Are we better off letting Jason Bay walk?

I had been thinking about this, and Evan mentioned it as well. But would the Red Sox be better off letting Jason Bay walk? Would they be better off taking the draft picks, finding a one-year stopgap. And hopefully letting Josh Reddick take over the position, at a very cheap price, and under club control for a while?

Look, we all know there is risk in expecting young players to contribute before they might be ready. Clay Buchholz was supposed to be the guy in 2008, supposed to be that ace. But he wasn't, and still isn't--although improved. Simply put, we don't know how good Josh Reddick will be. We expect big things, or good things, but we don't know. So putting faith in prospects does have its risks.

However, signing veterans to long term contracts also has risks. Jason Bay is not an up-the-middle defender. He is not 26--although not old by any means either. And he is a sub-par defender according to any defensive metric that matters. As he may not be atrocious in left, but he is far from good. And corner outfielders do impact a game much less than the premium positions do, at least in terms of run prevention.

The Weekend Series Preview

With Thursday's game still to be played, the Sox look toward their three-game weekend series in Texas, back 5.5 of the Yankees; up 1.5 on the Rangers in the wildcard. This is a big set - don't take it likely...

Time to Count Your Chips

With the Sox back in Boston after a long road trip, it's time to take stock of what the team has left.

Is a playoff appearance still in the cards?


It's a slump. That's it. That has to be it.

Mayday! Mayday! We're going down... aren't we?

Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between a slump and a freefall. When given the choice, you always root for the slump, because, what other options do you have...

Baldelli to the DL, Reddick recalled, Youk to the OF, Ortiz to speak

Talk about cramming info into a Quick Post headline....

Going into Yankee Stadium and as much a "do or die" series as the Red Sox have reached this season, things are off to an interesting start. Rocco Baldelli has been sent to the DL after fouling a ball off his foot in batting practice at the Trop. Josh Reddick has been recalled to take his spot on the roster. With Jason Bay out of the lineup tonight as his hamstring is still sore, Kevin Youkilis will be manning left field at Yankee Stadium.

In other news, David Ortiz will address the media regarding his positive 2003 PED test on Saturday before the game.

BOS 5, OAK 2: Stopper

Losing streaks don't happen with Josh Beckett on the mound.

Halfway Home

The 2009 Boston Red Sox are halfway through their season, 49-32 through their first 81 games. The Red Sox not only hold a 1.5 game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East, but also the best record in the American League, trailing over the Dodgers and their .634 winning percentage for the best record in baseball.

The halfway point marks an interesting time to not only take stock of the season that has come to pass, but also to look out at the road ahead and evaluate the terrain that lies between here and the ultimate destination.

Bates promotion tells a lot about Sox’s concern for O

With the recent callup of first baseman Aaron Bates to the club, it's clear that the Sox are concerned about their offensive viability.

With the All-Star break around the corner, the club could have opted to keep Jeff Bailey on the roster despite his high-ankle strain and go a couple days against a left-handed starter with Julio Lugo at short or Mark Kotsay at first (despite the latter's left-handed bat).

Instead, the club chose to promote a 25-year old struggling in Triple-A. Bates' numbers so far on the year are .182/.273/.295 with only 24 games at the level. And yet, the Sox brought him up to get his right-handed bat in the lineup against lefty pitchers.

Poll: Hypothetically thinking ahead

BOS 11, WAS 3: Bats pummel Nats

Jason Bay and Jacoby Ellsbury each had three RBI and the Boston Red Sox pounded out 17 hits to beat the Washington Nationals, 11-3.

ATL 8, BOS 2: Demoted?

Daisuke Matsuzaka's first pitch to Nate McLouth only foreshadowed things to come.