State of the Red Sox

For a guy who is down on the Red Sox - I sure do think about them a lot. That's what it's like to be a Red Sox fan these days. It's like having a blood relative cousin who seems to be doing OK on the surface but who you know is having all sorts of issues behind the scenes. You are concerned, you want to do something but it really isn't your place.

At one point you couldn't have been more proud of your cousin. You used to brag about him to all your out of state friends. But your cousin had a couple of rough months last year and now your cousin is getting over a tough divorce (Terry Francona and Theo Epstein) and you aren't so sure that the new flame(s) are good for him (Bobby Valentine and Ben Cherington). But who are you to say anything?

You also think your cousin is not hanging with the right sort of friends. One of the guys he's hanging with is much more concerned with finding snitches than being a good member of the community. You see this as a bad thing but the professional counselors (sports writers) think anyone who wants to get rid of that bad friend is stupid because the friend has had great success when he was younger and that's all that counts.

The thing about relatives who have issues and may not be all that likable when you take a good look - you lose interest in them and their problems after a while. Even if they have some success - it doesn't mean as much to you as it once did. That's the state of the Red Sox in a nutshell.

Warning to Red Sox front office types - once people stop caring it is very hard to get that passion back. Expect lower NESN ratings. And lower advertising revenues.

Three Points:

1. Perhaps the most heart warming team success story this year is that of the first place Cleveland Indians. It should be noted that the core players for the Indians Sin-Soo Choo, Asdubal Cabrera, and Carlos Santana were players Cleveland obtained in trades for veterans. Are we to believe that Josh Beckett and Kevin Youkilis would not have the sort of trade value the Indians found for Ben Broussard, Eduardo Perez, and Casey Blake? Kevin Youkilis and Casey Blake are almost the same player!

2. Not to rain on the accomplishments of very likable Mike Aviles this year for the Sox but look at this player comparison:

Mike Aviles - 25 R/ 7 HR/ 25 RBI/ .272 BA/ .300 OBP/ .781 OPS
Player B      - 15 R/ 5 HR/ 16 RBI/ .274 BA/ .357 .OBP/ .801 OPS

Player B is Jed Lowrie who the Red Sox traded away. Would the Red Sox have been better off if they had just kept Lowrie? I think the answer to this question still hasn't been answered.

3. People are still talking about moving Daniel Bard back to the bullpen. Why? Despite a bad first inning the other day - Bard has been perhaps the most consistent Red Sox starter this year. Why mess with the guy? Especially when you have Mark Melancon (the guy Lowrie was traded for) tearing it up at AAA Pawtucket. Melancon has a 0.00 ERA in 13 games for the Pawsox but he hasn't been recalled because the Red Sox bullpen has been doing so well. But if they are doing so well - why do people want to chuck Bard back into the mix and out of the rotation?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

It should be noted that the Patriots have now won 10 games in a row. The last team to beat them was actually the New York Giants... Had a dream last night that the Red Sox made a huge trade with the Marlins for Josh Johnson. I hope that dream comes true... Gov. Chris Christie calls Newt Gingrich an embarrassment to the Republican Party and I agree... So where does Rex Ryan watch the Super Bowl? No network would want him because how would he be able to answer the question of how do you beat the Patriots or the question of how to beat the Giants. Gasbag... I wonder if on the show Blue Bloods they ever show Tom Selleck and a sandwich and waterfall in the same scene. That would be a special episode... I wonder if Tiki Barber still thinks Eli Manning lacks leadership skills?... Definition of badass... So is Brian Orakpo banging the Geico cavemam? That's the takeaway I get seeing the caveman in the locker room in a cheerleader outfit... Just saw a guy with a "Will Work for Food" sign who looked just like Craig Kilborn. Pretty sure it wasn't him... I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that the Red Sox trading both Marco Scutoro and Jed Lowrie will lead to a desperation move of switching Dustin Pedroia to shortstop. I also wouldn't be surprised if Ben Cherington's next move is to trade Mike Availes for another middle reliever.

Red Sox Moves

The Red Sox made a trade with the Astros today sending Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to Houson for Mark Melancon. I think this may be good move for both clubs.

I like Jed Lowrie but honestly he's not as good as Marco Scutaro, Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia. Not even close. Where and when would he play? And is he as good as super prospects Will Middlebrooks or Jose Iglesias? Again - not close. In short there was no future with the Red Sox barring a big injury and Lowrie suddenly learning how to hit right handed pitching (career .214 BA and .635 OPS in 529 AB). For the Astros - Lowrie can step in and be the starting shortstop and be a 20 HR guy at Minute Maid Park. If Lowrie was a bigger name player you would see the Red Sox PR machine gearing up to bad mouth him on his way out of town.

Kyle Weiland would have been an innings eater at Pawtucket this year for the Red Sox but for the Astros he can easily step in and be the 5th starter or even 4th starter. The Astros rotation is awful and they are actively trying to trade Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers. I could easily see Weiland giving them double the innings as a starter that they got from Mack Melancon last season. There's a value in that and you never know - Weiland could blossom into a very good NL starter.

Mark Melancon was the Astros closer last year but ask yourself - how valuable can any closer be to a 100-loss team? You could have Mo Rivera and what real good would it do you? So the Astros get a starting shortstop and a starting pitcher but they give up a young serviceable closer. In return the Red Sox get a guy who can close but who most likely will be a 7th or 8th inning guy and who is just 2 months older than Daniel Bard.

Yesterday the Red Sox signed veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach to a 1-year $1.35 million deal. A deal that basically signals the end to the Jason Varitek era in Boston. Stoppach has a career .909 OPS vs LHP including a .788 OPS last year. This foreshadows a platoon with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in 2012.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

People who can't believe President Obama's birth certificate also can't believe Parkay is not butter... Sad news - Alice Ward, mother of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund, has died... The Most Interesting Man in the World's catchphrase is "Stay thirsty my friend"? Is that code asking me to actually drink Diet Coke? Because Diet Coke is the only drink I can think of that still leaves you thirsty after drinking it... Victorian Star Trek... Appointing General David Petraeus to the CIA is a good move on many levels. For President Obama it puts a potential severe critic into a position where Petraeus' public comments will be limited. For America it removes a politician with no experience and replaces him with a man who understands firsthand that leaked secrets can get soldiers killed. The bottom line is that it is a good move for America... At some point the Red Sox have to consider Jed Lowrie as an outfield replacement for JD Drew next season. Lowrie's not that good a shortstop but his offensive numbers could be very similar to Drew's... Very interesting story of a neurologist trying to finish his last paper - on the disease that's killing him!... Dustin Pedroia better win the AL Gold Glove at 2nd this year... According to Moe Lane - Barack Obama has a 116 IQ

Shortstop - Defense Against the Dark Arts Position?

In the Harry Potter series of books we learn that Lord Voldemorte cursed the teaching position of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts because if he can't have the position - then he didn't want anyone else to have to position either. After the curse - no teacher lasts longer than one year. Professor Quirrel, Professor Lockhart, Professor Lupin, Professor Moody, Professor Umbridge, Professor Snape.

Something similar seems to have happened with the Red Sox and the position of shortstop. Did Nomar curse the position on his way out the door? Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Nick Green. Can anyone hold on to this roster spot for more than one Hogwarts' school year worth of time?

I'm hoping that Jed Lowrie can break the spell but I also would be surprised if the shortstop was wide open again next year.

Julio Lugo - Shart Stop

Sorry for the juvenile humor but I have to say this. A shart is a fart that draws mud. You go to fart and you get a little something extra. You gamble and lose. Which brings me to Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo.

Julio Lugo has been an awful signing for the Red Sox. He was signed to a 4-year $36 million contract back in 2007 and Red Sox fans have never been happy about it. Many will go so far as to argue that the Lugo contract was the worst signing in Red Sox history.

Last season Lugo had 16 errors in just 82 games which when combined with his .685 OPS made the argument about him being the worst Red Sox mistake hard to argue against. Rookie Jed Lowrie had ZERO errors in 49 games filling for Lugo last season. Lowrie even hit better than Lugo despite having a fractured left wrist. It was assumed that Lowrie would be the starting shortstop for the Red Sox in 2009 - basically making Lugo a $9 million back-up.

This spring Lugo had an operation on his knee on Saint Patrick's Day almost as if to acknowledge that he lost his job and should get healthy for whatever team the Red Sox would be able to dump him to. Then it was announced that just time alone had not allowed Jed Lowrie's wrist to properly heal and he too would need surgery.

My theory is that Lugo rushed back from his knee injury before he was 100% because he saw an opportunity to win his job back and regain his mojo (if he ever had any). He gambled that he would play well enough in the field and at the plate that Jed Lowrie would be the back-up when Lowrie came off the DL. Lugo gambled and lost.

Sure Lugo may still be nursing an injured knee but this whole season Lugo has played the field like a guy who is afraid to move his legs out of fear that crap would literally seep out of his ass. No range whatsoever. And any Red Sox fan who remembers Lugo failing to turn a key double play recently because his throw to first was made flatfooted as if he was afraid to lift one leg in the air to get some mustard on the throw knows exactly what I'm talking about. That throw was made as if Lugo was afraid mustard would leak down his leg if he made a normal throw. He's been playing like a guy who just sharted.

Julio Lugo - shart stop.

That's how I see the guy now.

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Tim Wakefield continues to be the best bargain in baseball. With his win last night he's now 6-6 on the season - which is the least impressive thing about his statistics. Consider that he's started 19 games and averaged better than 6 innings pitched per game all the while posting a 3.60 ERA at the age of 41. You don't think of Wakefield as a strikeout pitcher but with his 6 strikeouts last night he broke his tie with Hall of Famer Kid Nichols to take 78th place on the all-time strikeout list all by himself... Only two teams in the AL have a winning record on the road. The Angels have been great on the road this year with a 30-18 record and the Yankees just qualify by going 23-22 so far this season... Bobby Kielty has been granted his release from the Red Sox. With Coco Crisp and Brandon Moss standing in his way - there was no way he was going to see any action on the big league level... If Jed Lowrie proves to be an everyday shortstop - can the Red Sox afford to eat the $18 million left on Julio Lugo's contract? There are many, many Red Sox fans who hope they can... Speaking of contracts fans would love to drop - how many Phillies fans would love to see Philadelphia's front office shed themselves of Adam Eaton's $9.5 million 2009 contract? Eaton's ERA is 5.71 and it's still more than half a run BETTER than it was last year... It doesn't make me happy that players like Eaton get all the chances in the world but yet a player like Charlie Zink can go 10-2 with a 2.28 ERA in AAA and not get a sniff of the big leagues. Just because Zink is a knuckleball pitcher and he's stuck in a farm system that is pitching rich. Don't try to tell me that a team like the Phillies wouldn't be 100% better with Zink taking the ball every 5th day than it would be with Adam Eaton. Hasn't anyone learned anything from the lesson of Tim Wakefield?