Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Jackie Bradley Jr. needs help getting out of bed

Hey, it could be worse. When Carl Crawford wakes up, he yawns and hits the DL with a strained neck.

[Twitter]

Your Morning Dump...where White Sox moves could affect the Red Sox

 

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.

It didn't take long for Rick Hahn to make his first move as the general manager of the White Sox. Four days after officially introducing Hahn as GM, the team announced a two-year, $29MM contract extension with Jake Peavy. The deal will keep Peavy in Chicago through 2014 and includes an option for 2015.

MLBTradeRumors | White Sox extend Jake Peavy

The White Sox announced that they have exercised the 2013 club option on the contract of right-hander Gavin Floyd while declining 2013 options on right-hander Brett Myers and third baseman Kevin Youkilis.  Floyd will earn a base salary of $9.5MM in 2013.  Myers will receive a $3MM buyout instead of his $10MM option while Youkilis will get $1MM in place of his $13MM option.

MLBTradeRumors | White Sox exercise option on Floyd, decline on Myers and Youkilis

The White Sox joined the Tigers among super-active teams early in the offseason.

And their moves in a way affect the Red Sox. Jake Peavy was a guy some were speculating could be a good fit for the rotation here -- high potential, but due to injury risk and age, not requiring an enormous contract. I think most Red Sox fans would have been happy with Jake on a two-year deal, but I can't say I blame him (or the White Sox) on finding a way to continue their relationship now that they've seen some success.

And of course there's Youk, who everyone loves to speculate about. I agree with the CSNNE piece (in the links below) that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Youk is, obviously, in decline, and if the Red Sox are looking to move forward both in performance and in clubhouse makeup, it's probably not a great idea. I can see them revisiting it if they get priced out of other 1B and Youk for whatever reason isn't snapped up by anybody, but I'd say it's a long shot at best. I think Ben Cherington is more likely to be looking for the next David Ortiz-style acquisition -- trying to find somebody cheap and hope to hit it big. Obviously, there aren't a whole lot of Papis out there, but if he can even do something similar to the Cody Ross rental to fill the 1B hole, I think we'd all be satisfied.

Herald | Brian Butterfield back with John Farrell | 3 Orioles win Gold Gloves; 9 1st-timers, not Trout | ESPNBoston | Decision 2013: Starting rotation | CSNNE | No Gold Gloves for Sox; Reddick earns one at RF | Are Sox interested in free agent Kevin Youkilis?

Baseball America thinks Xander Bogaerts might actually stick at shortstop

That's the question Baseball America tries to answer, via Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston. Here's the projected [UPDATE: 2016] lineup:

C Blake Swihart 
1B Jerry Sands 
2B Dustin Pedroia 
3B Will Middlebrooks 
SS Xander Bogaerts 
LF Jacoby Ellsbury 
CF Jackie Bradley Jr. 
RF Bryce Brentz 
DH Garin Cecchini 
SP Jon Lester 
SP Clay Buchholz 
SP Matt Barnes 
SP Allen Webster 
SP Henry Owens 
Closer Rubby de la Rosa 

Now, you might notice that this is essentially just a list of Red Sox prospects. Indeed, BA doesn't attempt to project free-agent signings or trades, so the likelihood of not only all these prospects working out, but having them all play at the same time for the Sox, is obviously quite slim. (The most hilarious is Sands, who by most accounts is a 4-A guy.)

One thing should jump out with you: BA has Bogaerts listed as the shortstop. I'm not focusing on this as a Jose Iglesias devotee (though I am one); I'm focusing on it because everything I've read to this point says Bogaerts has no chance of being a major-league shortstop. There are concerns about his instincts, his body -- it just doesn't seem like he can use the glove at the level the Sox would need.

But for Baseball America to suggest that it's possible -- this changes the outlook for the Red Sox. And even a pro-Jose guy like me would be exciting to have a dynamic talent like Bogaerts playing short, even if we sacrifice considerably in the field.

Red Sox continue pillaging of Toronto staff, hire Butterfield

The Red Sox announced today that they've added Brian Butterfield to their staff. Butterfield will be third-base coach under John Farrell; the same role he had in Toronto the last two years under Farrell, and one preceding him.

Butterfield hails from Bangor, Maine, which makes him A-OK in my book, considering Maine is the greatest state in the union. 

He's also a tremendous Patriots fan, according to the beat guys on Twitter. Apparently, he likes Gronk.

Welcome aboard, Brian. We look forward to not knowing who you are except the three times a season when you send somebody home and they get thrown out, and then we throw things and curse your name.

Your Morning Dump...where Sandy blew away Red Sox news

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.

Willingham received a three-year, $21 million free agent deal from the Twins. Ross, meanwhile, took a one-year, $3 million deal with the Red Sox, opting to pass on two-year offers that would have given him more than $3 million per year (but less than $5 million per year) in hopes of going to a favorable hitting environment (a departure from Florida and San Francisco, both of whom play in parks and divisions that tend to be hostile to big power numbers) where he could boost his numbers in anticipation of another run at free agency following the 2012 season.

The strategy paid off, as Ross slammed 22 homers in 130 games while hitting .267 with a .326 OBP, .481 slugging mark and .807 OPS, with his OBP and OPS both ranking as career-best marks for any season in which he had at least 200 plate appearances. That line closely resembled the one that Willingham delivered with the A’s (albeit in more challenging hitting environment) prior to getting his three-year deal from Minnesota.

“I felt like this was a perfect spot for me to get my value back up and basically I rolled the dice on a one-year deal,” Ross said of Boston. “Hopefully it pays off.”

WEEI | Cody Ross and the pursuit of a Josh Willingham deal

OK, maybe it isn't Sandy, maybe it's just the time of year. But there is not much going on out there about the Olde Towne Team. 

Which leads us back to Cody Ross speculation. I feared/expected this is what he would want. As usual with free agency, it's a tough higher than I'd like to pay for a guy with a low OBP, but we might not have much choice. Sure, it's better to get Cody for two years, maybe $10-12 million, but what if it's 3/21 or let him go?

I think I would still bring him back. We've found that it's important that the Sox have a few gamers on the roster, and Cody Ross is a gamer. I know it's a hacky bit of analysis, but I think it's necessary in Boston. He won't be fazed if things start to go bad -- but things won't go as badly as they did the last 13 months. I think he's part of the solution.

It also might keep them from making a bigger mistake -- read, Josh Hamilton. A quick signing of Ross (not to mention Ortiz), might help keep the fan base from freaking out, and I don't trust the ownership to react properly if the fan base does.

Herald | Among best in their field | Series manager-GM relationships a blueprint | WEEI | Pedroia, Gonzalez AL Gold Glove finalists

Your Morning Dump...where Scu Scu Scutarooo wins it for the Giants.

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.

When Marco Scutaro came up to bat with the game tied, two outs and a runner on second base in the 10th inning last night, anyone who pays a lick of attention to all things Red Sox [team stats] understood completely that Scutaro, a midseason pickup by the Giants and last offseason’s salary dump by the Sox to the Colorado Rockies, was going to get the job done.

It’s what he did in his two unspectacular but quietly productive seasons with the Red Sox and what he had shown in his two months in the regular-season as a Giant.

So, yes, Scutaro did his job.

“That’s what makes it so much special, the way we did it,” Scutaro said. “We’re always against the wall and my team, it just came through first series, second series and now we sweep the Tigers.”

Scutaro lined a single into center field that knocked in the go-ahead run in a 4-3 Game 4 victory that gave the Giants a sweep and their second World Series title in the last three years.

Scutaro did it.

Of course he did.

Herald: Scutaro's a champ

Marco Scutaro gets the last laugh. Despite busting his ass last September while the Sox season crumbled around him, he gets dumped in Colorado for Clayton Mortensen. While the rival Dodgers thought that Adrian Gonzalez & Josh Beckett would reverse their mediocre ways, the Giants picked up Scutaro hoping that he'd have a repeat of his late season success.

Sure enough, Scutaro hit for.402 in September to keep the Giants ahead of the Dodgers in the NL West and in the playoffs, he was a gift that kept on giving. Scutaro got a couple gifts out of it himself: the NLCS MVP and a World Series title. Congratulations Marco, you deserve all of the glory coming your way.

 

Globe: Going steady | Herald: Giants beat Tigers in 10 for a sweep | CSNNE: Giants win 2nd title in 3 years | WEEI: Scutaro leads Giants to World Series

Your Morning Dump...Where the Sox are still unsure about Iglesias

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.

Having dropped far out of contention last month, the Red Sox gave Iglesias 15 starts over the season’s final 18 games, an audition designed to gauge his readiness to be an everyday shortstop. And although he lived up to his reputation as a defensive whiz, he did little to prove he can hit major league pitching, batting .118 (8-for-68) with three extra-base hits and a .200 on-base percentage.

But after agreeing to send journeyman Mike Aviles to the Toronto Blue Jays as compensation for hiring away manager John Farrell, the Sox enter the offseason with Iglesias as their incumbent shortstop, a job they still aren’t sure he is prepared to handle.

“We believe Jose is ready to be a major league shortstop, but we’re not ready to commit to that,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “We’ll look for ways to improve the team, and shortstop could be one of those areas.”

Sound like a mixed message? To some extent, it is.

[...]

“(Iglesias) can help a major league team, particularly if the rest of the roster is set up right,” Cherington said. “We’ll see what the offseason bears. John and I have started to talk about the roster and different positions and different needs. We’ll have our eyes open. We’ll see what opportunities exist. If there are ways to improve the team in other areas, we’ll do that, too.”

Herald: Iglesias still not a hit

Every time there is an article regarding Jose Iglesias, I have to make the point that I am the only Ted's Army contributor that is still not sold on him. One might say I am the Felger of the site when it comes to that topic, which is a very harsh statement.

Jose Iglesias has one of the best gloves I have ever seen at short for the Red Sox, which is not a concern for them at all. His bat is one of the worst that I have seen in a long time, the cause for their concern. The Sox can't afford to lose too much run production in exchange for great defense. The problem is, who do you get? There are not many veteran shortstops available and is it worth a trade? Probably not. I wouldn't rule out names like Stephen Drew, Marco Scutaro, or Yuniesky Betancourt, but they are probably not likely.

I can't believe I am saying this, the Red Sox should stick with Iglesias and focus more on getting some pitching and filling in the outfield. Oh, and filling in the huge hole left by the very big bat of James Loney.

The rest of the links:

Globe: Hazen: Farrell manages it all | ESPN Boston: Lovullo-Farrell bond bodes well for 2013 | SoxProspects handicaps trading chips | Globe: To Red Sox manager John Farrell, he's returning to the "epicenter of the game" in coming back to Boston | Why Bruce Bochy should give Red Sox fans some optimism | CSNNE: Crawford feels 'relief' after trade to Dodgers

Your Morning Dump... Where Lovullo talks up Kalish

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.

When Torey Lovullo managed Triple-A Pawtucket in 2010, Ryan Kalish joined him on June 1, earning a promotion from Double-A Portland. In 27 games with the PawSox, Kalish hit .261 with four home runs and 14 RBI, playing all three outfield positions. He wasn’t with the PawSox long, though, before he earned another promotion, making his big league debut on July 31.

“First of all, when Ryan Kalish is healthy he’s as capable as any young player that the Red Sox have,” Lovullo said.  “I think we got a little snapshot of that in 2010 when he had a great run. Unfortunately, these injuries have kind of sidetracked him. My discussions with him since that time, even though it’s been brief, I think he has to find a way to make sure that he is a healthy ballplayer and one that is going to be moving forward and evaluating himself properly. You can’t evaluate yourself when you’re injured and I think that was the one comment that I continued to make to him.
 
“So there’s no doubt about his importance to the Boston Red Sox. I definitely plan on establishing a little bit more of a rapport with him, understanding where he is physically and mentally, and then doing all that I can in my area to make sure that we get the most of him like we did in 2010.”

CSNNE - Lovullo: Sox hope to need to see healthy Kalish

News this morning is pretty sparse, unless you want to read about all the different ways Farrell and Lovullo have worked together in the past.

What am I interested in is roster building, and trying to get a grasp for how the Sox plan to approach the 2013 season.  While I can't imagine Torey Lovullo is going to have much pull when it comes to who stays or who goes, I'm sure his opinion will count for something.  So when he says that Ryan Kalish is "as capable" as any other young Sox player, that's a notch in the "play Kalish" column.

If Kalish can remain healthy, I think he's going to be a very good player.  I don't know exactly how high his ceiling is, but it's probably somewhere between everyday starter and not-quite-all-star.  A guy you can plug into your lineup every day, get good production at the plate, and not have to worry about him in the field.  If the Sox had a few more of those guys, and less supposed perennial all-stars, these last two seasons wouldn't have happened.

So I'm happy to have Kalish, and more guys like him, suiting up for Boston next year.  Having Lovullo on board, someone who's managed in the minors, on a team that may be filled with youth is a great combination.  I'm becoming more optimistic about this team by the day.

Rest of the links:

Herald -Torey Lovullo, John Farrell go back | Globe -Carl Crawford gets a second chance in Los Angeles | WEEI -Steve Phillips: Bobby V has his 'own reality' | CSNNE -Farrell, Lovullo continue longstanding relationship in Boston | ESPN - Lovullo-Farrell bond bodes well for 2013 | Reports: Peterson to talk pitching coach

2012 offseason plan: Option 3

Ben Cherington has a lot to do. We at Ted's Army thought we'd take a shot at giving him some options for a game plan. We'll take turns explaining our steps to righting the proverbial ship. Next up: Nick Karalis.

I'm not a GM and I obviously never will be. Though, I do play a good GM and critic, mostly when I am drunk. After one, two, three, four, five, maybe six very tasty Sam Adams brews, I am the best GM and critic out there. Some of my best ideas come up around 1 am on a Saturday morning, but Ben Cherington never answers my calls at that hour, or any other hour. I decided to scribble some of the ideas down instead, and share them on this neat little site that we have, and have Ben Cherington read it at his convenience.

To begin, we are all in agreement that watching the 2012 Red Sox was probably as bad as following any WNBA team during a season. I am not saying the WNBA is bad or anything, I just can't bring myself to watch any of it yet.

Fixing whatever went wrong to close out the 2011 season never came to be because it continued to go into a free-fall with the hiring of Bobby Valentine. I hated the idea along with 99% of everyone else out there, then, for some reason, I started to come around to it. Bobby had everyone go to away spring training games on a bus and travel as a team and stay together as a team. Changing up the workouts and running bunting drills. Screwing up Carl Crawford's recovery by bunting too much. Change was in the air.

It didn't take long for him to open his mouth and spit out the pure garbage and gossip as we feared he would do. The Sox never got anything going during the season and the free-fall that began in September 2011, continued for the entire 2012 season. The move to get John Farrell is a good start to make things right.

Here are some of my ideas to help fix the situation. I'll start spitting out the nonsense about what I think what needs to be done.

Torey Lovullo tapped as bench coach

In the least surprising move since John Farrell was named manager, Torey Lovullo has joined the Red Sox as bench coach, according to a joint announcement from Ben Cherington and John Farrell. 

Lovullo of course was Farrell's first-base coach in Toronto, and before that was the Pawtucket manager, so he has long ties to this organization.

But did you know that he has a 1.167 career OPS against Kevin Brown? Or that he played for seven teams in eight years? Or that his agent's name was Dennis Gilbert? Or that it's not that hard for me to look around Baseball-Reference and cherry-pick random facts?

Welcome back, Torey.