Red Sox almost certainly will exercise Wake's option

[jacksonianmarch]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?articleid=1127036

 

I thought they would.

[RedSoxRooter]

Why wouldn't they? It's a great deal for a guy who wins 10 games almost every year and if they need to unload him at any point, 4 million is easy to swallow.

[jacksonianmarch]

i agree, its a no brainer.

[Dojji]

Yeah, it comes down to about $22,222.22 an inning, one of the best bargains in the league.

[Cocos Disciples]

Yeah, not surprising at all.

[Drew It Again]

oh come on with this guy now. base runners running wild.. wild pitches lets get guys who throw not f*** around with their finger nails.

[Dojji]

oh come on with this guy now. base runners running wild.. wild pitches lets get guys who throw now f*** around with their finger nails.

 

He's an average to above average pitcher at a bargain basement price at the bottom of our rotation. I fail to see the problem.

[BoSox21]

oh come on with this guy now. base runners running wild.. wild pitches lets get guys who throw now f*** around with their finger nails.

 

Find me a 5th starter on any other team you'd rather have than Wakefield.

[Drew It Again]

Find me a 5th starter on any other team you'd rather have than Wakefield.

 

Well you have your top 3 set.

 

I was hoping a free agent addition and Buccholz.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Good I am glad they are doing this. If he pitches like he has the last few seasons, they could keep activating the deal for the next 10 years and I wouldn't mind. Would be nice if he could cut down on the random games where he is just horrible, but still.

[RedSoxRooter]

He won 17 games in 2007 but statistically was way better this season and only won 11. The games started and innings are almost identicle. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=2748

[Drew It Again]

As long as they add a 4th starter and Wakefield isn't allowed to pitch in big spots I guess I can handle it. But I am starting to think this guy is a clown.. how do you throw 60 mph and hurt yourself the way he does?

[Dojji]

I wouldn't take Wakefield out of the rotation for Buchholz until we're surer what we have in Buchholz. If he comes up and looks great, then shift Wake to the pen. But if you let Wakefield go he probably retires and you don't get him back, and you certainly don't get the sweetheart deal back, so MAKE SURE first.

[Drew It Again]

I wouldn't take Wakefield out of the rotation for Buchholz until we're surer what we have in Buchholz. If he comes up and looks great' date=' then shift Wake to the pen. But if you let Wakefield go he probably retires and you don't get him back, and you certainly don't get the sweetheart deal back, so MAKE SURE first.[/quote']

 

Theo Epstein has been rock solid as our GM. He's theory is every year a guy or two from the farm makes a impact. (Lowrie Masterson)

 

Why fix something thats not broken? Fix what is and thats Wakefield... I did a little research on the guy. This guy is the biggest crap shoot in the game. He had some pretty awful years and is well below the 500 mark in the post season. The winning PCT vs the yankees is pathetic 2.

 

We have a good team now isn't the time to be loyal to the vets. Add Lowe or Burnett instead.

[Dojji]

Surely you're not trying to make an argument about the quality of a pitcher using win percent.

[BigPapiEnFuego]

Lowe or Burnett? Lowe who could come here 4 years older then when he left here, and wasn't all that great when he left, or Burnett who will probably pitch 2 starts and go on the DL until august and make 3 more? Yeah.

[Drew It Again]

Lowe or Burnett? Lowe who could come here 4 years older then when he left here' date=' and wasn't all that great when he left, or Burnett who will probably pitch 2 starts and go on the DL until august and make 3 more? Yeah.[/quote']

 

You have to take chances on a guy like Burnett. He proved he can dominate in the best division in the MLB. Anyone who thinks Wakefield is on the same tier as Wakefield is nuts. AJ can atleast give you a shot to throw out a runner.

[Drew It Again]

Surely you're not trying to make an argument about the quality of a pitcher using win percent.

 

It's time to stop the bafoonery of this guy. The ball gets away from catchers he walks people leaves the ball on a Tee.

 

For that you can have Paul Byrd minus the wildness.

[Dojji]

OK, you might be a fine poster otherwise but you're not rational when it comes to Wakefield. That's OK, we all have hangups, but Wakefield's a valuable member of this team for what he does over the season despuite individual moments of ugliness.

[Cocos Disciples]

You have to take chances on a guy like Burnett. He proved he can dominate in the best division in the MLB. Anyone who thinks Wakefield is on the same tier as Wakefield is nuts. AJ can atleast give you a shot to throw out a runner.

 

Well call me a cashew!

[RedSoxRooter]

CASHEW!

[a700hitter]

I am so sick of him being in the rotation! Enough already. Get a real pitcher.

[Dojji]

Last time I checked, knuckleballers are real pitchers.

 

Could the anti-Wake crowd at least attempt to field a reasonable argument as to why we shouldn't bring back a guy who's third on the team in wins and provides a stable, predictable presence over the season in the bottom of the rotation? As a general rule, you're not going to get an ace for the 5 spot in the rotation, however much you might want one.

[BoSox21]

It's time to stop the bafoonery of this guy. The ball gets away from catchers

 

Kevin Cash was pretty solid at catching him, there weren't many passed balls

 

he walks people

 

He allowed 60 walks in 181 IP, an average of 0.33 walks per inning. Compatively, Jon Lester walked 66 in 210 IP, an average of 0.31 walks per inning. Pretty much a wash and I don't think anyone would complain about Lester's walks.

 

leaves the ball on a Tee.

 

If he left the ball on a tee, he'd have a much worse ERA than 4.13 and would have allowed a lot more than 1.2 HRs per 9 IP

 

yea, he's frustrating to watch cause he throws 65 MPH and is easy to steal on but year in and year out you know you're getting 180 IP, 10-12 wins and a low to mid 4s ERA from him and for $4 mil, these days thats a hell of a bargain

[ORS]

Fine, bring him back, but lets go into the year with the mindset that Wake makes an October roster only as part of a contingency plan, mmm'Kay?

[BoSox21]

Fine' date=' bring him back, but lets go into the year with the mindset that Wake makes an October roster only as part of a contingency plan, mmm'Kay?[/quote']

 

No doubt about that

[Dojji]

Yeah, I'm down with that, not because Wake's a bad pitcher but because trends suggest that he doesn't fare well in Octobers. Possibly something to do with cold air and the knuckler grip.

[TheKilo]

Surely you're not trying to make an argument about the quality of a pitcher using win percent.

 

Earlier in the year you said the most important characteristic of a pitcher was pitching with a lead...

[Gom]

Fine' date=' bring him back, but lets go into the year with the mindset that Wake makes an October roster only as part of a contingency plan, mmm'Kay?[/quote']

Blame the FO for not getting a solid pitcher to be part of the four man rotation, someone like...oh never mind.

 

Wake is a steal at 4 million. Best #5 in baseball.

[BoSox21]

Blame the FO for not getting a solid pitcher to be part of the four man rotation' date=' someone like...oh never mind.[/quote']

 

Schilling tore up his shoulder. Buchholz disappointed. Masterson was needed in the 'pen. Colon ran and hid in the DR and they didn't exactly catch lightning in a bottle with Byrd. Clearly, Wakefield as the #4 guy in the playoffs wasn't the FO's #1 option.