MLB HR Derby

Well tonight's is the HR Derby. Here is who will be in it...

NL:
Prince Fielder, MIL
Matt Holliday, STL
Matt Kemp, LAD
Rickie Weeks, MIL

AL:
Jose Bautista, TOR
Robinson Cano, NYY
Adrian Gonzalez, BOS
David Ortiz, BOS

I think the 3 favorites have to be Bautista, Fielder, and Ortiz. I'm taking Ortiz tonight. He has the perfect swing for this kind of event and has done it before. I also think the AL is going to be way better then the NL (when aren't they), because the only one on that side that I think will make some noise is Fielder. Anyways, event starts at 8pm and should be fun with 2 Red Sox hitting.

Sounds Like Gonzalez Will Play Some OF

DP talked about it earlier, but it seem to becoming a reality that Adrian Gonzalez will play some OF while on this 9 game NL road trip. I have been back and forth about this. I do think it's a risk. Obviously it's a risk from a standpoint that he is the slowest guy on the team and now we are going to have him running after pop ups and line drives. Yet, I think the bigger risk is getting him hurt. That would be the worst and make Francona look like a complete moron.

I still think it's worth it. Gonzalez and Ortiz are on such a tear that you don't want either out of the lineup. Pittsburgh and Philly both have pretty small right fields, so I think you'll see Gonzalez play a game in RF in each park. Then I also thing you'll see him sit a game or two on this trip. That way each guy can stay on somewhat regular playing time. I'll be in Pittsburgh for all three games, so hopefully I will get to see him play out there, because I want to see both these guys in the lineup.

14 Red Sox, 1 Blue Jays

Fuck, the Red Sox are really good.

It going to be a bad day for any team when you have the Red Sox offense clicking and Jon Lester pitching well on the mound.

David Ortiz, Youk, Pedroia, and A Gon all homered in yet another route of the Blue Jays for their 9th straight win. Lester pitched masterfully, which we haven't seen in a little bit. He walked just one batter and struck out eight while earning his second win in three starts against the Blue Jays this season.

Life has been great, if the Bruins can just pull it out all we be well in Boston.

Red Sox 8 Orioles 7

The Red Sox were down 6-0 in the 6th inning. Dice-K had one of "typical" games letting up 5 ER in 4 1/4 walking 7 batters and throwing 106 pitches. The Red Sox offense looked stagnant, and it just seemed like it was going to be a blowout loss.

Yet, it was the Sox offense that kicked into high gear and crushed their way back into the game. Boston scored 5 runs in the 6th inning with Lowrie, Tek, Gonzalez, and Youk all driving in runs. These hopes seemed to be dashed Mark Reynolds too Aceves deep in the top of the 7th, but once again Tek knocked in another run in the bottom of the inning.

By the way Tek is hitting almost .400 over the last 8 days.

Yet, tonight it was Gonzalez once again who put this team on his back. Smacked a ball off the Green Monster driving in 2 runs to put the Red Sox above .500 for the first time all year.

The Sox offense is getting going, but they haven't hit their peak yet. Wait till Youk and Pedroia really start rolling. I am a little worried about the rotation with Lackey going to the DL, and Dice-K doing normal up and down thing, but this team is going to be able to smash the ball most nights, and will never be really out of a game.

With the win the Red Sox are in a 3 way tie for 2nd place in the AL East, just 3 games behind the Rays.

Red Sox 7, Yankees 5

It's May 16th. And even though the weather's a bit raw, the baseball season is well under way. Summer is approaching. And for the first time all year, the Red Sox are .500.

Remember a few weeks ago, when we were all talking about 100 regular season wins? And now we're skipping in the streets about having as many wins as losses.

It seems kind of silly. Then again, sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx in order to reach this plateau makes it extra special. And the Yankees are only 2 games above .500. As much as the Sox have struggled, they're only 3 games behind the Rays. With 122 games left to play.

Pitching has propelled the Sox to .500. But hitting provided the final ounce of propulsion. They've finally started to hit with runners in scoring position, kind of, and finally started hitting homeruns. Youkilis' 3 run homer in the 3rd was vital to the Sox' effort last night. Ortiz's and Salty's provided the necessary insurance to win.

To be blunt, the Yankees simply aren't that impressive. They've got plenty of names that were intimidating in the late 1990s, but now are just prima donna headcases that seem to distract more than contribute. And how much money is Jeter going to get to hit .260? It's not as if he was underpaid before this season, either. What an overrated, greedy bucket of garbage.

The Sox have finally cracked .500. They'll start a homestand that might be impeded by this unseasonable rain, though. Matsuzaka faces Chris Tillman of the O's tonight, weather permitting.

-The Commodore

Finally......................

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms with first baseman Adrian Gonzalez on a seven-year contract worth $154 million. I was ignoring this story for a while because I was getting scared that Adrian was going to pull shit and we would lose him during the offseason.

Gonzalez is real good, and deserves this money in this market. 22 million, whatever, I will scoff at that because it's not my money. I honestly think he will put up better numbers than Albert Pujols and he's looking for 30 million a year.

He is a three-time All-Star, Gonzalez is in his eighth season. He has a career average of .282 with 169 home runs. We haven't seen him go off yet, however, neither have the Red Sox as a team. But you can tell he's going to be real good and real good for a while. I still believe he's going to hit around 45-50 homers with 110-120 rbis, even with the slow start. Maybe this will be the spark that turns the Sox around, but probably not because we have John Lackey on our team.

Indians 8, Red Sox 4

I really thought Daisuke was going to turn the Sox' fortunes around last night. He's always done well against Cleveland. And they tend to be free swingers. I was wrong.

He wasn't awful. But in typical Daisuke fashion, even when he does well, he fails to do well for long enough. And while it was the bullpen that ultimately lost this game, Daisuke gave the bullpen a chance to lose it, by only going 5 innings.

And during those 5 innings, he nibbled. And he nibbled. He threw a joke of a 90 MPH fastball right down the middle to Choo, and it was crushed. He nibbled some more. He walked batters. He hit a batter. He allowed 10 baserunners in 5 innings.

But he didn't lose this game by himself. Not by a longshot. Ellsbury struck out 3 times and went 0 for 5. We're still waiting for him to hit. Youkilis went 0 for 4, continuing his struggles. And Varitek messed up a defensive play, turning what should have been an out into a Cleveland run. His mistake of not tagging Buck at the plate was inexcusable for a veteran and a "Captain."

Then the bullpen. That's worrying me more than anything else right now. The starting pitching is what it is. The offense will inevitably improve. Guys like Ellsbury and Youkilis are not sub-.200 hitters. They'll come around. The bullpen, however, has been nothing but a disaster so far. Dan Wheeler was supposed to be the 2nd set-up man alongside Bard. He's allowed 2 homeruns already. And Reyes was supposed to add depth. He's only added mass, and a heavy ERA.

A few bright notes from last night: Gonzalez hit his first homerun with the team. And Crawford got on base, then ran, stealing his first 2 bases of the season.

The rotoation starts all over again, and maybe that's what this club needs. Lester faces Fausto Carmona, who allowed 10 runs in 3 innings against Chicago. First pitch at 12:05 this afternoon.

-The Commodore

Rangers 26, Red Sox 11

All the anticipation for Opening Day and then the Rangers outscore the Sox 26-11 in three games. Don't panic yet, though. The Sox can still win those magical 100 games, if that's what you care about. They'd just have to go 100-59 in the remaining 159 games. And that's certainly possible.

Had the Sox done well this weekend, I would have been my wet blanket self, and pleaded for everyone to settle down, as it's only April. Well it is only April, and so therefore I'm not too worried about what we saw in Texas.

Jon Lester is a perennial slow starter. From 2008 to 2010, he went 3-5 in April, with a 4.58 ERA. So we shouldn't worry about his struggles on Friday.

Carl Crawford is going to improve. He broke out a bit on Sunday, after going hitless in the first two games, and being demoted in the lineup.

Clay Buchholz allowed 4 runs off 4 homers. Apart from those occasional mistakes he was spot on. It's not as if he was allowing 4 or 5 hits in an inning, and being ripped apart by the Rangers' batters. He made some big mistakes, but not many, and give Texas some credit for capitalizing.

And there were some positives this weekend. Adrian Gonzalez has settled right in. 5 for 9 over the weekend with a double and 3 RBI. I feel a burst of homeruns coming from him.

And there doesn't seem to be the annual Ortiz slump in April. Two homeruns already. And when he pulled the ball, he hit it hard enough to get it through the shifted infield. That's a very good sign.

Now to the bad news. John Lackey looked awful the second time through the lineup. Everyone's hoping he improves on his 2010 performance, but none of us (my pessimistic self included) considered that he might get worse.

And the bullpen needs to be "sorted out," to put it mildly. I don't put much stock in Papelbon's struggles on Sunday, as it was a non-save situation after he'd been sitting all weekend. I don't think he even warmed up once. The other pieces to the bullpen puzzle will take some time and some headaches to fall in place.

One thing I hope you all learned this weekend is how important pitching is. The starting pitcher is literally the ONLY player who can singlehandedly lose a game for his team. They're also capable of doing the most to help his team win. Lackey lost Saturday's game, pretty much on his own. And on Sunday, Matt Harrison's 7 innings did more to help Texas win than any of their homerun hitters.

So buck up, there are 159 games left. I mean, Baltimore's in first place. It's not yet time to take things so seriously.

Red Sox at Cleveland for three, starting on Tuesday.

-The Commodore

MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox (Hitting)

The Red Sox scored the 2nd most runs in baseball last year. They were 2nd in homeruns, 3rd in OBP, 2nd in slugging, 1st in OPS. In other words, they were pretty good at the plate. And they should be even better in 2011.

Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were the big stories of the off-season. Not to mention the returns of Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, who only played in 102 and 75 games last year, respectively. These newcomers and returning producers should more than offset the loss of Beltre and Victor Martinez.

The middle of the lineup will be fierce. Gonzalez, liberated from San Diego's pitcher friendly park, should hit over .300, with an OBP close to .400, slug near .600, and approach 40 homers. Youkilis should hit nearly 30 homers, with an OBP well over .400, and slug around .570.

Putting Crawford and Pedroia ahead of them will result in abundant runs. Gonzalez could knock in 120, and Youkilis should easily surpass 100 RBI.

JD Drew's contract is up, so I think he'll actually play more than 140 games and produce. Then there's Ortiz, whose 32 homers and 102 RBIs were impressive in 2010. But he really struggled against lefties. Drew also can't hit southpaws. So against righties, the Sox will have an excellent 5-6 to keep the pressure on. Against lefties, you'll see plenty of innings ended by Drew and Ortiz.

The bottom of the lineup will be solid enough. I like Ellsbury as a 7th or 9th hitter, either keeping the middle of the orders' rallies going, or helping Crawford and Pedroia start a new one. He should hit .300, with a .350 OBP that keeps him from being a good leadoff option. Minimal power, but plenty of speed.

Scutaro had a decent year last season. But we've all sort of forgotten. So did Lowrie. Having both of them as options is a nice luxury. Both play good defense, and neither are easy outs. That's all you really want or need from the 8th spot in your lineup.

Speaking of easy outs, we come to Varitek/Saltalamacchia. They'll ground into so many double plays. That is, if they even make contact with the ball.

Anyway you stack it, this lineup is pretty sick. Mike Cameron can fill in for Drew against lefties. And the speed of Crawford and Ellsbury can help keep the whole batting order from slumping. And even if a tough lefty is on the mound, guys like Youkilis (.404 against LHP last year), can still give them problems.

The Sox scored 818 runs last year, or 5.05 per game. If they stay healthy, they'll score over 900.

You have an amazing offense, and suspect pitching. I'm reminded of the Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1999. They'll be fun to watch. They'll win 100 regular season games. And they'll lose the World Series to a team with superior pitching. I'm thinking the Phillies. 1946 all over again.

-The Commodore

Adrian Gonzalez Set To Sign 7 Year Extension

"A source told FoxSports.com that the Red Sox "are set to sign" Adrian Gonzalez to a seven-year, $164 million contract extension, but will wait until after Opening Day in order to help save on the luxury tax. Gonzalez is slated to make $6.2 million in 2011, the final year of a five-year extension the first baseman signed in 2007 (WEEI)."

That works out to be about $23.5 million a season. That is a shit load of money, but you know what? It's going to be worth it. I have said it time and again that this guy is going to his 48 HRs this year, and he is still only 28 years old. That means when this contract ends he will be 35, which is fine, because even if he slows down this last two years he can shift to DH. I really think this guy is going to be the new "Manny Ramirez" for the Red Sox, except he will keep his mouth shut, and show up to all the games. Oh yea, and he is a good defensive player as well.

Thank you Theo.

How Good Does That Look?

If you want the transcript for news conference introducing Adrian Gonzalez CLICK HERE

"He's going to be unbelievable in Fenway," said Hoyer (Padres GM). "He's going to be a monster."

Captain's Gloomy Thoughts: Adrian Gonzalez

The Sox traded three prospects and a player to be named to the Padres for Adrian Gonzalez. The highly touted, highly sought after first baseman is the biggest Red Sox acquisition since Daisuke Matsuzaka. And similar to that circus, it's been just a bit over-glorified.

Gonzalez is a great player. And after losing Victor Martinez, and likely Adrian Beltre, this move makes perfect sense. With the returns of Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox should have a much more potent offense in 2011.

Gonzalez will also benefit from playing 81 games in Fenway, and 0 in PetCo Park. His numbers are markedly better away from his former home field. Despite having that handicap, he hit .298 last year, with a .393 OBP, and 31 homers. He's surpassed 30 HRs each of the last 4 seasons, and is only 28. He's entering the prime of his career.

At the moment, the Sox lineup could look like this:

1. CF Ellsbury
2. 2B Pedroia
3. 1B Gonzalez
4. 3B Youkilis
5. DH Ortiz
6. RF Drew
7. SS Scutaro
8. LF ???????
9. C Varitek

Pretty good, eh? However, I still can't help thinking how much better it would look with Victor Martinez in that 5 spot. And of course, Carl Crawford occupying an OF position would improve things dramatically. It's still beefy in the middle.

But scoring runs wasn't what undid the 2010 Red Sox. It was, ironically, preventing them. The Sox allowed the 8th most runs in baseball. They were 22nd in team ERA, 23rd in bullpen ERA, 23rd in Save Percentage, and blew the 4th most Saves in all of baseball.

In other words, this team needs pitching in order to have any prayer at once again reaching the World Series. So while this trade is a big step in the right direction, it comes after the Sox took a step back and allowed Victor Martinez to leave. And there's still quite a staircase for the Sox to climb with their pitching situation.

So I'm glad. But hardly thrilled. Like everyone else seems to be.

-The Commodore

Breaking News: Reds Sox Acquire Adrian Gonzalez

Red Sox, Padres Agree On Adrian Gonzalez Trade
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 4 at 6:30am CST]
6:30am: Adrian Gonzalez is expected in Boston today for a physical, reports Nick Cafardo of the Globe. Gonzalez had surgery to clean up his right labrum in October and has a four or five month recovery timeline. Cafardo says talks have centered around Casey Kelly and Anthony Rizzo, and the deal "would likely involve three or four players from the Sox, including one who is major league-ready." ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that all players have been agreed to and the Red Sox are now trying to work out an extension with Gonzalez. MLB has approved a negotiating window. MLBTraderumors

Awesome!

It makes me feel like this:


+++++++++UPDATE++++++++++++++++++++

SUNDAY, 2:45pm: Odds are that Gonzalez won't wind up with the Red Sox, a source tells Morosi (via Twitter), though the reporter cautions that this could change quickly. Meanwhile, a rival executive told Rosenthal (via Twitter) that the possibility of a deal happening won't die unless the Red Sox turn around and sign Adrian Beltre. The third baseman may have lost a suitor this afternoon as it seems that the A's will turn their attention elsewhere.

I'm on suicide watch

Padres Listening To Offers For Adrian Gonzalez

Padres GM Jed Hoyer said on a recent radio interview that the Padres are listening to offers for their star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. It all makes sense, since it is all but certain that he will walk after this year and try the free agent market.

The Red Sox have long been rumored to be going after Gonzalez, and I think now is the perfect time to jump on him. I doubt they will trade Buchholz, but I really think they should do just about anything to get their hands on this guy.

Why am I so high on him?

Well, I have been researching him, and in every way he fits the Red Sox mold, and is exactly what the Red Sox need. Gonzalez has hit at least 30 HRs in each of the past 4 seasons, which is made even more impressive since he plays in the toughest park to hit HRs (Petco). I think at Fenway that he can easily be over 40 HRs consistently, not only because of the park, but because of the protection he will have around him. He also is an on-base machine. Last year his OBP was .397, and the year before it was .407, if you know anything about that stat it is pretty incredible numbers.

On top of all that he is only 28 years old, so signing him long term shouldn't be much of a concern, and if the Red Sox are on board with sliding Youk back over to 3rd (which I think they are) then he fits an obvious need for a power hitting first baseman.

The only concern the Red Sox could possibly have on Gonzalez is the same one they would have when getting a player from a "small market" team, which if he can take the pressure. I really doubt that would be problem. I was really high on Prince Fielder, but I do believe that Gonzalez is actually the better fit.

So, please Red Sox resign V-Mart, and trade for Gonzalez!!!!!!!!!

Adrian Gonzalez Back On The Block?

Padres GM Jed Hoyer confirmed that the team will exercise Gonzalez's $6.2MM option for next season when the time comes. There was never a doubt about this one. He also mentioned that they will listen to trade offers for their star player during the winter.

The Sox have had their eye on this guy for over a year, and I really hope they can get something done this offseason. DP mentioned yesterday that they should deal Buchholz for him, but lets be honest we all know the Sox won't do that. It would be interesting to know what it would take. Obviously they would want prospects and players they can control for cheap.

Off the top of my head maybe something like Casey Kelly, Lars Anderson, and Ellsbury for Gonzalez would get it done. I really have no idea, so it's really not worth getting into too much until some rumors start circulating around.

One thing is for certain Jed Hoyer will know a lot about the Sox farm system, since he was one of the guys running the team when Theo Epstein was gone.

Jake Peavy Is Lobbying For Adrian Gonzalez

Jake Peavy is trying to get the White Sox to acquire his former teammate Adrian Gonzalez. Adrian would be a perfect fit as the White Sox have been looking for a left handed power hitter. The only problem could be the cost.

The White Sox have said time and again that they are unwilling to trade Gordon Beckham, and it could cost even more then that. In my opinion the White Sox do have the pieces to acquire Gonzalez if they wanted to (Flowers, Floyd, Hudson, ect), but the question is how much are they willing to give up?

I would have no problem giving up a lot of these hitter, it is really just a pitching that would hold me back from making such a deal. Anyways, just something to keep an eye on as the Sox will obviously be in this race also.

More Signs Adrian Gonzalez Is On His Way Out

There have been rumors that Adrian Gonzalez could be coming to the Red Sox for some time now. The Padres GM did nothing to squash these rumors with the recent statements he has made...

“While I’d be thrilled to have him part of the organization for the long term, the early signals indicate his cost will be greater than our ability to pay,” Moorad said.

Obviously there will be other teams then the Red Sox going after him, but it seems like the Sox have the talent to be able to land the stud 1st baseman. While I don't think any deal will get done before the start of the 2010 season, I do believe that Gonzalez will get dealt before the trade deadline, especially if the Sox offense struggles in the first half of the season.

Gonzalez To Red Sox In 3-team Trade?

Another day another Adrian Gonzalez to Red Sox rumor...

"Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com says to discount the latest speculation that the Padres, Cubs and Red Sox are discussing a three-team trade that would send Adrian Gonzalez to Boston and Jacoby Ellsbury and Clay Buchholz to Chicago.

Levine says that athough the Red Sox and Cubs have talked recently about other matchups, a deal that would send pitcher Andrew Cashner and Josh Vitters as well as a third minor-leaguer to San Diego, which would Gonzalez to Boston, "has not been broached."

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday that the Cubs would immediately make a "major effort" to land Ellsbury if the Red Sox were to somehow land Jason Bay or Matt Holliday (ESPN)."

Like the other rumors it is hard to say how true this is. During this time of year writers have a tendency to just make shit up. Still, I think the Sox need to land a guy like this if they want to cpmete for a Wold Series next year. I don't think this trade can be pulled off unless the Sox sign Jason Bay. If they were to sign him it would make Ellsbury more expendable, and Cameron can slide into his spot (with Scutaro moving to the leadoff spot). Once again, I don't see Theo giving up both Buchholz, and Ellsbury, but I do think they will make a major push to land Gonzalez...

Sox "Working Hard" For Gonzalez (UPDATED)

"The Red Sox will introduce recent acquisitions John Lackey and Mike Cameron at separate press conferences this afternoon. But just because the Sox have spent over $100 million on that pair of players this week apparently doesn't mean Theo Epstein is done shopping. In fact, according to one report this morning, the Red Sox general manager may have a masterstroke in mind. According to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, Epstein is "working hard to obtain" Padres slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, though he does note a deal is not close at this time. Citing major-league sources, Rosenthal writes:

Jed Hoyer, the Padres’ new general manager -- and Red Sox’s former assistant GM -- wants a high price for Gonzalez, whose contract is one of the biggest bargains in baseball.
"Jed has been asking for a ton," one source said.

Rosenthal also notes that the signings of Lackey and Cameron may have made a trade more palatable for the Sox. The addition of Lackey will give the Red Sox the flexibility to trade right-hander Clay Buchholz, who likely would be the centerpiece of any package for Gonzalez. Likewise, the addition of Cameron will give them the flexibility to trade outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. The Padres would be tempted to move Gonzalez if they could get Buchholz and Ellsbury in the same deal, sources say. However, the Red Sox would be very reluctant to include both, according to another source (Boston.com)."

I really thought this deal was dead, and that the Cabrera deal was much more likely, but the Sox seem to have their eye on this guy. The rumor I heard today was Ellsbury and Buchholz for Gonzalez. Theo obviously thinks that is too much. My thinking is that if this deal is going to get done it will include Ellsbury or Buchholz, Westmoreland or Casey Kelly, and 1 or 2 other minor leaguers (Lars Anderson?). We will keep you updated...


***UPDATE***

Interesting tweet from ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. - he has a source close to Gonzalez who believes the player will be traded to Boston within the next ten days (MLBTradeRumors)."

Adrian Gonzalez Will Not Be Traded

"ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney hears it is extremely unlikely that the Padres will move Gonzalez in a trade this winter. "The bottom line is that nothing is really compelling in exchange for Gonzalez right now, because he is already a star player and has a low salary," Buster writes.

The agent for Gonazlez met with San Diego general manager Jed Hoyer on Friday. The agent, John Boggs, told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that any deal for Gonzalez is not imminent (ESPN)."

It really didn't make a whole lot of sense to trade this guy. He is young, cheap, and the Padres fans need someone to root for. I have a feeling a lot of the rumors were just Boston writers trying to come up with something. All this means is that the Sox are going to focus on Miguel Cabrera, which I think is a much more realistic option, since he has a huge contract and Detroit is a mess financially.