What’s Up With Will?
Middlebrooks at the plate (Photo credit: timaoutloud)
Will Middlebrooks (Photo credit: timaoutloud)
Another thing, although unlikely, is that he’s hiding an injury. This wouldn’t be the first time a Red Sox player had hid an injury to stay on the field and suffered for it. In 2009 Daisuke Matuszaka hid a groin injury and pitched poorly due to the discomfort in his groin area. Now I doubt Middlebrooks would try to hid something from the Sox, but he is the kind of guy who wants to be out there everyday, so I wouldn’t be stunned if that were the case and it would also give us an explanation for his performance.
Even we don’t know exactly what is wrong with Middlebrooks, we can try to figure out what should be done about his performance. The Sox could always take the irrational overreaction route and send down Middlebrooks and call up someone like Xander Bogaerts, but I would like to think the Sox are smart enough where they wouldn’t to something that far out of the box. A more realistic route is to give more playing time at three of Ciriaco, since he has slightly outperformed Middlebrooks, until Middlebrooks starts to perform in limited playing time until he’s eased back into an everyday role. Despite the fact that that is more realistic than the first option I still don’t see that happening. I think the Sox will just stick it out with Middlebrooks until he figures it out. What do you think the Sox should do about the struggling Middlebrooks?
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Who’s Closing?
DSC_0150 (Photo credit: RedSoxNetwork.com)
Tonight’s 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays has created a bit of stir. It seemed like the pen was working as it has been for the past few weeks with Tazawa finishing off the seventh and Uehara pitching the eighth. Then things got interesting when everyone saw Joel Hanrahan warming up to pitch the ninth rather than Andrew Bailey. This caused mass confusion as everyone searched for answers, and at first they found none. Hanrahan would come on to close out the game and after giving up a hit to start off the inning, he got a pop out and a double play to get him out of the inning. Following the game it was revealed that Bailey was suffering from bicep soreness, the same injury that landed John Lackey on the DL the last time the Sox were in Toronto. It appears he injury is minor, but you can never know for sure. Hopefully he can avoid a DL stint, but if he does avoid it who is the closer?
Joel Hanrahan was brought to Boston to be a closer. Unfortunately for him, things haven’t gone so smoothly. He’s given up 7 runs in 6.2 innings posting a 9.45 ERA with 4 strikeouts and 5 walks. He has converted 4 saves in 5 attempts though, so he was come through when needed most of the time. He was also sidelined with a hamstring injury, which he believes was the source of his pitching woes. I hope that’s true because if Hanrahan pitches anywhere near the way he did while “injured” I have no faith in him going forward. He did pass his first real test since coming back, but it was a little shaky, but it’s steps in the right direction. If he wants to ever be able to fully take back his closer role from Bailey, he’ll need to return to his 2011 form. 2011 was his breakout year where he saved a career best 40 games with a 1.83 ERA in 68.2 innings allowing just 14 earned runs all year. He also posted the lowest BB/9 of career, 2.1, and his lowest WHIP, 1.049. The following year he lost a lot of the control that made him the dominant reliever that he was in 2011 with his BB/9 sky rocketing to 5.2. We are starting to see that here so far this year as it seems as if sometimes his command will disappear for a couple pitches and then suddenly return. This volatile pitching isn’t what you want in the ninth with the game on the line because you need to be able to come up with a big pitch at any given time, but he can’t command his pitches he could find himself loading up the bases pretty quickly. Overall though, Hanrahan hasn’t been completely awful. He’s made the pitches when he’s needed to (most of the time) and has carried himself well through this whole mess.
Andrew Bailey was also brought here to close, but after an injury plagued season and less than stellar performances in his few appearances, it appeared as if Andrew Bailey would never get a chance to close in Boston again. Luckily, for him, the man tasked with closing out games hit the DL and allowed him to show Red Sox Nation he’s still a viable closer. Unfortunately Hanrahan has returned and Bailey has found himself injured and his stint as closer may be short lived, but is Bailey the better choice. The former Rookie of the Year compiled 3 solid years for the Oakland A’s striking out 174 batters in 174 innings while posting a 2.07 ERA with 75 saves. What I like about Bailey being the strikeout machine that he is, is that he doesn’t rely on the hitter not to square up his pitch, but he relies on his swing and miss stuff. That’s the best way to stop a team, because if they can’t hit than there’s nothing they can do. Bailey has pitched well this year picking up 5 saves in 6 attempts and in his only blown save he was able to tightrope out of tough spot and ended up picking up the win. All in all, when he’s Bailey could be one of, if not the, best reliever in the game.
Overall looking at both of them I think it’s a no-brainer, Andrew Bailey should be the Red Sox closer. He’s not only been the better pitcher this year, but has shown that he has a much more consistent track record. I have much more trust in Bailey right now than I do in Hanrahan so I believe that’s the direction the Sox’s should go. What’s your opinion?
Related articles
- Joel Hanrahan’s Injury Continues to Linger in Back of Closer’s Mind, Creating ‘Frustrating’ Situation (nesn.com)
- BoSox take series from Blue Jays, win 20th game (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
- Red Sox activate Joel Hanrahan, but will he resume closing? (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
Aceves Optioned to AAA
Following the Red Sox 6-5 win over Oakland today there was some shocking news. Alfredo Aceves had been optioned to AAA Pawtucket. He has 72 hours to report, but it sounds as if he doesn’t have intentions of reporting. MLBTR is reporting that within that 72 hour window the Red Sox will try to trade him. During the spring it appeared like there was a market for Aceves, but that has since disappeared following his behavioral issues and his lack of on field production. One team that’s been mentioned is the Los Angeles Angels, because their struggling bullpen, but they’d still likely have reservations about acquiring Aceves. Another team could be the Detroit Tigers, but that’s unlikely. Regardless, a guy with 8.66 ERA in April is hard to move in April. Also his constant issue would deter anyone trading for him.
To replace Aceves the Sox called up catcher Ryan Lavarnway. This comes as a surprise, because first of all everyone expected a pitcher and secondly with David Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, depth at catcher isn’t exactly needed. Lavarnway has gotten off to a fast start in AAA, hitting with a .310/.423/.452 slash line but has just 1 home run and 7 RBI. This will be his third stint in the majors, but his first two weren’t that successful. In 63 big league games he’s hit just .172/.230/.286. Maybe third times a charm for Lavarnway and he finally puts it all together at the big league level. As for why he was called up, there’s only been speculation. I’ve heard that when Lackey’s activated Victorino will head to the DL with his back issues. Lavarnway would become just an extra bat for the time being in that case. Another reason could be that the Sox are dissatisfied with the production of Ross and Saltalamacchia and with the extra roster spot could be just for a brief tryout. It really just baffles me why they chose Lavarnway but I’m sure we’ll find out soon.
Overall, this move proves the Sox are committed to putting together a team of good guys. While the debate between sabermetrics and traditional stats carries on the Sox will use their own formula of chemistry as their secret weapon. Hopefully this whole plan works out and these good guys actually have success.
Related articles
- Aceves to minors (cbssports.com)
- Red Sox Option Aceves To Triple-A (boston.cbslocal.com)
- Alfredo Aceves Optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, Corresponding Roster Move to Be Made on Thursday (nesn.com)
- Aceves Forcing His Way Out? (thebestsoxblog.mlblogs.com)
Aceves Forcing His Way Out?
Alfredo Aceves (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Tonight’s game did not go well at all. Nothing went right from hitting, to pitching, and even fielding. The starter, Alfredo Aceves, made matters worse following the game with his comments. Aceves refused to take accountability for his poor performance on the field. He blamed the weather, the umpires, and even his own teammates for the loss, but not himself. This goes against the “good guy” mantra that the Sox have been trying to buy into, and as long as Aceves is around they’ll never fully achieve that.
This isn’t the first time Aceves has caused a stir. Last year his relationship with manager Bobby Valentine was well documented and by the end of the year he and Valentine were no longer on speaking terms, and I doubt they’ll ever speak again. This year he created problems in Spring Training when he and John Farrell had a misunderstanding when Aceves was throwing BP for someone. That blew over quickly, but he found himself in more trouble when he went to go represent Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. During a game between Mexico and Canada a Canadian batter was hit intentionally after Canada tried to run up the score. A brawl ensued and Aceves was right in the middle of it throwing punches. He was eventually restrained by Larry Walker and Walker said that he, “Saw the Devil in [Aceves'] eyes”. Clearly, he’s had his fair share of mishaps due to his character and attitude. This has always caused rumours about whether or not the Sox would keep him.
Personally, at this point in the year Aceves is way to valuable to get rid of. The Sox would be able to net a semi-decent return for him, but it wouldn’t be worth what he provides for the Sox on the field. Having him as a swingman (someone who can be used as a starter and a reliever) is much better than a couple if hit or miss reliever prospects. The swingman has become a bit of lost art as many teams decide to use the spot in their bullpen for another quality arm rather than shoving a starter in the pen, but it comes in handy when your starters back tightens up 30 minutes before the game and can’t pitch. The swingman saves you from a dreaded bullpen game and saves your bullpen as well. What makes Aceves so valuable is that he’s also a very good reliever, and not just a long man. With the Sox injury history in recent years I’d feel more comfortable with Alfredo Aceves as a spot starter then Clayton Mortensen. Although I don’t particularly like Aceves as a person he’s too valuable to this team to get rid of.
Related articles
- Gresh & Zo: Alfredo Aceves’ Comments After Loss To A’s (boston.cbslocal.com)
- Aceves accepts little responsibility for loss (boston.com)
- Alfedo Aceves: “why don’t we hit?” (hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)
- Larry Walker Thinks He ‘Saw Satan’ in Alfredo Aceves’ Eyes While Restraining Pitcher During WBC Brawl (nesn.com)
Bard Gets the Call
Daniel Bard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The bullpen has been heavily taxed the past few days and could use a fresh arm. Enter Daniel Bard. The troubled righty has made his way back to the big league team after knuckleballer Steven Wright was optioned to Pawtucket. This is exciting, because everyone, including myself, has wondered what in the world went wrong with Daniel Bard. First here was the horrific September 2011, then the failed starter experiment, and then the majority of the 2012 season in AAA. He’s spent this year in AA, so it looked like he was never going to return to the Bard of old. Now he’s back though, so maybe there is hope.
Personally, I’m excited to see Bard in action. I think he’ll assume the Alex Wilson role, which will presumably be opened when John Lackey is called up on Sunday and Wilson is likely the one to be sent down. So we’ll see Bard in relatively easy situations just to get his feet wet again. Unfortunately for him, he probably won’t stay up here for very long with the impending returns of Craig Breslow and Franklin Morales. There could be hope for him though with Andrew Miller’s issues and Alfredo Aceves’ attitude. I did talk to Providence Journal reporter, Tim Britton, about this and he told me that Bard stay will be short and where he ends up next ( AA or AAA) will be determined by his performance in the majors.
Nava Should Start
Daniel Nava (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Tomorrow David Ortiz is expected to be activated and Jackie Bradley Jr. is expected to be optioned to AAA to make room for Papi. That is exactly how the Sox had planned for this to go. Following those two moves Jonny Gomes was supposed to move from the DH role to left field, but there could be a change of plans.
Nobody expected Daniel Nava to get off the start that he has. In 10 games he’s batted .324/.429/.618 and I know it’s a small sample size, but it’s all we’ve got so far and why not ride the hot bat? Nava’s also has 3 home runs this year, 2 more than all other Red Sox outfielders combined. He’s also tied for second on the team with 9 RBIs and tide for fifth on the team with 6 runs scored. So, not only is he getting on base and scoring runs, he’s also driving them in.
Compare that to Jonny Gomes whose hit just about as well as Jackie Bradley Jr., so not very good. He has taken his fair share of walks, leading the team with nine, and has a higher OBP than Nava with .433. Other than that though Gomes’ bat has been dead. As long as Nava continues to perform at the rate he’s at and Gomes continues to under perform there’s no reason to start Gomes over Nava.
Also Nava’s defense in left has been impressive. He may not be a gold glover, but he plays very well in left field. The thing that impresses me the most about Nava’s defense is how quickly he gets the ball back into the infield. He’s turned a few doubles into singles by just playing the ball off the wall quickly and firing the ball back in. He’s like Dustin Pedroia in the outfield, he never stops hustling always giving a 100%.We’ve only seen Gomes in left for two innings this year, but from I’ve seen from him, which isn’t too much, he’s not quite as quick as Nava. It may be a minimal difference, but if you can hold a couple more guys at first rather than letting them get a double, it could end up saving some critical runs throughout the year.
One last thing in regards to Monday’s attack at the Marathon. The One Fund has been started by Governor Patrick and Mayor Menino to help those affected by the tragic events. If you’d like to donate you can here. Also 47 Brand has new “Boston Strong” hats with all proceeds going to The One Fund.
Game 11: Vs. Rays
Buchholz (2-0) v. Cobb (1-0)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After yesterday’s exciting win that I failed to review the Sox had momentum swinging in their favor. Could it carry over into today’s game? Maybe it did, but maybe it didn’t.
Clay Buchholz was as good as he’s ever been. He was dominate in every way possible. There really isn’t any other way to sum up his performance. He had a career high 11 strikeouts and had no hitter going into the eighth. The no hitter was broken up by a broken bat bloop single by Kelly Johnson. He would give up another hit in the inning, a double to Desmond Jennings, but kept the shutout going for all 8 innings he pitched. Andrew Miller would finish off the game with a strong ninth.
On the other side Alex Cobb was very good, but not great. He struggled in the third and didn’t get much help from the defense which lead to a 4 run third for the Sox. Other than that Cobb pitched very well for 6.2 innings giving up 4 runs with only 3 earned. Jamey Wright finished off the game allowing one run in 1.1 innings of work.
In the end the Sox came out on top with a 5-0 win over the Rays for their second straight win. They’ll have the chance to go for their first sweep of the season tomorrow in the early 11:05 Patriot’s Day game. It’s also Jackie Robinson Day so everyone will be wearing number 42 jerseys.
11 games down 151 to go
Game 9: Vs. Orioles
Aceves (0-0) v. Tillman (0-0)
In the series finale Aceves was making his first start of the year. It didn’t start off so well for Aceves. He gave up a run in the first, but the Sox were able to respond in the third scoring 2 runs to take their first lead of the night. Aceves had seemingly settled in until the fifth where he gave up a two out single to Adam Jones which scored Manny Machado from second.
After that the bullpens took over for both teams. Clayton Mortensen came in for the Sox and got on a roll. He retired the first 5 batters he faced, but the sixth batter was different. He allowed a 2 out single to Manny Machado. With the lefty Nick Markakis coming up, John Farrell did the logical thing and brought in the lefty Andrew Miller. Miller would end up walking Markakis and that would be all for him. Farrell then turned to Koji Uehara to face Adam Jones. Jones would get another 2 out RBI single to give the O’s the lead. The lead would hold and the Orioles would win 3-2.
It was a dissapointing game. They had a some opportunities that they could have cashed in on, but all they were just beat by good pitching tonight. And when the other teams pitching is on, there isn’t much you can do except pitch better. Unfortunately the Sox were unable to do this and ended up on the losing end of this game.
Player of the Game: Adam Jones 2 for 5, 2 RBIs
9 games down 153 to go
Tim Richer
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