Revisiting Cameron’s Situation

I had a really grand article planned for today, but due to the craziness that is my life, I wasn’t…

Platoon Partners for Papi

It’s been well documented, David Ortiz doesn’t hit left-handed pitching very well anymore. Though Terry Francona may feel like sitting…

2011 Red Sox Projected Stolen Bases

photo © 2007 Eric Kilby | more info (via: Wylio) ^ Bill James’s total projected stolen bases: 143 My total…

Ryan Kalish, the Bill James Projection and 2011 Playing Time

.271/.340/.452, 20 HR, 43 SB, 94 R and 82 RBI in 641 PA’s That’s an all-star. That’s a fantasy beast.…

Is the Sox Offense Too Left-Handed Heavy?

The Red Sox have accumulated so much talent this offseason that they have a problem. OK, so it’s a good,…

Will the Red Sox Go With Mike Cameron in 2011?

Mike Cameron was once considered the best defensive centerfielder in baseball. But today, he is a somewhat forgotten man in…

The DL All-Stars

Kevin Youkilis left last night's game in the 4th inning with an ankle injury. At the moment, it appears he'll be fine -- the word out of Fenway is that he'll be in the lineup tonight. Still, the sight of Youk leaving the game yesterday must have caused remotes across New England to be flung in exasperated disgust as the injury bug appeared to claim another key player on this 2010 Red Sox team. In recounting the injuries that have plagued the club this year, it occurs to me that we could field a fairly talented club solely from our DL. In order to find out exactly how good, I decided to draw up a lineup (nine offensive positions, two starters, a setup man, and a closer) and see how well it would stack up given their projected 2010 WAR (I'm using CHONE projections for batters because they're the easiest to find, but the estimates shouldn't be too far afield; for pitchers it's a bit tricky, but I'll resort to using fangraphs.com's fan projections -- imperfect, but close enough). This is obviously a thought experiment more than anything else, but it's interesting to see exactly how much talent the Sox have lost so far this season.

Moving to CBS Sports, plus Red Sox thoughts

Although my time at NESN was far, far shorter than I hoped/expected, I've moved on to the next phase of my career which takes me to the MLB Facts and Rumors blog at CBS Sports.

I'll be writing alongside long-time Mariners reporter David Andriesen (previously sighted at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer) and C. Trent Rosencrans (Cincinnati Post) to bring baseball fans the latest in general baseball coverage. You can see me there starting Monday.

I'll be checking in at Fire Brand multiple times a week, resurrecting the trivia challenge and letting everyone know of the latest transactions involving the BoSox.

I'd like to take this time to say a few things I didn't over the last few months, as well as put out a call for ways Fire Brand can improve:

Cautious Optimism But Lacking Something

The Red Sox offense is in good shape. The local nine is second in runs scored and OPS. The lineup has been legit even with Jeremy Hermida (649 OPS) and Darnell McDonald (746 OPS) getting 246 of the 1920 Red Sox at-bats or 12.8%. The other seven regulars are collectively performing as expected. When Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury take plate appearances from Hermida and McDonald, the Olde Towne Team should put up more crooked numbers.

On the pitching front, walks have been the issue. The health and return to form from Josh Beckett will reduce the number of free passes. If he replaces Tim Wakefield, the club will benefit even more since his style dictates not giving into hitters.

Mike Cameron draws closer to returning to Boston in second rehab stint

Outfielder Mike Cameron admittedly isn’t 100 percent.

After playing his second rehabilitation game for Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday against Gwinnett, it’s the closest he’s been to returning to Boston since he was placed on the disabled list April 19 with a lower abdominal strain.