Kuzul

Dustin Pedroia won the 2008 AL MVP.  Based on that victory, Robinson Cano should run away with the AL MVP this year. 

It’s important to compare Cano’s year to Pedroia‘s and expose some truths about baseball, position scarcity, and the real value of players.

First off, Pedroia and Cano are good comparisons because they both play second base for strong AL East teams.  They play(ed) in the same road ballparks, in the same division and they both played in strong lineups, in hitter friendly home parks

Here’s a quick comparison of their stats.

Pedroia (2008) 54 doubles, 118 runs, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 20 SB 50 BB 322 TB .326/.376/.493 122 OPS+ 5.2 WAR  4.63 range factor, .982 fielding percentage

Cano (2010)    36 doubles, 93 runs,  26 HR, 95 RBI, 2  SB 50 BB 289 TB .318/.381/.544 151 OPS+ 6.2 WAR  5.00 range factor, .996 fielding percentage

Cano and the Yankees have 22 games left this season.

Cano can already lay claim to having a better season than Pedroia.  His OPS+ is significantly higher and his WAR is currently a win better. 

With another month of games to go Cano can easily pad that lead.

Pedroia does have an advantage in some of the counting stats. 

Cano is unlikely to match his run total and he won’t approach Pedroia‘s 20 stolen bases or his 54 doubles. 

But other counting stats favor Cano. 

He has significantly more home runs, more RBI, and more walks.  His margin in these categories will only grow over the final 22 games.  Cano can probably catch Pedroia in total bases seeing as he’s averaged 57 per month and he’ll probably finish around 10 runs short of Pedroia.

A small indicator that speaks to each player’s hitting prowess and level of respect from pitchers is the difference in intentional walks.  Pedroia had one in 2008. Cano has 12 so far this year.

Pedroia won his MVP easily, collecting 16 of 28 first place votes and a 317 total points.  Justin Morneau finished second, 60 points behind. 

Like Cano, Pedroia played on a team competing with the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East.

The 2008 Red Sox won 95 games and finished second, two games behind the surprising Rays.  The Red Sox qualified for the wild card and later lost to Tampa Bay in the ALCS.

This year Cano has helped propel the Yankees to a one game lead over Tampa Bay.  The Yankees are nearly assured of a playoff berth. They currently boast an eight game advantage over Boston, the second place team in the AL wild-card standing.

Like the 2008 Red Soxs, this year’s Yankees will duel with the Rays for the division title over the wild-card.  The Yankees and Rays are both on target for 95-100 wins.

If Dustin Pedroia can win an MVP with the season he had in 2008, Cano should be in serious contention this season.

That being said, there are other players in the mix for the AL MVP.

Josh Hamilton is having an amazing year.  He’s helped the Rangers to a commanding lead in the NL West by hitting a MLB high .361. Jose Bautista has emerged from nowhere to slug .623 and threaten the 50 home run plateau. Miguel Cabrera is leading the AL in .OBP, .SLUG, .OPS+, and the category MVP voters adore the most, RBI.

The difference between Hamilton, Bautista, Cabrera, and Cano comes down to position scarcity. 

Hamilton and Bautista are outfielders.  Cabrera is a first baseman.

It’s much easier to find good hitters at these positions than it is to find one at second base.

For example Hamilton leads all outfielders with a 1.050 OPS, drop down 200 points (or a little less than 20 percent) and you still have quality hitters like Torri Hunter, Shin-Soo Choo, Delmon Young, Vernon Wells, Carl Crawford, Alex Rios, and Carlos Quentin. There are 10 AL outfielders within 250 points of Hamilton’s OPS.  (Hamilton recently hurt his ribs and has not played since September 4th.  The Rangers have not given a date for his return.)

The same thing happens at first base. 

Cabrera’s OPS is 1.077.  If we drop down 200 points we find all-star first basemen like Mark Teixeira (.880), Kendry Morales (.833), and Billy Butler (.831). Besides Cabrera, there are three other AL first basemen with an .OPS over .975. 

Cano at second base is an entirely different story.

Second base is a premium defensive position, not known for producing players who are strong offensive contributors. Offense from a second baseman is more important than offense from a corner outfielder.  It is even more important than strong contributions from a first baseman.

This is where Cano stands out.

Cano currently has an OPS of .951.  No other AL second baseman is within 91 points of this mark (among ones with at least 300 plate appearances). 

Only four second basemen are within 20 percent of Cano’s mark.  (Orlando Hudson barely makes it at .760). 

The AL second baseman with the sixth highest OPS is Sean Rodriguez (.711). 

The sixth highest outfielder is Torri Hunter (.845) and the sixth highest first baseman is Billy Butler (.831).

Hamilton is the leading contender for MVP.  His numbers are fantastic and his team is running away with the division.  But his injury limits his ability to pad his numbers down the stretch.

The advantage that Robinson Cano gives the Yankees through his production at second base is greater than the contribution made by Hamilton and other MVP candidates at their position.

This argument is sealed by the statistic of WAR or wins above replacement.  WAR not only factors in fielding, it also factors in position scarcity or the value of production from that position.

Here are the AL leaders:

Robinson Cano   6.5

Miguel Cabrera  6.4

Evan Longoria   6.2

Josh Hamilton   6.0

Justin Morneau  5.4

Jose Bautista   5.2

Joe Mauer        5.2

Shin-Soo Choo   5.2

When Pedroia won the 2008 MVP he finished tied for eighth in WAR.

Cano is having a better season than Pedroia did in 2008.  He is having arguably the best season in the AL.  If Pedroia can win the MVP in 2008, Cano should certainly win it in 2010 if things remain the same for the reminder of the season. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Being a fan of the Boston Red Sox is never easy. After spending decades of relishing in the role as the lovable losers, the Red Sox finally won a World Series ring. In fact they went on to win more than one championship and people began to expect them to win. As a fan, I also began to believe that every year the Red Sox, my team, could win it all.

I began a ritual of placing a wager on the Red Sox every year to win the American League East and the World Series. This year, Just Bet listed the Red Sox as 3-1 underdogs to win the A.L. East, and 10-1 to win the World Series.

I placed my bet and began to dream about a big payout, and another World Series ring for the Sox. I have come to realize that in late August, the dream is over. For those of you that still believe, you would be thrilled to know that at Just Bet.com the Red Sox are now18 to 1 to win the A.L. East and 35 to 1 to win it all!

At the beginning of the year if you were to tell me the Red Sox would have a slew of injuries throughout the year, and still have over 70 wins in late August, I would be thrilled.

That is exactly what has happened.

The problem is in the AL East that is just good enough for third place and roughly six games behind the leader. In any other division in baseball the Red Sox would own the lead, or be fighting for the lead, but not in the A.L. East.

The Red Sox are trailing both the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays as the season winds down and things are looking grim. It’s not that six games is an insurmountable lead, but the obstacles that stand in the way of the Red Sox are very daunting.

The first place to start is the schedule.

The Red Sox schedule to end the year is frightening. The Sox have struggled against the teams remaining on the schedule. That last stretch includes 12 games against division rivals the Yankees and Rays, a short six game trip to the West Coast, and seven out of the last ten games are on the road.

For those that would argue the Sox can make up games against Baltimore and Seattle, two cellar dwellers on the schedule, think again. The Sox are a woeful 8-8 against those teams this year and Baltimore is playing much better since Buck Showalter was hired as head coach.

I do applaud the way that the Sox played this year with all the injuries they had to endure, but it’s only gotten worse. Kevin Youkilis, Mike Cameron, and Jacoby Ellsbury are all done for the season taking both offense and defense away from this team. Dustin Pedroia recently returned from injury, but was placed back on the disabled list just three days later.

The injuries have dismantled the offense, and if you’re looking for pitching to bail out the Sox, guess again. The Red Sox are currently 20th in the league in Earned Run Average (ERA) behind several opponents that they play again before the year is over to include Oakland and (you guessed it) New York and Tampa Bay. The once unhittable Jonathan Papelbon has six blown saves on the year and an ERA over three. In short, the pitching is not living up to the hype.

The dream is over Red Sox nation; the 2010 version of your favorite team is not going to the post season. We as a nation can blame it on injuries, being in the toughest division in baseball, or just bad luck, but it’s over.

The best we can hope for is that we play spoiler in the last three game set of the season and stop the hated Yankees from winning another division title.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There are several managers in Major League Baseball who have put together a solid case for Manager of the Year. I have selected my top three front runners for the award.

Many baseball fans view managers like cloths on a stripper, they are useless excuses for keeping you from what you really want to see.

To win the honors for Manager of the Year they need to achieve at least one of the following accomplishments.

1. Exceed preseason expectations

2. Manage the team through great adversity

3. Take the team to the post-season

Dusty Baker / Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are currently in the lead of the NL Central by 3.5 games over the preseason heavy favorite, St. Louis Cardinals.

Before the season started I predicted they would be in the mix for the wildcard, but would fall short to the Atlanta Braves, currently leading the NL East by 3 games.

The Reds have a legitimate shot at making the post-season and large part of that is do to the amazing surprise play of Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and the entire pitching staff.

However, Baker has to get a lot of credit for managing a team that many thought was a year or two away from being this competitive. The one down fall I would credit Baker with is the over use of closer Francisco Cordero—this is something that will come back to haunt him in September and October.

Bud Black / San Diego Padres

Currently the Padres have the best record in the National League. To say that Black has done a good job this season, would be like saying Jennifer Aniston looks okay naked.

I was way off on my preseason prediction of the Padres, and only recently was willing to admit that I think this team is for real.

Until the recent trade deadline acquisitions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick this offense looked less intimidating than most little league teams —with the exception of Adrian Gonzalez.

Black had his players over achieving all season long by stealing and calling timely hit-and-run plays.

They lost arguably one of their best pitchers in the first week of the season in Chris Young and still lead the league in team ERA.

The NL West is the second toughest division in baseball and Black has his team at the top, cruising to the playoffs.

Terry Francona / Boston Red Sox

The Sox play in the best division in baseball. They make up half of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. I’m not a Sox fan, in fact I’m kind of a closet fan of their greatest enemies.

However, I can’t ignore the incomprehensible job Francona has done managing a team that has suffered so many key injuries.

On top of this fact they still have a chance at the post-season, sitting 6.5 games back of the New York Yankees and 5.5 games back of the wildcard leading Tampa Bay Rays.

I personally don’t think they have a chance at making the playoffs this year—I’m not just saying that to rile up Boston fans, I predicted it before the season as well.

Dustin Pedroia has spent significant time on the DL, Jacoby Ellsbury has been out for most of the season and will likely miss the remainder, and my personal favorite Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis is out for the year.

Many other key contributors have spent time on the DL including supposed ace pitcher Josh Beckett. Francona hasn’t even been able to count on Beckett for a big start all season.

To me Beckett is overrated and suffers from injuries every season. I’ll give you the fact that he is dominant in the post-season, but needs to stay healthy and pitch better in the regular season before I believe he is among the best.

Earlier in the season he lit a fire under the overrated, overweight, lovable David Ortiz and got more production from him than many people thought he had left.

Francona is on of the best managers the game has seen in years. Francona always says and does the right things in my opinion, and the way he has kept his team in the race and juggled the lineup on a seemingly night-to-night basis makes him the leader for Manager of the Year.

Check out my weekly “Sluggers and Slugs” column for other honorable mentions

Looking to follow sports fans on Twitter

Locker Talk – Weekly Sports Podcast

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Adrian Beltre has been absolutely sensational for the Boston Red Sox this year. That’s the thing though; it’s been one sensational year. Beltre’s track record says he will never have a batting average over .300 or an OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) over .900 ever again.

With an on base percentage of .366, Beltre hasn’t been on base this much since 2004 when he had an OBP of .388. His 162 game average is .328. As recently as 2009, Beltre was on base at a clip of .304. He has also had an OPS lower than .800 nine times in his thirteen year career.

Can the Red Sox really count on Beltre to produce this much next year? Quite frankly, the reason he signed here in the first place for such a low salary was to set himself up for a long-term deal at age 31. By rewarding him with an extension, the Sox would be giving him the chance to stop working hard.

The last time Adrian Beltre signed a long-term deal was in 2005. He signed a five-year, $64 million deal with the Seattle Mariners after a career year in which he hit 48 home runs with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004. Looks like the Dodgers made the right decision to let him walk.

That’s exactly the approach the Red Sox need to take. Beltre’s track record speaks for itself. Have a monstrous season, get paid, stop working hard. After 2004, he was supposed to be in the prime of his career at age 26. Instead, he hit .255 with an OPS of .716 and had just 19 home runs in 156 games.

Beltre’s defensive prowess has also been grossly exaggerated. He leads all American League third basemen with 16 errors and it isn’t the first time he’s led the league in errors. Beltre did the same thing in 2007. Somehow he won one of his two gold gloves that year.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Adrian Beltre for everything he’s done this year for the Red Sox. He’s a very good hitter but his motivation has to be a question moving forward. It appears that he only plays well when there’s money on the line. An extension would also leave the Sox with little flexibility in the offseason when Adrian Gonzalez and Prince Fielder will likely hit the trade market. Kevin Youkilis could just slide over to third base if the Sox are able to find a power hitting first baseman.

It’s simple: Pay Adrian Beltre and you will pay. Just ask Seattle.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The second base position just got a whole lot beefier, as today three of the position’s top guns have been activated from the disabled list. Proud owners of Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, and Martin Prado have been forced to plug holes with stragglers like Adam Kennedy and Blake DeWitt. Now is your time to rejoice.

Dustin Pedroia returns to the Red Sox after breaking his left foot nearly two months ago on June 26. In his stead, Bill Hall received the majority of starts at 2B, with Eric Patterson and Jed Lowrie also seeing action. Hall hit 12 homers after Pedroia went down, providing decent numbers for fantasy owners. Hall will likely get significant starts in CF with Jacoby Ellsbury heading back to the DL after more pain in his slow healing fractured ribs. While Pedroia might not be 100 percent game ready, he is still a must start in all leagues. But be wary, he does tend to run in red-hot and ice-cold streaks. A slow start is a realistic expectation while he shakes off the rust. He was hitting .292 with 12 HR and 41 RBI prior to the injury, and had raised his average .38 points in June (from .254).

Right thumb surgery has sidelined Chase Utley since June 29. It had long been speculated that Utley was struggling with the thumb, forcing him to make adjustments to his swing. That could very well be the reason for his average production in the season’s first three months. His .277, 11 HR, 37 RBI stat line looks solid for most second baseman, but for Utley those figures are a disappointment. If Utley is pain free, expect a big final push from him once he settles in. His stroke is the epitome of ‘simple’ and it shouldn’t take him long to rediscover it. Placido Polanco will now shift back to third base full time, and Wilson Valdez will hit the bench. The 32-year-old Valdez did a more than admirable job being thrust into regular action, but was never a fantasy option.

A career utility man, Martin Prado’s fractured finger might have come at an ideal time (well, no injury is ideal). His batting average had plummeted .22 points from .337 to .315 in the month of July suggesting he needed a breather. Maybe sitting on the sidelines for a short while and re-energizing his body will be a positive in the long run. Unlike his 2B compatriots, he’s only been out since July 31 and could find his groove in a flash. All-star selection Omar Infante continued to rake in his absence putting up seven multi-hit games thus far in August. Infante possesses position eligibility all over the diamond, and should continue to see regular ABs at third base with Chipper Jones on the shelf for the year. Once again, Troy Glaus could be the big loser.

In other injury news, Charlie Manuel characterized first baseman Ryan Howard’s chances of returning to the lineup before Friday as “slim”. Howard has been out since August 2 with sprained ligaments in his ankle. He’s eligible to come off the DL today, but that’s obviously not happening. How exactly the Phillies plan to handle his rehabilitation remains unclear. Patience is the key my fantasy brethren, patience. Meanwhile, Mike Sweeney will continue to get the bulk of starts at 1B and is a realistic option in NL-only leagues until big number six returns.

Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Look for Adam’s weekly insight into MiLB & MLB ball.

Who will have the strongest return out of Pedroia, Utley or Prado?
Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on twitter @TheFantasyFix

__________________________________________________________________

Here are some more articles that will smack some sense into you…

Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy Baseball Forecast: Week 20’s Two-Start Pitchers & Mike Stanton

Well Hello Morrow! 17Ks & Why He Should Be On Your Fantasy Team

Fix’s AAA Farm Report

Sabermetric Series: BABIP For Dummies

2010 Fantasy Baseball’s Second Half Ranks: Closers

Fantasy Baseball’s Top 50 Pitchers Post All-Star Break  

MLB Fantasy Baseball Second Half Ranks: Third Base

MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Ranks: Second Base  
 
MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Ranks: First Base

MLB Fantasy Baseball Post ASB Positional Ranks: Catcher

Easy Steals and Cheap Thrills

MLB Closer Carousel: American League Report & Fantasy Baseball Implications

Fantasy Football

Why Tony Romo & Phillip Rivers Should Lead Your Fantasy Team

2010 Fantasy Football’s Top Ten Running Backs: Not Named Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson or MJD

2010 Fantasy Football’s Most Under & Overrated Running Backs

2010 Fantasy Football’s Most Under & Overrated Quarterbacks

Fantasy Football’s Late Round Fliers

MAURICE JONES-DREW & THE SIRIUS XM 2010 CELEBRITY FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT

2010 Sirius XM Fantasy Football Draft Recap

More Good Reads from the Fix Fellas!

MLB Records Are Meant To Be Broken! A Fantasy Fix Roundtable Adventure    
What a Bunch of Dicks: Baseball’s Funniest Names    
Fantasy Baseball Geeks: Meet Kelly Slater
Fantasy Surfer: Jeffreys Bay Recap

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Nervous about the trade deadline in your fantasy baseball league? Don’t be. The Chinstrap Ninjas have you covered.

Be sure to start by checking out my 10 tips to pull off the perfect fantasy baseball trade deadline deal.

Then, check out the following players you should be targeting as you begin last-minute negotiations with an eye to your fantasy playoffs/championship…

First, let me be frank and point out that making deals at this point in the season can be hard. Players that have struggled throughout this much of the year aren’t as likely to magically turn it around for the final month-plus of regular season action.

For example, Matt Kemp was a first-to second-round fantasy outfielder heading into this season, but can’t get it together. He’s been in and out of the lineup working on his swing, his confidence, and his plate discipline. Sure, at this point you’ll get him cheaper than ever, but what are the odds he’ll turn it around for the stretch run?

If you can get him cheap enough, than go ahead and hope for the best. Just don’t give up too much in the process.

One category of players that offer some decent value with a chance to bring you immediate dividends are those that are coming off the DL or soon to come off the DL.

Those who took previous Chinstrap Ninjas advice and snagged Brian Roberts before he came off the DL are currently reaping the benefits. Some players who could follow suit include:

Dustin Pedroia, who is being fast-tracked back to the majors as early as this coming Tuesday, is a player I avoided in preseason drafts because I wasn’t thrilled about his ADP. However, as a player who missed a ton of time this season with a broken foot, there is little doubt that Pedroia could offer some nice value in middle-infield slots, especially in batting average.

He should produce well enough in other categories to be a worthwhile add if you can get him for the right price.

Chase Utley, just a day ago, was targeting a September return. Now, suddenly, he is in a minor league rehab stint with an outside chance at returning next week or the week after.

Of course, any time a team rushes a player back from injury, there is reason to be concerned about additional struggles or injuries. Be sure to remind your leaguemates of that as you target him cheaply in trades hoping/banking on his talent outweighing his physical woes as the Phillies battle down the stretch for the NL-East pennant.

Andrew Bailey may not see a return to the majors as quickly as Pedroia or Utley, but within the next two weeks, he could be back closing games with the Athletics. Again, you don’t want to sell the farm for him, but you should be able to snag him at a discount price.

Kyle Lohse hasn’t pitched in the bigs since May 22, but is due back to the majors this weekend after a dominating performance in the minors. He may not be a stud pitcher, but as a back-end starter, he could give you a nice boost in wins, ERA, and a few strikeouts to boot.

Other players I’m personally targeting before the fantasy trade deadline:

Jonathan Broxton lost his job as closer, temporarily, after struggles over the past month. There is little doubt that he has more than enough ability to regain the dominance he showed earlier in the season, and I’m banking that his short break from closing duties will be enough of a spark to get him there.

Strike now in a deal as owners worry about his sudden demotion.

Mark Buerhle is the fantasy baseball version of Rodney Dangerfield… he doesn’t get any respect. Sure, Buerhle isn’t going to strike out tons of batters, but he is going to help your team ERA, WHIP, and wins without giving you too many ulcers in the process.

Fantasy owners seem drawn to the flash of other pitchers and are quick to devalue Buerhle’s quiet consistency. Don’t be one of those people.

Fantasy owners rejoiced when Josh Beckett returned from the DL not too long ago. However, struggles on the mound have quieted those cheers. So much so, in some leagues, where you can get Beckett on the cheap.

Pitchers more than any other position depend on getting into a groove and riding there as long as possible. It was hard for Beckett to find that groove so far this season due to injuries and inconsistency around him. I personally think he’ll buckle down and produce some nice numbers down the stretch.

Be sure to check out the other players I’m targeting right now as fantasy leagues reach their trade deadline.

Tempted to jump ship? We have all you need to prepare for a successful fantasy football season.

For all your hard-hitting fantasy baseball and fantasy football advice, go to www.chinstrapninjas.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The last time the Boston Red Sox missed the playoffs was in 2006. Much like this season, 2006 was an injury-riddled year that most fans considered a write-off. The organization would never admit it, but it felt the same way as this year.

It was worth it though, because the very next season the Red Sox would be crowned World Series champions. However, the rings wouldn’t come without a little pain and suffering.

The Sox won just 86 games in 2006 and allowed more runs (825) than they scored (820). Outside of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, who combined to hit 89 home runs, the offense was absolutely atrocious. Curt Schilling held the pitching staff’s lowest ERA at 3.97. Could this team do anything right?

2006 wasn’t a completely horrible year though. Sox fans got a glimpse of the future.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia would make his debut on August 22nd. After winning the Rookie of the Year Award (2007) and the MVP Award (2008), Pedroia became a fan favorite in Boston. He is without question the team leader and spokesman. Perhaps Ryan Kalish can be the 2010 version of Dustin Pedroia?

2006 would also be the breakout year for the future career saves leader, Jonathan Papelbon. As a 25-year-old rookie, Papelbon posted a 0.92 ERA and saved 35 games. Since then, he has saved 178 games.

While there were certainly bright spots such as Papelbon and Pedroia, 2006 was an extremely depressing season. Papelbon, Jason Varitek, Manny Ramirez, and Keith Foulke were each out for an extended period due to injury. As if this wasn’t bad enough, Jon Lester was diagnosed with cancer in August.

This was the worst news of all. Lester was a promising young pitcher who pitched solidly up until a few weeks before the diagnosis. Oh, and it was cancer. Nobody ever would wish that upon another human being.

The injuries to the 2006 team don’t compare to the 2010 team in the sense of number of games missed. It was more the timing of the injuries; most of them happened in August or September. The team won nine games in August and that was pretty much the end of that.

On this date in 2006, the Red Sox had a 65-45 record and were only two games behind the New York Yankees. All of a sudden, once August came and went, the season was gone.

The problem for this year’s team is that the injuries all came at once and the Red Sox were left with a AAA lineup for most of the season. The list of players who have been on the DL is so extensive, it’s laughable.

Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis (out for the rest of the season), Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Jason Varitek, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Mike Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Lowell, Jeremy Hermida, and Daisuke Matsuzaka. This year’s team still has a fighting chance despite all the injuries and bullpen struggles in the first four-plus months.

Six players have practically carried the team on their backs through this injury-riddled season: Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltre, David Ortiz, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Daniel Bard. Unfortunately, Kevin Youkilis is out for the rest of the season. Somebody is going to have to step up.

Terry Francona has to be given an enormous amount of credit. He has been forced to make adjustments to the lineup every day and, for the most part, it appears that he’s pressed all the right buttons.

The Red Sox are currently just five games out of first place in the American League East, with 12 games against the Rays and Yankees to wrap up the season. The Rays and Yankees are practically neck and neck atop the East, only a half game apart. Any win over either of them is a step in the right direction.

The biggest contrast regarding the complexion of the AL East now and four years ago is that the Rays were still mediocre back then. It was pretty much just the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Blue Jays finished ahead of the Sox in the final standings, but they were no better than they are now. The Sox were just that bad and had that much bad luck as far as injuries were concerned.

The Sox have actually had a lot more injury problems this year. Another key difference has been the strength of this year’s pitching staff compared to the mediocrity four years ago.

In 2006, the rotation was Josh Beckett (5.01 ERA), Curt Schilling (3.97 ERA), Tim Wakefield (4.63 ERA), Jon Lester (4.76 ERA), and Matt Clement (6.61 ERA). Julian Tavarez was also slotted as the “spot starter” who filled in because of injuries. He wasn’t very impressive either, carrying a 4.47 ERA.

This year’s regular starters have been much better. I would take a staff consisting of Jon Lester (3.07 ERA), Clay Buchholz (2.66 ERA), John Lackey (4.48 ERA), Daisuke Matsuzaka (3.96 ERA), and Tim Wakefield (5.54 ERA) over the 2006 staff any day of the week.

This year’s team has done considerably well if you take into account all the injuries. Only five games out of first place and 4.5 games out of the wild-card spot, the Red Sox have a chance to surprise everybody. If they win the division, Adrian Beltre has to be considered a favorite to win the MVP Award.

All in all, after closely analyzing both seasons, it doesn’t look like this is anything like 2006. While 2006 had a lot of key injuries, their mediocrity was more because of the players they put onto the field not performing.

The injuries the 2010 team has faced have no comparison. There have just been so many more key injuries to key players all throughout the season. There hasn’t been a day since the first week of the season that the Opening Day lineup has all been on the field.

It would seem logical to give up on this team now, but with a strong August, it’s in the playoffs. I’m not going to give up on this team but I’m not going to hold my breath. All fans have been saying is “Once this team is healthy…”

The thing is, it never will be. Maybe it’s a problem with the medical staff. The Red Sox just can’t stay healthy.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Every team has to deal with injuries.

During 2010, no team has had to deal with a greater number of injuries and illnesses than the Boston Red Sox, culminating Wednesday when it was announced that Gold Glove first baseman Kevin Youkilis, arguably the team’s most important player, was to have season-ending surgery on his right thumb.

Considering the injuries this season, it is incredible that the Sox have been able to remain in touching distance of the league leading Yankees and Rays.

With several players returning to health recently, Boston fans were hoping that the team would now be able to mount an assault on the AL East and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

Then came the news on Youk. Just in time for a four game series in The Bronx.

If the Red Sox do fail to make the playoffs, they may look at the following 10 injuries as some of the biggest reasons why.

Begin Slideshow

When Dustin Pedroia went down with a broken foot in San Francisco and a diagnosis of six weeks off, all of Red Sox nation quickly plucked the calendar off the wall and thumbed through to the beginning of August.

The math brought you right to this weekend’s series with the Yankees, providing a glimmer of hope that the spark-plug second baseman could return in time to help save the season.

Unfortunately, Kevin Youkilis’ thumb had other ideas.

Youkilis tore a muscle in his thumb this week, and will require season-ending surgery.

Never before has such a phrase been more fitting. Youkilis’ surgery will almost certainly end this season.

For the Red Sox.

Boston has survived a remarkable rash of injuries with impressive performances up and down the roster and downright uplifting debuts from the likes of Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava and, most recently, Ryan Kalish (who appears to be carving himself a spot on the roster for the next several seasons).

But the team remains more than five games out of a playoff spot, despite treading water at a rate sure to make any lifeguard gush. Victor Martinez returned to provide some punch, but with both Youkilis and Pedroia out of the lineup right now and the prospect of Youk being gone until next March, things are looking remarkably bleak.

The Sox were having a hard time making up ground with Youk in the lineup. With him on the shelf, it becomes a near impossible task. Thankfully the Red Sox botched the Mike Lowell situation so badly they still had him lying around, and he’ll be an acceptable replacement at the dish. But nobody can bring the combination of offensive and defensive prowess Youkilis possesses, and his infectious fire will be even harder to replace.

Youkilis has quietly turned himself into one of the best players in the league. He can play two positions at a Gold Glove level, can hit just about anywhere in the lineup—including the cleanup spot, which he has manned well all year—and will generally finish in the .300-30-100 range.

And he’s also proven to be remarkably durable. He rarely misses time, and the first prolonged stretch without him in the starting lineup is going to be a painful test for the Sox.

It’s been a bizarre season for the Sox, one that has drawn repeated comparisons to the 2006 campaign that saw a rash of injuries, few reinforcements at the trading deadline and a pair of devastating injuries to Jason Varitek and Jonathan Papelbon that ruined things down the stretch.

Those comparisons continue this weekend. It was in August of 2006 that the Yankees strode into Fenway Park and streamrolled their way to a devastating and now infamous five-game sweep that put the lights out.

The Yankees have a chance to do the same this weekend.

And even if the series doesn’t result in a sweep, the Sox are going to have to come up with something of a miracle to avoid fading to black again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Weeks ago, most of Red Sox Nation seemed to give up on the idea that the Sox could overtake the Yankees and win the AL East. The conventional wisdom was that the team was now fighting to overtake the Rays for the Wild Card spot.

But things have recently changed. 

In the last 10 games, the Yankees are 5-5, while the Rays have gone 9-1, tying New York for the AL East lead. 

For their part, the Red Sox are 6-4 in the last 10 games. But they are just 8-9 since the All Star break, putting them 6 ½ in back of the Yankees and Rays for both the AL East title and the Wild Card. 

It is increasingly looking like 95 wins won’t be enough to get the Sox into the postseason this year. To win 100 games, they will need to go 40-16 the rest of the way, which includes 10 games against the Yankees, six against the Rays, and seven against the first-place White Sox.

I’m not here to say that’s impossible, but it’s fair to say it’s highly unlikely.

The Red Sox are the walking wounded and look like a MASH unit. Last night, Eric Patterson, Ryan Kalish, and Daniel Nava played in the outfield. Who could have imagined that in April? Most fans had never even heard of any of them.

Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury are all out. As customary, Terry Francona never knows when JD Drew will be hurt and unable to play.

Drew has played in 94 games so far this season. If he plays in the remaining 56 (an unlikely scenario), he will reach 150 games, or four more than he’s ever played in any season of his 12-year career.

Francona is dealing with unpredictability on a nightly basis. 

Darnell McDonald has played in more big league games this season than in his entire career with three previous clubs. And when the season started, who could have guessed that Bill Hall would have appeared in 76 games and have over 200 at-bats for the Sox? That’s more than Varitek, Ellsbury, and Cameron; simply unpredictable.

The surprising Red Sox offense has suddenly cooled. In the 17 games since the break, the Sox have scored more than four runs just six times. And they have scored three or less seven times. 

Increasingly, Red Sox starters have to be dominant, and go at least seven innings, for the team to win. The Sox’ bullpen has been lamentable, to say the least, this season.

Yes, there are still waiver deals that can be completed in August, but it’s likely that none of them will have significant impact. For better or worse, this is the team.

Yes, they will eventually see the returns of Varitek, Pedroia and perhaps even Ellsbury (don’t hold your breath). But by then, it may be too little, too late.

To further add to the team’s woes and misery, Kevin Youkilis was placed on the 15-day DL today due to a ruptured muscle in his right thumb. If the muscle fully tears, it would result in a serious injury requiring surgery. Such an injury could potentially affect his career.

As it is, Youkilis’ season, like that of the Red Sox, is in jeopardy. 

In this decade, it’s unusual to declare that the Red Sox season is over and lost in August, but at this point, that seems to be the case.

One hundred wins is just wildly unrealistic.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com