Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Atchison, thanks for coming up!

To make room for Marco Scutaro's return from the DL, the Sox are sending Scott Atchison back down to Pawtucket.  And Atchison is not too happy about it.

Via WEEI:

"Obviously it's frustrating. It's always frustrating. I feel like I belong here and this is where I feel like I should be pitching. In turn, I know it's part of it," Atchison told WEEI.com. "I have the option. We talked about it before, it is what it is. I like being here. I like being part of this team when I come up and playing with these guys, so there's no real reason to raise any beef with it.

"I feel like I threw the ball well while I was up here this time, which is good. I just wanted to show them I'm still the same guy. I felt like I did that. I'll go down there and stay sharp and the next time they need me I'll be ready to go."

I actually feel kinda bad for the guy.  He was pitching his ass off in Pawtucket (12 games, 1.25 ERA with 23 K's and just one walk).  And while he certainly wasn't phenomenal after getting called up (he's given up at least one run in 4 of his 7 appearances), he surely wasn't a disaster.  With the way our bullpen has been revolving it probably won't be Atchison's last stint with the club this season, so let's not get too emotional about it.

Also curious that Drew Sutton gets to hang on with the club with Scutaro's return.  Not sure how many middle infielders a team can carry, but we're about to find out. 

Theo Starts Bullpen Cuts

What do Scott Atchison,Rich Hill, Randy Williams and Michael Bowden all have in common?  If you guessed, 'they've all just been cut from the Sox major league roster', you are correct!

Via WEEI:

Relievers Scott Atchison, Rich Hill, Randy Williams and Michael Bowden were all identified as cuts from the major league camp Friday afternoon. Atchison and Bowden both had options, while Hill and Williams were signed to minor-league deals.

Atchison is the only name on this list that will draw the smallest bit of surprise.  With each of these players either having options, or originally signing minor-league deals, theoretically we could see them suiting up for the Sox later in the season.

Well, probably not Randy Williams, but the others surely have a chance.

Your Morning Dump... Where It's Nearly Time To Cement The Bullpen

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 team will hold an organizational meet following Tuesday’s game with the Rays, with the fate of several roster spots in the bullpen possibly in the balance. Of particular note is how to handle the middle relief and lefty specialists in the relief corps and who should make the trip with the team to Arlington when the team begins the season against the Rangers on April 1.

Francona will meet with pitching coach Curt Young, Epstein and front office staffers to discuss how to handle relievers Hideki Okajima, Dennys Reyes, Tim Wakefield, Alfredo Aceves, Matt Albers and Scott Atchison.

The team needs to decide what to do for a lefty or whether to take two north. Okajima and Reyes appear to be the front-runners with Andrew Miller, Randy Williams and Rich Hill on the fringes.

Reyes has made the biggest statement this spring, posting a 1.29 ERA in seven appearances, allowing just one run on five hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts.

WEEI - ‘Pins and needles’ time for Red Sox relievers as organization meets to map things out 

The bullpen is the last remaining piece of the puzzle for the Sox to put together.

I don't dare venture any great guesses as to who is going to round out the roster.  We're talking about people that have Hideki Okajima as the front-runner (the same Hideki that gave up 23 runs in his 46 innings pitched last season and has actually regressed this Spring), so clearly we're not on the same mental wavelength. 

I would say that Reyes and Aceves have pitched themselves onto the roster.  I can't imagine a Sox squad that doesn't list Tim Wakefield, and has Scott pointed out yesterday, Albers appears to be carving out his own spot.  With Papelbon, Bard, Jenks and Wheeler all seemingly locks, there's very few spots open to tussle over. 

It's definitely going to be a tough final call to make.  I'd love to see Miller make the cut, but hanging out in Pawtucket for a few months probably wouldn't be the worse thing for his career.  Randy Williams and Rich Hill, thanks for stopping by.  And no matter how consistent Scott Achison was in the second half of last season, he gets me nearly as excited as when my wife tells me to take her to see the new Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy. 

Rest of the links:

WEEI -  John Lackey: ‘I feel like I’m ready’ | Herald - Carl Crawford adding pop as his game develops | Rays take taste test with Manny Ramirez | Kevin Youkilis turns corner | Globe - SoSH hosting event to benefit Jimmy Fund | NESN - Intensity Increasing for Red Sox As They Hit Home Stretch in Spring Training

Your Morning Dump...where who is getting the final spots in the 'pen?

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.

After a transformative offseason that has earned them the mantra of Hot Stove League champions, the Red Sox will head to Fort Myers with few job openings. Barring injury, the most substantial competition will be among a handful of relief pitchers for the final two seats in the bullpen.

By virtue of their contracts and incumbent status, right-hander Scott Atchison and lefty Hideki Okajima may be slight favorites. But the field also includes right-hander Matt Albers, Hill and perhaps fellow lefties Andrew Miller and Felix Doubront, each of who represent intriguing options.

Albers, a free agent addition from the Baltimore Orioles with a penchant for getting ground balls, may push Atchison, nothing new for a 34-year-old who returned last year from two seasons in Japan and made an Opening Day roster for the first time last spring. And while Okajima’s numbers have declined each year since 2007, the Red Sox re-signed him for $1.5 million because they lack proven in-house lefty alternatives.

Doubront, 23, made both his major league debut and an eye-opening conversion to the bullpen last season with 13 strikeouts in 92⁄3 innings. But there is a feeling within the organization he will get greater long-term benefit from being a starter in Triple A than facing mostly left-handed hitters as a reliever in the majors.

Then there are Hill and Miller, both seeking a return to the majors at different stages in their careers.

Herald: Making pitches for Sox relief roles

You can't argue with Atichson and Okajima being the favorites heading into Spring Training. However, Albers will be the one to watch to grab one of those two spots, which means the bullpen will be pretty full. Counting these two spots, the Red Sox will be having  seven pitchers in the roster as Wakefield, Wheeler, Jenks, Bard, and Papelbon are already in there. These two pitchers will be getting little work and would be primarily used as specialists when Terry Francona decides to imitate Tony LaRussa. I think Oki and Albers will be taking the two spots, but Spring Training will make things a bit more clearer.. hopefully.

Boston picks up Ortiz's $12.5 million option

Getty Images

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Red Sox have picked up the $12.5 million option on Ortiz for the 2011 season.  They also picked up the option for Scott Atchison today. 

There was not much out there in terms of a DH and David Ortiz was hands down the best out there for the Sox.  David is surely still in search for the multi-year deal and will probably have a few more words to say during the offseason. 

Your Morning Dump...Where the offseason officially starts today

 

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.

So Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek are now officially free agents. The Red Sox have a five-day window of negotiating exclusivity and that clock is ticking.

Players who have options — a group that includes Scott Atchison, Adrian Beltre, Bill Hall and David Ortiz — have three days for those decisions to be made. That deadline comes Thursday at midnight.

The Red Sox hold options on Atchison (approximately $450,000), Hall ($9.25 million) and Ortiz ($12.5 million) while Beltre holds a $10 million player option.

Globe | Baseball gets down to business

Ah, November 2. A big day, as you may have heard. There are elections. Adam Carolla's new book comes out. Edgar Renteria celebrates his first day of relevance in ten years.

For Red Sox fans, it truly marks the beginning of the offseason. Now we have our decisions to make on Hall (option declined, according to Abraham and common sense), Atchison (accepted), and Ortiz (who knows). Beltre will only be back on a longer-term deal, if at all. Victor is clearly a question mark, as is Varitek.

There's a lot up in the air, but the hot stove should be fun.

To join in the fun, look through the list of free agents and conjure up your own Sox scenarios. Definitely some names of interest among relievers. J.J. Putz? Koji Uehara? Will Ohman? (Just so I can say "Will? Oh, man..." everytime he comes in and crack myself up.)

And congrats to the fans of the San Francisco Giants and that freak-show bunch of players that won the title, including former Sox Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez, Guillermo Mota, Freddy Sanchez, and MVP Edgar Renteria.

Herald | No drought about this | MVP Edgar Renteria bookends title-winning roles | Texas boss rips NY fans | Derek Jeter, Cliff Lee on list of 142 free agents | ESPNBoston | Ortiz deadline Thursday | CSNNE | The offseason begins 

Your Morning Dump... Where Buchholz Hasn't Given Up

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 Sox wasted a decent performance from righthander Clay Buchholz (six innings, four hits, no earned runs). He was denied a chance to earn his 17th win when his defense let him down in the sixth.

Jonathan Papelbon had one of his non-save meltdowns in the ninth, allowing four runs on five hits, a wild pitch, and Adrian Beltre made a throwing error.

Only about 5,000 were left to witness the horrid ninth on a night when the sellout streak was extended to 627 although there were many empty seats at the start of the game.

“I thought I threw the ball pretty well,’’ Papelbon said. “The outcome wasn’t good but look at the situation in the ballgame . . . I was in trying to get work and they were swinging the bats and ambushing first pitches. The whole outing kind of snowballed.’’

Globe - Baltimore chops Red Sox

Poor Clay Buchholz... He's still slinging the ball in there like the games mean something, while the rest of his team lays down.

Atchison was a disaster, Papelbon pulled his classic, 'it's not a save situation so tee 'em up!' routine, and the defense said, 'eh, not today'.

I just hope they get it together for the final two series with the Yankees, starting this weekend.  Give us some reason to hold our heads high during the winter.

On Page 2, What to do with Bill Hall?

Your Morning Dump...Where Kalish is making a case to start in '11.

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.

So it was that Ryan Kalish stepped to the plate with two outs in the sixth inning yesterday, with two runners on and the Red Sox trailing the A’s by a run, for his fourth-ever pinch-hit appearance in the majors.

The first pitch zipped in. One hundred miles per hour.

“That was the hardest ball I’ve ever seen, for sure,’’ Kalish said.

The second pitch zipped in. Again, 100 miles per hour. Except this time, Kalish reversed the fastball from reliever Henry Rodriguez for a single to left field, scoring Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew and giving the Sox the lead, 4-3. They would hold on, making starter Josh Beckett a winner in a 5-3 triumph that prevented the Sox from being swept by the A’s.

“I just really try and treat it like any other at-bat, obviously,’’ Kalish said. “You know the situation, you know what’s going on. But you go out there having the confidence of everyone for you to come through. No one’s ever comfortable. I don’t ever feel comfortable ’cause I feel like you’ll struggle if you feel too confident. You go up there, I think it’s more about just trying to relax, especially with a guy throwing as hard as he was. You don’t really have to do too much.’’

Globe-Kalish,Drew lead comeback win and avoid sweep

The more and more I watch Kalish play, the more I like him. He's a solid player and is deserving of the at-bats he's getting in the Majors. This is the first time in seven years that the Sox have been able to give a prospect the amount of at-bats he's had so far (trying to be optimistic here) and he's shown some nice things and can make a case for starting in left in '11 and unless they make a trade or sign a big name guy, there's no one on the roster who deserves it more.

On Page 2, Kalish isn't the only one making a case for more time in '11.

Your Morning Dump...Where Manny's being sorry

NESN | Exclusive footage: Manny Ramirez admits blame for past, discusses future

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.

“I think everything was my fault,” Ramirez said, “but hey, you’ve got to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. Hey, it was my fault, right? But I’m already past that stage. I’m with a new team. I’m happy. When I saw Youkilis, I said, ‘Hey, what happened between you and me, I’m sorry. That’s my fault.’"

Herald | Manny Ramirez speaks

Interesting timing for this realization, but I'll take it. I've been in Manny's camp forever and basically forgave him for everything regardless. Manny was awesome on the field and extremely entertaining. I'm not too concerned with him not running out a ground ball here and there.

Maybe he's tired of his reputation, considering he had a rough time leaving LA (as Tony Mazz highlights in the Globe link at the bottom). 

And anyway, the papers had to fill pages with something, since the game was postponed until today. This is certainly a happier story than Pedroia having surgery. 

On page 2, Gordon Edes has a touching story on Scott Atchison.

Your Morning Dump... Where Atchison Happens

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 was a game that could have spiraled out of control and away from the Red Sox. As Daisuke Matsuzaka lost what had made him good for the first five innings, the Sox could have imploded along the way.

Except they didn’t, getting the 6-4 win, thanks to Scott Atchison.

“He pounded the zone, he got that cutter-slider,’’

Sox manager Terry Francona said. “He was really aggressive tonight. He was really good. We needed it. With [Daniel] Bard down, if he runs into a problem, I’m not sure where we would have gone.’’

It was Atchison at his best, a pitcher who has been a quiet, yet effective part of the Sox bullpen for most of the season.

“You want to have their trust enough that they can put you in those situations. Those are the situations you want to pitch in. You want to pitch when the game’s on the line.’’

Globe -Atchison helps Sox hold on against Orioles

Atchison pitched his ass off last night, going 2 full innings, striking out 3 while not allowing a singe hit. 

I've been exceptionally hard on Atchison this year, and I'm not going to apologize.  If you pull up his stats from April through June, he was BRUTAL.  In his 15 starts in that timeframe, there were only 6 appearances where he didn't give up an earned run.  In his 17 appearances since then, he's only given up a run in 5 appearances. 

He's definitly made a major turnaround, and not that he has any choice, but it's nice to see Tito throw him out there in a tough spot.  So, well done, Atchison... this time!

On Page 2, Buchholz is the best... AROU-OUND!