4/26 Online Seats Game Thread: Red Sox Flock North

The Boston Red Sox will head north to Canada, kicking off week-long road stand against the Dana Eveland and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Evan Brunell’s 2010 MLB Predictions: Does Boston win it?

As the advent of spring training games are upon us, I thought I'd kick off everyone's favorite little exercise by providing my own personal predictions as to how I think the season will shake out. Now, before I do so, a word of caution: predictions can change daily based on events. Heck, my predictions change multiple times a week. But I've gotta make predictions at some point, right? Point being, I might disagree with my own predictions a week from now. Most of the time, these kind of predictions are an exercise in fallacy, but it's not going to stop me from trying. I don't know why I made things harder on myself, but I set out to present an exact record. This means I had to go into a spreadsheet and make sure all the wins and losses totaled the correct amount of games while also balancing out to a .500 record. Took me a while, but dadgum it, I did it. One thing I did not control for was the unbalanced schedule (in a total record sense), but I already strained my tenuous math skills, so I wasn't about to complicate it further. Click "read more" or the headline to find my predictions.

AL East Sleepers: Toronto Blue Jays

Well folks, this one’s about to get ugly. Not just this season, mind you, but for a few years – though, if Anthopoulos is as good as advertised, there might just be a way out of this mess. It’s too bad, really, as the makeup of this pitching staff makes this team one of the most interesting clubs in all of baseball. Too bad they exist in the gauntlet of the AL East. There’s no mistaking it - Toronto is clearly the runt of the AL East litter for the forseeable future. While they have a few good full-timers and a number of interesting arms in the rotation, there’s just not a lot to build on here, barring the awakening of a number of sleepers on this team – a number of sleepers. Either way, this team is in serious trouble for 2010 and beyond. Then again, when third place is all you can ever look forward to, does the disappointment really matter?

Financial Darwinism and the Economics of the AL East

The winter months always bring to light the advantages of the rich over the poor in the MLB. Without a doubt, there will, again, be a ring of publications bemoaning the struggles of low-market teams as they fight to compete in their league and division. The American League East division is, in many ways, a microcosm of the entire major leagues - running the gamut of haves and have-nots as hypercompetitive juggernaughts stand side by side with the financial runts of the litter. The state of hypercompetition in the AL East is shocking, if not alarming, in the way that it dominates competitive balance within the division. There is no escaping the trends. Any layperson can make the connection between finances and on-field success. The ‘08 Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the only team this decade to win the division other than Boston or New York. Before then, it was the Orioles in 1997. The Blue Jays were the only team of Tampa, Baltimore, and Toronto to even finish second in the past decade, in 2006. Clearly, there is a competitive balance problem, which is not being helped by the MLB Commish’s office nor the MLBPA. And why not? Sport fans love dynasties and heels – the Red Sox and Yankees fulfill both of these needs – even if they only love to hate them. And the MLB and MLBPA love the ratings, which inflate the sport’s bottom line.

Gonzalez Signs With Toronto – Scutaro or Bust!!!

Though the Red Sox will be seeing plenty of Alex Gonzalez next season, it won’t be in a Red Sox uniform, as their ultimate fail-safe signed on with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday. It’s never a good sign to see Plan B go off the market - or Plan C/D/F for that matter - as the Sox’ shortstop options are dwindling, meaning that they are all the more likely to go hard after Scutaro for a contract much more favorable to player than to team. At the off-season’s beginning, the team could select from any of Hardy, Stephen Drew, Scutaro, or a Gonzalez-Lowrie timeshare. Now, with both J.J. Hardy and Gonzalez off the table and Arizona clinging hard to Drew, the Sox’ options have become alarmingly limited to a shot at a trade with Diamondbacks or duking it out with Scutaro’s many admirers.

Jays talking Chris Snyder

Boston whiffed on J.J. Hardy. Might another whiff be coming? The Arizona Diamondbacks are talking to the Toronto Blue Jays about catcher Chris Snyder. This is not the first time Snyder has come up at Fire Brand. I was on shift at Rotoworld.com when the news broke, and here's what I had to say:

Snyder hit .200/.333/.352 in a scant 165 at-bats during the season, losing his starting gig to Miguel Montero, and having the year marred by injuries. Due $11.25 million through 2011, the 28-year old has a reputation as a great defensive catcher who has a healthy rapport with pitchers. The Jays' top prospect is widely considered to be catcher J.P. Arencibia, so you have to wonder what Toronto is thinking if the rumor is true.

Snyder isn't a world beater, but he did hit .237/.348/.452. If Boston wants to upgrade offensively and defensively, one way might be to go after Snyder, put Victor Martinez at first and slide Kevin Youkilis over to third.

TOR 12, BOS 0: Jays Fly Away, Sweep Sox

After getting swept for the second series in a row, the Red Sox look as if they are used to the late season beat down, getting blown out by the Blue Jays, 12-0, Wednesday night.

Roy Halladay went the distance last night, while Tim Wakefield let up five in only three innings of work. Joey Gathright gave the Red Sox a few brief moments of hope, but the Doc had a quick cure for those, namely six strikeouts over nine innings and only three hits.

9/30: Scrub time

GAME NOTES: Well, the Sox lost last night... but clinched the Wild Card. Whatever works, I guess. Scrub lineup tonight, check the comments for it. Please note I will be holding live chats for every playoff game the Red Sox are in.

TOR 8, BOS 7: Red Sox Clinch Playoffs With Loss to Blue Jays

Adam Lind and the Blue Jays came out firing, beating Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox, 8-7, on Tuesday. However, the Red Sox will cry themselves all the way into the post season, as the Angels worked their magic on the Texas Rangers, sealing a wildcard playoff berth for the Bo Sox.

After a dominant start to the month, Clay Buchholz recorded his second less than stellar start, going eight hits and seven earned runs over five innings. Toronto took advantage of his missteps, launching five home runs off the young righty, with six bombs overall for the evening.

9/29: Time to Clinch

GAME NOTES: Okay, enough with the slump. Let's pop the bubbly.