What should we do with Julian Tavarez? Over the last five starts, Tavarez is 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA. This follows a June when Tavarez had a 3.00 ERA, and a May with a 3.99 ERA. Is he simply running out of gas, or is he simply an inconsistent pitcher? Don’t forget that in April, he posted a 7.58 ERA.
Whether or not he’s running out of gas or is inconsistent, this can’t keep happening the Red Sox are under .500 since May 30th, and it’s time to address the holes of the team. This is why Wily Mo Pena is being actively shopped and a more capable fourth outfielder is trying to be brought in (we inquired into Jermaine Dye, and rumors abound for Reggie Sanders). Curt Schilling is still two weeks away from his return, and the Red Sox may not want to give Tavarez two additional starts, which may send Kyle Snyder to the rotation or more likely, Devern Hansack or Jon Lester up to the majors (it’s way too early for Clay Buchholz!).
What do I think? I think it’s time to move on. Tavarez gave us some great innings, but we can’t afford to lie around and wait for things to right itself. We need to take initiative, to try to snap this slide and string together a five-game winning streak. Right now, we cannot win five games with Julian Tavarez going every five days. Sure, Kason Gabbard is always an enigma due to his average fastball and Tim Wakefield is insanely inconsistent, but Tavarez is the main problem right now. We cannot move forward without changing the Tavarez problem.
The Red Sox drafted high-school player Will Middlebrooks in the fifth round. Middlebrooks, viewed as a “tough sign” due to his bonus demands and commitment to Texas A&M, would be the best talent in the entire draft should the Red Sox convince Middlebrooks to sign. Middlebrooks, 18, would have been a surefire first round pick without all these questions. He was kind enough to answer a few questions I had for him. Middlebrooks was a baseball and football star in high school, but his favorite sport is unquestionably baseball. He played football because he loved to compete. “I’m not going to lie,” Middlebrooks said. “Football was hard. Baseball is more natural for me.”It’s quite obvious that baseball came naturally to Middlebrooks, as he excelled both at the plate and on the mound.
At the plate, he hit a jaw-dropping .555/.664/.927 in 110 at-bats for Liberty-Eylau High School in Texas. On the mound, he had a 13-0 record, giving up a scant 10 earned runs en route to a 0.86 ERA in 81 innings, dropping the hammer for 147 strikeouts, 12 walks and 47 hits. He has a four-seam fastball topping out at 95, with a two-seamer sitting around 88 mph. He also throws a 80-mph hard curve and has mixed in his slider and cutter while falling back on his out-pitch of a changeup. While he has quite the future on the mound, he prefers to hit.
“I love to pitch, but I would play short before pitching any day,” he declares. Middlebrooks is one of many baseball athletes who have grown up playing shortstop. Most of the major league baseball players played shortstop as a young age, as they were usually the best player on the team and the best players on a team always play short. However, he has been projected long-term as a third-baseman.
Middlebrooks’ favorite things to do are to fish, play ping-pong and hang out with friends … when he’s not hitting the weight room, of course. He attributes a good work ethic to his success. “I try not to slack in the weight room and cages,” he says, while also pointing to great coaching in the last few years to his success. However, he thinks he can improve his speed, saying that “you can never be too fast.” He also thinks that making solid contact is integral to the game, saying that “you can’t have power without contact.”
He was selected in the fifth round by the Boston Red Sox, a team Middlebrooks says he has always liked despite growing up watching the Texas Rangers due to the Rangers being near by. He says that Boston was very interested throughout the draft process, and that he’s honored to be selected by the Red Sox due to them being a great organization. However, the Red Sox and Middlebrooks have yet to discuss anything in particular, including a contract offer, which he says will have to be something he and his family agreed would be best for him to pass up the opportunity Texas A&M presents.
The final date a team can sign a player selected in the amateur draft is August 15. If that deadline passes without a contract from the Red Sox, Middlebrooks will head to Texas A&M, where he said he felt at home when he visited the campus. He also cited the A&M tradition, student fanbase and support for athletes as a big draw for Middlebrooks. If those are a draw for Middlebrooks, he should fit in just fine with Boston’s rabid fans once he hits the major leagues, as baseball is a religion in Boston.
Whether or not Middlebrooks signs with the Red Sox or goes to Texas A&M, there’s no doubt there is a bright future in baseball for this kid, especially given his strong work ethic and his talent on the field. He thinks he can make a name for himself at the plate, but “it will take a lot of hard work, but what doesn’t?”
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The Sox are said to be “actively shopping” Wily Mo to the Astros for Dan Wheeler or Chad Qualls. Also, they apparently have interest in Jon Garland, and might try to bring back Kevin Millar.
I expect Theo to make at least 2-3 moves before the deadline.
i don’t know why people say tavarez is inconsistent, or any baseball player is inconsistent for that matter. there is so much variance in baseball even with players doing the exact same thing over in over is going to create big swings in their stats over such sample sizes as 4-5 starts or 100 at bats.
tavarez is incredibly consistent as far as pitchers go. whip this year 1.54, career 1.48, BAA .289, career .283.
Watching Tavarez pitch nowdays is like stepping in a huge pile of dogshit….in slow motion.
this is what i would do:
-trade Julian for a bag of balls (i don’t want to see this guy in a sox uniform ever again)
-shoot Mirabelli
-tell Wakefield to retire
-call up Breslow
-call up Lester (i know he is not ready but at least he could be more consistent than Tavarez or Wakefield)
-trade for a backup catcher that hits
-keep Gabbard in the rotation (i know he won’t keep a 3.something ERA but if he can gives us innings of 4.20 ERA, i would take that any day over Tavarez and Wakefield)
-when Schill returns the rotation should be set and th bullpen is still great
and my lineup would be this:
Pedroia
Youk
Manny
Papi
Lowell
Drew
Varitek
Coco
Lugo
this team doesn’t need to trade to get better, we have all the pieces we need at Pawtucket and some lazy bums in the lineups need to get their shit right if we want to go to promised land…
Baseball players are “inconsistent” because they are not consistently awesome.
I think what we need is a simple lineup shakeup. When Tito’s done it this year, it has sparked the offense, at least for a few days. Here’s what I’d do:
1. Pedroia
2. Youkilis
3. Manny
4. Papi
5. Lowell
6. Drew
7. Varitek
8. Crisp
9. Lugo
those lineups are definitely right. why doesn’t francona just do it already?
i also don’t think we really have much need for wheeler or qualls. garland….eh i guess he could help.
Tavarez isn’t terrible; just seems he’s out of gas (career numbers aren’t bad). I’d rather have him in the pen than Pineiro or even Snyder (who seems pretty erratic every time I see him).
Give Lester a chance until Schilling comes back, and maybe give Clement a chance? I read he was close to being ready in rehab.
SIGN MIDDLEBROOKS!!!!!!!
DO NOT GIVE CLEMENT A CHANCE!!!!!! he’s recover on the 60 day DL from his surgery to get a frikin brain the guy was the worst signing evr dump him for anything we can get in return maybe like 5 bucks or less…
A bigtime loss for Red Sox if they don’t sign Middlebrooks
I personally know Will Middlebrooks. It’s one thing to have talent, but also strong family ethics, excellent support, and a brain to boot! He has his feet grounded and I’ve watched this throughout his successful high school years.
He would be a great asset to the Sox.
Congrats on signing Will Middlebrooks….looking forward to following his progress as a professional…..This young man has definitely been a leader at the high school. Best talent from the Ark-La-Tex area ever……go SOX!!!!!!!!
You see alot of professional atheletes slack in performance because of the size of there contracts and there professional status,I can assure you this kid will play hard,he plays for the love of the game,because of his family ethic,money will never play apart of his performance on the field,he is a winner at heart. Good Luck Will
Hell yeah i played ball with him he loves the game and is a good guy. looking forward to watching the sox now
Played ball with this kid when he was 10, knew big things were coming his way. Wishing you all the best Will, and I will be watching you.