The Craig Hansen Era has begun... he's blowing away Devil Rays... and he's not eligible for the playoffs. Sigh. It'll be enough if he can help them get into the playoffs again, where anything can happen with this bullpen (by which I am of course referring to the absence of a 10-Run Rule in major league baseball) but once they get there, they are screwed like a Turkish hooker. What can you reasonably expect from Jeremi Gonzalez in a playoff scenario? I don't think there's much to be said about a staff whose most reliable pitcher only good pitchers are Wakies and rookies. I'm not saying they can't or won't win the division, but can you really be that surprised if they blow it? We knew when they let Pedro go that they were shooting for 2006. They're no better right now than the Yankees, and they at least have the dynamic Small-Wang duo holding down the fort. Even if the Sox don't win the division, it's been a nice victory lap, and they did about as well as you could hope with these shitty pitchers. We'll see.
What I can't stop thinking about is next year. Pending Yankee acquisitions and Red Sox defections, they will have the best rotation in the division next season. Schilling will have recovered a little more, Jon Papelbon will be a fixture, and #1 prospect Jon Lester will join him by midseason. The Sox may actually be forced to trade Bronson Arroyo because they have nowhere to play him... in fact, they may have to jettison Matt Clement as well, if he doesn't get his late-season shit together. Meanwhile, Hansen has as good a shot at the closer's job as Foulke does, and Manny Delcarmen will go alongside Mike Timlin in the setup role. The only major addition they need to make to the bullpen will be a lefty set-up guy to replace Alan Embree, and maybe a long reliever better than the likes of The Devil Rays' Rejects (John Halama, Jeremi Gonzalez). This doesn't even factor in lefties Abe Alvarez, who has struggled in his Boston appearances thus far, and Anibal Sanchez, whose hook is apparently his best pitch... you gotta love the lefty curveball. I can't wait. Well, I'd wait through some playoff games and another parade and all, if it came down to that. You know what I mean.
What I can't stop thinking about is next year. Pending Yankee acquisitions and Red Sox defections, they will have the best rotation in the division next season. Schilling will have recovered a little more, Jon Papelbon will be a fixture, and #1 prospect Jon Lester will join him by midseason. The Sox may actually be forced to trade Bronson Arroyo because they have nowhere to play him... in fact, they may have to jettison Matt Clement as well, if he doesn't get his late-season shit together. Meanwhile, Hansen has as good a shot at the closer's job as Foulke does, and Manny Delcarmen will go alongside Mike Timlin in the setup role. The only major addition they need to make to the bullpen will be a lefty set-up guy to replace Alan Embree, and maybe a long reliever better than the likes of The Devil Rays' Rejects (John Halama, Jeremi Gonzalez). This doesn't even factor in lefties Abe Alvarez, who has struggled in his Boston appearances thus far, and Anibal Sanchez, whose hook is apparently his best pitch... you gotta love the lefty curveball. I can't wait. Well, I'd wait through some playoff games and another parade and all, if it came down to that. You know what I mean.
posted by Jeff at
3:28 PM
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