Next month for Sox portends big changes

​Over the next month, there will be several roster moves with Boston that could leave the team looking very different than it does right now.

The Advanced Scout – Toronto Blue Jays

After bar-hopping with Buddy Cole, the Advanced Scout takes two Advil and analyzes the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Advanced Scout – Tampa Bay Rays

The Advanced Scout stops at Ferg's for a cold one before analyzing the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Advanced Scout – Seattle Mariners

The Advanced Scout finishes his Belle Isle Seafood lobstah rolls and analyzes the Seattle Mariners.

Sox Farmhands Make Good: Buchholz, Kalish, Pedroia, and the Future

Last night's 6-0 victory over the Angels didn't gain the Sox any games in the standings. With the Yankees and Rays both victorious, Boston still sits five and a half games behind the AL East's co-leaders. You'd be forgiven, though, if you felt a surge of hope after the final out, because this game displayed all the reasons the Sox are still in contention this year, and a harbinger of the one recovery that might propel them ahead.

This season has been as trying as any in recent Red Sox history, but it has also been as inspiring. Going into the year, I anticipated this club to be one of my favorites, and it turns out I was right, but for the wrong reasons: while I was expecting a run-prevention monster with a solid, top-five AL offense, what I got was a ragtag crew beset by injury but still, through a better than expected offense and contributions from the most unexpected of places, managing to hang in contention all year. Between the strong and consistent pitching of Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester to the season-saving heroics of journeymen and minor leaguers like Darnell McDonald, Bill Hall, Daniel Nava and Ryan Kalish, this team has kept on the trail of a playoff berth when they should have been written off. And now, the day after Dustin Pedroia's emotional return, the most important cog in the team's machinery is back where he belongs. This season has defied every prediction so far, but if the Sox were to go on a tear from here on out, count me among those who wouldn't be in the least surprised.

Is This It?

For a brief shining moment there, it seemed like these Red Sox were poised for a legendary season. Beset by injuries, hampered by a slow and painful start, facing an uphill battle against two tough divisional foes, the Sox rode unlikely bats, some exceptional pitching by Lester and Buchholz, and the resurgence of David Ortiz to within four games before the All-Star Break. It was a hell of a story, but it appears that the story may finally be grinding to a halt.

The injury to Kevin Youkilis could be seen as just another blow to a lineup already held together by wishes and duct tape, but it's more than that. Youkilis has been the Sox most potent offensive force for at least two years now, and he was the glue that held this offense together for most of the season. His loss leaves the club a second rate power, and it leaves the offense without its most important player for the first time all year. 6.5 games out, with the Rays surging and the Yankees treading water, the team is not done, but they cannot afford to lose any more ground or waste any more time. They need a run of epic proportions, and that's what Youk's injury endangers more than anything else.

The Replacements

In honor of the recent spate of injury-related call-ups, I wanted to take a look at some of the most surprising and productive replacement players the Sox have had over the years. This is obviously weighted pretty heavily toward the years I've been an active fan -- essentially 1987-present.

These selections are completely arbitrary; my definition of 'replacement' is essentially 'players who were not supposed to play a major role on the team, but did'. If you think I forgot someone (which I almost certainly did), mention them in the comments. Hopefully one of the current Sox replacements will be up here on this list a few years from now -- the team certainly needs someone to step up given the current injury bug.

Sox Catch Tampa Bay, Minor Additions: Ryan Shealy

Sox Catch Tampa Bay The Sox finally playing inspired baseball, the club has been rolling with a 14-5 record in June. Meanwhile, the Devil Rays have stagnated, posting just an 8-9 mark over that period. It has been a long time coming, but the Red Sox have finally drawn even at second place with in-division foe Tampa Bay. It’s difficult to do justice to how great of an accomplishment this is. A team that appeared dead in the water not one month ago has risen from the ashes back to contention -- all the while combating debilitating injuries and emergency call ups. Should Daisuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett, especially, come back strong from their injuries, the club could once again have the MLB’s best rotation. A 1-2-3 of Beckett, Jon Lester, and a surging Clay Buchholz would rival that of any in the league. John Lackey and Matsuzaka at 4 and 5 would make the Rays and Yankees green with envy. With Ellsbury in left and Hermida the fourth outfielder, the lineup will see a tremendous boost. The best is yet to come. Or is it?

Injuries Mounting, Boof Bonser to the Rotation? Nava Who?

Who is Daniel Nava? The Sox have quite the interesting player on their hands. With injuries to outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury, Jeremy Hermida, and Mike Cameron forcing the BoSox to dig deep into the minors once again, the Sox may have caught lightning in a bottle for the second time this season. Darnell McDonald admirably filling in for Hermida and Cameron, the Sox promoted Daniel Nava to the bigs on Saturday to take over Josh Reddick's fourth outfielder spot. Like McDonald, Nava wasted no time endearing himself to fans -- connecting for a grand slam on the first pitch of his MLB career Saturday, leading the Sox to a 10-2 win over Philadelphia. Nava, 27, has had quite the journey to the Majors. Making his professional debut for the Chico Outlaws of the Golden Baseball League in 2007, Nava impressed the scouts with a bit of speed (18 SBs in 20 attempts), pop (12 home runs in 314 plate appearances), and plate discipline (48 BB : 42 Ks) while with Chico. Signed by the Sox in 2008 at the age of 25, Nava kept rolling with hi-A Lancaster. Slugging 10 homers in 379 plate appearances to go along with a very impressive .341/.424/.523 line, the outfielder’s plate discipline (43 BB : 70 K) carried over to affliated ball as well.

Daniel Nava a major leaguer!

It's been a long time for Daniel Nava, but the 27-year-old former independent league player has made it.

Sox Prospects is reporting that Josh Reddick has been sent down for Nava. Not only has Nava thoroughly dominated minor league competition in his time with the Red Sox's farm system (.342/.434/.545 in 1,187 plate appearances with 314 of those in independent baseball -- the Chico Outlaws of the GOBL in 2007 at age 24) but he has proven in his first season at Triple-A Pawtucket that he deserves a promotion.

The 5-foot-10 switch-hitter has a strong arm, average speed and tremendous plate discipline. He batted .294 with a .364 OBP and .492 slugging percentage for Pawtucket in 2010. He will be a better "jack-of-all-trades" outfielder for the Sox. Reddick, meanwhile, has loads of talent but has yet to prove his capability in not only the majors, but Triple-A.