Could Brad Lidge be the final piece?

[ORS]

Gagne actually creates another possibility, Otsuka. I see them working hard to package Murphy for Tankersly. No way they give up Ellsbury, but I don't think they'll have to.

[jacksonianmarch]

Tankersley is a guy who will get brutalized in the ALE. 1.44WHIP which is very BB loaded (26 in 41IP). Any move over here will increase that WHIP on both ends. If the sox got him, I'd leave him in AAA with Hansen to have 1 more yr of maturation. I think he'd be a bad choice for fenway.

[BSN07]

The Marlins have been said to be interested in Murphy, knowing the team is not going to trade Ellsbury.

 

 

ORS, who do you think Texas will be looking for in return for Otsuka?

[Mr Crunchy]

how much blame should the bullpen hold when our 4-5 pitchers couldnt reach the 4th inning most of the time??

the pen was taxed ad nauseum due to the injury to wakefield and the arroyo deal

thats 250 innings of 4.5 era that was lost

then replaced by the kason gabbards and jj johnsons of the world

 

say what you want about wake and arroyo but those men eat innings

something that the lenny dinardos and dee snyders of the world fail to do

 

this season our 4-5 starters should be able to perform at a much higher level than the scatine we threw out there last year making our pen stronger by less use

[jacksonianmarch]

Mr. C. I agree. The best friend of a bullpen is less work. But at the same time, the guys they have out there even under less stress are not all that encouraging. Plus, pens have the propensity to get leaned on heavier and heavier as a season wears on. I think anyone who has seen baseball over the past few yrs could look at this pen and see that this one is not suited for such an exploit.

[Mr Crunchy]

i like delcarmen and i think he's going to be a good 7th inning guy

i think timlin will be effective if he doesnt have to pitch daily

he went into the WBC with a dead arm in march and w

the lefty from japan may be a blessing in matchup situations but theres no closer as of yet and that as we know is the end all be all of the bullpen

 

look for matt clement to have a riveraesque season with 68 saves

[BSN07]

 

look for matt clement to have a riveraesque season with 68 saves

 

 

 

:blink: :blink: Thats optomistic to say the least LOL

[scaffolds]

Lidge has not only a better arm than Cordero, but more room for a mistake that Cordero has, in general Lidge is the better closer.

 

In talking about Wily Mo Pena, i read a post in this thread that said that Pena was a below average runner, not only that comment isn't true but its a joke, Pena has an above average speed. Its well known that Pena isn't a great defensive outfielder, but he isn't as bad as some posters has posted, sure he has had a hand full of bad games in RF, but Fenway's RF may be hardest to play at the ML level and i believe that if Pena plays RF in a regular basis he would play a playable defense. Top righthanded power hitters is one tool who its very hard to find and when an organizational finds it you don't traded away.

[Mr Crunchy]

after watching lidge meltdown then finally lose his job in houston i dont think hes mentally capable of pitching here in the al east unless its in tampa.

 

i would trade pena for him in a minute however

 

i do think he can get people out,just not consistant enuff 2b a closer

[scaffolds]

after watching lidge meltdown then finally lose his job in houston i dont think hes mentally capable of pitching here in the al east unless its in tampa.

 

i would trade pena for him in a minute however

 

i do think he can get people out,just not consistant enuff 2b a closer

 

I disagree.

[ARod2212]

Armando Benitez. That's the regard I hold Brad Lidge in.

[Beckett95]

Crisp and a prospect for Dan Wheeler and Jason Lane

 

Maybe they'd be interested in Clement......

[Cityofchampions33]

I wouldn't midn Wheelr, but not for a closer

[Beckett95]

Id give Wheeler a shot a closing. He's been one of the most lights out relievers that isnt a closer over the last 2 years. He just turned 29 and is also from Rhode Island.

 

2005 and 2006 stats

 

145 innings, 2.37 ERA, 12 HR, .89 GO/AO, 1.07 WHIP, 41 holds, .212 AVG, 12 saves

 

in the end though, id take Lidge or Wheeler for Crisp

[seabeachfred]

Id give Wheeler a shot a closing. He's been one of the most lights out relievers that isnt a closer over the last 2 years. He just turned 29 and is also from Rhode Island.

 

2005 and 2006 stats

 

145 innings, 2.37 ERA, 12 HR, .89 GO/AO, 1.07 WHIP, 41 holds, .212 AVG, 12 saves

 

in the end though, id take Lidge or Wheeler for Crisp

 

You know Beck, you might be on to something there. Wheeler has been damn effective the past two seasons and he could be had for less than what Lidge would cost us. A Pena for Wheeler might just get the job done.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Fast Freddie]

You know Beck' date=' you might be on to something there. Wheeler has been damn effective the past two seasons and he could be had for less than what Lidge would cost us. A Pena for Wheeler might just get the job done.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:[/quote']

I disagree. Wheeler would cost more than Lidge. Houston wants a way out of the Lidge headache.

[CrespoBlows]

I disagree. Wheeler would cost more than Lidge. Houston wants a way out of the Lidge headache.

 

Oh, they do? And you know this how?

[Fast Freddie]

I watch baseball games. You should try it sometimes. They have these guys called announcers, and they discuss things like that.

[CrespoBlows]

I watch baseball games. You should try it sometimes. They have these guys called announcers' date=' and they discuss things like that.[/quote']

 

Oh, thanks. I'm still looking for the answer in which you said they were desperate to deal Lidge?

 

Those announcers are great, they're never wrong or anything. Like Phil Simms, "Talent wins in the first quarter, but character wins in the fourth." As Jamal Lewis breaks a twenty yard run, in the fourth quarter.

 

"If Bautista throws you out on that play then that is a good base running play." Tim McCarver.

 

Joe Morgan: He got hit in the leg, looks like he got hit in the leg. Definitely looks like he was hit in the leg, right back at him and hit his leg. Took that ball right on the leg.

Color Commentator: Looks like maybe in the stomach.

Joe Morgan: I don't know, I can't see it.

 

Seriously, quit being stupid. Watching a baseball game doesn't make you an expert on what goes on in the Houston front office.

[scaffolds]

I watch baseball games. You should try it sometimes. They have these guys called announcers, and they discuss things like that.[/quote

 

Of course you believe everything you hear.

[jacksonianmarch]

in all seriousness, I think Wheeler would cost more. Lidge is a guy who the astros will hold out on and then deal IMO. But Wheeler makes that pen run. They dont even sniff a playoff race without him last season.

[phillysoxfan115]

Wheeler would cost more, but it has nothing to do with what announcers say. It would be the fact he's cheaper, been more reliable recently, and hasn't lost his secondary stuff. Lidge can't throw his slider for a strike, so teams wait for his fastball, which is good, but its like Beckett in that if that's all you throw, you're toast. The Astros love Wheeler, and would not give him up unless Lidge starts out the year absolutely lights out, and even then it would take a lot for Wheeler. If you're looking for anyone on the Astros bullpen, your best bet to both come fairly cheap and succeed in Boston (not a given ever), is Chad Qualls.

[scaffolds]

Qualls is more of a setup pitcher than a closer.

[a700hitter]

I wasn't the only one. Many thought it was a possibility' date=' and I am actually surprised that your front office signed him for as low as they did. In this market, you guys lucked out. [/quote']Many people thought the earth was flat and that the sun orbited around the earth and many deny the holocaust. The scenarios of Dice-K going back to Japan were baseless and made no economic sense for anyone. The theories that Boras would buy his contract and/or challenge the posting system were absolutely absurd.

[a700hitter]

Maybe he got burned a bit by signing Foulke and is afraid to throw big money long term to a closer?

He got burned by Foulke bringing his team through the playoffs and to the first franchise WS in 86 years?

[Beckett95]

He got burned by Foulke bringing his team through the playoff and to the first franchise WS in 86 years/

 

great point

 

Without Foulke that year, we had no shot at a WS

[jacksonianmarch]

He got burned by Foulke bringing his team through the playoffs and to the first franchise WS in 86 years?

 

no, the back end of that deal. Foulke's signing won the WS. It also cause Theo to not get a closer last season.

[a700hitter]

no' date=' the back end of that deal. Foulke's signing won the WS. It also cause Theo to not get a closer last season.[/quote']I don't think Theo gave that contract a second thought after 2004.

[Beckett95]

top options as closer

 

1. Otsuka

2. Lidge/Wheeler

3. Cordero

4. Turnbow

 

imagine having Matsuzaka go 7 innings, Okajima in the 8th and then Otsuka in the 9th

[TheKilo]

top options as closer

 

1. Otsuka

2. Lidge/Wheeler

3. Cordero

4. Turnbow

 

imagine having Matsuzaka go 7 innings, Okajima in the 8th and then Otsuka in the 9th

 

Dealing Crisp for Otsuka is a pretty bad idea.