Battle For the Bullpen

[ORS]

Hill can't be optioned down, he has to hit waivers, which he won't pass through, and the Sox know it. I think Hill is here to stay.

[Palodios]

Hill doesn't have option. We'll lose him to waivers.

 

My bad. I was thinking of which solid contributers in the bullpen that the team would get rid of before its loyalty to Wakefield/Okajima. Does Albers have options?

[a700hitter]

If Hill has no options, Wakefield has to be the odd man out when lackey returns. They'll send out Atchinson and Oki first, but then the bell will toll for Wakefield.

[Station 13]

Atchison provides nothing. He's a terrible reliever who throws in the upper 80s. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go down by the weekend to bring up Doubront.

[Station 13]

My bad. I was thinking of which solid contributers in the bullpen that the team would get rid of before its loyalty to Wakefield/Okajima. Does Albers have options?

 

No on Albers. He's one of the better relievers, even with options, he stays since he can help win games.

 

Guys like Okajima, Atchison, Wakefield never pitch in close games. They need to go. Wake could use some DL time if they have roster problem.

[Palodios]

Atchison provides nothing. He's a terrible reliever who throws in the upper 80s. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go down by the weekend to bring up Doubront.

 

I disagree. He's proven himself to be the perfect journeyman 5th/6th inning reliever. He can give you long relief, and he can keep you in the game. In 2010, he only gave up more than 2 runs in one appearance. He'll never be a great reliever, and good may be pushing it, but as a 5th/6th/7th option out of the pen for middle innings, this guy is everything you could ask for.

[Palodios]

No on Albers. He's one of the better relievers, even with options, he stays since he can help win games.

 

Guys like Okajima, Atchison, Wakefield never pitch in close games. They need to go. Wake could use some DL time if they have roster problem.

 

I'm fully aware of who is good and who is not. Unfortunately, the moves that this team makes regarding the bullpen defy logic in favor of loyalty.

[Station 13]

I'm fully aware of who is good and who is not. Unfortunately' date=' the moves that this team makes regarding the bullpen defy logic in favor of loyalty.[/quote']

 

I know, it's frustrating. Aceves is the better choice to start. He's not going to make any if Wake is around.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Atchison provides nothing. He's a terrible reliever who throws in the upper 80s. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go down by the weekend to bring up Doubront.

 

Well Doubront has a pulled groin, so he's not coming up. As far as Atchison is concerned, I think he *should* be our 8th arm in the bullpen, meaning first up from Pawtucket.

 

With a pen of Pap Bard Jenks Albers Aceves Hill Wheeler, that's a bullpen where, outside of Wheeler and Jenks who are having a tough start to the year, there will never be a case where we are losing in a close game and people say "WTF?!? Why did we bring him in?!?"

 

You essentially replace Wakefield and Okajima with Aceves and Hill. Both of those are extremely effective relief pitchers. Both of those have the ability to come into the 7th or 8th inning when we're up by 1 or 2 runs (assuming Bard needs rest), and you see them running in and you're comfortable with that.

 

That's something that I think this team has not had in recent years. Between Wakefield, MDC, Ramon Ramirez, and Okajima last year, Francona was almost in a situation where he's saying "Ok, 1 out in the 7th, we're up 1, does a depleted Lester give us a better shot to win, or does MDC or RR give us a better shot?" And I think a lot of his complacency with the SP stems from that.

 

But now, we have 7 arms that can almost all be trusted in a 1-2 run game (save for Wheeler and maybe Jenks until he turns it around), and now maybe Francona isn't so reluctant to go to the bullpen. Maybe at that point, he goes out with the hook at the first sign of trouble because he finally has the confidence in his bullpen that he's never had.

 

It all starts with getting rid of Wakefield and Okajima. Managerial complacency stems from bullpen inconsistency.

[key463DP]

I hope that Okajima could get the absolute position of left-hand reliever. His pitching skill has improved dramatically in MLB (unexpectable in NPB), but his earned run average is high every year.

 

Many Japanese players wander around many MLB or MiLB teams, but I want him to succeed in RED SOX!

[SoxSport]

They need two lefties in the bullpen. They can do without Atchison's 5+ era.

Oki and Hill right now. Dubront looks like one of those injured all the time types.Andrew Miller needs to find the strike zone.

[SoxSport]

Atchison provides nothing. He's a terrible reliever who throws in the upper 80s. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go down by the weekend to bring up Doubront.

 

He must be dating Henry's secretary.