When the New York Yankees went ahead and revamped their starting rotation, trading for 23-year-old pitching phenom Michael Pineda and signing Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal, they immediately became the favorites to win the AL East again in 2012.

On paper, that is. (Allow me this one glimmer of hope, please and thank you. September 2011 was not kind to me.)

It of course prompted immediate speculation on how the Red Sox would respond. What would rookie-GM Ben Cherington do to answer Boston’s biggest rival? Would the Red Sox continue to sit pat? Would they make a play for Roy Oswalt, purportedly only asking for a one-year contract in the range of $8 million? Continue reading Breaking the (Piggy) Bank: Moving Red Sox Payroll »

With their latest addition of Vincente Padilla, the Red Sox continue their spree of signing old and terrible pitchers. To the frustration of many fans, the Red Sox continue to pass on established starters such as Roy Oswalt for the likes of Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook. Meanwhile, the Yankees acquired Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda to create quite the formidable starting rotation. Simply put, the competition got a lot better. Did somebody just say “third place threepeat”? Probably.

Nevertheless, two observations can be made with these “low-risk, high reward” signings. For starters (pun) the Red Sox are really cheap. Secondly, Boston is clearly trying to imitate the 2011 Yankees’ plan of striking lightning by adding pitching depth with low-cost deals. The only problem? The Yankees did it the right way, while the Red Sox are doing it the wrong way. Continue reading Low-Cost Pitching: The 2011 Yankees vs. the 2012 Red Sox »

Uh oh.

Red Sox outfielder underwent surgery on his left wrist in Arizona on Tuesday after experiencing soreness toward the end of the season, and again during offseason workouts.

“It was consistent with soreness he had periodically over the last several years, but more concerning to Carl given the time of year he was feeling it,” said Cherington.

Cherington added that Crawford could be ready by Opening Day, but may miss some time during the early part of the season. Continue reading Carl Crawford Undergoes Left Wrist Surgery »

Jason Varitek is gone. Now it’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia‘s turn.

The Red Sox signed Saltalamacchia to a one-year, $2.5 million contract Sunday, the Boston Globe reported, avoiding arbitration and giving Saltalamacchia a $1.75 million bump over his 2011 salary.

Continue reading Red Sox Ink Jarrod Saltalamacchia to One-Year, $2.5 Million Deal »

Friday night, the New York Yankees, quiet players in the offseason to this point, made two moves to improve their chances in the AL East. GM Brian Cashman shipped top prospect Jesus Montero, a possible catcher and probable DH, to the Seattle Mariners for breakout star Michael Pineda. Later that night, he let the second shoe drop – signing free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda.

The past few seasons have not been kind to baseball’s perennial powerhouses. Both New York and Boston have found that their ability to roll over most of the league in the regular season is not necessarily a precursor to playoff success or, in the Red Sox case, even  guaranteed entry to the post season. Through the mid-2000s, sought after players were often fought over in bidding wars between these titans, and the American League Wild Card was the consolation prize that allowed both teams to play into October. Continue reading Yankees Rebuild Rotation with Acquisitions of Pineda, Kuroda »

While this Red Sox offseason has been relatively quiet outside of the trade for closer Andrew Bailey and the hiring of Bobby Valentine as manager, they have made a little noise lately with regards to their starting rotation. General manager Ben Cherington signed veterans Carlos Silva and Aaron Cook to minor league contracts to add potential depth to the Sox pitching staff.

Pitching in 2012

As of this date in January, the Red Sox will enter Spring Training with many questions and stories, but the most significant for the team going forward is who will secure the last two spots in the rotation behind Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz. Meanwhile, what can realistically be expected of those three considering the ups and downs each has faced over the last couple of years? Continue reading Red Sox Pitching Preview: Health Key to Success in 2012 »

Spring Training is only getting closer and the Red Sox still find themselves with only 3/5 of a legitimate, albeit injury prone rotation. Nevertheless, Boston seems content riding the course, with low risk (and probably low reward) moves. Does Aaron Cook get you excited? It shouldn’t. Futhermore, the Sox seem unwilling to pony up for a more capable starter such as Roy Oswalt or Hiroki Kuroda. And rumor has it that not terrible starting pitchers don’t exactly come cheap.

With such a dismal rotation, it would be fair to assume that the Red Sox would be desperate for a decent starting pitcher, let alone an above average one. So when a pitcher such as Chicago Cubs’ starter, Matt Garza, is potentially available via trade, the Red Sox would seem like a logical trading partner. Unfortunately there is a catch–If he is going to trade Garza to the Red Sox, Theo Epstein is going to want compensation. Continue reading Dealing with the Cubs: Thoughts on Matt Garza, Theo Epstein, & Compensation »