Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Sox make 6 roster moves; Victorino and Middlebrooks to the DL

The Providence Journal's Tim Britton best sums up the flurry of Red Sox roster moves.

Will Middlebrooks' back spasms last night are clearly a problem -- or perhaps this is a convenient way to get him a breath so he can work on a few things without being in games. The Victorino move is not surprising -- the guy last played on Monday.

The other moves are a little surprising. Jose Iglesias is one game into his 3B experiment, and now he's playing it in the big leagues (he's starting there tonight). And Alfredo Aceves is...well, I think we all know the story with Al. Somehow he's our best option, but given the beating the pitching staff has been taking, he'll be useful. One more pitcher means the bench is thinner, so look for more Mike Carp and Jonny Gomes over the next couple of weeks.

The full lineup for tonight, along with starter John Lackey:

Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Carp LF
Drew SS
Iglesias 3B

Your Morning Dump...where Drew gets called up & Iglesias is sent down

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 optioned shortstop Jose Iglesias to Triple-A Pawtucket and activated shortstop Stephen Drew from the disabled list on Tuesday, sources confirmed.

 

Drew had been on the 7-day concussion DL after being hit in the helmet by a pitch on March 7. In four rehab games with Double-A Portland he hit .154, going 2-for-13 with a run scored, a home run in his last game on Monday, three RBI, two walks and three strikeouts.

 

In six games this season Iglesias hit .450, going 9-for-20 with three runs scored, two doubles, an RBI, and three strikeouts. 

CSNNE: Iglesias optioned, Drew activated

The Iglesias era is over for now but at least he made the most out of the opportunity. He's a much improved player at the plate and doesn't look like the player who went 8-for-68 last season. His willingness to bunt to get on base is also a welcome sign. 

Now we get to see what impact Stephen Drew can have on this team. He's got more pop in his bat and is a better fit to drive in runs in the bottom. He doesn't have the speed that Iglesias has but his range and defense at short might shock a few people. 

This isn't surprising anyone as Farrell said this Drew would be the Sox starting shortstop no matter how hot Iglesias got at the plate. But suddenly there is a little pressure on Drew to produce right away with Iglesias hanging in Pawtucket waiting for another call up to the Majors. If Drew stumbles for the first week or so, Farrell will be getting asked a lot about what to do at shortstop. Hopefully, Drew starts strong and show why the Sox signed him. 

Globe: Boggs wants his number retired | Sellout streak coming to an end | Jon Rish quits WEEI | Herald: So far, Red Sox' offseason experiment looks good | Bad news for Iglesias | End of Fenway Park sellout streak at hand | CSNNE: Prognosis is good for Lackey after second opinion | Sellout streak likely to end | Bradley Jr. has a hole in his swing | WEEI: Don't sell Drew short | Prognosis for Lackey is good | Ortiz gets two hits, Morales throws an inning

Your Morning Dump... Where Lackey's back

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.

Last, but certainly not least, John Lackey will take the mound for the Red Sox here today.

It’s a start that has been 18 months in the making.

Lackey hasn’t pitched a major league game since Sept. 25, 2011, when he gritted his teeth and ignored the pain in his right elbow for six innings at Yankee Stadium. One month later, he underwent Tommy John elbow surgery, then missed all of last season.

Suffice to say, today won’t be just another start for the veteran right-hander.

“I would hope, and I’m sure he will, take a moment to reflect back on what the last 18 months have been,” Sox manager John Farrell said. “We all feel John has the ability to impact our team in a positive way as much as anyone in our clubhouse.”

Herald - Notebook: John Lackey starts anew

As I stated in our season preview, I'm giving Lackey a clean slate this season.  This is a really big deal for me because I looooaaaathe John Lackey.  He is everything that's wrong with everything. 

But that's all in the past.  Maybe I'm a better human.  Maybe having a year away from each other did us some good.  Maybe all of those anger management classes are finally kicking in.  Whatever the case, I'm prepared to enjoy John Lackey instead of looking for reasons to cut him down. 

Of course, the wheels could easily fly right off of my new perspective with a three inning crap-fest today.  But I don't see that happening.  If this spring is any indication, and it can be, Lackey is looking like a solid pitcher again.  I have no doubt it will take him time to get comfortable again, coming back from Tommy John, and I'm willing to give him that slack. 

In fact, he could even be bad this year, and as long as he doesn't whip out his usual angry-face antics and spin around the mound pointing his finger at everyone but himself for his failures, I could deal with that.  I've laid out the olive branch, John -- is that how olive branches work?  Do you lay them out?  Do you hand them to people?  Do you just hang them above your door? -- it's up to you to not be a complete ass. 

If you can reign that in, we should be just fine this year.

On Page 2, We check in on Iglesias

Recap: Farrell, Sox take Game 1

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

The Red Sox beat Toronto 6-4 -- blah blah blah -- we'll get to that in a moment.  The big story here is that everybody's favorite Jose Iglesias got hit with a Josh Johnson fastball in the arm and had to leave the game.  The good news is that he stayed in the game for a spell after getting pegged (and made one of those soon-to-be-patented spectacular plays at short).  It's officially a "right arm contusion" and it's unknown whether he's going to miss any games because of it.

In Iglesias' place, Pedro Ciriaco came in and did Pedro Ciraco things.  He went 2-4 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base.  He's now batting .500 on the year, which is just a tick below Iglesias' .583.  Sample size be-damned, I can't believe I get to write that Jose is batting almost .600!  Dreams really do come true.

Some non-Iglesias stuff happened too, I guess.  Most notably, Mike Napoli hit his first home run with the squad (2-run blast in the 5th) and later drove in Gomes for the go-ahead run on a groundout in the 8th.  Middlebrooks also hit his first home run in the 9th.  Pedroia and Victorino were the other Sox to get multiple hits.  And the obligatory JBJ update: 1-4 with a walk and credited with a stolen base.

On the mound, Doubront held his own against the re-tooled Blue Jays lineup.  He gave up 9 hits over 5, but struck out 6.  3 of the Jays runs were his.  Uehara needed 9 pitches to get through an inning of work, with 2 strike outs *yawn*.  Tazawa gave up a home run to Reyes (who had a hell of a night) to tie the game.  He was credited with a blown save, but also got the 'W'.  Bailey and Hanrahan shut tag-teamed it from there.

Another solid win for Boston.  It's still early, but there's a lot to like about this Sox squad.

BOX SCORE

Your Morning Dump...where Iglesias won't be in the Majors for long.

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 is a luxury. It is not a controversy.

Jose Iglesias has been been a surprising early contributor to the Red Sox. But he remains, for now, a place-holder at shortstop. Stephen Drew is set to begin what is scheduled to be a four-game rehab assignment on Thursday with Double-A Portland, four weeks after he suffered a concussion when a fastball hit him squarely in the middle of his helmet.

Barring a setback, Drew likely will be activated next week, perhaps as soon as the Red Sox' home opener at Fenway Park on Monday. When he joins the big league team, Iglesias will head down to Triple-A Pawtucket. There's no gray area, no door ajar for the younger player to wedge himself into the Sox' lineup and to displace the veteran who signed a one-year, $9.5 million deal this offseason.

"We're certainly not going to take away from what Jose's done, but we signed a premium guy in the offseason to be our starting shortstop and we're not going to look at an injury to cause him to lose his job," said Sox manager John Farrell.

Why Iglesias' start won't alter Sox plans at SS

Damn. 

As a card carrying member of the Jose Iglesias fan club, this is disappointing to hear even if it was bound to happen. He's off to a hot start right out the gate, going 5-for-9 at the plate on top of his usual stellar play at short. But we all knew he was on borrowed time. Stephen Drew will be heading down to Portland to start his rehab stint and all signs point to him returning for the home opener on Monday.

Iglesias is continuing to evolve as a hitter. He looks more comfortable at the plate and it's amazing to see him be agressive with the bunts and use his speed to his advantage. One can only hope that he can continue to hit up in Toronto and at least make Farrell think twice about sending him down to AAA. Worst case scenario, Iglesias has a huge confidence boost and continues to work down in Pawtucket and prove he can be consistent at the plate. 

This isn't a knock on Drew either. When he's healthy, he can bring some pop from the left side of the plate and is able to hold his own defensively, which is why the Sox spent $9.5 million on him. But with the way Iglesias has played thus far, you can see why they only signed Drew for one year. 

Rest of the Links: Globe: Buchholz quiets Yankees | Ortiz, Drew making progress |  Jackie Bradley Jr. picks up a souvenir | Herald: Hot Sox two good for Yankees | 3-week plan for Papi | Victorino helping JBJ an example of changed team | Hard to believe this Yankee team | Dempster 'anxious' to take mound for Sox | CSNNE: Buchholz 'efficient' | Sox take second straight from Yankees, 7-4 | Ortiz may return in mid-April | WEEI: Sox, Buchholz get better of Yankees | Bradley Jr. collects first hit | Fenway opener possible for Drew's return

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.

Your Morning Dump...where Iglesias will get a second chance.

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.

“My plan last year was to learn. If I get a chance to open the season with the team, it’s a different plan,” Iglesias said yesterday before going 1-for-2 in an 8-7 loss to the Orioles. “This year, it’s about getting results, helping this team and winning some ballgames. That’s the bottom line.”

Team officials claim they have seen improvement from Iglesias, even though it isn’t reflected in his .233 average (10-for-43) or .267 on-base percentage. They say they have witnessed a more mature, confident hitter with a better overall approach to at-bats.

If that’s truly the case, it would be a stark contrast from the final month of last season. Called up on Aug. 25 — the same day the Sox made their franchise-altering trade with the Dodgers — Iglesias played almost every day and batted .118 (8-for-68) with only three extra-base hits.

Herald: Door open for Iglesias

On behalf of (mostly) everyone at Ted's Army, this is awesome. Iglesias will get a second chance! Now if you'll excuse me, Scott and I will now celebrate like the Dominicans did after winning the World Baseball Classic. 

I just wish that he had won the job over Stephen Drew instead of being given the spot because Drew is dealing with concussion symptoms. But beggars can't be choosers fo an opportunity, especially after Iglesias going .118 after the Great Sox Purge took place and suddenly everyone got excited for Xander Bogaerts in the minors.

He's still struggling a bit at the plate, but he is only 23 years old and had limited playing time in the minors thanks to some injuries. As long as he can hit in the .240 range and play his magnificent defense, that would be perfect. That's all we need from him and it would be enough to get the X Man off his heels just for a season. Let's just hope that this time, it pans out for him.

Rest of The Links: Globe: Doubront is ready to build | Drew sent to see concussion specialist | Herald: Dempster is easy to like | Heads-up on Stephen Drew | CSNNE: The big hurts | Ortiz takes 50 swings off tee | Bard gets knocked around in one inning work | No plans to play Bradley Jr. in LF | WEEI: Has Jose found his Opening Day? | Oritz resumes swinging | Ovderbay has a unique perspectiv of what Drew is going through

Your Morning Dump...Where Lackey keeps us optimistic

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.

Whether it was to avoid facing an American League East rival or – as John Lackey joked – to avoid a road trip, the right-hander faced the Rays’ Triple-A edition at the Red Sox spring training complex while the major league teams played in Port Charlotte.
 
“I pulled my 10-year card,”  Lackey said, with a laugh, of invoking his veteran’s privilege of staying off the road.
 
Lackey went five innings against the Durham Bulls, giving up one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. It was the most innings he’s thrown since he went six innings in Yankee Stadium on Sept. 25, 2011, his last start of that season and his last start before Tommy John surgery in November 2011 derailed his 2012 season.
 
“I felt great,” Lackey said after his outing Saturday afternoon. “I haven’t gone five innings for a long time, so, yeah, I’m sure I’ll be pretty sore tomorrow. But as far as ball coming out of my hand, fastball command, it was pretty good today. I was happy with it.”

CSNNE: Lackey 'felt great' against Durham Bulls

Some naysayers will argue the point that John Lackey looked so good, because he pitched against the Durham Bulls. Coming off of Tommy John surgery and his awful 2011 season, I'll take an outing like that from Lackey against the Chatham A's.

Any positive outing will provide great mental reinforcement for Lackey...and every Red Sox fan. John Lackey continues to keep us hopeful that we will see the Lackey of pre-2011. 

Related: Globe: John Lackey has another encouraging outing

On Page 2, Jose Iglesias is swinging a hot bat

Your Morning Dump...where Iglesias is no longer a top prospect

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 2009, Jose Iglesias signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox when he was merely 19-years-old. He was projected to be the "next great" Boston Red Sox shortstop. Fast-forward to 2013 and Iglesias is fighting to stay in the Majors.

Jose Iglesias was home in Miami getting ready to celebrate the holidays with his family when he learned the Red Sox had signed Stephen Drew to play shortstop.

There would be no competition for a position Iglesias thought he would be given a chance to earn. Drew’s $9.5 million deal essentially guaranteed his playing time.

Merry Christmas. Here’s a trip back to the minors.

“I had no idea,” Iglesias said Thursday. “I found out about it in the media, reading the paper. I didn’t hear from them what their decision was going to be. It just happened. But I took it as a challenge. What else could I do?”

So much has changed for Iglesias since he arrived from Cuba in 2009. Once the shortstop of the future for the Red Sox, the 23-year-old is now trapped behind Drew while a gang of talented prospects, led by Xander Bogaerts, seeks to push him out of the way.

As he builds a fulfilling life in America with his fiancée and 2-year-old son, Iglesias is still searching for his place in baseball after four years with the Red Sox.

Globe: Jose Iglesias no longer a lock for Red Sox

Once a highly-touted prospect, Iglesias may be looking at a career as a defensive replacement. Possibly even just a throw-in in a potential trade package.

But let's not forget...Iglesias is only 23-years old. He still has plenty of time to get his bat up to par. His work ethic is in full display at Spring Training, compiling more extra base hits than we'd every thought we'd witness. He busted his butt in the offseason too, adding 10 pounds of muscle.

Given Stephen Drew's lingering concussion situation, Iglesias may even be the Red Sox Opening Day SS (not by design, of course).

Even though he's fallen down the ranks of Red Sox prospects, fans are still pulling for this kid. He's simply miraculous with the glove and we'd hate to see that go to waste as a career utility player. Will it be with the Red Sox? That remains to be seen, as the Red Sox have several top SS prospects.

If Iglesias does in fact get the Opening Day nod, he'll have to prove that his bat has improved...fast.

Rest of the Links- Herald: Jacoby Ellsbury says 2011 just hint of his talents | Herald: With hype quieted, Jose Iglesias left to work | Herald: Major fan of Jackie Bradley | Globe: Drew's return remains cloudy | ESPNBoston.com: Jose Iglesias' time will come | Projo: Sox plan to keep an eye on the clock with Jackie Bradley Jr.

Your Morning Dump... Where Aceves is being stretch out again

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 first official day of full-squad workouts was rather uneventful here on the backfields at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. That just means everything went according to plan for manager John Farrell and bench coach Torey Lovullo. The team held its annual spring training meeting in the morning, and the session lasted 50 minutes before the players took the field.

"Jonny looked great," Saltalamacchia said. "This is the second bullpen I've caught him this spring. All fastballs, which is great, and he's working on just keeping the ball down and commanding. I was trying to give him some feedback on how he was doing. You don't want to say 'great job' on every pitch even though every pitch was great."

Aceves is being stretched out this spring as a starter because he'll represent Mexico in that role at the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

"To represent your country, for me, it's something huge, man," he said. "Not too many people can play baseball, play in the field, can throw a baseball, can hit, can run. Not too many people can do it. I'm excited to take advantage of that."

ESPN - Today's takeaways: Camp Farrell kicks off

The Lester quote by Saltalamacchia was great and all, but do we really expect him to say anything different?  We're  going to hear nearly all positives coming out of camp, which is fine.  If there's one thing this team could use a heaping dose of, it's positivity.  They're excited.  We're excited.  It's exciting!

What I find far more troubling is the news that Aceves is being stretched out simply for the World Baseball Classic.  I know that it's a big deal for a lot of players, and I have no issues with anybody participating.  But I'm not a fan of prepping a player to play a role in the Classic that he won't have with your club.

Aceves, and Bard, were awful last year.  The one thing they had in common: Boston tried to stretch them out to be starters in the Spring.  They both had disastrous transitions back to the pen. I'm a big Aceves guy.  There aren't many pitchers like him, who can seemingly throw in any situation with no notice.  I want the Sox to do everything they can to ensure we get the 2011 Aceves, not the 2012 version.

Maybe this time will be different.  Last Spring he was actually competing for a starting gig, this time he knows he's going to the pen.  He also shouldn't even come close to sniffing the Closer gig.  So maybe the mental approach won't be the same, and the transition to the pen will be smoother.

It just makes me uneasy.  But, in Farrell We Trust.

On Page 2, Iglesias