The finish line is in sight. Or should I say the start is in sight. In eleven short days, Justin Verlander will be throwing the first pitch of the season to… well, we still don’t really know who’s going to leadoff, or who the fifth starter is, or the fourth starter for that matter. Yup, this team still has a lot to figure out, and has less than two weeks to do it. So without further ado, let’s do some speculation.
The Week In Summary: The Sox stumbled a bit this week, going 2-4-1. The tie came against the Yankees. The Sox Mayor’s Cup chances took a hit with a loss against Minnesota.
Stock Rising:
Darnell McDonald: If it seems like he’s on this list every week, it’s because he is. It’s hard to keep him off when he’s hitting like he is. He’s 12-24 this Spring, and is a lock to make the Opening Day roster as the fourth outfielder.
Lars Anderson: He’s finally having the breakout Spring everyone has been waiting for. He’s 15-27 with three doubles and a home run. It will be interesting to see what exactly management decides to do with him. He certainly deserves to make the team, of course, there’s not really a spot for him. He could end up being a very valuable trade chip come late July if he continues to hit like this at Pawtucket.
Alfredo Aceves: Another guy who just keeps making this list. Four innings. Four strikeouts. One run. He’s making a legitimate push to crack the rotation, and at this point, it’s going to be hard to leave him out, no matter how valuable he is in the bullpen.
Stock Falling:
Bobby Jenks: *sigh*
Mark Melancon: Sure, it’s only been six innings, but there is certainly some cause for some concern. He’s given up eight hits, five runs, and two walks in that short span. If Melancon doesn’t develop into the reliable eighth inning man that Cherrington envisioned him as when the trade was made, the Sox could be in some serious trouble.
Daniel Bard: After spending all winter preparing to be a starter, there has suddenly become growing concern that Bard isn’t going to be able to make the transition. He had another rough outing this week against Toronto, going five innings while surrendering three runs, three hits, and three walks. Personally, I think the team owes it to Bard to at least give him an opportunity to at least have a few starts once the season begins. He’s had two bad starts, this seems to be a bit of an overreaction.
Pedro Ciriaco: He’s continuing to hit well, but with every position in the outfield locked up, it doesn’t look like there will be a spot for him. He came in for Dustin Pedroia yesterday, and looked terrible at second base. A utility spot would be a real stretch for him.
Cuts: Clayon Mortonson, Junichi Tazawa, and Luis Expositio were all optioned to Pawtucket. Jesse Carlson, Alex Hassan, and Max St. Pierre were reassigned to minor league camp. So was Brandon Duckworth, who was my dark horse pick to make the bullpen. Feel free to send me insulting emails.
Jose Iglesias Watch: At this point, Mike Aviles all but has the starting shortstop job locked up. Iglesias returned to the lineup this week after missing ten days, and proceeded to go 1 for 10.
This Week In Guessing Who The Fifth Starter Will Be: Forget about the fifth starter, what about the fourth starter? It’s a bit of a mess. With Daniel Bard’s spot in the rotation now in question, the Sox have three pitchers (Bard, Aceves, Doubront) for two spots. I still say Bard and Doubront are the guys, but it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the way Aceves is pitching. The bullpen is still just too thin to leave him out though.
Bold Predictions Dept.: Michael Bowden will emerge as an integral part of the bullpen this year, establishing himself as the go-to-guy in the seventh or eighth innings.
This and That:
Let’s just be done with it and cut Bobby Jenks. The guy has four kids and got a DUI driving back from a strip club. No one ever accused him of being classy, but come on.
Visitors to Spring Training this week: Bill Belichick, Pat Sajak, and Terry Francona.
Peter Gammons reported that the Red Sox have invited every living player who has worn the Boston uniform to Fenway Park for the 100th anniversary on April 12th.
Terry Francona on the biggest different between him and Bobby Valentine: “You’ll never see me in that outfit you were wearing on the bicycle.”
Watching: The Trailer for On The Road. I’ll probably watch this at least once a day until the actual movie comes out.
Listening To: Myth by Beach House. New single by a great band. Every one of their songs has a dream like feeling, a completely unique and original sound.