Do the Sox's need to resign Mirabelli?

[jacksonianmarch]

SOTK' date=' I don't like Wake closing because he's got, as you would expect with the knuckleball, inconsistent control. I'd rather see Foulke (if healthy) because he has surgeon like control.[/quote']

 

HAD surgeon like control and also HAD balls.

[a700hitter]

I'd rather sign Mirabelli than to trade another prospect or two to get him back if we can't find a catcher to catch the knuckleball. Sign Belli and Barajas. If Barajas can catch the knuckler, trade Belli for a prospect.

[ORS]

HAD surgeon like control and also HAD balls.

*If healthy

[jacksonianmarch]

*If healthy

 

It wasnt all health.

[a700hitter]

It wasnt all health.

Really, what else was it?

[jacksonianmarch]

Really' date=' what else was it?[/quote']

 

 

he lost the edge. He lost confidence in his stuff. That is career death for a closer.

[a700hitter]

he lost the edge. He lost confidence in his stuff. That is career death for a closer.

He lost his stuff due to his injuries. The bad knees led to a drop in velocity and the loss of confidence. But for the injury, he doesn't lose his stuff or his confidence. Cmon man! Try to apply cause and effect in a logical manner.

[BSN07]

Injury's definately didn't help, but he also didn't have that confident demenor that he had in o4'

so that leads me to believe his confidence was no there like it was. Either one or the other or both lead to him pitching the way he has recently.

[NoPepper]

... trade Belli for a prospect.

 

Who wants him? Don't get me wrong, I love your idea. Get what we can for him.

 

I just don't see anybody wanting him. He's a FA now, so we'll see if anyone bites.

[riverside sluggers]

He lost his stuff due to his injuries. The bad knees led to a drop in velocity and the loss of confidence. But for the injury' date=' he doesn't lose his stuff or his confidence. Cmon man! Try to apply cause and effect in a logical manner.[/quote']

 

Foulkie plain out delievered after he came back from the DL. Him closing next season is a better option than the free agent market is looking like.

[rician blast]

If having Wakefield as a starter[1] results in 2 roster spots, perhaps its time to re-think Wake on the roster?

 

 

 

Agree Pep, even Theo so much as said that when 'belli was reacquired last year that the FO made a knee-jerk reaction and that had they taken a little more time there may have been another solution to the problem.

[CrespoBlows]

Injury's definately didn't help, but he also didn't have that confident demenor that he had in o4'

so that leads me to believe his confidence was no there like it was. Either one or the other or both lead to him pitching the way he has recently.

 

When he was healthy, he was pitching like it was '04. You're kicking the man who was pitching when his elbow was completely f***ed. Injuries had EVERYTHING to do with this injury.

[rician blast]

Foulkie plain out delievered after he came back from the DL. Him closing next season is a better option than the free agent market is looking like.

 

He might be "an option" but I'm not sure he's a "better" option than the FA market. Foulke's slide from a fastball that topped out at 91-92 in 2004 to one that rarely breaks 87 is not likely to be reversed (unless he uses some HGH or something). He may be crafty and he may get some guys out but IMO his days as a solid closer are gone.

[riverside sluggers]

They are not going to rid themselves of Wakefield in his probable last season in the majors just because of who's catching him. He's a 5th starter who'll give you a respectable 4-4.5 ERA, costs $4 million and can easily rack up 200 innings. The guy signed a lifetime contract with the Red Sox, give him his due and let him finish out his career as it should... as a Red Sox

[Bosoxwest]

No not really. The passed balls' date=' something a catcher has much more control over, were through the roof with Bard.[/quote']

 

Passed ball vs. wild pitch is often a judgment call by the scorer.

[Bosoxwest]

I'm starting to have something brewing here. Slam me if you think it's a terrible idea, or if you think it's a legit idea, let me know. If I were the Sox, I would go after Schmidt or Matsuzaka (obviously). Getting both most likely won't happen, so I'll say we only acquire one. Then, I would go out and get another decent starter that could hold down the 5th slot in the rotation (like a Meche type player) and have the rotation look as follows (in no particular order, these are just the members):

 

Schilling

Beckett

Schmidt/Matsuzaka

Papelbon

Meche/someone else

 

What do you guys think about using Wake to hold down the closer role for 1 season? He's got experience out of the bullpen to go with the large amount of stamina he has as a result of being a knuckleballer. Not to mention the fact that the velocity change for the 9th inning would absolutely baffle hitters. He's also the type of guy, because of his stamina, that could get you 2 inning saves if need be. Hell, maybe even 3 innings. And the best part is, you could probably use him every night that you needed to (I'm not saying you would use him the night after he pitched 3 innings). There's a hole in the back of the bullpen that needs filling. Do you think Wake could hold down the closer role for this year only, and then next off-season go after a closer when the market would be much more appealing (Francisco Cordero would be available) ?

 

Let me know your thoughts. If you hate it, well then, say it, but I don't think this idea is too crazy.

 

Sorry to skip over this idea Schill. It has some merit, but I don't think it would fly for a couple of reasons. The first is stamina - as you say, Wake has it. The Sox desperately need 200 or so IP from a league-average or better starter, and Wake typically provides that. That is probably his best usage to benefit the club. The second is the control issues with the knuckler. It often takes him a couple innings to get in the groove, and sometimes he never does. Consistency is paramount in a closer - you want th other team to think the game is 99.999% done when he steps on the mound (like Paps!).

 

That said, would I go to Vegas and throw down money that due to freak injuries or whatnot he never closes a game in 2007? Probably not; not after this year!

[scaffolds]

Guys with the shortage of catchers Barajas isn't going to sign with the Sox to be a back up catcher.

[jonlesterlover62]

hey tried trading the Mirabelli thing last year and that didnt go over so well. Him and wake are great toghter when wake has got his game going. Also when v-tek went down what would we have done without him. So Mirabelli earend his role on the team at least for a little while longer.

[rician blast]

They are not going to rid themselves of Wakefield in his probable last season in the majors just because of who's catching him. He's a 5th starter who'll give you a respectable 4-4.5 ERA' date=' costs $4 million and can easily rack up 200 innings. The guy signed a lifetime contract with the Red Sox, give him his due and let him finish out his career as it should... as a Red Sox[/quote']

 

A team HAS to have guys who can eat innings. We all know what happened to the 'pen this year in the absence of Arroyo and with several starters being injured throught the year.

 

Ignoring the fact that Wake on your staff means you have to carry a catcher who can catch the knuckler, Wake IS that innings-eating pitcher. Going into this offseason I wasn't sure if they'd resign him because of age AND the very fact that his presence dictates you need to keep a knuckle-handler as a backup catcher...thus you LOSE flexibility at this position. Regardless, you can NEVER have too much pitching, and as riverside points out at $4m or so for one year, I guess the re-signing of Wake makes sense.

 

Now back to the topic...do they need to resign 'Belli? Not sure what other options the FO has in mind, so maybe Dougie is sitting pretty right now.

[Cityofchampions33]

Yes, sign Belli, otehrwise we'll have to trade for him again once we find out the enw guy can't catch the knuckleball. I mean what happened to the "best abckup cactehr in the Majors" tag he had before last year? He's still a evry good backup catcher, I mena it's not like we're looking for a starting catcher.

[example1]

Mirabelli is not a great backup catcher. He is defensively average (at best) except for his ability to catch for Wakefield (which basically means "stopping the ball"). The sox ARE looking for a starting catcher, but not for this year. Hopefully Kottaras can be that guy.

[seabeachfred]

Then' date=' god damn it, let's bring in Barajas because you heard he can catch a knuckleball well![/quote']

 

You know guys I am really amazed that we are even talking about bringing Mirabelli back. The guy can't hit his hat, is a double play risk every time he comes to the plate with runners on base and less than two outs. Do we have to have a reprise of this past season. Let's move on. If we are so damn concerned about Wakefield having a catcher who can handle him put him in the bullpen so whoever catches him would only have to do so for between 1-3 innings. That could be done, and it isn't as if Wake was a tower of strength for us last season. As I remember, he always seemed to have two bad innings when they rapped him around and pitched just well enough to lose. Again, let's move on.:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

[EvilDonut]

Instead of worrying about a Catcher, lets teach them how to hit when Wake is pitching. Im sure most of you know, in Wake's Losses the sox scored 6 or so runs.

[Bosoxwest]

Instead of worrying about a Catcher' date=' lets teach them how to hit when Wake is pitching. Im sure most of you know, in Wake's Losses the sox scored 6 or so runs.[/quote']

 

That's pretty true of last year. Seems to rotate though - there's always one guy who seems to get the run support shaft. Maybe this year Wake will get tons of run support and it won't matter who catches him. That would be nice.

[riverside sluggers]

You know guys I am really amazed that we are even talking about bringing Mirabelli back. The guy can't hit his hat' date=' is a double play risk every time he comes to the plate with runners on base and less than two outs. Do we have to have a reprise of this past season. Let's move on. If we are so damn concerned about Wakefield having a catcher who can handle him put him in the bullpen so whoever catches him would only have to do so for between 1-3 innings. That could be done, and it isn't as if Wake was a tower of strength for us last season. As I remember, he always seemed to have two bad innings when they rapped him around and pitched just well enough to lose. Again, let's move on.:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:[/quote']

 

Up until he was hurt (a very very rare occurence)... he was the 2nd best starter with an ERA a shade over 4. He was hurt by bad run support which has followed him since the 05 season. I think its safe to say he'll be in the rotation for 07

[riverside sluggers]

Yes' date=' sign Belli, otehrwise we'll have to trade for him again once we find out the enw guy can't catch the knuckleball. I mean what happened to the "best abckup cactehr in the Majors" tag he had before last year? He's still a evry good backup catcher, I mena it's not like we're looking for a starting catcher.[/quote']

 

Varitek is entering his age 35 season and will be more prone to injuries, just maybe getting a better hitting backup catcher inst a bad idea. Ahhh memories of Mirabelli becoming our starting catcher during the 2nd half of the season.

[schillingouttheks]

You know guys I am really amazed that we are even talking about bringing Mirabelli back. The guy can't hit his hat' date=' is a double play risk every time he comes to the plate with runners on base and less than two outs. Do we have to have a reprise of this past season. Let's move on. If we are so damn concerned about Wakefield having a catcher who can handle him put him in the bullpen so whoever catches him would only have to do so for between 1-3 innings. That could be done, and it isn't as if Wake was a tower of strength for us last season. As I remember, he always seemed to have two bad innings when they rapped him around and pitched just well enough to lose. Again, let's move on.:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:[/quote']

 

For the record, my post was sarcasm. He said he would like him because he heard he can catch the knuckleball well and I poked a little at the idea. The Sox wouldn't sign him just because Anuj heard that he can catch a knuckleball well.

[scaffolds]

The 2006 free agent catchers class:

 

Bengie Molina (A)

Mike Lieberthal (A)

Rod barajas (

Greg Zaun (

Henry Blanco ©

Chris Widger

Sandy Alomar

Paul Bako

Todd Pratt

Elnar Diaz

Gary Bennett

Todd Green

Robert Fick

[Cocos Disciples]

Passed ball vs. wild pitch is often a judgment call by the scorer.

 

Yes, but the scorers aren't blindfolded.

[Bosoxwest]

Rotoworld reporting the Sox are close to signing Alberto Castillo. In other news, Mirabelli's agent just lit a cigar.

 

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