SoxFanForsyth

Is Aviles just this slow, or was he really taking his time there???

Yup. It's been really nice, too. Shame it's all a waste.

Pitchers I would rather see than Beckett in his next rotation: 1. Junichi Tazawa (Chris Carpenter to take slot in bullpen) 2. Zack Stewart 3. Mark Prior 4. Chris Hernandez 5. Drake Britton (Yes. I know he's in AA. I'd still rather see him). 6. Darnell McDonald

Besides, Buchholz has the stuff to be a bona fide ace. He's been averaging nearly 8 innings per start since returning from his throat problems. And he would be an ace at a much cheaper cost than the others. Look. Since Buchholz has been back, he's thrown to a 1.79 ERA. And since he's been back, the Red Sox are 3 games under .500. What more can you expect to get from a bona fide ace than what Buchholz has given this team? Nothing. So the problem isn't that the Sox don't have an ace. It's that the Sox 2-5 pitchers (specifically 2-3) have sucked. So why trade for what would ultimately be a wash?

The Sox didn't trade Buch for Lee straight up back when Buchholz wasn't proven and Lee was in his prime, and was on a team friendly deal. No chance this happens.

I don't think it will affect them. Especially not position players. I may worry a bit about the pitchers, although I strongly believe that if they dump Beckett this offseason, we will see a large trickle down effect where Lester becomes the true leader and Buchholz right behind him, and rather than just following Beckett, they'll actually take leadership roles and the pitching staff will be a much better group.

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=23911991&topic_id=26477790&c_id=t533&sid=t533 Get this guy up here right now please.

Buchholz has ace stuff, no doubt. His only problem is the innings. But here lately, he has shown everyone that he can go deep into games and be an absolute ace. I would feel comfortable next season with a 1-2 punch of Buchholz Lester. Again, I refuse to buy into the fact that somehow Lester has just fallen off a cliff. Players don't just lose talent out of no where. It doesn't happen. Especially not at 28. I'll say it again. The 2 or 3 starts before the CLE start looked a lot like the last couple of starts in Buch's rough patch, where he'd be very good for 5 or 6 innings, them get pummeled in the 6th or 7th. After that, he settled down and has thrown 100 IP over 14 starts to a 2.64 ERA. Lester is fresh off a 12 K, 1.50 ERA performance. He's got 76 K's in his last 74.1 IP to go with only 21 BB. Lester will be fine. Buchholz will be fine. You can anchor your staff with those 2. The emergence of Buchholz has that #1 pitcher has been the difference maker in what we thought we needed, and what we really need.

I mean why wouldn't we want a relief pitcher with a 59.7% strand rate, a 26.3% HR/FB, and a 7.53 ERA? Seems like that's exactly who we'd want to come out of our bullpen. GTFO, Melancon. Seriously.

I cannot fathom the decisions to keep guys like Aviles and Melancon on the field. Simply cannot fathom it. Alex Wilson has a 2.92 ERA as a RP in Pawtucket. Why isn't he up here? God, what the f*** are we thinking in the FO?!? Why isn't Iglesias up? Why did it take until August to call up Lavarnway? Why do we insist on going to Melancon in winnable games?

Aviles, Melancon, Beckett. GTFO. Iglesias, Alex Wilson, and Tazawa would all give us better chances to win.

God I hate Aviles more than anybody on this Red Sox team.

Ah s*** you're right. Man. Aviles's .287 OBP is just so damn hard to replace. No wonder we have to leave Iglesias down in Pawtucket.

Can we please trade Aviles already?!? God he's just disgusting.

Oh my.... How the hell has everyone gotten hurt BUT Aviles?!? The ONE guy who would benefit this team if he was hurt.

Oh great. Kviles. see what i did there?

Crawford needs to hang in the two slot. He's on fire. No need in throwing him anywhere but 2nd.

Dammit. I thought Lavarnway may have gotten that one.

This is Gonzo's 3rd AB with RISP. Lets freakin go!!!!

Bogaerts: 2/3 today. Another HR. 3 run shot this time.

Bogaerts just hit a 3 run HR for Portland. He's 2/3 tonight with a single and a bomb. Hitting .471 since his call up to Portland. GTFO Valencia. Move over, Machado.

Meanwhile, Iglesias is 1/2 tonight with a walk, and coming into tonight's game, is on an 8 game hitting streak, hitting .371/.405/.486/.891. I despise Aviles with everything that I've got.

That was a good job by Lavarnway to hit the ball on the right side of the field with Ross at 2B. This team has gotten away from sound fundamental baseball this year. It's sad that a kid from AAA has had to come up and remind them how to do the basic things right to push across runs.