Any questions about Josh Beckett returning to his 2007 form were answered against the Tampa Bay Rays. At least for one start.
Today we pick right back up where we left off last season; playing the Tampa Bay Rays. For those of you who don't believe early season matchups matter over the long haul, I'll remind you that when it comes to the 2009 AL East three teams are fighting for what will likely be two playoff spots. The difference between October baseball and some late season tee times could likely come down to only a handful of games. That handful starts today.
With that in mind, our first "in season" poll question asks "who will draw first blood in the AL East"?
As always, the poll can be found in the left hand sidebar. Votes will be tallied tomorrow.
According to a report on SoxProspects.com, third base prospect Will Middlebrooks suffered a torn hamstring during drills this past weekend and will be out until May, or possibly longer. Will was projected to start at Class-A Greenville where he'd split time between third base and DH with fellow top prospect Michael Almanzar.
Last December, Sox Director of Player Development Mike Hazen released a statement to announce that the ultra-versatile Casey Kelly will both pitch 100 innings and play shortstop in a way that provides both the team and himself greater flexibility for the long haul, and help increase the likelihood that his professional career will ultimately progress at the position at which he is most valuable. Recently and similarly, another announcement was made that top prospect Lars Anderson will get a cup of tea as an outfielder when he gets promoted to Pawtucket some time this year.
Today's "Great Debate" at MVN Outsider asks if the Yankees will make the playoffs. Money quote:
Don't get me wrong -- they will contend. It's just not a lock that they'll finish in second in the AL East. The Red Sox are arguably one of the most complete teams in baseball, and it would be a massive disappointment if they were to miss the postseason...Despite the spending spree, the Yankees do still have a fair amount of questions left to answer. They'll be in the running for a playoff spot, just as they were last year, but a second place finish in the East is by no means guaranteed.
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Red Sox have signed OF/1B Brad Wilkerson to a minor league deal with roster and playing time incentives. Last year, he split time with Toronto and Seattle by hitting a combined .220/.308/.326 in 309 plate appearances and fighting nagging shoulder and back injuries.
Although he may only be 6th or 7th on the outfield depth chart, Wilkerson provides solid depth if his shoulder is healthy. He's always been a solid player when he's been on the field. He's only a year removed from hitting 20 home runs, gets on base at a decent clip, and possesses the rare ability of being a left handed hitter who hits lefties better than righties.
When comparing Varitek to similar catchers of his caliber and taking todays economy into effect, this is just bad management on the Sox part. However, this is no longer here nor there, and I think every rational Sox fan agrees with this. The real question now is, how do the rest of the catchers stack up after this?
Not to belabor an already conspicuous thought, but with the games played incentive that was so generously added by Mr. John Henry & Co. and Tito Francona's persistence on sticking with his veterans, one can safely presume that Varitek will get the vast majority of the at-bats coming from the catching position. So now the question becomes even more interesting, who gets the other fraction of the at-bats?
Perhaps the most perplexing, yet enticing prospect in the Sox system, Bubba Bell is at the stage in his career where performance is everything. There is no projection left. Always known as a hitter with above-average skills all-around, he no longer can point to this fact, and must produce or he'll remain a career minor leaguer until he's finally forced to retire. After a breakout season in the wind-tunnel, otherwise known as High-A Lancaster, Bell had many scouts wondering if he had made the necessary adjustments to become a major league regular. But even then, his ultimate ceiling was in question.
He had always been known to have solid, yet unspectacular tools all around. He makes excellent contact, has decent power, solid plate discipline, a tick above average speed, a good glove with decent range, and a plus arm. He can play all outfield positions well, but profiles more as a right fielder because of his stocky build. With his strong work ethic, fundamentally balanced swing, and contact rate, there isn't much doubt that he could at least serve as an adequate fourth outfielder. So what remains as Bubba's biggest stepping stone to the major leagues?