The Red Sox have mild interest in left-hander Jason Vargas, reports Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). The results of their weekend games will determine what Boston does at the trade deadline.
Vargas, 29, has pitched to a 3.76 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 22 starts this season, though he does lead the league with 25 homers allowed. The Red Sox are said to be seeking a rotation upgrade, but coming into today they were in last place in the AL East and 5.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.
2.63/4.67 Home/Away split. Actually, that might be an upgrade, but why bother if the guy isn’t going to have an impact?
Ho-hum….
“Mild” is actually a good word to describe Jason Vargas.
The only pitcher that Vargas is upgrading is Aaron Cook, Franklin Morales can do similiar to what Vargas can do in my opinion. Vargas wouldnt come cheap either.
Lots of dislike toward the idea of this trade from Boston fans, and I think a lot of people up here in the Pacific Northwest don’t like the idea either. Vargas only has 1 year of team control left but the popular opinion seems to be “hang on to Vargas” because of how good of a pitcher he is in Seattle. He fits the mold for Safeco. Makes a lot more sense to keep him here than ship him to tiny Fenway.
No. It makes no sense to keep him.
I’d keep him only if we couldnt get something back that is good.
I still think Jack Z. made a huge error last season in trading Fister INSTEAD of Vargas. I like Vargas, but I don’t think he’s as good as people may think.
LHP + Green Monster + Flyball pitcher + Leading league in homeruns allowed WHILE pitching at Safeco during a year when his BABIP against is career low by 30 pts = very very very ominous
if the Sox acquired him they either hired a voodoo or should have their stats department punished severely.
edit: he seems to have a reverse platoon this year but generally righties hit him much better than lefties throughout his career.
“generally righties hit him much better than lefties throughout his career.”
Not a good sign for a LHP in Fenway.
He’s only pitched two games in Fenway, so it’s a pretty limited sample – but his ERA in those two games is 6.23.
Well, I’m always a little wary off judging visiting pitchers in Fenway, because how does one know whether a lack of success is due to the park or due to the fact that the Red Sox usually have a very good offense.
I actually thought a return to the Mets might be nice.
He is not the type of pitcher that seems like he would have success at Fenway.
Not even CitiField is big enough for him.
nick cafardo
I’m not sure if I’m supposed to up vote or down vote this…
Dear Red Sox front office –
I am in no way insulted if you sell pieces at the trade deadline. Please stop pretending we all think this team has a chance and consider that we know with ups come downs.
Don’t trade away a future prospect for an upgrade that will more than likely have 0 impact on this year.
Ben. Just don’t, Ben.
Neither do I. Vargas? Must be a joke. We’ve got plenty “in house” options which are better than Jason fn’ Vargas. I have way more faith in Franklin Morales, at least he can strike guys out from time to time.
I won’t diss Vargas, but I agree that the in-house option of Morales seems like a better option than wasting resources on a back of the rotation starter, when the team is so far back in the WC race.
I’d rather see them go with Morales also. Call up Chris Hernandez even if the current management needs a crash coarse on how lefties fare who throw mid-high 80’s and live & die with rubbish pitches.
They already have him at Pawtucket, so why give up anything for a type that has never succeeded in nearly 40 years at Fenway in Bill Lee?
Yeah, I thought Mariner fans would have a better sense of humor…
Few games out? Boston is technically 12th out of 15 teams in the AL. They have a brutal schedule coming up. They have been pitching so badly.
The Yankees have nothing to do with this (no idea why that is relevant to be honest). They are winning the division. The Red Sox can only hope for a wild card spot and, to be honest, they don’t have a chance in that game.
Who takes the mound in a 1 game playoff? Lester? Beckett (LOL)? This team is a pig with lipstick.
PoorMs, The Red Sox are 8th out of 8 teams in serious contention for the 2 wild card slots, and are 5 games out. And what’s does one gain if one wins a wild card slot? You get the “honor” of playing a single game to see if you continue in the playoffs.
So, I’m sorry, but it’s a total waste of time and resources for the Red Sox to think that the wild card chase is worth the effort and the so-called “reward”. I truly despise the 2 wild cards, and 1 game playoff BS. The Sox should pack it in and tell MLB to take their bleeping 1 game playoff and take a flying leap!
I don’t know anything about Vargas, but in general, I’d say that soft-throwing lefty junk-ballers and Fenway Park are a very, very bad mix.
JS, for me, part of it is that I like what we’ve seen out of Morales thus far, the the other part of it is not wanting to spend anything to get a slightly upgraded #4/5 starter for a season that’s all but ready to be written off.
If the Sox want to make some moves, they should just go ahead and trade Shoppach (and call up Lavarnway to split catching duties with Salty), and maybe some other peripheral players.
I wouldn’t be averse to trading Aviles. i don’t dislike him per se. He’s done a very credible job as SS and has been more productive than his stats might seem to indicate. However, I think that his wretched OBP is a sign of how poor this team has become at driving up pitch counts and drawing walks, and I’d like to see the Sox get back to that formula for success that worked in their 2 WS runs.
Exactly on patience at the plate and it has gotten that way over the last 2 seasons. Boston trademark, for 50 years has been to make a pitcher work, it’s how they beat rubbish tossers like Vargas and neutralize them, but this year? Those same types have had success when they have guys like Salty, Aviles, Crawford and Middlebrooks hacking at everything out of the strike zone, it’s how Vargas and Petite types win and the ONLY way they can beat you.
Prior seasons? Teams led by Youk, Ortiz, Pedy would force them to throw strikes, not chasing sliders out of the zone and most are VERY hittable with paltry upper 80’s to 90mph FB’s. The biggest weapon the team had is now missing,
Look the current team over. Ortiz, Pedroia and Nava are the only ones who aren’t up there hacking. Even Gonzalez is guilty of poor plate discipline this season and not showing the patience he had at SD and to some degree last season. Ross? Some times he will lay off bad pitches, then he gets just as bad as the rest.
Come on man. You have confidence in any of our pitchers for a single game? Of course anyone can win any game, but this team isn’t good enough to do anything in the playoffs.
I respectfully disagree. They absolutely do not have the players to win the world series this year or next year.
Beckett needs to go – Regardless of media opinions of him, he is still one of the most overrated pitchers in baseball today. Lester is showing some scary regression and Buchholz (who has been pitching MUCH better) still really hasn’t gotten a full year of work in.
Ellsbury won’t be signed long term because of the financial commitments they made with Crawford (who doesn’t have the mental capacity to play here – great guy, can’t handle this market).
They really need to overhaul the roster. It’s sad, but this is how professional sports works. You go with what you have until the wheels fall off. The wheels fell off after the all-star game last year and this ownership group neglects to acknowledge that.
I don’t have words. Someone will be very confused in October.
This is a phenomenal comment. Worthy of all the laughs it surely will get.
I’m not talking about one of those 1 game “play-in” games. I’m talking about the new format where there are TWO wild card teams per league, which play a single game, before the winner goes on to play in the ALDS. The 2 wild card team hardly need to have been tied. (Of course, you could have 2+ teams tied for the 2nd WC slot and have to have some nasty tie-breaking game scenarios, but that’s not what bothers me.)
Again, they are 12th out of 15 teams. 5 teams make the playoffs. The Red Sox have multiple games against the AL East left and they have been playing terribly.
It’s strictly opinion, but the Red Sox are not a contender AT ALL. Every team in history needs to reload to move forward. It’s insulting considering the performance of this team this year to call them “contenders”.
Ben, it’s over. Knock it off.