Loose Scraps on a Monday:

As an unabashed Red Sox suckup, I am starting this blog to officially nominate myself to start the Chris Carter fan club. As stated earlier in this blog, I love Mark Kotsay and what he brings (more than Darren Bragg, stop chuckling). However, he's hurt and this spot is open. Thankfully, Brad Wilkerson's 50% strikeout rate looks like it will run him out of town. Jeff Bailey is a good soldier and has done well in his Red Sox stints. They could do much worse. However, you simply cannot ignore what Chris Carter has done this spring.

Carter hit his 6th homer yesterday. He's not simply hitting them against AA pitching, either. I've been reading that he's super intense and is always grabbing coaches to hit him balls at first and in the outfield on back fields after practice. Obviously the guy wants to get better and he is. The Sox have little organizational power and the fact that he's a lefty swinger makes him a perfect complement to Rocco Baldelli. I want to see them hitting for Varitek this year. Lowell will need a day or two off a week initially. I love Carter for this role.

One guy I feel for right now is Clay Buchholz. His ERA is so low this spring that you can't even see it. At this point, it looks pretty much inevitable that he's heading back to Pawtucket. I love the aggressiveness the Sox showed in grabbing Brad Penny and John Smoltz. I admire the mutual admiration that Sox management and Tim Wakefield have. But, it's a shame that a 24 year old pitcher with lights out stuff has to go down I 95. I understand it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Clay had a reputation as a bit of a wild child when he came here and I think his no hitter in '07 likely went to his head. He was unprepared physically and mentally last year. He pitched scared. Something has clicked with him and he looks ready to move forward. People may forget how highly touted he was a year or two back. Think David Price, think Joba Chamberlain. He was on everyone's top prospect list.

Moving forward, you've got the big 3 of Beckett, Lester and Dice-K. Wakefield slots 4th with Penny behind him with Buchholz ready to step in. I think it's inevitable this year that the Sox and Wakefield need to have "the conversation". I love Wake, love what's he's done and what he stands for. I'd even quietly extend him for next year. But, at some point this year, they need to temporarily put him somewhere where he won't be in the way. I think we can all agree that he's pitched his last postseason game for the Sox already. If Penny comes through and Smoltz comes back strong and everyone is reasonably healthy, I think Wake needs to disappear for awhile. Buchholz figures in here as well. You know that no one will get more than 30 starts, they'll build in rest and breaks, etc. But, at some point, you got to put your talented guys out there.