The Red Sox are prioritizing starting pitching depth leading up to the trade deadline, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Boston's rotation came into today with a 4.53 ERA that ranks 28th out of the 30 big league clubs.
Although Daisuke Matsuzaka (Tommy John surgery) and Aaron Cook (laceration) are currently rehabbing their way back to the club, Daniel Bard's five-run, five-out outing yesterday ballooned his ERA to 5.24 in ten starts and one relief appearance. He has more walks (37) than strikeouts (34). Southpaw Felix Doubront (3.76 ERA) is the club's only starter with an ERA below 4.25.
Ross Ohlendorf recently opted out of his minor league contract with the Red Sox after pitching to a 4.61 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 52 2/3 innings for their Triple-A affiliate.
They should have done this in December.
Start with Dempster and Garza in a blockbuster. I think the Red Sox ship has sailed.
They are only 3 games back on June 4th. I dont think the ship has sailed. They have 2 all star players coming back from the DL and their best hitter (agon) isnt hitting yet. This team will be fine if they can get the pitching under control.
Now, I do agree with trying for Garza and moving bard back to the pen. His start was so bad yesterday, well it cant get any worse.
Pretty much getting a solid SP and moving Bard back to a setup role would fix everything. I dunno about Garza just because I want to stop dealing with the Cubs (and he’s pretty iffy this season so far), but I don’t know what other options are really out there.
But a package with Youk and another piece should be able to land a starter, yeah?
Yeah, Garza isnt my first choice but he has performed well in the AL east.
I would love to see the brewers fall apart and we can try for Grienke. It would give the sox a couple months to see a) how he performs in the AL East and b) how he mentally handles the AL East. He could prove to be a missing link, or show that he is not capable for larger markets.
Well, anything is better than Bard in the rotation. It’s just not where he belongs.
I was really hopeful this project could and would work out, and I also want to give these things time but this is looking to be a situation where Bard will have significantly more value to the BRS out of the pen.
I mean, I like Bard. I think he’s a good kid, he throws hard, and he’s easy on the eyes, but he’s just not a starter.
He has an ugly girlfriend, it means he has no confidence. If he has no confidence he cant be a starter
(paraphrasing Moneyball)
Ahahaha, oh poor Danny xD
Don’t I wish! Red Sox have way too much talent to be written off this early. Add to that the AL East competition is tighter all the way around. All they really need is to stay in contention and get their ducks in a row and they’ll be there at the end.
Somewhere I read having pitching wins. Red Sox lack of it pretty much spells the end.
Do you honestly think the red sox pitching will be this bad all season, and do you think they wont try to upgrade their pitching at the deadline.
Also with the horrific pitching thus far, they are only 3 games out with some really ugly losses to start the season. The Rays have pitching but no offense, the yanks are well, old, and also have pitching issues, the Orioles are coming back to earth but are better than they have played recently and the blue jays arent playing real well either so to say the its the end is absurd.
I dont think the sox are going to run away with the division, I actually think its maybe the best division in baseball since every team has a shot at winning and the most balanced
Yes I do. Red Sox played a lot of seven inning games last year. Thus Bard in 8th and Pap in 9th. Can’t do it now. Rays and Yanks can trump any trade the Red Sox want with their farm systems. (Cubs, Padres, Astros pitching). Red Sox must trade starting players for talent. Not that list you put out there. Those guys are available every winter. Youk will get you nothing but a nice AA prospect because of money. See what I’m saying.
I have a grasp on what youk will bring, and I know that the other players are highly sought after, I get that. What I do not understand, is how you can write off any team 3 games out in June. Very short-sighted, plus we have a few very good players on the dl that should be coming back soon.
IMO, within a month, our bullpen with be a strength for the team.
The bullpen is already a strength. One of the best in baseball since mid-April. Fantastic again yesterday. They need no MLB players in a trade, as they will soon have too many. When Dice-K and Cook return this month (I’m not saying they are great, but adequate 5th starters), Bard needs to go to the bullpen, which actually creates a problem because all 7 relievers are performing very well. Ross returns in a week or so, DFA Byrd or Podsednik. When Ellsbury or Crawford return next month, another OF gets DFA’ed. Close to the deadline, move Youk, Albers, and Morales for prospects. Everything Boston needs is already coming via the end of DL stints.
“Do you honestly think the Red Sox pitching will be bad this bad all season”
Uhhh yeah, did you miss that September pitching performance? They definitly have the potential to be terrible
Lester’s stats have been getting worse every year, walks up, Strikeouts down, Hits up etc
Bucholz is the most overrated pitcher ever. 4-5 on a good team
The RS are not the only team with injuries- pedroia’s back. Rays have lost Longoria, Nieman, Jennings, Farnsworth. Dice K, Crawford(lol) and Lackey dont count they are terrible. Bailey was a given to get injured(terrible trade). Fleeced in the Lowrie trade too.
RS fans are frustrating anointing Middlebrooks as the best thing ever and acting like Youk is any good at 3rd base. dudes 33.
As you can I can’t stand the RS, overrated team. Really since they won last years offseason and didn’t make the playoffs.
Rays WILL win the division, I mean they are winning with a lineup of scrubs. When Longo and Jennings get back watch out.
Pitching sucks and cant improve, youk sucks and should be dfa’d, middlebrooks sucks send him to AA, Crawford sucks should be DFA’d. Makes perfect sense!
I had a very long reply I will not re-type. I cannot believe they removed my post, nothing was offensive and all was related to baseball.
Yikes… Some of the rangers crowd (not all) is getting pretty sure of themselves for a team that has hardly ever won anything and had very few teams that even played above water..
cool it before you sit here and slam one of the teams on a daily basis like this that has played well over .500 (for a start) virtually every season the Rangers have been in existence.
They are still a float despite all the injuries they’ve had. I mean, they are leading off scott podsenik.
Their focus should be on getting healthy, if this was their “rough patch” then the season looks pretty good to me.
With all of the extras the sox have now and especially since these extas are producing, it could be a fun summer for trades. Once players return from the DL, there will be log jams in a few places.
People who could be traded:
Shoppach
Youk
Nava
Morales
Albers
Cook
Podsednik
Punto (or maybe DFA)
Also, a personal opinion as much as I like him, he could be a sell high candidate with control for a while is Doubront.
Im not saying we could get Verlander from the scraps but if they can continue to increase their values many of these guys could have suitors come the trade deadline.
Doubront’s best value is in keeping him and developing him. The return for Doubront wouldn’t be as good as a seasoned Doubront who can get his pitch counts down for the next 5 seasons.
Well, thats the point. He could have a good return due to his control. If he were to pitch in the NL West, he potentially could be a number 2, which would yeild a good return.
I like doubront, I just think he is pitching above his potential, however I have not looked at his advanced stats, just from observation.
Because you made me curious, I had to fangraphs it and I’m actually kind of surprised to learn that both Doubront’s xFIP and SIERA (the two I find to be the most mathematically sound) and LOWER than his ERA (I think they were 3.51 and 3.47, respectively, compared to 3.75). That’s a guy you keep and develop, in my opinion. You get a 2-3 guy out of that.
Wow, nice!
Im not arguing to trade him by no means, I just mentioned him as a possible candidate with so many starters on the roster and with people coming back from the DL it is going to be a tough call on who to trade.
Sox and Sox trade, Youkilis and some cash for Floyd. A bit of a gamble for both teams, but both teams get a need, then let the dominoes fall where they may.
no
Do it
no
Youk Cash for Saunders, Pollock, Borcherng
A-gones ” we WILL make the playoffs” last APRIL and “I WILL hit a homerun” against the Rays this year shows alot about his character. All he had to say was “It’s a long season.”
He hit a home run the next night and can’t blame anyone for thinking they were gonna make the playoffs last year. For someone that hates the Red Sox so much you might as well move to NY.
Wishful thinking on the part of anybody who thinks we are out of it. We win the next series we are at about 2nd place. The pitchings gonna round into form, just like the pen did. Having Ross, Ells, Crawford, Bailey, and Melancon back will be a huge boost. Bucs coming around and Lester will set in soon imo. As long as Beckett and Doubront play similar to the way they have been we are fine. Its not even the All-Star break for gods sake.
Looking forward to a healthy team in July
Ben you seem like a likable guy! You know I think I will change my name! Any truth in my post though? Why would any player say those things?
Dear REDSOXHATER,
Who cares what he said, he, unlike luke scott, never said anything to put down a team or player, maybe Agon was trying to motivate his team and himself.
well, I now have 2 comments removed and 1 awaiting approval. Am I insulting you or something?
FYI, Im so likable its ridiculous!
Youk is looking a lot like himself this yr. He had a tough season last yr due to injury. The guy can flat out hit and is servicable at 3rd and above average at 1st. I think his wOBA this yr is around .390.
have you ever said you would do something, and then not performed they way you wanted? It happens, he is human.
Ian Kennedy won 20 last year, Tiger CF isn’t bad (Jackson), oh Jeter – need I go on. Why can’t Rays take on money? Red Sox prospects are all over hyped or they be up with all the injuries.
preach it brother
– josh reddick, jed lowrie, justin masterson, anthony rizzo, will middlebrooks
I’d hate bank on that group.
hope they don’t turn out anything like ellsbury, pedroia, lester or papelbon