3 Up 3 Down Says It’s Time for a Reality Check

3 Up 3 Down decides that it is time for Red Sox fans to understand that this team is not going to be making a playoff push anytime soon.

Red Sox Shortstops Since Nomar with a Spin on American Pop Culture

A look back at the revolving door that has been Boston Red Sox shortstops since Nomar Garciaparra's departure in 2004.

John Lackey in 2013: Rebound or Bust?

A brieft history on post-2007 John Lackey and what Red Sox fans can expect from him in 2013.

Wakefield, Hoyer, and Squinting at Free Agents

Wake Undergoes Surgery Tim Wakefield underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a herniated disk and loose bone fragment in his back. Wakefield is expected to pitch next year and should be ready for Spring Training. The 43 year-old vet was visually hampered last year, turning in a 4.58 ERA and 4.58 FIP despite his woeful last three starts (14 IP, 14 ER, 8 K, 12 BB). Squinting at Free Agents While we have gone at length discussing the top free agents and mapping out blueprints for the Sox’ offseason, there are a number of intriguing names on the market that are flying under the radar. Not all of them are the safest bets, with varying levels of performance or injury history, but they do have some sex appeal. Here are a few names to mull over. Special thanks to Eddie Bajek of MLB Trade Rumors. OF Rick Ankiel: Ankiel came off a sub-par season in 2009, as his power was down, his walks were down, and his K’s were up en route to a .231/.285/.387 line.

Brad Penny Released

The Red Sox released veteran starter Brad Penny late Wednesday night. While there may be some cheers in Red Sox Nation today, we can all collectively say good bye to that Boston rotation depth.

Another poor decision by the Red Sox front office. Let's just hope that Buchholz and Tazawa can pick up the slack.

Analysis inside...

Yankees Coming to Town

The Sox face off against their bitter rivals the New York Yankees in a pivotal three game series in Fenway. An important juncture for the AL East race, this series will determine whether the Sox can climb back in it or if the Yanks wrap it up early.

Game previews, matchups, and Sox news inside...

Smoltz’s Future

Now that John Smoltz has played his last game as a member of the Red Sox, it is time to ask the question, does he have anything left in the tank? A few teams think so, but his struggles point to a fading pitcher...

Defending Theo’s offseason.

One can point to one move, or non-move, that is the reason the Red Sox are so far out of the division. And that is the Yankees acquisition, via free agency, of Mark Teixeira. Had the Red Sox signed him, rather than the Yankees, it could very well have made up the difference. Maybe the two teams are tied right now, rather than 5+ games apart. Tex is currently raking at a clip of .284/.382/.557. And he's stellar with the glove as always. His 'WAR' is 3.6 (3.6 wins over a replacement player).

Basically, adding Tex would have given the Red Sox the best corner infielders in the game.

But we didn't add Tex. Instead, we decided upon saving tons of money--especially some probable dead money at the back end of Tex's contract. And the organization felt it was best to put their stock in the players on the farm, rather than expensive veterans. Lars Anderson being the main reason why Tex wasn't signed, as far as "players on the farm" goes.

Enough is enough: Bring in a new starter

With John Smoltz's debacle in New York (granted, the stadium didn't do him any favors) behind us, it's time to look ahead and figure out how exactly we're going to make the playoffs with exactly two reliable pitchers in the rotation.

The biggest question I have right now is: how long do we wait? Daisuke Matsuzaka will not return for a month. Tim Wakefield... from what I'm hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if we've seen the last of him.

Do we really want to rely on Smoltz, Penny and Buchholz for the next month?

I can't even go on anymore. I'm too demoralized about the state of the pitching staff.

8/6: The first game of “The Series.”

John Smoltz and his good FIP take to Yankees Stadium, trying to finally put together a quality start. He will square up with Joba Chamberlain. The Red Sox need a split, but want even more...