Addendum…Sox ideas

As promised, some thoughts on what the Red Sox should do heading toward the deadline.  I don’t care if the standings say they are 6-7 games out of a playoff spot.  Just isn’t happening.  Feels like the 2005 team.  Remember them?  World Series hangover baby.  Tito stuck with Millar and Bellhorn for waaaaay too long (cuz they were “his guys”).  Johnny Olerud was lighting it up but not playing (37 RBI in 192 plate appearances, Millar 50 RBI in 519 PA…and yes, I just looked it up).  Foulk-ie collapsed completely.  Instead of Pedro and Schill, it was Wake and Arroyo…and Matty Clement started Game 1 and got shellacked.  Guys like Blaine Neal and Chad Harville were getting time…and who remembers 39 year old Mike Remlinger giving up 14 runs in 6.2 innings over 8 games?  I didn’t…looked that up too.  But I remember Clement…and the general feeling that whole year.  Kind of applies here I think…

Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t want to sell off ALL of the good players.  But they can certainly sell off parts.  And investigate selling off anyone.  See what the return is.  The Sox will never sell off anyone, so I don’t believe anything significant will happen.  Unless they are as bad as the Bobby V year in August and someone agrees to come in and do them a favor.  But what are the chances of THAT happening again?

*Lester.  Truth be told, I want the guy back.  I would pay him too, despite being 31 by next year.  I waffled on this for a while.  I never thought he was a #1 pitcher on a staff.  But a pretty good #2 at worst.  Pitched under the bright lights of Boston for his whole career and clearly can handle it.  Pitches great in the playoffs.  Gamer.  Thankfully, Beckett was ushered out of town and Jonny Boy seemed to get back to normal.  I was pretty appalled that Lester ended up treating Tito like garbage at the end of Tito’s tenure, when Tito treated him like a son during the cancer years.  Seems like he had his head back on straight now though.  Regardless, he is not worth what he is most assuredly asking for.  But he’s better than what Uncle Larry (Lucchino) is lowballing him with…4 for 70 mil?  Please.  I want him back for the above attributes…plus some veteran needs to help groom the kids in.  Who better than him?  That being said, if he stonewalls, maybe the Sox can see what the return is?

*Lackey.  Move him.  Today.  He’s going to retire?  Please.  He’s just pissed about pitching for 500k next year.  I suppose I would be too.  But he signed the deal.  And they paid him like 16 mil for a year he didn’t pitch.  And another 16 mil for a year Sox fans wish he didn’t.  F him.  I actually supported the signing when it happened…I mean, can you ever have enough pitching?  But then I saw him making faces and calling out his fielders and yelling at players and all that crap and hated him ever since.  Screw him.  Deal him while he is pitching well (besides last night).  Let the 500k year be someone else’s problem.

*Peavy/Mujica.  Get these guys back to the NL, where they can go back to being mediocre, but successful.  Get anything you can for these clowns.

*Buchholz.  God I would like to deal him.  Done with him all around.  Pu$$Y, simple as that.  But you ain’t getting crap for him now.  Best case scenario is him pitching great in 2nd half, with no pressure of a pennant race.  And then unloading him for hopefully something half-decent.  But wouldn’t expect a lot.

*Koji.  Tough call.  I love this dude.  Who doesn’t??  But the fact is he will be 40 this offseason.  They would have to qualify him at about 15 mil to keep him, from my understanding.  Too rich?  Maybe.  The thing I keep coming back to is that some contending team may pay you a ransom for him.  Simply because of that, it is worth considering dealing him.  It just doesn’t seem realistic that he keeps doing what he has done for the last year over the next year plus.  Doesn’t make sense.  He’s always been a damn good pitcher.  But hasn’t lasted too many full seasons.  I’d at least see what the return could be.  Take it from there.  Who closes after he goes?  Who cares?  Kevin Gregg used to save 35+ games a year. Doug Jones.  A lot of stiffs.  Someone could do it.

*Nava/Breslow.  I lump these guys together because their value was never going to be higher than last offseason.  That was the time to deal them.  Keep Breslow now though…and see if you can get a fringe prospect for Nava,  For Chrissakes, they bought Nava for a dollar years ago.  So the Sox win in the end either way.

*AJ.  Release him.  Today.  The guy is a cancer, can’t catch and was brought on to at least hit and hasn’t done that.  If you can get some kid in 3rd grade for him in a trade, fine.  Get him out of here.  Split Ross and Vazquez the rest of the year.  Mix in Butler if you have to.  Or even Lavarnway for that matter when he is healthy.  Just dump AJ.  I feel pretty strongly about this.

*Gomes.  It’s a matter of time before he starts squawking about losing PT to guys like Holt and Betts…infielders just now learning to play the outfield.  His intangibles are so totally overrated, it is laughable.  Get him out of town before he becomes a cancer like AJ…if it’s not too late.

*Carp.  Haha, who wants this joke?  Why in the world did the Sox not bite in the exhibition season, when teams were “sniffing around” him?  You can find a Mike Carp anywhere.  I think they did find him in Brock Holt…except Holt may be better.

*Drew.  Just the name is enough said.  The signing was a joke…on so many levels.  I think I covered all that.  But if you eat salary, a contender may take him.  Do everything you can to drum up interest.  And then give him away and cut your losses.  He broke up the no-hitter tonight.  See if anyone bites on that!  ANYTHING!!

*Bogaerts.  Don’t even think of dealing him!  But during this horrific stretch, is a wake up call to Pawtucket out of the question?  Although I would be surprised if it happened, I actually would not be opposed to it.  Maybe this stretch before the All-Star break is the time to do it?  May also allow them to give a stretch of time at the big league level to Cecchini as well.

*Kid pitchers.  Time to make some decisions here.  As noted yesterday, they all can’t play here.  They all won’t fit on the 40-man roster at the end of the year.  Some are going to have to be dealt.  Barnes has struggled a bit in Pawtucket.  Britton has as well, but maybe that is because he is not used to pitching out of the ‘pen.  But the others are pitching very well.  Rubby, Webster, Ranaudo, Owens, Workman up here.  Even Steven Wright (though not a kid, but maybe he is as a knuckleballer?).  Time to deal from a position of strength.  Get a young OF prospect.

Regardless, the Sox need to be active at the deadline…or before.  Wishful thinking I know.  Ratings.  Money.  Uncle Larry.  But maybe some sense is out there to be had…