Wednesday, May 18, 2011

40% of our rotation on the DL

                                                                    

Some may believe that with Dice-k (ulner ligament which could be a precursor to Tommy John Surgery though unlikely ) and Lackey (mental health) on the 15-day DL the red sox rotation will be better by default. However, I am not one of these people. Dice-k is rumored to be out a month according to Gordon Edes of ESPN and Tony Mazz of the Globe,and Lackey is having family issues with his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer in the winter. This could not be a happening at a worse time as this team has turned the atrocious start to the season around. A healthy Dice-k and Lackey are better alternatives then fidgety Aceves and the aging Wakefield. Also, our pitching depth in AAA is suspect at best and have not stepped up like we have hoped. What happens if Wake remembers that he is 90 years old and can only pitch 3 or 4 innings a start? Are we ready to have Bowden/Atchinson in the game ever 5th day?

So who are our alternatives?


Felix Doubront: He would have been our best option but he has a groin injury and battled injuries all season
Brandon Duckworth: uh I will be very nervous if he ever touches the mound though he is pitching well in Pawtucket 4-2  a 2.37 ERA in 7 starts for Pawtucket
Andrew Miller: He was suppose to fit this role but he has struggled mightily with his command 24 BB in 34.2 innings this season in Pawtucket
Stolmy Pimentel (Portland), Tazawa (60 day DL though rehab soon), Drake Britton have either struggled or are not nearly ready to be pushing for a spot start.


 Alternatives outside the organization?


Kevin Millwood: He is a FA and was signed by the yankees  but opted out after not being put on the active roster. He was 2-1 in the minors this season and did not pitch exceptionally well


What teams would be willing to give a pitcher at this point in the season?
The Mets or Dodgers come to mind but do we want any Mets schmucks?  or Jon Garland for the Dodgers?  Not many options with many teams still in the hunt. This is the moment for the 2011 season where the offense needs to carry us 2 nights a week as the pressure builds on the other 3 starters in the rotation.


What other AAAA players are out there that we could try? Do not say Anthony Ranaudo no way the sox rush the kid up. Who remembers Craig Hansen?

5 comments:

  1. This reaction is two-fold for me.
    On one hand, I cross my fingers and hope that Tommy John surgery is in DiceK's future, and I never see him on the mound in Fenway again.
    On the other, I truly hope Lackey gets through this mess, wife intact, and returns to his middle of the rotation self.
    My choice to step in is Andrew Miller. He's a proven major leaguer, with awesome stuff and the ability to get guys out - he's proven that before. The walks are a concern, but there is no way it's worse than either of the two guys he's replacing.
    I suspect they'll reserve Wakefield and Aceves to share a start, and if Wake goes deeper than four innings, it's a bonus, while Miller gets the other start and Bowden to the pen. I suspect Atchinson will be sent packing.

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  2. More and more rumors from Jon Heyman that Sox are interested in kevin Millwood to start and AAA and evaluate him from there

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  3. Thats absolutely horrible news. What the hell? Just give Miller the shot. Millwood is pure, unadulterated garbage.

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  4. I think it is just for veteran depth in AAA. If they need a spot start they know what they will get from him. Miller on the other hand has walked everyone this year. He has not stepped up to where the team will have any trust in him. Also if Miller came up and got rocked it would destroy any confidence he may have gained in AAA.

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  5. Looks like Theo Epstein was been busy yesterday! He made 2 moves 1 to help shore up the bullpen and the other to provide some organzational SP depth. Red Sox traded for left Morales from Colorado for a PTBNL and designated Okajima for assignment. And though not quite official yet Tim Brown of Yahoo sports has said we have signed FA veteran Kevin Millwood. Neither of these signings are amazing moves but they do help shore up the biggest question of the season... How do we deal with 2 SP down and a front end of the bullpen that has been hurt or struggled all season long?

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