Introducing: Baseball Notes
Friday, July 30, 2010
To anyone who has watched the Boston Red Sox limp through the season, the fact that they are 14 games over .500 and still very much alive in the American League playoff race has to come as a bit of a surprise. This is a team that has been so plagued by injuries and an inconsistent offense that it has only managed to put together a four-game winning streak four times all year.
Their play since the All Star break has served as a microcosm of the entire season.
It started with a dreadful performance at Fenway where the Sox looked lifeless in dropping three-of-four to the Texas Rangers. But after sweeping the Angels to complete a 10 game west coast road trip that saw both Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz return from DL, the team again looks like it could be ready to mount a serious challenge to both the Yankees and Rays.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSo which are they: An average team that can’t stay healthy or a contender finally ready to hit its stride? The next two days will likely give us some insight into exactly what Theo Epstein thinks of his team’s chances to reach the post season.
If the Sox are going to catch either of their rivals, Epstein needs to make a few moves before Saturday afternoon’s trade deadline. For one, the team desperately needs another pitcher out of the bullpen. As great and as good as Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon have been, there isn’t another reliever Terry Francona trusts to get a big out. The other high-need area is on offense, where the Sox need a more reliable slugger in the outfield to drive in runs.
As far as relief pitching, the best name being tossed around is Scott Downs in Toronto. A number of teams, including the Yankees, are interested in acquiring the left-handed Downs, who has been one of the best setup men in baseball this season. Unfortunately, SI’s Jon Heyman says the Jays are asking for a top prospect in return, which means the Sox might have to part ways with Casey Kelly to make this trade happen.
A more likely option for the team might be former Sox pitcher Craig Breslow. Breslow is striking out a batter an inning this season for Oakland and has a 2.85 ERA. The right-hander wouldn’t as costly to acquire and he is certainly a better option in the seventh inning than any combination of Hideki Okajima, Scott Atchison and Manny Delcarmen.
When it comes to bringing in a bat, the Sox top option might be Nationals outfielder Josh Willingham. Willingham is far more affordable than Washington’s top slugger, Adam Dunn, but he won’t provide quite as much pop. Still, his .878 OPS (On Base Plus Slugging Percentage) is the best of his career and he is likely to hit over 20 homeruns for the fourth time in five seasons in the Major Leagues.
The Sox may also consider dealing for Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, who is only two years removed from consecutive 97-plus RBI seasons. The 34 year old has always shown decent power (16 homeruns this season), but he has never been known for having patience at the plate, which has resulted in high strikeout numbers. The bright side: It will probably only take Ramon Ramirez to bring him in.
No matter what moves the Sox make, one thing has been made perfectly clear.
The team is not looking to mortgage the farm system and they aren’t interested in paying the Luxury Tax. At the beginning of the season, many thought Padres’ slugger Adrian Gonzalez might be the answer to all the Sox problems, but he is no longer on the table. Fans are going to have to be comfortable with only slight upgrades this season.
The Yankees have now watched two starters they were interested in end up elsewhere, so one has to expect they’ll look to bring in someone to strengthen their rotation.
After missing out on Cliff Lee and Dan Haren, Roy Oswalt would have been the best option, but he agreed to a trade with Philadelphia yesterday. Don’t be surprised if they end up bringing back Ted Lilly, the soft tossing lefty who has won at least 12 games seven seasons in a row.
Adam Dunn is another name the Yankees might seriously consider before Saturday’s deadline. Only Albert Pujols has more homeruns than Dunn since 2004 and he would certainly add a lot of pop to the best team in baseball’s lineup. As mentioned above, the Nationals appear willing to part ways with him, but they are probably going to want top prospects or a proven starter like Phil Hughes.
Similar to the Sox, relief pitching is high on the need-list for the Yankees. They’ll definitely be in the hunt for Scott Downs. Other options may include another Jays pitcher, Kevin Gregg, or Michael Wuertz from Oakland.
It will be interesting to see exactly what happens before the trade deadline. Clearly the Yankees want to improve, but no one will feel bad for them if they stay put. The pressure is undoubtedly on the Red Sox. If they’re going to keep pace, they need to fill a few key holes and can’t afford to let the Yankees or Rays (who have been very quiet) make moves while they stare nervously at their checkbook.
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