The Red Sox are interested in Scott Downs and have also had internal discussion about acquiring Kerry Wood, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. However, given the price tags on Downs, Wood, and other veteran arms, along with the Red Sox' reluctance to part with prospects for relievers, the team may just attempt to shore up their bullpen internally instead.
Cafardo suggests that the Sox are trying to find their "2010 Billy Wagner," a reference to the club's late-season bullpen addition last season. After coming to Boston from the Mets, Wagner posted a 1.98 ERA in 15 appearances. The Sox could once again be in the market for a southpaw this year, with Hideki Okajima battling back issues. Both Downs, whose trade value we looked at yesterday, and the Orioles' Will Ohman may be options for Boston.
If the Sox don't trade for a reliever, help could come from the minors, in the form of Michael Bowden. Cafardo notes that the team has moved the right-hander from the Triple-A rotation to the bullpen, a move that suggests a call-up may be in his near future.
Wasn’t pretty much the same article posted about the Tigers earlier?
Downs for Ryan Kalish straight up?
Downs for Kalish, seriously, the sox would never do that, not it 50 years, maybe for a josh reddick, and thats a big maybe
No thanks, I dont think Reddick is even doing that good.
Relievers are as volatile year to year as prospects so I don’t know what your problem is.
Volatile? Scott Downs ERA as a reliever the last 5 years:
2006: 2.77
2007: 2.17
2008: 1.78
2009: 3.09
2010: 2.80
I meant relievers in general. Who’s to say Downs just loses it next year and has a year with an ERA over 4.5? Not unheard of.
Would they want to bring back Javier Lopez?
Please no, not another rubbish throwing left hander, especially one that they finally got Francona to unload 2 years ago.
Bowden may be a decent long guy to give a shot, he has done pretty decent over his last 5-6 starts, actually been dominant for the most part, but that guy has long ball written all over him and probably not good for the long haul.
Coello, Richardson and Manuel probably about it, unless they decide to give F-Cab another go at it, but they didn’t seem to enthused at what he had last September, but from what Okajima and Ramirez have show.. Why not?
As to moving Ryan Kalish in the post above. he’s probably not going anywhere, they would move Lars Anderson in a deal 1st.
Jays have Wallace so there is no need for Anderson.
Do you guys just want to offer prospects that are playing like crap this season? lol.
Says the guy who wants Ryan Kalish for a 34 year old reliever
You make it sound like Kalish is an elite prospect. He is a good prospect but Downs is a very very good player and one of tops in the league in the past few years as stated below me.
Besides, Kalish is just a prospect, who knows if he can ever even make it to the bigs. There have been many great prospects that are far better than him that have put up great numbers in minors but cannot translate it to the bigs. And if you want Downs, you have to give up something of quality or Jays will just take the 2 picks as compensation and your bullpen can continue to suck while you guys lose WC to the Rays.
“Besides, Kalish is just a prospect, who knows if he can ever even make it to the bigs.”
I’m not going to argue with someone who uses that logic…its pointless. I argued with Blue Jay fans all last year when I explained why I wouldn’t trade Buchholz and more for Halladay and you people acted like it was Red Sox fan arrogance and couldn’t accept a legit explanation.
One last thing though
“There have been many great prospects that are far better than him that have put up great numbers in minors but cannot translate it to the bigs.”
Yet you act like Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick are scrubs based on minor league stats? Do you understand how that sounds? Lars Anderson is a very legit prospect and has been for some time…if you don’t like him whatever, but don’t act like its an absurd suggestion because it isn’t.
I hope you realize you sound retarded saying you wouldn`t trade Buchholz + for Halladay – a guy that is one of the best pitchers in the game. Besides, that is a legit argument. Do all good rated prospects make it to the big and become successful? If Jays are trading for Downs, one of the best relievers in the game for the past few years and you aren`t willing to trade a B level prospect then we will just take the compensation.Ugh… minor league stats matter. If you have great minor stats, then it increases your chances of becoming a successful major leaguer but where are you going to get by having scrub stats like the ones Reddick has right now? BTW, I would have liked Anderson last year but with Wallace now, Jays have no need for him especially when he`s been falling as a prospect and is not having a good year so far. I would want either Kalish or that SS prospect (starts with i but I forget the name).
Serious question…do you watch baseball?
It was hypothetically moving Anderson in a trade before Kalish. I can’t see Anderson being moved for a reliever probably only a tad better than MDC, or Ramirez. Anderson has WAY to much upside for a mid 30’s reliever and Epstein is not known for making bone headed deals.
Now, to mention some serious trade targets I’d like to see the BoSox go after: (1) Frank Hermann/Cleveland Indians; (2) Brandon League/Mariners; (3) Craig Breslow/A’s; (4) Drew Storen/Nats or Sean Burnette/Nats; (5) Evan Meek/Pirates; or (6) Kyle Farnsworth/Royals. Add two or three from this list, release Delcarmen and Okajima, work in Bowden from the minors, and we’ve got a live bullpen again. NOt sure what we’d have to give up to get some of these, but we really just have to pay whatever the prices are, or face elimination in August.
RELEASE Okie & MDC? WTF u smoking?
My Beckler-carved meerschaum (CAO) portrait of Sigmund Freud with a kind Middletons cherry blend. The question is, if you don’t think we should release them, WTF are you smoking? They are horrible. Release may be too good for them.
I wonder if sniderlover would trade Scott Downs for Travis Snider if the Sox had Snider who is pretty unproven in the majors too.
To the guy who thinks the Sox should give up Ryan Kalish. YOU ARE fuckin IDIOT. Lars aint going any were eaither, not for a 34 year old RP. Lars was on a tear in AA he got promoted and has struggled some hes still a top 50 prospect and very young at 22 years old he has plenty of time to live up to his potentiel. Downs is 34 and how much does he have left in the tank to compete at a high level hes just a rp and an old one, hes not worth more then Che sun Lin who a great prospect just not a top prospect like Rizzo, Kelly, Lars, Kalish etc. Guys who could go for a good RP are Reddick, Lin, Bowman, Navaro, Mybe Tejada but unlikely, Lavarnway, Gibson. Just because a young prospect with a high ceiling isnt having a great year doesnt meen hes not a top prospect/good prospect and doesnt meen his value isnt high in a trade. Dont be hating man our farm system is one of the best in baseball which you cant say is so. Blue Jays system may be on the rise but it isnt at our level and half the guys that are good in your system you got threw trade. Ours we have been getting threw great scouting and drafting. Jays farm looks to be on the rise this year but most of that is based on one year lets see in a year or 2 if there still on the same road.
“yup jays should just give him away.”
Right, because saying he isn’t worth Kalish is code for me saying he sucks…I’m saying he isn’t worth the Red Sox #2 prospect. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick are more than fair suggestions for Downs, sorry. But again, lets hear about minor league stats and how Red Sox prospects are overrated blah blah blah…just like last year when the Red Sox should’ve gave up Buchholz for Victor Martinez, or before that for Saltalahugebustmachia. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick are both legit prospects, they aren’t slam dunk superstars but its a very fair trade for a reliever…no matter how effective he is.
Dice-K has a full no trade clause besides, why would Seattle do that?
Plus Halladay is making like $18 million a year and Buccholtz makes near minimum. I would take the young guys and get a free agent with the extra $14 million or so.
You’re arguing the merits of a pitcher based on his win/loss record and you’re claiming that Halladay’s best years are behind him when he’s pitching like a top three pitcher in 2010. Maybe you should sit this one out champ.
So everytime a reliever struggles over a season we should just drop them?
Where in my post did I compare Bucholz and Halladay? Maybe you should stick to the points I brought up in my post instead of the arguments of other posters. How are Halladay’s best years behind him when he’s pitching incredibly in 2010?
The Red Sox are hitting a collective 275/350/466. That’s first in MLB for SLG% and second in MLB for OBP. He’s pitching behind a depleted lineup CURRENTLY but the Red Sox offense has CLEARLY been up to par this season.
No, but Delcarmen struggles perennially. Okajima has lost his stuff … he throws 87 MPH flat watermelons over the middle of the plate, waist high. Hence, his ever escalating ERA, BAA and no. of losses. There has to be a time to cut the cord, and this looks like prime time for these two. I still have hope for Ramon Ramirez, but he too may have to go if he can’t turn it around. The difference is, he’s a live arm. Okajima is NOT. Ramon also was excellent last year, so we’ll give him the chance to try to work it out. If he fails, then we cut the cord there too.
There probably is not more than 2-3 GM’s currently active in the game who hang onto prospects as much as Epstein does and is as reluctant to move them, much less than for someone like Ohman who has one decent season out of every 3-4.
Epstein brought the “from within” when Henry bought this team and has really strived for it as much as possible, that is why they draft and sign so many people in lower rounds that are considered “not signable”, like Ryan Kalish and Lars Anderson that have both been mentioned in this thread.. Anderson (18th round) 825K to sign and Kalish (9th round) 600K to sign. they generally have 3-5 such lower round/high bonus players every year.
Not sure if you can wrap your head around this or not, but Boston does not need starting pitchers and certainly not Cliff Lee.
Epstein mad a smart move, he gave up Nick Hagedone, Bryan Price and Justin Masterson. Hagedone was the real prospect in that and had JUST came back from TJ surgery. Epsetin figured would get 1 1/2 seasons of V-Mart and then get 2 1st round picks out of him in return, a pretty good trade on his part would think, though agreed LH starters like Hagedone that come back and can still throw 95-97mph are tough to give up.
Relievers and especially the rubbish types being bandered about in the threads of late here are certainly not worth Hagedone, Doubrant, Kalish, kelly, Exposito, type prospects teams are probably thinking they want to fleece them from.