Spitball

The trade deadline thread is always one of my favorites...but it is still two months away! If they are in contention, I would rather see the Red Sox go for Ryan Dempster than Matt Garza. Due to free agency status, Dempster would be cheaper in terms of prospects. Plus, I think he is a more consistent pitcher and a more level headed individual.

Let me add that I am talking about acquiring Liriano on the low. I'm advocating C to B- prospects for a pitcher with potential to turn his career around. The Twins are not doing well. Liriano is struggling with his command and is a free agent at the end of the year. He won't cost much. I'd like to see the Sox make a low cost, short term investment in Liriano.

What is a buy low reclamation project anyway? It is a player whose production is down but has potential to improve. There was a time Chris Carpenter, Brandon McCarthy, Jerome Williams, Kyle Lohse and others were on scrap heaps before putting their promise back together. Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke could have been buy low candidates at one time in their careers. Liriano is a candidate because he has struggled recently just as the players mentioned above did at one time. But he has a career k-rate of 8.99 which is excellent. He struggles with his control at times but has shown the capacity to get it back. From 2009 to 2010, he improved his walk rate from 4.3 to 2.7 with his ERA dropping more than two runs a game. What should be expected from Liriano? It is impossible to tell that. He still throws very hard so he works with Bob McLure and hopes to find some answers to his control problems. The problems are obviously mechanical and mental so success is possible. If Buchholz and Bard continue to struggle or someone gets hurt, I would rather have more than Dice-K or Cook to fall back on. The Liriano of 2010 and 2006, when he demonstrated control, was a very good pitcher.

When a guy struggles, few see the value in taking a chance on the guy. Liriano stills has a decent k-rate so I am guessing his problems are mechanical and mental. Get him out of the twin cities, and he may turn things around. The guy has the potential to be the Sox' number three starter. This season is full of questions. Oswalt isn't coming to Boston, and I doubt he is much more than a question mark himself. Anyone having a decent season will cost prospects the Sox probably shouldn't be trading at this point. He is a free agent at the end of the season, so the money investment isn't such a big deal. I'd give him a shot. When he is pitching with control, he is clearly a number two or number three. If he were striking out only 5-somethingper 9 like Bard or Buccholz, I'd say pass on the guy. He is striking out just shy of 7 per 9. Get him into another environment, and he could improve a rotation.

It seems like a good time to trade for Francisco Liriano. He is 0-5 with an 8.47 ERA and a whip just north of 2.0. He still throws hard but can't find the plate this season. His past shows he can rebound to pitch well. He is only 28. I am not considering him a savior to this season. He would a reclamation project, plain and simple. If he can be acquired cheaply, he would be worth the gamble in my opinion. I know people want to discuss season changing trades, but I don't know where the trade chips come from until players start getting healthy. Right now with the Sox in last place, buy low candidates make more sense.

And he never did hit in the minor leagues. He never hit .200, had an obp of .300, nor had a slugging percentage over .300. He wasn't a hitter.

Wakefield was a first baseman in the minor leagues, but he never came up to the majors in any role other than as a pitcher.

I think Yaz eventually bulked up to the 180s. As for Nava, I remember seeing him at the Sox' minor league complex in Fort Myers last year and being surprised at how small he appeared.

Oswalt's story is hard to figure. Why didn't he sign earlier with Boston or Detroit if he wasn't waiting for an opening in Texas or St. Louis? I find it hard to believe he will consider Boston for anything other than a bargaining chip.

Back in the 1970s, the Reds moved Rose from left field to third during the early part of the season. They also moved George Foster to left. Rose was not a good third baseman, but the offense became dominant. With Gonzalez, Youk, and WMB in the line-up at the same time, the team has the best line-up they've had all season.

Ah! I was wondering. Adam Dunn's power disappeared last year, and as I started reading the post, I assumed that was his point.

Are you talking about Adam Dunn or Adrian Gonzalez? I'm guessing Gonzalez but am confused by your mention of Dunn.

On a positive note (if there can be one), maybe this keeps Middlebrooks in Boston.

And I don't know for sure Bard's problems are not health related.

I don't see how that is relevant. Pitchers do get hurt. Feliz was producing at a consistent k-rate, and Bard has not been.

Inflamed elbow or not, Feliz has carried his k-rate and walk-rate over in his transition. Bard has not.