Who are you most worried about?

[MANNYHOF24]

I know we are only 14 games into the season and we have had some pretty depressing losses. Our bullpen has been complete s*** so far, but I feel like with a few moves here or there, possibly resulting in Bard being our closer and Hopefully Baliey coming in to take the 8th when he comes back, it could end up being pretty good back there.

 

Honestly my biggest concern right now is Clay Buchholz. He has not looked good in any of his outtings so far. He seems to have pretty decent stuff (good fastball velocity) but his location is totally out of whack. Now hopefully the coaches and Clay can identify this problem and make a quick fix, but I am not so sure. Hopefully this isn't another 2008 when a bad start to the season spirals. We all know that Clay has what it takes to be a really good starter on this team, but right now he concerns me more than anything. Clay Buchholz has to be good for the Red Sox to turn this thing around.

[witty_alias]

Kevin Youkilis and his .190 avg. + the pen + Bobby V and his motivational speeches.

[Dojji]

I'm worried we'll put up an illusion of progress and they'll be buyers at the deadline.

[witty_alias]

I'm worried we'll put up an illusion of progress and they'll be buyers at the deadline.

 

This too.

[MANNYHOF24]

I'm worried we'll put up an illusion of progress and they'll be buyers at the deadline.

 

I think it's foolish to think that a team with this talent potential doesn't have a shot to make the playoffs.

[mvp 78]

Ells, worried he won't be back August.

[a700hitter]

I think it's foolish to think that a team with this talent potential doesn't have a shot to make the playoffs.

It needs to fix the bullpen. Everything else should be in good shape. Fixing a bullpen should not require a very big financial commitment.

[pedroias laser]

It needs to fix the bullpen. Everything else should be in good shape. Fixing a bullpen should not require a very big financial commitment.

 

I feel if Bard goes back we have a little more wiggle room to work with especially

if we bring up Cook.

[a700hitter]

I feel if Bard goes back we have a little more wiggle room to work with especially

if we bring up Cook.

It is worth a shot. It's got to be better than doing nothing.

[RedSoxNC84]

The only thing to be worried about is the bullpen. The starting pitchers will come around, and for the most part some of them already have. Buch looks shaky, but I'm positive he will regain his stride.

 

The offense has been good, and the defense has been adequate, adequate enough to win us games. The bullpen gave up a 9 run lead and turned it into a 6 run deficit the other night, no one else did that.

[pedroias laser]

Thats the thing 700 we have been sitting on our ass now since this whole thing started. If Cook does

come up i have a feeling he could give us some stability especially in the back end of the rotation.

[jung]

It is clear that the worst part of the team is the bullpen. I am not real happy with 1,2,3 in the rotation or at least not with 3 and 1 is simply unproven as a 1. Tonight could change that. However Lester had opportunities last year to step up like a 1 and it did not happen. Really Buch worries me. He has not had healthy years. His weight is up and down. His weight is down this year but it is so far down he looks like a rail...thinner than I have ever seen him.

 

At the end of the day, lets say they end up with a mediocre pen. Lets say the rotation stands pat, no better or worse than we have seen. The pen is so bad that moving Bard there is a move that begins to take them toward mediocre but it robs the rotation of one of the two effective starters they have had as Bard looks very competitive with other 5's. There is little to no chance that Cook will be better. However he could be adequate. So I can buy status quo for the rotation.

 

Lets say the defense is no better and no worse than we have seen.

 

OK now we are down to the offense. Last year that was arguably if not in fact the best offense in the league. They have at least marginally gone in the wrong direction in that Youk has got some real issues. Ortiz is red hot but Ortiz makes his living hitting. So you had to figure on him hitting or you don't have a shot. You had to figure on Youk hitting for that matter. The real difference is the improvements other teams have made while the Sox maybe only marginally have gone the wrong way.

 

The point being even with Ells and CC this is not going to be the best offense in the league this year. It would be fortunate to end up 3rd with 4th more likely. How does that translate into 92-95 wins and a post season appearance? We should remind ourselves that at his best, CC is not Ells. So lets not be thinkin' that if CC comes back strong, we have Ells x 2. While we are on Ells, he will very likely come back slowly this year.

 

Granted other teams should likely have their injury issues as well. However when I look at what the Sox bring to the table, it is hard to find a rational for them doing any better than the 2nd WC birth and frankly I think it will be a struggle to make that.

 

Ortiz is carrying this team just to look at one issue. What are they gonna' do when they are playing the interleague games in NL parks? That should work out great!

 

We keep saying it is early, it is early but the winning percentage we need just to win 92 games keeps climbing as the losses pile up.

 

So since this is a team built around its offense and I cannot find a way to define them better than 3rd in the league and more likely 4th, I worry at the end of the day about the offense because even if we get the pen to mediocre and everything else stays the same, that does not look like 92 wins to me in this year's AL.

[Gringo]

I'm most worried about the scalpers...

[Dojji]

I think it's foolish to think that a team with this talent potential doesn't have a shot to make the playoffs.

Sure, but if all you want to do is get to the one game playoff, that's not worth loading up to do in my mind. We're not a prime contender, and the team has too many holes to become one quickly as a result of one trade, and thus should save its ammunition.

[Wil Corderos Wife]

Youk's inability to stay healthy

Ellsbury's prolonged absence after being last year's best position player.

Robert Valentine's filter

The bullpen's allergy to outs.

[Bellhorn04]

Hmm, interesting question. This is kind of like pondering which form of gruesome death scares me the most.

 

Personally I've decided that of all our array of lethal problems, the bullpen is the biggest.

 

Since two relief pitchers are roughly equivalent to one everyday player, I'll go with Andrew Bailey and Mark Melon Balls. I'm afraid that neither one of these guys are going to pitch a quality inning for us this year. Which would not only be terrible for our chances, but would mean we'll be subjected to an endless parade of stories pointing out how Cherington flopped with his offseason moves.

[scsoxsfan]

The only thing to be worried about is the bullpen. The starting pitchers will come around, and for the most part some of them already have. Buch looks shaky, but I'm positive he will regain his stride.

 

The offense has been good, and the defense has been adequate, adequate enough to win us games. The bullpen gave up a 9 run lead and turned it into a 6 run deficit the other night, no one else did that.

 

and here is what i think most everyone will agree on is worried about. The starting pitching is good nothing to start worrying about this early, our D is solid they were first in the AL for a little while think we still are, Bats have been there besides (youk, and DMC) but the bull pen will be our Achilles heal until it is fixed

[Laser Show]

I'm worried about the Bullpen the most. Out offense is still potent without Ellsbury, and even if he misses the rest of the year, we should only finish behind Texas and Detroit and be right in the Toronto, New York, Anaheim pack.

 

That Bullpen though.. It's scary bad, and potentially historically bad. We have nobody in it right now who is comfortable in their role or who has ever been in that role at all. We need some major changes. Trade Youk and Salty for BP arms, I don't care. We just need to upgrade there. Get Mike Gonzalez, Grant Balfour, and John Rocker for all I care, just do something.

 

Let Bobby V have a bigger role. Let him play the team how he thinks it should be. Whether that means WMB, Lavarnway, and Iglesias starting, so be it.

[Dublin Red]

Obviously the bullpen. Starting pitchers will work out, sure they will have their rough days but I have confidence as a unit they will be fine. Whether that unit includes Bard for the future I don't know. Long term I see him starting but this season alarm bells are ringing once the bullpen is called upon