Kuzul

The Boston Red Sox’s top prospects have garnered a lot of attention this spring. However, the team and its fans should be most encouraged by the performance of some of their veteran pitchers who are seeking to rebound from a disappointing 2012 season.

Poor pitching was a major contributor to Boston’s 69-93 record last season. The staff’s cumulative 4.70 ERA ranked 12th in the American League.

Unfortunately, some pitchers—who had been counted on to be stalwarts of the pitching staff—submitted surprisingly ineffective seasons.

Despite the results, the Red Sox brought back some of the more disappointing performers in the hopes that they could turn things around in 2013.

It’s beginning to look like that patience might be rewarded.

Hard-throwing right-hander Daniel Bard was one of the best setup men in baseball for several years before Boston attempted to convert him to a starter last season. It was a disaster: He lost velocity and control, leading to a 6.22 ERA on the season and a highly publicized demotion to the minors.

The 27-year-old Bard arrived at camp this spring without the guarantee of a roster spot or knowing if he would be able to put last year’s troubles behind him.

The Red Sox have been careful with the righty thus far and have restored him to the bullpen. They are starting to see their patience pay off.

Bard has not been scored on in five appearances this spring, while striking out seven and walking two in five innings. Most importantly, his fastball is once again being clocked in the mid-90s.

Once nearly off Boston’s 2013 radar, he is now a serious contender to make the team and try to reclaim his once promising career.

Left-hander Jon Lester entered 2012 firmly entrenched as Boston’s ace. The 29-year-old had a combined 65-32 record in the previous four seasons, making him one of the most exciting pitchers in the game.

His success ended last year, as he went just 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA in 33 starts, while allowing a career-high 25 home runs.

As the most successful and arguably talented pitcher on Boston’s staff, Lester has the heavy burden of returning to form as the team ace in 2013.

Like Bard, Lester has looked very good this spring. New Boston manager John Farrell told WEEI’s Alex Speier that he notices a tangible difference in the southpaw. Those changes have also manifested in his numbers.

Lester has allowed just six hits and two earned runs in 14 innings this spring. He has also struck out 10 batters and has yet to allow a home run. If he can carry that effectiveness over to the regular season, the Red Sox may have their ace back.

The pitcher with the most to prove this season in Boston is the enigmatic John Lackey.

After signing a five-year, $82.5 million free-agent contract with the Red Sox prior to the 2010 season, the right-hander was expected to be a major piece of the rotation for years to come.

Instead, he went 26-23 with a 5.26 ERA in his first two seasons. He also became embroiled in a major clubhouse scandal involving fried chicken, beer and video games. Then he ultimately missed all of 2012 because of Tommy John surgery.

Finally healthy once again, the 34-year-old Lackey is expected to rejoin Boston’s rotation and hopefully provide some consistency that was lacking last year.

His focus was noticeable as soon as he reported to camp, where he was lauded for his impeccable physical condition.

While his spring training results have been uneven (8.10 ERA with four strikeouts in 6.2 official innings), he has impressed with his command and control. Coming back from major surgery, he needs to continue getting work in to shake off the rust.

Most recently, he allowed just one run in five innings against a team comprised of Tampa Bay Ray minor league players.

It’s impossible to hazard a guess as to how Lackey will pitch this season, but signs are encouraging that he is healthy and has a chance to finally start living up to his large contract.

If the Red Sox hope to contend in 2013, they will need a lot of help from their pitching. With spring training now more than half over, some of the pitchers being counted on for rebound seasons are off to promising starts.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

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The Boston Red Sox got closer to finalizing their regular-season roster on Friday, when they decided the fate of their top-two pitching prospects, sending Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa to the minors.

The story was first reported in a tweet by the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton:

Red Sox announce new round of cuts: De La Rosa and Webster to Pawtucket, Vazquez to Portland.

— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) March 15, 2013

The moves were confirmed in a subsequent tweet by MLB.com’s Evan Drellich:

Red Sox optioned Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster to Triple-A Pawtucket, Christian Vazquez to Double-A Portland.

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 15, 2013

De La Rosa and Webster, both right-handed power pitchers, were obtained in a huge trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer, which sent high-priced veterans Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett packing out of Boston.

Although neither Webster nor De La Rosa have thrown a single pitch in a regular season game for the Red Sox, they have rapidly been anointed the face of the future for the team’s pitching staff.

The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham wrote how the 23-year-old Webster rose from relative obscurity as a 2008 18th-round draft pick to become a top prospect.

Webster dominated this spring, allowing just two earned runs in 11 innings, while striking out 14. His numbers were punctuated by stories about his high-90s fastball that wowed players and reporters alike.

De La Rosa is 24 and appeared in 14 games with the Dodgers in 2011 and 2012, sandwiched around Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss nearly a full year. 

Britton reported that De La Rosa came out blazing in his first spring training game this year, hitting 100 mph with his fastball, before struggling with his command and control in his other outings. He finished with a 9.45 ERA in 6.2 innings this spring, while striking out five and walking five.

Fans started comparing De La Rosa to Boston pitching legend Pedro Martinez after ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes reported that the youngster grew up being mentored by the future Hall of Famer.

The fervor only grew when Martinez, who is in his first season as a Boston special assistant, told WEEI’s Rob Bradford that his protégé has a chance to be special.

Instead of starting the year in Boston, both prospects will begin the year in the starting rotation for Triple-A Pawtucket.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see either pitcher in Boston at some point this season, either relieving or starting. Their arrival and usage will likely be dictated by injuries or ineffectiveness impacting the big-league staff.

Also included in the cuts was catcher Christian Vazquez, who drew rave reviews this spring with his stellar defensive play. He will report to Double-A Portland and be the team’s starting backstop.

Although Webster and De La Rosa were cut from camp, it appears to be only a matter of time before they’re both in the majors for good. If they are able to live up to even a fraction of the hype they experienced this spring, they will both have very successful careers.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference 

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Spring training is great. It’s a relaxing, yet entertaining brand of baseball reminiscent of the 1970s and ‘80s. However, spring training obviously has a greater purpose besides the leisurely entertainment we all enjoy.

These six weeks give coaches and fans an idea of the strength of their teams and, in turn, a preview of what the coming season will hold. With the Red Sox just a few short weeks away from heading up north, it’s time to examine just how prepared they are for the upcoming season. 

Here are the Red Sox biggest weaknesses or needs going into the 2013 season.

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The Seattle Mariners are going to have a good season. In fact, they might be one of the surprise teams in 2013. As one might expect, some of the early 2013 predictions (via CBS Sports) are not particularly favorable. One can assume that many previews will keep the Mariners towards the bottom of the American League West.

It isn’t like the M’s are necessarily going to rise up, take the league by storm and make a miracle run to the World Series in 2013. However, this team has real potential and if they can get into a groove, they could make some noise this season. The predictions are not insulting, but there are a few reasons this Seattle Mariners team may be better than some experts think in 2013.

The Mariners will hit

Seattle has struggled to get on base, and this has been a glaring weakness the past few seasons. As noted by Dayn Perry of CBS Sports, “Yes, Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales have pop, but they don’t address the team’s central shortcoming, which is getting on base.”

The reality is that Morales is a career .281 hitter and Morse has hit .295 during his eight-year tenure. Will this not theoretically have a positive impact on a Mariners team that finished with a .234 team average in 2012?

There are other reasons to believe that this team will hit better in 2013. While nothing is guaranteed, it seems reasonable to project that Dustin Ackley will improve on his 2012 average of .226 and Justin Smoak will not hit .217 again. In addition, there is optimism that young players like Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders could continue to progress.

Add in the tutelage of Raul Ibanez, and this team just might produce on offense.

This is not to suggest that Seattle will jump from a team average of .234 to .275 in 2013. However, a .250 average and a .315-.320 OBP seems reasonable. If the Mariners had hit .250 in 2012, they would have ranked 19th in the league, which is lot better than 30th. How many more wins might that have produced?

The future may be now

Perry also notes, “Yes, Seattle’s strength lies not in the present, which, insofar as the 2013 season is concerned, is not a good thing. But as dismal as things are in the short term, the Mariners have cobbled together an exceptional collection of young talent.”

To suggest that the present is “dismal” seems a bit negative given the changes that Seattle has made since the end of last year. This is a team that finished 75-87 in 2012 and arguably improved their roster in the offseason with the additions of Kendrys Morales, Michael Morse and Raul Ibanez.

In addition, it would not be a shock to see some of the top prospects in Seattle this season. Perhaps players like Taijuan Walker, Mike Zunino, Danny Hultzen, James Paxton, Nick Franklin, Stefen Romero and Brandon Maurer will not make their presence felt until 2014 and 2015.

Then again, some of these players have looked pretty good in spring training. Seattle is obviously going to be hesitant to rush their young talent, but why couldn’t the Mariners start infusing young talent into the lineup this season?

Does the plan always have to be focused on two to three seasons from now?

The finish will be strong

It seems reasonable to assume that most experts are going to project that the Mariners will finish fourth in the American League West. The prediction from CBS Sports is in line with this prognostication. Still, there are some flaws in the argument.

The worst-case scenario presented by CBS Sports is that the Mariners will finish in last place. Obviously this prediction is a way for the author to cover his bases (no pun intended), but there is no way that the Houston Astros finish ahead of Seattle. To be fair, anything is possible, but a last-place finish is not going to happen.

This may be a bit bold, but a second-place finish is not out of the realm of possibility for this team. Certainly a lot of things would have to go right, but could the Mariners show offensive growth and maintain their solid pitching? Could this lead to overcoming the Oakland A’s and the Los Angeles Angels or the Texas Rangers?

The Angels and the Rangers obviously have formidable offenses, but pitching is what gets things done in baseball. If either of these teams take a step back on the mound, the Mariners could actually find themselves at the top of the division rather than the familiar cellar.

Perhaps the Mariners will have another mediocre season. Then again, perhaps there is reason for genuine optimism.

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So far in spring training, the Seattle Mariners have looked like world-beaters. Going into Tuesday’s action, the Mariners sat in second place in the Cactus League standings at 11-5 having outscored their opponents by 25 runs while also leading all MLB clubs in home runs with 31.

Now usually any type of Seattle Mariner hot streak is big news for Mariners fans, especially with the lack of success over the past decade, but fans must understand that spring training success has not always translated into the regular season.

In fact, the only team in front of the Mariners in the Cactus League standings is the Kansas City Royals, a team who has struggled through the same kind of futility that the Mariners have over the past several seasons.

Though it is exciting, Mariners fans should look to these three reasons to avoid overreacting to the Mariners’ hot start.

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With the first pitch of the 2013 regular season just 19 days away, there will surely be plenty of journalists making picks and prognostications for teams and players.

In the American League, the Angels and Blue Jays have become trendy picks with the addition of Josh Hamilton in LA and Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle, among others, in Toronto. I’m not convinced either team will have the success they are hoping for.

In the National League, the Dodgers have eclipsed the Yankees as baseball’s highest-spending team but I don’t necessarily see their high payroll correlating to a high win total. On the opposite coast, I see a team from the NL East winning the most games in a season since the 2001 Mariners won 116.

Instead of giving insight for each of the 30 MLB teams, here are my bold predictions for five teams whose records may not be what many expect.

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When Andres Torres signed with the San Francisco Giants, the Giants set up their left field platoon of Gregor Blanco and Torres, both speedy and talented outfielders.

However, after just two weeks of spring training, some of those thoughts have significantly changed. And that’s because of another left-field hopeful that has broken onto the scene.

Francisco Peguero has dominated this spring, hitting .550 (11-for-20) and playing decent defense. Peguero is smoking the baseball and running out ground balls, and he has impressed a lot with his hustle. Peguero will make routine ground balls into close plays, and he sometimes beats out those ground balls with great speed and hustle.

In other words, Peguero has looked a lot better than he did when the Giants called him up late in August of 2012.

Peguero went 3-for-16 after being called up as a backup outfielder, and he looked a bit rattled at the plate. Peguero pinch-ran a lot and stole three bases, and he was never caught. He has lots of speed, and that’s something the Giants value. However, it didn’t translate into immediate success, and Peguero was left off the postseason roster.

Blanco and Torres are both great defensive players, but neither has much pop. Peguero has a lifetime minor league average of .305, and while his plate discipline has brought up concerns, it’s not slowing him down now. Peguero is hitting the ball and hitting it incredibly well, and that’s something the Giants want.

Because the Giants aren’t a team built around big names on offense, they need production from everyone. Having Blanco or Torres, both of whom strike out a lot (25.3 percent strikeout rate combined), isn’t going to be enough. Neither have good batting averages, as neither reached the .245 mark last year.

However, it’s almost guaranteed that one of those guys will start, largely because of their defensive value. On the bench, the Giants would have whichever left fielder doesn’t start, a backup infielder (such as Kensuke Tanaka or Wilson Valdez) and Hector Sanchez. None of those guys has pop, and they won’t help the Giants pinch-hit.

Last year, Giant pinch-hitters hit .218. Peguero could most definitely change that with the ability to record extra-base hits. He can keep the chain moving for the Giants, which is very important considering that the Giants were last in the league with 103 home runs last year.

You could say that Cole Gillespie or even Brett Pill could fill that role, as Pill has pop as a pinch-hitter. However, Pill hit .210 with an offensive wins over replacement (oWAR) of -0.3. Pill needs regular at-bats to succeed, and he won’t get them with Brandon Belt at his natural position, first base.

The transition to left field could also cause a problem for Pill, and that would not be good for the Giants, who need good defense to thrive. Pill has power, but he’s going to have trouble keeping the chain moving. Pill has a .239 batting average in the majors and a .280 batting average in the minors, neither of which stands out. Pill could steal a spot as an infielder, but he’s not going to make the roster as a left fielder.   

Gillespie, however, could make the roster as a left fielder. In 110 career major league at-bats, his batting average is just .236 and his on-base percentage (OBP) is .292, but he has impressive minor league stats. This spring, Gillespie’s batting average is .261, but his OBP is .370 and he has three doubles.

His career major league fielding percentage (.981) is also decent, showing that he can support the Giant pitchers with defense—something that’s very important in San Francisco. However, Peguero has a .1000 fielding percentage in left field and a .979 fielding percentage in the outfield. This suggests that both are good at defense, which is a true statement.

Both can hit, too. Gillespie has a stellar minor league batting average of .290. While it’s not as good as Peguero‘s, it shows he can get hits off the bench. Peguero has better hitting numbers, and he has shown that he wants to start. He’s been outperforming everyone, including Gillespie. If Peguero keeps this up, he will be assured a starting role.

Gillespie is a good all-around player and a nice backup option, but Peguero has more potential. Torres has been hurt a lot, and if he does get hurt again, it could hurt the Giants. Gillespie has struck out in 27.3 percent of his MLB at-bats, and the Giants don’t want guys who strike out. Peguero struck out in 17.9 percent of his minor league at-bats, and he can keep the chain moving with good hits. He’s certainly done that this spring.  

And if he keeps it up, Peguero could even slide past Blanco and Torres and into a starting role.

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The hottest position competition for the Oakland A’s this spring is at second base, which is where one of their hottest hitters happens to play his defense.

Jemile Weeks has had an up-and-down career, having been called up from the minors in 2011, being deemed untouchable in trades that offseason and then being sent back to the minors in 2012.

With the A’s trading Cliff Pennington and losing Stephen Drew in free agency, Weeks has gotten his chance to climb back to the top.  

Weeks has missed some time with an injury this spring, but before getting hurt he was off to a hot start, hitting .545 with a home run in 11 at-bats.

Weeks has given a small sample size, and it is only spring training, but it is worth questioning if Weeks has found his 2011 form where hit .303 after being called-up, or if he is just taking advantage of the inferior competition that is the Cactus League.

If Weeks has truly found his 2011 form, then he will be a great fit with the A’s as Bob Melvin’s everyday second baseman.  Melvin likes to use platoons, but with Weeks being a switch-hitter there would be no need to divide at-bats based on the opposing pitcher.

Weeks is also a threat to steal whenever he gets on base, which would make him a nice No. 2 hitter behind leadoff man Coco Crisp.  

With those two runners on base for the heart of the A’s order (Josh Reddick, Yoenis Cespedes, Brandon Moss), the A’s will have a recipe for a high-scoring offense.

It is still the Cactus League, and the regular season is still about three weeks away, but it can’t hurt to dream of how much better the A’s could be if Weeks can continue his hot spring when he returns from injury and carry that success over to the regular season.

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The Boston Red Sox have had a number of young players like Allen Webster, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rubby De La Rosa make favorable impressions this spring. Most recently, catcher Christian Vazquez is starting to emerge as a top prospect.

Although he is just 22, Vazquez is about to enter his sixth season in the Red Sox organization. He was a ninth-round draft selection in 2008 out of Puerto Rico.

Known earlier in his career as more of a defense-first type of player, he has begun to round out his game and see his stock rise.

In 337 career minor league games, the right-handed hitter has batted a combined .256 with 30 home runs and 183 RBI. He has also thrown out 35 percent of baserunners and reached as high as Double-A this past season.

Vazquez’s best season came in 2011 at Single-A, where he hit .283 with 18 home runs and 84 RBI in 105 games.

Last season, he played in 101 games between High-A and Double A, hitting a combined .254 with seven home runs and 46 RBI. He also led High-A Carolina League by throwing out 42 percent of baserunners.

A squat 5’9”, he is reminiscent of all-time great catcher Ivan Rodriguez. However, the youngster has watched and trained with the Molina brothers (Bayamon, Benji, Jose and Yadier) over the years. “Very good guys. I watched them in winter ball. When I was a kid, I was there watching,” he explained to The Boston Globe‘s Peter Abraham.

Vazquez told MLB.com’s Ian Browne that the primary thing he took away from his time with the Molinas was, “Be quick with your feet and throw to second base as hard as you can.”

He seemingly took that advice to heart with a highlight-worthy play in a recent game, when he made a spectacular throw to nail the Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Plouffe at second on a stolen base attempt, as described by Browne.

WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that Vazquez’s throw to second was timed between 1.75 and 1.82 seconds, which is considered elite.

Red Sox manager John Farrell told Browne that he’s liked what he has seen from the young catcher this spring:

I will say this: He’s a bright-looking prospect behind the plate. He’s durable. This is a guy that’s really come a long way since he signed out of Puerto Rico. He’s really worked his way from a stamina standpoint, overall strength. When his arrival date is here, he’s probably a couple injuries away in the short term. In the long term, he’s got some development left with the bat, but he’s a very good prospect behind the plate.

Despite his need to continue refining his offensive approach, it’s clear that Vazquez has made great strides since starting his career. He has seen his OBP and OPS rise steadily since his first season and his increasing willingness to take a walk (a career-high 48 in 2012) is an excellent sign for a young hitter.

Recently rated by MLB.com as Boston’s 16th-best prospect entering the 2013 season, Vazquez should open the year with Double-A Portland. If he can prove himself capable there, he will be on the threshold of being ready for his major league debut.

Vazquez’s quest to reach the majors could be helped by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway, who are two catchers ahead of him on the organization’s depth chart and more known for their bats than their gloves.

If the Red Sox determine they need to shore up their play behind the plate, the defensive-minded youngster could get the call.

In the meantime, Vazquez will continue to work on his overall game and prepare himself for the next level. If his recent play is any indication, he may not have far to go.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

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Baseball is a fickle mistress.

She doesn’t care how much money a player makes, what the numbers on the back of his baseball card says or how many individual awards a player may have picked up along the way.

The lady has one question: “What have you done for me lately?”

Around baseball, a handful of players are struggling to answer that simple query with anything other than, “Not much, dear.”

The lady grows impatient.

She has taken notice.

We should as well.

While there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played before Opening Day arrives, it’s beginning to get late early for those players still struggling to get themselves on track this spring.

Let’s take a look at 10 players that desperately need to turn things around over the next three weeks.

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