Well, the season starts in less than a week so I guess it's time to throw out my predictions for how the standings will look 162 regulation games from now.
American League East:
1. New York Yankees - With an offense led by reigning MVP Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees could clobber their way to 90 wins even with sub-par pitching. And one thing they will not have this season is sub-par pitching. That said, the rotation doesn't match that of Boston and the defense doesn't come close, either.
2. Boston Red Sox - May not score as many runs as they did in '04, but they will score more than they did in '05. This is a more complete team than it was last year, and the superior pitching and highly improved defense, along with power duo David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez manning the 3-4 slots, the Sox should win 95 plus games this year.
3. Toronto Blue Jays - An increase in payroll led to an offseason spending spree that makes for a club that looks worthy of a division title...on paper. A.J. Burnett will start the season on the DL, Roy Halliday is coming off a big injury, and B.J. Ryan hasn't been a closer for a whole season yet.
American League Central:
1. Chicago White Sox - They did nothing but improve over the offseason (though I'm not so hot on Javier Vazquez as everyone else seems to be) and with the best starting rotation in baseball and an improved offense, they should roll to a victory in the Central division.
2. Cleveland Indians - This is a good young team, and if they don't take the division this year there's a good chance they can do so in '07. The front office has done a great job of signing its young talent to long term deals - as evidenced by yesterday's inking of a six year contract for leadoff man Grady Sizemore.
3. Minnesota Twins - Still just 2 years off from a division win, this is a strong team that has a lot of talent coming up in the system. May not be much of an offensive force. Johan Santana won't be the pitcher he was in '04.
American League West:
1. Oakland Athletics - Barry Zito might not be on the team after July 31st, but that's only because this team has a wealth of young arms waiting to prove their worth. Frank Thomas will prove that he's still an offensive force and Eric Chavez will make a run for MVP.
2. Las Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Bartolo Colon won't repeat his Cy Young winning performance, but a healthy Vladimir Guerrero will mean more runs for this team. Still, I can't pick their offense and bullpen over Oakland's starters and all-around talent.
3. Seattle Mariners - The addition of Kenji Johima might be the spark the Mariners have been looking for, but it won't be enough to put them over Oakland and LA.
AL Wild Card:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Las Angeles Angels
3. Toronto Blue Jays
National League East:
1. New York Mets - Every year the Braves are overlooked before the season, and for at least the past 14 seasons they've proven the doubters wrong, but I still have to go with the Mets for '06. They've made a bevy of improvements over last year: Paul lo Duca is a better catcher than Mike Piazza, Carlos Delgado is a better first baseman than Doug Menkievitz, and Billy Wagner is a far better closer than Braden Looper.
2. Atlanta Braves - They lost their greatest strength over their championship run: pitching coach Leo Mazzone. They lost their leadoff man in Rafael Furcal (another key in the championship run) and Edgar Renteria may never return to form over at short. Still, they manage to surprise us every year.
3. Florida Marlins - Everyone's saying that they're going to lose 100 games this year after they got rid of all but two of their big names. I say they've got a squad full of young talent and the two big names they did hang on to - Dontrelle Willis and Daniel Cabrera - are both young'ins themselves that are proven winners. Watch for the NL Rookie of the Year to come out of this team, and if they surprise everyone and take the division, you're looking at someone like Cabrera to take the MVP award.
National League Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals - They still have the reigning MVP and the Cy Young Award winners in Albert Pujols and Chris Carpenter. They have a healthy Scott Rolen who will produce. This team is even more dangerous than it was last year, and you can bet they'll win around 100.
2. Houston Astros - If they'd managed to sign Roger Clemons, I would have given them all the gold. This team has a hell of a starting rotation and an underrated offense. If they can add some power mid-season, they still have a shot at the division.
3. Milwaukee Brewers - Ben Sheets and Prince Fielder. Contenders for Cy Young and Rookie of the Year. These two names are the only reason I put this team above the Chicago Cubs.
National League West:
1. Las Angeles Dodgers - I really like this team - maybe because so many of them are former Red Sox! Look, Bill Meuller may never hit as many homeruns as Adrian Beltre, but he'll hit for average from both sides of the plate and his performance with runners in scoring position may make him even more valuable than Beltre was in '04. Nomar Garciaparra will stay healthy for the first time in three years, and Eric Gagne will recover from his shoddy '05. This is the team to beat in the NL West, and I don't care how many dingers Bonds puts in the water.
2. San Diego Padres - Jake Peavy will be back to anchor a decent rotation in a pitcher's park. Dewon Brazleton will put his past behind him, and the additions of Mike Cameron and Mike Piazza should be enough for an offensive improvement over last year.
3. San Francisco Giants - I gotta be nuts to put a team with Barry Bonds in the lineup at third in the division, right? Face it, the Giants are depending on Bonds to carry their team, and mark my words he will not produce as much as they need him to. He'll be lucky to start 100 games. He may very well crush 30 big boys in that time, but that will not be enough to power this team to the top of the division.
NL Wild Card
1. Houston Astros
2. Atlanta Braves
3. San Diego Padres
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Post-Spring Break Update
Sorry I haven't updated in a while; I've been on spring break. A lot happened with the Red Sox while I was gone, so I'd just like to talk about a few of the moves they made.
1. 3/14/06 - Returned Rule-5 pick Jamie Vermilyea to Toronto.
If you read my mailbag question from the last post, you know my thoughts on this. Vermilyea should never have been picked in the Rule-5 Draft. The front office (which made the move during Theo Epstein's absence) failed to think the pick through, and apparently knew nothing about their own minor league organization and the prospects that are ready to come up. The move cost money and experience on all sides.
Yay or Nay: Nay. Boo front office. Boo.
2. 3/16/06 - Signed Catcher Javier Cardona to Minor League contract.
This move became neccessary after an off-season that saw the trades of Doug Mirabelli and Kelly Shoppach, and the retirement of off-season acquisition John Flaherty. The Sox no longer had a top catching prospect in their system, nor really any options for backstop in the minor leagues. Cardona is a career minor leaguer but has the kind of veteran experience that may help the Sox if things go wrong with Josh Bard or Ken Huckaby. Of course, none of this matters a whole lot at the major league level except on every fifth day, when Josh Bard will now be expected to catch for Tim Wakefield. Regardless of whether Bard masters the art of catching Wakefield's knuckleball, the absence of Mirabelli's bat in the lineup on those days will make for some closer games and perhaps a dip in Wakefield's win percentage.
Yay or Nay: Yay. You can never be too deep behind the plate. The Sox may have the reigning AL Silver Slugger AND Gold Glove behind the plate (AKA the best catcher in the American League) in Jason Varitek, but he won't be there forever.
3. 3/19/06 - Signed OF Juan Gonzalez to minor league contract.
What does this mean for the 2006 Red Sox? Almost nothing. ESPN analysts don't call him "Juan Gone" for no reason. Gonzalez has lost his bat, and he probably won't see any time in the major leagues this season, especially since the Sox have Adam Stern, Gabe Kapler, Dunstan Mohr, Willie Harris, and David Murphy - all of whom have far more potential than Gonzalez. What does this mean for the future of the Red Sox? Simple. Gonzalez's addition to the Pawtucket outfield left Brandon Moss out of the job. Moss was sent back down to double-A Portland, and now is even less likely to make the major leagues any time this season or next.
Yay or Nay: Nay. Gonzalez has nothing to offer this organization except a wasted roster spot.
4. 3/20/06 - Traded RHP Bronson Arroyo and cash to Reds for OF Wily Mo Pena.
Oh Sox! Sox! How could you trade him? He won 14 games last year! He had the ability to dominate out of the bullpen! He was effing cute! Boston fans loved Arroyo, and he loved Boston, which is why he took a steep discount on his contract to stay here. The move, as it seems, was merely made to heighten Arroyo's trade value. What did they get in return? A career .248 with 51 homeruns and 288 strikeouts in 830 at-bats. How. Could. You?
Okay now that I've let loose that rant, I must admit that this move actually works for the Red Sox in a number of ways. The Sox lost a lot of power from the bench when they moved Mirabelli, so this gives management a strong right-handed bat to work with. Pena is young, and Trot Nixon (entering his contract year) is not, making Wily Mo a top candidate to roam right field when Nixon inevitably flies the coop. His bat makes him seem like a risk, but keep in mind that the Sox are somewhat deep in the outfield, with a number of players like Gabe Kapler (who will return from his achilles tendon injury mid-season) who will be able to pick up some slack if necessary. Also, this move is a message to David Wells. The Sox, by trading Arroyo and relegating Jonathan Paplebon to the bullpen, are giving Wells the chance to help this team at the same time as telling him that they have a very capable young arm waiting in the bullpen to take over for him in the rotation if he falters.
Yay or Nay: Yay. It's really hard for me to say that because I love Arroyo, but the Sox may have spent some of their surplus of pitching depth to improve on the somewhat lacking bench offense.
5. 3/24/06 - Claimed 1B Hee-Seop Choi off waivers from the Dodgers.
You might be saying - gee, with Kevin Youkilis, JT Snow, and David Ortiz all slated for some playing time at first base this year, why make the move for Choi at all? Frankly, this move doesn't do anything really to improve the Sox's first base outlook. What it does, however, is provide some insurance over at third base. Mike Lowell is coming off a very down offensive 2005, and he hasn't been shining at the plate this spring, so the addition of Choi means that if the Sox are forced to move Lowell and send Youkilis back to third, then Choi can come up and provide some depth at first.
Yay or Nay: Yay. It's not often that a move for a first-basemen can help improve third base, yet here we are.
6. 3/26/06 - Royals claim IF Tony Graffanino off waivers.
What a mess. The Sox screwed Graffanino by offering him arbitration even though they had no intention of starting the 2006 season with him in the infield. Any team that signed Graffanino then would have to give the Red Sox a draft pick, severly decreasing his value. So what was Tony to do? He accepted arbitration and forced the Sox to sign him to a one-year, 2.05 million dollar deal. Smart, but it left the Sox with a logjam in the middle infield and virtually guaranteed him to be traded before the season. However, the front office dragged their feet on the trade, and no move was made before Graffanino's contract would have become guranteed, so instead the Sox put him on waivers, to be plucked by the team that the Sox originally acquire Graffanino from in '05. By offering Graffanino arbitration and then by not being aggressive in trading him, the Sox have wasted another huge chunk of money (they still have to pay a quarter of the money owed to Graffanino) and not gotten anything in return. Add this to the money the Sox are paying Edgar Renteria to play for the Braves and Bronson Arroyo to pay for the Reds, and you end up having to shake your head at the money that this front office has wasted during the offseason.
Yay or Nay. Nay. If the Sox like throwing money away so much, they should pay me to go cover the Pittsburg Pirates.
1. 3/14/06 - Returned Rule-5 pick Jamie Vermilyea to Toronto.
If you read my mailbag question from the last post, you know my thoughts on this. Vermilyea should never have been picked in the Rule-5 Draft. The front office (which made the move during Theo Epstein's absence) failed to think the pick through, and apparently knew nothing about their own minor league organization and the prospects that are ready to come up. The move cost money and experience on all sides.
Yay or Nay: Nay. Boo front office. Boo.
2. 3/16/06 - Signed Catcher Javier Cardona to Minor League contract.
This move became neccessary after an off-season that saw the trades of Doug Mirabelli and Kelly Shoppach, and the retirement of off-season acquisition John Flaherty. The Sox no longer had a top catching prospect in their system, nor really any options for backstop in the minor leagues. Cardona is a career minor leaguer but has the kind of veteran experience that may help the Sox if things go wrong with Josh Bard or Ken Huckaby. Of course, none of this matters a whole lot at the major league level except on every fifth day, when Josh Bard will now be expected to catch for Tim Wakefield. Regardless of whether Bard masters the art of catching Wakefield's knuckleball, the absence of Mirabelli's bat in the lineup on those days will make for some closer games and perhaps a dip in Wakefield's win percentage.
Yay or Nay: Yay. You can never be too deep behind the plate. The Sox may have the reigning AL Silver Slugger AND Gold Glove behind the plate (AKA the best catcher in the American League) in Jason Varitek, but he won't be there forever.
3. 3/19/06 - Signed OF Juan Gonzalez to minor league contract.
What does this mean for the 2006 Red Sox? Almost nothing. ESPN analysts don't call him "Juan Gone" for no reason. Gonzalez has lost his bat, and he probably won't see any time in the major leagues this season, especially since the Sox have Adam Stern, Gabe Kapler, Dunstan Mohr, Willie Harris, and David Murphy - all of whom have far more potential than Gonzalez. What does this mean for the future of the Red Sox? Simple. Gonzalez's addition to the Pawtucket outfield left Brandon Moss out of the job. Moss was sent back down to double-A Portland, and now is even less likely to make the major leagues any time this season or next.
Yay or Nay: Nay. Gonzalez has nothing to offer this organization except a wasted roster spot.
4. 3/20/06 - Traded RHP Bronson Arroyo and cash to Reds for OF Wily Mo Pena.
Oh Sox! Sox! How could you trade him? He won 14 games last year! He had the ability to dominate out of the bullpen! He was effing cute! Boston fans loved Arroyo, and he loved Boston, which is why he took a steep discount on his contract to stay here. The move, as it seems, was merely made to heighten Arroyo's trade value. What did they get in return? A career .248 with 51 homeruns and 288 strikeouts in 830 at-bats. How. Could. You?
Okay now that I've let loose that rant, I must admit that this move actually works for the Red Sox in a number of ways. The Sox lost a lot of power from the bench when they moved Mirabelli, so this gives management a strong right-handed bat to work with. Pena is young, and Trot Nixon (entering his contract year) is not, making Wily Mo a top candidate to roam right field when Nixon inevitably flies the coop. His bat makes him seem like a risk, but keep in mind that the Sox are somewhat deep in the outfield, with a number of players like Gabe Kapler (who will return from his achilles tendon injury mid-season) who will be able to pick up some slack if necessary. Also, this move is a message to David Wells. The Sox, by trading Arroyo and relegating Jonathan Paplebon to the bullpen, are giving Wells the chance to help this team at the same time as telling him that they have a very capable young arm waiting in the bullpen to take over for him in the rotation if he falters.
Yay or Nay: Yay. It's really hard for me to say that because I love Arroyo, but the Sox may have spent some of their surplus of pitching depth to improve on the somewhat lacking bench offense.
5. 3/24/06 - Claimed 1B Hee-Seop Choi off waivers from the Dodgers.
You might be saying - gee, with Kevin Youkilis, JT Snow, and David Ortiz all slated for some playing time at first base this year, why make the move for Choi at all? Frankly, this move doesn't do anything really to improve the Sox's first base outlook. What it does, however, is provide some insurance over at third base. Mike Lowell is coming off a very down offensive 2005, and he hasn't been shining at the plate this spring, so the addition of Choi means that if the Sox are forced to move Lowell and send Youkilis back to third, then Choi can come up and provide some depth at first.
Yay or Nay: Yay. It's not often that a move for a first-basemen can help improve third base, yet here we are.
6. 3/26/06 - Royals claim IF Tony Graffanino off waivers.
What a mess. The Sox screwed Graffanino by offering him arbitration even though they had no intention of starting the 2006 season with him in the infield. Any team that signed Graffanino then would have to give the Red Sox a draft pick, severly decreasing his value. So what was Tony to do? He accepted arbitration and forced the Sox to sign him to a one-year, 2.05 million dollar deal. Smart, but it left the Sox with a logjam in the middle infield and virtually guaranteed him to be traded before the season. However, the front office dragged their feet on the trade, and no move was made before Graffanino's contract would have become guranteed, so instead the Sox put him on waivers, to be plucked by the team that the Sox originally acquire Graffanino from in '05. By offering Graffanino arbitration and then by not being aggressive in trading him, the Sox have wasted another huge chunk of money (they still have to pay a quarter of the money owed to Graffanino) and not gotten anything in return. Add this to the money the Sox are paying Edgar Renteria to play for the Braves and Bronson Arroyo to pay for the Reds, and you end up having to shake your head at the money that this front office has wasted during the offseason.
Yay or Nay. Nay. If the Sox like throwing money away so much, they should pay me to go cover the Pittsburg Pirates.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Veterans still learning after all these years
It's good to see that even those pitchers that we consider the most elite are still able to improve themselves and expand their horizons when neccessary.
A couple days ago Curt Schilling said that he was getting ready to use two new pitches this season. Traditionally a power pitcher with a mean splitter, Curt plans to add a changeup to his aresenal in '06. A good changeup always brings a whole new layer of depth to a pitcher, and if Curt can master the pitch (which, with his work ethic, shouldn't be a problem) as well as continue to pound the strike zone with power, he looks to be very dominating this year. Not only that, but he also spoke of throwing fastballs inside on batters, not something he's been known to do in his career. Historically, the most dominating pitchers (Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemons, Randy Johnson) use the inside fastball as a means to intimidate batters and perhaps break some bats, and even some batters should the need arise. These two pitches look to increase the value of Schilling as a power Ace.
Meanwhile, Keith Foulke (who has made his career out of having the best changeup in any bullpen, and has always been known to have nice command of his fastball and his third-best pitch, the slider) spoke today of adding a split-fingered fastball to his arsenal. Are Schilling and Foulke working together to make sure they each have better '06 seasons that '05 or something? The splitter is Curt Schilling's signature pitch and if Foulke can indeed master it, it'll bring a whole 'nother level to what he does, because each of his pitches not only moves differently, but they all have different speeds and the same (or damn close to the same) delivery, so the batter (who already had to make a decision as to whether he was throwing a fastball or a changeup) will now have to decide if that fastball is going to stay up in the zone or if it's going to "roll off the table" as the splitter does.
These are two great pitchers and by adding these pitches, you know they can only improve their stuff because they know better than to add fluff to their repertoires.
A couple days ago Curt Schilling said that he was getting ready to use two new pitches this season. Traditionally a power pitcher with a mean splitter, Curt plans to add a changeup to his aresenal in '06. A good changeup always brings a whole new layer of depth to a pitcher, and if Curt can master the pitch (which, with his work ethic, shouldn't be a problem) as well as continue to pound the strike zone with power, he looks to be very dominating this year. Not only that, but he also spoke of throwing fastballs inside on batters, not something he's been known to do in his career. Historically, the most dominating pitchers (Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemons, Randy Johnson) use the inside fastball as a means to intimidate batters and perhaps break some bats, and even some batters should the need arise. These two pitches look to increase the value of Schilling as a power Ace.
Meanwhile, Keith Foulke (who has made his career out of having the best changeup in any bullpen, and has always been known to have nice command of his fastball and his third-best pitch, the slider) spoke today of adding a split-fingered fastball to his arsenal. Are Schilling and Foulke working together to make sure they each have better '06 seasons that '05 or something? The splitter is Curt Schilling's signature pitch and if Foulke can indeed master it, it'll bring a whole 'nother level to what he does, because each of his pitches not only moves differently, but they all have different speeds and the same (or damn close to the same) delivery, so the batter (who already had to make a decision as to whether he was throwing a fastball or a changeup) will now have to decide if that fastball is going to stay up in the zone or if it's going to "roll off the table" as the splitter does.
These are two great pitchers and by adding these pitches, you know they can only improve their stuff because they know better than to add fluff to their repertoires.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Minor leaguers showing up the big guys
An odd occurance has taken place this spring; with all the talk of how deep the Red Sox major league pitching staff is, the fruits of that labor are not being reaped in Grapefruit League action. Out of the top thirteen pitchers in innings pitched (most = 4.2, least = 3.0) at camp, eight project to be in the minor leagues and five in the majors.
Look at this:
Jonathan Papelbon, headed for the 25 man roster when camp breaks, has a 7.71 ERA so far in his 4.2 innings.
Craig Hansen, most likely starting the season at Pawtucket, hasn't allowed a run, so his ERA is 0.00 after his 4 innings.
David Riske, a major leaguer, has pitched four innings so far and taken away an 11.25 earned-run average.
Mike Bumatay, a minor leaguer, has put up a 4.91 ERA in 3.2 innings.
Major leaguer Bronson Arroyo has lobbed himself to a 19.64 ERA in his 3.2 innings.
Abe Alvarez, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.1 innings.
Josh Beckett, major leaguer, 15.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
Manny Delcarmen, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
Rudy Seanez, major leauger, 18.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
and Cla Meredith, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
The other minor leaguers, Matt Ginter, Mike Holz, and David Pauley, have posted ERAs of 18.00, 6.00, and 9.00 respectively. Those aren't spectacular numbers, but still better than some of the major leaguers.
In fact, out of all the major leaguers on this list, the only one with an ERA in the single digits is Papelbon, who just came up from the minors. Still, his 7.71 is very high considering that the benchmark ERA - the one everyone shoots for - is around 3.50.
Now I know that ERA is a stat that will lie on the extremes when the innings pitched is very low. Just look at Meredith, whose ginormous 2005 ERA of 27.00 doesn't mean a whole lot since he only pitched 2.1 innings with the Red Sox. Earned-run average is a projected average over nine innings, and none of these pitchers have even thrown nine innings yet.
Still, I just think it's funny that the minor leaguers are performing at a much better clip than the major leaguers. We'll see how it turns out at the beginning of the season, but if by that time someone like Hansen has posted a 2.75 ERA and someone like Riske has posted a 6.75 ERA, I'll be very upset with Terry Francona if Hansen doesn't make the squad.
Look at this:
Jonathan Papelbon, headed for the 25 man roster when camp breaks, has a 7.71 ERA so far in his 4.2 innings.
Craig Hansen, most likely starting the season at Pawtucket, hasn't allowed a run, so his ERA is 0.00 after his 4 innings.
David Riske, a major leaguer, has pitched four innings so far and taken away an 11.25 earned-run average.
Mike Bumatay, a minor leaguer, has put up a 4.91 ERA in 3.2 innings.
Major leaguer Bronson Arroyo has lobbed himself to a 19.64 ERA in his 3.2 innings.
Abe Alvarez, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.1 innings.
Josh Beckett, major leaguer, 15.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
Manny Delcarmen, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
Rudy Seanez, major leauger, 18.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
and Cla Meredith, minor leaguer, 0.00 ERA in 3.0 innings.
The other minor leaguers, Matt Ginter, Mike Holz, and David Pauley, have posted ERAs of 18.00, 6.00, and 9.00 respectively. Those aren't spectacular numbers, but still better than some of the major leaguers.
In fact, out of all the major leaguers on this list, the only one with an ERA in the single digits is Papelbon, who just came up from the minors. Still, his 7.71 is very high considering that the benchmark ERA - the one everyone shoots for - is around 3.50.
Now I know that ERA is a stat that will lie on the extremes when the innings pitched is very low. Just look at Meredith, whose ginormous 2005 ERA of 27.00 doesn't mean a whole lot since he only pitched 2.1 innings with the Red Sox. Earned-run average is a projected average over nine innings, and none of these pitchers have even thrown nine innings yet.
Still, I just think it's funny that the minor leaguers are performing at a much better clip than the major leaguers. We'll see how it turns out at the beginning of the season, but if by that time someone like Hansen has posted a 2.75 ERA and someone like Riske has posted a 6.75 ERA, I'll be very upset with Terry Francona if Hansen doesn't make the squad.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
More of Wells causing problems
Remember last year when it seemed like some of the Major League administration had something against the Red Sox, as certain players on the Sox (David Wells - allegedly making contact with an umpire) did not have their suspensions reduced when certain players on other teams (Rafael Palmeiro - testing positive for an illegal substance) did get reductions after appeal? At that time David Wells had some harsh words for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig; harsh enough to draw an apology from the Red Sox.
They might need to make another gesture to the commish now.
According to the Hartford Courant Wells said that Selig should resign, in response to Selig's request that the New York remove signs apologizing for the loss of stars Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon from their spring training games to the World Baseball Classic.
Don't be surprised if the Sox see some trouble from the higher ups this year because of Wells comments. This is just another example of Wells being a pain in the butt to the Sox, albiet indirectly. Sure, he hasn't been able to speak with Selig face-to-face. Write the guy a damn letter! Or burst into his office and confront him violently, just do it on your own time and let the Sox void your contract if you mess up. That would solve a lot of problems, wouldn't it?
They might need to make another gesture to the commish now.
According to the Hartford Courant Wells said that Selig should resign, in response to Selig's request that the New York remove signs apologizing for the loss of stars Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon from their spring training games to the World Baseball Classic.
Don't be surprised if the Sox see some trouble from the higher ups this year because of Wells comments. This is just another example of Wells being a pain in the butt to the Sox, albiet indirectly. Sure, he hasn't been able to speak with Selig face-to-face. Write the guy a damn letter! Or burst into his office and confront him violently, just do it on your own time and let the Sox void your contract if you mess up. That would solve a lot of problems, wouldn't it?
Monday, March 06, 2006
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Wells a monkeywrench in the Red Sox's gears
First he wanted to be traded. Okay, the Sox have a starter with huge potential coming up from the minors and they traded for Josh Beckett. Even with Wells gone, they'd have a logjam in the rotation, which in all respects is a good problem to have. Now Wells is saying that he wants to stay in Boston.
He really isn't much more than a thorn in Theo Epstein's side, is he?
Don't get me wrong, I like Wells a lot. I think he's a great pitcher and he's positioned to have a great year (that whole nonsense about not going about a normal starter's routine to start the season because his knee - which he had arthroscopic surgery on in October - was sore was just that: nonsense. Matt Clement had the same surgery at the same time and he hasn't even mentioned it this spring. The fact is, Wells hates spring training, and doesn't want to be involved in any competition that doesn't count). But don't ask for a trade and have a team make moves to absorb the move, and then rescind the request. Now because of you, and because you're damn sure not going to make a move to the bullpen, both Bronson Arroyo AND Jonathan Papelbon will have to move to the 'pen, that is if Papelbon makes the final cut at all. Either that or the Sox will make a different trade involving Arroyo or Clement, sending away a pitcher that actually wants to be here, and that fans want to see here, in order to keep some crotchety old bastard that can't make up his mind and is probably going to retire in a year. Great.
If I had my way Wells would have been traded as soon as the Sox acquired Beckett. Forget the West coast - Wells doesn't have a no-trade clause and he's caused enough problems. Send him to whatever team needs pitching no matter where they play their home games, and let them deal with him.
The fact of the matter is that almost every team needs pitching, and they're willing to trade away some talent to get it. How about that deep outfield down in Tampa Bay? Think they'd throw down some Joey Gathright for some Wells and another minor leaguer - maybe one of the glut of backup catchers the Sox are dealing with right now? I think they would, and I think it would be worth it for the speed-starved Red Sox.
Yes, I think Wells is a good pitcher. But I don't think he should ruin the chances of two major leaguers that have proven they belong here just because he's fickle. David Wells, it's time to get out of Boston.
He really isn't much more than a thorn in Theo Epstein's side, is he?Don't get me wrong, I like Wells a lot. I think he's a great pitcher and he's positioned to have a great year (that whole nonsense about not going about a normal starter's routine to start the season because his knee - which he had arthroscopic surgery on in October - was sore was just that: nonsense. Matt Clement had the same surgery at the same time and he hasn't even mentioned it this spring. The fact is, Wells hates spring training, and doesn't want to be involved in any competition that doesn't count). But don't ask for a trade and have a team make moves to absorb the move, and then rescind the request. Now because of you, and because you're damn sure not going to make a move to the bullpen, both Bronson Arroyo AND Jonathan Papelbon will have to move to the 'pen, that is if Papelbon makes the final cut at all. Either that or the Sox will make a different trade involving Arroyo or Clement, sending away a pitcher that actually wants to be here, and that fans want to see here, in order to keep some crotchety old bastard that can't make up his mind and is probably going to retire in a year. Great.
If I had my way Wells would have been traded as soon as the Sox acquired Beckett. Forget the West coast - Wells doesn't have a no-trade clause and he's caused enough problems. Send him to whatever team needs pitching no matter where they play their home games, and let them deal with him.
The fact of the matter is that almost every team needs pitching, and they're willing to trade away some talent to get it. How about that deep outfield down in Tampa Bay? Think they'd throw down some Joey Gathright for some Wells and another minor leaguer - maybe one of the glut of backup catchers the Sox are dealing with right now? I think they would, and I think it would be worth it for the speed-starved Red Sox.
Yes, I think Wells is a good pitcher. But I don't think he should ruin the chances of two major leaguers that have proven they belong here just because he's fickle. David Wells, it's time to get out of Boston.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
You can't write this stuff
Today was the first spring exhibition game of the season. How more fitting a time to...immediately judge the ability of EVERY PLAYER ON THE SQUAD!
Actually, that's not true at all. But the exhibitions can still be a time when we can take a symbolic look at the season ahead, if you will. Today the Yankees played the Phillies at 1:05pm, and the Red Sox played the Twins at 7:05pm. Johnny Damon started in center for New York and Coco Crisp started in center for
Boston.
Damon's debut performance was impressive. He went 2-3 with a double. Not bad. He didn't score any runs or knock any RBI, but not bad.
Coco's performance, after Johnny's was completed, was fantastic. Crisp trumped Damon offensively by going 3-3 with a double AND a triple. That's just a homer short of the cycle, people, and the guy might have done that if he had had a fourth at bat. Along with that, he scored a run AND he kocked one in.
Classic.
Perhaps even more fitting, the Sox and the Yankees both lost. By the same score. 3-6.
****
And right now I just want to gush for a minute. I love baseball season so much. Reading the box score today made me so happy. I realized that the last time I had done so was in October, and I really had missed it. The little things, people. This is my favorite time of year! :-)
Actually, that's not true at all. But the exhibitions can still be a time when we can take a symbolic look at the season ahead, if you will. Today the Yankees played the Phillies at 1:05pm, and the Red Sox played the Twins at 7:05pm. Johnny Damon started in center for New York and Coco Crisp started in center for
Boston.Damon's debut performance was impressive. He went 2-3 with a double. Not bad. He didn't score any runs or knock any RBI, but not bad.
Coco's performance, after Johnny's was completed, was fantastic. Crisp trumped Damon offensively by going 3-3 with a double AND a triple. That's just a homer short of the cycle, people, and the guy might have done that if he had had a fourth at bat. Along with that, he scored a run AND he kocked one in.
Classic.
Perhaps even more fitting, the Sox and the Yankees both lost. By the same score. 3-6.
****
And right now I just want to gush for a minute. I love baseball season so much. Reading the box score today made me so happy. I realized that the last time I had done so was in October, and I really had missed it. The little things, people. This is my favorite time of year! :-)
A Prospective Look at the Red Sox
No team has any chance of success if it doesn't have a deep minor league organization. Even teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox that are traditionally stacked with veterans depend on their minor leaguers - first, as trade bait in order to acquire some of those veterans, and also in order to plug a hole where one of those veterans inevitably goes down with an injury. Such was the case last year with the starting rotations in New York and Boston, where injuries allowed for call ups of Chien-Ming Wang and Jonathan Papelbon. Both pitchers proved that they belonged with the big clubs, and both earned spots on the 2006 rosters of their clubs. That said, I'd like to introduce you to the top ten prospects in the Red Sox organization, and talk a little bit about the impact I think they will make on the club, and when they will make it. Keep in mind that baseball is a very unpredictable sport, and depending on injuries and performance, the estimated-time-of-arrival for any given prospect can be much sooner or much later than expected. Also, I'm giving you scouting reports for all the prospects. Those reports, the pictures, and the rankings are provided by http://www.soxprospects.com. This is a great site, you should check it out.
#1 Prospect - Jonathan Papelbon
Scouting Report: Good pitcher's build with a live arm and solid delivery. Fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph, typically hitting the low-90s with great command. Very good slider and changeup, as well as a slurve curveball. All can be thrown for strikes, and Papelbon has improved his consistency with these pitches. Papelbon also added a splitter to his arsenal in the spring of 2005, after some tutoring from Curt Schilling. Projects as a frontline starter.
Papelbon projects as a frontline starter, meaning that when Schilling retires or his contract runs out, Papelbon might have a new job at the top of the Red Sox rotation. That is, of course, if he doesn't get traded before then. He's the only prospect on the list that is pretty much guaranteed to start the season on the 2006 active roster, but whether or not he'll be in the starting rotation is another issue. The Sox have seven starters (six if they finally manage to trade David Wells) to fill five slots, and as it stands the number five slot is Bronson Arroyo's to lose. Still, both Arroyo and Papelbon have proven that they can be dominant out of the bullpen, so just having Papelbon on the roster immediately improves both areas of the pitching staff.
# 2 Prospect - Jon Lester
Scouting Report: Very athletic lefty. 2-seam and 4-seam fastballs sit in the low 90's, top out in the mid-90s, and have good movement. Lester also utilizes an above-average change-up, an 11-to-5 curveball which sits in the low 70s, and in 2005 worked on developing a cutter. Easy delivery motion with good explosion, similar to Andy Pettitte. Power strikeout pitcher, uses his fastball and occasionally his curve as his out pitch. While Lester typically has top notch control, occasionally he will have games where his control of certain pitchers is off. Very hard worker, prepares will for each game. Has also been compared to Mark Mulder. Great pickoff move.
The Sox are blessed to have two starters with very high ceilings in their organization. Just look at Lester's scouting report; with comparisons to Andy Pettitte and Mark Mulder, clearly this kid has what it takes to man the top of a pitching rotation. If things work out for the best, the Sox look to have the next "Big Three" (formally Mulder, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson of the Oakland Athletics) in Papelbon, Lester, and newly acquired fireballer Josh Beckett. That situation, should it play out, is still a few years down the road. Lester will start this season at triple-A Pawtucket, but there's a good chance you'll see him in Boston long before the roster expansion in September. He was last year's Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and he made the Eastern League All-Star team. Don't be surprised if he garners both honors again this year, that is if he doesn't spend most of his time with the big club.
#3 Prospect - Craig Hansen
Scouting Report: Hansen's fastball (the best in the system) has topped out in the high 90s, and he consistently hits the mid-90s. He also possesses an excellent high-80s slider, which also was voted best in the system by Baseball America. A fierce competitor who has an excellent closer mentality. Does not walk many batters. Named "closest to the majors" of all players in the 2005 draft.
The fact that this kid was on the major-league roster at all last season is a huge testament to his ability; he had only been closing for St. John's University just months before! He also swooped in and stole the closing job in Pawtucket from the formerly highly-touted Cla Merideth (who, by the way, dropped severely in the prospect rankings after putting up a startling 27.00 ERA with the Red Sox last season). The rookie impressed with the big club last year, but that was just the beginning. No doubt, if the Sox can resist the temptation to trade him off (his trade value as a closer is tremendous), then this is your closer of the future. He'll definitely join the Red Sox when the roster expands in September, but he could even get here sooner. In the meantime Pawtucket is lucky to have a closer of his caliber on the roster.
#4 Prospect - Dustin Pedroia
Scouting Report: Small infielder had a tremendous career at Arizona State. Average power for a middle infielder, with good bat speed and excellent plate discipline. Loves the game and has fantastic instincts. Plays top-notch defense up the middle, named the 2003 National Defensive Player of the Year. Very scrappy; a great teammate. Moved to second base prior to the start of the 2005 season; Boston hasn't ruled out moving Pedroia back to shortstop.
The cool thing (and fortunate, for him) about Pedroia is his versatility. Cleary the Red Sox's first pick in the 2004 draft has what it takes to be either a starting second baseman or shortstop. The Sox, this season, are deep up the middle with names like Alex Gonzalez, Mark Loretta, Alex Cora, and Tony Graffanino; but expect Graff to be traded, so if any of the other three go down with an injury, their job goes to either Pedroia or Alex Machado - a prospect that you don't hear a lot about, but he impressed the club enough to make the playoff roster last season. Pedroia will get one more season of triple-A under his belt, and then he'll be more than ready to be a major-league contributer by the 2007 season. You never know in a big market like Boston, though, and he might end up suffering the same option-shuffling fate that Kevin Youkilis did for two seasons.
#5 Prospect - Manny Delcarmen
Scouting Report: Boston native always dreamed of playing for the Sox. His career was on the fast track with a mid 90s fastball, and an outstanding curveball - until he injured himself in May 2003. Delcarmen had Tommy John surgery in May 2003, but returned to the mound a year later in May 2004. Post-surgery, Delcarmen's fastball may have actually gained velocity, as he has topped out in the high 90s. Delcarmen has average control, with decent changeup and a very good curve which he uses as his out pitch. Delcarmen's father played in the Phillies Organization.
Last season Delcarmen made an impression on the Red Sox; enough so that he was called up by mid-season to contribute to an ailing bullpen. Now, this offseason the Sox went out and added big names to their relief corps, meaning that Delcarmen, for now, is out of a job. One worry last season was that Delcarmen's out pitch, his curveball, was lying flat and not breaking the way it should. Well in a recent report on mlb.com Delcarmen said that he spent all winter trying to find his curve, and it seems to be going well for him so far this spring. You can't help but hope for big things for this Beantown Boy. As for 2006, he'll start the season in Pawtucket, and he might get called up in case of injury, but his greatest contribution to Boston won't come until September and then on a much more regular basis in 2007.
# 6 Prospect - Jacoby Ellsbury
Scouting Report: Ellsbury was on of the best players in the NCAA in 2005. He is very fast, plays excellent defense, and has shown a great ability to get on base. Decent gap power for a centerfielder who projects as a lead-off hitter. Has often been compared to Johnny Damon. Also said to be a team leader.
Along with Hansen, Ellsbury was the prize of the 2005 draft selection. He still has a long way to go in the organization, but in him the Sox have their centerfielder and leadoff hitter of the future. He proved to be a star in last year's College World Series, and continued to hit well with the low single-A Lowell Spinners afterward. I doubt he'll make an appearance with Boston in 2006, and he may only be called up in September 2007, but after that you can expect him to be a star. As for this year, he'll start the season with the high-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, but he'll probably end up with the Sox's double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs before the end of the season.
#7 Prospect - David Murphy
Scouting Report: Murphy is a tall, athletic lefty with a sweet swing. Pulls a lot of pitches, and displays excellent patience at the plate. Loves the game, and displays excellent leadership skills. Needs to work on adding more power. Accurate arm with decent range. Average speed. Injury-plagued 2004 season showed mediocre stats.
He was the Sox's number one draft selection in 2003, and he's been having a little bit of trouble living up to the hype that goes with that kind of status since then. Still, his scouting report says that he shows patience at the plate, which is the kind of discipline the Sox typically love to get out of their hitters. He'll start 2006 as the PawSox's centerfielder, and he may get a callup in September. If not, barring a trade, you'll definitely see him with Boston in 2007.
# 8 Prospect - Brandon Moss
Scouting Report: Athletic outfielder with a good arm. Excellent approach at the plate - good swing with a raw power. Moss is a competitor. He didn't show much at the plate in his first two professional seasons, but put in a good amount of work in the off-season prior to 2004, producing an outstanding 2004 season in all respects.
Moss impressed in winter ball this season, earning him a spot in Pawtucket's right field. If he continues to improve his plate discipline, then the Sox are looking at a great replacement for Trot Nixon (whose contract is up after this season). Whether or not he'll be called up this September depends a lot on his performance throughout the season, but don't be surprised if he does make it. Otherwise he might be a big contributor off the bench in 2007 (I expect the Sox to sign a veteran to a one-year deal to replace Nixon as starter), and as a starter after that.
#9 Prospect - Jed Lowrie
Scouting Report: Excellent fielder with a strong arm and above average range. Above average speed on the basepaths with great power for a middle infielder. Hits equally from both sides of the plate. Smart and athletic.
His scouting report makes him sound like we have the next Alex Rodriguez-esque, five-tool middle infielder on our hands. The fact that he's a switch hitter simply adds to his value (though if the development team notices a strength from either side of the plate, they'll try to get him to stick with that). I'm very excited to see what Lowrie can bring to our team, though I don't expect him to make it up here until September 2007 or later. I just really hope they don't trade him. Lowrie and Pedroia have huge potential to be a talented double play combination that will bring offensive production that's typically uncommon in the middle infield.
#10 Prospect - Clay Buchholz
Scouting Report: Buchholz has a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, curveball, and a circle change. Also played outfield at Angelina College after transferring from McNeese State.
With names like Hansen and Ellsbury floating around the 2005 draft talk, you might be surprised to learn that Buchholz was actually the Sox's #1 pick last year. This kid has an arsenal of major-league caliber pitches. Still, the development team will probably make him figure out which three or four pitches are his strongest, and stick with those. Because he projects as a starter, a position that the Sox are traditionally very deep in at the major- and minor-league levels, he won't appear with the big club for a few years yet. He'll make an impression when he does though, and if he can survive the trading block (unlikely, given his trade value and the aforementioned pitching depth) he'll be a big contributor to the starting rotation in 2009 and beyond.
#1 Prospect - Jonathan Papelbon
Scouting Report: Good pitcher's build with a live arm and solid delivery. Fastball has been clocked up to 95 mph, typically hitting the low-90s with great command. Very good slider and changeup, as well as a slurve curveball. All can be thrown for strikes, and Papelbon has improved his consistency with these pitches. Papelbon also added a splitter to his arsenal in the spring of 2005, after some tutoring from Curt Schilling. Projects as a frontline starter.
Papelbon projects as a frontline starter, meaning that when Schilling retires or his contract runs out, Papelbon might have a new job at the top of the Red Sox rotation. That is, of course, if he doesn't get traded before then. He's the only prospect on the list that is pretty much guaranteed to start the season on the 2006 active roster, but whether or not he'll be in the starting rotation is another issue. The Sox have seven starters (six if they finally manage to trade David Wells) to fill five slots, and as it stands the number five slot is Bronson Arroyo's to lose. Still, both Arroyo and Papelbon have proven that they can be dominant out of the bullpen, so just having Papelbon on the roster immediately improves both areas of the pitching staff.
# 2 Prospect - Jon Lester
Scouting Report: Very athletic lefty. 2-seam and 4-seam fastballs sit in the low 90's, top out in the mid-90s, and have good movement. Lester also utilizes an above-average change-up, an 11-to-5 curveball which sits in the low 70s, and in 2005 worked on developing a cutter. Easy delivery motion with good explosion, similar to Andy Pettitte. Power strikeout pitcher, uses his fastball and occasionally his curve as his out pitch. While Lester typically has top notch control, occasionally he will have games where his control of certain pitchers is off. Very hard worker, prepares will for each game. Has also been compared to Mark Mulder. Great pickoff move.
The Sox are blessed to have two starters with very high ceilings in their organization. Just look at Lester's scouting report; with comparisons to Andy Pettitte and Mark Mulder, clearly this kid has what it takes to man the top of a pitching rotation. If things work out for the best, the Sox look to have the next "Big Three" (formally Mulder, Barry Zito, and Tim Hudson of the Oakland Athletics) in Papelbon, Lester, and newly acquired fireballer Josh Beckett. That situation, should it play out, is still a few years down the road. Lester will start this season at triple-A Pawtucket, but there's a good chance you'll see him in Boston long before the roster expansion in September. He was last year's Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year, and he made the Eastern League All-Star team. Don't be surprised if he garners both honors again this year, that is if he doesn't spend most of his time with the big club.
#3 Prospect - Craig Hansen
Scouting Report: Hansen's fastball (the best in the system) has topped out in the high 90s, and he consistently hits the mid-90s. He also possesses an excellent high-80s slider, which also was voted best in the system by Baseball America. A fierce competitor who has an excellent closer mentality. Does not walk many batters. Named "closest to the majors" of all players in the 2005 draft.
The fact that this kid was on the major-league roster at all last season is a huge testament to his ability; he had only been closing for St. John's University just months before! He also swooped in and stole the closing job in Pawtucket from the formerly highly-touted Cla Merideth (who, by the way, dropped severely in the prospect rankings after putting up a startling 27.00 ERA with the Red Sox last season). The rookie impressed with the big club last year, but that was just the beginning. No doubt, if the Sox can resist the temptation to trade him off (his trade value as a closer is tremendous), then this is your closer of the future. He'll definitely join the Red Sox when the roster expands in September, but he could even get here sooner. In the meantime Pawtucket is lucky to have a closer of his caliber on the roster.
#4 Prospect - Dustin Pedroia
Scouting Report: Small infielder had a tremendous career at Arizona State. Average power for a middle infielder, with good bat speed and excellent plate discipline. Loves the game and has fantastic instincts. Plays top-notch defense up the middle, named the 2003 National Defensive Player of the Year. Very scrappy; a great teammate. Moved to second base prior to the start of the 2005 season; Boston hasn't ruled out moving Pedroia back to shortstop.
The cool thing (and fortunate, for him) about Pedroia is his versatility. Cleary the Red Sox's first pick in the 2004 draft has what it takes to be either a starting second baseman or shortstop. The Sox, this season, are deep up the middle with names like Alex Gonzalez, Mark Loretta, Alex Cora, and Tony Graffanino; but expect Graff to be traded, so if any of the other three go down with an injury, their job goes to either Pedroia or Alex Machado - a prospect that you don't hear a lot about, but he impressed the club enough to make the playoff roster last season. Pedroia will get one more season of triple-A under his belt, and then he'll be more than ready to be a major-league contributer by the 2007 season. You never know in a big market like Boston, though, and he might end up suffering the same option-shuffling fate that Kevin Youkilis did for two seasons.
#5 Prospect - Manny Delcarmen
Scouting Report: Boston native always dreamed of playing for the Sox. His career was on the fast track with a mid 90s fastball, and an outstanding curveball - until he injured himself in May 2003. Delcarmen had Tommy John surgery in May 2003, but returned to the mound a year later in May 2004. Post-surgery, Delcarmen's fastball may have actually gained velocity, as he has topped out in the high 90s. Delcarmen has average control, with decent changeup and a very good curve which he uses as his out pitch. Delcarmen's father played in the Phillies Organization.
Last season Delcarmen made an impression on the Red Sox; enough so that he was called up by mid-season to contribute to an ailing bullpen. Now, this offseason the Sox went out and added big names to their relief corps, meaning that Delcarmen, for now, is out of a job. One worry last season was that Delcarmen's out pitch, his curveball, was lying flat and not breaking the way it should. Well in a recent report on mlb.com Delcarmen said that he spent all winter trying to find his curve, and it seems to be going well for him so far this spring. You can't help but hope for big things for this Beantown Boy. As for 2006, he'll start the season in Pawtucket, and he might get called up in case of injury, but his greatest contribution to Boston won't come until September and then on a much more regular basis in 2007.
# 6 Prospect - Jacoby Ellsbury
Scouting Report: Ellsbury was on of the best players in the NCAA in 2005. He is very fast, plays excellent defense, and has shown a great ability to get on base. Decent gap power for a centerfielder who projects as a lead-off hitter. Has often been compared to Johnny Damon. Also said to be a team leader.
Along with Hansen, Ellsbury was the prize of the 2005 draft selection. He still has a long way to go in the organization, but in him the Sox have their centerfielder and leadoff hitter of the future. He proved to be a star in last year's College World Series, and continued to hit well with the low single-A Lowell Spinners afterward. I doubt he'll make an appearance with Boston in 2006, and he may only be called up in September 2007, but after that you can expect him to be a star. As for this year, he'll start the season with the high-A Wilmington Blue Rocks, but he'll probably end up with the Sox's double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs before the end of the season.
#7 Prospect - David Murphy
Scouting Report: Murphy is a tall, athletic lefty with a sweet swing. Pulls a lot of pitches, and displays excellent patience at the plate. Loves the game, and displays excellent leadership skills. Needs to work on adding more power. Accurate arm with decent range. Average speed. Injury-plagued 2004 season showed mediocre stats.
He was the Sox's number one draft selection in 2003, and he's been having a little bit of trouble living up to the hype that goes with that kind of status since then. Still, his scouting report says that he shows patience at the plate, which is the kind of discipline the Sox typically love to get out of their hitters. He'll start 2006 as the PawSox's centerfielder, and he may get a callup in September. If not, barring a trade, you'll definitely see him with Boston in 2007.
# 8 Prospect - Brandon Moss
Scouting Report: Athletic outfielder with a good arm. Excellent approach at the plate - good swing with a raw power. Moss is a competitor. He didn't show much at the plate in his first two professional seasons, but put in a good amount of work in the off-season prior to 2004, producing an outstanding 2004 season in all respects.
Moss impressed in winter ball this season, earning him a spot in Pawtucket's right field. If he continues to improve his plate discipline, then the Sox are looking at a great replacement for Trot Nixon (whose contract is up after this season). Whether or not he'll be called up this September depends a lot on his performance throughout the season, but don't be surprised if he does make it. Otherwise he might be a big contributor off the bench in 2007 (I expect the Sox to sign a veteran to a one-year deal to replace Nixon as starter), and as a starter after that.
#9 Prospect - Jed Lowrie
Scouting Report: Excellent fielder with a strong arm and above average range. Above average speed on the basepaths with great power for a middle infielder. Hits equally from both sides of the plate. Smart and athletic.
His scouting report makes him sound like we have the next Alex Rodriguez-esque, five-tool middle infielder on our hands. The fact that he's a switch hitter simply adds to his value (though if the development team notices a strength from either side of the plate, they'll try to get him to stick with that). I'm very excited to see what Lowrie can bring to our team, though I don't expect him to make it up here until September 2007 or later. I just really hope they don't trade him. Lowrie and Pedroia have huge potential to be a talented double play combination that will bring offensive production that's typically uncommon in the middle infield.
#10 Prospect - Clay Buchholz
Scouting Report: Buchholz has a mid-90s four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, curveball, and a circle change. Also played outfield at Angelina College after transferring from McNeese State.
With names like Hansen and Ellsbury floating around the 2005 draft talk, you might be surprised to learn that Buchholz was actually the Sox's #1 pick last year. This kid has an arsenal of major-league caliber pitches. Still, the development team will probably make him figure out which three or four pitches are his strongest, and stick with those. Because he projects as a starter, a position that the Sox are traditionally very deep in at the major- and minor-league levels, he won't appear with the big club for a few years yet. He'll make an impression when he does though, and if he can survive the trading block (unlikely, given his trade value and the aforementioned pitching depth) he'll be a big contributor to the starting rotation in 2009 and beyond.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Why It Sucks to be Jon Miller
David Wells spoke to the media today about baseball-related matters for the first time all spring. He told reporters about the bullpen session he tossed today (his first this spring) and about how his right-knee (which was operated on back in October) was responding to his workout regimen. Then Jon Miller from WBZ dropped the bomb everyone there had their mitts on and asked Wells if he was still seeking a trade away from Boston. At that Wells immediately ended the media session, saying that that was the wrong question to ask. He also said that it wasn't Miller's fault, that he didn't know not to ask such a question, but I guarantee you that that was of no comfort to the other reporters that were present at the media session. Aside from his own embarassment, what tortures were beset upon Miller by his colleagues? I wonder if he was tarred and feathered and then left to bake in the Florida sun. Probably not. But I sure never want to be in his position.
Bonds in Drag
Guess who that is in the middle. That's right. For some silly singing competition the Giants put on for charity, Barry Bonds decided to show up in drag - as Paula Abdul, no less! - and act as judge. Barry...no. Just...no.
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