Spitball

Jim Johnson,Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan, Addison Reed, Grant Balfour, Glen Perkins, Tom Wilhelmsen, Ernesto Frieri, and Greg Holland are the top closers in the AL so far. There are some names I do not recognize there. That tells me that the Sox probably can find a closer in their ranks.

There have to be concerns about Gallardo. His velocity has been trending downward from 92.6 in 2011, to 91.7 in 2012, to 90.6 this year. His K/9 rate is down from 9.0 to 7.1 this year. His ERA is up to 4.41. The Brewers have a lot of rebuilding to do so he won't come cheaply. He will cost top prospects. Melvin held out for and received Jean Segura and Johnny Hellweg for a little more than two months of Zack Greinke.

Here are Jim Bowden's guesses on the chances 20 different pitchers will be traded. This is from ESPN Insider, so I won't print the whole thing. No. 1 starters Cliff Lee - Chance he’s traded: 20 percent Hisashi Iwakuma - Chance he’s traded: 5 percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 2 starters Yovani Gallardo - Chance he’s traded: 35 percent Jake Peavy - Chance he’s traded: 35 percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 3 starters Ricky Nolasco - Chance he’s traded: 95 percent Jason Vargas - Chance he’s traded: 55 percent Bud Norris - Chance he’s traded: 65 percent Matt Garza - Chance he’s traded: 90 percent Mark Buehrle - Chance he’s traded: 20 percent Josh Johnson - Chance he’s traded: 70 percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 4 starters Scott Feldman - Chances he’s traded: 70 percent Jason Marquis - Chances he’s traded: 50 percent Kevin Correia - Chances he’s traded: 60 percent Ervin Santana - Chances he’s traded: 30 percent Lucas Harrell - Chance he’s traded: 35 percent

Pickles Pub is probably the best shot...if you can get in. http://baltimore.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=baltimore&cdn=citiestowns&tm=20&gps=52_6_1051_495&f=10&su=p284.13.342.ip_p554.23.342.ip_&tt=3&bt=4&bts=4&zu=http%3A//www.picklespub.com/

Plus, let me add that during the 2004 World Series, Cardinal fans were so insistent that their fans were more loyal and better informed than Red Sox fans. There were several that claimed the Red Sox stole Red Sox Nation from the Cardinals Nation. I really hate the Cardinals and their fans.

I really don't like the Cardinals or their fans at all. It is kind of a Midwest superiority, but it is a very similar superiority to the Yankee superiority. I hate the Yankees, but the Cardinals and their fans are a very close second. With Alex Rodriguez disabled, Yadier Molina is my least favorite active player.

As a longtime Red Sox fan, I remember a bad manager...or more. Don Zimmer was the worst. It was the considerable talent on the 1978 team that built a 14-game lead, but it was Zimmer who sabotaged that team's chances of winning. Despite the obvious need to make a change, he stubbornly kept Butch Hobson and his bad elbow at third base to make more than 40 errors. Because of personality differences with Bill Lee, he started Bobby Sprowl in the final game of the Boston Massacre. He burned out relief ace Bill Campbell and refused to rest his regulars until it was too late. Zimmer was stubborn, petty, and short-sighted. He was a bad manager. And I don't consider it second guessing to blame John McNamara for not using Dave Stapleton as a defensive replacement for Bill Buchner in game six of the 1986 World Series.

I am suspicious of Encarnacion's sudden power...Bautista's, also. There seems to be something pretty potent in the water up there. I sure hope Francisco doesn't end up with the Jays.

He is a lefty who was mostly platooned in Atlanta. His slash versus left handed pitching: .175/.202/.213

That is a pretty good comparison. The Braves traded hard throwing J.J. Hoover for him a couple of years ago, so they were pretty high on him at one time.

I see the Braves just DFA third baseman Juan Francisco. This guy had pretty good minor league numbers: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=franci003jua He was considered a pretty good power prospect not too long ago. He has one of the hardest swings you will ever see. I believe he must be out of options, or they would have simply sent him down. I wish the Sox could acquire him and get him to agree to work things out in Pawtucket.

I agree. Lee is 34 years-old and earning $25 million a year for through his 36th birthday (and possibly his 37th). Starting pitchers typically see a decline after they reach their 34th birthday. Lee might be an exception, but why gamble prospects and that much salary?

Haha! Fred is certainly entertaining. Nicely researched, Pal.

Jackie Bradley, Jr., injuries, Boras...I say the Sox should let him walk.

Nice post, Jung. Middlebrooks must learn to create favorable counts. It seems the league has figured out how to exploit his aggressiveness.

I said that most players are not going to blow multi-millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle. One could easily lead a lavish lifestyle on far below one million dollars a year. Again, you are not arguing my point. Pujols left St. Louis in my opinion because the Cardinals did not truly want to resign him. They had have remained competitive without him. His contract would have prevented them from signing Beltran and retaining Wainright. That is what I am saying. Votto, Phillips, Wainright, Kemp, Hernandez, Posey, Cain, Hamels, Verlander and many others signed below what they surely would have received on the open market. No one is missing this point. It does not matter who introduced the number. It is a good number to use because it gives us a number to actually contemplate...and my entire point. If a player can live happily in a city of his choice making enough to meet his needs as well as his wants, why does he need to base his decision on an amount that is almost impossible to comprehend?

No, that is absolutely not true. Most do not end up broke. Supporting a lavish lifestyle is a ridiculous argument for suggesting a player is justified in holding out for too many millions rather than any other amount of millions. In truth, there are probably more players who have signed below market value to stay with a particular team those who have sold out to the highest bidder. Okay. Some (particularly Boras clients) are greedy, but many stay with their hometown teams. Money is indeed money, and a million is a lot of money. Twenty-something million is an abstract amount of money.

I don't get this. 20k and 20 million are not the same thing. If I am in the 100 to 120k range, I do not understand the 20 million range. For most of us, 20 million is an abstract number that we can't truly understand. I make far, far, far less and am pretty damn comfortable and happy. In the world of athletics, performance brings prestige and respect far more than making money. Edgar Renteria signed for $40 million for four years...and became fat, made 30 errors, and hit about league average for a middle infielder in his one season for the Red Sox. It is simply not true that "...the prestige and respect" comes with making money. It is really about performance. Are you serious? What is there in life that I want or need that I can't buy for less than $1 million. Most boys grow up with the desire to play major league baseball and would be willing to play for free... I think you should have left this part out. You have weakened your argument. Twenty million is a totally abstract number to most of us. What could I do with twenty million that I could not do with ten million? And don't tell me I would have prestige. Chone Figgins makes millions but does not have prestige.

Excellent! You have to love Eckersley!

Although the Sox have had an impressive offense (been getting on base at an impressive rate), I am most impressed with the starting pitching. Buchholz and Lester are both pitching like number ones, while Dubront and Dempster are pitching like strong middle of the order guys. You can't ask for much more than that. I think Cherington put nice pieces together, and Farrell is obviously doing a great job of getting the performances from those pieces. It reminds me of 1967 when the Red Sox were coming off a ninth place finish in 1966 (half game up on last place Yankees), and put together a great and unexpected pennant winning season under Dick Williams.

I have not heard an official announcement, but the game will surely not be played.

He will be back at some point in the future. I predict he will have very successful Red Sox career.

Good post, Fred. This has been fun so far. I like the make up of this team.

I guess I don't get this.

I am happy to see Nava can provide depth at two positions, but I am happier to see that the Sox don't expect Gomes to be anything more than a right-handed platoon.