While the Red Sox do not need to panic at news that Curt Schilling will be sidelined with shoulder soreness until at least the All Star Break this season, they should explore other options for starting pitching depth in case Schilling is unable to return or is ineffective when he does.

At first glance, inserting rookie phenom Clay Buchholz into the starting seems to be the logical choice, though it seems Boston was likely to have Buchholz start the season in Triple A Pawtucket where his innings could be more closely monitored.  The beauty of Boston's pitching depth was that they would not have to overwork Buchholz or their other young pitcher Jon Lester this season and would also have the flexibility to give regular rest to Schilling and Tim Wakefield, both on the wrong side of 40 and both who wore down last season and had to do stints on the disabled list.  Standard thinking in the industry says not to increase a young pitcher's workload by more than 30 innings over his previous careers high in innings pitched, something the Red Sox have been careful to heed in developing their young arms.  That puts Lester and Buchholz at a cap of 193 and 178 innings, including the playoffs, this season.

Continue reading "Red Sox Don't Need to Panic Over Schilling Injury"

That’s it, I’ve had it! When the news came out over the weekend that Brian McNamee allegedly injecting Roger Clemens’ wife with HGH, I officially reached my breaking point. Clemens could sprout a twelfth ear in the middle of his forehead in front of Congress tomorrow and I couldn’t care less. McNamee could say that he injected each of Clemens’ kids and the family dog and it would fall on deaf ears.

Pitchers and catchers a beginning to report to spring training camps in Florida in Arizona this week and all anybody can talk about is a meaningless hearing in front of a bunch of stuffed suits in Congress. What about the Boston Red Sox potential to begin a dynasty? What about the greatest pitcher on the planet coming to New York? How about a Detroit Tigers lineup that will strike the fear of God into any pitcher? Does anybody even want to start guessing who is the favorite in the wild National League West? There are some phenomenal rookies like Jay Bruce and Evan Longoria who will be making their debuts this season and nobody seems to care.

Continue reading "I've Had Enough!"

Forget about the groundhog, today is the day that officially marks the end of winter for baseball fans everywhere. Pitchers and catchers are reporting to spring training camps in Arizona and Florida and not a moment too soon. While the Hot Stove League is entertaining for a while and gives us something to talk about during the off-season, it loses steam once the new year begins and we are left yearning for the day when the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues kick into gear. It is here that we get our first looks are the new acquisitions, the hot rookies and the comfort of the returning stars. We get the first glimpses of what our favorite team will have in store for us and we really get to ramp up the predictions and debates for the new season. Here are some of the stories I’ll be following with the Red Sox this spring.

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stories To Follow"

Young, homegrown talent played a significant part in the Red Sox title run last year led by Dustin Pedroia winning the Rookie of the Year and Jonathan Papelbon definitively closing out games. Clay Buchholz pitched a no hitter in his second major league start, Jacoby Ellsbury stepped in when he was needed and became a vital part of the offense, and Jon Lester got the win in the World Series clincher. All are expected to be key contributors to the team this season. However, this influx of talent from the minors has not left this cupboard bare as Boston’s farm system still ranks in Baseball America’s top 5. Here are some of the next big prospects to keep an eye on in camp this spring and follow their progress this summer.

Jed Lowrie

Presently a shortstop at Pawtucket, the switch hitter is the most major league-ready position player in the Boston farm system. Always sure-handed and quick on the double play, Lowrie has worked hard to increase his range and is now projected to be an adequate major league shortstop despite early thought that he would have to move to second base. Offensively, Lowrie lacks power but should hit a lot of doubles and for high average. He also possesses excellent plate discipline, which Boston values highly. While he could start right away for a number of other big league clubs, he will begin the year at AAA with a likely midseason callup and could put Boston is position to decide between him and Julio Lugo the following season.

Continue reading "Boston Farm System Still Flush With Prospects"

For the past decade the order of finish in the American League East has practically been predetermined from day one. The Red Sox and Yankees would battle for first place, Toronto Blue Jays would finish in the middle of the pack, the Orioles would be afterthoughts and the only question with Tampa Bay was whether they would lose more than 100 games or not. This seasons looks like it could be entirely different and the division is experiencing more depth than it has since the mid 1990's when Boston, New York and Baltimore were all contenders.

The defending World Series champion Red Sox are clearly the favorite to win the division, but they are not likely to run away with it. The Yankees clearly have plenty of questions marks with their pitching staff, but they are still loaded on offense and their lineup will likely be second only to the Detroit Tigers. Remember last season pitching was clearly not the Yankees strong suit but the offense still carried them to 94 wins.

Continue reading "American League East is a Beast of a Division"