Red Sox to send Scutaro to the Rockies

[jacksonianmarch]

That wasn't directed at you, it was directed at Muggah.

 

Who's to say he won't suck, but who's to say he won't be excellent? (Bard)

 

The answer, as usual, probably lies somewhere in the middle.

 

If you are going to make that experiment, with that kind of payroll and that kind of prior history, you'd want to make sure your 1-4 is solid. Right now, your #3 is coming back from a fractured vertebral body and your #4 is also a converted reliever. It's a great risk/reward when you have him as the 5. But when he may slot into the 4 hole and you may end up needing to keep him there, then you're in trouble. You'd rather have the rotation strength to endure a lump in the 5 hole and the depth to replace him if he flames out. I think the sox as currently constituted lack those two necessities

[User Name]

If you are going to make that experiment' date=' with that kind of payroll and that kind of prior history, you'd want to make sure your 1-4 is solid. Right now, your #3 is coming back from a fractured vertebral body and your #4 is also a converted reliever. It's a great risk/reward when you have him as the 5. But when he may slot into the 4 hole and you may end up needing to keep him there, then you're in trouble. You'd rather have the rotation strength to endure a lump in the 5 hole and the depth to replace him if he flames out. I think the sox as currently constituted lack those two necessities[/quote']

 

Bucholz had a stress fracture. You are supposedly a doctor, so you know people usually come back from those with minimal impact to future performance. As for Bard, you are instituting a strawman. This is not about his position in the rotation, but the possibility of him performing as an average-above average starting pitcher.

[jacksonianmarch]

Bucholz had a stress fracture. You are supposedly a doctor' date=' so you know people usually come back from those with minimal impact to future performance. As for Bard, you are instituting a strawman. This is not about his position in the rotation, but the possibility of him performing as an average-above average starting pitcher.[/quote']

 

Actually, not true. He had a stress fracture in his spine. This isnt an arm injury, this is a spinal injury. He very well may have some lingering effects into this season. Also, one wonders how a mid 20s kid gets a stress fracture in their spine. Tells me either he isnt cut out for the work he's doing or his delivery needs an overhaul. He is by no means out of the woods.

 

And I highly doubt you know what a strawman is here. I am saying that having a converted reliever in the rotation is okay to do if your 1-4 can withstand the possibility that he is a lump, ie he doesnt perform. Converted relievers are no sure thing and right now you have 2 of them rounding out your rotation while your #3 is coming back from a spinal injury.

[User Name]

I've seen plenty of cases where people come back just fine from a spinal stress fracture, including several in sports.

 

Also, again, the point of the conversation was not whether or not Bard will be the #4 starter, but rather his performance, and since you created an imaginary position, you created a strawman. You sure you know what it is?

[jacksonianmarch]

I didnt create an imaginary position. I created the position the sox are in. Bard in the rotation without a parachute. That is where they are right now.

[Elktonnick]

Actually, not true. He had a stress fracture in his spine. This isnt an arm injury, this is a spinal injury. He very well may have some lingering effects into this season. Also, one wonders how a mid 20s kid gets a stress fracture in their spine. Tells me either he isnt cut out for the work he's doing or his delivery needs an overhaul. He is by no means out of the woods.

 

And I highly doubt you know what a strawman is here. I am saying that having a converted reliever in the rotation is okay to do if your 1-4 can withstand the possibility that he is a lump, ie he doesnt perform. Converted relievers are no sure thing and right now you have 2 of them rounding out your rotation while your #3 is coming back from a spinal injury.

 

I recall Orel Hersheiser making a similar observation that you made . From what I recall from other analysts Buccholtz's stress fracture may be a combination of both poor mechanics and the fact that he put on some additional weight needed to maintain endurance at the major league level. I just think it is overly optomistc to believe Buccholtz can pitch an entire year without some time out next year.

[User Name]

That's why the Red Sox have a new pitching coach, new conditioning team and new medical team. The conditioning will improve, and so will the health of the team.

[User Name]

I didnt create an imaginary position. I created the position the sox are in. Bard in the rotation without a parachute. That is where they are right now.

 

But it wasn't the point of discussion. You responded to my post with an answer to a position i had not presented.

[Palodios]

I finally made sense of this deal. They owed Scutaro a 1.5 million dollar buyout. By exercising the option, and trading him away, they saved themselves 1.5 million dollars. I'm still not pleased with this deal, but atleast I understand it a little bit better.

[Spitball]

I finally made sense of this deal. They owed Scutaro a 1.5 million dollar buyout. By exercising the option' date=' and trading him away, they saved themselves 1.5 million dollars. I'm still not pleased with this deal, but atleast I understand it a little bit better.[/quote']

 

I guess I still don't get it. How does $1.5 million make that much difference?

 

Without converting Scutaro's contract into a starting pitcher, the Red Sox trade a middle infielder with a .781 OPS so they can afford to sign a right fielder with an OPS of .730. That is not a way to build a winning team.

 

I know there's more to the story, but I am still disappointed.

[TheWiffler]

1.5 million doesn't mean s*** to a MLB team

[jacksonianmarch]

The point is, the sox never had an interest in exercising the option. If they let him go for free, they'd have had to pay $1.5 million. By dealing him, they got a guy who is on a non-guaranteed contract. Effectively, they got a shot in the dark player who could be cut for free without having to pay an outgoing player $1.5 mil. If the intention was to ditch Scutaro, then this was a smart way of doing it. Not sure why they would have wanted to just ditch the guy, though, he had been pretty productive

[Palodios]

The point is' date=' the sox never had an interest in exercising the option. If they let him go for free, they'd have had to pay $1.5 million. By dealing him, they got a guy who is on a non-guaranteed contract. Effectively, they got a shot in the dark player who could be cut for free without having to pay an outgoing player $1.5 mil. If the intention was to ditch Scutaro, then this was a smart way of doing it. Not sure why they would have wanted to just ditch the guy, though, he had been pretty productive[/quote']

 

Thanks for summing that one up for me. I don't agree with the move-- at all-- but this was a much better plan than not exercising the option.