The state of the bullpen

This offseason has centered mostly around the improved defense and addition of John Lackey to our rotation. The bullpen though has been largely left to small moves to patch up the back and look for solid years from the rest. As it stands the pen returns Jonathon Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez and Manny Delcarmen. The starting rotation currently has 6 solid starters with Tim Wakefield as a long reliever and Boof Bonser as a long shot to squeeze in. They have also added Brian Shouse, Edwin Moreno, Jorge Sosa, Scott Atchinson, Robert Manuel and Ramon A. Ramirez.

The team entered 2009 with 12 starting pitchers including 5 starters and 7 relievers. Let’s assume they enter 2010 with the same numbers, but we’ll label the last reliever as on the bubble as he could be a minor league option.

Sure Things

Closer and setup are solid with Papelbon and Bard continuing were they left 2009. We have had plenty of discussions about these two here, here, here and here. While Bard still has some questions and his projections show he isn’t quite ready to be be a closer, but a solid setup man. His CHONE projection calls for a 3.48 ERA and only a 2.09 K/BB. I have some doubts about that K/BB and think he can be much better as does MARCEL and Bill James at 2.53 and 2.80 respectively.

Papelbon, three others file for arbitration

This year, four Red Sox are eligible for arbitration. The big name is closer Jonathan Papelbon while Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez (the original one) and Jeremy Hermida round out the other three. (Hideki Okajima recently avoided arbitration, signing for $2.75 million, a raise of $1 million from his 2009 salary.)

Tweets on the Red Sox’s 25-man roster

In a homage to Twitter, the new social media application that is changing how news is delivered (in the same vein how blogs changed everything) I bring to you a summary of each Red Sox player on the 25-man roster in 140 characters or less (the maximum number of characters you can enter on Twitter).

Have Twitter? Follow me. Tim’s on too. Oh, and Fire Brand has one as well. You’ll notice that had you followed Fire Brand, you would have gotten all these tweets last night.

TOR 5, BOS 3: Crash landing

Rocco Baldelli hit a two-run homer in the second inning. Then, in the the fifth inning, Baldelli crashed into a wall trying to catch a foul ball.
That’s exactly how Boston’s game went as well. The Red Sox were on pace for a win with a 3-1 cushion over Toronto. Then, Ramon Ramirez hit a wall in the seventh inning.

BOS 6, MIN 5: Bang for the buck

Buy low, sell high. Brad Penny continues to fulfill, quite possibly, the oldest investment cliche ever.

Getting to know you: Ramon Ramirez

It’s not often that an unheralded newcomer to an established bullpen establishes themselves in April as the go to guy that will bridge the most critical situations between the days starter and the designated closer.

With the perceived depth of the Red Sox bullpen coming into the season, it certainly wasn’t expected that Ramon Ramirez, who entered the season behind Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito, Hideki Okajima, and Manny Delcarmen in the bullpen rotation, would claim that mantle.

Go Early, Go Often: Fire Brand’s Best of April

Tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays marks the final game of the first calendar month of the season; and what an April it was. From the panic that set in BWNNH (Before Wake’s Near No Hitter) after a 2-6 start, to the exhilaration of winning 12 out of 13 including a le-gen *wait for it* DARY sweep of the New York Yankees AB (Anno Bay – In the Year of Our Bay), April has been all Red Sox fans could ask for.

Who would have thought after the first week of the season that April would end with the Red Sox atop the American League with the league’s best winning percentage?

Today we look at the best performances of April, culminating in the Fire Brand Player of the Month award.

Peter Gammons checks in with Fire Brand

Peter Gammons stops by Fire Brand to answer a few questions. He cautions not to write off David Ortiz and muses about an Eric Byrnes and Miguel Montero to Boston trade.

Analyzing the Coco Crisp/Ramon Ramirez trade

Coco Crisp – Evan Brunell

This trade is excellent from the Red Sox’s perspective. The Sox had a very solid bullpen last year but now add Ramirez to their corps of young, cost-controllable arms that are capable of setting up and/or closing.

This trade is the first of many dominoes that will start to fall for the Red Sox. The question is, where will these dominoes fall?

Wherever the Sox go from here, the opening salvo of the Sox’s offseason was the Crisp/Ramirez trade, and it’s going to impact the rest of the offseason fundamentally.

Crisp traded to KC for reliever

Boston sacrificed uber-prospect Andy Marte, acquired a few months earlier from the Atlanta Braves, but in return they received a 26 year old center fielder who averaged 15 home runs and hit a .298 clip the past two seasons as a starter. Things looked bright for the team and player.

Now, the Boston Red Sox have traded Coco Crisp to the Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez.