oldtimer

With Swihart and Young both on the DL and now Holt in a walking boot, we are left with 3 outfielders, one of whom is Brentz. Benentendi is a kid that could fill in at LF and if he handles it, could stick. He also could play CF our RF since he is know to have good speed. The Red Sox need insurance, should any of our currently healthy outfielders go down.

Sean O'Sullivan is reportedly out with a bad knee as of yesterday. Who will be our starters going forward? We will get through the All Star break but after that we will need to put up 4th and 5th starters during the late July, August grind. Can at least one of our AAA guys be coached and brought forward to at least give a representative performance?

What is the situation on Holt? He may have sprained his ankle sliding into second. if he is out again for a protracted period it could be that would impact the decision on Benentendi.

With Kimbrel going out for 6 weeks it is fortuitous and perhaps lucky that DD traded for Brad Ziegler. Without him, our bullpen would have been hopelessly thin. The cost for the trade does not seem inordinate. Assuming Kimbrel gets back in September he should be well rested and hopefully able to return to his closer role. There are still bullpen moves that we could make, but it looks like any starting pitching move would cost a lot in prospects and dollars. Maybe someone within the organization can blossom into a 4th or 5th starter. We still have hope with ERod. Why can't the Red Sox develop pitching from the minors?

There is talk of bringing in Josh Reddick in a rent a player trade to mitigate our current lack of depth in the outfield. Reddick is returning from a thumb issue and so far isn't back hitting well but is a good outfielder and could well return to his pre-injury hitting prowess. One can guess there may also be more involved, such as pitching as yet unnamed. The question is what we would have to give up to get Reddick and/or a pitcher? Meanwhile we continue to keep Benentendi in the minors. He is an excellent fielder and has the possibility of being a decent major league hitter. So why trade for Reddick when we have a player in the minors who is slated to be on the roster as early as next season? One could argue that the Sox management and coaches know when players can contribute, but then the history of Allen Craig, Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo comes to mind.

I have heard that Holt was dizzy following Tuesdays game and sat out last night. Is Holt over his concussion enough to be a regular player at this point? If not, what do the Sox do going forward. The Sox apparently want a right handed batter in the lineup for balance, hence they called up Brentz not Benintendi. If Shaw's foot is injured and he winds up on the DL then Holt would have to fill in there with the hope that he can go most days. Calling up Benintendi is still reasonable if Shaww is on the DL since we need another solid outfielder as backup.

Having Leon and or Hannigan now catching and Holt back gives us a lineup without a break for the opposing pitching. It would be beneficial to have another outfielder available so that Holt could sub for some of our infielders and get them a rest when needed. We have an option for an outfielder in Benentendi, but so far have chosen not to go in that direction. With a relentless lineup and good defense, it still is all about our pitching. Buch and Kelly in the bullpen? Sounds like a reasonable move. A 4th or 5th starter? Has to be a trade or FA as our minor league isn't producing much. ERod will likely develop into a starter, but it may take another year and more confidence with his 3rd and 4th pitches.

Sandoval for Sabathia would be an equal trade if measured on the scales.

I think it is just you.The Sox have had quite a few on the DL, but I don't think it particularly out of line with what most teams go through. Swihart crashed into the wall, I am told Holt banged his head when trying to dive for a ball, Young got a typical injury for an older guy who extends when running the bases. Hamstrings leave ones leg black and blue from near the groin to the knee and take 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Too bad for us as he was playing well. Ortiz is one bad step from being out for a while. We had 7 of our best hitters in the lineup today but they ran into a guy throwing well. One more good hitter in the lineup would not probably meant much with Price giving up 4, but I still advocate bringing up our best talent to make Farrell's job easier. Holt may take longer than expected while Swihart is still not close.

I have wondered about Holt. What was the incident that caused him to be put on the DL in the first place? Was it a true jar to the head or were there other causes which left him with dizziness and headaches. The length of time he has been on the DL makes one wonder. The team really needs depth at left field and also as a utility infielder to give spot rests to Pedroia and Bogaerts and possibly Shaw. Holt is a pro and can hit. He would be best to fill those roles but if he can't come, we need to reevaluate whether who the club brought up is a reasonable answer for more than a couple of days.

There are several areas that have hurt the Sox this year. Depth of the position players, Starting pitching and relief pitching. Position player depth was setup to be a problem by a series of trades and acquisitions that others have highlighted. Craig, Sandoval, Castillo and to some extent Rameriz. These players have been expensive with only Hanley producing at a journeyman level. Meanwhile, like all teams, our players face a 162 game season in tough climates with lots of travel and a strenuous daily routine. They face scientific evaluation of their hitting shortcomings and are bound to feel mentally letdown when their pitching staff doesn't do the job, not to mention the typical stresses of family life. Injuries are a part of the game and often they play through minor ones. Of course players can and do get sidelined during the season and the team management needs to plan for replacements to give regular players rest and to fill in when the guys go on the disabled list. With Swihart, Holt, Hannigan and Young on the disabled list the replacements called up were on the weak side with the exception of catcher. If we have can't miss prospects in Benentendi and Moncada, why not let them fill in? Starting Pitching We have Wright, Porcello and Price generally performing as acceptable starting pitchers. I was not a fan of the Price deal due to the length of the contract, however, we would be even more lost in the starting pitching arena without him. ERod has talent but has not developed. Buchholz is not doing the job at all, Kelly seemed to fail as well as the two or three youngsters brought up. Are we not getting major league quality pitching prospects or are we not developing the ones we have? This is a serious question. Farrell was a pitching coach at a prior time. Is there something wrong with the coaching and development of red sox pitching? Relief Pitching Some of the problems we have faced here stem from the failures of the starting pitching, which is putting high workloads on our bull pen. Kimbrel was a good acquisition. Koji might just be getting too old. Tazawa is still effective. Hembree is doing a decent job but in general the bull pen needs an infusion of talent. Perhaps Kelly will be moved back to that role but trade or free agency needs to be gone to for more talent. Alas, I think the Red Sox with retreat to a mediocre record this year and Dombroski will need to set sites on improving for next season.

The idea that you have to get a certain number of at bats at AAA level before you can bring a player to the major leagues sounds to formulaic to me. Guys like Bryce Harper, Bogaerts and Marchado have come up very young and worked into great young players. Moncada and Benintendi should be brought up when they show they can compete and when there is a need. Left field was open There has been a lot of talk about Benintendi had only 450 minor league at bats and those at AA at the highest. I wonder about delaying a players appearance in the majors based on a formulaic approach like number of hits at the AAA level. Get real and judge a player by performance and club need. Hope to see Benintendi and Moncada in August at the latest.

Agreed. It takes enormous resources to obtain a true ace starting pitcher. You may have to give long term contracts as we did with Price. If you have a starting pitching prospect that can be developed, it is more reasonable to develop him than to take a flyer on an iffy free agent or in trade. Espinoza looks like that kind of prospect.

You were right, Bryce Brentz got called up for the Rangers series. He is a right handed hitter and is probably more needed than Benni at this point.

With Young down with what looks like hamstring injury that probably puts him out for 6 to 8 weeks, we only have a couple of legitimate outfielders on the roster. Holt will be back soon but I like his role as a utility player and as a infield sub. We will need an outfielder. Who knows who else could go down. I would bring up Benentendi now, and/or look for a trade to get someone to fill in the spot. Young may not be an answer for next year anyway, so having him in September is all we can look forward to. I believe Swihart is still a few weeks away but he also could help to answer our current shortage in the outfield.

Man on third, one out, one of our best hitters at the plate, not so much behind him. Why bunt? Did Farrell sanction this? If so his judgment is clearly called into question.

Pretty much agree with your synopsis. Looking ahead, with Papi gone, Hanley does not appear to be the answer at Designated hitter so we will probably try to sign a FA that has a proven power bat. Young may be gone next year. It is not a stretch to imagine either Benintendi or Swihart in left field. I don't believe Swihart should catch except in an emergency. Holt will probably remain a utility guy. Moncada will probably come up in August and whether he fills in at 2nd, third or first base, he appears to be ready to stick in the majors. It would be a young team except at DH with quality at every position but even so big Papi will be sorely missed. Next year the 3 starting pitchers who look to be keepers are Price, Wright and Porcello. Where do you find 2 quality starters?

David's problems with his feet are already limiting the number of games he can play and could well put him on the bench for long periods as the season grinds on. The team needs to be prepared to have a designated hitter to fill in for him when he is hurting too much to play. As far as projecting his season's totals is concerned, I would temper that with the reality of his physical problems and the likelihood of him being out for extended periods. He continues to be a great clutch hitter for the Sox and a positive presence in the dugout. I think he is making the right decision to know when his time to hang them up has come.

The Sox are in need of backup, righty/lefty subs and pinch hitters now. Both Holt and Swihart have shown the ability to play at the major league level and might have had an impact in a game like last night with the bases loaded and 0 outs. I wouldn't let Moncada or Benintendi go either as they are likely to be brought up in August. I would give up Devers, Owens or Johnson (not both), and maybe 2 or 3 of our mid level prospects. If that isn't enough then we will need to go to the free agent list.

Cherrington loaded the Sox up with Castillo, Craig, Rameriz and Sandoval. Only Hanley is doing anything and certainly is not the power bat they expected. Lets not take any more players at high dollars who are questionable or past their prime. Pitching is expensive, both in minor league players and salaries and having large unproductive contracts on the books limits what can be done.