pair him with another possible solution (*cough*JJ Hardy*cough*) and see who emerges.

Nick Green: As fun as it was to watch Nick Green go on his early-season hot streak and show remarkable range at short, he's unlikely to reproduce either next year, and so is probably minor-league depth at best for this team.

Casey Kotchman: Another player who just doesn't have a great future with the Sox. There's likely at least one team in the league likely to give him a starting job at first, and he never seemed to get his bat going even to his usual levels as a bench player. While he's got a great glove at first, that's just not the greatest use of a bench spot, especially if we can employ a late-inning defensive unit with Jed at 3^rd, Youk at 1^st, and hopefully a good defensive backup/platoon SS. Send him on his way and see if we can't get some value for him.

George Kottaras: Bad bat, mediocre defensive catcher, and with Mark Wagner throwing out guys left and right and flashing a bat again, he may well have missed his window with the Sox. Sorry, Kott.

Mike Lowell: To say Mike has been disappointing since signing his contract in the 2007-2008 offseason would probably be an understatement. .274/.338/.461 and .290/.337/.474 are not lines worth $12 million, especially not when paired with defense befitting a cripple. However, there's reason to be encouraged. Even with limited starts, Lowell put up pretty good numbers in July and August before disappearing in September, and started to show signs of being the old defensive Lowell as the season came to a close. The ability to be the old Mike Lowell is still there, and hopefully with more consistent playing time (with Martinez taking over at catcher, Youk will be staying at first a lot more) and a healed hip, Mike could flash us some of the old magic in what will almost certainly be his last year with the Red Sox.

Jed Lowrie: If the wrist is healthy, he should be our starting shortstop. The defense is there, the offense should by all accounts be there with a well-repaired wrist—there's no evidence of significant discrepancies in his L/R splits in the minors. I still think he's our shortstop of the future.

Victor Martinez: I'll admit that I got this guy wrong. He came into Fenway and produced. But that doesn't change that he's not an impressive defensive catcher, which is the position he's going to have to fill more often than not next year. Hopefully, his position splits fall more in line with his pre-'09 numbers instead of his clearly first base heavy ones from last year. Otherwise, while he won't be Varitek bad, the upgrade isn't going to be as big as we expect.

David Ortiz: Perhaps the biggest single question mark on the Red Sox going into 2010 is Big Papi. Obviously, he is on the decline. Obviously, he's not due for a big contract in 2011 if any at all. And obviously, so long as he doesn't somehow find his way into pin stripes, he's due to go down as one of the all-time Sox if only for his contributions in '07 and especially '04. But next year anything could happen. While Ortiz ended the season with an OPS of .794, he put up a 1.062 OPS in June, .845 in July, .825 in August, and .947 in September. But when that's being so strongly offset by the slow starts he's had for the last few years, it's hard to justify keeping him consistently at DH. Papi needs to figure out what it is that's making him start slow (not exactly the sign of an aging guy who would tend to break down over the course of the season) over the offseason, and FIX IT. More prep, less prep, I don't know, but if he fixes it, the Sox could pull a huge weapon out of nowhere.

Or he could just continue to disappear.

Dustin Pedroia: Not much to this one. He's our guy at second base for the foreseeable future. Huge defense, great on base capabilities, and with the ability to show a little sneaky pop. After putting up an MVP season in 2008, Pedroia seemed to regress a little in 2009, but I wouldn't expect that to continue at all. In fact, I'd expect him to get better in a lot of ways. After BABIPs of .334 and .336 in '07 and '08, Petey posted a .300 in '09. He had a little bit of a GB/FB shift, and maybe swung for the fences a bit too much when he had only a couple dingers midway through the year. If Petey can get back to playing his game, he could easily jump back over the .850 OPS mark.

Jason Varitek: As much as I love the captain for all he's done, it's time to call it quits. Tek is not currently worth a roster spot. He doesn't have the offense to be a full-time catcher, or the defense to be a backup. Plus his presence will likely just make it harder to get the pitchers in synch with Martinez and whoever ends up backing him up next season. If he insists on picking up the player's option, pay him his 3 million and cut him loose. I hope he ends up as a coach with us someday, but there's just no justification to waste a spot on him.

Chris Woodward: A guy with no redeeming qualities. Awful defense, awful offense...Don't even stick him in Pawtucket, just cut him.

Kevin Youkilis: After the dramatic improvement between '07 and '08, Sox fans would've been completely justified in wondering if this late-blooming Youk was for real. .843 OPS is acceptable at 3^rd, or 1^st with great defense. .959 OPS with great defense at the corners? That's MVP stuff. .312/.390/.569 became .305/.413/.548, and Sox fans were reassured. Kevin Youkilis is THE middle-of-the-lineup guy for the Red Sox. He may not his tons of homers, but he's going to produce. Youk's extension was clearly a good buy now.

By the way, did anyone else realize he had 7 steals last year? Go figure. Nice little tidbit to end the article on.

Note To Self: Read Brandon Kruse Before My 2010 Drafts

raygu — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:00:31 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

about 1 month ago: Tampa Bay Rays' Ben Zobrist lines a second inning RBI single off New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia during a baseball game Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Rays' Jason Bartlett scored on the hit. Catching for the Yankees is Jorge Posada. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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I know what you are saying. Who in the world is Brandon Kruse. Brandon Kruse writes for Ron Shandler's Baseball Forecaster. A few days ago, I was flipping through my 2009 Baseball Forecaster and stumbled upon his article titled: "Speculating on Breakouts-1". Kruse looked players who had a Rotisserie value of $10 or less the prior year and who met all of the BaseballHQ filters for their respective breakout profile. Had I read this article before my 2009 drafts I could have had a few sleeper hitters who had breakout years in 2009. Here is who he wrote about-9 players in all:

1. Brian Anderson (OF, CWS)

2. Erick Aybar (SS, LAA)

3. Manny DelCarmen (RP, BOS)

4. Joe Mather (OF, STL)

5. Martin Prado (MI, ATL)

6. Ramon Ramirez (RP, KC)

7. Seth Smith (OF, COL)

8. Eugenio Velez (2B/OF, SF)

9. Ben Zobrist (SS/OF, TB)

Well, it's obvious not everyone on this list had a breakout season, but a few really standout. Ben Zobrist had a huge breakout season going 27-91-91-17-.297. Can he duplicate his performance in 2010?

Martin Prado had a nice breakout season as well. He took over the 2B job from soon-to-be-traded 2B Kelly Johnson. In 450 ABs, Prado went 11-49-64-.307 with 38 doubles.

The Rockies Seth Smith had a breakout season also. In 335 ABs, he went 15-55-61-4-.293. Those numbers project to around 25 HRs and 85 RBIs if he played everyday, which could happen should Colorado were to deal RFer Brad Hawpe in the offseason.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Erick Aybar went 5-58-70-14-.312 in just over 500 ABs for the Angels this year. He is one of the reasons why SS Brandon Wood rides the pine when he gets called up to the big league club.

Everyone looks for sleeper picks before their drafts. I suggest taking a look at Kruse's article in the 2010 version of Shandler's Baseball Forecaster before your drafts in 2010.

Poll

Will Ben Zobrist duplicate his 2009 performance in 2010?

Yes, he's Chase Utley Lite.

27 votes

No, he will regress a little bit.

47 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

Red Sox roster still unknown, but here's a good prediction

Randy Booth — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:27:18 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia waits to hit during practice in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in preparation for the team's upcoming American League division series baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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[Note by Randy Booth, 10/08/09 12:58 PM EDT ] Rocco Baldelli will not be on the ALDS roster. He just isn't healthy enough, apparently.

OK, Tito. Gettin' kind of sick of this, buddy. Where's the Red Sox's ALDS roster?

It's funny that the Twins, who only made the playoffs Tuesday night, had their roster set for their Wednesday game. But the Sox, who have known they would be in the playoffs for weeks now, still have yet to unrelease theirs.

Whatev.

But it won't be too hard to figure out. Here are the locks in the lineup and pitching staff:

CATCHER (2)
Victor Martinez
Jason Varitek

INFIELD (6)
Kevin Youkilis
Casey Kotchman
Dustin Pedroia
Alex Gonzalez
Jed Lowrie
Mike Lowell

OUTFIELD (3)
Jason Bay
Jacoby Ellsbury
J.D. Drew

DESIGNATED HITTER (1)
David Ortiz

PITCHERS (11)
Jon Lester
Josh Beckett
Clay Buchholz
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Paul Byrd
Jonathan Papelbon
Billy Wagner
Takashi Saito
Daniel Bard
Hideki Okajima
Ramon Ramirez

The big snag is the backup outfielder spot. The Red Sox have said they want to try and play Rocco Baldelli, but they're unsure of his healthy. My guess is that they'll put him in the lineup just to see. So who fills the gap? Either Joey Gathright or Brian Anderson. If they want speed, they'll go with Gathright. If they want defense, they'll go with Anderson. It'll actually be a tough choice, but I think we'll see Gathright.

But what do you think?

Poll

If Rocco Baldelli is the No. 4 outfielder (if healthy), who is the fifth?

Joey Gathright. The Sox need his speed off the bench.

267 votes

Brian Anderson. The Sox need his defense off the bench.

69 votes

336 votes | Poll has closed

Boston Bats Come Alive as Sox Squash Orioles 11-5

USG — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:06:48 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester throws to a Baltimore Orioles batter during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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On a night when Jon Lester did not have his best stuff, the Red Sox' bats came alive to give him all the support he needed.

Against a team he traditionally dominated, Lester was shaky, and often seemed bothered by the condition of the mound. Commentator Dennis Eckersley observed he looked generally uncomfortable throughout much of his start. While giving up 10 hits including 2 homers would usually result in a few more runs, Lester managed to avoid serious damage, letting only 3 Orioles cross home plate and recording the quality start.

David Hernandez, the Orioles starter, had a pretty similar night. 7 hits, 3 walks, and a home run added up to 3 runs over 6 innings. But it wasn't the Orioles' starter that would give up the game, but their bullpen and defense. Matt Albers would give up 2 runs while recording only 1 out. Alberto Castillo fared even worse, facing 3 batters and giving up a hit to each. Finally, Bob McCrory would put the game well out of reach with a little help from Ty Wigginton, whose error would allow Victor Martinez to reach base in the 8^th. 4 batters, 2 homers, and 5 runs later the Red Sox were firmly in control.

The Sox' offense came from all kinds of places, with every starter recording a hit. Josh Reddick put the Sox up early 2-1 with a 2-run homer in his first at bat, David Ortiz had 2 doubles, Mike Lowell went 3-4, and JD Drew went 3-5 with a double and a 3-run shot. Even Brian Anderson managed to knock one out.

There was some mild drama in the 9^th inning as Manny Delcarmen would fail to record an out, offering up 2 homers to the first 2 batters he faced and then walking the next 2 men. Ramon Ramirez would come in to clean up after him, getting a pop out and a double play while giving up only a walk.

Red Sox Nation will get its second look at the recuperated Daisuke Matsuzaka tomorrow after a good start against the Angels. The Orioles counter with Jason Berken, who Sox fans might remember for his last performance against the team when he gave up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs before exiting with 1 out in the first on August 2^nd. Hopefully the Boston batters will have as much success when they go for the sweep tomorrow.

Game Story: Buchho and Bowden Show, Homer Happy Sox Rock The Bird-O's

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:02:11 -0000

by Steven Senne - AP

FEAR HIM

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Orioles vs Red Sox coverage

Buchholz pitched 7 IP of 3 hit ball, allowing only one other runner to reach, just a week after the 2 year anniversary of his no-hitter against these very same O's. Michael Bowden relieved him and finished off the shut-out, a great team effort from two of the Sox' best pitching prospects.

Bowden came back strong from his previous appearance with the club, but he's still a ways away from regaining his status as one of the upper tier prospects of the Sox' farm.

The offense made sure that Buch wasn't under any pressure all night, delivering dingers at will from the likes of Youk, Papi, Gonzo, Drew, and Pedroia (TWICE!!!). The last few innings were filled with subsitutions, giving us glimpses at Reddick, Woodward, Gathright, Dusty Brown, Green, Brian Anderson, AND... JED!!! He didn't get any PAs or plays at SS though, so we'll have to wait till next time to get a look at his wrist.

Bloody Sox Laundry - 8/16/09

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:00:14 -0000

Sorry, Ian. Sure hope Cabrera didn't do that intentionally. Can we avoid the retaliation stuff tomorrow?

Let's get the messy stuff out of the way - HUGE crash after Friday's amazing win.

NESN - Penny, Red Sox Knocked Around in 7-2 Loss to Texas

ProJo - Rangers 7, Red Sox 2

ProJo - To blame or not to blame, that is the question

There may even be a few people who fully believe none of it was the captain's fault. This season he's allowed 92 stolen bases and has thrown out only nine runners. While those are pretty disparaging numbers, the Sox' pitching staff needs to take responsibility, too.

Considering the two biggest failures to control the baserunners in a specific game BOTH came when Brad Penny was pitching, there has to be some sort of credit given to Tek. Hopefully this doesn't cost us many more wins, especially considering that there's not much the Sox can do to improve in this aspect this season.

We're still 0.5 games ahead of the Rangers, but that could change if Tazawa doesn't pitch well today. It would also be nice if there was minimal violence in today's series finale.

Some of the Wild Card contenders crept a little closer as well:

American League Wild Card Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Boston	66	50	.568	0	Lost 1
Texas	65	50	.565	0.5	Won 1
Tampa Bay	62	54	.534	4	Won 1
Seattle	60	56	.517	6	Lost 2
Chicago	60	57	.512	6.5	Won 2
Minnesota	56	60	.482	10	Lost 1
Toronto	55	60	.478	10.5	Lost 1
Oakland	51	65	.439	15	Lost 2
Cleveland	50	66	.431	16	Won 1
Baltimore	48	68	.413	18	Lost 1
Kansas City	45	71	.387	21	Lost 2

(updated 8.16.2009 at 12:24 AM EDT)

Some intriguing stuff after the jump, including prospect news, some pieces about the glut of roster moves this season, and thoughts about the futures of two important Sox.

Prospects soon to be playing

@SoxProspects - Rizzo's Back

You may stop holding your breath - Anthony Rizzo off the DL in Salem! #redsox

USG mentioned this in the comments of yesterday's Laundry, but it's kinda worth repeating. Hopefully Rizzo can bounce back from this and continue his ascent through the minors.

@SoxProspects - Webb Signs, Pivach Might

Theo, McLeod and co. keep at it - LHP Timmy Webb ([31st] rd) signed, and we're hearing RHP John Pivach (46th) might have too #RedSox

Not sure if these are just quick deals done while working on the higher picks or if the FO has moved on to focusing these kids.

@SoxProspects - No option burnt for Reddick if back on 9/1

Reddick optioned to Pawtucket, Brian Anderson up. Reddick can be called up on 9/1 and not burn an option this year. #redsox

The Chronicles of Reddick skipped a chapter, so he's going back to make sure he's developed properly for when the Sox decide he's ready to be a Major Leaguer for real - which, might be sooner than previously thought...

Always thinking of the future

Fire Brand of the American League - Are we better off letting Jason Bay walk?

But would the Red Sox be better off letting Jason Bay walk? Would they be better off taking the draft picks, finding a one-year stopgap. And hopefully letting Josh Reddick take over the position, at a very cheap price, and under club control for a while?

If Reddick is going to be startin next year, I'd prefer that he be in right field, shifting the aging JD Drew to left field. What's your preferred solution to the LF spot?

Fire Brand of the American League - Buchholz a groundball pitcher?

Currently his groundball rate, is a rate of 60 percent. Really, really high. That number probably won't be sustained. But a definite improved groundball rate most likely will.

Pitching to contact would help Clay see more batters and go deeper into games, but with his stuff, strikeouts are always going to be a big part of his game.

Extra Bases - What's next for Woodward, Matsuzaka

Not that anyone really cares about Woodward, but here's Dice-K's schedule for the next week or so:

Matsuzaka will throw another bullpen Monday, with an increased pitch count. On Thursday, he'll throw another bullpen with the intensity dialed down. His next appearance would be a few innings of a rehab start, likely in the Gulf Coast League.

Extra Bases - Gonzalez glad to be back

"I know these guys," Gonzalez said. "I don’t feel like a stranger, you know? I feel like I’m with family again."

Great. Now can you please be the over-athletic sibling who excels at every thing he does? I mean, we've already got the fat uncle who sits on the bench during family softball games, eating his turkey leg covered in gravy - yeah, this guy:

SoSH - The Penny Problem

That means one pitcher, either Brad Penny or Junichi Tazawa, will be removed from the rotation. Given Tazawa's inexperience and roster flexibility (he can be optioned at any time), it's easy to presume him the odd man out. But after watching Penny labor through yet another outing tonight, it might be time to seriously question his viability going forward.

I'd assume Penny would be claimed by SOMEONE if we placed him on waivers, but will Theo be willing to trust Taz, Bowden, Byrd, and Dice-K to fill the 5th spot once Wake comes back? Speaking of Wake...

Extra Bases - Wakefield's rehab start

Tim Wakefield has concluded his rehab start with Triple A Pawtucket at Gwinnett. He allowed two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings on three hits, a walk, and, strangely enough, a balk. Wakefield struck out three and threw 63 pitches.

Should be ready to go soon. Now, about the other member of the DL Loyalty Club:

Extra Bases - Drew out until Wednesday

Drew's sore groin will keep him out tonight and tomorrow. On Monday, the Sox have an offday. On Tuesday, the Sox are scheduled to face Toronto lefthander Ricky Romero, a game Francona likely would have sat Drew for, anyway. So Drew will get four days off to rest his groin.

And now, on a COMPLETELY unrelated note:

MLB Daily Dish - Investigation slows prospects negotiations

Not much to say here - we need to know who we're offering millions to, and teams should be more than willing to wait for the MLB to determine if an international prospect is telling the truth.

Maybe we should think about the future a little more

ProJo - There seems to be no end to the Red Sox’ roster shakeups

Boston has made seven roster moves in the last 11 days, and 10 in the last 16. A total of 46 different players have appeared in games for the Red Sox this season, which is one shy of last year’s total of 47. On the mound, 22 pitchers have been used, also one shy of last year’s mark, 23.

We're not alone in our proclivity for changing our roster - and other teams are paying for their mistakes just like we are:

MLB Daily Dish - Teams Paying $70M to Released Players This Season

Sometimes just thinking about the present is difficult

BtB - UZR's (and Most Other Defensive Metrics) Limitation in Year to Year Analysis
Since E-Coli busts out the UZR every once in a while, I thought you guys would like to understand more about the stat, and it's issues.

P.S. - Pitch F/X School

Yesterday I asked which of Frank Francisco's pitches were labeled suspiciously. If you couldn't tell just based off of a green dot in a bunch of yellow dots (or vice-versa, if you noticed that one too), here's a guide for movement graphs that shows where each type of pitch USUALLY can be found. I'd say either of the suspicious pitches could be labeled a splitter, based off this.

via www.sonsofsamhorn.net

You might want to commit that to memory, or at least bookmark it. Anyways, Pitch F/X school's going to take a break for the weekend. If you find anything cool on the web today, drop a link in the comments.

Brian Anderson recalled, Josh Reddick optioned to Pawtucket

USG — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:11:30 -0000

More photos » by Brian Kersey - AP

7 months ago: In this June 29, 2008 file photo, Chicago White Sox's Brian Anderson watches his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey, File)

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According to Amalie Benjamin's Twitter, Josh Reddick is on the way back down, and Brian Anderson is coming up.

Anderson has been successful in a short time with the PawSox since coming over from the White Sox in exchange for Mark Kotsay, recording an OPS of .835 in just under 100 at bats. Success in the minors has never translated to success in the majors for Anderson, however, and the fact that most of his OPS comes from slugging is troubling. A 16:2 K:BB ratio is not appealing, nor is a .298 OBP.

Reddick had mixed results in his first major league stint, getting off to a hot start but going cold of late. Given his promotion straight from his first full year in AA, it was hard to really expect anything more.

Anderson will get the start in right field tonight against the Texas Rangers.

Brave New Pawtucket

USG — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:40 -0000

More photos » by Paul Beaty - AP

Huzzah! Finally, an SBN-hosted picture I can use! (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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About 50 days ago, I wrote a piece on upcoming roster changes for the Pawtucket Red Sox that would be necessitated by a surge of players from below (see: The Pawtucket Roster Crunch). Things have turned out slightly differently. Promotion from within has certainly occurred. Aaron Bates had already moved up by then. Mark Wagner has since, and Junichi Tazawa recently joined the ranks in McCoy Stadium. Victor Martinez' acquisition will likely force Kottaras back down also (he should clear waivers) once the dust has settled. I expect the denizens of this site are already plenty familiar with those names, though, so let's focus elsewhere.

Equal pressure has come from outside the organization. By trading Julio Lugo and Mark Kotsay, the Red Sox acquired Chris Duncan and Brian Anderson. These acquisitions have of course required counter moves. Joining the ranks of the departed are outfielders Freddy Guzman, Jonathan Van Every (who left earlier due to a season ending injury, signing with Pittsburgh), and Paul McAnulty, as well as catcher Carlos Maldonado.

Two once highly-touted prospects whose careers had fizzled over the last few years, Duncan and Anderson now provide organizational depth at the AAA level with hopes of maybe reigniting the spark that a few years back had promised long successful MLB careers.

Major League success has always eluded Brian Anderson. Despite once being named a top-30 prospect in all of Baseball, Anderson has never batted well for average, has only once managed an OBP over .300 (this season at .322), and has only once slugged over .400 (last year and .436). His career average line in 782 professional at bats is an ugly .225/.288/.364. So far, in his short AAA stint, Anderson has been average. He's homered twice in 25 at bats, and has 7 hits for a .280 average. He's only walked once, however, leaving his OBP at a lowly .308, and that looks particularly ugly next to the 6 strikeouts. Earlier this year, with AAA Charlotte, he posted similar average and on base numbers, just without any power to back it up. It would be more than a little bit wishful to expect Anderson to turn it around at this point and live up to his 1^st round pick status, or anything close to it.

Chris Duncan, on the other hand, has experienced quite a bit of success in the majors. In his first season in the majors in 2006, Duncan was on fire, hitting 22 home runs in only 280 at bats en route to a line of .293/.363/.589. He followed this up with a solid, if unimpressive in comparison 2007, where he nearly matched his home run numbers, but in an extra 100 at bats. His high strikeout rate caught up with him somewhat, lowering his average to .259, but where he nearly doubled his strikeouts, he also nearly doubled his walks, keeping his OBP fairly consistent at .354. Duncan has been hampered by injuries in the last few years, though, starting with a hernia in late 2007, then a herniated disk in his neck in July of 2008. In recovering this year, Duncan posted a career low OPS of .687 in 260 career at bats. Duncan typically struggles tremendously against lefties, but has hit righties very well over the course of his career.

For the Red Sox right now, Brian Anderson is the one most likely to contribute, and could actually see time with the team reasonably soon. While Josh Reddick is more than making use of his time in the majors, the Sox are certain to want to make sure he gets ample playing time, so if the regular cadre of outfielders ends up healthy anytime soon, he could quickly be recalled to AA—or pro/demoted to AAA—to assure him a standard 4 at bats a game. In such a situation, the Sox would likely want to have a 5^th outfielder on the bench, and Brian Anderson can provide a solid glove at all three positions. Duncan lacks the range the Red Sox would be looking for, and so for now will most likely have to make the best with his opportunity in Pawtucket. If he can get himself healthy, his ceiling could be fairly high though, if unlikely to be reached. If he can also work out his problems with lefties to a point where he's at least respectable against them, Duncan has a slim chance of being a future contributor to the team. If not, he's more likely to be traded elsewhere to act in a platoon role. Still, at the moment he has quite a bit more long-term potential than Brian Anderson.

White Sox and Leadoff or "Why Podsednik Seems So Good"

shaftr — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:19:05 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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Finding a leadoff man is difficult. It's not a position, but it is a spot in the lineup that requires a certain set of skills. The ability to get on base and run are the two most important skills of a leadoff man. The 2009 Chicago White Sox have had an interesting group of guys try their hand at lead off.

Dewayne Wise

Origins: Before he was the man behind preserving a perfect game, Wise was the Opening Day leadoff hitter for the White Sox. That experiment lasted two games. Coming in to the season Wise was a 31 year old journeyman outfielder who played pretty well late last year for the White Sox. He didn't exactly earn the lead off position, but as you will see, there weren't that many other options.

Stats: .193 BA .235 OBP .312 SLUG 40 OPS+

Currently: Defensive replacement for White Sox.

Chris Getz

Origins: Getz won the starting 2nd baseman job out of Spring Training. He profiled as a light hitting 2nd baseman with a good eye. He primarily hit lead off for Chicago during April & May, but eventually was replaced by Scott Podsednik.

Stats: .266 BA .323 OBP .369 SLUG 79 OPS+

Currently:He lost his spot on top of the lineup, but has continued starting at 2nd as a Rookie.

Brent Lillibridge

Origins: Lillibridge joined the White Sox as part of the Javier Vazquez trade to Atlanta. He is a former top prospect that hasn't panned out due to his lack of hitting ability.

Stats: .162 BA .260 OBP .191 SLUG 20 OPS+

Currently: He was just called up to Chicago after Alexei Ramirez was hurt and the Peavy trade opened up a Roster spot. I don't believe he left the airport, since he was sent right back down before appearing in a game.

Jerry Owens

Origins: Jerry Owens was a former football player who has one skill: speed. The problem is you can't steal first base and he wasn't able to find other ways to get to first. He only lead off once.

Stats: .083 BA .267 OBP .083 SLUG -3 OPS+

Currently: He was out of Options so after being sent down, he was claimed by the Mariners. He is currently stealing bases in AAA.

Brian Anderson

Origins: Anderson is a former top prospect who has never lived up to his potential. He wasn't able to win the job in Spring Training over Dewayne Wise and wasn't able to produce after Wise lost the job in the regular season. He only hit lead off once, the game after the Owens attempt.

Stats: .238 BA .322 OBP .319 SLUG 67 OPS+

Currently: He is playing in the Boston Red Sox Organization on their AAA affiliate. He asked to be traded after he was sent down, so the White Sox traded him for Mark Kotsay.

Jayson Nix

Origins: The White Sox signed Nix in the Offseason. He was previously a former first round draft pick for Colorado. He's only lead off 5 times, in various spot starts during the season. He was in a competition with Getz for 2nd during Spring Training, but now he is a super-sub.

Stats: .225 BA .294 OBP .442 SLUG 87 OPS+

Currently: He is playing in the Infield during off days for the starters and has been a nice bench player. He has brought a solid glove and some good pop to the White Sox.

Scott Podsednik

Origins: A former World Series hero for the White Sox, Podsednik wasn't with an organization when the Season started. After trying out the above, Chicago signed him and he eventually became their leadoff man.

Stats: .298 BA .354 OBP .387 SLUG 92 OPS+

Currently: He continues to be productive in the leadoff spot for Chicago. He can still get infield hits, but he is a liability in the field.

Mark Kotsay

Origins: Former solid regular for the Oakland As, Kotsay bounced around to Atlanta and Boston. He started the season as a reserve for Boston but was demoted. He was acquired by Chicago for Brian Anderson.

Stats: .221 BA .253 OBP .279 SLUG 36 OPS+

Currently: He was just acquired but has started leadoff one time already. He'll likely be a bat off the bench and even though he doesn't have a hit for the White Sox yet, he has been making good contact.

That is quite a group of players listed above. If you gave me that list before the season started, I would have assumed Chicago was at the bottom of the AL Central. Podsednik's 92 OPS+ isn't amazing, but it is a lot better than any of the above could provide. It's also surprising of all the players listed above, it was a washed out veteran off the street that would be the most productive. If Chicago makes the playoffs this year, Podsednik might be more of a hero then he was in 2005.

This is a repost from rmlumley.com. Follow shaftr on Twitter @rmlumley.