Now More Than Ever
With another bullpen meltdown, I don't think Theo Epstein has an option but to trade for help. If not, this might be just like the post all star swoon we saw a few years ago.
Run Prevention - So far the Red Sox have not been a run prevention club. They are actually pretty bad at it. For the reasons I mentioned previously, the club has struggled to keep runs off the board, but their offense, until recently, has picked up the slack. Time to lock down the defense (hear me Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro?), get help in the bullpen and have the starters pitch like they should. That's all I ask, I'm a simple man.
Part II:
Starting Pitching - No trades needed here, just better performance from the existing crew. Jon Lester has been great after a rocky start to the season and Clay Buchholz has been what we all hoped he be. It is up to the highest paid starters in John Lackey and Josh Beckett who have really disappointed. Lackey can eat up innings, but he is paid to do much more, like be a top 2 starter when in fact he is pitching more like a middle of the rotation guy. Certainly Lackey's performance last night is something to build off.
Beckett has had 3 terrible outings which make his numbers look that much worse, but if you post a 7.29 ERA and are hurt and you're paid a ton, you aren't helping. With Beckett now healthy and pitching tonight and Buchholz off the DL and Wakefield headed to the bullpen, this group should get better.
Tomorrow - Outfield
A follow-up to my relief corps commentary, Manny Delcarmen was just horrendous last night. Turning a 6-0 lead into a tie game with the help of Jonathan Papelbon. Thank goodness Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez kept the Mariners at bay (Anyone? No?).
Delcarmen's performance is just further evidence the Red Sox need help bringing the gap between the starters and Bard/Papelbon.
The Red Sox are slipping. The injuries are starting to catch up with them. Duct tape and chewing gum is not enough. With the non-waiver trade deadline a little more than a week away, here's what the Red Sox need to do.
Over the next few days, I'll do some quick and short analysis on areas of need for the Red Sox. First up:
Relief Pitching - No worries with the 8th and 9th innings what with Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon doing just fine. It's the other guys such as Hideki Okajima (5.72 ERA), Ramon Ramirez (4.85 ERA) and Manny Delcarmen (4.29 ERA, 20 walks, 23 K's in 35 innings) who are causing trouble. The Red Sox have promoted and put Michael Bowden in the bullpen, but Bowden doesn't have any relief experience and has proven nothing at the big league level. A trade is need to bring in a reliable arm. Think Eric Gagne...wait.
Tomorrow: Starting Pitching
Disappointing to see Jacoby Ellsbury continue to publicly fight with the Red Sox medical staff. I'm not sure how it happened, but Ellsbury seems very unhappy with Boston and I think his stay here might be limited.
It stems from the diagnosis of his broken ribs on 2 separate occasions this season. Whether the Red Sox were right or wrong, it would be best to have these discussions behind closed doors, wouldn't it?
Speaking of injuries, the Red Sox have 9 players from their opening day roster on the DL. They are: Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek, Manny Delcarmen, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury. Wow. Amazing to seem them still in the hunt.
With the trading deadline approaching, the Red Sox are going to have to evaluate whether or not the previously mentioned 9 DLed players will have a chance of coming back and making an impact. If not, expect a deal to plug any holes. I think all 9 have a chance of coming back with the possible exception of Ellsbury, I'm just not sure what to think of his situation.
If Ellsbury cannot contribute this year, the Red Sox will look for a power corner outfielder. Jason Werth's name has been mentioned, but I don't see why Philadelphia would move him in the first place as they are only 5.5 games back. Plus, he'd be expensive.
The Red Sox lead all of baseball with 478 runs scored but have allowed 406 runs which ranks 20th in MLB. It doesn't help that the left side of the infield has 25 errors. Beltre has 14 and Scutaro has 11.
When the 2nd half of the season starts, we should start to see players come off the DL slowly transforming the team back to what we would expect to see.
I don't think I like David Ortiz in the HR contest. It can only mess up his swing in my opinion, that's the last thing he and the Red Sox need.
Alright, this is just getting ridiculous.
ESPN Boston is reporting that Jason Varitek has a fracture in his foot and will miss up to 6 weeks. This really is getting worrisome it means the Red Sox are now featuring a backstop tandem of Kevin Cash, he of the .541 career OPS, and Gustavo Molina, he of the .301 career OPS. Yikes.
There is no concrete word on how Varitek injured his foot but most assume it must have been a collision with Adrian "I break bones in my teammates bodies" Beltre. Having broken the ribs of both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida already the natural progression, it would be easy to assume, would be for Beltre to focus on Varitek's feet.
There was no on-field collision between the 2, so perhaps it was on the team plane or in the locker room, or a car accident between the 2? Who know?
At least Cash has some experience with most of these starters and has caught the knuckleball before, but the line-up has been further diminished. Considering that Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, all Red Sox regulars are out, there is little hope they can sustain their offensive production.
Depending on the seriousness of Varitek's or Martinez's injuries, I wouldn't be surprised if Boston pulls off a trade of some sort to add some offense to the line-up. The options would be limited especially at the catcher spot, but you never know. Maybe they can pick up Joe Mauer...no? Fine.