SB Nation - Chris Woodward

Dissecting the Red Sox Roster: Batters

Ben Buchanan — 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)

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.

Alex Gonzalez injured: What does this mean for the Sox?

Randy Booth — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:44:36 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox Alex Gonzalez reacts to striking out against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Friday, Sept. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

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Alex Gonzalez left Friday night's game after getting hit on the hand with a pitch. Preliminary X-rays were inconclusive, meaning Gonzo had to have more X-rays today, but there's no word on how those went:

Gonzalez wore a bandage over ice on his right (throwing) hand. He can move his hand and squeeze without pain, but when team medical staff touched the spot where Gonzalez was hit, between the base of the pinkie and the top of the wrist, it hurt.

"I don't feel any pain," Gonzalez said. "I feel good. I can move my fingers and hand, my wrist. But we'll find out tomorrow. I hope there's nothing big. I can use my hand, and I can squeeze."

When Gonzalez had the X-rays, he said team doctors saw a line where the ball hit him, which was inconclusive. The line could be a fracture, but it also could be something minor, like a burst blood vessel.

Sure, it sounds great by what Gonzo tells us, but that's every major leaguer. How often do you hear a guy say this?: "Yeah, it hurts a lot. I won't be able to play. I'm done. Someone buy my ticket for the Dominican now. I'll get an early start on my offseason."

If Gonzo is hurt, what's this mean for the Sox?

I think we have two types of people in this world -- and when I say "this world," I mean "Over The Monster." You're either a Gonzo guy or a Jed guy. But it doesn't really matter which side of the fence you're on, because the Sox's starting shortstop since August -- that'd be Gonzo -- has been pretty darn good considering what we all expected to get:

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Alex Gonzalez	43	144	25	41	10	0	4	14	5	29	2	0	.285	.318	.438

It's nothing amazing, but it is Alex Gonzalez. I think we'll all take it.

But now what do the Sox have? This is a hand injury, so we have no idea how Gonzo will be after all of this. We don't even know if he'll be able to play at all come the postseason. We definitely won't see him this weekend, but it's less than a week until the postseason begins and I think we'd all love to have our starting shortstop there and healthy.

So no Gonzo. That leaves the Sox with options that aren't too pretty.

Jed Lowrie - Geez. Who knows? Lowrie may be more injured than Gonzo, for all we know. But right now we have to trust Jed, Tito & Co. to tell us that he can play baseball. Since he's come off the disabled list, though, we haven't seen much out of him: he's 1 for 6 in 11 games. His average has dipped to .143 on the season. As much as some of us would like to put our faith in Jed (and trust me, I would too) I don't think that is the Sox's best move right now.

Nick Green - Talk about injured, Green hasn't played since Sept. 16. He's been sidelined by a slipped disk and Ian Browne writes Green "didn't show significant improvement when he took ground balls before Thursday's game." Well, it's not like he fielded ground balls too well before either, but still. So here's another hurting shortstop that, no matter what Gonzo's situation is, we probably won't see in the ALDS.

Chris Woodward - Are you kidding me?! Am I really forced to write his name here?! What has this Sox team come to when we even have to discuss Chris Woodward?!

It's all really simple at this point: we need this injury to Gonzo to be nothing. We need a magician to clear up the problem today. I don't care if Gonzo plays this weekend -- no one does, really -- but we need him desperately on Wednesday and from there on out. It's not that the Sox need him because he'll hit 12 home runs in drive in 30 runners, we need him because he is a lot better than our other options.

People talk about a "black hole" at shortstop. If we don't have Gonzo, this will be the blackest of black holes in the history of black holes.

The Red Sox would have to be really good -- or really lucky -- to overcome that in the ALDS.

Junichi Tazawa's season is over

Randy Booth — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:37:25 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox starter Junichi Tazawa delivers a pitch to the New York Yankees in the first inning of their baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Per Amy Nelson from ESPN, Junichi Tazawa has hit the 60-day disabled list, meaning his season is over:

Tazawa on the 60-day dl season over nick green still in Boston for tests, may be a disc problem in his back, and inf Chris woodard recalled

No word on what the deal with Tazawa actually is. He wasn't going to see time in the postseason, though. So it's just a few games that he'll miss on the bench in September.

As far as Nick Green goes, the shortstop depth now looks like this: Alex Gonzalez > Jed Lowrie > Chris Woodward. It'll be interesting to see if Green is OK in a couple of days. If he is, and the Sox make the postseason (don't count your chickens...), I wonder what that shortstop position will look like...

Red Sox Claim Billy Wagner

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:20:36 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

3 months ago: New York Mets relief pitcher Billy Wagner (13) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, in New York. The Mets lost the game 3-2. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Ken Rosenthal reports that the Red Sox have claimed Mets reliever Billy Wagner off of waivers. Wagner returned from Tommy John Surgery yesterday, striking out 2 in a perfect inning of relief.

The Sox have been active in the waiver market, claiming Chris Woodward and Alex Gonzalez earlier this month. There were also reports that the Red Sox had attempted to acquire Nationals shortstop Cristian Guzman, but those turned out to be incorrect.

Wagner carries a price tag north of $3 million for the season and has an $8 million club option for 2010. If the Red Sox choose not to pick it up, he would likely bring compensational draft picks.

For Wagner to make it to the Sox, every team except for the Angels and Yankees will have to pass on him.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:23:50 -0000

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP

Jason Kendall looks over his shoulder after his throw to first wasn't in time to get Ivan Rodriguez in the third inning Sunday.

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Some things to read while never getting too old.

Welcome back to the Jason Kendall Era. After Mike Rivera went 3-for-6 with two home runs and was on base seven times while starting back to back games for the first time since 2006, Jason Kendall was back in the starting lineup Saturday and Sunday, and responded by going 1-for-5, getting intentionally walked (!), and getting hit by a pitch. The performance actually raised Kendall's OPS to .599. Brew City Sports thought the Brewers had finally figured it out, but no such luck.

If you're going to argue that Kendall's defensive prowess earns him a free pass, save it. Baseball Digest Daily ranked Kendall as baseball's 11th best defensive catcher in 2009. I'm having a hard time believing that Kendall's middle-of-the-road defense makes up for the fact that he's one of baseball's worst hitters.

On the plus side, his HBP Saturday was the 499th in Miller Park history, which opened the door for Felipe Lopez to pick up the 500th.

If you're coming up with a new stat, it's probably a good idea to give it a smell test. For example, Joe Posnanski came up with a new hitting stat over the weekend, and Jason Kendall is fifth from the bottom. That smells about right.

Meanwhile, Ken Macha is updating the schedule to slot Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan back into the rotation in the coming weeks. Suppan's rehab start in Wisconsin wasn't good enough to earn him an immediate return to the Brewers, so he'll make a start in Nashville on Thursday and could rejoin the team on August 25. Bush, meanwhile, will start for Wisconsin tomorrow, in Huntsville on Saturday and hopefully for the Brewers on the 27th.

While Suppan is in Nashville he'll most likely get a chance to say hello to J.J. Hardy, who's doing very little to prove he deserves to return to Milwaukee. Even though he was given three days to report to the Sounds, Hardy showed up late on Friday and was only available to pinch hit. Then, he hit a home run on Saturday, but went 0-for-4 again last night, making him 1-for-9 in his first three games. Beyond the Box Score did the math and says the Brewers are about 2.3 runs better over the course of a season with Escobar playing short.

Meanwhile, Jason Bourgeois is hoping to prove he belongs in the major leagues on a permanent basis. He picked up his first major league RBI in Friday's game and hasn't been heard from since.

Prince Fielder has an eight-game hitting streak going, and has hit .412/.447/.824 over that time. Yesterday he hit his 30th home run, becoming the first Brewer ever to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs in three straight seasons. Fielder has posted a .973 OPS in August, which is impressive enough, but he was actually better in May, June and July.

In the minors:

The Brewers were hoping to announce a deal with 2009 sandwich pick Kentrail Davis yesterday, but were unable to do so. Davis was at Miller Park yesterday, presumably to undergo a physical. Tom H. thinks a deal is done but is awaiting approval from the Commissioner's Office, which has to approve any deal for more than slot money.
If that deal is in fact done, the top two remaining unsigned picks would be high school pitcher Brooks Hall and shortstop Scooter Gennett, and the team is still negotiating with both of them.
2001 first round pick Mike Jones is expected to be promoted to Nashville today. After years of battling shoulder and elbow problems, this will be the first time Jones has been above AA.
Josh Butler, currently working his way back from injury in Arizona, will take Jones' spot in Huntsville.
Also noted in the previous link: The Brewers are expected to send Lorenzo Cain, Taylor Green, Jonathan Lucroy, Mark Rogers, Josh Butler and Zach Braddock to the Arizona Fall League. Braddock's selection will depend on his health. Even if he goes, the Brewers will need to select one more pitcher.

Casey McGehee is still not playing every day, but FanGraphs ranked him fifth in the race for NL Rookie of the Year. McGehee could be having quite the magical season if his knee and Ken Macha allowed him to play more often.

On Power Rankings and playoff odds:

THT's Dartboard has the Brewers at 19th.
MLB Playoff Odds gives the Brewers a 1.8% chance of making the playoffs.
CoolStandings gives them a 3.3% chance.

Around baseball:

Mets: Placed David Wright on the DL with a concussion.
Pirates Designated outfielder Jeff Salazar for assignment.
Rangers: Placed Nelson Cruz on the DL with a sprained ankle.
Red Sox: Acquired Alex Gonzalez from the Reds for a minor league infielder and designated Chris Woodward for assignment.
Rockies: Released Mike Timlin.

How do you get a black eye in a bar fight you weren't involved in? That's the question someone needs to ask Brett Myers, who missed a rehab start over the weekend with said eye injury. To make matters worse, Myers initially told the team and media he suffered the injury playing catch with his son, then changed the story to say he fell out of his car, sober.

At least she finished the race, which is more than many of us would do: Trenni ran in the Sausage Race over the weekend, but finished in fourth place.

Of course, if you've been to Miller Park lately you know that the Sausage Race is also the start of the race to beat traffic out of Miller Park. Miller Park Drunk outlines the acceptable reasons to leave early. There's not many.

Baseball faces lots of issues: High ticket prices, poor umpiring, steroids, etc. With that said, American Polymath has a solution I've never heard before, but can get wholeheartedly behind: Baseball Needs Rob Deer.

How many times has a Brewer runner take off on a 3-2 pitch, just to return to your base when it's fouled off? I'm not sure I would have invested the time in tracking it, but Plunk Everyone reports they've done it 54 times this season, which puts them in the bottom third of teams. The Dodgers have fouled off a 3-2 pitch with runners going 103 times.

On this day in 1983, Tom Candiotti pitched a complete game in his first major league start and beat the Red Sox 5-1.

Happy birthday to Skip Lockwood, who pitched in 132 games for the Pilots and Brewers between 1969 and 1973 and turns 63 today. Jeff Liefer, who appeared in 16 games for the Brewers in 2004, also turns 35.

Oh, and I think we all wish our significant other was a little more like Sloane Peterson. (h/t C. Trent Rosecrans)

Drink up.

Game 116: Victor Martinez is the hero! Red Sox score 6 in the 9th to stun the Rangers 8-4

Ben Buchanan — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:50:12 -0000

More photos » by Tim Sharp - AP

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In one of the craziest 9^th innings in recent memory (up there with the Mother's Day Miracle and Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS), the Red Sox scored 6 runs off of Texas closer Frank Francisco, giving them an 8-4 lead which Papelbon would hold in the 9^th.

Final - 8.14.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	6	8	11	0
Texas Rangers	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	4	9	0
WP: Takashi Saito (3 - 3) LP: Frank Francisco (2 - 2)

Complete Coverage >

Red Sox vs Rangers recap

Red Sox vs Rangers boxscore

Coming into the 9^th down 2-4, David Ortiz (the source of the Sox' other runs on a 2-run homer in the 6^th ) turned on a middle-middle fastball for a double to right field. Jason Varitek just barely beat out the throw from Elvis Andrus on what was nearly a great play for the Texas Shorstop to set up 1^st and 3^rd with none out. Ellsbury singled up the middle, scoring Ortiz. That's when things almost fell apart.

Chris Woodward tried twice to drop down a bunt, taking 2 strikes and then striking out on the 4^th pitch of the at bat. Terry Francona then chose to pinch run Clay Buchholz for Jason Varitek. When Dustin Pedroia hit a double off the wall in left, Buchholz made a terrible misread (though understandable, given his limited baserunning experience) and was thrown out at the plate after stumbling around 3^rd. With 2 out and runners on 2^nd and 3^rd, Victor Martinez stepped up to the plate. Martinez fell behind 1-2 and fouled off 3 pitches before lacing a low fastball into right for a game winning double. The Sox would tack on 3 insurance runs on a Jason Bay RBI single and a 2-run J.D. Drew homer.

The pitching was a mixed bag, but mostly positive. Jon Lester gave up 3 runs in 6 innings, striking out an impressive 11 batters. Daniel Bard gave up a run in part thanks to some questionable defensive positioning. Takashi Saito and Jonathan Papelbon both pitched scoreless innings, each giving up a hit and striking out 1 and 2 respectively.

With the win, the Red Sox are 1.5 games up on the Rangers in the AL Wild Card race. Both teams send the back end of the rotation to the mound tomorrow, with Brad Penny taking the mound for the Sox against Derek Holland.

2 games until Kevin Youkilis returns.

Red Sox trade for Reds' shortstop Alex Gonzalez

Randy Booth — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:29:18 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

4 months ago: Cincinnati Reds' Alex Gonzalez hits a double off Chicago Cubs closer Carlos Marmol to drive in a run in the ninth inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. The Cubs won 4-2. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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[Note by Randy Booth, 08/14/09 2:27 PM EDT ] According to WBZ, the Sox trade Kris Negron to the Reds for Gonzalez.

He's back!:

The Red Sox have completed a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, bringing shortstop Alex Gonzalez back to Boston.

Gonzalez is not expected to join the team until tomorrow in Texas. The most likely move would involve the Sox releasing infielder Chris Woodward to make room for Gonzalez on the roster.

Gonzalez, as Red Sox fans will recall, is an excellent defensive player who should sure up the team's defensive issues on the left side of the infield. His contract calls for a $6 million club option next season, meaning the Sox will have the right to retain to his services.

I love it and I don't even care who the Sox give up for him (OK, maybe a little bit). But Gonzalez is a strong defender that will sure up the left side of the infield. I don't care if he's hitting .210 -- I just want his glove.

I'm going out to buy my Alex Gonzalez shirt right now since I missed my opportunity in '06.

Game 114: Buchholz pitches well, but dealt the loss

Randy Booth — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:11:46 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

4 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Nick Green dives and misses a single by Detroit Tigers' Adam Everett in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Final - 8.13.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit Tigers	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	3	0
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
WP: Justin Verlander (13 - 6) SV: Fernando Rodney (24) LP: Clay Buchholz (1 - 3)

Complete Coverage >

Tigers vs Red Sox recap
Tigers vs Red Sox boxscore

Even when things are going well for Clay Buchholz, they're not going well enough.

Buchholz pitched effectively, but was handed the loss as the Red Sox were shut out, 2-0, and put together just four hits.

Buchholz went 7, gave up five hits, two runs (one earned), three walks and struck out three. Unfortunately for Buchholz, he matched up against Justin Verlander -- and he's just stupid good (8 IP, 4H).

The offense was obviously absent. Thank a weird lineup that saw Josh Reddick in the two-hole and Chris Woodward starting. Yes, Woodward started a game. We're automatically back a few steps when Woodward's name is penciled in. He did get hit by two pitches. I guess that's a plus. Victor Martinez had two hits, but that's about the only thing good.

The most impressive part about Thursday's game was the outing by Fernando Cabrera, who pitched the 9th. He pitched a perfect inning and struck out all three batters on 15 pitches.

Niiice.

A sweep would have been great, but I think we'll all take three out of four. The unfortunate thing is that Buchholz pitched quite well but is still served with the loss. He needs just one game where he pitches really well and the Sox win. After that I think he'll be OK.

Sox start a series with the Rangers Friday at 8 p.m. It'll be Jon Lester v. Kevin Millwood.

Breaking news: Red Sox DFA John Smoltz

SoxDevil — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:43:44 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Smoltz melts down against the New York Yankees, August 6th.

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The Red Sox have reportedly designated John Smoltz for assignment. This has been reported by Terry Francona on a WEEI interview and by Amalie Benjamin via Twitter.

John Smoltz was apparently upset by the move and left the team without cleaning out his locker.

I'm personally a bit surprised by the move. I expected the Sox to try Smoltz in the bullpen before cutting bait. No word yet on who will take the hill on Tuesday, but it'll be Michael Bowden's turn in Pawtucket. He's my guess.

Other news and rumors: Red Sox claimed Chris Woodward off waivers from Seattle as a warm body. This adds fire to the speculation that Jed Lowrie may be headed back to the DL with more wrist/forearm issues. Woodward is not much more than a warm body.

56-51, Game Notes

Jeff — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:42:11 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Colon looks in, gets his sign, and readies for the pitch to CAT CAT THERE IS A CAT ON THE FIELD EVERYBODY PAY ATTENTION TO THE CAT

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I've learned something about myself these last two nights. Honestly, I don't know why it never dawned on me until just now. And what I've learned is that, for all the talk about how offense is exciting and chicks dig the longball and the Rockies kept selling out because there was non-stop action, for me - and I'm only talking about me, here - while high-scoring games can be a fun change of pace from time to time, they rapidly lose their appeal as they start to drag on. Which, in turn, means that duration is a bigger determinant in how much I enjoy watching a baseball game than the level of offense. In terms of an equation:

Enjoyment = Aα + Bβ + Cγ + Dδ +…

There are a whole lot of different factors that can affect how much I enjoy watching a baseball game. Leverage. Significance. Whether the Mariners win or lose. And so on. All of those things are included above as separate variables. But what I've learned tonight is that

If α = level of offense and β = duration

Then B > A

The first two games of this series have taken something like seven combined hours to complete. I'm glad the M's came out on top of both of them, but rather than happy and enthralled, all I've been for much of those seven hours is bored and annoyed. Congratulations, Mariners - your wins have taken so long that at several points I've lost interest and felt like a bad fan for doing so. That's not how this is supposed to work.

Thank you for winning. Winning is neat. Now just please do me the courtesy of hurrying up.

Reflecting on his performance and then looking at the box score, Luke French pitched a better game than his line would suggest. Both home runs were on pitches I imagine he'd like to have back - particularly Gordon's, which came on a high-80s 1-0 fastball literally in the center of the zone - but outside of those, I thought he looked pretty good for what he is. Though both the TV radar gun and the PITCHf/x reported velocities seemed high, French still got some fastballs up there at 90+ and he seems to have "sneaky" heat, in that his fastballs look faster than they really are. I don't know what causes that sort of thing, but that was my impression, and by and large he was able to put it where he wanted.

As for French's secondary pitches - for one thing, he threw them a lot. 43% offspeed on the game. And for another, they were effective. 26 of 38 were thrown for strikes, six missed bats, and only one was hit particularly hard. What's interesting is that, where he came in having excelled with his slider, tonight it was his changeup that stole the show. Although I guess that was mostly the doings of Miguel Olivo, who swung at five changeups and missed four of them. Still, Olivo's a big league hitter, and French's change threw him for a loop. It's encouraging to see him working off that pitch pretty well since it was a big part of his success in AAA.

When you look at French's fastball and tendency to pitch up in the zone, you'd think he's always due to get shelled. But throw in a pair of good offspeed pitches and an ability to move the ball around the zone and you get a guy who's better than being just another Garrett Olson. Olson couldn't even throw strikes today with a giant lead. French threw strikes with more than two-thirds of his pitches. A skeptic might call him "Garrett Olson with command," but Garrett Olson with command isn't Garrett Olson anymore, and that's why I think French could be a pretty good piece. When you can locate and work against both lefties and righties, you've got an excellent chance of contributing at the Major League level. Though hardly spectacular, what I saw from French tonight only served to confirm my moderately optimistic expectations.

I can't get over how uncomfortable and awkward Olson looks in a baseball uniform. I know that sounds weird but you'll notice it too the next time you see him, and then that's all you'll be able to see for the rest of the season. I don't like to wear shorts. However, I get hot really easily, so I went to try on some shorts the other day, but when I put them on I didn't at all feel like myself. That's how I see Garrett Olson in a baseball uniform. Like he doesn't have any confidence in his image because he's wearing something he doesn't think suits his body.

I think it's high time we give this segment a new name.

As if the 222 games of Major League experience weren't enough of a clue that Koplove isn't going to be making any prospect lists, Dave Sims chimed in with - and this is an exact quote - "Didn't even know he was still bouncing around baseball. Thought he hung 'em up."

Any act of building is building to the future. This is like Mitch Hedberg/every picture is of you when you were younger all over again.

In the top of the third inning, Michael Saunders ripped a 3-1 low-inside fastball down the right field line for his first ever Major League triple. As a starter, Kyle Davies has a career 5.92 tRA over nearly 500 innings. I wonder if it still counts as your first career Major League triple if you hit it off a AAA arm.

As evidenced by the promotion at Kauffman today, 80s Night is a popular phenomenon for people of all ages. It gives them an excuse to wear clothes they'd never wear, use words they'd never use, sing along to songs they'd never sing along to, and generally just celebrate a memorable but nevertheless thankfully distant decade that hasn't stood the test of time. It's an opportunity for people college-aged or older to reflect on all the stupid shit they used to like so many eons ago, and for people high school-aged or younger to look at their parents and wonder what the hell was wrong with them. Now here's a thought: the Royals haven't won more than 84 games in a season since 1989, and they haven't made the playoffs since 1985.

Miguel Batista inherited a 10-4 lead and threw 14 strikes out of 28 pitches. Garrett Olson inherited an 11-5 lead and threw 20 strikes out of 37 pitches. Without being able to record catcher glove location prior to each pitch, we don't have a real good measure of pitcher command. Strike rate in blowouts, however, might be a useful proxy, because there's no good reason to nibble around the edges. Hey, by that test, guess which relievers of ours who pitched today don't have good command?

Yuniesky Betancourt as a Royal:

OSwing%: 22.9% (25.0% league average)
ZSwing%: 67.5% (65.7% league average)
Zone%: 63.2% (49.3% league average)

Over the last 30 days, Yuni's Zone% - the percentage of pitches thrown within the strike zone - has been the highest in baseball, 4% above Jason Kendall. Pitchers are clearly just going right after him, not the least bit afraid that he's going to deliver much damage. In Yuni's defense, though, at least his discipline looks to be quite a bit better. I'm not going to jump to any conclusions because there are sample size issues here to take into consideration, but as a member of the Royals, Yuni has swung at fewer balls out of the strike zone than the average Major Leaguer. If you remember what he was like as an M, that's just a little bit flabbergasting. For them, this is an encouraging sign of progress. And I actually think that's pretty cool.

Jack Hannahan got to play two innings in the field at short in relief of Jack Wilson, diving at but missing a groundball single. I'm surprised the Mariners are giving him the opportunity to work on his versatility at the Major League level, but I'm also ecstatic, because the prospect of Hannahan as a utility player tickles me in all the right places, and this way I don't have to watch any Chris Woodward. Hannahan's approach to hitting makes it really, really hard for me to believe he's as bad as his numbers, and should his plus defense translate to other positions around the infield, he could very well turn out to be quite the find.

A cat running around the living room: not interesting. A cat running around the street and the sidewalk: somewhat interesting. A cat running around the living room of someone who doesn't own a cat: more interesting. A cat running around a baseball field during the middle of a game: maximum level of interest. Whenever something like this happens, the critter invariably ends up drawing a greater ovation than pretty much anything that happens during the game, which makes me think that zoos have it all wrong. The key to making an animal interesting isn't so much presenting the animal itself as it is presenting the animal in a situation in which people don't expect an encounter. I'd find our zoo way less boring if I only saw animals in surprising situations.