Options If Bay Doesn't Re-Sign

Jason Bay has had a good run with the Red Sox for the last year & a half. He has settled in as the #5 hitter & produced with runners in scoring position. Bay has also done a good job learning to play the Green Monster.

What if Bay decides to sign somewhere else? That's a real possibility, so here's what I'm reading or proposing.

- I read that Youk may give LF a try. If so, that would leave the door open to sign Adrian Gonzalez as your 1B this year. Youk could then move back to 3B when Lowell's contract is up next year.

- Matt Holliday is a name you hear out there. Hard to tell how he would perform in Boston after spending the bulk of his career in Colorado. He may be too expensive for Theo as well.

- Joe Mauer is a drawing little attention since everyone feels that he will re-sign in his native Minnesota. Mauer could catch & DH which would give Victor more time at 1B. That would mean the Sox would have to move Ortiz or Lowell. They couldn't keep both.

- One player I really like is 3B Ryan Zimmerman from the Nationals. He is a young power hitter with good defensive skills. He may be untouchable, but I would trade the farm for him. He is the National League equivalent Evan Longoria.

The list goes on & on. The first chip is to find out what Bay is doing. If he re-signs, then Theo can tinker with the rest of the roster.

This may be a minority opinion. But I feel that Bay has a good thing going in Boston & I give us a better than 50-50 chance to re-sign him. We'll see.

Where is A-Rod?

Two World Series games so far & A-Rod is back to his magic act of disappearing. It was 2 home runs by Teixeira & Matsui that brought the Yanks even with the Phillies last night with a 3-1 win.

The Phillies did their job by winning one game in New York. Charlie Manual will take some heat for starting Pedro, but he pitched well.

Do everyone in New England a favor, Phillies. Finish them off in your home park. You will get a big "thank you" from Red Sox Nation.

Yanks Lose Opener 6-1

The New York Yankees started the World Series with no offense in Game 1. Cliff Lee tamed their bats & got the win for the Phillies.

The target is still squarely on the Yankees back to win a World Series after spending lots of money in the free agent market this past off-season. The Phillies, however, have the support of fans in 49 states rooting for them to win. No one wants to see the Yankees buy the Series.

Keep it up, Phillies. Keep it up.

Do Sox Keep Bullpen Together?

A definite strength of the Boston Red Sox in 2009 was the performance of its bullpen, one of the best in all of MLB. Does everyone return for another year?

Eligible for arbitration are Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Ramon Ramirez & Manny Delcarmen. The Sox hold a club option on Takashi Saito for $6 million. Daniel Bard is under contract. Billy Wagner is a free agent.

I see the bulk of the same relievers returning. Obviously, Wagner is gone to retirement or to be a closer somewhere else. Two of the more "iffy" returnees might be Saito, because of age & a poor 2nd half, & Delcarmen who continues to struggle with command as he has every year. Theo might want to use $6 million on someone other than Saito. Delcarmen may be packaged in a trade. Maybe the Sox will try a few of the kids from the farm & see if anyone sticks like Bard did.

Pitching was a strength, especially the bullpen, but it wouldn't surprise me if a few of the better relievers get packaged in a trade to help the offense get better in a Matt Holliday or Adrian Gonzalez type deal.

I think Pap, Bard, Oki & Ramirez are definitely back. The rest is up for discussion.

Mills, Hoyer Gone

Brad Mills was announced today as the new manager for the Houston Astros. Earlier this week Jed Hoyer won the job as GM for the San Diego Padres. It seems like the Patriots all over again with an exodus of front office & coaching talent. You have to appreciate the fact, though, that the Sox are not holding anyone back.

Mills has been a part of Terry Francona's staff for several years. Hoyer was co-GM when Theo made a brief exit a few years ago before returning. Both are excellent choices to help struggling franchises like the Padres & Astros.

Good luck to both.

Will Wake Be Back?

Tim Wakefield had surgery on his ailing back last week. Wake says he should be ready for the start of Spring Training.

Given that Wakefield has broken down during parts of the last 3 seasons, the question is whether or not the Sox should bring him back at all. He is an inexpensive, innings-eater who goes through stretches where he is unhittable. There are also stretches of lots of walks & home runs, but Wake is usually good for 10+ wind a year. He is also very affordable in today's market at $4 million a year.

Maybe Wake becomes one of those half-year pitchers. Last year he had 11 wins & made the All-Star team with a great first half. Not so much success in the 2nd half due to injury. It was hard at times to see him out there limping around the mound.

If Wake is able to give the Sox 3 or 4 months of solid starts, I'd bring him back for 1 final year. One of the reasons is that the Sox do not have a #5 starter in Bowden or Tazawa yet. Another year of seasoning with a few spot starts might be what the doctor ordered for both young pitchers.

Bring the old guy back.

Ben Sheets On Comeback Trail

The Red Sox website reports that Ben Sheets, ex-Brewers pitcher, is healing from a tendon injury in his arm & is ready to enter the free agent market for 2010. Sheets would be a reclamation project, like Smoltz & Penny, not having pitched in 2009.

I've always liked Ben Sheets since his days of pitching for the US Olympic team. He is a top of the rotation guy when healthy. But injuries have sidelined him at different times during his career &, with his injuries, so went the Milwaukee Brewers down & out of contention.

Obviously, the questions for Theo is simple. Do you try to sign Sheets after the failed experiments with Smoltz & Penny? I'd say sure, why not.

The only thing that irks me about these rehab players is the fact that they get the benefit of a carefully planned rehab program & then go pitch somewhere else while we pay for it. Smoltz, because he would not accept a bullpen role, got to pitch for the Cards on our dime. And Penny pitched for the Giants after we got his shoulder back to 100%. That's a great "thanks" for fixing me, but I'm going somewhere else now.

I guess there is risk & reward in everything. If Theo & Co. feels the risk is acceptable, I see them making an offer for Ben Sheets.

If I'm Theo, I Would...

I hope to have a little fun with this article & get comments from our blog viewers by completing the following sentence.

"If I'm Theo Epstein, I would ______________________ to make the Red Sox a World Series contender in 2010." Who would you keep? Who would you throw away? Who would you try to add?

Give me you best thoughts. I know I have a few. Assume you have a budget of $120 million or so. How do you spend it?

Just click the "comment" button at the bottom of this article to leave a response. You can by-pass the prompt to set-up a Google account by hitting the "anonymous" button. You can leave a name, if you wish, at the bottom of your comment.

Thanks in advance. I look forward to your thoughts.

What About Pap in 2010?

Jonathan Papelbon blew his last playoff game in 2009. After the game he owned up to his shortcomings & said he is moving on.

Let me tell you from experience - you move on, but you never forget. I still remember a bunt that I threw into center field from the mound which lost a state championship for my high school team. That was many, many years ago.

Pap had a "dirty" season in 2009 where many of his saves were made after he gave up baserunners via hits &/or walks. There were not many 1-2-3 clean innings. Unfortunately, he saved his worst outing of the season for Game 3 against the Angels. Like Tim Wakefield in 2003 at Yankee Stadium, it's hard to put the season ender in the rear view mirror. It does stick with you for awhile.

Will Pap be back next year? Probably a sure bet. The only issue will be his arbitration number as Pap elects to go year-to-year with his contract. If his arbitration number exceeds $10 million, the Sox management may start to consider a lower priced solution in Daniel Bard.

I'm betting on Pap to be back. Bard still needs a year or two more under his belt before trying to be the everyday closer. Cinco Ocho will be motivated to erase the 2009 playoff disaster & throw more clean innings in 2010.

Where Does Billy Wagner Go?

Billy Wagner is 7 saves shy of 400 for his career. There are many options for the lefty as he goes into this off-season.

He can retire which is one option. It doesn't make sense to me, though, that Wagner would undergo Tommy John surgery just to retire after a brief comeback with the Mets & Sox. The only way he retires is if his arm did not respond, but he was throwing 95+ will ease & regularity. I don't see retirement myself.

He can remain with the Red Sox. Maybe they promise him 10 save opportunities throughout the regular season & a set-up role the rest of the time. Maybe the Sox front office decides a lower cost option at closer is Wagner & they let Pap go elsewhere in a trade due to his large arbitration number.

Finally, he can be a closer for another team. Just in the AL East, I think Tampa Bay, Toronto & Baltimore would have interest in Wagner's services. Maybe the Mets would want him back along with several NL teams. Wagner would certainly have many suitors to give him a chance to earn #400.

The Sox have a tough decision as they may let a guy with stopper stuff go elsewhere. Unless the Sox give up on Pap from an expense side, I don't see Wagner back at Fort Myers in 2010. The most likely option is that he closes for another team.

Pitching Remains a Strength for 2010

The Red Sox starting rotation should have several household names next year. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz & Dice-K are all expected back, barring any moves in trade deals.

Beckett had a great middle 3 months of the season where he was unhittable for a stretch of about 15 starts. He started slow in May & early June, then lost his magic again in mid-August & September. Once a Cy Young candidate he finished with 16 wins & 200+ innings, the most innings in his career. You might say that 2009 was at times like 2007 & at times like 2008. If Josh is healthy in 2010, he will remain one of the toughest pitchers in the bigs. Beckett is also in a contract year which never hurts a player's results.

If Beckett is 1A, Jon Lester became 1B last year. After a slow start, Jon became the most dependable starter down the stretch. He amassed over 200 K's & 200+ innings. As a show of confidence by Terry Francona, Lester got the start in Game 1 of the playoffs over Beckett. I look for more good things from Lester in 2010.

Clay Buchholz finally made it back to the big show & it looks like he is here to stay. After experimenting with Smoltz & Penny in the 1st half, Clay had several good starts in the 2nd half & also pitched a quality game in the playoffs that he should have won. Buchholz can now relax & get ready in Spring Training for a 30+ start season with the big club in 2010.

The most disappointing starter was, by far, Dice-K. They should do away with the World Baseball Classic. Period. We lost an 18-game winner in 2008 because of it. Dice showed that he still had good stuff when he & his arm were in proper shape. How about the Sox take back the part of his salary proportionate to his time on the DL? I bet the MLB Players Association would like that. Next year the Sox monitor Matzusaka for Day 1 in Spring Training to keep him healthy for the regular season. Or maybe he is someone that they would trade, if he agrees to waive his no-trade clause. There has been some bad blood.

Will Tim Wakefield come back from surgery & pitch at 43? Will Michael Bowden finally emerge? Will the Sox trade for a 5th starter? All good questions that will be answered in time. However, the 1st 4 spots look to stack-up well against any other rotation.

Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek

It will be strange not to see Jason Varitek behind the plate on opening day 2010. But it's very obvious, as shown throughout the 2nd half of 2009 & the playoffs, that Victor Martinez is the new everyday catcher next season.

Victor is coming into his prime & the Red Sox will most definitely pick-up his $7 million option for 2010. He is a 100 RBI guy who will also hit 25 or so HR's. His switch hitting abilities mean you can never bring-in a specialist from the pen to get a better match-up. I did notice where Victor's throwing abilities can improve & hopefully Gary Tuck can work with him in Spring Training. Overall, you can't beat a middle-of-the-order, switch hitter with power as your catcher. He is a young version of Jorge Posada with more speed. And he can play first or DH as needed to take a break behind the plate. Great, great pick-up by Theo & Co.

On the other side you have Jason Varitek. I think the number of games caught is finally catching up to him. His bat has been just about non-existent for 2 years. His arm is poor, but he does call a good game. Ask Josh Beckett. Both Beckett & Lester are big proponents of Varitek's skills behind the plate. Also, let's not forget that he started a fight with A-Rod in 2004 which got things cooking for the rest of that season. Varitek can return to the Sox for $3 million if the club does not exercise it's $5 million option. Would he return in a back-up role? If I'm Varitek, I say why not! He is still more valuable to Boston than any other team.

The switch to get younger at catcher has been coming for a few years. It'll happen for good in 2010.

Bring Back Gonzo

Alex Gonzalez brought much needed stability to the shortstop position for the Boston Red Sox. Injuries to Nick Green & Jed Lowrie prevented either player from emerging as the everyday starter.

There is a mutual option on the table for 2010 that would return Alex for next season as the starting shortstop. It's worth $6 million. I say bring him back.

Gonzo was injured in Cincinnati & hitting 8th before the pitcher's spot. He obviously got nothing to hit with the pitcher coming up next. As in 2006, he proved that he can handle the defensive chores at SS very well with no ill effects from his arm injury. However, he also provided much needed pop at the end of the order which was a pleasant surprise.

If we bring Gonzo back from one more year, it gives Green & Lowrie a chance to heal up & slowly make their way back. Lowrie was the opening day shortstop, but Green took advantage of his playing time when Lowrie went down. Green eventually tapered off with the bat, but was pretty solid in the field - minus a few miscues.

Maybe this is an easy deal to get done before tackling the Bay situation. Let's bring Alex Gonzalez back.

Where's the Beef?

In the tough AL East you need to score runs. In my opinion the lack of consistent offense was the major weakness in the 2009 Red Sox roster. Looking closer at the offense, it was the lack of a consistent middle-of-the-order guy to compliment Youk & Bay. Thank goodness for Victor coming over for the final 2 months or we would not have made the playoffs.

David Ortiz was non-existent for half a year. Since his hand injury in 2008 Big Papi has not been the same guy who came up with big hits when needed. He is certainly not the 50 home-run player of 2006. Also, his steroids issue did nothing to help his on-field performance in 2009.

Mike Lowell is coming off hip surgery. He put together a very good 1st half with regular play until his hip acted up. Being platooned in the 2nd half, Lowell never really adjusted to that role & his numbers reflected it. He also hit into many, many double plays with his lack of speed.

The good news is both Ortiz & Lowell are in the final year of their current contracts in 2010. That usually means both will be working hard in the off-season to have a good contract year. It's just human nature to play well for next contract.

We need them both to stay healthy & return to form in 2010. Both will be on the roster as no one will pick-up their big contracts.

Bay Waiting It Out

Jason Bay's situation is a lot like Mike Lowell's in 2007. Lowell was eligible for free agency after his World Series MVP season. He tested the free agency market & ended up signing a shorter, less lucrative deal with the Red Sox to stay in Beantown.

Will Bay's free agency go the same way? Who knows. According to the Red Sox website, Bay is saying all the right things about enjoying his playing time in Boston & a comfort level with the players & manager.

However, he would foolish in a business sense to re-sign with the Sox while they still have exclusive bargaining rights until 15 days after the World Series. Bay is only 30 years old & his value may never be higher than now. Other than Matt Holliday, he may be the best outfielder on the market this winter.

Remember Bronson Arroyo? He signed a hometown deal against the advice of his agent without testing the free agent market. The Red Sox promptly traded Arroyo to Cincinnati. So it works both ways from a business sense.

I don't blame Bay, but it would be good to get his situation resolved -- one way or the other -- as soon as possible.

Jason Bay: Staying Or Going?

It has to be the most important issue for the Red Sox to deal with as they reconfigure the 2009 team for the 2010 season. Will they re-sign Jason Bay?

Bay has stated that he would like to stay in a Red Sox uniform, but he does want to test the free agent waters. He & his agent should field a number of offers from a number of teams. Bay put together his 4th 30+ homers, 100+ RBI season with the Red Sox. His numbers tailed off dramatically in the 2nd half, but Bay still put together an impressive offensive season.

In a year where the Red Sox offense sputtered a lot the Boston brass can ill-afford to lose Bay to another contender like New York, Tampa Bay or the Angels. It will be interesting to see the length of contract & dollars offered by the Sox to keep Bay in Boston.

The Bay situation is the first issue that has to be resolved in this off season.

A Day After

I've calmed down a bit. Yesterday I felt like I was teleported back to the days before the 2004 season. In those days we use to get close, but never pull the game out in the end. Remember?

We've been spoiled in this decade with championships from the Patriots (who lost in OT yesterday), the Celtics & the Red Sox. We tend to forget about the 86 year drought & countless fans who never saw the Red Sox win a championship in their lifetime. Everything has to go just right to end up on top & it didn't work out for the Boston Red Sox in 2009.

As we go through the off-season & into Spring Training in February, we will discuss the many topics of interest surrounding this team. David Ortiz. Mike Lowell. Jason Varitek. There's 3 names right there that will generate lots of discussion. Let's throw in Jason Bay's future.

In retrospect, we were one of the last 8 teams standing. That's about all you can say about the 2009 season.

Sox Swept in Ugly Fashion

The Red Sox blew a 4 run lead today & lose 3 straight games to a very good Angels team. The Sox were outpitched, outhit & outscored for the 3rd consecutive game. The playoff curse for the Angels is over.

This is an ugly ending to the 2009 Boston season. Inconsistent hitting was the biggest problem in Games 1 & 2. But today it was Jonathan Papelbon squarely wearing the choke collar. He picked a bad time for a bad game. The Angels score 3 times in the 9th with 2 outs against Pap to win in dramatic style 7-6 & move onto the ALCS against the Yankees or Twins.

Red Sox players & fans will remember this one for awhile.

A Journey for Clay Buchholz

Last year, after the regular season was over, Clay Buchholz' season continued in the Arizona Fall League in October & November. When his time in Arizona was done he got 2 months off in December & January before reporting to Spring Training in Fort Myers in February. After a good spring he was assigned to Pawtucket in April for the first half of the season. Arizona to Florida to Rhode Island so far.

After the All-Star break in July Buchholz was called up for a cameo start in Toronto. His name was bantered about by every sports talk show as trade bait. The deadline passed & Buchholz was still a Red Sox. Once Tim Wakefield went down Clay became a regular starter in Boston rotation.

Arizona - Florida - Rhode Island - Toronto - Boston. It's been quite a journey for Buchholz who finds himself starting Game 3 of the ALDS today with the Red Sox needing his best performance to stay alive. Let's hope Clay has matured from his travels & he puts together a good start.

Game 3

Here's a few of my thoughts as we get ready for Red Sox - Angels in Game 3.

- Scott Kazmir was traded to the Angels for one reason -- to beat the Red Sox & Yankees in the playoffs. If he can't do this, the Angels made a $20 million mistake.

- The Red Sox are a great team at home. Given their playoff experience, I say all bets are off if they can win 2 at home & get the series back to Anaheim. The pressure would shift to the Angels.

- I like Buchholz & Dice-K as the #3 & #4 pitchers. I think they match up well against Kazmir & Saunders. Lefties don't have much success at Fenway.

- Finally, I think Mike Lowell & David Ortiz need to add some veteran presence & produce for this lineup. Lowell was the World Series MVP in 2007 & Ortiz has always produced in the playoffs. Both have been 2 easy outs so far.

One game, one inning, one at bat, one pitch at a time. Let's see if the Sox can pull another rabbitt out of their playoff hat this year.

Offense On Life Support

The Red Sox have had their butts soundly kicked in Anaheim by the Angels. One run in 18 innings equals 2 losses.

Angel hitters are delivering when their few opportunities come around. Red Sox hitters are not. Period.

Unless the Sox start to hit, this will be a very short series. Good news is we are coming back to Fenway for 2 where the Sox always play better than on the road. They need to.

Let's hope the bats wake up. That's about all I can say.

Where Was Bard in the 7th?

Dear Tito:

We have a 3-0 playoff game in the bottom of the 7th. With 2 more times up a bloop & a blast will get us back into the game. Why did you go to Ramirez over Bard?

Ramirez, Saito & Okajima are your second best core of relievers to Bard, Wagner & Pap. I guess if Ramirez has a 1-2-3 inning we are not talking about this move. But he didn't. He was terrible & left a mess for Saito.

Then you bring Saito into a no-win situation with base loaded & no outs. Wouldn't a strikout guy like Bard or Wagner give you a better chance to get out of that jam? With a travel day on Sunday there is no need for concern about overuse.

You fielded the best hitting lineup by sitting Varitek. Unless you thought the game was over at 3-0 I don't understand why you didn't go with our best relievers to keep the game close. The playoffs is about going with your best.

Maybe it will all work out tonight. However, the 2 additional runs in the 7th gave the Angels pitchers a comfortable lead for the 8th & 9th. Let's go with our best tonight.

Red Sox Lay An Egg

No runs. Three errors. And a terrible Ramon Ramirez. It adds up to a 5-0 opening loss to the Angels.

Except for the home run ball to Torii Hunter, Jon Lester pitched well. You have to give Lackey credit as he never gave up the big hit to Red Sox batters like he normally has done in the past. Youk, Ortiz & Lowell had chances with RISP, but couldn't deliver.

Yes, the umpiring was horrible. Joe West seemed to have a bigger plate for Lackey than Lester. CB Buckner didn't get one close play at first right for either team. But umpires are an uncontrollable. The elements of the game that were in the Sox control were not executed well -- namely, hitting & fielding.

For me personally, Torrii Hunter is a a very good player, but he is way over the top for the cameras. He reminds me of a T.O. in football. He bugs me with his rah rah stuff in the dugout & on the field.

The goal is to take one game in Anaheim & I still like our chances with Beckett. Time for the bats to get hot.

Lester Gets Game 1 Start

Give Terry Francona credit. He could have started Josh Beckett in Game 1, but instead he goes with Jon Lester.

Lester has been the better pitcher in the month of September. Beckett struggled with location in his last few starts against teams like Kansas City & Baltimore. Given Lester the ball in Game 1 means that he would get the ball again in Game 5, if necessary.

It also means that Beckett gets Game 2, Buccholz Game 3 & Dice-K Game 4. If we can take just one game in Anaheim, I like Dice-K & Lester in Games 4 & 5. Buccholz is a toss-up as he too was not good with his location in his last few starts.

It should be a great series. Two very evenly matched teams. It may come down to a break here or there.

Playoff Wishes

An extra-inning win by the Minnesota Twins sent the Detroit Tigers home for the season as the Twins capture the AL Central crown 6-5 in 12 innings. They now play the New York Yankees in the ALDS starting tonight.

If I had 3 wishes for the playoffs, I would ask for them in this order:

Wish 1 - Red Sox win the World Series.

Wish 2 - If not the Red Sox as champs, don't let it be the Yankees.

Wish 3 - Again, if not the Red Sox as the final team standing, don't let Manny & the Dodgers go very far.

Best scenario would be Red Sox & Rockies in a repeat of 2007 with the Sox winning in 4 straight again. Let's see if I'm psychic or not as the playoffs progress.

Bull's Eye on Yankees in Playoffs

The New York Yankees enter the post-season with the best record in Major League baseball over the 2009 regular season. It's obvious that all the pressure in now on the pin stripes to deliver a World Series Championship to their fans.

$500,000,000 -- yes, that's a lot of zeros -- spent on Tiexiera, Sabathia & Burnett to bring the championship back to NY after a 9 year hiatus. History is not good with the past playoff performances of A-Rod, Sabathia & Tiexiera. Maybe they can overcome it this year, maybe not. Burnett is untested in the last several years since his Marlins days.

The Yankees get a nice boost from the playoff game today between Minnesota & Detroit. Whoever wins will have to start their #3 starter against Sabathia. If the visitor can steal one game in NY, though, the tide may turn against the Yanks.

Again, the New York Yankees have all the pressure on them to deliver. It will be fun to watch if they can perform.

How About Those Twins!

Let's give credit where credit is due.

The Minnesota Twins are the story of the American League this year. Starting the month of September 6 or 7 games back of Detroit they caught the Tigers on the 2nd to last day of the season. Both Minnesota & Detroit won on the last day, forcing today's playoff game. (I won't mention Bucky Bleepin' Dent!)

Minnesota has a few key players -- Nathan, Mauer, Cuddyer. But this small payroll team turns into a playoff contender on a regular basis. You have to be rooting for the Twins today as the underdog.

The beneficiary of today is the Yankees, of course, who have their rotation ready to go against either team. They may just have their hands full with either, though.

Good luck, Twins!

Who Misses the Post-Season Roster?

The Sox have utilized a lot of players in the month of September. Now they need to get back to a 25-man roster.

Who's on for sure? Well, I count 9 regulars, 4 starters, 6 relievers. Bay, Ells & Drew in the outfield. Lowell, Gonzalez, Petey & Youk in the infield. Victor at catcher. Big Papi at DH. Lester, Beckett, Dice-K & Buchholz for starters. Pap, Wagner, Bard, Ramirez, Okajima & Saito as relievers. That's 19.

What about subs? I'd go with Varitek at catcher. Kotchman & Lowrie at infield. Gathright & Baldelli at outfield. That makes 24.

Who's # 25? There may actually be 2 spots remaining if Baldelli's hip is too bad that it won't allow him to play. You have Delcarmen, Byrd, Bowden as additional arms possibly. You have Reddick & Anderson as possible outfielders. You have Woodward as another infielder. There is also Kottaras & Brown as catchers. Lot's of possibilities for the final spot or two.

Rest assured that Tito & Co. are pouring through the stats on who has produced & how hasn't against the Angels. He will bring together a roster that gives the Sox the best chance to win.

Bring on The Angels!

The regular season of 95 wins is over. The Sox finished off a sweep of the Indians with the help of a grand slam from Jed Lowrie. Now it's onto Anaheim for the ALDS either Wednesday or Thursday.

Clay Buchholz had another so-so outing. Like Josh Beckett, both have pitched in victories but have not looked especially sharp lately. However, for better or worse, they are what we have, along with Lester & Dice-K, going into the playoffs. We will need good outings from all 4 starters to beat the Angels.

The offense & defense look ready to go. Great news about Alex Gonzalez & his wrist being OK. As usual, however, the playoffs are all about pitching. Look what Shields & Garza did for Tampa Bay last year. Look what Beckett & Schilling did in 2007.

Dial it up, pitchers! Let's throw some good games this week & get rid of the Angels. We're in their heads in the post-season & they know it.

One Game Left

Red Sox scored another win against the Indians 11-6 last night. Clay Buchholz gets to pitch the last regular season game this afternoon, # 162, as the Sox go for their 95th win & a sweep of Cleveland.

It's time to give Victor Martinez his due. Safe to say without Victor the Sox may not have gotten into the playoffs. He has thrived with his new team -- clutch hitting in the middle of the order & Youk-like by being able to handle catching & first base duties. His grand slam last night against his former team put some icing on the cake.

Unfortunately, Beckett was still not Beckett-like, giving up lots of hits & 4 runs in 5 innings of work. That's a concern to me. Last outing he gave up 12 hits. Not what you want from your ace going into the playoffs.

My buddy Gaff & I will do a podcast today to review the regular season & the Sox chances in the post-season. I still say we have as good a chance as any team to win it all.

Dice-K Tunes Up

The Red Sox continue to get their playoff roster in order with another win over the Indians 6-2 last night.

Dice-K looked good through 6 innings. He has made a late-year comeback, unexpected by many reporters who thought his season was over when Dice went back to Fort Myers for an extended Spring Training. He is now a solid #3 or #4 starter in the playoffs. It couldn't come at a better time since it looks like the Sox will get the short series.

A late-inning HBP on Gonzalez by Kerry Wood was a concern. It looked like the ball clipped him right under his right wrist. He was taken out of the game. We can't afford to lose Gonzo who has solidified the shortstop position & added offense to the #9 spot in the order.

Other than that, Josh Beckett gets his last tune-up tonight. I hope that he follows suit with good performances by Lester & Dice-K. The playoffs are all about pitching & Lester, Beckett, Dice-K & Buchholz can be as dominating as any other staff.

The Comeback of David Ortiz

Big Papi was pretty small in April & May. He had only 2 home runs by June 1st & his batting average was around .200.

Since then Ortiz has had a significant comeback over the last 4 months of the season. He is now 25+ home runs & close to the 100 RBI mark. Last night he hooked a ball into RF for an RBI which gave him 97 for the year. Nothing fancy, but he's getting the job done.

Like J.D. Drew in 2007, the playoffs can be a redeeming stretch of games for a sub-par regular season. All was forgiven when Drew hit a grand slam against the Indians in Game 6 of the ALCS. Maybe Big Papi will shine in the 2009 playoffs. He's certainly done it before.

I think the Sox have as much pitching, offense & defense as any of the final 8 teams. It always comes down to who can focus & who can deliver during October. Big Papi needs to be Big Papi & not the "Little Papi" from April & May.

Ortiz has the experience & I think he will deliver.

A Win Finally

The Sox starters provided enough offense & defense to back Jon Lester's start & put a "W" in our column, 3-0 against the Cleveland Indians.

Nice to get a win after 6 losses in a row. Lester, Bard, Wagner & Pap shutdown the Indians & combined for a shutout. Ortiz & Bay drove in a run each. The 3rd run scored on a fielder's choice by Victor. Ellsbury had 3 hits & a stolen base.

It was just a nice victory, nothing to crazy, just a "W." We'll take it after 6 losses.

Toronto 12, Boston 0

I had several thoughts as I was watching last night's 3rd shelling in a row of Red Sox pitchers by the Blue Jays.

- The Blue Jays bats are on an offensive tear. Too bad they could only wake up in the month of September. With better pitching they could have taken a few more wins away from the Sox, Yankees & Rays.

- Red Sox fans paid a lot of money to see the subs play last night.

- Baldelli & Gathright are my picks to make the playoff roster as outfielders. Riddick & Anderson just have no bat.

- Lowrie & Kotchman are my picks for infielders. Woodward is the odd man out.

- Varitek will back-up Victor at catching. That means Kottaras & Brown are off the roster.

- Manny Delcarmen is a big question mark. Right now I think he would have a tough time beating out Saito or Ramirez for a playoff spot.

- Nice job pitching the 9th, Dusty Brown.

Tito should put out a better lineup tonight - for at least half a game - since Lester is pitching. It will be interesting to see how Mike Lowell's hip responds to his last cortisone shot.

The Sox are doing what they need to in order to get ready for the playoffs.