Correct Sir -- More on Papelbon

Well played on the summary of the week.

I am going to have to go ahead and agree with Trey on the Papelbon thing. While I was amped that he was our closer last year, I was excited for him to start and put up some numbers for Boston this year. The potential for him to have a Clemens-esque run in Boston was definitely there, but he made a decision in a way which he felt he could best help the club. Despite my initial disappointment when the decision was announced, all it took was one look at a picture of his post-save fist pump in an archived photo to make me remember how lights out and valuable he was.

Sunday's performance (as Trey pointed out) was lights out. Papelbon came in when they needed him most, in a tough situation, and got the key outs. He retired 5 batters in only 15 pitches, with three strikeouts to boot. Unbelievable. Imagine if he had started the game (again, as Trey pointed out) and it had been left to Javier Lopez, J.C. Romero, and Joel Pinero, who knows what the outcome would be.

Papelbon provides the security this club needs to win games. Without an elite closer, the Sox are at an extreme disadvantage. If you look at the 2004 campaign which resulted in the Red Sox finally winning the World Series, Keith Foulke was an integral part of that journey. When leads were close, Francona was able to call on him to shut the door. Papelbon however, is a much better option because he is younger, throws harder, and has a much more dominating presence. His bread and butter are his mid to high 90s fastball and his slider. He also throws a splitter and can throw a curve and changeup, but his dominance with the first mentioned pitches make him an excellent closing candidate. With his dominant stuff and his intensity on the mound he has what it takes to protect the valuable leads the Red Sox power bats are sure to produce. While the bullpen is shaky without Timlin (and with three, yes three, left handed relievers) Papelbon's value is further increased as the large leads can quickly turn to small.

With the Sox at home this week, hopefully there will be a little more action and the balls will carry a little better so that Papelbon doesn't need to be taxed. When a close game undoubtedly comes during this homestand, however, Papelbon will bring the gas to get the job done.

-J

Week One Recap

The Red Sox are back in Boston getting ready for Tuesday's home opener against Seattle. 3-3 is the Red Sox record after the opening week's road trip, 2-1 vs. Kansas City and 1-2 vs. Texas. My overall impression of the team so far is positive. The bullpen looks more less improved and of course Papelbon is a tremendous weapon. Our hitting has been lackluster, but I am not worried. It is early in the season and the weather has been unusually cool so far for these games.

Now that I have provided a brief summary, lets discuss Papelbon. What an incredible impression he left on me from Sunday night's performance. In all honesty, I was still a little peeved that Papelbon was not in our rotation. I was of the opinion that 180+ innings of Papelbon would be far more valuable than his 90+ innings as the closer. I WAS WRONG. Sure we may have won Sat night if Papelbon pitched but there is no way we would have won Sun night. Plus who knows how many of Papelbon's starts would have been ruined by the bullpen.

Runners on 1st and 3rd with 1 out and all the momentum on the Rangers' side. Young struck out on 4 pitches and Teixera popped up on his first pitch. End of inning. 1-2-3 in the 9th. Who else on our staff could have done that? No one... and our spring training closer Pineiro is the one who got us into the 8th inning mess in the first place. So welcome back Papelbon.

This week we have 3 games at home against Seattle and then we host the LA Angels of Anaheim for four games, including Monday for Patriots Day. Hopefully the weather warms up to spark our offense, along with being at Fenway Park.

Trey

2007...again

Our predictions were exactly the same.

Well done. Sox over Dodgers.

2007 Season

The 2007 Season is upon us.

Trey's WS prediction: Red Sox over Dodgers

Clemens Watch

In the world of watching Clemens in a possible return, excellent news has surfaced.

FSN and the Boston Globe have reported that a source close to Clemens says that he has stepped up his workout regimen, to see if his body will be able to handle a final year of baseball. Additionally, the source indicated that Clemens has decided that if he returns to the majors, it will be with either his hometown astros or the team that he began with, the Red Sox.

With David Wells' recent injury (again) this could be just what the sox need for a fifth starter.

Excellent. Just plain excellent.

Here's to hoping Roger makes it to Fenway in 2006.

Rocket Meter: 45%

Clemens Watch

The Houston Astros made an offer to Roger Clemens today of an undisclosed amount. Astros management, including the owner have said that they are willing to to break the $100 million mark on their payroll this year to acquire the Rocket.

Astros managment indicated that the deal was "obviously a raise over last year's salary." This is significant, given that his salary last year for a full year was $18 milion. Obviously, after Clemens's spectacular year last year, he will not want to take a pay cut despite the shortened season he will experience during his final year.

While no other teams have made reported offers yet, the move on the Astros part may be the first step in getting him back. While the Red Sox certainly have the financial ability to acquire Clemens, it will come down to convincing him to come back to finish his career in Boston. The ownership group under John Henry may be reluctant to spend so much cash on a player as well, given that they were complaining about the "limited" earnings they retained last year after revenue sharing. Unlike some parks, bringing Clemens would not make the earning capacity of Fenway much greater, because seats sell out regardless of who is pitching.

Rocket Meter: 27%

Doug

Picture this: May 1, 2006

Early morning, Doug Mirabelli gets a phone call saying that he has been traded back to his beloved Red Sox.

6:48 PM, Douggie arrives at ballpark in a Massachusetts State Trooper SUV in the uniform he changed into on the ride over
7:00 PM, Douggie dons catcher gera
7:05 PM, Douggie squats behind home base to catch Wakefield for the first time since October.

What a triumphant return. This means that Wakefield's value as a starter will probably go way up because of the lack of unearned runs that he will experience now that Douggie is back to handle is knuckler.

WELCOME HOME DOUGGIE.

Clemens Watch

Roger Clemens has announced that he will wait until June to pitch, if he does indeed decide to return to the majors for a final year.

It is likely that if Clemens returns it will be with a similar arrangement as with the Astros, which limits the amount of time he has to travel. He has not said a possible team that he would favor signing with, but the Red Sox, Rangers, and Yankees have all expressed interest in signing him. The Astros will also likely begin negotiations after May 1st, the deadline set when he was denied arbitration by the team after the 2005 season. If he returns to the Red Sox, he would certainly bolster the fifth spot in the rotation, which is currently being filled by pitching prospect Lenny Dinardo.

Rocket Meter: 30%

Management deserves a Stern punishiment

In a surprising move, the Red Sox option Rule 5 draft pick Adam Stern to AAA Pawtucket after Wednesday night's game, instead promoting utility man Willie Harris. Harris, a career .252/.309./.299 game in 322 games and 854 at bats can be used in the outfield positions in a capacity similar to Stern. While Stern has fewer career at bats, he has demonstrated incredible potential this year, both in the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Canada and in the Red Sox organization. The move seemed a particularly odd choice after Stern made two spectacular defensive plays, one which allowed the save for Jonathan Papelbon, in two days.

The move could prove benefiecial for Stern, as he will be an everyday player at Pawtucket, but perhaps he should have remained on the team until Coco Crisp returned from the disabled list. The extra at bats will probably help Stern in the long run, however, and he may develop into an equally adept offensive player as he is a defensive player.

Grab the brooms

Matt Clement, Curt Schilling, and Tim Wakefield all recorded wins this weekend in a 3 game sweep in Baltimore.

The Red Sox are playing some good baseball. With the exception of the first game against the Orioles, their run support wasn't as massive as it has been in past years (don't worry, its still early in the season) but pitching staff on all levels has been on their A-game. Keith Foulke has been shaky at best, and all three saves this weekend went to Jonathan Papelbon.

Despite his dominance in the first two games, he had a shaky third outing but managed to still get away with the save. In the third game, Foulke was used in a setup role and looked more like his old self once again. Papelbon will most likely return to middle relief if Foulke returns to his 2004 caliber. He is best suited for a starting role, however, so expect to see him in the starting rotation some time this season, and likely full time next season.

-J

Game 3

Red Sox 2, Rangers 1

Beckett (1-0) wins Sox debut
Trot Nixon: 2 run HR is Boston's only offense
Timlin shaky, Foulke doesn't get a chance
Papelbon earns Save (1) in Sox closer debut

Clemens Watch

Here at Hire Trey and Jon we are starting a new thing called the Clemens Watch. It will be measured by the Rocket-meter, which will identify the likeliness of coming back to Boston based on news we hear. 0 represents a 0 percent chance (difficult I know) while 100 represents a guarantee.

Clemens met behind closed doors with General Manager Theo Epstein yesterday for about an hour in Arlington, Texas. Clemens was flown in my the Rangers management, and Theo took the opportunity to pounce on someone else's dollar. Clemens stated that his family would support his decision to pitch in Boston should he decide to do so. It would be the perfect ending to a storybook career, as he began his career in Boston 23 seasons ago. He is tied for the career wins list in Boston, and the number 21, his number during his first 13 seasons in the majors (also with Boston) has been unclaimed since he left in 1996.

Rocket Meter: 40%

-J

Game 2

Red Sox 4, Rangers 10

Wakefield (0-1) struggles in Texas, again.
This isn't 2005 anymore: 7ER in 3.2 IP
Bard: 3 passed balls
Theo: Mid-season trade for Douggie?
Home Run Dept: Rangers 3, Sox 0
Coco Crisp: 2006 Red Sox MVP

Game 1 - Opening Day

Red Sox 7, Rangers 3

The Ace is back: Schilling (1-0) 7 innings, 117 pitches strong.
2006 AL MVP: Ortiz 3 for 5, 1HR, 3RBI
Tek: 2 out, 2 run double
Lowell: Homers in Boston debut
Crisp: 2 spectacular defensive plays, 2 runs scored (both from 1B) Damon who?
Papelbon perfect, Foulke finishes

Lefty

Its been a while, but we're still here.

David wells has retracted his trade request, and wishes to remain in Boston for what he is "99.9 percent sure" will be his last season in the Major Leagues. Wells cited the lack of privacy as one of his reasons for initially making the request, but also said that he would like to finish off with a team that is a contender, and based on what he has seen so far, he feels that this team has a chance to make it to the World Series again.

This is great news for the Red Sox organization because Boomer had 15 wins last year despite spending some time on the disabled list. He also provides veteran left-hander skills, and can offer support to some of the young pitching staff.

Unfortunately, this move likely means that Bronson Arroyo and Jonathan Papelbon will be moved to the bullpen for the time being. This will give Papelbon time to develop more in the Major Leagues, and he and Arroyo will be excellent substitues should any of the injury prone starters (Wells, Schilling, and Clement) be hurt.

Completion

The Red Sox announced yesterday that a one-year deal with former Florida Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez was reached. The deal, pending a physical within the next forty-eight hours, is said to be worth $3 million. While Gonzalez is not a power threat offensively, his defense is superb and he had a promising year in Florida, reducing his strikeout total while raising his walks, batting average, and on base percentage.

With the addition of Gonzalez, the Red Sox batting order will probably look something like this for the 2006 season:

Crisp CF
Loretta 2B
Ramirez LF
Ortiz DH
Varitek C
Lowell 3B
Nixon RF
Youkilis/Snow 1B
Gonzalez SS

The Red Sox also signed Dustan Mohr to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training last week after the Rockies denied his mutual option for 2006. He is a utility outfielder who will most likely get the most playing time in right field, particularly if Trot Nixon continues to experience pain in his back and hamstring during 2006.

As of this moment, Theo Epstein has said that he plans to wait until Spring Training to talk to Boomer about a possible trade. While the Padres have expressed interest, Epstein has made it clear that he would like David Wells to show up camp. Wells' agen stated that Wells will not hold out, and understands that he is under contract. A likely scenario is that Wells will be used in a trade before the July 31st trade deadline to adjust for any issues that the relatively new Boston Red Sox experience during the 2006 season.

-J

Catcher in the Rye

As Trey pointed out, David Wells has expressed a strong desire to be traded to the West Coast, and rumors of his retirement (should this demand not be met) are floating all over baseball (or at least all over our conversations about baseball). Trading him directly for Doug Mirabelli would be an excellent deal. Not only would this reduce the amount of starting pitchers on the 2006 staff, but it would also fulfill Wells' desires to finish his career in a warmer climate.

This deal is particularly excellent, as Trey pointed out, because former Mets catcher Mike Piazza has just signed a one year deal with the Padres. Piazza will be excellent as either a backup catcher or as a catcher that could be used as part of a duo, much like the Molina brothers' former role on the Angels. Trading Wells for Douggie would also bring back a fan favorite and all around decent guy back to Boston, while freeing up money to pursue a shortstop, such as the aforementioned Alex Gonzalez.

The only snag in a deal such as this, is that the budget-concious Padres would most likely want some catching prospect or nearly Major Leagues ready catcher. They do have four catchers on their 40-man roster, so maybe a trade like that would be acceptable to them. It is certainly a deal worth considering, especially with the addition of Piazza to the Padres staff.

-J

Bring Back Dougie

Its odd. Now that Theo Epstein is back as GM of the Boston Red Sox, don't you feel like the team is more organized already. While Jon and I would be hesitant to trade away Andy Marte, Coco Crisp does seem like a great long term solution for CF. The Indians had us in a tough spot, and knew they could get a lot from us.

There is still the issue of shortstop and David Wells. I have no comments on shortstop, all rumors lead to either Alex Cora or Alex Gonzalez. On the subject of Boomer though, I had an idea this morning. It appears the San Diego Padres are going hard after Mike Piazza. "“Mike still thinks he can catch 70 to 80 games,"” said Kevin Towers, Padres GM. "We'll also use him as our designated hitter against American League teams on the road and he could play first base against some left-handed pitchers." Therefore, the Red Sox should try to re-obtain Doug Mirabelli. To be honest, I would have no hesitations about a straight Wells-for-Mirabelli trade. I'd hope we could throw in a prospect too, but again, I have a feeling the Padres will see we are somewhat desparate to lose Wells. Rumors have it that Boomer could retire if not traded.

The Playoffs Might Happen

Theo Epstein everybody:

He's back.

Theo is back in a position of "full time baseball operations capacity." What this means as of right now is not exactly clear, but he is back and that is a positive step for the organization.

More as this story unfolds.

-J

Roster

As spring training nears, it is important to notice the holes (regardless of what the current organization says) in the field, and also the plethora of starting pitchers.

Currently, Adam Stern is slated to start in center field, and Alex Cora is the opening day starter at short. Clearly, this is unacceptable. While Cora can be solid defensively, his hitting certainly leaves something to be desired. Stern is incredbily fast, but has played a total of 35 major league games and would be better suited to a back up role where he could fill gaps in the outfield in games which the Red Sox were leading. He also is useful as a pinch runner for close game situations.

After the debocle that was Edgard Renteria, the Red Sox organization should surely rethink their choice of starting shortstop for the 2006 season. The gaps in the field could be filled by trading pitchers. David Wells has expressed interest in being traded to a West Coast team, and Matt Clement would also be worthwile trade bait in acquiring starters for either of the field positions.

More as the saga continues.

-J