After an emotional day that saw Justin Masterson get traded to the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox had to get back to the business of playing baseball. No matter what emotions they were feeling, they had to go out and try to beat the Baltimore Orioles.
They did just that using the long ball despite a not so stellar effort from John Smoltz as they beat the O’s 6-5. Kevin Youkilis had the big blast as it was his 2-run homer in the 7th that gave the local nine the win. Jacoby Ellsbury had a home run and saved the game with an amazing catch to rob Luke Scott of a home run. David Ortiz also homered for the second straight game after being implicated in the 2003 steroids scandal.
It’s been 16 hour since the trade deadline and I’m sure we’ve all had time to digest what happened yesterday. Overall, I’m pleased with the addition of Victor Martinez but seriously confused by the Casey Kotchman/Adam LaRoche swap.
What does concern me though is losing Masterson and why Theo Epstein didn’t go after some starting pitching.
Given the state of the Red Sox rotation with only Josh Beckett and Jon Lester being consistent, it’s baffling to me that Theo thinks this rotation can get it done. Yes, Tim Wakefield has also been consistent but he’s currently on the DL and you just don’t know what you’re going to get out of him when he does return.
Obviously Smoltz hasn’t been the Smoltz that he or we are accustomed to. And Brad Penny, while he’s growing on me, can’t pitch 7 innings if his life depended on it. This is where Masterson comes in because he can offer the Red Sox short and long relief. Sure Masterson wasn’t having the best of seasons but he understood his role on this team. And that was do anything he could whether it be start, short relief or long relief, to help the Red Sox win ballgames.
There is a little concern as far as Martinez goes as well. One where is he going to play and how is Terry Francona going to work him in the lineup. Obviously with his bat, he needs to be in the lineup at least 5-6 times a week. The other concern is during June and July, he’s hitting just .211 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs. He hit just .175 with 1 home run and 10 RBIs during July. Overall on the season, he is .284 with 15 HR and 67 RBI and has an OBP of .368.
Martinez has hit the ball well at the Fens. In 17 career games, he is hitting .313 with 4 home runs and 19 RBIs.
Does anyone out there understand the LaRoche/Kotchman swap especially given the fact that Martinez can also play first base? I get what Theo said yesterday when he thinks Kotchman is better suited for the role off the bench than LaRoche was. Both have played six seasons but the difference is Kotchman has played only 2 1/2 full seasons. His first three were spent as a role player with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
I think we all thought when the trade happened that Kotchman would be flipped for a starter or some more bullpen help. But let’s take a look at their career numbers for a moment shall we.
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| LaRoche | 781 | 2665 | 372 | 718 | 194 | 6 | 124 | 429 | 4 | 278 | 629 | .269 | .338 | .486 | .824 |
| Kotchman | 481 | 1587 | 186 | 431 | 98 | 4 | 39 | 226 | 8 | 150 | 152 | .272 | .340 | .412 | .752 |
Obviously, the Red Sox are losing power although LaRoche wasn’t playing every day in Boston. A big differennce to me is the fact that Kotchman walks as much as he strikes out. Both are above-average defenders at first base. So what’s the catch here?
The catch is the fact that LaRoche was set to be a free agent at the end of the season while Kotchman remains under the control of the Red Sox for the next two seasons (2010, 2011).
I would expect to see Kotchman get about one start a week and also come in for V-Mart as a defensive replacement when he’s playing first. It should be interesting to see what Tito does with the lineup for the rest of the season.
We know just need to hope that V-Mart”s bat can wake up and that Smoltz, Penny and Clay Buchholz can turn it around.
Links coming up after a 10-second pause for a commercial break.
Justin Masterson: On Being Traded [Justin Masterson – Wicked Good Sports]
Ellsbury catches the eye [Boston Globe]
After tense day, Masterson will be missed [Boston Globe]
Bullpen gets back to business [Boston Globe]
As he seeks answers, Ortiz muscles up [Boston Globe]
Switch is flipped [Boston Globe]
Rules of this swap meet create an unfair market [Boston Globe]
Ortiz, others knew they were on ‘the list’ [Boston Globe]
A quilt to warm a Red Sox fan [Boston Globe]
Pedro weighs in on Ortiz, Manny [RedSox.com]
Jacoby Ellsbury does it all as Red Sox edge Orioles [Boston Herald]
Red Sox land slugger Victor Martinez, also acquire 1B Casey Kotchman [Boston Herald]
Jason Varitek should gain from Victor Martinez’ arrival [Boston Herald]
Victor Martinez best value right now [Boston Herald]
Papi awaiting additional word from union [Boston Herald]
Red Sox Acquire Victor Martinez [Hartford Courant]
Buchholz relieved, grateful [Extra Bases]
Epstein on Victor Martinez: ‘A Great Fit for Our Club’ [Full Count]
The day the Red Sox made their move [Tony Massarotti]
The New Landscape: A Look at the Red Sox Following the Trading Deadline[Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Does David Ortiz’ News Really Matter To Red Sox Fans? [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]
For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.
And if you want to check out the enemy papers, head over to the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis Capital websites.
