Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump...where Papelbon discusses injections taken while in Boston

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.

Papelbon said he couldn't recall who introduced him to Toradol, and wasn't sure when he first began receiving injections, but believes it was in 2007, when he was the closer on the team that won the World Series title.

"It was kind of a word-of-mouth thing," he said. "You got in the clubhouse and said, 'Man, I feel like crap,' and somebody would say, 'Oh, you should get a Toradol shot.' All players talk about what gets you through a 162-game season."

Papelbon said he never saw another player get injected, but he believes many players were using Toradol.

Papelbon said he was never told of any potential side effects of using Toradol, but did not personally experience any adverse reactions.

ESPNBoston | Jonathan Papelbon says he took Toradol shots while with Boston Red Sox

Another day, another sort-of steroid story from the Red Sox.

Before you go freaking out, here's what we know about Toradol: It's not illegal. It's widely used in baseball.

And here's what we know about Jonathan Papelbon: He loves attention. By talking about this, he was able to do a number of things. First, he got to take a jab at Boston by saying the Philadelphia doctors told him "We don't do that here" when he asked for Toradol. Second, he gets to pump up Philly a bit: Their doctors have smarter ways of treating pain. Third, he gets another article written about him.

Of course, with this piling on top of Curt Schilling's steroid accusation last week, people will start talking about the Sox as having a dirty clubhouse. And you know what? I'm sure they do. Just like every other clubhouse in baseball.

If you think some sort of illegal PED wasn't used by a member of any team ever, you need a lobotomy.

Back to the legal side of things. Since Toradol is apparently legal (and just kind of controversial), this does send up another red flag about the Sox medical staff, which has seen doctors come and go after a number of questionable diagnoses and poor recoveries. Of all the things that we should hope change about the Red Sox in 2013 (and there are many), that's number 1 on my list. I would love to see an effective medical staff, normal recovery times, and fewer time spent on the DL. It'll go a long way toward how the Red Sox do this year.

Herald | Farrell praise snares Uehara | Farrell reunion may reap rewards for pitching staff | John Farrell: manager or pitching whisperer | Globe | Good morning from Fort Myers | Will Red Sox discuss contract extensions with Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia this spring? | ESPNBoston | Matsuzaka signs deal with Indians

Your Morning Dump...where Cherington is keeping Ellsbury here

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.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington downplayed suggestions that, with free agent outfielder Shane Victorino in the process of finalizing his contract, the team now intends to deal Jacoby Ellsbury. While Cherington restated that the team listens when approached by teams about any of its players, he said that he expects the 29-year-old to be a key contributor to the club in 2013.

"You answer the phone and take the calls and listen to ideas. Our expectation is Jacoby will be here and be our center fielder," said Cherington. "[Dealing Ellsbury] is not our intent. We're expecting Jacoby to have a really good year in 2013 and be a huge part of what we're doing."

As for the level of interest in his center fielder, Cherington said, "I wouldn’t comment specifically. We have a number of guys who are really valued by other teams, so weve been asked about a number of guys. We’re not looking to move guys off our roster. We’re looking to add talent to the roster, not move guys off at this point. We’ll see. You’ve got to listen and learn and have the conversation. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t at least have the dialogue and gather the information and see what other teams are interested in doing."

WEEI: Cherington: Ellsbury a huge part of 2013

WELP.... So much for that. After signing Shane Victorino, the big assumption was that Jacoby Ellsbury suddenly becomes much easier to trade, especially for some starting pitching. 

We all know what happens when we assume. 

Corny jokes aside, Cherington believes that when healthy, Jacoby Ellsbury is at or pretty close to the player that shocked us all in 2011. He's also one of the few that is being this optimistic about him. I'm not going to get into the "freak accident" theory that Boras laid out, the fact is that Ellsbury continues to get hurt and when he does come back, he doesn't emerge as the solid player that everyone is hoping for.

It's a little bit surprising that Ellsbury isn't being dangled out there, especially in a package for a front line starter. I don't think anyone will be disappointed to see that happen, especially with the way everyone in Boston sports radio were talking yesterday. As soon as they heard about the Ellsbury for Cliff Lee rumor that Scott started, everyone was arguing about who would drive Ellsbury to Philly.  (Oh, wait we're giving the credit to Schilling? Screw that.)

His value may not be the same as it was last season, but if you add a quality prospect (that doesn't include Jackie Bradley or the X Man), a team like Philly would take that risk because they are so desperate to fill their outfield after trading it away last season. Now we just need to see if either GM would actually sit down and discuss it.

Rest of the Links: Globe: No intent on trading Ellsbury | Arms hold the key for the Sox | Herald: Ellsbury trade the right move | Hamilton on the radar | Good times for Francona | CSNNE: The right approach | Sox unsure of using rule 5 pick | Ellsbury for Lee seems way too optimistic | WEEI: Now what do they do?  | Cherington met with Hamilton 

Your Morning Dump...where the Sox will listen on Ellsbury

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 are not necessarily finished constructing their outfield, according to major league sources. General manager Ben Cherington is considering the idea of trading center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury for a starting pitcher, playing Victorino in center field, and signing another player for right field.

Cody Ross and Nick Swisher are among the free agent right fielders still available. The Sox, those same sources said, are telling free agents to remain available.

Cherington did not discount the idea of the Red Sox signing another outfielder.

“Wouldn’t rule out adding two outfielders to the mix,” he said at the Winter Meetings. “We’ll see what’s attainable.”

When asked specifically about Ross, Cherington did not cross off the incumbent right fielder as a possibility for next season.

Globe | Red Sox add Shane Victorino; now does Jacoby Ellsbury go?

Ah, yes, one of my favorite subjects. Trading Jacoby Ellsbury.

I've written on this in the past and have always been to some degree in favor of trading our centerfielder. I was a big proponent of it last offseason, when his value was, I believe, far too high. I don't think we'll ever see an MVP-caliber season from him again, but of course I could be wrong. I was less excited about the idea the last time I wrote about it, simply because of the lousy season he had from both a performance and health perspective.

Nothing has changed since last month in terms of our options beyond Ben Cherington adding veterans on short-term deals in the outfield. The pitching market also appears to be exorbitant, with everybody waiting on Zack Greinke to officially set the market, and then guys like Anibal Sanchez, Kyle Lohse, and Ryan Dempster in line to be overpaid behind him.

So if you're going to trade Jacoby now, it might be worth looking at acquiring some pitching. My favorite target entering the offseason was Josh Johnson, who I thought could be had for a relative bargain compared to his upside. Obviously, Toronto agreed with me.

Now, one of the more talked-about targets is Cliff Lee in Philadelphia (who Ted's Army's Ben Fountain is a big fan of). The Phillies have been beaten in their efforts to sign BJ Upton and Angel Pagan, and, barring an overpay of Michael Bourn, is looking at being pretty weak at the position, so they might be interested in Ellsbury. Such a move would give them a chance to unload a substantial contract: Lee is owed $75 million over the next three years, with a $27.5 million option ($12.5 million buyout per Cot's). Philly has committed long-term dollars to Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Jonathan Papelbon, Jimmy Rollins, and Ryan Howard, and might want to free up some money for extra pieces.

I've been against such a move when I've thought about it in the past, but it bears some consideration when you consider the market we're in. What if Greinke gets seven years, $165 million, as some are speculating? And then Sanchez gets five or six, at or approaching $100 million? Is an $87 million commitment to Lee -- a true front-of-the-rotation guy who has pitched in a variety of settings, including the postseason -- that exorbitant? Given the Red Sox' financial might, they are likely not to care about the money as much as the years, so this sort of contract appears to be something that might appeal to them more than most.

Obviously, this is all pure speculation. We don't know if Philly is interested in Ellsbury, nor what else would be involved (Would Boston have to kick in prospects? Would Philly kick in money?). We don't know Ellsbury's value. We don't know whether Philly would risk flipping one of its more stable players for somebody who is quite unstable and will not sign before becoming a free agent. But expect to hear that the two sides at least talk about it.

One page 2, the Red Sox were simply outbid for Dan Haren.

Recap: Beckett overpowers Phillies

(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Red Sox take the series with a 5-1 victory behind Josh Beckett and a strong 7 2/3 inning pitching performance. The Sox have won their second straight and 8 of their last 10.

This game was far from a pitching duel, as the Sox were not fooled by anything Cliff Lee delivered (7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 6 K). Josh Beckett on the other hand, pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up 7 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks and struck out 5. Everyone was wondering if Beckett could carry over the momentum of his last start, and he did it very well as he improved to 4-4 this season.

Mike Aviles lead off the game with a home run, and Lee recorded the next 4 outs via the strikeout with some walks and hits in between. The Sox scored a run in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd inning off of a 466 ft. Saltalamacchia homer to center.

The Phillies scattered their 7 hits against Beckett, but could not figure out how to drive them home. They finally scored a run on a sac fly in the 8th, and that was the extent of their offense.

As mentioned, Mike Aviles lead off the game with a home run, making it two straight game with a home run to lead off the game and the third straight game with a home run. Aviles has 33 career home runs, 8 have been hit this season, accounting for 1/4 of his total. I think Bobby (or Ben...or Larry) made a good decision to make Mike the shortstop this season.

Gonzo came into this game with a .538 career average against Lee and he improved that number after going 2-for-3 against Lee today. Gonzalez now has a .563 career average against Cliff Lee. Too bad we won't see him again this season, or will we? Probably not.

David Ortiz went 0-for-4, but he tagged the ball a couple of times into the ridiculous over-shift. The Phillies had their second baseman, Freddy Galvis, in mid-right field. What would have been singles, possibly doubles, turned into very loud outs. Time to lay down the bunts.

The Sox are in a much better position than the last time leading into an Orioles series. Baltimore is playing some damn good baseball and the Red Sox have a tough test to begin the week.

Box Score

Recap: Sox hold on for 7-5 win

Blanton is shocked at how poor this pitch is before it even leaves his hand. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Red Sox took game two from the Phillies 7-5 powered by 4 home runs.

The offense is what propelled the Sox' victory tonight.  Phillies starter, Joe Blanton, wasn't given a huge strike zone and the Sox took advantage.  Aviles, Saltalamacchia and Middlebrooks each hit a solo shot off of Blanton, and Papi hit a two-run blast in the 5th which proved to be the winning runs.  Not only did he swing a good bat (he had two hits on the night) but Ortiz also looked like a legitimate firstbaseman.  Adrian wasn't too shabby in right, either, getting himself a highlight reel slighting catch in foul territory in right.  Except, he went 0-4 at the plate.

Salty was the big surprise of the evening, playing (and playing well) after getting 12 stitches in his ear last night.  He went 3-4 with a home run and two runs scored.  And had a heck of a game behind the plate, stopping several well out of the zone pitches by Lester.  For what it's worth, Tim McCarver was gushing about him all night.  It was a bit disturbing to be honest.

Lester got his 3rd win of the season, but was fairly pedestrian.  He threw 6 innings, allowed 8 hits, struck out 3 and gave up 4 runs.  It could have been much worse, but he was bailed out by some nifty work by Pedroia at second, turning a couple of tough double plays. 

Padilla pitched the 7th and into the 8th.  He got himself into some trouble, but he was bailed out by an amazing diving catch by Ryan Sweeney in deep center that saved at least two runs.  Hill retired the only batter he faced for the second out in the 8th, and Aceves was brought in to close it out.  He earned the save, but gave up 3 hits and a walk over his 1.1 innings.  Hunter Pence lead off the 9th with a nice bunt single that Aceves couldn't handle.  But he also was on the receiving end of a nice defensive play.  Ruiz hit a rocket right at short that Aviles caught right before it hit the ground.  Pence was well on his way to second (it looked like it was going to be a grounder) and got doubled up at first.  Aceves K'd Luna to end the game.

BOX SCORE

How we see it goin' down: Sox - Phillies series

First Pitch: Friday 7:05, Saturday 7:15, Sunday 1:35

Arms: Friday: Daniel Bard, RHP (3-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels, LHP (5-1, 2.28 ERA)

Saturday: Jon Lester, LHP (2-3, 3.71 ERA) vs. Joe Blanton, RHP (4-3, 2.96 ERA)

Sunday: Josh Beckett, RHP (3-4, 4.97 ERA) vs. Cliff Lee, LHP (0-1, 1.95 ERA)

                              Yard: Citizens Bank Park   Watch it:  NESN/FOX (Sat.)  Hear it:  WEEI

The Matchup

Record: 18-20 (Last AL East)	Record: 20-19 (Last NL East)
On road: 9-9	At home: 9-9
Streak: Won 1	Streak: Won 5
Leaders at the plate	Leaders at the plate
Average: Ortiz (.345)	Average:  Ruiz (.363)
Homers: Ortiz (8)	Homers: Pence (9)
RBI: Ortiz/Ross (27)	RBI: Pence/Ruiz (27)
Leaders on the mound	Leaders on the mound
Wins: Buchholz/Doubront (4)	Wins: Hamels (5)
ERA: Lester (3.71) | Atchison/Hill (1.13)	ERA: Lee (1.95) | Bastardo (1.50)
K's: Doubront (44)	K's: Halladay (50)

Last time

The Sox lost two of three in Philly at the end of June. Cliff Lee had Red Sox batters scratching their heads in the first game, as he pitched a complete game, giving up only 2 hits. Vance Worley also subdued the Red Sox in game 2, but could not stop 1 batter...John Lackey. Lackey drove in Josh Reddick on a double that scored the Sox only run. Boston finally got some revenge behind Jon Lester's 7 inning, 2-hitter in the final game. Pedey and Tek homered in the Sox 5-2 win.

This time

Laser Show: Adrian Gonzalez

I am not a fan of historical stats because they mean squat in the present if the player is slumping. Gonzo is less than impressive this season, but his career numbers against the Philly trio are nuts. Against Hamels, Gonzo is batting .333 with 2 solo homers. Against Blanton, a .438 average, with 2 homers and 4 RBI. Finally, versus Lee, Gonzalez has a .538 average with a homer, 3 doubles, and 3 RBI.  I think these guys can help him have the breakout series he needs.

Pitch Around: Carlos Ruiz

Carlos Ruiz is on pace for the best season of his career. Through 35 games, Ruiz  is fifth in the majors in average, 9th in OPS, 6th in slugging percentage, and has only struck out 12 times. He is going to be a tough out for Sox pitching.

Don't Fall Behind: All 3 starters

The Phillies have the best rotation in the majors, and they gave the Sox a taste last season. The difference this season is these starters are not getting the run support. They only need a few runs of support to get the job done and the Sox need to jump on them very quickly. More than ever this season, they need to get to knock the starter out quickly or they will be taken advantage of.

How we see it goin' down

The offense has been able to expose good pitching at times this season, and who is saying they can't do it in this series. Red Sox starters are flying high, leaving us to believe we are going to see some good pitching duels. Boston and  Philly are making comeback bids in their divisions, but I see the Sox offense coming out on top and Boston taking 2 games in the series. The Celtics will beat the Sixers, the Sox will beat the Phillies, and a whole bunch of fat ugly Philly fans will be envious of Boston.

Sox snag three of top 37 picks in June draft

Thanks to the departure of Philadelphia scholar Jonathan Papelbon, the Red Sox have a surplus of early picks in the upcoming 2012 draft. The official numbers were released today, and Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal has the numbers:

First round
No. 24
No. 31 (for Jonathan Papelbon)

Supplemental first round
No. 37 (for Papelbon)

If you were one of the fools who freaked out over Aceves' first couple of save opportunities and wished we had thrown $50 million at Pap, here's another reason why it was good that we didn't. Draft picks are, of course, not guaranteed, but when you get two first rounders, you have a pretty good chance at converting on at least one of them. Having three total -- despite them not being early picks in the round -- gives even more options for Ben Cherington to play with.

And if you're a believer of Jonah Keri's recent column, which noted that free agent crops are getting weaker thanks to more young players signing long-term deals, so accumulating minor-league talent is going to become even more important. We've of course seen the success of the Rays building through the draft, but up-and-coming teams like Toronto and Kansas City appear to be using the same method to (theoretical) success. Meanwhile, many of the most recent free agent contracts (Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Alex Rodriguez, and this past offseason's megadeals for Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder come immediately to mind) are looking more than a little albatross-y.

It will also be the first chance to see what kind of drafter Cherington is. In all likelihood he'll be similar to Theo -- valuing high-upside guys, not being afraid of players who require costly bonuses, aiming for high-velocity pitching -- but it'll be interesting to see if any of those tenets change with Ben at the wheel.

The draft will be televised this year as well, airing at 7 pm on June 4 on MLB Network. I'm sure it will be a riveting telecast with lots of highlights of aluminum-bat fueled bombs.

Phillies fans boo Jonathan Papelbon

Remember when Jonathan Papelbon had nothing but praise for the genius Philadelphia fans and their deep understanding of baseball?

They repaid the favor by booing Papelbon in his first home appearance, and just three pitches in at that. He gave up a home run in a non-save situation yesterday (in a game Philadelphia went on to win), and the fans decided they had had enough. Talk about patience.

Booing is not a sign of a smart fan base. You think these clowns who trash their $50 million man after a relatively inconsequential pitch understand the intricacies of NL baseball? Not only did you get it wrong, Pap, but your efforts to endear yourself to the fan base have already not worked. Enjoy your next four years.

Papelbon issues weak mea culpa for Red Sox fan comments

Earlier this month former Sox closer and genius Jonathan Papelbon endeared himself to Philadelphia fans by saying they were superior to Boston fans. Today he seems to have satisfied the Boston media by clarifying these comments, but does so in typical not-really-an-apology fashion:

“I wasn’t trying to offend nobody, man,” said Papelbon, who signed a 4-year, $50 million deal with the Phillies. “I was just calling a spade a spade. I’ve been in the bullpen down there many a times in Boston to know this (fan) don’t have a clue what he’s talking about. It happens in Philadelphia, too. I’ve been in Philadelphia’s bullpen. I was just simply saying that, because the American League is different than the National League, there’s a little more thought process that goes along with that.

"I wasn't trying to offend [any]body" is a close cousin to "I'm sorry to those who I offended" in the "I'm only making this statement so people get off my back" lexicon. He's still an idiot, he's still generalizing for no good reason, and he's still giving Philadelphia too much credit.

That said, we can't be too bad. No organization more frequently or ruthlessly trashes its former employees than the Boston Red Sox. Maybe Pap just learned how effective that strategy is while he was here.

Red Sox scouting Joe Blanton

I don't think we need to read too much into it at this point, but the Red Sox sent some scouts to check out Joe Blanton's start yesterday.

Via CSNPhilly.com:

The usual gaggle of scouts smeared on sun block and gathered in the box seats behind the backstop to watch the Phillies’ righthander make his third start of the spring Thursday. They were joined quite noticeably by newcomers from Boston and Baltimore. The Red Sox are one of the clubs looking to add a veteran arm and the Orioles might be on that list, too.

Blanton allowed three runs – his first of the spring – on four hits over five innings of work in a 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. He struck out four and did not walk a batter

I just can't see a scenario where the Red Sox are going to actively pursue bringing Blanton aboard.  At least not during this stage of the season.  Later on, if we get hit with some injuries?  All bets are off.  But I'd rather roll the dice with Felix Doubront and see what he can provide than bringing in another guy, let alone one with Blanton's pedigree.  

Trading for Blanton doesn't make much sense financially, either.  Blanton is owed $8.5 million, which the Sox won't add to their payroll, and the Phillies won't eat.  Part of their incentive to rid themselves of Blanton is to get out from under that contract, and they'd have to keep a chunk of it on their book if they want to move him to Boston.

I think we can file this under "just checking in" for now.  We'll see how the first month or two of the season plays out before we start trying to add another mediocre guy to the rotation.