The staff currently looks something like this:
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Tim Wakefield
David Wells
Bronson Arroyo
Jon Papelbon (r)
Julian Tavarez
Rudy Seanez
Guillermo Mota
Keith Foulke
Mike Timlin
* I'm assuming they will trade Matt Clement eventually, given that they are currently negotiating a three-year contract with Saturn Balls. That's why he's off the list.
* Said contract suggests that the Sox are planning to use Papelbon in the spot-starter/long man role instead of Arroyo, at least on a temporary basis. If that happens, Paps would become the most frightening long reliever in baseball.
* The team has repeatedly dropped Mota's name in trade talks, but I'd just assume keep him. If Foulke returns to form, or Hansen breaks through, thus returning Timlin to setup duty, this becomes the best bullpen in baseball. Anaheim is the only bullpen that could get a whiff.
* Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen, fireballing rookie relievers who would be more than capable at the major-league level, will begin the year in Pawtucket according to the team. They will return though.
* One weakness: there are no lefties, let alone situational lefties, in the bullpen. But Lenny DiNardo did a fabulous job in long relief last season, so maybe he'll win a job as the lefty specialist. I don't know much about this, however.
If they pick up a lefty reliever, and plug just one of their holes at SS or CF with a competent leadoff bat (Lugo/Reed respectively) while leaving cannon fodder at the other (Cora/Stern resp.), I think this is a 100-win team. Johnny Damon's departure will hurt, but look at how much they've improved the pitching staff. Toronto's emergence will not hurt them, since the generous Orioles have weakened themselves by an equal amount.
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Tim Wakefield
David Wells
Bronson Arroyo
Jon Papelbon (r)
Julian Tavarez
Rudy Seanez
Guillermo Mota
Keith Foulke
Mike Timlin
* I'm assuming they will trade Matt Clement eventually, given that they are currently negotiating a three-year contract with Saturn Balls. That's why he's off the list.
* Said contract suggests that the Sox are planning to use Papelbon in the spot-starter/long man role instead of Arroyo, at least on a temporary basis. If that happens, Paps would become the most frightening long reliever in baseball.
* The team has repeatedly dropped Mota's name in trade talks, but I'd just assume keep him. If Foulke returns to form, or Hansen breaks through, thus returning Timlin to setup duty, this becomes the best bullpen in baseball. Anaheim is the only bullpen that could get a whiff.
* Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen, fireballing rookie relievers who would be more than capable at the major-league level, will begin the year in Pawtucket according to the team. They will return though.
* One weakness: there are no lefties, let alone situational lefties, in the bullpen. But Lenny DiNardo did a fabulous job in long relief last season, so maybe he'll win a job as the lefty specialist. I don't know much about this, however.
If they pick up a lefty reliever, and plug just one of their holes at SS or CF with a competent leadoff bat (Lugo/Reed respectively) while leaving cannon fodder at the other (Cora/Stern resp.), I think this is a 100-win team. Johnny Damon's departure will hurt, but look at how much they've improved the pitching staff. Toronto's emergence will not hurt them, since the generous Orioles have weakened themselves by an equal amount.
posted by Jeff at
1:47 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home