By Jorge Bannister
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Sure, starting pitching isn’t what it used to be.
Then again, if you have the bullpen that the Boston Red Sox do, well, who cares?
Five of the seven current members of the Red Sox bullpen boast ERAs below 3.00; Jonathan Papelbon (0-1, 16 saves, 1.86 ERA), Ramon Ramirez (4-2, 1.97), Manny Delcarmen (1-1, 2.25), Takashi Saito (2-0, 2.31) and Hideki Okajima (3-0, 2-40). The only two members with an ERA over 3.00 are rookie Daniel Bard (0-0, 3.29) and Justin Masterson (2-2, 3.81).
Masterson’s numbers are a bit skewed, though, because of his stint as a starter when Daisuke Matsuzaka went on the disabled list with arm fatigue. Masterson made six starts in that time. As a starter, the Jamaican’s numbers are pedestrian, at best (2-2, 4.59 ERA). In 12 games as a reliever, though, Masterson is 0-0 with an ERA of 2.37.
The big question is, can the bullpen continue on its torrid pace?
There’s only so many times that Terry Francona can make the call to the bullpen before something gives, right?
Maybe not.
The combination of young arm/veteran presence of Delcarmen, Papelbon and Masterson, the young arm of Daniel Bard and the even keel presence of Saito and Okajima, this bullpen has been the best in baseball and could very well be the reason the Red Sox are still playing come late October.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Moving an American team to Hamilton is a no-brainer to everyone...except Americans
By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
On Monday, an Arizona bankruptcy court blocked the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to billionaire and BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie, a man Hell-bent on bringing a seventh NHL team back to Canada. For the umpteenth time, this is going end up a lose-lose situation for the league.
At this point, nothing should surprise us with these clowns. This is the same league that has a 15-year contract on an unproven, raw goalie from Winthrop; a Director of Hockey Operations job to a 25-year-old kid whose previous job was covering the Red Sox for the Globe; and just two years ago -- at the same time Balsillie was trying to move the Nashville Predators to the Kitchener/Waterloo area -- was contemplating expansion into Las Vegas and Kansas City (you obviously didn't see how that worked the first time, knuckleheads).
(Quick side-note...my favorite sports conspiracy theory has to be this: In the early 90's, when the NHL was beating out the NBA in ratings, hockey was looking for a new commissioner. David Stern recommended his worst assistant -- Gary Bettman -- for the job, and the rest is history.)
Make no buts about it. Even in these times of recession, Bettman is firmly enveloped in his idea of making hockey an "American" sport. Even as these southern "hotbed" markets show no interest in a sport they can't play in the winter time. No matter that south Florida and southern California have more teams with minimal fanfare than a hockey hotbed like Wisconsin -- which is dying for a professional hockey team -- Bettman is fixaded on keeping square pegs in round holes. Even if the said peg has lost $60 million in the last two years.
Americans can sweat all they want about how "devoted" and "passionate" they are about their team, but at the end of the day they will never hold a stick to Canada’s hockey culture. Other parts of the world have "futbol". Canada has one sport among all others, and it is treated with religious zeal -- hockey. Unlike Nashville, Atlanta, or Phoenix, Canada has the world’s best grassroots system.
If and when the Coyotes move, about seven people will cry. Do you know how many Winnipeg fans are still pissed-off about the Jets' move?
(Another side-note…came across a column on About.com a few weeks back claiming the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs only selling 5-6,000 seats a night means an NHL team wouldn’t sell well there. This is akin to saying Los Angeles isn't a football town because the Avengers don't sell out; and for all intents and purposes we’re going to pretend there aren’t humans on Earth this stupid, and ignore this argument. On a related note, I'm never going to About.com again.)
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't made the playoffs in five seasons, yet they sell out every game at the Air Canada Centre. If you were to put a team back in Quebec City, Quebec-Montreal would be the most intense rivalry in hockey -- think Celtic-Rangers, not Red Sox-Yankees.
Bettman ignores all this because he wants to appeal to large demographics like Phoenix. First off, Arizona is Suns country, followed by Arizona State football and U of A basketball. The Cardinals are catching up, now that they're operating like professionals, as are the Diamondbacks, if not for simply its (you guessed it) grassroots baseball culture. Coyotes tickets invokes the same reaction as Clippers tickets -- "who they playing?"
Secondly, if market size is what he's going for, let's look at population. Phoenix has a metro of roughly 4.5 million. Southern Ontario, over a larger landscape, has a collective population of seven million.
But how many people would be willing to travel a great distance to see a professional hockey team? A good chunk, as it turns out. A few months ago, Balsillie canvassed deposits of between $50-150 on season tickets for a potential NHL team in Hamilton, and within days had 12,000 deposits. That's just based on RUMORS.
Even in these times of recession and the Flying Loon, Bettman ignores a gold mine in an effort to stay true to his mission of "Americanizing" hockey. At this point, that's just plain wrong.
Something tells me Balsillie will eventually get his way. Hopefully by then, Bettman will be out of office.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
On Monday, an Arizona bankruptcy court blocked the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to billionaire and BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie, a man Hell-bent on bringing a seventh NHL team back to Canada. For the umpteenth time, this is going end up a lose-lose situation for the league.
At this point, nothing should surprise us with these clowns. This is the same league that has a 15-year contract on an unproven, raw goalie from Winthrop; a Director of Hockey Operations job to a 25-year-old kid whose previous job was covering the Red Sox for the Globe; and just two years ago -- at the same time Balsillie was trying to move the Nashville Predators to the Kitchener/Waterloo area -- was contemplating expansion into Las Vegas and Kansas City (you obviously didn't see how that worked the first time, knuckleheads).
(Quick side-note...my favorite sports conspiracy theory has to be this: In the early 90's, when the NHL was beating out the NBA in ratings, hockey was looking for a new commissioner. David Stern recommended his worst assistant -- Gary Bettman -- for the job, and the rest is history.)
Make no buts about it. Even in these times of recession, Bettman is firmly enveloped in his idea of making hockey an "American" sport. Even as these southern "hotbed" markets show no interest in a sport they can't play in the winter time. No matter that south Florida and southern California have more teams with minimal fanfare than a hockey hotbed like Wisconsin -- which is dying for a professional hockey team -- Bettman is fixaded on keeping square pegs in round holes. Even if the said peg has lost $60 million in the last two years.
Americans can sweat all they want about how "devoted" and "passionate" they are about their team, but at the end of the day they will never hold a stick to Canada’s hockey culture. Other parts of the world have "futbol". Canada has one sport among all others, and it is treated with religious zeal -- hockey. Unlike Nashville, Atlanta, or Phoenix, Canada has the world’s best grassroots system.
If and when the Coyotes move, about seven people will cry. Do you know how many Winnipeg fans are still pissed-off about the Jets' move?
(Another side-note…came across a column on About.com a few weeks back claiming the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs only selling 5-6,000 seats a night means an NHL team wouldn’t sell well there. This is akin to saying Los Angeles isn't a football town because the Avengers don't sell out; and for all intents and purposes we’re going to pretend there aren’t humans on Earth this stupid, and ignore this argument. On a related note, I'm never going to About.com again.)
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't made the playoffs in five seasons, yet they sell out every game at the Air Canada Centre. If you were to put a team back in Quebec City, Quebec-Montreal would be the most intense rivalry in hockey -- think Celtic-Rangers, not Red Sox-Yankees.
Bettman ignores all this because he wants to appeal to large demographics like Phoenix. First off, Arizona is Suns country, followed by Arizona State football and U of A basketball. The Cardinals are catching up, now that they're operating like professionals, as are the Diamondbacks, if not for simply its (you guessed it) grassroots baseball culture. Coyotes tickets invokes the same reaction as Clippers tickets -- "who they playing?"
Secondly, if market size is what he's going for, let's look at population. Phoenix has a metro of roughly 4.5 million. Southern Ontario, over a larger landscape, has a collective population of seven million.
But how many people would be willing to travel a great distance to see a professional hockey team? A good chunk, as it turns out. A few months ago, Balsillie canvassed deposits of between $50-150 on season tickets for a potential NHL team in Hamilton, and within days had 12,000 deposits. That's just based on RUMORS.
Even in these times of recession and the Flying Loon, Bettman ignores a gold mine in an effort to stay true to his mission of "Americanizing" hockey. At this point, that's just plain wrong.
Something tells me Balsillie will eventually get his way. Hopefully by then, Bettman will be out of office.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
On the March: Life on the recruiting trail
(Editor's note: Scott Marchand is the pitching coach at the Air Force Academy. His journal about life in baseball will appear at Fan Fanatic Sports on a weekly basis)
Friday, Saturday, Sunday Night Lights
For college baseball coaches, these are the days that mark the true beginning of another summer. With regular college baseball seasons over, coaches and high school players disperse throughout the country; the former to find new players to carry on the traditions of their programs and the latter to showcase their talents for the seemingly countless keepers of radar guns and stopwatches.
There are many ways for coaches and players to connect during NCAA recruiting periods: personal inquiries, colleague recommendations, and a review of yearly statistics are only a few.
Don’t be fooled.
Every college program has a long list of players that they would like to get to know a whole lot better once they become eligible to receive mail, email, and phone calls. Summer tournaments and showcases put on by organizations such as Perfect Game and Premier Baseball provide the perfect venue for these two parties to begin a courtship that ultimately leads to a player’s signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI) during one of the official signing periods.
Our Air Force coaching staff had already visited northern California, Florida, and Minnesota, before I touched down in Houston, Texas, last week. Armed with a list of potential candidates for our program, I prepared to attend the annual Houston Heat Invitational Baseball Tournament, held just outside of the metro area in Brenham, Texas. The tournament officially ran from Friday through Sunday, and included 20 teams from Houston and surrounding areas. Texas is not lacking in baseball talent, and it is heavily recruited as such. It amazes me every year how many kids are already verbally committed to schools before they enter their senior year of high school. Coaches really need to have their fingers on the pulse of Texas high school baseball to be sure that they give themselves a chance at landing a few blue chip players.
At most tournaments, each day begins early, around 8 in the morning, when the first teams begin to stretch and throw before the first game. Parents are usually the first in the stands, as travel weary coaches and scouts amble into the park and exchange handshakes and laughs and prepare for a competition of their own.
Coaches either settle into a seat behind home plate, or stake their claim on a patch of chain-link fence near an on-deck circle. Then, the game begins, and everybody watching, watches. Some watch intently and scratch notes about every player they see, and some focus on those players they know will be a good fit for their school and program. Those coaches are the ones that have done their homework. With so many players to evaluate, there is really no such thing as being over-prepared. The more coaches know about guys before they see them, the better.
As the first games end, coaches scatter to attend games scheduled at other sites. The Heat tournament used three fields located within a five mile radius. This arrangement was atypical, but convenient, as most large tournaments use multiple fields that are often spread far apart. The late morning and early afternoon games took on a character identical to that of the first of the day, with more coaches, more players, more sun, and more bottled waters purchased from the concession stands. The late afternoon game represents the time of day when most everyone hits a wall. But as the sun fades and field lights begin to burn for the late evening and night games, coaches and players seem to get a second wind. There is something mystical about summer baseball at night, especially in Texas.
Henry Kissinger compared our country to others in pursuit of utopia. He felt that, “for other nations, utopia is a past never to be recovered; for Americans it is just beyond the horizon.” Baseball perfection is found, for some, beneath the buzzing light standards towering above diamonds on summer nights in America.
For college baseball coaches, these are the days that mark the true beginning of another summer. With regular college baseball seasons over, coaches and high school players disperse throughout the country; the former to find new players to carry on the traditions of their programs and the latter to showcase their talents for the seemingly countless keepers of radar guns and stopwatches.
There are many ways for coaches and players to connect during NCAA recruiting periods: personal inquiries, colleague recommendations, and a review of yearly statistics are only a few.
Don’t be fooled.
Every college program has a long list of players that they would like to get to know a whole lot better once they become eligible to receive mail, email, and phone calls. Summer tournaments and showcases put on by organizations such as Perfect Game and Premier Baseball provide the perfect venue for these two parties to begin a courtship that ultimately leads to a player’s signing a National Letter of Intent (NLI) during one of the official signing periods.
Our Air Force coaching staff had already visited northern California, Florida, and Minnesota, before I touched down in Houston, Texas, last week. Armed with a list of potential candidates for our program, I prepared to attend the annual Houston Heat Invitational Baseball Tournament, held just outside of the metro area in Brenham, Texas. The tournament officially ran from Friday through Sunday, and included 20 teams from Houston and surrounding areas. Texas is not lacking in baseball talent, and it is heavily recruited as such. It amazes me every year how many kids are already verbally committed to schools before they enter their senior year of high school. Coaches really need to have their fingers on the pulse of Texas high school baseball to be sure that they give themselves a chance at landing a few blue chip players.
At most tournaments, each day begins early, around 8 in the morning, when the first teams begin to stretch and throw before the first game. Parents are usually the first in the stands, as travel weary coaches and scouts amble into the park and exchange handshakes and laughs and prepare for a competition of their own.
Coaches either settle into a seat behind home plate, or stake their claim on a patch of chain-link fence near an on-deck circle. Then, the game begins, and everybody watching, watches. Some watch intently and scratch notes about every player they see, and some focus on those players they know will be a good fit for their school and program. Those coaches are the ones that have done their homework. With so many players to evaluate, there is really no such thing as being over-prepared. The more coaches know about guys before they see them, the better.
As the first games end, coaches scatter to attend games scheduled at other sites. The Heat tournament used three fields located within a five mile radius. This arrangement was atypical, but convenient, as most large tournaments use multiple fields that are often spread far apart. The late morning and early afternoon games took on a character identical to that of the first of the day, with more coaches, more players, more sun, and more bottled waters purchased from the concession stands. The late afternoon game represents the time of day when most everyone hits a wall. But as the sun fades and field lights begin to burn for the late evening and night games, coaches and players seem to get a second wind. There is something mystical about summer baseball at night, especially in Texas.
Henry Kissinger compared our country to others in pursuit of utopia. He felt that, “for other nations, utopia is a past never to be recovered; for Americans it is just beyond the horizon.” Baseball perfection is found, for some, beneath the buzzing light standards towering above diamonds on summer nights in America.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Is Ortiz finally getting it?
By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports
After not hitting a home run in the first five weeks of the season, David Ortiz now has four in the last nine games, including his solo shot into the Marlins' bullpen tonight. Big Papi's shot started a six-run fourth inning, and then his two-run single finished it. He's now batting .210, after stumbling below the Mendoza line earlier this season.
Is this finally the moment we've been waiting for since last August? Is Papi finally out of his mecha-slump?
I tend to believe so. Earlier this season, reports surfaced that claimed Ortiz was actually 35, which with more substance might be a solid answer to why he's gone through such a slump. I tend to think the problem with his slump was two-fold.
First, when you're a power hitter carrying that much weight, staying in shape is imperative once you're over 30 years old. Just ask Cecil Fielder or Mo Vaughn. I'm not saying the man sits on his butt when the season's over, but at the same time I'm not convinced Papi endures an off-season regimen as brutal as Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia.
Second, sluggers like Papi are inevitably going to lose their power as they grow older, and in turn need to adjust their approach at the plate to stay competitive. Just ask Frank Thomas.
Those two elements, in my opinion, led to such a long slump for No. 34.
Will he stay out, now that he's on a tear?
Fan Fanatic Sports
After not hitting a home run in the first five weeks of the season, David Ortiz now has four in the last nine games, including his solo shot into the Marlins' bullpen tonight. Big Papi's shot started a six-run fourth inning, and then his two-run single finished it. He's now batting .210, after stumbling below the Mendoza line earlier this season.
Is this finally the moment we've been waiting for since last August? Is Papi finally out of his mecha-slump?
I tend to believe so. Earlier this season, reports surfaced that claimed Ortiz was actually 35, which with more substance might be a solid answer to why he's gone through such a slump. I tend to think the problem with his slump was two-fold.
First, when you're a power hitter carrying that much weight, staying in shape is imperative once you're over 30 years old. Just ask Cecil Fielder or Mo Vaughn. I'm not saying the man sits on his butt when the season's over, but at the same time I'm not convinced Papi endures an off-season regimen as brutal as Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia.
Second, sluggers like Papi are inevitably going to lose their power as they grow older, and in turn need to adjust their approach at the plate to stay competitive. Just ask Frank Thomas.
Those two elements, in my opinion, led to such a long slump for No. 34.
Will he stay out, now that he's on a tear?
Turkoglu makes sense, but do the Celtics have the cents?
By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Making the rounds on the airwaves and blogs this morning is the news that Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will opt out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. That's nothing but music to the ears of Celtics fans, who would no doubt love to have a quintessential Celtic-killer in Celtics colors next season.
Believe me, I'm all for it -- in the tradition of Wes Welker, if you can't beat 'em, sign 'em. Having a guy like Turkoglu in your arsenal is win-win. This is a guy who can fill multiple spots in the frontcourt, can create plays on the wing, and has a deadly shot from long range. You can also run an offensive set through him -- can you imagine Rajon Rondo and Turkoglu in transition together? You could honestly run a secondary break.
But it's not that simple. The Celtics are going to have to clear some serious room for this guy.
With some help from HoopsHype.com, here's how the salaries break down next season...
-- Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are on the books next year for more than $55 million combined. Garnett is signed through 2011-12, Ray Allen comes off the books in 2010, and Pierce has a player option for 10-11.
-- Kendrick Perkins is on for $4.5 million, while Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen are on for 3.4 and 2.5, respectively. All three come off the books in 2010.
-- Eddie House has a player option for 2.8 million. Rajon Rondo is on for 2.6, with a qualifying offer of 3.7 for 10-11.
-- J.R. Giddens is on for 1 million, while Bill Walker is on for 730,000. Both have team options for 10-11 and 11-12.
-- With Stephon Marbury, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Mikki Moore all entering free agency, that brings the payroll to $73 million.
Turkoglu's option was set to pay him $7.3 million next season. I predict he's going to want somewhere in the 10-millon-a-year range at least.
Let's assume the Celtics aren't braindead and decide to part ways with Marbury and Moore. Should the Celtics go after Turkoglu, either Davis or Powe now becomes expendable. The question is, is it worth it? Davis had a breakthrough season, enough that he should command starter value on his contract. Powe showed alot of promise before his season-ending knee injury. Scalabrine isn't going anywhere, because he will draw minimal trade value.
If you stick with Davis, and land Turkoglu, you could be looking at a payroll of close to $90 million, which is Knicks-like in luxury tax damage. Powe might be more cost-efficient, but at this point, what's the difference between five and 10 million? And aren't the Celtics one of the five most lucrative franchises in the league? If there's any franchise out there that defines "recession-proof" in this city, it's the C's. If you disagree, you haven't been to a game since 2007.
Seven bona fide starters on your roster? Sounds good to me.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Making the rounds on the airwaves and blogs this morning is the news that Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu will opt out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. That's nothing but music to the ears of Celtics fans, who would no doubt love to have a quintessential Celtic-killer in Celtics colors next season.
Believe me, I'm all for it -- in the tradition of Wes Welker, if you can't beat 'em, sign 'em. Having a guy like Turkoglu in your arsenal is win-win. This is a guy who can fill multiple spots in the frontcourt, can create plays on the wing, and has a deadly shot from long range. You can also run an offensive set through him -- can you imagine Rajon Rondo and Turkoglu in transition together? You could honestly run a secondary break.
But it's not that simple. The Celtics are going to have to clear some serious room for this guy.
With some help from HoopsHype.com, here's how the salaries break down next season...
-- Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are on the books next year for more than $55 million combined. Garnett is signed through 2011-12, Ray Allen comes off the books in 2010, and Pierce has a player option for 10-11.
-- Kendrick Perkins is on for $4.5 million, while Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen are on for 3.4 and 2.5, respectively. All three come off the books in 2010.
-- Eddie House has a player option for 2.8 million. Rajon Rondo is on for 2.6, with a qualifying offer of 3.7 for 10-11.
-- J.R. Giddens is on for 1 million, while Bill Walker is on for 730,000. Both have team options for 10-11 and 11-12.
-- With Stephon Marbury, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Mikki Moore all entering free agency, that brings the payroll to $73 million.
Turkoglu's option was set to pay him $7.3 million next season. I predict he's going to want somewhere in the 10-millon-a-year range at least.
Let's assume the Celtics aren't braindead and decide to part ways with Marbury and Moore. Should the Celtics go after Turkoglu, either Davis or Powe now becomes expendable. The question is, is it worth it? Davis had a breakthrough season, enough that he should command starter value on his contract. Powe showed alot of promise before his season-ending knee injury. Scalabrine isn't going anywhere, because he will draw minimal trade value.
If you stick with Davis, and land Turkoglu, you could be looking at a payroll of close to $90 million, which is Knicks-like in luxury tax damage. Powe might be more cost-efficient, but at this point, what's the difference between five and 10 million? And aren't the Celtics one of the five most lucrative franchises in the league? If there's any franchise out there that defines "recession-proof" in this city, it's the C's. If you disagree, you haven't been to a game since 2007.
Seven bona fide starters on your roster? Sounds good to me.
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Penny saved is...a bargaining chip earned?
By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
The Red Sox and Theo Epstein have a problem most general managers would kill to have - more pitchers than rotation spots. Let's face it, in an ideal world, that's what Theo was hoping to be faced with at this point in the season. And while everyone talks about six-man rotations and moving Dice-K to the bullpen, let's talk for real for a second here and realize what the Red Sox have right in front of them - a major trading tool in Brad Penny.
Is the Bronson Arroyo situation all over again? Nope. The Red Sox are not going to settle for Wily Mo this time around. If they make a move, they're going to get real value.
A couple of things make Brad Penny expendable. The first, obviously, is the fact that John Smoltz is ready to return to Major League baseball as his 30-day rehab stint ends on Friday. He's expected to pitch that day and if it's with the big Sox, it will be against the Braves of all teams. The second is his contract. Penny is a one-year gamble by Theo that seems to have worked out for the best so far. It will be smart for the Red Sox to wait and see what happens with Smoltz, that is, does he still have it and it's doubtful the team will jump into a deal involving Penny. But on top of Smoltz, the Red Sox have a rejuvenated Clay Buchholz mowing down AAA'ers as he waits for a chance to redeem himself after his 2008 choke job. Not to mention Michael Bowden has a 2.48 ERA and has held opponents to a .207 ERA down at Pawtucket.
What makes Penny valuable also lies in two things. The first is his performance. He had a rocky start to his Red Sox career, as short as it may turn out to be. Penny had a horrendous April, but has improved every month so far this season, dropping his ERA almost 3.5 runs since the beginning of May. In his last five starts, he's gone 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA, and that's even after a sub-par outing two starts ago against Texas. The most important thing he did for his stock was dominate the Yankees for six inning to out-duel C.C. Sabathia on June 11. With the way he's pitching right now, Penny could be considered a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for a lot of teams, and I'm talking contenders.
The second key lies in the rest of the league. Penny became a much bigger commodity because the amount of healthy pitching on the trading block has dwindled just within the past week with the two biggest names on the list going down. Roy Halladay left his start in the third inning with a groin injury. Jake Peavy, who utilized his no-trade clause to block a move to the Chicago White Sox is out 8-12 weeks with a torn ankle tendon. On top of that, there are several teams battling injuries that would love to have an arm like Penny's. Are you going to try to tell me the Phillies wouldn't take Penny to fill Brett Myers' spot?
To this point the Red Sox seem to be far from making a move, which shows they realize the size of the chip they possess. In Penny they have a decent chip that could help them get some talent to help for the stretch run without the team having to give up some of the young talent they covet so much.
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
The Red Sox and Theo Epstein have a problem most general managers would kill to have - more pitchers than rotation spots. Let's face it, in an ideal world, that's what Theo was hoping to be faced with at this point in the season. And while everyone talks about six-man rotations and moving Dice-K to the bullpen, let's talk for real for a second here and realize what the Red Sox have right in front of them - a major trading tool in Brad Penny.
Is the Bronson Arroyo situation all over again? Nope. The Red Sox are not going to settle for Wily Mo this time around. If they make a move, they're going to get real value.
A couple of things make Brad Penny expendable. The first, obviously, is the fact that John Smoltz is ready to return to Major League baseball as his 30-day rehab stint ends on Friday. He's expected to pitch that day and if it's with the big Sox, it will be against the Braves of all teams. The second is his contract. Penny is a one-year gamble by Theo that seems to have worked out for the best so far. It will be smart for the Red Sox to wait and see what happens with Smoltz, that is, does he still have it and it's doubtful the team will jump into a deal involving Penny. But on top of Smoltz, the Red Sox have a rejuvenated Clay Buchholz mowing down AAA'ers as he waits for a chance to redeem himself after his 2008 choke job. Not to mention Michael Bowden has a 2.48 ERA and has held opponents to a .207 ERA down at Pawtucket.
What makes Penny valuable also lies in two things. The first is his performance. He had a rocky start to his Red Sox career, as short as it may turn out to be. Penny had a horrendous April, but has improved every month so far this season, dropping his ERA almost 3.5 runs since the beginning of May. In his last five starts, he's gone 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA, and that's even after a sub-par outing two starts ago against Texas. The most important thing he did for his stock was dominate the Yankees for six inning to out-duel C.C. Sabathia on June 11. With the way he's pitching right now, Penny could be considered a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for a lot of teams, and I'm talking contenders.
The second key lies in the rest of the league. Penny became a much bigger commodity because the amount of healthy pitching on the trading block has dwindled just within the past week with the two biggest names on the list going down. Roy Halladay left his start in the third inning with a groin injury. Jake Peavy, who utilized his no-trade clause to block a move to the Chicago White Sox is out 8-12 weeks with a torn ankle tendon. On top of that, there are several teams battling injuries that would love to have an arm like Penny's. Are you going to try to tell me the Phillies wouldn't take Penny to fill Brett Myers' spot?
To this point the Red Sox seem to be far from making a move, which shows they realize the size of the chip they possess. In Penny they have a decent chip that could help them get some talent to help for the stretch run without the team having to give up some of the young talent they covet so much.
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