Kuzul

According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, Will Middlebrooks broke his wrist in Friday night’s win over the Cleveland Indians.

The report came in the form of a tweet no Red Sox fan wanted to see:

Source: Will Middlebrooks has a broken wrist. #RedSox will call up Danny Valencia forSaturday’s game.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 11, 2012

If the reports turn out to be true, the Red Sox’ season is all but over. It also leaves a huge hole over at third base.

With Middlebrooks’ injury comes an opportunity—an opportunity in the name of Jose Iglesias. Valencia will be a fine fill-in for a game or two—but that’s about it. 

The Red Sox have nothing to lose at this point by giving their young prospects a taste of the big leagues. The next prospect who should get a long term shot in Boston is Iglesias.

The only thing that ever kept Iglesias in Pawtucket was his bat. But he seems to have found a respectable swing down in Triple-A.

In Pawtucket he is hitting .259, with a home run and 23 RBI. He also has three doubles over his last four games. If he can even come close to matching those numbers in the majors, the Red Sox would truly have something special on their hands.

Most Red Sox fans have heard about his magician-like defense by now—and for good reason.

According to SoxProspects.com Iglesias “will get to balls that most, if not all, will not. Plus, accurate arm. Adept at throwing on the move and has outstanding body control. Future perennial Gold Glove shortstop.”

Mike Aviles could be used at third base for the remainder of the season, or the Red Sox could experiment with Pedro Ciriaco third.

The Red Sox simply are not going to replace the offense Middlebrooks gave them. In 75 games, MIddlebrooks hit .288, with 15 homes runs and 54 RBI. But they could greatly improve their infield defense with Iglesias on the field.

It would also add a level of intrigue to a season that is quickly crashing and burning. Any spin the Red Sox put on the rest of the season would simply be rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s time to let it go.

The Red Sox should not wait any longer to call Iglesias up. It’s time. The future is knocking on the door. It’s time the front office let it in. 

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The Boston Red Sox need to do something drastic to have any reasonable chance at even making the second wild card spot this season.

That drastic deal should involve dealing Josh Beckett to the Miami Marlins in return for Josh Johnson.

The first thing to consider is contract status.

Beckett is in the middle of a four year, $68 million contract. He will be a free agent in 2015. Johnson is in a four year, $39 million contract. He will be a free agent in 2014.

Beckett is 5-8, with a 4.53 ERA in 101.1 innings pitched. This year Johnson is 6-7, with a 4.14 ERA in 119.2 innings pitched.

Although their numbers are similar, trading Beckett now would be a huge shakeup for the Red Sox. The Red Sox should not wait until July 31st—the trade deadline—to make this deal happen. This is something that should get done now.  

A shakeup is something the Red Sox sorely need. They have been incredibly mediocre this season. And while the Red Sox are not a bad team, they are not a great team either. They hover in the horrible grey area of mediocrity.

The team gives Red Sox fans hope for a week, just to rip it away the following week.  

If the the Red Sox traded Beckett, the entire clubhouse would change. The face of the negativity that has surrounded this team last season would be gone.

In short, this deal is more about trading Beckett than acquiring Johnson. The fact Johnson has shown flashes of brilliance in his career is simply the sugar on top of this trade scenario.

The Red Sox would be assuming a health risk with Johnson. His pitching shoulder limited his availability in 2011. He was only able to pitch 60.1 innings last season.

But Johnson is worth the risk. When healthy, Johnson has ace like stuff. The same could be said of Beckett, but his time with the Red Sox has taken a turn for the worse.

The chicken and beer drama has been well documented. His ill-timed golf outing also received a lot of attention.

It is the golf outing that reignited the controversy surrounding Beckett this season.

Beckett had lat discomfort and missed a start, but still felt good enough to play golf on his off day.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote:  

Shouldn’t you exercise a little discretion? I mean, you already have the beer and fried chicken stigma. You didn’t tell your manager about the lat discomfort before he left you in for 126 pitches. Then you have to skip a start. And then you play golf?  

The feelings surrounding Beckett really have not fully gone away this season. Beckett is 32 years old and may still have a few good seasons left in him. But those seasons may come in a different ballpark.

Beckett is still a big-name pitcher and started his career in Florida. The Red Sox may have to eat part of his contract to make a deal like this happen, but it is worth it.

Johnson is a 28-year-old health risk who may still prove to be an ace.

Both sides would assume some risk in this scenario. But it is a risk both sides should strongly consider. 

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Clay Buchholz made a triumphant return Saturday (July 14) after being sidelined for almost a month with esophagitis. The bullpen and offense just could not back him up.

Before the illness, Buchholz was on fire. In his four starts prior to going down with esophagitis, he was 4-0, with a 2.40 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched.

Before Saturday’s game, he was 8-2 with a 5.53 ERA. But it really is his last seven starts that have Red Sox fans excited. 

Tom Caron of NESN summed it best when he tweeted:

Clay Buchholz is proof that performance can’t be gauged by W-L rec. In 1st 7 starts, he was 4-1 w/ a 8.31 ERA. In last 7 he’s 4-1 w/ a 3.23

— Tom Caron (@TomCaron) July 14, 2012

Although his last start against Miami (on June 19) was a little bump in the road (when he allowed five earned runs), his numbers were trending in the right direction.

He continued that trend Saturday. 

Buchholz looked strong and struck out Elliot Johnson to start the night. He got Carlos Pena to fly out to left and struck out Ben Zobrist looking to end the first inning.  

Buchholz started the second inning by striking out B.J. Upton, got Luke Scott to ground out and got Jeff Keppinger to ground out to short. Buchholz was rolling. His control, in particular, was very impressive.

Tom Britton of The Providence Journal tweeted:

Buchholz’s three called strikeouts matches the number he had in the last three starts combined (called, specifically).

— Tim Britton (@TBritton_Projo) July 14, 2012

The only problem was that Tampa Bay ace David Price was having an equally great start to the game as he only allowed one baserunner in three innings. 

Buchholz gave up his first hit of the night to start the third inning as Desmond Jennings lined a shot to right field. Jose Molina followed with a single to right, sending Jennings to third. There were runners at the corners with no outs. Sean Rodriguez lined to center for a sac fly, and Johnson flied to right. Buchholz got Pena to fly to right, and Buchholz limited to damage to only one run.  

Boston responded in the top of the fourth. After Price struck out Pedro Ciriaco, David Ortiz singled to center. After Cody Ross struck out, it seemed Price was simply going to dominate the night. Then, Middlebrooks stepped to the plate and crushed his 11th home run of the season giving Boston a 2-1 lead. 

It was a much-needed boost for Middlebrooks, who has been struggling recently. Before Saturday’s game, Middlbrooks was hitting just .150 with one home run and one RBI in his previous five games. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Buchholz got Zobrist to pop out, struck out Upton and got Scott looking. 

The Red Sox almost blew it open in the fifth. Price walked Kelly Shoppach to start the inning, and Brent Lillibridge followed with a single to the centerfield. Nava followed with a hard shot to right field, but it was right to Zobrist.

Ellsbury hit a single to left field. The Red Sox had the bases loaded with only one out. Ciriaco lined one to right field, and Shoppach, looking impossibly slow, was gunned down at the plate after he tagged up at third. Actually, Shoppach never even touched the plate. 

Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe tweeted:

Jose Molina knows his business at the dish. Shoppach couldn’t get to the plate.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 15, 2012

Keppinger started the bottom of the fifth with a double, and Jennings placed a perfect sacrifice bunt down the the first base line to send Keppinger to third. Molina was back in the thick of things when he hit a hard grounder to short.

Mike Aviles botched the play, and Tampa Bay tied the game on his error. But Buchholz struck out Rodriguez and Johnson back to back, and once again, limited the damage to only one run. 

Price got Ortiz to pop out to start the sixth. Cody Ross followed with a walk and advanced to second on passed ball by Molina. Ross took third on a Middlebrooks groundout and scored when Price threw a wild ball to third base that sailed over Keppinger’s head. Ross was bluffing down the third base line and would have been out on a clean throw. 

Peter Abraham noted the base running play is a Bobby Valentine move:

The bluff down the third base line is something Bobby V likes that others call bush. But that’s 2 runs it has produced this year.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 15, 2012

Bush or not (and I’m not sure why it is a bush league move), it gave Boston a 3-2 lead against one of the best pitchers in the league. 

Buchholz picked up where he left off and had an easy 1-2-3 sixth. He only needed eight pitches to get through the inning. 

Price matched Buchholz’s sixth by cruising through the top of the seventh. He made easy work of Shoppach, Lillibridge and Nava. 

Buchholz seemed to lose a little steam to start the seventh as he walked Scott to start the inning. It was his first walk of the night. He followed by hitting Keppinger. Jennings placed yet another perfect sac bunt down the first base line advancing Scott and Keppinger.

With that, Buchholz’s night was over. There will be a debate in the days to come as to whether Buchholz should have been in the seventh inning in the first place. 

Matt Albers entered the game and intentionally walked pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui (Matsui pinch hit for Molina). But the intentional walk backfired as Albers walked pinch-hitter Jose Lobaton with the bases loaded to tie the game 3-3.

Johnson followed with a sac fly to centerfield to give Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead. Buchholz was on the hook for the baserunners, and his nice performance was largely wasted by the ineffective Albers. Andrew Miller replaced Albers with two outs in the seventh. Miller struck out Pena to end the seventh. 

The final line on Buchholz: 6.1IP, 3H, 4ER, BB, 8K, HBP.

It was the low point of the night for the Sox pitching staff as they gave up two runs without the Rays even needing the benefit of a hit. 

Ellsbury started the top of the eighth with a double down the right field line. Ciriaco was unable to to advance Ellsbury when he popped out on a bunt attempt. Ortiz walked, and that ended Price’s night. Joel Peralta came on in relief to face Cody Ross. Peralta made easy work of Ross and Middlebrooks, thus wasting the leadoff double by Ellsbury.

The big debate in the days to come is Valentine’s decision to have Ciriaco try to bunt with Ellsbury on second with no outs. 

Twitter responded immediately:

Peter Abraham tweeted:

6 outs left. Giving one away, even if it gets the runner over, is a mistake. Hated that call.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) July 15, 2012

Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com tweeted:

Agreed. Even w/ injuries to lineup, Sox have bunted far too much this year @stataz why bunt in that situation? Play for 1 run on the road?

— Sean McAdam(@Sean_McAdam) July 15, 2012

The bottom of the eighth was no better for the Red Sox as Miller gave up a home run to Upton and a double to Keppinger. Miller was lifted for Melancon. Melancon got Jennings to ground out to end the eighth. 

Fernando Rodney came in to try to close out the game in the ninth. Aviles greeted him with a single up the middle. Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for Shoppach and struck out. Lillibridge struck out, and Nava popped out to left to end the game.

It was an unfortunate loss for the Red Sox. Buchholz pitched extremely well coming off the DL, and the Red Sox squandered an opportunity to take the first two games of the series. As for Valentine’s decision to have Ciriaco bunt and put Buchholz out there in the seventh—let the debate begin.  

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The clouds were rolling in on Fenway Park this afternoon, setting an ominous tone for the New York Yankees game with the Boston Red Sox before Franklin Morales even threw a pitch. 

Derek Jeter started the day with a bloop single to center field. After getting Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez to both pop out, Morales hit Robinson Cano on the hand.

Then Nick Swisher came up.

He absolutely crushed a three-run bomb over the Green Monster (which you can watch on MLB.com).

Round 2 of the slugfest had begun. But this time the Red Sox took all of the punches.

Andruw Jones kept the punches coming with a solo shot into the Monster seats. It was the fifth time this season that the Yankees hit back-to-back home runs. 

Morales got Jayson Nix to line out to center field, but the damage had been done. Once again the Red Sox were down before they even came to bat.

This was not what the Red Sox were expecting out of Morales. In his previous six appearances, Morales posted a 1.35 ERA with 33 strikeouts, in 26.2 innings pitched. 

The Red Sox did not respond in the first inning as they did Friday night. Freddy Garcia’s only blemish in the first was a walk to David Ortiz. 

Morales settled down in the second inning, getting Darnell McDonald, Chris Stewart and Jeter to go 1-2-3. But a confident-looking Garcia made easy work Mauro Gomez, Ryan Kalish and Mike Aviles in the bottom half of the second. 

A light rain began to fall on Fenway in the third, and it seemed as though Yankees were about to pour it on.

After walking Teixeira, Morales gave a up a single to Alex Rodriguez. But Morales struck out Cano and was able to pick Rodriguez off at first. Morales walked Swisher, but his great pick-off move came into play again as he got Swisher by a good margin at first. 

Garcia once again made easy work of the Red Sox in the fourth, getting Kelly Shoppach, Brent Lillibridge and Daniel Nava for a 1-2-3 inning.

The one-sided slugfest continued in the fourth, as Jones hit his second home run of the day off of Morales. The light-hitting Nix added insult to injury as he followed Jones’ home run with one of his own (ht/ MLB.com). It was Nix’s third home run of the year and the second time the Yankees went back-to-back in the game.

After Stewart reached second on an error by Gomez, Morales’ day was done. Morales’ final line for the day: 3.1IP, 6H, 6ER, 2BB, 2K, 4HR, HBP.

In the bottom of the fourth, Ortiz got Boston’s first hit of the day, with a single off the Monster. Gonzalez followed with a single of his own. Gonzalez’s hit extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Mauro made up for his error by driving in Ortiz with a single.

Like the clouds overhead, it looked as though the Red Sox were about to explode.

But then Kalish grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

After getting Aviles and Shoppach to start the bottom of the fifth, Garcia found himself in a jam. Lillibridge and Nava had back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Garcia made quick work of Ciriaco to end the threat.

The Red Sox had stalled once again.   

Ortiz walked to start the bottom of the sixth, but Boston’s luck continued to be amazingly bad. Gonzalez hit a ball toward the the Green Monster and Jones made a great leaping catch. Ortiz, believing it was going to be a hit, had to race back to first to avoid the double play. Jones gunned the ball to Teixeira, and although Teixeira’s foot was clearly off the base, Ortiz was called out. 

ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes tweeted:

Umpires will not be happy that video board showed replay of close play at first, when Ortiz was doubled up

— Gordon Edes (@GordonEdes) July 7, 2012

In the seventh, Shoppach doubled, bringing an end to Garcia’s great day. But the Red Sox could not do anything with the double, and the Yankees got out of the inning unscathed.

Garcia’s final line: 6.2 IP,1ER, 6H, 5K, 2BB.

It was just that kind of day for the Red Sox. They looked like an old car desperately in need if a tune-up. Every time they had something going, they simply stalled. 

The lone bright spot for the Red Sox was the relief performance by Germano. He saved the bullpen for the second half of today’s doubleheader.

Sean McAdam of FoxSports.com tweeted:

Nice hand for Germano, who saves the pen with 5 2/3 scoreless innings. 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 7 K, 2 BB.

— Sean McAdam(@Sean_McAdam) July 7, 2012

It is small consolation for Red Sox fans in what really was thorough beating by the Yankees. 

New York and Boston play again tonight at 7:15 on FOX. 

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The Kevin Youkilis trade watch is in full effect.

According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, “Kevin Youkilis could be traded before the day is out.”

Youkilis has been linked to the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves. But MLB Trade Rumors reported the White Sox “may be best positioned to swing a trade for Kevin Youkilis.”

Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported that, “The White Sox’s need for Youkilis is obvious — third baseman Brent Morel is out indefinitely with a back injury, and his replacement, Orlando Hudson, is batting just .160 in 81 at-bats.”

Youkilis has had a disappointing season and is only batting .225 with four home runs and 13 RBI. Red Sox rookie Will Middlebrooks has made Youkilis an expendable commodity since exploding onto the scene in May.

In 39 games this season Middlebrooks has hit .319 with eight home runs and 31 RBI. His play has relegated Youkilis to the bench on many nights. He has been a shot of adrenaline for a sometimes lackluster Red Sox lineup.

The impending move makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Bobby Valentine has been charged with the task of fitting Adrian Gonzalez, Middlebrooks and Youkilis into the lineup at the same time. The solution was to play Gonzalez in right field while sliding Youkilis back to first base. The experiment has been fine in the short term, but it really is just a temporary fix. 

It is time for Middlebrooks to take over the job at third base full-time. 

The Red Sox will most likely be looking for starting pitching in any deal for Youkilis.

If the Red Sox do deal Youkilis, they have shown a willingness to eat part of his contract. According to Ken Rosenthal, “The Red Sox are willing to assume a portion of his remaining salary — almost $7 million, along with a $1 million buyout on next year’s $13 million option — to receive better players in return.”

The time has finally come. Red Sox fans could see this day on the horizon. Wherever Youkilis goes, it will better for him and the Red Sox. 

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Remember back in May when Josh Beckett was embroiled in a PR snafu that involved an ill-timed golf outing?

He was supposed to be resting a sore lat muscle but hit the links instead. The worst part about it was that he missed a start.

When he did make his next start he only lasted 2.1 innings against the Cleveland Indians. He allowed seven runs, seven hits and two home runs. He exited the game to a chorus of boos from the Fenway Faithful. 

After the game he showed no contrition for the golf outing. He would not even acknowledge how the golf outing could be perceived in a negative light.

His post-game press conference with went down like this:

Question: Any regrets?

Answer: My off day is my off day.

Question: Given that you were skipped a start with what was described as a tight lat muscle, do people have the right to question why you were golfing?

Answer: Not on my off day.

Question: Do you understand the perception that leaves when the team is playing as poorly as it is?

Answer: We get 18 off days a year. I think we deserve a little time to ourselves. (h/t USA Today)

It seemed the death knells were ringing on Beckett’s time with Boston.

But then something happened.

He started pitching like the Beckett of old. He started pitching like the Beckett who was the undeniable ace of Boston’s staff.

He is 4-6 on the season with a 4.04 ERA. He has 51 strikeouts in 71.1 innings pitched.

But it is what he has done since that 2.1 inning disaster against Cleveland that has Boston fans excited.

Since May 10 Beckett’s ERA is 2.21. He has struck out 25 batters and has walked only five in 36.2 innings pitched. Opponents are only batting .227 against Beckett in that time frame.

Beckett was great in Boston’s tough loss to the Baltimore Orioles on June 6. He went eight innings, struck out five and only allowed two runs.

After the game Bobby Valentine told the Boston Herald, “Those are eight of the best innings I’ve seen all year. He was efficient with great stuff, all of his pitches. We’ll take that every time out.”

He has retaken his throne. Beckett is once again Boston’s ace. 

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