You know what happens when you spill iced tea on your laptop, try and find time to train for a marathon, and reunite myself with the wife and kids after being lost in the world of chain restaurants? You don’t blog.
All of that is changed. I’m back and ready to spout out a couple of entries today.
After listening to Theo Epstein yesterday, I believe the route to find an Opening Day closer (because we know chances are good that it will be different than the Closing Day closer) is starting to veer off more and more in the direction of a trade. There is a problem, however, when looking to fill that void via a trade. The pitcher coming back would probably have to have some history of closing or at least have enough of a history in final out scenarios that a tremendous leap of faith wouldn’t be an issue. And right now, those type of guys are costing more than the Red Sox either have or are willing to give up.
It would be ideal if the team could identify a potential end-of-the-gamer (like they did with Joel Pineiro) and watch to see if their hunch pays off (remember the 1 1/2-week Mike Gonzalez era?). But they already have a slew of those guys who are up against the clock. It would be difficult to justify trading away valuable commodities on a “maybe” when guys like Craig Hansen and Pineiro have already locked into that status while wearing a Red Sox uniform.
I also think that Joel Pineiro has been a pretty good case for himself of late, but the problem in that respect is that his is a case that has become a bit time sensitive in a way. With the team wanting to lock in its closer in the final week, the question becomes can Pineiro show them that he has figured out all the intricacies that goes with his new arm slot/delivery. I think that if he does continue to show that consistency and earns the right to end games we might be able to look back at a meeting the Red Sox had with the former Mariner in early March, reminding him to not be saddled with the weight of the world and that there was time to figure it all out.
So what will the bullpen look like? There are tough decisions to be made (obviously). Epstein had what appears to be a good point on WEEI yesterday (and no, it wasn’t comparing his hoop game to Magic Johnson. He did bring images of George Gervin back in the front office/media game with an effective finger-roll). Hideki Okajima could be a bargain at $1.25 million. A 35-year-old Jamie Walker signed for three years at $12 million with the Orioles, and while it is still early a guy (by the brief sample size I’ve seen and off of info from Japan) like Okajima could translate into a similar type of pitcher.
So right now, as we sit here, I’m going to go with Pineiro, Tavarez, Donnelly, Timlin, Okajima, Romero, and Snyder. Will this be the Opening Day group? Probably not. As Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal-Bulletin reported today, teams are heating up regarding their interest in Snyder and he could be dealt. (Potential starting pitchers are like gold these days.) There still has to be some certainty found in regards to Timlin’s health. And if Hansen and Delcarmen keep their upward mobility in the eyes of the Boston brass, it will be tough to watch their upside getting it done for Pawtucket.
Give me your thoughts and I’ll respond them after the Boston College hoop game (along with some questions I have been negligent in getting to). To answer one of the questions really quick … The last time the Red Sox made a trade with the Yankees was August 13, 1997 when Boston shipped Mike Stanley to the Yanks for Tony Armas and Jim Mecir. Technically the last transaction was when the Red Sox returned pitcher Colter Bean to New York on March 17, 2004 after taking him in the Rule 5 Draft. You know it pained the Sox to turn over the $25,000 to George Steinbrenner.
