The Red Sox have had their ups and downs so far this year, but basically have been pretty consistent. I'm going to take a quick look at the team and go position by position and examine the current state of affairs.
Catcher: Jason Varitek has been fine this year. He's cut down on his strikeouts and though he's not hitting for a huge average, he's on pace for over 20 home runs. I thought he hit in buzzard luck for awhile earlier this year. I'll certainly take what the captain has provided. George Kottaras has made us forget about Kevin Cash. He's done a fine job with Wakefield who happens to be their best starter so far. George will hit a bit better as he gets more experienced, too. I hear Doug Mirabelli is selling Real Estate, good for him. That whole charade got old, thankfully Theo has moved on.
First Base: I love Kevin Youkilis, what's not to love really other than his increasing number of nagging injuries. Maybe he needs to tone it down a bit so he's not continually getting dinged up. He's a clutch hitter, always gives a good at bats, fields his position tremendously and has developed excellent power. Jeff Bailey is a fine AAA player who's a nice guy but won't ever be a consistent contributor north of I95. Mark Kotsay's return will help here.
Second Base: After a bit of a slow start, Pedroia has been great. I think that the 17 homers last year were a tease, we should not expect that. But, what we should expect is a .320 average, aggressive baserunning and great defense. Great ballplayer.
Third Base: I give Mike Lowell a ton of credit for coming back and playing every day. His fielding has been pretty good and so has his hitting. He has killed them on the bases several times by hitting in doubleplays and simply not being able to take the extra base. I hope he's able to get a little more flexibility and pain relief out of that hip because he truly looks 60 years old when he runs. And, he doesn't go all out running unless he has to. When Youk slides over, he does a nice job at third.
Shortstop: Lugo might be on his way to being released. He has no plus skills anymore. He came in as a shortstop who supposedly had an above average bat, speed and range. He's below average everywhere now. He is tentative in the field and on the bases, has no power and is allergic to RBI's. Nick Green has done a fine job when he's played, but the more Nick plays, the more you realize that he's a nice stopgap, but not an everyday shortstop. His errors are on the increase. Here's hoping Jed Lowrie can come back healthy. This is one area where the Sox may have to make a move sooner than later. I can't believe that they'll stick with Lugo on that roster much longer.
Left Field: Jason Bay has been great. I love the guy. Hits for power, runs the bases very well and always seems to throw to the right base. Too bad they couldn't get him extended in Spring Training, the Yanks will be coming after him in the offseason.
Center Field: Ellsbury is maturing before our eyes. No doubt he's a .300 hitter with his speed. He's made some adjustments at the plate, I don't think he'll ever be more than a 10 home run guy, though he does have some power. Going forward, I'd like to see a little more patience out of him so he can get that OBP up closer to .400. He is an excellent center fielder.
Right Field: JD Drew has been solid and as long as he stays on the field, he will produce. It drives me mad when in the course of his 4 at bats, he might only take 2 or 3 swings. But, in year 3 of his contract, he is what he is. I'll take it. He's a very good fielder, a good baserunner and can go on a tear at any time. Even when he's not hitting, he still gets on base.
Designated Hitter: It's still a bit too early to count him out, but David Ortiz looks done. I won't go into detail why, but it simply looks bad for him. They can stop gap things with Carter, Kotsay, Baldelli and Bailey, but if he is still where he is now in 6 weeks, they will need to do something at the All Star Break. Think of an Aubrey Huff type on the last year of his contract. Lars Anderson is not ready yet.
Bench: Baldelli seems to be hurt, I hope he gets over this. They could use his versatility going forward. They need Kotsay back, he's a huge upgrade over Bailey/Chris Carter. Nick Green has been excellent. Kottaras has been fine also.
Starting Pitching: I'm amazed at where they are with the inconsistencies they've had here. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have underachieved all season though both had good last outings. They both seem healthy and should both be in the upper echelon of starters in the league. Lester seems to be overthrowing his fastball and has gotten away a bit from that nasty cut fastball that runs in on righties. Beckett is still throwing a ton of fastballs and though his velocity is up from the end of last year, it's a still a tick down from 2007. It is a straight fastball and he throws a lot of them. They have gotten hit. His command has not been there yet. Brad Penny has gotten better lately, but really to me isn't much more that keeping the position warm for John Smoltz. Wakefield has saved the Sox from big losing streaks and never ceases to amaze. He has all but abandoned the overhand curve and now is changing speeds on his knuckler and still spotting the occasional fastball. DiceK is just coming back and though his first outing back from the DL was shaky, his velocity was back and he had nice finish on his pitches. Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden are tearing up Pawtucket and will get a look or two later this year. One might be needed in any potential deal for a shortstop or DH. Smoltz is coming back slowly and they will not rush him. I cannot wait to see him out there. This depth allows the Sox to give Beckett and Lester some time off at some point this summer and should enable everyone to be fresh down the stretch.
Bullpen: Overall, it has been fantasic. Okajima and Delcarmen have been very steady. Ramon Ramirez has developed into their best reliever. He attacks hitters and seems to reach back for more when he needs it. They are babying Saito and are making sure he will be healthy throughout. Papelbon has been shaky, they are sitting on his fastball. This has happened before and he has made adjustments. He simply does not have that consistent split that he's had in the past. He'll be fine, though it might be nice for him to knock someone down or experiment with something so a different look is given the hitters. They are too comfortable digging in right now. Daniel Bard might be here to stay, though he looks slightly freaked out when guys pull his 98 MPH heater. He needs to develop his offspeed pitches more.
Overall, things look good. Smoltz is coming back, Kostay will be a nice addition and they have Buchholz and Bowden waiting in the wings. I wouldn't be surprised to see a major deal for a shortstop or hitter. The division is starting to shake out now, with Toronto coming back to earth and the Yanks and Rays starting to play better.
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Sorry Jim, but Mark Kotsay isn't a savior. He's got Alex Cora type power and is not a run producer. He's a versatile defender who hits a lot of singles, but doesn't drive in runs.
ReplyDeleteYouk is the Red Sox best player.
My expectations are so high for Beckett, it's almost impossible for him to meet them. I expect Pedro Martinez, circa 1998, and Beckett's just not Pedro. He's good, but not Pedro good.
The Yankees don't worry me. They are playing good ball, but they're bullpen is still a mess; especially considering that Bruney's back on the DL. They're also an old team.
Kotsay is not a savior. But, he gives them much more flexibility. They need to rest Lowell more than they have. He can give any of the outfielders a blow. He can pinch run, pinch hit. If and when Drew goes down, they are covered. If Ellsbury swoons or pulls a hammy, they are covered.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about Beckett. Other than the '03 postseason and the entire 2007 season, he's been an average to above average guy, but not much more. I don't know what to expect. And, Lester has been a disappointment so far.