Dojji

I wonder about Erik Bedard. With his health in the last 2 years he could benefit from taking a 1 year deal with a team that knows how to keep his arm healthy, to rebuild his value for his last big contract in his age 32 season. The question is whether he sees it that way. I'd take him at a 1 year deal for ego-stroking money -- maybe 1 year 8 million with an additional 7 million in IP incentives or something. If he wants that $15M/year multi-year contract he's gotta prove he's healthy anyway and the Sox are one of the best teams in the league at keeping injury-troubled pitchers healthy. And it would give us a big inroad on resigning the guy if he turns out to be worth $15M. The fact that he's proven in the American League East makes it very tempting to go after him as well. The rotation we could assemble if we get the healthy, effective versions of Daisuke and Bedard and a Buchholz that does not backslide in the offseason would be the undisputed best in the league. Even Daisuke would make an exceptional #5.

Well, you lose the argument that "there wasn't much invested" in a guy like Penny when he makes 24 starts for your team. That's quite an investment of playing time. More than Julian Tavarez got in fact. Resources in baseball are measured in more ways than just money. Penny was barely effective when he was topping out at 97. He's a bust as far as we're concerned

If the "+" included Reddick and Exposito it would.

How about revisiting an old trade proposal? I could go for bringing in Todd Helton to play first for us. His power isn't quite what it was but he has some of the best hitting discipline in his league. Now that the Rockies have some other heroes, they probably wouldn't mind losing his salary either. Besides, having Helton and Youkilis playing the corners is as close as you'll get in this life to mirror twins.

Or keep Wakefield and use his injured time to develop Tazawa or Bowden.

Lester has done the amazing. He has followed a breakout year by breaking out AGAIN. I wouldn't even want to make a guess at his ceiling at this point. I'm just along for the ride.

I'm not sure how you'd get both without giving up Buchholz. And I've become a Buchholz believer over his last few starts.

I think the Sox are the team of all the playoff contenders best built for a short series. 3 shutdown starters and a loaded bullpen. If Daisuke returns to his 2007 form or better we'll easily have the best playoff pitching of the bunch, and that's what wins championships.

We match up well with Milwaukee. I suspect though that they will be very relutant to surrender Fielder unless his personality is making running the club difficult.

He's on the borderline right now. The award is pretty much Zack Greinke's to win but anyone with over 200 K's and 200 IP in a season has a chance to win in any given year. Lester should hit both marks.

Agreed. He's got the raw stuff, he's got the body type, he's got the attitude. He will dominate this league for many years.

I don't think there's really a team in the East that makes me nervous right now. No one can really quite match what we can throw out there when Beckett, Lester and Buchholz are firing on all cylinders. The Angels have Lackey and Kazmir, the Tigers have Verlander and Jackson, the Yankees have Sabathia and... umm.... uhh gimme a minute. Anyway, no one really has three top pitchers in their rotation except us. When the Yankees don't have weak teams to pound they won't last long in the playoffs IMHO. In a short series, they can't match Verlander and Jackson. The Sox on the other hand are perfectly built to win a short playoff series. If we can handle the Angels running game I think we meet Detroit in the ALCS.

And can I just add for emphasis -- he threw 30 pitches just a couple days ago, made no excuses and asked for no early outs, and went 8 shutout innings. Incredible.

I'm not that worried about Pettitte. He's still capable of flashes of the old Andy but he's pretty much a league average pitcher anymore.

Jackson and Verlander > Sabathia and Burnett

BOS 3, ANA 2 DET 3, NYY 1 COL 3, STL 0 PHI 3, LAD 2 BOS 4, DET 2 COL 4, PHI 0 BOS 4, COL 3

Wakefield's complete game at Oakland on 4/15 is a good place to start. Not only does it touch off a long winning streak, but we'd had several subpar starts in a row before that making it an incredibly clutch performance by Timmy.

I still can't believe the Mariners got a year like this out of Aardsma. Wonder what they're doing that we didn't.

Going to the bottom of the 9th, Mariners leading 5-0

Sweepness.

You want positivity? 15 of today's 18 innings pitched by the starters. Great job by Lester and Buchholz to limit the impact on the pen.

Cheapest. Homer. Ever.

105 pitches. tough call. I'd let him finish it.

Lester is a very great pitcher. If he gets this guy he should finish the game.