Red Sox Catching Situation Fixed?

So much has been made of the Red Sox catching situation. It seemed almost certain the Red Sox were going to have to go out and sign another catcher. Tek was batting like .097 and Salty wasn't doing much either. So, we were just waiting for the Sox to sign Molina, or I-Rod, but suddenly the catching situation doesn't look so bad (winning helps).

Over the past two weeks, Saltalamacchia has hit .292 with an .820 OPS, while Varitek is hitting .292 himself in May. Sure, that's a small sample, but if Salty can keep hitting then everything will be fine. I have actually really like the way he has been swinging the bat, and he just looks more confident at the plate.

Am I sold? No, far from it, but I at least feel a bit of hope.

Red Sox Contact Bengie Molina

"There has been speculation for weeks that the Boston Red Sox are losing patience with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with one weekend report by Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com claiming the team had contacted free agent Bengie Molina.

There are already concerns about Salty's defense, and his .203 batting average with three walks and 19 strikeouts this season isn't helping things (ESPN)."

Tek isn't going anywhere, but I could really see the Sox getting rid Salty. I wouldn't do it just yet, as I do feel like he has been a little better at the plate, but we also can't have Tek catching 2 of every 5 games (or more), which seems to be what's going on right now.

Molina hasn't played all season, so maybe it would be a good idea to sign him soon and let him get some swings in the minors, and that would also buy Salty a little time to see if he can get going. Last year Molina played for Texas and San Francisco batting .249 with 5 HRs and 36 RBIs in 118 games. Nothing special there, but he plays good defense, and that offense is way more then we are getting from Tek or Salty.

How Bad Is The Red Sox Catcher Situation?

I think even the most biased Red Sox fans knew there was going to be problems behind the plate. Yet, I don't know if we knew it was going to be this bad. Tek is what he is, he calls a good game, but that's about it. At this point in his career he can't throw anyone out, or hit (let alone play everyday). Salty was supposed to be the future, but his defense looks worse the Teks. On top of that I don't know if these pitchers trust him, or like the way he calls games. I am not putting the pitchers problems just on his shoulders, but when everyone and their mother and stealing bases on him it adds a lot of pressure.

On top of Salty's struggles behind the plate he also isn't doing anything in the batters box either. Right now he is hitting .194, and although he has been hitting better of late he is not someone I trust to be consistent at all. My biggest concern is his relationship with the pitchers, and his ability to control base stealing, because this lineup (on paper) is good enough to take a shitty hitting catcher.

ESPN throws out the rumor that the Sox could make a move and get Ivan Rodriguez, who is getting less playing time with the Nationals. For once I agree with DP and I am all for it. He doesn't hit much anymore, but he throws out about 35% of the runners that steal on him and when you compare that to Salty (usually around 24%), and Tek (20%).

The Sox have so many problem right now (Crawford, bullpen, starting pitching, clutch hitting) that this isn't my main concern, but out of all their problems it's the one I don't see improving.

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

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

Breaking News: Red Sox Resign Varitek

According to multiple reports, the Red Sox have come to an agreement to re-sign catcher Jason Varitek with the catcher inking a one-year, $2 million deal with $300,000 of incentives. It could be the Red Sox are done with the catcher position and will stick with Varitek and Salty as their guys. I am OK with it only because I don't like any catchers that are left in the free agent market, and at least Tek knows these pitchers well. Still, doesn't make up for not resigning V-Mart and I'm starting to lose faith that they will makeup for it at all this offseason (at least in a way I would like).

Red Sox Resigning Varitek?

"Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, however, says there is a good chance Varitek may be in Boston's plans. GM Theo Epstein apparently things Varitek is still its best defensive catcher, the best handler of pitchers, and an invaluable piece of the team (ESPN)."

I don't mind if they resign him IF they resign V-Mart, but right now there are rumors that the Sox don't want to give V-Mart anymore then a 3 year deal and he is looking for a 4-6 year deal. As I wrote at the end of last week the Sox HAVE TO resign V-Mart. Other then that I really don't care all that much about who's behind him. They have Jarrod Saltalamacchia also, be he has been a bust, so I guess having Tek behind V-Mart is a little better.

Then again getting rid of Tek and his stupid "C" is long overdue.

God Must Really Hate The Red Sox

Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek, who was supposed to assume everyday catching duties with Victor Martinez on the disabled list with a fractured left thumb, instead is joining Martinez on the disabled list with a fractured foot. Honestly, this is getting comical at this point. It is fucking amazing that the Red Sox are even competitive with the injuries they have gone through. I don't know what they did to piss off the baseball Gods, but this is getting fucking ridiculous!

The only good news here is that the All-Star break is close, and the Sox should get V-Mart back right after. Still, you have to wonder how much more of this the Sox can take...

The Red Sox "Other" Problem

It is early in the season, and like any season we are overreacting on the problems with the Red Sox. Lack of offense, Ortiz, bullpen, blah blah blah. I am not saying I am not one of them, far from it actually, but there is another problem that doesn't seem to get talked about by fans.

The Twins stole 3 bases yesterday, 2 by Denard Span and another by Nick Punto. To put it lightly, this isn't the first time this has been a problem. Opponents are 11 of 12 in stolen base attempts against Martinez this season, and 1 for 1 on Varitek. Last season V-Mart only threw out 11% of the batter that ran on him, and Varitek only threw out 13%. It is an interesting problem for the Red Sox, who have built a team that is supposed to prevent runs through solid defense. I would think it would be hard to do that when every single is quickly made into a double.

Twice last season a team stole 8 bases against the Sox in a single game! Think about that for a second. Now that has happened yet this year, but I see no reason why it won't. It used to be that the Sox would slug their ways to wins, but this team was supposed to be different. Good pitching, great fielding, run prevention was supposed to be the keywords this season. Just seems odd that they left the whole throwing guys out completely out of the equation.

I don't know what the answer to this is. Tek is only a little better defensively then V-Mart, and obviously V-Mart is 100 times the hitter Tek is. I know some numbers are always inflated, because I could steal on Wakefield, but still this problem is bigger then the 1 out of 5 games the Wake will pitch.

So I ask you sports fans, how do you fix this problem? Will they? Because you can't just let every guy that gets on base stroll his way to 2nd base.

Varitek Exercises Option

According To WEEI Jason Varitek has exercised his $3 million player option for the 2010 season. I want Varitek off the team as much as everyone else, but this actually isn't that bad. V-Mart will get most of the starts, and Tek can be a very solid backup for him, since catchers usually need a good amount of games off. It is going to be really funny watching the "captain" ride the pine...

THANK YOU JESUS. VARITEK IS GONE, GONE, GONE (Not really, I'm stupid)

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Red Sox 9, Angels 8

The Red Sox used 22 different players to beat the Angels 9-8 last night, in a 4 hour thriller. The last three batters of the game were all short-stops: Jed Lowrie, Nick Green, and Alex Gonzalez. That should tell you how strange this game was.

Paul Byrd had a Paul Byrd start. He's not going to win games for you, but he won't lose them either. That's the role of as #5 starter, and so long as Buchholz and Matsuzaka are doing well, Byrd can have as many 5.1 IP, 3 ER games as he wants.

But the bullpen was awful. Ramon Ramirez blew a 2 run lead in the 7th. Then Daniel Bard blew a tied game in the top of the 9th. Thankfully, there is depth to the pen. Okajima, Delcarmen, and Saito registered 1 quality inning apiece, and the Sox desperately needed those to stay in the game.

Ramirez's runs came after a passed ball 3rd strike by Varitek. Now, if Victor Martinez had made this same mistake, the Cult of Varitek would be all over him, just like they were when he caught a bad Buchholz outing a few weeks ago (how's Buchholz-Martinez worked out since then?). Varitek fucked up and it nearly cost the Sox a big win. Oh yeah, he was also 0 for 2, dropping his average to .213. But at least he's hotter in September (.143 average) than he was in August (.135).

By and large, the Sox performance wasn't impressive. However, their character was. They stuck with this game, despite the Angels' incessant rallying. And in the end, they got the W.

By the way, the Rangers lost, and so did the Rays. Tampa Bay is now 5th in the Wild Card, 14 games behind the Sox. Nice collapse.

The Sox go for the sweep Thursday night as Ervin Santana takes on Josh Beckett. With series like this one, and the weather as chilly as it is, doesn't it feel like October?

-The Commodore

Varitek Has To Catch Beckett

I don't like Varitek. I am not at the same level of hatred as DP on him, but I don't like him, and I don't think he is good. Still....after reading into some stats it is hard to ignore that Beckett needs Varitek on the field.

Beckett is 14-2 with a 2.52 ERA when Varitek is his catcher. When someone else catches him, Beckett is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA. The Boston Herald went in even deeper and looked at each game that Beckett has played without Tek behind the plate.

April 30: Rays 13, Red Sox 0

With George Kottaras catching, Beckett allows 10 hits and seven runs in 4.2 innings.

June 14: Phillies 11, Red Sox 6

With a day game following a brutally long night game, Varitek gets a day off in favor of Kottaras. Beckett allows seven runs (6 earned) in six innings and takes the loss.

Aug. 18: Red Sox 10, Blue Jays 9

Beckett admitted he had nothing last night and the Jays teed off on him for three home runs and the seven runs.

For those keeping track, that’s 16 IP and 30 hits allowed, including five home runs. In 146.1 innings with Varitek, Beckett has allowed just 10 homers.

Some pitchers are really a creature of habit. I don't think this speaks ill of V-Mart's catching ability, but when you are in a middle of a season and in a groove you should ride what is working. What is working is Tek catching Beckett. Maybe he can just be his catcher like Mirabelli was for the Wake...

A's 5 Red Sox 8

Yesterday was a long day for Sox fans (and players). Yet in the end they were able to bounce back and beat the A's, so I guess that is all that matters. Jon Lester allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out two in 5 2/3 innings. His stat like would have looked a lot better, but he fell apart in the 6th inning letting up all of his 4 runs that he allowed. At that point the Sox were down 4-1 and it really didn't look like the Sox bats were going to bail them out, but they did...

In the bottom of the 6th the Sox got back 2 of those runs, as Lowell hit a ground rule double scoring Ortiz, and then Varitek singled to right field for his 2nd RBI of the night. The Sox kept it going int he 7th when Papi hit a 3 run bomb off Breslow, and in the 8th Tek got his 3rd RBI of the night on a RBI double.

Bard and Papelbon shut the A's out in the 8th and 9th inning to get the Sox their 59th win of the season. Papelbon now has 26 saves on the year, and with the Yankees having the night off Boston gained a 1/2 game on the Yankees, so they are only 3 back now.

Red Sox 4 Orioles 0

Lester vs. the Orioles is about the surest pick you can make in baseball. Lester is now 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA against Baltimore in 10 career starts. Last night he threw 7 scoreless innings while striking out 8. Papelbon got the final out with two on to earn his 132nd career save, tying Bob Stanley for the most in Red Sox history. Papelbon has 19 saves this season in 20 opportunities. Oh yea, and he 20 for 20 in save opportunities against Baltimore with a 0.39 ERA...WOW.

Pedroia started the scoring in the first inning with an RBI single, then in the 4th Tek made it 2-0 with his RBI single. J.D. Drew put the game out of reach in the same inning with a 2 run blast (his 10th of the season).

Once again Boston's bullpen was amazing throwing two scoreless innings while using 4 pitchers. With the win the Sox are now 3 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.

Red Sox 1 Braves 2

The Red Sox failed in their chance for a sweep as Tommy Hanson improves to 4-0 even though he was battling the flu. The much hyped prospect has so far been the real deal, and it has to be helping Braves' fans forget the whole mess with Glavine. Hason went 6 innings allowing only 2 hit 0 runs with 2 Ks. His ERA on the season is 2.48 and he is going to be a good building block for a team that really needs to rebuild.

Boston did not get its first run till the 9th inning when Varitek it an RBI double. Other then that this game was a snoozer. Penny once again pitched well going 6 inning allowing 2 runs, but the Sox gave him no support as they only had 5 hits all game. Games this this happen, but Boston needs to be more consistent with their run support, as they didn't give much in Wakefield win either.

With the loss the Sox are now only 3 games up on the Yankees and 5 games up on the Ray. Both teams are riding 5 game winning streaks. Boston will try to get back on their winning ways as they start a 3 game series against the Orioles tonight.

Red Sox 6 Nationals 4

Other then Nick Green almost getting impaled by a broken bat this game went very smoothly for the Sox. Boston was trailing 1-0 going into the 4th inning, but Big Papi changed that quickly hitting a 3 run blast. The Sox kept pouring it on in the 5th and 6th innings. Getting 1 run in the 5th off a Pedroia RBI single, and then 2 more runs off a Varitek 2 run HR in the 6th.

Lester was not at his best, but against the Nationals it was good enough. His final stat line was 6 innings 3 ERs on 6 hits with 6 Ks. He was missing some pitches that he would usually make, but it was still a quality start for the Sox young left hander. Papelbon came in for the 9th and nailed down his 17th save of the season.

The good news in this game was the Sox were getting production from guys who have been holes in the lineup. Ortiz is 4-7 over his last 2 games with 2 HRs and 5 RBI, and although Varitek is still not hitting for average his HR last night gives him 11 on the season. You have to admit that is more then I ever thought he would have at this point in the season.

Smoltz gets the start tonight as the Sox try to sweep the Nationals. The Jays and Yankees both won last night, so Boston is still 5 games up in the AL East.

Is Varitek Hurt?

During the game last night a camera caught Varitek having his shoulder worked on by the medical staff. Varitek and the Sox refused to comment on the situation, but there is obviously something wrong here. Tek has been slumping of late, and maybe this could have something to do. Even thought Tek is not very good, he still has some pop in his bat, and calls a great game. Boston really doesn't need him to start having shoulder problems, since his defense and game calling is what keeps him in a Sox uniform. We'll have more information when the Sox open up and talk about this.

Red Sox 3 Twins 1

In a crazy game the Sox were able to split the series. The difference makers were Josh Beckett, and Jason Varitek. 4 people were kicked out of this game, Tek was hitting bombs like it was 2003, and Beckett finally is looking like the ace we have been waiting to see since the end of the 2007 season.

The game was relatively quiet, as Beckett and Swarzak had little trouble getting outs. The game was tied 1-1 after Tek hit a HR in the 5th. Then in the 7th things started to get crazy. Tek hit a leadoff HR to start the inning, then Pedroia hit sacrifice fly to right, Bailey came sliding home. The ump called him safe, but Twins' catcher Redmond did not agree. He threw a fit (and may have been right). Umpire Todd Tichenor from Triple-A Pacific Coast League threw Redmond out of the game, and when the Twins coach came out to defend his player he threw him out too.

Things only got worse in the bottom of the inning Beckett threw a pitch that Varitek tried to frame for strike three on Brendan Harris (it was outside). Beckett got pissed, and Varitek tried to intervene, but then the ump threw Tek out. So Francona comes out, and of course he is ejected to. So in a matter of 1 inning 4 people were ejected. This might be this umps first and last game in the MLB.

Anyways, other then the ump loosing his cool the game went smoothly. Beckett pitched 7 innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits with 8 Ks. Papelbon came in for the 9th and locked down his 13th save of the season, as the Sox went on to win 3-1. The only bad thing to come out of this game was that Ellsbury's hitting streak ended at 22 games.

With the win the Sox are now 1/2 game up on the Yankees who had the day off yesterday.

Blue Jays 3 Red Sox 8

David Ortiz finally got the monkey off his back hitting his first homer in 150 at-bats. You could see the relief on his face as he jogged around the basis, but was this the first step towards turning around his season, or just a lucky swing? We will see....

To me it was really fun to watch how much better the Sox are when Youk is in the lineup. The guy just does everything, gets on base, hits for power, ect. Last night Youk was just another guy who kept the Red Sox offensive train moving (he went 3-5). Varitek set the Red Sox offense in motion with a solo HR in the 3rd. He followed with another solo HR in the 5th, at that point the Sox offense too flight scoring 6 runs in the 5th off 4 HRs (one was Papi's first of the year).

The Sox had a very healthy lead which gave them the chance to pitch Bard at Fenway for the first time without any pressure. He didn't do very well (2/3 inning 1 ER 3 hits), but it was still good to see him out there getting his feet wet. Other then Bard the Sox used their normal cast of characters (Delcarmen, Okajima, Saito) and none of them let up a run. The Sox bullpen just seems to keep getting better. With Masterson likely heading back to the bullpen, and if Bard can do anything the Sox have by far the deepest bullpen in the MLB.

So Penny got the win, but he actually didn't pitch all that well. He was throwing a lot of fastballs, and couldn't get his offspeed pitches over the plate. Still he went 6 @/3 letting up only 2 runs. I'll take that from a 5th starter any day. With the win the Sox are now only 1 1/2 games behind the Jays for 1st place in the AL East (Yankees are still a game behind the Sox)