The Red Sox announced that they have released pitcher Carlos Silva. The right-hander signed a minor league deal with Boston just after the New Year.
Silva was released by the Cubs last March with $11.5MM left on his contract. He hooked on with the Yankees shortly thereafter but was released in July as he was hampered by shoulder problems through seven minor league starts. Silva's last big league season was with the Cubs in 2010 as he posted a 4.22 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 through 113 innings.
Had he made Boston's big league squad, Silva would have earned a base salary of $1MM for 2012. The 32-year-old's contract also included performance bonuses and an additional $50K for winning Comeback Player of the Year.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nice! Solid one line article.
Red Sox Nation is surely sad over its loss. NOT!
Injury really set him back in his chances for a spot. Good luck in your rehab, Carlos!
Best move this off-season.
Here I thought it was Lackey out for the season.
touche.
i’m acting astonished
Carlos Silva winning Comeback Player of the Year, please…
Letting go Silva is no big deal at all. Even if one of the rotation guys got injured right now he was one of the very last options to fill in. Padilla, Cook, Doubront, and Miller would all come before him. The current plan is to open the season with Aceves and Bard as the 4-5 which is more than fine. Tazawa carried that relief momentum into ST and looks great thus far so I fully expect him to take Aceves job in the pen and thrive. Bowden has looked really good in relief as well. Padilla could be the long man/SS/depth guy.
From everything I’ve read it sounds like Doubront is the leading candidate for the #5 spot, with Aceves sticking in the ‘pen. I’m also not so sure about Tazawa sticking in Boston, mostly because he still has options left unlike Miller, Doubront, and Bowden. I could see Padilla either pitching in long relief/making spot starts (kind of like Aceves did last year) or going to Pawtucket to stay stretched out as a starter.
I think it was on the Sox web page that Valentine said he is leaning towards opening with Aceves (Bard is a given at first). If that happens and Doubront doesn’t make the rotation I think Felix breaks camp in the pen and Miller is released. If Aceves breaks camp as a starter I would bet Tazawa breaks camp in the pen.
Valentine has refused to make comments about the rotation to this point, so I haven’t seen anything from him saying that he was leaning toward Aceves (he refuses to even say that Bard is for sure in the rotation). But all of the writers (for what their opinions are worth) have been saying that Doubront seems to be the leading candidate (Abraham, Cafardo, Speier, Bradford et al). Most expect Aceves to end up back in the ‘pen because of his versatility (I’ve seen the words Relief Ace thrown out there a couple time, but I don’t recall if it was from Valentine).
My bad. From looking back some articles I think I was referring to McClure saying they would have to give him serous consideration because of the way he has pitched in ST. So not Valentine but McClure and that could interpreted many ways. Yeah I have read a lot about how no matter how well he does writers and such still guess he is pen bound because of his versatility. Sad if it happens I think we got enough talent to make an above average pen without him.
I personally think Doubront is a better option for 5th starter anyway. Aceves has done well out of the ‘pen, but his peripheral stats suggest a major regression in his performance, and his numbers as a starter suggest that he was barely mediocre in that role.
People might look at me funny when I say this, but I’ve thought for a long time that teams need to bring back the relief ace, and I think Aceves could do well in that role. You really have to have a guy with the mix of pitches to be a starter, but a rubber arm like a good reliever (which Ace seems to have); I can only imagine that having a guy who can go 3-4-5 innings in relief, who can throw 3-4-5 times a week, and can pitch 150ish innings out of the bullpen would be hugely valuable to a team.
Not only would Aceves probably regress, but his value is in being that swing man/long reliever.
Boston is better off trying every other avenue if they can to try and find that 5th SP somewhere else (internally) than using up the 2 best setup guys they had from 2011, especially the one who is capable of going 2-3IP when required.
I think some fans overlook how valuable Aceves is sometimes in that swing role, just like masterson was and is not missed until traded, or moved out of that role.
nice.
The exodus of AAAA, AAA and AA assignees begins down in Ft. Myers. Good luck to you all..