Red Sox Shut Down Doubront
For those of you who need a reminder about the fragility of a young pitcher’s arm, look no further than…
Category: Boston Red Sox
Jason the Power Station
photo © 2008 Eric Kilby | more info (via: Wylio) Back in November, we were looking at potential backup catchers…
A-Gon Cleared to Start Swinging the Bat
In case anybody missed this earlier today. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Adrian Gonzalez has been cleared…
Should We Count the Yankees Out?
Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York had a chance to sit down with Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira the other…
Could the Sox Be a Player for Pujols?
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock -- or enjoying the winter’s break from hardball -- you're aware of the contract standoff between Albert Pujols and St. Louis Cardinals. If you aren’t, here’s the skinny: Pujols wanted to be locked up long-term in St. Louis before hitters reported to Spring Training. The deadline to reach an agreement was set for Wednesday by the Pujols camp. That time came and went, Pujols vowed not to negotiate during the season, and now it looks like the league’s best player will hit free agency come 2012. It’s been quite the show. Now that the gauntlet has been thrown, the rumor mill has begun circulating rumors as to Pujols potential suitors -- the Chicago Cubs being the early frontrunners. While no large market National League club can skirt their incumbent first baseman to pursue the league’s hottest commodity, the Red Sox and a fair number of other American League teams may find themselves unlikely bidders next winter. And who can blame them? As long as Pujols would be willing to switch to part-time DH duties, any of the big-market AL organizations could be in on the slugger next winter. So what if the Yankees have Mark Teixeira manning first? Does anyone think that would stop them from pursuing Prince Albert? Should the Red Sox extend Adrian Gonzalez contract, is there any doubt they would rule out Pujols because he wouldn’t be able to man first base full time? Given the alternatives, it would be foolish to consider any powerhouse American League team out of the running, whether they have a first baseman or not. It’s rare that a first-ballot Hall of Famer hits the free agent market, let alone one of the greatest hitters of the last 20 years. But if the Sox do plan to explore that option, they may have to begin pinching their pennies in preparation. The Sox already have a tight 2012 budget facing them -- the team has $100 million on the docket for just eight rostered players, while Clay Buchholz, Jed Lowrie, Daniel Bard will all hit arbitration for the first time. Factoring in a likely extension for Adrian Gonzalez, and the Sox could have $125 million committed to just nine players (all five current rotation members, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Bobby Jenks, and Gonzalez). With Ryan Howard commanding a $21 million per annum extension in 2010 and Cliff Lee receiving $24 million per year in free agency, is it all that difficult to imagine Pujols’ value approaching -- or even eclipsing -- $30 million per year? The Sox had better hope not. If he were, the club’s 2012 salaries would reach the $150 million range after just 10 rostered players. In that case, John Henry would have to open up the coiffures to an all-time high, exceeding their $168 million in payouts during 2010. With right field open, perhaps only the emergence of Ryan Kalish would be able to keep the team salary below the $190 million range. That kind of spending will probably be a difficult sell to the Boston ownership, however. With ratings taking a big hit last season and revenue streams drying up, Henry may be wary of large player salaries. For contracts such as the one Pujols would command, the upcoming season will have a lot to say about the direction of the franchise. If the Crawford and Gonzalez acquisitions become a financial success and reverse the club’s declining ratings, Henry and Lucchino may decide that free agent buzz is the way to sustain interest in the club. If no such rating increase occurs, expect Henry to pull back and refrain from signing Pujols. So, in the end, it probably won’t be team needs that decides the fate of the Red Sox acquisitions. For the first time in recent memory, it will test the limit of the team’s once bottomless finances.
How much is Adrian Gonzalez worth?
As many of you probably remember, soon after the Red Sox finalized the Adrian Gonzalez trade with the Padres, Bob…
John Lackey and the Tale of Two Halves
photo © 2010 Dan M | more info (via: Wylio) When the Red Sox signed John Lackey in December 2009…
Ten Things to Watch for this Spring
photo © 2005 Ken Curtis | more info (via: Wylio)Spring training is finally “official”! Before we know it, lineup cards…
Bard as a Starter?
During some light Red Sox reading this past week, I stumbled upon a piece by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that brought up the idea of moving Daniel Bard. Suffice it to say, it was quite the interesting read. A little background. Prospect mavens out there may remember that, at the time Bard was drafted into the Sox organization in 2006, Bard was once a highly touted starting pitcher. After a stellar career at UNC, he looked like one of the steals of the draft after falling to the Sox at the 28th pick. A disastrous 2007 campaign ended any thought of Bard as a starter. With 78 walks and just 47 strikeouts in 75.0 A-ball innings, Bard was dropped from the rotation -- after being dropped from nearly every prospect list. After a remarkable recovery in 2008 that saw Bard post 107 Ks in 77.2 IP with just 30 BBs, Bard reestablished himself as a premier pitching prospect and a valuable piece of the Red Sox’ future. His touch rediscovered, the prevailing notion recommended leaving Bard in the ‘pen so as not to reawaken his command issues. Since then, Bard hasn’t started a game -- and hasn’t had a case of the yips. But the notion of moving Bard back into the rotation is certainly an intriguing one – one that could pay big time benefits for the club. Though Bard is an excellent bullpen arm, and is very valuable in that role, starters can contribute far more value to a team. But two things stand in his way. One the one hand, there is always the question that Bard’s command issues would crop up if he returned to starting. While it seems a bit unlikely that they would, the causes of his poor 2007 have yet to be determined. Whether they were mechanical or psychological is still debated, making nearly impossible any projection of their future affect. Secondly -- and perhaps more importantly -- there is no room in the Sox rotation for the hurler for the foreseeable future. As Bradford points out, all four of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, and Clay Buchholz are under contract through 2014. Though Daisuke Matsuzaka’s deal expires following the 2012 season, it’s not a likely proposition that the team would groom their prized reliever for that role. Still, there’s no saying that the move can’t or won’t happen -- and, given his talent and track record, such a decision would make a lot of sense. As unsurprising as it may be, Bard’s numbers translate very well to starting. Accounting for a slight dip in velocity and rise in contact percentages, the righty’s rates suggest a 3.758 ERA with 8.28 Ks per nine and 2.91 BBs per nine. But that’s not the end of the story. Of course, there would have to be a bit of a change in Bard’s repertoire for him to make a successful transition to the rotation. As it currently stands, Bard is largely a two-pitch pitcher, relying on a hard fastball and slider, while mixing in a changeup. While that pitch mix is an excellent combination for a power reliever, the fastball-slider combo isn’t necessarily ideal for a rotation member. In particular, Bard would have to improve upon his changeup to face lefties. Fastball-slider starters who lack changeups often run into trouble against opposite-handed hitters and a good change is often the dividing line between a successful starter and a career reliever. Justin Masterson is a prime example. Nonetheless, this is all speculation until a move is actually made. But, it would be interesting.
Hope Springs Eternal: 2011 Red Sox Spring Training
The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. Today is the official start of Spring Training. Spring is…