Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Ted's Army Season Preview Part Three

Baseball is finally here. While Spring Training can hold people off, many are fiending for the season to start. We're right there with you. We look forward to the brutal grind of the baseball season. The braintrust behind Ted's Army came together and put out expectations for our beloved Boston Red Sox and how they would fair in the 2013 campaign. Without further ado... I give you  the third and final part of the Ted's Army season preview.

Who will be the “10th-man” of the year?

Tucker Silva: Brock Holt. He will most likely not begin the year with the club, but Holt will make is way to the majors in June (I base that on absolutely nothing). In 24 games with the Pirates, Holt made a little noise batting .292. He won’t have glaring stats with the Red Sox, but he’ll develop to be a bench guy Farrell can rely on.

Nick Karalis: Daniel Nava. If he sticks around the entire season, he will be a valuable asset with his newly acquired versatility to play the OF and 1B. He gives 110% every game and has the potential to put up some good offensive numbers.

Aaron Gettings: CIRIACO(!!!)  Not only was he one of the only Sox players worth watching as last season was winding down, he had a knack for coming through in big spots.  While the organization was crumbling around him, Ciraco showed heart, hustle, energy, and just a general sense of fun.  Even in a reduced role, I see no reason Ciraco can't have a major impact on this Sox squad.

Ben Fountain: I have to agree with Aaron and say Pedro Ciriaco. He can play anywhere on the left side of the infield, and if we're desperate in the outfield. Busts his ass and became one of the more likable players last season. If he continues to play the way he did last year, he'll be incredibly valuble to this team.

Scott Priest: I'm contractually obligated to say Jose Iglesias, who should be the starting shortstop anyway. If Drew's concussions linger (and given how unpredictable concussions can be, I think we should assume they will), or if Pedroia gets hurt (as he seems to every year), I think we'll see Iglesias contribute positively to this team.

Or Pedro Martinez, if Rubby is tearing up the minors.

Who will be the team’s HR leader by season’s end?

Tucker: Will Middlebrooks. A wrist injury halted Middlebrooks tremendous rookie season, blasting 15 HR in 75 games. By hopefully avoiding the feared “sophomore slump”, Middlebrooks and the Green Monster will be BFF’s. Prediction: 32 HRs

Nick: Jarrod Saltalamacchia. We can’t count on the health of Ellsbury, Ortiz, or Napoli, so the next guy in line would be Salty.  He will probably lead the team in homers and strikeouts…if he doesn’t get traded first. 

Aaron: It feels weird saying it could be anyone other than David Ortiz, but I just don't trust those wheels.  Have to give the nod to Mike Napoli.  He should be fun to watch.

Ben: I'm taking David Ortiz. Even with the Achilles injury limiting him to 90 games last year, he nearly the led the team with 23 homers. He'll be on the DL starting the season but in three of the past four seasons, he got off to a slow start. I'll be optimistic and project that he'll be in the lineup by the end of April and not have any setbacks, which could be asking a bit much from the 37 year old. If all that does come to fruition, he'll be in the 28-34 home run range.

Scott: Mike Napoli. I don't think Ortiz will play enough, and I don't think Ellsbury will ever hit more than 15 again.

Ted's Army Season Preview Part Two

Baseball is finally here. While Spring Training can hold people off, many are fiending for the season to start. We're right there with you. We look forward to the brutal grind of the baseball season. The braintrust behind Ted's Army came together and put out expectations for our beloved Boston Red Sox and how they would fair in the 2013 campaign. Without further ado... I give you part two of the Ted's Army season preview.

Who’s ready to have a break-out season?

Tucker Silva: It has to be Jackie Bradley Jr. Hyped for a few years now, Bradley Jr. has been raking at Spring Training and is in serious consideration to make the team out of the gate. No fluke here folks, this kid is the real deal and the future of the soon-to-be "Post-Ellsbury" era.

Nick Karalis: Jon Lester. Some could argue he has had his break-out season, but the change in the clubhouse and coaching staff could make for a Cy Young season for Lester. I thought it would be last season, but I feel better about it this year. 

Aaron Gettings: This question would have been much more fun to answer had Cherington taken my advice and started a bunch of kids.  Instead, the roster is filled with mostly established players.  But I'm going to put my money on Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  It's a make-or-break season for him.  He either shines and secures a nice payday and job (whether that's in Boston or elsewhere), or he continues to be ho-hum.  I think he'll make the most of his contract-year.

Ben Fountain: I'll go with Will Middlebrooks. He had his coming out party last year and made Red Sox fans realize that Youk was no longer had what we needed. His wrist injury was the cherry on top of the shit sundae that was the 2012 season. I'm excited to see what he'll do for a full 162 game stretch. Wake & Rake will be in full force this season.

Scott Priest:  I don't think anyone on the team really qualifies for a breakout, at least the way I think of it. I'm not high on Middlebrooks or Doubront this year, and it seems odd to answer this with a veteran. Since there's nowhere else for me to put this, I will say I think John Lackey will be the best we've seen him in a Red Sox uniform, and will be a useful player.

Jon Lester named Opening Day starter

John Farrell has officially named Jon Lester as the Red Sox' Opening Day starter against the New York Yankees.

CSNNE:

On Wednesday morning, manager John Farrell finally made it official.
      
"It is Jon Lester," confirmed Farrell Wednesday morning. "There's a surprise."
      
Farrell acknowledged that, given the way the pitchers had been lined up, Lester had been the choice for the honor since the start of camp.

Just as Farrell said, is anyone surprised? I guess it could have been Clay Buchholz, but it there hasn't been much doubt that it would be Jon Lester.

Good for you, Jon...Good for you.

Your Morning Dump...where Sox starters pick up the pace

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.

Since John Farrell has taken the reigns to lead the Boston Red Sox, one aspect of this team has glaringly improved...the starting pitching.

“Overall it’s been consistent,” Farrell said. “Individual guys have taken the adjustments they’ve worked on and taken them into the games and that has been encouraging.

“There’s been some reverting back at times to old habits. [But] with each successive appearance, they’re starting to solidify those changes, which is why we’ve seen the consistency.”

The Sox rank first in the majors in ERA this spring (3.54), first in opponent average (.241), and first in opponent OPS (.667). They also rank fourth in the majors with 175 strikeouts, second among American League teams to the Tigers’ 182.

“We’ve tried to get back to a basic formula,” Farrell said. “Attack the zone, throw more strikes. Work quick. Dictate the tone or tempo of the game. Guys are realizing if they’re in control it takes away the downtime where other thoughts might creep in. The defense likes it, and umpires have made some candid comments.”

Globe: Red Sox pitchers have been picking up the pace

The new manager and former pitching coach has been tenacious in improving the starter's habits, which has been paying off so far in Spring Training.

For the past few years, Red Sox starting pitchers have been dreadful and underachieving. They got too cute with their pitches throwing around the batter and were slow as molasses. The worst part? The starters were too comfortable and ultimately developed poor habits; which we all know took its toll on the team.

Of course, we all know who to thank for influencing those lackadaisical habits...the Texas Tough Guy himself Mr. Josh Beckett, who is easily one of the slowest pitchers in the MLB. Papelbon was slow too, but at least he was intense and actually cared about his performance.

The starting rotation will be a breath of fresh air this season, not only for the coaching staff, but for fans watching the games as well. The pace will be picked up and Red Sox pitchers will finally be going after the hitter, rather than pitching around him. For the most part, four-hour games will be minimal.

Just a note for fans: buy your tickets when the Toronto Blue Jays are in town and Mark Buehrle is on the mound, who is probably the fastest working starter in the majors. If Sox starters continue their fast pace like we're seeing in Spring Training, I guarantee you'll be out of the game in under three hours.

Rest of the links- Herald: No easy solution for Red Sox DH void | Herald: Clay Buchholz picks up pace | ESPNBoston.com: Drew to see specialist if symptoms persist | ESPNBoston.com: Buch shines, but Sox seek help | Projo: Red Sox coach brings new infield strategy | CSNNE.com: Red Sox success hinges on play of Lester, Buchholz

 

Your Morning Dump...Where Jon Lester threw a perfect game...sort of

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.

Jon Lester was perfect. Boston’s entire pitching staff nearly was on the day.

Lester retired 18 consecutive batters and combined with his bullpen to hold the Tampa Bay Rays without a baserunner until one out in the ninth, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 victory Sunday.

Jason Bourgeois reached on an infield hit in the ninth against Marco Duarte, Boston’s fourth pitcher.

Lester, Boston’s projected opening-day starter, struck out six and threw 53 of 79 pitches for strikes. He has allowed two runs, six hits and four walks over five starts and 20 innings, striking out 16.

‘‘Eighteen up, 18 down,’’ Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ‘‘I thought the one thing that stood out to me was the number of 3-2 pitches that he executed. ... He pitched with a lot of confidence. Didn’t overthrow. But yet, at the same time, we’re seeing an increase in power from start to start. Very sharp, obviously.’’

Four of Lester’s six strikeouts ended innings. He set the tone early, with two strikeouts in the first inning.

‘‘Was able to get in a good rhythm early on, established our fastball, just kind of went from there,’’ he said. ‘‘I had a good breaking ball today, which was good to see. We've been working on that. So all in all it was good day.’’

Globe: Lester perfect for 6 IP as Red Sox beat Rays 5-1

If Jon Lester pitched a perfect game in it's entirety, would it be a big deal? Not really.

If that outing was not enough to cement his status as ace, I don't know what it will take to do so. Jon Lester had everything working for him yesterday. For those of you who watched, you saw the Jon Lester of 2010. The outing looked effortless.

That outing was very promising, giving us some hope that Lester is returning to form, and we will see some decent pitching this season. We can't get too excited; there is still plenty of spring training baseball to get through.

Related: ESPN Boston: Takeaways: Perfect posture for Lester | Herald: Lester perfect for 6 IP as Red Sox beat Rays 5-1 | WEEI: Jon Lester after six perfect innings: 'This is me'

On Page 2, Jackie Bradley Jr. could make the opening day roster

Your Morning Dump... Where Rubby continues to impress

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 didn’t just give Adrian Gonzalez and Co. to the Dodgers last August. They received some major talent in return.

Exhibit A: fireballing right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, who dazzled last night in just his second spring training appearance, striking out two in two scoreless innings in the Sox’ 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“He’s got electric stuff,” second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. “We’re glad to have him. You can never have enough pitching, and it’s pretty exciting, the guys we got in that trade. They’ve got some great stuff. Getting young talent like that, especially pitching, those are prized pieces. This will be huge for our team.”

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, manager John Farrell basically put the kibosh on De La Rosa opening the season with the Red Sox, noting that the club isn’t comfortable throwing him in the bullpen at the expense of his development as a starter. Further complicating matters is the fact that De La Rosa has never thrown more than 1101⁄3 innings in a season, thanks to 2011 Tommy John surgery that limited him to 132⁄3 innings last year.

Herald - Rubby De la Rosa looking like gem

There's certainly no shortage of 'De La Rosa is legit' stories circling around Boston this year.  That's just fine with me.

And I'm fully onboard with Farrell's plan to keep Rubby in the minors.  First off, we don't need another arm in the bullpen.  Even one as electric as his.  The bullpen is stacked, and while there's never any certainty around relievers not named 'Mariano', this isn't a part of the roster we need to be tinkering with.  The starting rotation is a different story.

We're set for now.  Barring injuries, the 5 guys penciled in to start in January are the same 5 that will be on the roster come opening day: Lester, Buchholz, Dempster, Doubront, and Lackey.  But the Sox aren't married to any of those guys.  Lester, Dempster, and Lackey's contracts are all up within the next 2-3 years.  Clay name has been bandied about in trade talks for ages.  And Doubront appears to be a solid starter, but he's still Felix Doubront. 

The Red Sox need to start grooming the next wave of Sox pitching, and with De La Rosa and Allen Webster (who has been just as impressive), I don't think we have much to worry about.

On Page 2, Farrell already having positive impact on Lester

Your Morning Dump...where Lester's spring debut was promising

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.

On top of trying to repair his pitching mechanics and trying to regain his form of 2010, when he went 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA, Lester wants to put aside the embarrassment and humiliation he felt last season, when he went 9-14 with a career-high ERA of 4.82.

“Absolutely,” he said about being the ace. “That’s what I pitch for. I come here every year and want to be the best pitcher I can be. It’s nothing I’m going to call myself, but if the other four guys want to call me that and want me to be that guy, I want it.”

Lester took his first step toward that Sunday when he pitched two scoreless, hitless innings with one strikeout (against Carlos Beltran) in a 5-3 Red Sox win over the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.

Lester threw 24 pitches (17 strikes), a tidy six in the second inning. He threw a 93-mile-per-hour fastball past Beltran for his K.

Globe | Jon Lester wants to be the ace of the Red Sox 

The designation of "ace" or a leader of the staff seems on the surface relatively arbitrary and unimportant. What does it mean to lead a staff? It's not like being the opening day starter matters after three weeks, when various bye weeks, injuries, spot starts, or scheduling fluctuations cause every team's starting rotation to diverge. Jon Lester will not face CC Sabathia in each Yankees game this year; he could just as easily face anyone else.

That said, baseball players seem to make a big fuss over it. And the press, even more so. For the last three years there's been a consistent argument as to whether Lester or Beckett was the leader of the staff, and what the implications were to the rest of the pitchers.

This year might give us an indication as to how much this sort of thing matters. Gone is Beckett's "toxic" effect on the team -- even though his teammates all liked him -- and in his stead Lester stands as the "ace," while John Lackey is undergoing a relentless image overhaul in the press (serious question: did he hire an image consultant or PR rep?). If we see better performance staff-wide, look for there to be a lot of press talking about how important Lester's leadership is. And if we don't, expect to hear that Beckett poisoned the well and Lester's a jerk and Lackey is still chicken-and-beering. Maybe it's easier than discussing the on-the-field performance. 

As to that, Lester looked good in his spring debut. I'm happiest to see the efficiency, with 24 pitches over two innings, and 17 of them being strikes. If there's anything I'd like to see from Red Sox pitching, it's aggressiveness. Pound the strike zone, make the hitters put it in play. (I'd feel even better about this if Jose Iglesias were the starting shortstop, but we've already touched on that a few thousand times.)

On page 2, from the present ace to the (possible) future ace.

Your Morning Dump... Where Clay is looking forward to a better year

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.

Buchholz wasn’t around for most of September 2011, a stress fracture in his back rendering the starter a spectator during one of the all-time late-season collapses. Then, last season, the 28-year-old logged a career-high 1891⁄3 innings and notched a 3.62 ERA after May 6 and a 4.56 ERA overall.

It wasn’t good enough. Not by a longshot.

“I always say it starts with the guys on the mound, and I definitely think that it wasn’t the year any of us wanted to have,” Buchholz told the Herald yesterday after joining Lester, John Lackey and nearly two dozen other pitchers in a voluntary workout on the practice fields behind JetBlue Park. “There were a lot of things that went on last year, but as a staff, yeah, things definitely could’ve gone a lot better.”

Last spring, Buchholz insisted he was healthy, and from a physical standpoint, that was true. Looking back, though, he said he pitched “scared” during the season’s first six weeks, fearing that his back may flare up if he wasn’t overly cautious.

Herald - Buchholz up front

One of the storylines I'm most excited about this Spring is seeing how Clay builds upon his stellar 2012 campaign.  Last season's rotation was a mess, and for a long period of time, Clay was the only guy we could put on the mound that bred any type of confidence in winning a game.  The season was barely half over when we declared him the new 'Ace' of the Boston Red Sox. 

Among the many potentially awesome side effects of having Clay push himself to be the Ace of the rotation is the motivation it gives Lester.  Lester is typically a very good pitcher.  Not last year.  He wasn't even good last year, never mind very good.  He's a talented, prideful man.  I don't think he needs any outside forces pushing him to have a better 2013.  But having Clay stealing much of the pitching thunder isn't going to hurt. 

That doesn't mean we should expect fantastic things from the Sox rotation this season.  Once you get back Clay and Lester (assuming they have good years) you're left banking on Dempster being able to pitch in the AL East (debatable), Doubront taking a step forward (entirely possible) and Lackey morphing into the anti-Lackey (laughable).  Those things are entirely possible, but for the Sox to have any Playoff hopes, let alone World Series dreams, those three things all need to come together.  Oh, plus everybody must stay healthy all season long. 

The odds are certainly stacked against them, but crazier things have happened in baseball.

On Page 2, Schilling can crawl back to wherever he popped out of now.

WEEI: Red Sox and Lester are not discussing an extension

There had been some speculation that Ben Cherington would attempt to engage Jon Lester about a multi-year extension this offseason.

He was coming off a down year at age 28 that in all likelihood will be an anomaly in an otherwise successful career. It's a similar line of thinking as what happened with Josh Beckett's first extension (which came after his first year with the Sox) -- give a player who has stuggled some security, and gamble that you're buying low.

But according to Rob Bradford of WEEI (via MLBTR), that isn't likely to happen. The Sox and Lester have not talked about an extension to this point. This is the last guaranteed year of his contract -- he has a team option in 2014, his age 30 season.

Teams are usually hesitant to give up team options, so I guess it shouldn't be surprising. Still, I would have expected them to have at least talked it over with Lester's representation, seeing if they can lock in his prime at a potential discount rate by doing so early. Let the agents be the ones to say no.

The other way to look at it: Red Sox management had an extremely busy offseason. They spent the majority of the early weeks engaging Toronto on John Farrell. They were as active in free agency as they've been in years. They re-signed Ortiz. They had, apparently, a lot of talks with Cody Ross before he signed with Arizona. They made the Hanrahan trade. Maybe it just comes down to time -- they spent their time on more pressing needs, given that Lester is secured for two years (counting the option) anyway. 

Your Morning Dump...where another excerpt of the Francona book is out

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 days and weeks after the disclosure of Lester’s cancer, Francona protected Lester’s privacy furiously, admonishing any reporter who attempted to reach Lester’s family. The manager guarded the pitcher and his family as he would have protected his own family. Before starting treatment in September, Lester visited Francona at Fenway. Then, after a single treatment at Mass. General, Lester went home and was treated at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

“Tito was great with me,” said Lester. “I don’t think with any other manager I could have had that comfort level.”

The manager and the cancer-stricken pitcher cut a deal. Francona didn’t need a lot of information or detail, but he wanted to hear from Lester after every treatment.

Globe | Job became more personal for Terry Francona with a young player in need

Another juicy excerpt from the Francona/Shaughnessy book. This one is intended to tug at the emotions, as it focuses on Jon Lester's cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery (albeit in a pretty short section) and Terry Francona's role in it.

It confirms the most disappointing thing about Francona's departure: Jon Lester was once very close to him, but for whatever reason didn't really stick up for him when Francona left Boston. For all Francona did for the team -- and for Lester personally -- it was surprising to see some of the players not come to more of a defense. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz were the only ones I recall (and what I found revisiting the infamous Hohler smear campaign) taking responsibility and defending Francona.

I haven't read the book yet, but I've enjoyed the excerpts provided. Francona has been interviewed virtually everywhere about it, and it sounds like he didn't break any major stories, but it should still provide a recap of the best run of Red Sox baseball in the club's history.

Herald | Seeking quick turnaround, Sox pack 'pen | ProJo | Red Sox hoping their young arms will eventually pay off