An Early Look at the 2012 Bullpen

One of the biggest difference we’ll see between the 2011 and 2012 versions of the Boston Red Sox is their…

6/10: Polite Torontonians humbly request Bostonians to stop streaking in their fair city

Boston Red Sox (36-26) @ Toronto Blue Jays (32-31) Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.82) @ Jo-Jo Reyes (2-4, 4.16) 7:07 PM…

Dice-K Hits the DL

And the hits…err…injuries keep on coming… As I mentioned on Monday, the Red Sox placed struggling starting pitcher, John Lackey,…

Learning From the Yankees Choices

photo © 2008 Keith Allison | more info (via: Wylio)This season has been a huge disappointment for the Yankees regarding…

After Aceves scratched, Atchinson makes spot start

The Pawtucket Red Sox’ season opener Thursday night was notable not only for who played but also for who did…

Epstein’s Draft Hits… and Misses

With the 2010 Amateur Draft just around the corner (Monday June 7 through Wednesday, June 9), I wanted to spend this week's column looking back at the previous best and worst picks of the Theo Epstein era, an era in which the strength of the minor league system has been both a top priority for the team and an area of almost unparalleled success.

With seven drafts under their belts, this front office has taken the team from a roster of two homegrown regulars (Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon) in 2003 to eight in 2010. Among them are a perennial Cy Young contender, a powerhouse corner infielder, a league champion base stealer, an elite closer, a man with a 100 mile an hour fastball, and an MVP. In addition, there is a new crop of talent maturing in the minors, with some players nearing the point where they will make a Major League contribution. So, not bad for a few years. After the jump, we'll take a look at the best and worst draft picks of the past seven years.

Temporary — and Permanent — Rotation Fixes, Lowell to Anaheim?

Temporary -- and Permanent -- Rotation Fixes Night after night, hit after hit, the Sox rotation is looking more like a punch-drunk boxer than a viable contender. Though Lester has reaffirmed his ace status and Buchholz has put together a nice season on the surface, there just isn’t much to lean on after those two. Lackey at least keeping the team in games with a 4.84 ERA/5.26 xFIP, Daisuke (5.77 ERA/5.48 xFIP) and Tim Wakefield (5.68 ERA/5.54 xFIP) can’t find their groove. Though we knew what we were getting into trotting Daisuke to the mound – with his salary making him that much more cumbersome and immobile – the focus shifts to Tim Wakefield.

Michael Bowden looks to make an impact in 2010

Is there any article about Michael Bowden that doesn't make reference to the Aug. 21 debacle against the Yankees. It's bad enough that we have to deal with relievers small sample sizes, but if we're going to boil a pitchers skill down to 2 IP then you'll never see what a pitcher really is. Obviously Bowden is not going to push Josh Beckett, Jon Lester or John Lackey from the rotation for sure. It's a long shot he passes Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka or Clay Buchholz without a few injuries. This leaves him one shot to make the major league roster out of camp. Lately there has been talk he could see time again this year in the bullpen. His stuff has not fully transitioned to the major league level as his strikeout rate is down to 6.43, but his walk rate was way up in 2009 at Triple-A and the majors. Unless he can return the walk rate to the elite levels he showed previously he will struggle as a starter with his K/BB around 2.00.

AL East Sleepers: Boston Red Sox

As the hometown team boasts one of the strongest starting nine in the American League, it can be difficult to detect sleepers among the pack. Don’t be fooled, however. They are there and prepped to support an elite cast looking to avenge last season’s early playoff exit. Though few of the positional starters offer much potential as true "sleepers", considering the number of All-Stars and MVP candidates among them, the pitching staff contributes much of the excitement on this front. With youngsters and rebound contenders among the lot, an already superb rotation and bullpen could receive a few significant boosts from numerous sources. SP Clay Buchholz After the light came on last season, it never seemed to go out. Finally hitting his stride at the Major League level, he was able to lay fears about his potential to rest. Though not a groundbreaking season by any means, Buchholz’ performance went a long way toward stabilizing the ailing rotation during August and September. Looking forward to 2010, Buchholz should comfortably take the place of the 5th starter – possibly 4th, depending upon the performance of Daisuke Matsuzaka – expectations he should have no problem fulfilling...

The Boston Red Sox and What It Means to Spend Wisely

There is a difference between the Red Sox and nearly every other team in baseball - and it’s pretty obvious. How lucky are our home town fans, that our very own Boston squad has significantly more money to spend on players most other teams. Actually, all but one - but who's counting. Too bad they’re in our division. But that’s alright, so long as we use our resources wisely. So, what is using our resources wisely? From the Red Sox’ perspective, it’s much different from most teams. Over the past five seasons, the team’s highest budget was $143 million, registered in 2007. We’ll save spectulating on this year’s budget, which will be quite high, as there could still be some maneuvering left to go, and the value of free agents and draft picks in this economy is yet to be determined. Therefore, we’ll treat 2007 as the team’s theoretical budget through which to speculate on how the team can formulate its spending practices. Citing the research of analyst Keith Woolner, a theoretical replacement level team would win approximately 44 games. Putting this in perspective, this standard of futility is comparable to the some worst teams of all time, including the 2003 Detroit Tigers (43-119), the 1962 Mets (40-120), and 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates (42-112). After seeing this, two thoughts come to mind. One, wow, how far have the Mets come since that disturbingly dreadful inaugural season 47 years ago. The other, what in the hell happened to the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who found a way to produce a 20-134 record (.130 win percentage) and be doomed to the annals of worst team in MLB history. Ouch. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia, only 3,179 fans attended the team's first 16 home games...