Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump...where the new shortstop is an old name

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.

The Red Sox have an agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew on a one-year, $9.5 million deal, league sources told CBSSports.com.

The Drew signing will allow the Red Sox one more year to develop slick-fielding youngsterJose Iglesias. Drew's deal is pending a physical.

The Red Sox this winter have shown a willingness to pay high salaries in their free-agent deals so long as the length is reasonable. The one-year deal fits since Boston is well-stocked at the minor-league level with top prospect Xander Bogaerts as well as Iglesias.

CBSSports | Red Sox in agreement on one-year deal with shortstop Stephen Drew

Ugh.

This offseason had been going pretty well. The Sox picked up reasonably good players on short-term, reasonably priced (all things being relative) deals in Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. They brought back David Ortiz and slightly overpaid for a backup catcher (David Ross) and top-notch reliever (Koji Uehara), who could be solid trade bait once they are floundering in July.

But what happened this last week?

Ben Cherington brought in Ryan Dempster, a starting pitcher who, while durable, has never proven that he can handle a competitive division. His short time in Texas was a disaster, and there's no reason to expect Fenway to treat him differently. 

Mike Napoli's deal looks like it might be on the rocks, thanks to some issues that may have come up in his physical.

Meanwhile, the Indians were able to exchange one year of Shin-Soo Choo for a great young starter in Trevor Bauer, and the Mets turned RA Dickey (pending an extension) into a solid haul headed by top catching prospect Travis D'Arnaud. Jacoby Ellsbury remains in Boston.

And now this. Nine and a half million dollars for a shortstop who never fulfilled his promise and is going into his age 30 season. Stephen Drew had three solid-to-good seasons for Arizona from 2008 to 2010, but since then has been unhealthy and ineffective. In 2011, he logged 86 games and was good for a 1.7 WAR; in 2012, he was good for 79 games and minus-0.6 WAR in time split between Arizona and Oakland.

To justify his price, Drew will have to be nearly 2 WAR better than Jose Iglesias. Make no mistake, Iglesias was not good last year. He produced 0.2 WAR (sticking with the same measurement, although I have my issues with WAR's effectiveness) in 25 games. Even playing at that same poor level, he'd be 1.2 WAR over a projected 150 games. Could we reasonable expect Drew to go over 3.0 when he's done so just once in his career, 2010, at age 27 (aka, most players' peak)? Drew is unlikely to stay healthy or produce at a level Cherington his hoping for due to his age and recent history; this Drew is not even as good as his brother, who was widely hated in the Fens. A better gamble would have been to hope Iglesias can figure it out at the plate and pass on Drew.

Meanwhile, the Sox' payroll continues to climb, and now looks likely to reach $150 million after arbitration is settled. That's an expensive 4th place squad.

Herald | Sox pin future on prospects | Globe | Report: Stephen Drew agrees to deal with Red Sox | CSNNE | Report: Red Sox agree to one-year deal with Stephen Drew | ESPNBoston | Red Sox to sign Stephen Drew

Your Morning Dump...where in the world is JD Drew?

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.

"In the end, if I had been completely healthy when the season ended and we would have made a strong run at things … things didn't unfold that way so there were a bunch of question marks in everybody's mind as well as my own going into the next season trying to negotiate with another team and seeing where I stood physically. There really wasn't a definitive answer there."

Then there was the anxiety that comes with life of a major leaguer.

Drew and Boston never were a perfect fit, but it was good enough to see his team win a World Series and 17 postseason games with the outfielder in the lineup. But it wasn't just the surroundings that led to some discomfort for Drew. Sometimes it was simply the game itself.

"I definitely didn't miss the stress and the pressure and the sleepless nights over whether I could hit a curveball or not, or who has the nasty changeup tomorrow. But as far as the competition goes, you're always a competitor, so there were things about the competition I missed," he said

"You have to understand, I come from an ignorance in baseball. We grew up in a football environment here in south Georgia. People got caught up the hoopla of what I did, but I didn't even know what I was doing. People would ask, 'How do you draw walks,' and I would be like, 'I don't know, if they throw the ball over the plate you try and hit it, and if it isn't you don't.' And the stress of dealing with and being upset with an umpiring crew, it got really bad. It's still to me where it should be. I think they want to see three-hour baseball games. I couldn't do the things I needed to do to be successful when I had to deal with that on a daily basis, and that really was one of the things that wasn't worth the stress. I don't like to have to yell at people, but I just couldn't figure that out."

WEEI | Searching for (and finding) JD Drew

A great piece by Rob Bradford; I highly recommend it.

As many speculated, Drew spent most of his time away from the game with his family and preparing for a series of Christian missions (some to take place in Cuba). 

He doesn't do a lot to help his image, for those of you who can't stand Drew. He busts out a pretty serious #firstworldproblems complaint when talking about the difficulty of combining three or four houses into one. He whines about how stressful poor umpiring was. And his assessment of Boston isn't 100% positive.

But to his credit, he also doesn't appear to be one of these people who can't withdraw from the sport. He seems like a more well-rounded person than a lot of athletes -- maybe that lack of maniacal competitiveness paid off.

Herald | Jacoby Ellsbury's future front and center | Globe | You be the Sox GM | CSNNE | Ellsbury's future with Red Sox near the top of team's to-do list 

Your Morning Dump...where Pedroia's done for the year (unless he isn't)

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.

Pedroia did not play versus the Yankees on Monday, but other than joking about what ailed him -- "What's wrong with me? A lot of things. I'm [expletive] up in the head" -- he did not discuss the injury before the Red Sox's 10-2 loss, and neither did manager Bobby Valentine, other than to say Pedroia had gotten hurt the day before.

But after Monday night's loss, the Red Sox announced that Pedroia had an avulsion fracture of the ring finger of his left hand. The injury is expected to heal without surgery.

The Sox had indicated that Pedroia's season was over, but Pedroia, while confirming that his finger is broken, said in a text message late Monday night that he wasn't ready to rule out playing, saying he'd see how it felt Tuesday and "try to get out there."

Pedroia's season was hampered by multiple injuries to his right thumb. On May 28, he tore the adductor muscle in his right thumb. He did not go on the DL, although he missed seven games and his performance at the plate suffered noticeably. Then, on July 3, he hyperextended the same thumb while diving for a ball in Oakland and was placed on the disabled list. There had been concern that he would miss considerable time with the injury, but he returned after just 15 days.

ESPNBoston | Dustin Pedroia has broken finger

Yet another contrast in characters, as Dustin Pedroia is trying to play through a broken finger while Jacoby Ellsbury continues to miss time for no given reason.

Pedroia does concern me long-term. Some studies have indicated that second basemen wear down more quickly than other positions (maybe because of collisions at 2nd?). He's already starting to fall apart and he's only 29. He's averaged 137 games a year over his full six-year career, and just 124 over the last three years. By comparison, JD Drew averaged 121 games a year during his Red Sox career (during which he was much older), and people ran him out of town for being made of glass.

This isn't to trash Pedroia. He's one of the few guys left on the team who I like. He plays hard and he's still a very good player. But if you're expecting a Jeter-like career out of him -- 10 more years, first-ballot HOF, number hanging in right field -- it might be time to pump the brakes. Can he stay healthy long enough to put together the career that seems to be in play? It's a big question.

Last, congratulations to the AL's playoff teams, as last night Oakland wrapped up a Wild Card spot. Hey Rays: Enjoy golfing. I'm sure any of your friends on the Sox will be available to join you.

ESPNBoston | Sox need Big Papi more than ever | David Ortiz unfazed by manager talk | Globe | Sox present a minor test | Yankees may not have to worry about wild finish | Dustin Pedroia to miss last two games with finger injury | CSNNE | Pedroia has fractured finger, won't play final 2 games | Not the ending Buchholz, or Red Sox, wanted | Grand finale a bad joke | Buchholz, Sox stink | Pedey's season comes to close | Thumbs-up on Bailey for next season | Image: FineArtAmerica

Carl Crawford is the next J.D. Drew

We had many reasons to smile at the start of spring training, one being that this was J.D. Drew's final season in a Red Sox uniform.

The $72 million softy is gone, but his spirit lives on... in the form of Carl Crawford.

The similarities are obvious. Both players are grossly overpaid. Their arrivals had fans wondering, "Do we really need this guy?"

Drew refused to play thru any injury (hangnails included). And his stoic nature drove fans nuts. Crawford is a more emotional person. He's already apologized twice for his crappy performance.

Another huge difference between the two is that Crawford gives a damn about his reputation. And because of that, I don't think he'll survive here.

How hard will it be to move an aging outfielder with 6 years and $128 million left on his contract?

Your Morning Dump...where the Yankees found a way to get it done

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.

And you don’t think Girardi didn’t understand the importance of this series?

“Yeah, you want to win a series against them,” he said. “We had a chance last time we were here. I think it was important, and our guys got it done.”

This was supposed to be a mismatch, as lefty Jon Lester [stats] brought a 14-6 record and 3.09 ERA to the mound for the Red Sox, opposing A.J. Burnett, the Yanks’ version of John Lackey: Overpaid, underperforming.

But surprise, surprise: Burnett allowed two runs in 52⁄3 innings.

“I just had a feeling tonight he was going to get it done,” said Girardi.

Herald | Yankees fulfill their needs

As I said in the series preview, these Sox-Yankees match-ups don't always come down to starting pitcher mismatches. We've seen John Lackey beat CC Sabathia this year, so we can't just count on AJ Burnett to roll over against Jon Lester.

In a way, this should give us some hope. We know the Yankees are good. We know they can hang with us. But as Steve Buckley points out in this piece, it's not like they came in here guns blazing, and torched Fenway to the ground (what a violent set of metaphors I chose). The Sox, missing Youkilis and Drew, with a poor performance from Daniel Bard, were right there at the end. A perfect pitch from Mariano Rivera (heard that before?) was what saved New York.

Another piece of hope: If the Yankees can win behind AJ Burnett, can't we relax about our third starter worries? John Lackey is every bit as good (bad) as AJ Burnett. We're only talking about an isolated game or two in the playoffs that we'd need to pull off.

These are two even teams, and they're not scared of each other. I hope we get to meet in the playoffs.

Youk, JD, Trot spend an evening in Rochester

Rochester loves the Red Sox [Jamie Germano/staff photographer]

While the Boston Red Sox were hanging out on the bases in Fenway, staring at CC's voluptuous back-end all night (it's quite mesmerizing.  I can see why they didn't want to come home), the Pawtucket Red Sox were in Rochester, NY taking on Twins' affiliate, Rochester Red Wings.

Suiting up for the Red Sox were Kevin Youkilis and JD Drew, both doing rehab stints. Also in attendance was Trot Nixon, who threw out the first pitch and signed autographs before the game. 

Oh, one other man was also at Frontier Field for the game.  His wife calls him Chris Mott, but you can call him RJ Sizzle (sadly he neither looks nor acts like that fabulous ambidextrous flute player.  It's just, how many times does a man get to reference the genius that is RJ Sizzle?  You gotta grab that bull by the horns).  Chris, a Rochester native and die-hard Sox fan was Ted's Army's man on the street last night.  He was hoping to get a word or two with Trot, but sadly the entire city of Rochester came out to get his autograph so that never materialized.

Here's what Chris, er, Señor Sizzle, saw last night:

I'm sure most of you Sox fans were focused on watching the big game between the Yankees and Sox last night, but some of us had the  opportunity of taking in a great triple A game in Rochester to watch Kevin Youklis and JD Drew take some swings, and get ready to make moves off the disabled list. The place was packed and there was a large number of Sox fans there to watch the game and get autographs from Mr. Trot Nixon. I don't think Nixon has ever seen that long of a line to get his autograph before. That guys cult following has no bounds.

It looks as though JD Drew is getting his swing back as he went 3 for 3.  He swung the bat well, and looked good ripping a couple of nice line drives, and made some nice throws from the outfield. I'm sure he'll wake up with a sore hammy, but I could honestly smell the hit the streak from the stands.  He looked good, and Sox fans should be happy to have him back healthy and ready for the post season. Youk was DH and went 1 for 3.  Dude got Youked in Rochester New York. He's good, no worries there.

And to back-up the positive vibes Chris got from Youk and JD, here are some post-game quotes from The Globe:

“It felt really good,’’ Drew said. “I tried to simplify things: just see the ball. All in all, it was a good night.’’

“It felt good to get back on a baseball field,’’ said Youkilis, who had not played since going on the disabled list Aug. 18 with a strained lower back. He is eligible to join the Sox Friday.

“I got my baseball legs under me. I was a little rusty at first, but it felt good. Passing the physical test [of playing in a game] was key.’’

I'm going to have to sneak this in while Nick is on vacation, and frankly I never thought I'd admit this myself, but I'm actually excited for the return of JD Drew.  I don't know that JD is the answer, but the Reddick-McDonald combo just isn't doing it for me.

Big thanks to Chris for reporting on the game.

Taking Stock: Sox - Twins series

After each series, we'll be taking stock in each player's...and maybe manager's...performance. If we like what we see, we're buyin'. If we don't, we're sellin'. Or maybe we'll just hold onto our stock until we see more next series

David Ortiz: By far, the best performance of any player in this series. Ortiz batted .636 (7/11) with a pair of home runs, and 5 RBI. Talk about making a case for a contract.

Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzo came into the series with a .348 average, and finished with a .348 average. He went 4-for-11 in the series and added an RBI in the first game. Nothing astonishing, but consistency is a wonderful thing.

Since J.D. Drew was placed on the DL, this category has been a challenge. I'd rather keep it this way and keep Drew on the DL.

 

Erik Bedard: He got into a tiny amount of trouble, but it was a very good performance. I'll buy when he can go more than 5 innings and get the pitch count over 100. For now, he is a pleasant surprise.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Not ready to give up on him after a 3-for-15 series. He brought his average back up to .319 with a 2-for-5 night in game 3, but no flashes of power. Don't worry, it's still there.

Taking Stock: Royals - Sox series

After each series, we'll be taking stock in each player's...and maybe manager's...performance. If we like what we see, we're buyin'. If we don't, we're sellin'. Or maybe we'll just hold onto our stock until we see more next series.

Jacoby Ellsbury & Dustin Pedroia: The best 1-2 combination in baseball. Ellsbury kept his batting average on the incline with a .438 (7/16) average in the series, a home run, 4 RBI, and a stolen base. Ells is now batting .325 on the season, and is tied with Gonzo for 2nd most homers on the team with 17.

Pedey one-upped Ellsbury, with his second straight .500 series and extended his hitting streak to 25 games. Pedey also leads the league in homers in July with 8. His average continues to climb, posting a .420 average in July and .308 on the season. There is no one better than him right now.

Adrian Gonzalez: Gonzo also had himself a .500 series (9/18), with 5 RBI. Gonzalez is back to a familiar place, over .350, with a .352 average. I'd like to see some homers, but he's producing without them.

David Ortiz: Ortiz posted a .412 average (7/17) in the series, with 5 RBI in game 2, and a grand-slam in game 3. He hit the ball very well in the series, and he would have had many more hits if it wasn't for the shift (same old story).

Matt Albers: He is doing a great job in every situation he is placed in. Albers gave up 2 hits, 0 runs, and struck out 3, over 3.2 innings in the series. Albers has not surrendered a run in July.

Andrew Miller: A struggle in game 2, giving up 9 hits, 5 runs, walking 2, and only 1 K over 3.2 innings. Miller was better against the Orioles, but did struggle with control, and walked 6. His last 3 starts have not been quality MLB starts at all. There may be a bus ride to Pawtucket in Miller's future.

J.D. Drew: Oh, wait...is he on the DL? Eh...I stick by my decision.

Kevin Youkilis: It is clear that he is playing hurt, but he is a true ball player, and he will have something to show. If there is no DL trip in the near future, we might see some production.

Your Morning Dump... Where we're still talking trades

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.

Does this sound like a pitcher who’ll be taking the mound anytime soon? This hurler:

• Hasn’t pitched in a game since June 16. At the time we were told not to worry, he’d only miss a few days.

• Has successfully thrown off a mound once in the six weeks since.

• That went so well he had to cancel his next bullpen session two days later.

• Has an eyebrow-raising third exam scheduled on his back today, but nothing to see here. That’s totally just the Red Sox [team stats] exercising an abundance of caution.

If you believe that, then man do I have an opportunity for you. Some would call it a Ponzi scheme, but I prefer to think of it as a partnership . . .

Needless to say, the Red Sox are clearly concerned about the status of right-hander Clay Buchholz right now. And that, in turn, has completely changed the tenor of the next two days until the trade deadline arrives.

Herald - Time for Red Sox to re-arm is now

John Tomase, who wrote the above, goes on to lay out three potential options for the Sox.

#1 - Ubaldo Jimenez, who the Rockies are asking way too much for the Sox to get involved.

#2 - Rich Harden or Erik Bedard, who are probably less likely than Clay to be healthy come October.

#3 - Sell the farm for Felix Hernandez, who the Mariners are claiming simply isn't available.

Scenario number two is the only real option, as we're not going to get King Felix, and Jimenez is clearly worth more to the Rox than he is to the Sox.

If you can get a Rich Harden or an Erik Bedard and only part with a middle-of-the-pack prospect or two, it may be worth a gamble with all the question marks in the Sox rotation heading down the stretch.  But make no mistake, these two are nothing more than rent-a-pitchers, and guys with awful injury histories.  Bedard hasn't pitched passed July in 4 seasons.  These aren't guys you sell your future for.

Most, if not all of us here at Ted's Army are firmly entrenched in the "no move is the right move" camp.  But the likelihood of Buchholz pitching meaningful innings for us this season dwindles with each setback.  Miller and Lackey aren't exactly Sand Koufax, either.  Theo might have to do something - I just hope that something isn't something so drastic.

On Page 2, JD Drew couldn't be happier for Reddick

Taking Stock: Mariners - Sox series

After each series, we'll be taking stock in each player's...and maybe manager's...performance. If we like what we see, we're buyin'. If we don't, we're sellin'. Or maybe we'll just hold onto our stock until we see more next series.

Jacoby Ellsbury: I still can't believe what a bounce-back year Ellsbury is having. Another solid series, batting .429 (6/14), with a home run, and 4 RBI. Ellsbury is now batting .320, with 16 homers and 58 RBI. Boy, those ribs healed nicely.

Dustin Pedroia: A career-high 21-game hit streak, .500 (6/12) in the series, with 2 doubles, and 2 stolen bases. Pedey has twice as many steals as Carl Crawford (20) and is only 8 behind Ellsbury. During his streak, Pedroia is batting .385, with 7 homers, 16 RBI, 35 hits, 8 doubles, 5 stolen bases. and 21 runs scored. Sit back and enjoy the show.

Adrian Gonzalez: It may be safe to say that he is getting back to where he left off. A .455 (5/11) showing in the series, with a double and 4 RBI. Haven't seen any homers recently, but they will come.

Josh Beckett: 7 hits, 1 run, and 7 K's and dropped his ERA down to 2.07 on Saturday. He is unbreakable right now, and I'm lovin' every minute of it.

J.D. Drew: Just because he is J.D. Drew. I don't care if he played or not

 

 

Kevin Youkilis: Youk went 3-for-10 in the series and hit a home run on Sunday. He is still hovering in the .280's range and has not taken over yet. There is a streak in the future...but when will it come?

Carl Crawford: Yeah he did go 5-for-12, good for a .417 average, but I still want to see more. I want consistency. We'll see how the Royals treat him. 

John Lackey: He has shut me up for a little while. He had a great outing on Friday, scattering 8 hits, and giving up only 1 run over 7 innings. Give me another one of those, or better, then I'll buy.