The Official 2010 Boston Red Sox Thread

I only saw the 1st round and everyone in the 2nd round but Corey Hart, but the crowd there last night was terrible. Did they even cheer once? They barely made a sound. I know the stereotype is that west coast fans are lay back and 'chill' and there weren't any LA Angels or Dodgers in the Derby but that crowd but still it's the HR Derby, the crowd was the west coast stereotype to the tee. The only time the crowd did anything was to boo both Swisher and Ortiz, otherwise it was like 40,000 plus people at a church.

 

I understand them booing Red Sox and Yankee players and I'm fine with that. I just didn't like how the crowd pretty much sat on their hands during the whole thing when Hart, Holliday, Hanley and Cabrera put on a show at different times during the event. I mean Cabrera put balls up on the rocks and got almost no reaction. I was waiting for him or Ortiz to throw their bats on the ground and start screaming "Are you not entertained?" ala Gladiator.

 

The Red Sox should have also held a moment of silence for Tim Wakefield's career.

 

Yeah he's either been very good or flat out bad but that's pretty much the story of his career. He won't be in the rotation much longer with both Beckett and Buchholz coming off the DL in the next week or two. The problem with Wakefield is that he's pretty much useless in the bullpen as he can only come in the game if there's a blow out.

 

Buchholz (Wednesday) and Beckett (Friday) are coming back this week. Jeremy Hermida should be off the DL sometime this week as well. Victor Martinez can finally put a glove on his broken finger so he should be back shortly too. Pedroia is 2 weeks away from returning as well. Slowly this team is starting to get healthy and although the team lost 3 out of 4 to Texas, with help from the Yankees we didn't lose any ground on the WC. This west coast trip is going to be tough, the Sox can't slip anymore in the standings.

Also don't look now but I think both Michael Bowden, who's already up, and Jed Lowrie (remember him?) will play meaningful roles for this team.

 

RIP 2010 Boston Red Sox season.

This team has just fallen off a cliff since they blew that game in Tampa Bay. I'm afraid that even though we're starting to get the injured players back it might be too late. The replacements have played well over their heads and it's all catching up to them now. It doesn't help that we're getting zero out of the catchers spot. But hey it was nice to finally see a health Jed Lowrie back.

 

The Sox only shot is to win the WC, as they're what 8 or 9 games back from New York now? That's just too many games to make up in a short amount of time and it would take a lot of luck. Plus Tampa doesn't seem to lose games anymore. The only way I see the Sox making the playoffs is if they get all of their injuried players back by the beginning of August and just have an outstanding months playing .650 baseball. I don't think the Sox will roll over and die, but I think they will fall 3 or 4 games short.

 

The Yankees and Tampa are the best 2 teams in baseball right now, and maybe since the first pitch of the 2010 season. I think Boston is probably the 4th or 5th best right now but they have potential to be #2 if everyone comes back healthy. The only advantage the Red Sox will have is they're going to get impact players (everyone that was injuried coming back) at or around the trading deadline without giving up any talent, something that can't be said for Tampa (which hasn't had a major injury all year) or the Yankees (except when Pettitte comes back). I still think the Sox can make a run but if I were betting I say as of today they won't make it.

 

Last I heard he was but who knows with this team this year. I wouldn't be shocked if he or anyone else was out for the year because they slept the wrong way.

 

Yeah getting zero offensive production out of the catcher spot the past few weeks have hurt a lot. I'd guess the Sox would simply DFA Cash and keep Dusty Brown up who has more upside than Cash (although the upside is limited as it is).

 

Why? Good for him he's moving on from baseball and trying to do something productive in his 'retirement'.

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox DFA Hermida when Mike Lowell (who should be back Friday) or Jacoby Ellsbury (who is probably a week or 2 away now) returns. Darnell McDonald has been playing pretty well (and better than Hermida especially defensively) and probably wouldn't make it through waivers. Hermida is probably one and done anyway since I can't see how the Sox would tender him a contract when he's set to make over 5 million a year.

I also think Ryan Kalish will be up with the team sooner rather than later and could probably take say Eric Patterson's spot since Lowrie is back and playing well the Sox really don't have a real need for Patterson anymore. Plus he could probably sneak through waivers too.

 

Some trade deadline news eventhough I truly believe the Sox season ended last night:

Ryan Kalish & Dustin Richardson are being called up to Boston today. Sox have been shopping Delcarmen, Okajima, Ramirez and Hermida all day. Wonder what moves will be made. Cameron to the DL maybe?

Always Mike Lowell and Jacoby Ellsbury will not be traded today according to multiple reports.

Personally I'm glad the Sox are standing pat. There isn't a true difference maker out there right now and it would be stupid to trade a top prospect for a fringe player or someone that will have little to no impact this year.

EDIT: Looks like Hermida was DFA for Kalish. Sox still need to make a move for Mike Lowell tomorrow.

UPDATE: Looks like Ramon Ramirez got traded to SF. No word yet on who's coming back but I doubt it would be Posey, Lincecum or Cain.

 

Deadline moves:

Sox get:
-Daniel Turpen RHP for Ramon Ramirez
-Jarrod Saltalamacchia C for 2 minor leaguers and cash.

Remember when people wanted to trade Buchholz for Salty straight up last year?

 

It was complete sarcasm on my part regarding Posey, Cain or Lincecum, I thought it was fairly obvious.

Anyway yeah I don't really believe that report, since I've been told in the beginning of the year (around mid-May) that the Red Sox wouldn't be releasing Mike Lowell because they didn't want him going to the Yankees since they were convinced that if they released him the Yankees would sign him to back up 1st and 3rd. It was around the time Johnson went down and there were whispers that Arod's hip was barking. The only way I would believe it is if the Sox were getting a prospect they really liked in the deal (perhaps this was a failed attempt to get Jarrod Saltalamacchia) without giving up anything but Lowell and/or cash.

 

Awesome now Youkilis is on the DL with Mike Lowell being activated. Quickly off the top of my head the only players yet to hit the DL have been Scutaro, Drew, Beltre, Lester, Lackey, Papelbon, Bard and Okajima.

Good times especially with a 4 game series vs. the Yankees coming up. The only hope is that Mike Lowell gets pissed off and wants to prove to the Red Sox and the rest of baseball he can still be an everyday player and plays out of his mind for the next few weeks.

I think it's now safe to say the Red Sox playoff chances are over and done with with this blow.

 

This injury is just the perfect way to describe the 2010 season. Too bad because the team was really on a roll from early May to mid June until all the injuries started to pile up again. Oh well it happens. It would have been fun to see this team at full strength against the Yankees and Rays.

 

They're what 6 down in the loss column for the wild card and 7 out of first, that's a lot of ground to make up in 55 games and many of those games are going to be without Pedroia and Youkilis now (Youkilis might even be out for the rest of the year with his thumb). I just don't see how they can catch either the Rays or Yankees at this stage. It's not like the Rays or Yankees aren't good teams, if one of the teams ahead of the Sox were the Blue Jays then I'd still believe we have a shot but I truly think the season is over and I don't think things will be pretty this weekend in New York. And let's not forget to mention that the Sox bullpen is just brutual too.

 

Hey believe me I hope you're right but right now I just think the Sox are in too big of a hole and simply right now both the Yankees and Rays are better. But who knows maybe if Pedroia comes back in about a week or so and if Youkilis doesn't have a serious injury (and if he does Mike Lowell plays out of his mind) the Sox could go on a huge run. But there are just too may 'ifs' right now with this team with 55 games left to go.

 

He's not, he had a bad April but was outstanding in May through the All Star break. He just lost 4 games in a row with the team scoring 3 runs total in those starts which is why pitcher 'wins' and 'losses' are misleading. He did pitch poorly against Detroit a week ago but his underlying numbers are still very good, he's just run into bad luck and a bit of a slump. I'm not really worried about him. He did have a baby about a week and a half ago but I doubt that could be a reason why he hasn't pitched like he should be the last 2 starts, maybe it's just a dead arm period of something. He'll be fine.