CBS Sports' Jon Heyman made an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Gresh & Zolak show today to talk Sox. And by "talk Sox" I don't mean 'Provide a Gammons-like perspective into the club'. No no no. It was more like a 'Let me type Red Sox into Google News and rattle off some of what's returned'.
Despite Jon being a highly-respected baseball man, I'm positive that I could have given just as much insight into the goings on at Yawkey as Heyman did. At some point during this interview I'm pretty sure my mother groaned, "Jesus, Jon. Are you kidding me with this nonsense?"
But maybe you're bored and don't mind reading things you already know. If that's you, here's what he had to say:
On the Sox trading Youkilis:
“I don’t anticipate them rushing into anything, but it does make sense. I’ve run into Red Sox people recently and they’re not saying Adrian Gonzalez in the outfield is a long-term solution. It’s obvious Will Middlebrooks has to play somewhere; he’s that good. This is something that is going to be discussed over the next few weeks.”
On whether or not Sox closer Andrew Bailey will supplant Aceves when he returns from the DL:
“He has the right makeup to be the closer,” Heyman said of Aceves, “but they traded for Andrew Bailey and they gave up a lot in Josh Reddick in that multi-player trade… I would think he is going to be their closer when he is back and healthy.”
And finally, on the prospects of Bard being shifted back to the pen this year:
“Bobby is a big pen guy; he thinks that is the key to a team and two-thirds of the games are decided when the bullpen is in there. He’s always been that way. This may be a hint that that’s what he prefers.”
If you're keeping score at home, here's what we've learned: Adrian Gonzalez isn't a real option in Right. The Red Sox will discuss trading Youkilis at some point. Bailey may get the nod in the 9th. And Heyman thinks that Valentine may have hinted that he intends to move Bard back to the pen.
Awesome. Keep up the good work, Heyman!
