RobZombie

People who think that Clay Buchholz is going to walk into the American League and be Johan Santana are likely to be sorely disappointed. It is extremely uncommon for untested pitchers to walk into the AL and dominate no matter how talented. Most struggle for a time before coming into their own. Buchholz might one day be a Cy Young candidate but likely not for a couple of years if it happens at all. Santana on the other hand, is in the prime of his career and is going to walk into Fenway and be one of the best pitchers in the league. The folks at EEI are crazy if they think that the Twins will do it for Crisp, Lester, Buchholz. It would take Ellsbury, Buchholz, and Lowrie or Masterson. Its a lot to give up, but then again you don't get a chance at pitchers like Santana in their prime very often. Consider that he's likely ahead of where Beckett was when the Sox traded for him.

Mark Prior was completely abused throwing 130 plus pitches many which when he was clearly tired. I think that Clay could throw 200 innings next year, without it being a big deal. His innings will probably be limited by a few things. Shutting him down if there is any sign of trouble, putting him on a pitch count (probably won't throw more than 100 pitches, and lets face it, he's probably going to run through some rough patches here and there, rookie pitchers usually do. I'm all for signing a veteran starter to take the pressure of both Clay and Lester, but I think that you have to have Clay making 30+ starts next year by hook or by crook.

I think Sean Casey would be a great idea if he'd be willing to play part time. I actually think that Youkilis should play a little less. He seems to get worn down because he feels like he has to play every game like its the seventh game of the World Series. I think he maybe more productive if someone like Casey played ohhh 1/3 of the time. Chris Carter from what I've read is awful defensively and Casey is pretty good.

I can understand starting Coco in center in the first three games. He'd started all season when they won 96 games and had already made some very important defensive games in the playoffs. Up until the second half of game 2, offense wasn't really a problem anyways. But I think come game 4 you have to go with Jacoby in CF. Not saying they will win if they go with him in game 5 but when your CF is doing nothing offensively and you have a guy like Ellsbury you have to go with him.

"The group of players that you are talking about where in the 40 man roster for 2007, in the Fall the 40 man roster will get set up again and some of those players aren't likely to make the 40 man roster for 2008. This is wrong too. The Red Sox don't reset the 40 man roster, its a flow as opposed to stock. The Red Sox will keep every guy they can on the 40 man roster though some might be released or DFA'd soon after the season. In the minors only Beau Vaughn and Travis Hughes are candidates to be added to the 40 man roster.

Scaffolds- That means absolutely nothing to me. They didn't call up Breslow because they liked Okajima, and Lopez better and he still had options. They didn't call up Hughes because they rightfully wanted to give Eric Gagne and Bryan Corey a chance. They didn't call up Hansen either, is he gone? Don't be silly. I don't think they release Breslow and that he's on the team next year as the third lefty out of the pen. Hughes' place will depend on if they resign Mike Timlin or not. If they don't, Hughes will have a chance with the way he pitched.

The list of free agent pitchers is definitely a list of suspects and projects. What the Sox really need is a free agent pitcher who isn't expensive enough to be a complete burden if he fails. For instance, Theo took a chance on four such relievers this off-season in Donnely, Pinerio, Okajima, and Romero. Donnely gave them some good innings early in the season before getting hurt, Romero was too inconsistent to stay around, Piniero was a huge failure and Okajima a huge success Someone on that list is going to have a good season next year. I think that Lester and Bucholtz are going to be very good next year, but I'm not sure enough to just give them the ball without any other plan. Here are a few candidates other than Schilling. #1 Colon- Unclear of what he would want but at the end of the season looked very good with a fastball at 94. He had a couple of games to show what he's capable with when he's right. Won't be as expensive as Schilling and because he has a bigger fastball has more upside. #2 Joe Kennedy- Kennedy's redeeming characteristic is that he can get ground balls. He's 28 and sometimes that's the age when pitchers start to figure it out and have a few good peak seasons. I also think that pitching at Coors can have an effect on you that can hurt you for a couple of seasons. Won't cost much, and if he fails, its not a big deal. #3 Koji Uheraha- Maybe the greatest pitcher Japanese pitcher of his generation. But now he's in his early 30s and he's going to get a long-term deal. Probably of all these guys the least risky, but you can't sign him to a one year deal and hope for the best. #4 Jason Jennings- Jennings is another talented guy possibly ruined by pitching in Colorado pre-humidor. Still he's only 28, and the Sox have always liked him. Peripherals weren't bad this year other than a .8 GF/FB ratio which was much worse than his career average. If you do that at Minute Maid and don't strike people out at a high rate, you are going to get killed. #5 Odalis Perez- Another guy the Sox have liked in the past and he does have a good past. He's likely more suited to being a long-man at this point, but still can possibly discover his old glory. #6 Joel Piniero- Maybe he learned something a couple of things working for the law firm of LaRussa and Duncan. When he was here, he didn't get a chance to pitch consistently, and when you don't throw that many innings it can be tough to stay sharp. Still a guy with an excellent past, who is only 29. #7 Randy Wolf- Probably had the best performance in the majors of anyone in this group. GB/FB ratio was higher than its ever been. In addition, K/9 about where it was during his heyday in Philly. If he could duplicate what he did last year in Boston, I think we'd be ecstatic. I guarantee you that at least one of these seven guys will go somewhere and have a pretty decent year next year.

Yazman points to A-Rods HR in a 6-2 game with no one on base as an indication of his character. I personally doubt that when you have your hits is any indication of a players character, or is predictive of his performance in such situations in the future. Lets say a player performed much better than normal in playoff situations with the season on the line. If a player did this, his manager and GM would be correct to wonder why he didn't play the same way in the first inning of a Devil Rays game in June. Just sayin.

There are some fans who will never love A-Rod in Boston unless the Sox win a World Series with him on their team. Of course there are also many who consider every year they don't win as a failure. You can't argue with the "A-Rod is a bad/unclutch guy" I don't want him. One thing that has to be considered for next year is that there will be no luxury tax for 2008. That means that any money the Sox paid this year in luxury tax can go into the hands of A-Rod, Schilling, Lowell, Colon, Dunn, Santana, or whomever they see fit. Also be careful of judging people you've never met.

Hughes maybe put on the 40 man roster in which case he would not be eligible for free agency. I don't know if he has options left. The organization may like Corey, but last year they got him through waivers and sent him back to Pawtucket, they may try to do the same again. Lester was terribly inconsistant and could easilly end up in Pawtcuket if the Sox feel that Bucholtz is better. I'm personally uncomfortable with having both of them in the rotation to start.

Scaff this is incorrect. Martinez, Jackson, Breslow, Cash, Corey, Hansack, Snyder and Pauley are on the 40 man roster and hence cannot be resigned by another team, unless they are removed from the roster. Smith, Spann, and Vaquendano. aren't minor league free agents either. A player only becomes a minor league free agent after he has completed 6 full minor league seasons. Hence for players drafted in the 2002 draft, their first season in minor league baseball does not count as a full minor league season. These three will become minor league free agents after next season if they are not placed on the 40 man roster. Only players drafted in the 2001 draft or signed before the 2002 season are eligible for minor league free agency.

I really think that the Sox will sign a veteran free agent starting pitcher or resign Schilling. That will put either Lester or Bucholtz at Pawtucket to start. I can almost guarantee you that Hansen starts the year in Pawtucket and Corey might too. Not sure if Hughes has options, if so he'd be a candidate to start the year in Pawtucket assuming the Sox put him on the roster.

Colon did not miss the postseason due to a lack of health. In fact at the end of the season he was completely healthy. The Angels just liked Lackey, Weaver, and Escobar more and I don't blame them. You are absolutely taking a risk with Colon but lets not pretend that a 41 year old Schilling who already missed 6 weeks with shoulder problems, and who's velocity is falling every day, isn't a risk either. There's also a lot of upside to that risk, as Colon when healthy has been a Cy Young award winner. Because the Sox have Lester, Bucholtz, Hansack, and possibly Masterson and Bowden next year too, the Sox can afford to take a risk with a veteran free agent pitcher. Colon has had injury problems , but as of his last start was completely healthy and throwing in the mid 90s. I take him over Schilling because I think there is a greater chance that 2007 was Schilling's last stand due to his age, and lack of commitment to working out over the winter. Plus I think that Colon has a much higher upside due to his higher velocity.

he seems pretty dead on as to how they lost. The Angels played against a team with a bunch of low contact pitchers. On top of the Sox also have a strong defense with possible Gold Glovers in Lowell and Crisp, and another solid guy in Pedroia. Put Ellsberry in late, this became a far above average defensive team. In truth the Sox were likely the worst team that the Angels could have faced as the Yankees and Guardians have weaker defenses.

It is a tough call. If the Sox want to sign a pitcher their choices are Schilling and Colon. Personally, my preference is Colon. Younger and was throwing 95 in his final start.

The author Bill Plaschke makes Dan Shaughnassy look like Erenest Hemmingway. Here's his sins. #1 Running Depo out of town and hammering him for a big series of deals that won them the AL West. #2 Questioning Troy Glaus' toughness because he decided to have surgery in his free agent year. How do you know who's hurt Bill? #3 Now he wants the Dodgers to basically throw away all the hard work that Logan White and his staff have done because Jeff Kent is upset. Jeff Kent couldn't get along with Mother Theresa and has been a problem everywhere he's been.

Thank them if they win it all. If they are out in three no one will care that they won the division. Also no one in New York will care that they finished second if they win it all.

Obviously he hasn't. He's just another one of those guys who thinks that stats mean everything and at baseball's lower levels they can often mean very little. Still's stats were strong in Greenville but a guy who has played three years at a baseball school should be putting up strong stats in the Sally League. In fact, the vast majority of guys who did well at baseball school's their junior year ended up in high-A for most of the year and the ones that did well, went to AA at some point. Bates played in the same conference. I'm not all that impressed with a guy who puts up a .923 OPS playing against guys that are often three years younger. In Still's short time at Lancaster, you've seen a significant dip in his production and he's playing in a band-box. Its way to early to tell, but Still seems to have all the earmarks of a low minors masher who ends up as a 24 year old in AA with mediocre numbers, and no position much like Pinkney, Natale, and Corsaletti. This despite killing pitching in the low-minors.

Lets talk about the pitching. I am not comfortable with both Lester and Bucholtz in the rotation, so I think they need another veteran guy in there. All of the possible SP free agents suck and are going to be overpriced so the guy I'd go for would be Koji Uehara. Uehara is one of the best pitchers of his generation. He's not Matsusaka, but is certainly a solid veteran guy and will probably cost less than Carlos Silva. At 33 he'd be a perfect replacement for Schilling and would be a way to slowly break in the Lester Buchholtz combo. In the pen they are going to have Paps, MDC, Okie, Breslow, Lopez. I'm not a Kyle Snyder fan and they may have the opportunity to sell high on him. I think they need another veteran arm in there. At one year for $3.85 Tavarez is going to look damn good in that spot considering all the money all of the other dreck out there is going to make.

Actually I wasn't. Youkilis seems to be mired in a long slump as the past three months have been awful and his OPS has plumetted. Most of his OPS was driven by a great May. The goal is to win the World Series, and if Youkilis keeps slumping they need to start trying someone else there in September at least against some right handed pitchers.