Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump...Where we add up the loss of Crawford

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

We are talking about the active leader for “Worst Free Agent Signing in MLB History” after his worthless — 0.0 WAR — debut last season will be matched in the first half of this season. At an average of $20.3 million per year payable through 2017, Crawford’s seven-year deal is entering historic territory.

At $30 million for a season-and-a-half of nothing, Crawford is going to make the seven-year, $126 million Vernon Wells deal look pretty thrifty.

The Cubs wanted to spend $136 million over eight years for Alfonso Soriano? Shrewd.

Albert Pujols and the Angels, for $240 million over 10 years? That one needs at least a month of evidence before a verdict can be rendered.

Most long-term contracts factor in a year — maybe two, depending on length — lost to injury, but usually teams expect the dropoff, due to age and/or injury, to occur in the waning years of the deal.

The Red Sox are getting it at the very front end.

Really, can it get any worse for the next 51⁄2 years?

This year, it is Crawford’s body that is breaking down. At the age of 30 (he’ll turn 31 in August) and known for his speed in the outfield and on the basepaths, the one positive from this terrible 2012 is that it’s his upper body — left wrist surgery, left elbow — letting him down. Of course, he has not had much of a chance to pull another hamstring like last year, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

And let’s not dwell too long on last year’s mental anguish, either. Crawford did play in 130 games, so it was not his body that was at fault.

Herald: Carl Crawford a costly loss

No new news here. 9-out-of-10 topics between Red Sox fans have been about Crawford and the money invested in him. Theo threw money and Crawford and he accepted. I would.

I don't want to discuss the money issue any further, because it is old news. The biggest concern is the loss of the glove in left, and the speed on the basepaths. Yeah, he only had 18 steals last season, but this year was supposed to be different. 2012 spelled redemption for Carl Crawford. A speedy recovery from wrist surgery, excellent results during bunting drills, then a setback. And this is where we stand.

The additions of Ross and Sweeney have made the loss of Crawford that much easier. His performance last season has made the Ross and Sweeney additions make us feel that much warmer inside.

I'll end the useless babbling and just say, Crawford is down for a few months, he has a ton of money for doing very little, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. So we have to deal with it and hope the pieces in the outfield keep up the production.

The rest of the links:

Globe: Salty heats up and Red Sox win 4 straight | Saltalamacchia, Red Sox catching fire | WEEI: Friday's Red Sox White Sox matchups: Daniel Bard vs. John Danks | Projo: Tazawa keeps mowing down hitters

Recap: Youkilis & Salty combine for 3 homers, lead Red Sox past White Sox, 10-3

Jarrod Saltalamacchia & Kevin Youkilis brought the power tonight. Youkilis hits a grand slam and Salty adds on two solo shots as the Red Sox continue their winning ways, beating the White Sox, 10-3.

The Sox had a field day against starter Phillip Humber, who threw a perfect game in his previous start. Humber started the game with a leadoff walk and would get rattled early as he would give back to back RBI hit to Adrian Gonzalez & David Ortiz and the Sox broke out to an early 2-0 lead.

The White Sox responded with an RBI double by Paul Konerko in the bottom of the inning to make it 2-1 but the Red Sox rip the game wide open in the third thanks to the back to back efforts of Youkilis & Salty. The grand slam by Youk is the highlight to his 3-for-4 day as he is trying to get out of his season long slump. (He's 6 for his last 12 in the past three games).

Salty would hit another solo shot in the fifth, also off of Humber and put the game well past the reach of the White Sox. Humber's night surprisingly ended the inning but it was the end of the night for him. He allowed nine runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five.

Meanwhile, Felix Doubront was given his second straight large lead and he was went out there and pitched pretty well. The first inning was his shakiest as he threw 28 pitches but settled into a groove. He gave up an RBI single in the third & a solo homer in the fifth but that's it. He went six innings giving up five hits and three walks while striking out two. 

This time the bullpen was able to hold the large lead to give Doubront the much deserved win. Junichi Tazawa pitched all three innings and was great, holding the White Sox to two hits. He also struck out four, gets the save while the rest of the bullpen rests.

Reports: Crawford has UCL injury, could be out up to 3 months

Carl Crawford's visit to Dr. James Andrews has apparently revealed some bad news. Nick Cafardo of the Globe reports that Crawford could miss three months of action due to his elbow injury. Sean McAdam of CSNNE tweets that the injury is a UCL problem, but Crawford will not need surgery at this time.

The Sox are expected to release a statement tonight.

Three months would put Crawford's return date around the beginning of August. Given that it'll take time to round into shape against big-league pitching, we could be looking at yet another lost year for Carl.

It's unfathomable that we've gotten two years of nothing out of Crawford, who seemed pretty durable in Tampa Bay despite constant worry about the effects of the turf on his knees. Since coming to Boston, he's been either a headcase or injured. I really just feel bad for the guy.

We have to question the front office's decision to move forward on Crawford. The talk at the time was that the Sox were so diligent about researching Crawford that it neared stalker proportions, and Crawford himself was a little creeped out about it. Meanwhile, the advanced stats were supposedly on Crawford's side, saying that he would age well.

So much for that. He's 31, likely to give us nothing in what should have been the best two years of his $142 million payday. This is a disaster.

Taking Stock: Sox - Twins series

After every series, we'll take stock of how each individual and group performance affects their overall value.

Offense

Mike Aviles: 6-for-13 in the series, with 2 homers and 5 RBI, how could you not love what this guy is bringing to the table? That .328 batting average is pretty sweet too.

Ryan Sweeney: Sweetness. Sweeney is proving to be one of, if not, the best off-season acquisition. He is making things happen at the top of the lineup with his .382 batting average.

Dustin Pedroia: Pedey has climbed back over .300 and his confidence seems to be back. Let's hope this is just the beginning of a hot streak.

David Ortiz: Papi is having one of the best April's in his career and he had Minnesota fans ask the same old question "Why did we let him go???". Thanks suckers.

Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzo has been nothing more than average. He is far from being in a slump, but I will not rule that out for this season.

Cody Ross: He didn't have a great series as a whole, but his two crucial homers in game 1 earned him the green arrow.

Kevin Youkilis: Youk is trying so damn hard to get back to his normal self at the plate. I'm giving him credit for his effort.

Jarrod Saltamacchia: Salty is getting back to where the Sox need him to be. 3-for-8 with a homer and 4 RBI in the series was a great boost to his numbers. Now the challenge will be consistency. 

Marlon Byrd: A surprising acquisition. The sample size is too small to figure how he will impact the team in Ellsbury's absence. 4-for-13 is not too shabby, but let's give him some time.

Starting Rotation

Do the Red Sox have the right Adrian?

 
December 6th 2010. A day that Red Sox fans rejoiced as the team finally got the face of the franchise. After a year of lukewarm rumors, Adrian Gonzalez came to Boston. Theo Epstein had to part with his best prospects but it didn't matter to fans. His arrival gave the fans back a confidence that was slowly sucked out of them after a season in which injury upon injury put the Sox in the middle of the pack in the American League.

With Gonzo in the middle of the lineup, the Red Sox were set up as perennial favorites to win the World Series. Sixteen months later, the Sox are in rough shape thanks to a patched up bullpen and an ownership closing their checkbooks after a couple years of overspending.

You can’t blame Theo, or anyone really, for being enamored with Adrian Gonzalez. He is one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball; with the perfect combination of discipline, knowledge, and power. The team finally found someone that filled the void created when Manny Ramirez was shipped out of town, the guy in the lineup that will make a pitcher pay if they didn’t pinpoint every single pitch. His Gold Glove caliber defense was the cherry on top. When the Sox signed him for seven years, $154 million it seemed like a steal.

But with how the team is set up and all the issues that haunt them, it’s hard not to look back and ask: Do the Sox have the right Adrian?

Beat Farming: The Pawsox streak ends at 9

Who has the time to keep up with all of the Sox minor league teams? We'll do all the work to keep you updated with the beat on the farm.

Notable Performances:

Daniel Nava (LF): 3-for-4, double, RBI

Mauro Gomez (1B): 2-for-5, HR (7), 2 RBI

Will Middlebrooks (3B): 2-for-5, HR (9), 2 RBI, 3 K

Andrew Miller: 1 IP. BB, K

Rich Hill: 1 IP, 2 K

Box Score

Notable Performances:

Ronald Bermudez (CF): 2-for-4, run

Dan Bulter (C): 2-for-4, double, RBI

Heiker Meneses (2B): 2-for-4, RBI

Charlie Rosario (RP): 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Box Score

Your Morning Dump...where Clay needs to shake the rust off in AAA.

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Clay Buchholz is back pitching full time in the Red Sox starting rotation.

But if the Sox are seriously thinking about adding Aaron Cook to the staff by his May 1 opt-out date, isn’t the spot they’d have to consider taking Buchholz’s?

The Sox appear hell-bent on not moving Daniel Bard back to the bullpen. So if Bard remains a starter and the Sox want to accommodate Cook, someone has to be dropped.

It’s probably not fair to remove Felix Doubront, who is on a steady climb.

And so if Buchholz stays, Cook probably won’t - unless he’s added as a bullpen piece, which also doesn’t seem logical.

Cook is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA at Pawtucket and will make one more start before his opt-out. He has said he has not made a decision on the opt-out date, leaving some room for the possibility he could stay longer.

Globe: Buchholz needs to get it started

Clay is coming off of back surgery so it's understandable that he could be a rusty. But he's been struggling pretty bad out there. He's allowing at least five runs and seven hits in all four starts and has only pitched past the 6th inning once.

Cook has been lights out down in Pawtucket with his sinker working beautifully. Look at those stats again: 3-0 1.33 ERA. His option to leave the team is on May 1st and with the pitching depth woefully thin already, the Sox have to bring him up just to keep him around. They don't want another Kevin Millwood deal come back and haunt them.

Just give both of them two starts and see what happens. If Cook stinks it up then it's exactly what Clay is doing now. Letting Clay face AAA hitting could boost his confidence and the rust magically disappears. Then he gets the call back up to the Majors and hopefully reverts back to his 2010 form. Now make it happen, Cherington!

Rest of the Links: Globe:  Sox eke out a win | Crawford seeking answers about elbow|  Red Sox optimism |Herald: Sox finally sweep |  A different clubhouse | Crawford visits Dr. Andrews | CSNNE: Sox hold off for Twins | Buchholz was very much improved |  Melancon strong in Pawtucket | WEEI:    Clean sweep for Sox | Elbow was bothering Crawford in February |  

Recap: Sox hang on for a 7-6 win in Minnesota

First things first: I didn't watch this game. I was too busy watching the Bruins be lousy and lose to Washington in overtime. (I predicted the outcome, which only makes me feel about 4% better.)

I'm guessing many of you are like me and didn't watch, so let's take a look-see through the box score and play by play to see what we missed.

They got out to an early lead thanks to their powerful offense. Sounds about right.

Then their mediocre starting pitcher -- Clay Buchholz in this case -- lost steam in the 6th and put a bunch of guys on base. The manager relieved him with a subpar reliever -- Scott Atchison for this particular instance -- with the bases loaded, only to have him give up a couple runs. Switching to a lefty -- the inimitable Justin Thomas -- to face the left-handed Justin Morneau did nothing, as Morneau knocked in a run. Switching back to a righty -- Matt Albers, who defines replacement level -- for a right-handed hitter yielded yet another run.

Sound familiar?

Well it only gets more familiar, as Bobby V turned to closer Alfredo Aceves for the 9th with a one-run ballgame, and was treated to a walk, two singles, a hit by pitch, and mercifully, somehow, a bases-loaded strikeout to finish off the Twins.

The 2012 Red Sox story continues: An incompetent bullpen makes every win closer than it needs to be, and every close game a loss. Hopefully Alex Wilson can be converted quickly, or Mark Melancon can get his head on straight. This group needs help.

Box score

Beat Farming: The Pawsox are streaking

Who has the time to keep up with all of the Sox minor league teams? We'll do all the work to keep you updated with the beat on the farm.

The Pawsox have won 9 straight, tied for most in franchise history.

Notable Performances:

Daniel Nava (DH): 1-for-2, solo HR (2)

Will Middlebroos (3B): 1-for-2, triple, 2 BB

Rich Hill: 1 IP,  1 H, 1 K, 1 BB

Mark Melancon: 1 IP, 1 H, 3 K

Box Score

Notable Performances:

Jeremy Hazelbaker (DH): 2-for-3, RBI

Derrik Gibson (SS): 2-for-4

Reynaldo Rodriguez (1B): 2-for-3, 2 R

Oscar Tejeda (LF): 3-for-4, HR (1), double, 3 RBI

Ronald Bermudez (CF): 1-for-4, solo HR (1)

Box Score

Crawford seeks more information about his elbow injury

Bad news for those of us looking for Carl Crawford to come back to the team and ease its outfield troubles. Crawford was in Boston on Monday for evaluation, but is now looking to get a second opinion. The Herald has the scoop:

“We’re still getting all the information,” Valentine said. “His elbow is a situation that we really want to deal with sooner rather than later to make sure it’s fine before he starts throwing.”

Initially, before the elbow soreness developed, the Red Sox believed Crawford would miss the season’s first few weeks but possibly be ready to play by May 1. Now, it seems that timeline will be pushed back.

“It’s always serious, the way I look at it,” Valentine said. “But it doesn’t seem major.”

It may not seem major to Bobby V, but it certainly doesn't sound good to me. The first thing we heard with his wrist was that he might begin the year on the DL and miss a couple weeks. Then it was pushed back to May 1st as the expected return date.

Then the elbow cropped up. Now May 1st has no chance, and his rehab play (which had been going well at the plate) has been sidetracked.

I don't remember Carl having this many injury troubles in Tampa. But that's probably because he was, you know, younger. Only six more years of this to deal with.