Each week we check in with Matt from Fenway West and Rob from The Bottom Line to talk Sox and preview the week ahead. Here’s the latest installment…
1. Red Sox starters and relievers are not pitching consistently. Is John Farrell to blame?
TBL: Other than Buchholz and Bard, this pitching staff is full of veterans. Farrell is the pitching coach, but at the end of the day, these guys know what they need to do and what their capabilities are. I think most of these poor outings are due to the pitchers simply missing location or choosing bad pitches… and that’s on them and the catcher, not Farrell.
SD: No I don’t think Farrell is to blame at all. He’s had good success so far in Boston. I think like Beckett said, it seems to be more mental than anything or as he likes to say “execute the pitches”.
2. Who has been the best pickup for the Red Sox so far this season: Scutaro, Hermida, Beltre, or Lackey?
TBL: Good question. Lackey has been quietly effective, and having him in the rotation made the Matsuzaka injury much less of an issue for the Sox. Beltre seems like to obvious answer here, especially now that he’s hitting for some power, but if Lowell if you double Lowell’s numbers to equal Beltre’s 100+ at-bats, he’d have the same 18-20 RBI, a .300 average and a few homers. Beltre’s value will be in the second half when Lowell would have started to break down. My vote is for Lackey – right now.
SD: I think the biggest surprise has been Hermida. He came into a situation where he didn’t know how much he would play and he’s produced when he’s been in the lineup. This can only bode well for the Red Sox if another injury situation in the outfield happens. He’s even done well pinch-hitting. Scutaro has done a great job filling in at the top of the lineup as well with Ellsbury out but I’m more pleased with Hermida.
3. Now that Ortiz is showing signs of life, should Tito let him DH full time?
TBL: No. I’m sure he’s worked hard to snap out of this funk, but I’m also sure that not facing LHP has also helped. The platoon has been established and it’s the best solution for Lowell, Ortiz and Tito going forward.
SD: This is a tough question to answer. He’s shown he can hit a few lefties but they were against bad pitching. Until he proves he can hit good pitching, I think the platoon situation will continue. I know he needs the chance to the be in the lineup every day to prove himself but with the Red Sox falling behind in the East, Francona needs to do what’s best to win on a nightly basis. And if that’s a platoon situation with Lowell, I’m okay with that.
4. What type of player should the Red Sox be looking to trade for before the deadline?
TBL: A big bat that they can sign for a long term extension. The problem here is that a guy like Adrian Gonzalez or Cecil Fielder will cost us a ton of prospects and a ton of money… so waiting for them to hit the FA market, might be the wiser move.
Theo warned us that this was a “bridge year,” and though he didn’t mean that we should accept mediocrity this season, we may have to accept that this is the team we’ll be stuck with for better or worse in 2010.
SD: A middle reliever for one like say Heath Bell from the Padres. It worked last year when they got Wagner to help shore up the holes so I don’t think another arm will hurt. They also need to look for some power. Sure the offensive numbers are up but unless Big Papi comes full circle, the Red Sox will need production from the DH spot. I’m sure they’ll call their old pal Jed in San Diego as well to inquire about Adrian Gonzalez but if the Pads are still playing good ball then, it’ll be super hard to pry him from them without mortgaging the farm.
5. Would you keep Scutaro at the top of the order when Ellsbury comes back?
TBL: Starting Ellsbury in the 9-hole might be a good way to get him acclimated to the big leagues again, but once he feels ready, I think you need him back at the top of the order. We need him on base, causing chaos, as much as possible.
SD: Personally, I’m of the school that you don’t lose your position when you come back from injury but they are two different players. Scutaro’s done an admirable job filling in at the top but he’s not the stolen base threat that Ellsbury is. As Francona says, Ellsbury is a game-changer and that’s what they need at the top of the lineup.
6. MVP for this week?
SD: Adrian Beltre
TBL: J.D. Drew
