Brandon Workman Claims Final Spot on Opening Day Roster

The Boston Red Sox are officially all set for Opening Day as Brandon Workman claimed the final spot in the bullpen yesterday as the team announced the 25-man roster. Workman struck out 16 batters during the spring and will likely remain on the squad until Craig...

Roster Power Rankings, March Edition

Every month during the season, here on Fire Brand, I take a look at the relative value of the 25 players on the current active roster. The criteria for the power rankings: 1) What is the value of each player on the Red Sox roster relative to the other players? If a...

Building an Unconventional Bullpen

In today’s MLB, bullpens are characterized by relievers who can come into the game with overpowering fastballs. According to FanGraphs.com, the average velocity of a big league fastball has risen from 91.1 mph in 2007 to 92.9 mph last season, and that trend is even...

Are there still holes in the Red Sox bullpen?

Red Sox Nation cheered in jubilation when Ben Cherington acquired Jake Peavy in a heist calculated more efficiently than Walter White’s methylamine robbery in Breaking Bad. That said, the team’s inability to bring in a reliever is a cause for concern. There is no...

3 Up 3 Down Grades Out the Red Sox

With the All-Star break looming on the horizon (it begins after Sunday’s game) I think now is a good time as ever to take a look back over the first 94 games of the season and grade out the Boston Red Sox. The categories we will use are the typical five: offense,...

The Advanced Scout – Los Angeles Angels

After taking two of three against the Rangers, the Boston Red Sox (37-24, 1st place in the AL East, 1.5 games ahead) welcome the Los Angeles Angels (26-34, 3rd place in the AL West, 10.5 games back) to Fenway Park for a three-game series. Friday night’s game was...

The Advanced Scout – Texas Rangers

After taking two of three against the Yankees (thanks, rain!), the Boston Red Sox (35-23, first place in the AL East, 2.5 games ahead) return to Fenway Park to face the Texas Rangers (35-21, first place in the AL West, 1.5 games ahead) in a three-game series. The Red...

The Advanced Scout – New York Yankees

Having split the home-and-home series in Philly, the Boston Red Sox (33-22, first place in the AL East, 2 games ahead) head north to the Bronx for a weekend series with the New York Yankees (30-23, second place in the AL East, 2 games back). The Red Sox are 6-4 in...