Shoring Up the Rotation

[User Name]

^Beat me to it on both points

[Palodios]

I'll never understand your infatuation with Marcum.

 

Allen Webster is dominating tonight in Pawtucket. 4 IP, 4 K, 1 BB, 0 H. Had 8 swing and misses in his first nine hitters.

 

Would be a huge boost if he can put it together and give the Sox a very good internal option.

 

Find me a pitcher who

 

1) Has middle-to-top of the rotation potential

2) Makes a low salary.

3) Is only under team control till the end of the year, and won't get a QO from his team.

4) Is pitching for a non-contending team willing to trade him for a reasonable cost.

5) Had success in the AL East.

 

He doesn't have much company. Best case scenario, you snag him for a prospect with a future of warming a good team's bench, and he performs better than Doubront. Worst case scenario, he sucks or gets hurt and you dump him.

[Rdsxmbnt]

I've always liked Marcum too but I would have liked him in Dempster's spot. I don't think it makes any sense to block a top prospect like Allen Webster with him.

[User Name]

Getting hammered by the Cubs doesn't help his stock

[SoxFanForsyth]

Find me a pitcher who

 

1) Has middle-to-top of the rotation potential

2) Makes a low salary.

3) Is only under team control till the end of the year, and won't get a QO from his team.

4) Is pitching for a non-contending team willing to trade him for a reasonable cost.

5) Had success in the AL East.

 

He doesn't have much company. Best case scenario, you snag him for a prospect with a future of warming a good team's bench, and he performs better than Doubront. Worst case scenario, he sucks or gets hurt and you dump him.

 

We very much disagree on the quality of his stuff

[Palodios]

We very much disagree on the quality of his stuff

 

He's a righthander with a 89 mph fastball. I'm far more concerned about his results over the last 5 years.

[mvp 78]

At best, Marcum is a #4. No reason to add him to this roster. I'd rather mix in Aceves/Webster/RDLR.

[User Name]

Palodios, Marcum is no longer the pitcher he was when he had those good years in the AL East. His already fringe stuff has declined, and he's post-op. Advocating for him is indefensible.

[Palodios]

Palodios, Marcum is no longer the pitcher he was when he had those good years in the AL East. His already fringe stuff has declined, and he's post-op. Advocating for him is indefensible.

 

Signing Marcum would be the equivalent of signing someone like a Roy Oswalt, or Tim Lincecum, at a smaller cost. He's not a tier-1 option, and probably not even a tier-2 or tier-3 option. He's a guy who had success as recently as last year, but who has also recently had serious shoulder and back issues.

 

Perhaps I've oversold his ceiling as a pitcher, but you're essentially arguing against trading for a depth player who will cost little-to-nothing.

[User Name]

...but would block a spot for a younger, probably superior pitcher, so what's your point?

[Standing Room]

I'd only consider Marcum on a minor league contract if he was DFA'd.

[Palodios]

...but would block a spot for a younger, probably superior pitcher, so what's your point?

 

I am under the impression that Webster and Rubby need a bit more seasoning. I also have concerns about Buchholz's health.

[Bellhorn04]

Marcum seems like a guy who's just about done, no? The 8-inning, 1-run stint he had was against the Marlins, from the 13th to the 20th innings. Seems like teams can go into complete hitting funks in these extra-inning games, and the Marlins are not that good to begin with.

[Standing Room]

The Phillies have struggled to stay competitive this season and have been rumored to be a trade deadline seller for weeks, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. doesn't plan on moving his most valuable pitching assets. Amaro told reporters (including ESPN's Jayson Stark) on Friday that he has "no desire to trade those guys. At all," referring to Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon.

 

Well, that should put an end to the speculation.

 

 

...right?

[Orange Juiced]

Well, that should put an end to the speculation.

 

 

...right?

 

Not at all. GMs lose leverage if they say they're shopping guys.

[BSN07]

Well, that should put an end to the speculation.

 

 

...right?

 

Probably not. But he most likely means it about Hamels. The other two will be available but he's gonna have to be blown away to move them. I have no interest in overpaying for either one.

[User Name]

How do you know for certain they'll be available? You can't present your speculation as fact.

[SoxFanForsyth]

How do you know for certain they'll be available? You can't present your speculation as fact.

 

You don't know for certain that anyone will be available. If we're not going to discuss potential options until they are 100% on the block, this thread doesn't exist

[User Name]

You don't know for certain that anyone will be available. If we're not going to discuss potential options until they are 100% on the block, this thread doesn't exist

 

There's a difference between *might be* and *will be*. Everyone *might be* available, but not everyone *will be*.

[SoxFanForsyth]

There's a difference between *might be* and *will be*. Everyone *might be* available, but not everyone *will be*.

 

Outside of guys like Garza and Nolasco, there aren't many people who are out there who are more than 90% to be available.

 

But high salary players on a team that was putrid last year and bad this year are generally players who get dealt. Lee fits that mold

[User Name]

Outside of guys like Garza and Nolasco, there aren't many people who are out there who are more than 90% to be available.

 

But high salary players on a team that was putrid last year and bad this year are generally players who get dealt. Lee fits that mold

 

You're setting yourself up for disappointment here. He's probably not moving, and if he is, it's probably not going to be to the Red Sox. He's basically your Shawn Marcum.

[Palodios]

What does everyone think about Gallardo? It'll probably take RDLR to pry him away, and I don't think he's worth that.

[SoxFanForsyth]

You're setting yourself up for disappointment here. He's probably not moving, and if he is, it's probably not going to be to the Red Sox. He's basically your Shawn Marcum.

 

If he does move, the Red Sox will be all over him. It's not a question about whether the Sox would go after him. It's whether or not he's available.

[SoxFanForsyth]

What does everyone think about Gallardo? It'll probably take RDLR to pry him away, and I don't think he's worth that.

 

No way on Gallardo.

 

If we can't get a top of the rotation pitcher like a Lee (or someone else of his caliber), then we just need to stand pat and use the farm for a couple arms.

 

Never know, by mid August, Ranaudo, Britton, Webster, Workman, and De La Rosa all have the potential to provide spot starts and be just as good as a guy like Gallardo, Garza, Marcum, etc.

[User Name]

If he does move, the Red Sox will be all over him. It's not a question about whether the Sox would go after him. It's whether or not he's available.

 

And you know this how? Serious question. None of us literally know the Red Sox' line of thinking.

[SoxFanForsyth]

And you know this how? Serious question. None of us literally know the Red Sox' line of thinking.

 

Based on their interest not 6 months ago? I mean, if they were willing to go after him hard this offseason, what has changed? Outside of the fact that the club is probably even better than they thought it would be. Lee would only help matters, obviously. It's not like this is a guy they've never showed interest in. They've had interest in him for a long time, going back to his Guardians days when the a tribe wanted Buchholz for him straight up and the Sox said no

[BSN07]

Gallardo is interesting but his FB velocity has fallen off(I don't have the stats but a Brewers game was on here earlier this week and it's something the commentators were discussing). I wouldn't mind him but NWIH for RDLR. Gallardo has enough ? for me to want to pass if it cost any of the close to MLB ready P's. If you can get him for a lower level SP and a position prospect like maybe Brentz or something, then the risk becomes palatable. Of course I have no idea what the Brewers would take for him.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I think we're all forgetting just how good RDLR actually is. This is a guy who was the centerpiece of the Dodgers trade, and a guy who Keith Law told Alex Speier after the trade was an ace, at worst a #2.

 

He's on an innings limit this year but next year he could be a huge piece of the rotation.

[rjortiz]

The 4.70 BB/9 really worries me.

[BSN07]

The 4.70 BB/9 really worries me.

 

It's not that surprising for a young fireballer pitching with a new elbow.