a700hitter

The Buchholz situation is a glass half full/half empty scenario. I don't think that even his doctors are certain whether the condition will recur, so I don't think it is unduly pessimistic to acknowledge questions about his health and durability. Similarly, if the condition doesn't recur and he stays healthy, I don't think it unreasonably optimistic to expect 180 innings from him. I believe in hoping for the best, but planning for the worst. Ben didn't plan for the bad IMO.

I gave him a B+ for the bullpen moves, but they were overshadowed by a huge bungle with the arbitration offer to Ortiz and not filling the team's primary need -- a reliable starting pitcher. Also, he gets a downgrade for salary dumping Scutaro. It doesn't matter if Iglesias makes the team, which it is sounding like he will not, because Scutaro would have been a better utility guy than Punto. Getting a closer was not that hard. There were plenty available, and the one he got has a history of elbow problems. If the Sox hadn't crumbled so badly last year, I would have grade him a C, but in the wake of that collapse, I felt there was a need to taker bolder action. They need to rebound from last season. My D was not disingenuous at all. I am surprised that no one gave him an F based solely on the fact that he didn't address the team's primary need. The so-called negative contingent showed fairness and restraint. The grade that is disingenuous are the A's. He missed an A solely on the Ortiz bungle. The people who voted an A know they have nothing to back it up, so they didn't even bother to try.

I think you are seizing on the calendar aspect when the point is about repetitive workload and wear and tear. There are lots of theories about pitchers having down years after seasons where their workloads have been heavy. Omar Minaya used to build his bullpen by acquiring relievers with past success who had a down season the prior year. He felt that their value was low and there was a history of relief pitchers rebounding. I never agreed with his theory and I don't think it worked very well, but that was his theory-- an alternate, year theory if you will. Beckett has had a history of having down alternate years. They just so happen to fall in even calendar years. It is not the calendar year that is the causation, but the workload and stress from the prior year that would be the cause under this theory, but I am pretty sure that you knew that. Leprechauns and Easter Bunnies have nothing to do with it.

A stress injury seems to be a wear and tear issue as opposed to a freak occurrence like an impact injury. They don't know how the stress fracture occurred, so they don't know if they have eliminated the cause of the injury.

Based on the votes, that seems to be the average grade.

I'll take him. He's better than anything we have that will pitch in our 5th hole this season.

He knew it was a guaranteed raise. The free agent market was not going to result in a raise. Sure he knew it.

Write the man a nice check and bring him to camp. If it's money, the Sox have it. Why roll the dice on Doubront and a bin of retreads and damaged goods from the Dollar Store. Also, as Jacko has pointed out, Buchholz is a bit risky this year. They don't know what caused his stress fracture, so they don't know if this will become a chronic condition. Bard has great stuff, but we don't know if he can be a reliable starter. We can use the help, and when Oswalt is healthy, he is very good. If he has a bad back, oh well, another $10 million down the toilet. It will have plenty of company with Jenks' money, Cameron's money and Lackey's money.

If he doesn't make any more moves, isn't it up to Bobby V and the coaching staff who goes north?

It's a grade for his off season performance. It's not meant to be an overall final 2012 grade. It's a progress report.

Anyone who voted an A without an explanation is just a flat out coward.

Starting with the replacement of Papelbon with Bailey and Melancon, I'll give him a B+. Offering Ortiz arbitration and hamstringing the team financially drops his grade to a C+. Salary dumping Scutaro brings him down to a C and not getting the teams #1 priority -- a reliable starting pitcher brings his final grade to a D. I would have given him a C if we had gone into the playoffs and made a respectable run in 2011. The cataclysmic ending of last season called for more urgency and bolder moves. Hence the D.

With pitchers and catchers in camp and most of the rest of the team, it's time to assess the off-season performance by Big Ben. I doubt there will be any additional notable acquisitioins, especially since Oswalt is staying home. What grade do you give Benny?

If the testing process is flawed or compromised in any way, the results are not reliable. This is not a technicality like forgetting to read a defendant his Miranda rights or not having a valid search warrant. This is about a procedure that was tainted or compromised in some manner.

Huge news:

By June. he'll be pitching in the Independent League if no one comes calling.

When Ryne Sandberg walked away from the game the first time, people applauded him for leaving while he was on top before his skills had slipped too badly. He retired to be spend more time with his family and work on his marriage, and he walked away from 2 years on his biggest contract (2yrs/$14 million). Everyone oohed and aahed that he was a man with such great integrity. At the time, people were shocked that I thought he was the biggest idiot in sports. In response, I made 2 predictions. First, that he would be divorced within a year and second that he would be back by the following spring begging to play for the Cubs or any team. What happened? His wife filed for divorce within 3 weeks of the announcement of his retirement, probably in reaction to his stupidity of walking away from $14 million. The following spring he was back for his job with the Cubs, but they only gave him $1 million. What a fool! Was I cynical? Sure was, but I was right. The last thing a troubled marriage needs is more togetherness.

He'll be begging for any spot within 2 months. Too much family togetherness will have that effect.