Lester Update

[Anuj09]

the way i see it is that the Astros gave Clemens minimal run support. I think hes in it for him - he wants another ring and another great year. He will go to the Yankees cuz they will provide him with all the runs he could want

[jacksonianmarch]

Another good point. Our offense needs to kick it up a notch though. Damon is really struggling as is Abreu. 2 OBP machines not generating OBP causes us to have 3, 4, and 5 run games. That isnt our offense. When those guys are going good, we'll be seeing 6,7, and 8 run games. You give Clemens 8 runs and he will be very happy and obviously win the game for you. I cant say the same about Bucky.

[MANNYHOF24]

Another good point. Our offense needs to kick it up a notch though. Damon is really struggling as is Abreu. 2 OBP machines not generating OBP causes us to have 3' date=' 4, and 5 run games. That isnt our offense. When those guys are going good, we'll be seeing 6,7, and 8 run games. You give Clemens 8 runs and he will be very happy and obviously win the game for you. I cant say the same about Bucky.[/quote']

 

Don't be suprised if Clemens doesn't choose the Yankees. I think it is so hillarious of Yankees fans just asume that Roger wants to pitch for you guys. I personally think he will play in Houston, and do not count us out. Would it be so bad to keep Lester a full year at triple and have Roger end his career where it started, I don't think so.

[ryanromine]

Bob Ryan wrote this article and I think it is a pretty good one and needs to be read!

click here

[Anuj09]

Don't be suprised if Clemens doesn't choose the Yankees. I think it is so hillarious of Yankees fans just asume that Roger wants to pitch for you guys. I personally think he will play in Houston' date=' and do not count us out. Would it be so bad to keep Lester a full year at triple and have Roger end his career where it started, I don't think so.[/quote']

well if i was a yankee fan i would assume that he would want to be on the yankees too.

 

A) Andy Petite is on the team who is his best friend.

2. Uber Run Support even without production from Damon and Abreau

C) Idc where they rank in the east the Yankees will ALWAYS be there right up to the end they are just too good offensively and Wang and Mussina and petite are bound to turn it around. throw in Roger and they are pretty good.

 

Dont get me wrong i would love the idea of Roger back in Boston. but im not getting my hopes up if he really wanted to play for Boston he would have chosen them last year over the Astros. I am just thinking logically

[ryanromine]

well if i was a yankee fan i would assume that he would want to be on the yankees too.

 

A) Andy Petite is on the team who is his best friend.

2. Uber Run Support even without production from Damon and Abreau

C) Idc where they rank in the east the Yankees will ALWAYS be there right up to the end they are just too good offensively and Wang and Mussina and petite are bound to turn it around. throw in Roger and they are pretty good.

 

Dont get me wrong i would love the idea of Roger back in Boston. but im not getting my hopes up if he really wanted to play for Boston he would have chosen them last year over the Astros. I am just thinking logically

 

Nicely put! I would love to see the Rocket back in a Sox uni! And why would he not want to! I think he would get great run support in Boston and have a chance to win another ring with the team that he started with! I guess we will find out his decision by May 31st

[schillingouttheks]

BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheKilo]

LOUD!!!! NOISES!!!!

[BSN07]

I don't see the Sox offering Roja a 25M deal, the Yanks will and he will chase the money. I wouldn't mind seeing him pitch in the 5th spot, but not for that kind of money, my gut says he stays a whore and goes to the Yanks...

[TGov]

I have a question, What if Lester doesn't pitch well in the majors?...

Do you put Tavarez back in the 5 hole?

Do you acquire someone, and if so... WHO?

 

EDIT: What about Hansack?

[TheKilo]

I have a question, What if Lester doesn't pitch well in the majors?...

Do you put Tavarez back in the 5 hole?

Do you acquire someone, and if so... WHO?

 

EDIT: What about Hansack?

 

Lester, like Clemens, is over a month away IMO.

 

Tavarez has done a decent job out of the #5 spot in the rotation this year. I say he gets at least 3 or 4 more starts.

[a700hitter]

I have a question, What if Lester doesn't pitch well in the majors?...

Do you put Tavarez back in the 5 hole?

Do you acquire someone, and if so... WHO?

 

EDIT: What about Hansack?

Good question. If Lester isn't ready, we had better keep our fingers crossed, hold our noses and ride it out with Tavarez. If Tavarez bombs, we will start parading to the mound one piece of garbage after another in the 5th slot until the bullpen wears down and starts getting injured, which will put a strain on the other starters. The staff will fall like dominoes in the dog days. It will be reminiscent of last year.

[HeadOfSoxNation]

I have a question, What if Lester doesn't pitch well in the majors?...

Do you put Tavarez back in the 5 hole?

Do you acquire someone, and if so... WHO?

 

EDIT: What about Hansack?

 

Good question...

 

Hansack hasn't been pitching very well in the minors as of late...he played well up here last year, but that looks more like a fluke than anything else now that he isn't doing anything spectacular in Pawtucket. Last I checked, he had a high 3's era with over a hit an inning given up. That doesn't sound bad, but the competition up here is far superior to the Scranton Yankees and Syracuse Chiefs that he's facing in AAA ball.

 

I'd say you've gotta give the edge to Tavarez...he hasn't been lights out, or even lights dim, but hey, we could do a lot worse. Ok, maybe not a lot worse...but worse. The way that I look at it, with the situation as it is now...if Lester doesn't perform, there's no other guy in this system that I'd feel comfortable handing the ball to every 5th day. Not Tavarez, not Hansack, not Pauley, not Snyder...nobody. So, we might as well not rush any of the young guys up when there is no distinct benefit to doing so.

 

We've gotta keep our fingers crossed that Lester comes in and is a formidable starter every 5th day. He's by far the most capable and has looked good in his starts to date on the farm.

 

That is, unless anyone wants to see if we can track down Rudy Seanez for a spot-start? :dunno:

[riverside sluggers]

Good question. If Lester isn't ready' date=' we had better keep our fingers crossed, hold our noses and ride it out with Tavarez. If Tavarez bombs, we will start parading to the mound one piece of garbage after another in the 5th slot until the bullpen wears down and starts getting injured, which will put a strain on the other starters. The staff will fall like dominoes in the dog days. It will be reminiscent of last year.[/quote']

 

Umm this time last year the Sox had already lost Wells, Clement was pitching hurt until he went down in June (both in 1st half when the Sox were in 1st place). Wakefield dint get hurt because of the bullpen behind him.

 

Oh I get this game, where are my manners? The 5th starter will be the downfall to this team!! If a team's downfall is a 5th starter, something is awry

[Gyroball]

Taverez or Lester at 5, I don't think it matters. Either way, the 5 slot is the 5 slot, and either pitcher is more than capable of holding down the #5. It's more importand that the other 4 guys stay healthy. . . and papelbon.

[a700hitter]

Umm this time last year the Sox had already lost Wells, Clement was pitching hurt until he went down in June (both in 1st half when the Sox were in 1st place). Wakefield dint get hurt because of the bullpen behind him.

 

Oh I get this game, where are my manners? The 5th starter will be the downfall to this team!! If a team's downfall is a 5th starter, something is awry

You really need to work on your pessimistic streak. I do agree with you that the absence of a reliable 5 th starter could have a deleterious effect on the rest of the staff especially when the hot weather moves in and there are few days off. If one of the 40 year olds were to hurt .. let's say an ankle or break a rib, it could have a disastrous effect.

[a700hitter]

Lester threw a bullpen session today. He said he fel good, but when asked about his forearm cramp, he said that it is something that has always bothered him and that he'd just have to pitch thru it. I really don't like to hear that with a young pitcher, especially one that has been coddled with pitch counts throughout his development.

[jacksonianmarch]

Lester threw a bullpen session today. He said he fel good' date=' but when asked about his forearm cramp, he said that it is something that has always bothered him and that he'd just have to pitch thru it. I really don't like to hear that with a young pitcher, especially one that has been coddled with pitch counts throughout his development.[/quote']

 

It is time for an MRI. Forearm pain is very commonly seen when a player has elbow problems. 2 recent examples are Humberto Sanchez and Pavano. Both had forearm cramps that never went away. Subsequent MRI's showed elbow injuries.

[riverside sluggers]

Lester!

 

boston.com/sports

Lester solid again

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff

Rehabbing lefthander Jon Lester picked up a win for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox this afternoon in Norfolk, Va., giving up just one run over seven innings in the PawSox’s 5-1 victory.Lester scattered four hits to go along with a walk and a strikeout. He threw 87 pitches, 54 for strikes. Norfolk's Luis Montanez hit a home run off Lester to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning for Norfolk's only run.

 

Lester's seven-inning effort was good for a complete game, as the PawSox and Norfolk Tides are playing a doubleheader today and each game is only seven innings instead of the usual nine.Lester is now 1-1 with a 1.26 ERA for Pawtucket.

 

When asked last Thursday on Boston sports radio station WEEI about the plan for Lester, general manager Theo Epstein wouldn’t commit to a timetable for his return to the Red Sox.

 

“He’s still on a pitch count,” Epstein said. “He’s still an outing or two away from going unrestricted and seeing what he can do in the course of a long outing and getting fatigued, working his way out of jams… right now we’re just focused on his development in making sure that when it’s time to answer that question [when Lester is return to the majors], he’s got all his pitches working for him, he’s been through all the tests, he’s answered all the questions that we’re going to have for him before it’s time to come up. It’s a good problem to have and those things have a way or working themselves out.

 

“The only thing we discussed with him is one step at a time and getting healthy. He had a little bump in the road with the forearm cramp, and now it’s just a matter of him working himself back up to be able to go deep in games. We’re just going to take it one step with him, there are no expectations, no promises one way or the other.”

[schillingouttheks]

Great to see the kid doing well. If JT keeps giving us solid outings and giving us chances to win, we should let him finish the year in AAA.

 

That being said, I think we end up seeing him around the beginning of July.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Id rather him get big league experience. Lets assume the Red Sox decide to go with Lester and Buchholz in the rotation next year. Chances of Buchholz getting called up are slim (unless in Sept.) so if Lester also had a similar situation we'd be going in with two inexperienced SP. So Id rather put Lester in now and get him settled in then go into next year without any more MLB experience. (this happening after another 2-3 starts in AAA)

[riverside sluggers]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/06/05/okajima_remains_in_adjustment_period/

 

Lester is expected to get at least one more start. If it is just 1 more and then a callup, he would be line to start game 1 against the Giants at Fenway

[adam123]

Lester will be the fifth starter this week . Cant wait to see him . go lester

[Cocos Disciples]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE TICKETS TO THE 1ST GIANTS GAME. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mar_022]

lester goes tonight. so far, hes got a .87 ERA at pawtucket, and all he needs is to get the pitch count up a bit. After an 87 pitch 7 inning CG last start, it seems as though he is almost ready. I'd like to see him go 100 tonight, and then either come up or go one more start max, assuming he has no setbacks tonight.