SMOLTZ to join Red Sox this Wednesday

Fishhead · Jun 13, 2009

Francona has some tough decisions, but one that many managers would relish, where to find a spot for Smoltz.

Wakefield
Dice K
Beckett
Lester
Penny

I personally think they should use him as a set-up man for a couple weeks with the way the starting five in rotation are throwing the ball right now. It appeared Penny would be the odd man out, but he looked fantastic in his last outing vs. the Yanks and could be turning into the Penny of old.

Beckett has been virtually unhittable in his last two starts(not like he was going anywhere anyway) and Wakefield is on pace to win 20 games. Lester has been awesome in his last two starts, pitching very well this evening against a tough Philly team on the road.

Helluva staff

ThePig+ · Jun 13, 2009

I'd move him right in there for Penny....It think the Penny start against NY was an aberration. The guys a fat gas-can.

By having Smoltz as the last man in the rotation, I believe that will take a great deal of pressure off of him. This staff is great.....but the Yankees rotation will also be awesome if Wong can return to form.

Fishhead · Jun 13, 2009

The Pig said:
I'd move him right in there for Penny....It think the Penny start against NY was an aberration. The guys a fat gas-can.

By having Smoltz as the last man in the rotation, I believe that will take a great deal of pressure off of him. This staff is great.....but the Yankees rotation will also be awesome if Wong can return to form.

The RAYS staff is nothing to sneeze at.........and is probably better then that of the Yankees if Price and Kazmir pitch up to their potential.

FH

wilheim · Jun 13, 2009

Nobody including Josh Beckett has three straight starts as impressive as Jon Lester. Check this out.

6'2" 190 Lb Red Sox 2nd year man Jon Lester, born Jan 7th 1984.

Jun 12 @ Phil W 5-2 7.0 Innings pitched 2 hits 1 run 2 BB 11Ks
Jun 6 TEX W 8-1 W 9.0 Innings Pitched 2 hits 1 run 2 BB 11Ks
May 31 @ TOR W 8-2 W 6.0 Innings Pitched 3 hits 1 run 3BB 12Ks

Totals - Sox won all three games but relief pitcher blew save in Philly game last night in 9th inning costing Lester the decision, but Boston won in the 13th inning anyway.

Totals: 22 Innings Pitched 7 Hits allowed 3 runs allowed 7 BB's yielded and 34 K's rung up.

The 3 earned runs Lester allowed during the 3 games dropped his ERA from 6.05 to 4.75 during the three starts.

The kid is blinding opposing hitters.

Lester seems to have completely regained his form from last year when he won 16 games, threw a no-hitter on May 19 against Kansas City and was the club’s most reliable postseason pitcher.

Lester allowed 11 runs in his first two starts and 13 in consecutive starts last month. Since then, he’s given up one run four times in five starts. In his last outing prior to last night, Lester was perfect for 6 1-3 innings before finishing with a two-hit complete game in an 8-1 win over Texas.

Lester is the first Red Sox pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts in three straight starts since Pedro Martinez did it in August 2004. In fact Lester retired 14 straight batters before walking Jayson Werth in the sixth, and became the only lefthander in Sox history to record double-digit strikeouts in three consecutive games. After giving up a run in the second, Lester was downright unhittable. He retired 17 of the final 18 hitters he faced. In the fourth and fifth, Lester struck out six in a row.

Show me someone with those numbers over their last three starts...

wil.

PS: Factoid: The Boston pitching staff combined to strike out 20 Phillies, the first time it had done so since Sept. 15, 1999, against the Indians also in interleague play.

Fishhead · Jun 13, 2009

Actually, if Francona decides to insert Smoltz immediately...........it will come down to two, DICE K or PENNY being dropped from the rotation. There can be no way to drop the other three.

FH

RobFunk · Jun 13, 2009

I admit I almost started giving up on Lester, but the kid is a phenom right now.

Getting Smoltz is nice, think he has anything left in the tank?!

Fishhead · Jun 13, 2009

RobFunk said:
I admit I almost started giving up on Lester, but the kid is a phenom right now.

Getting Smoltz is nice, think he has anything left in the tank?!

Probably not........he better be half ass decent or will not find a spot ANYWHERE on this pitching staff!!!!

This team has no less than 5 relievers right now throwing the ball very well!!!

kraz · Jun 13, 2009

The way dice-k has been he should go to pen, penny pitched good last outing but other than that squat

wilheim · Jun 13, 2009

Tonight's start by Dice K in Philly against young Phillies lefty Antonio Bastardo will go a long way to either cement or jeopardize Daisuke Matsuzaka's order in the rotation when John Smoltz joins the club next week.

Considering the Diceman is earning mega bucks it will take a lot to knock him out of the rotation altogether no doubt. A strong outing tonight leaves him right where he should be the #3 starter behind Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

A bad outing will hurt his chances but he will still stay in the rotation, Boston did not shell out $103M or so for 5 years for a long reliever.

Brad Penny is the favorite to become a spot starter (if Smoltz delivers) and the teams long reliever or possible trade bait for an infielder or DH if they decide to go that way.

My money is on Dice K to regain form sooner than later.

wil.

Fishhead · Jun 13, 2009

wilheim said:
Tonight's start by Dice K in Philly against young Phillies lefty Antonio Bastardo will go a long way to either cement or jeopardize Daisuke Matsuzaka's order in the rotation when John Smoltz joins the club next week.

Considering the Diceman is earning mega bucks it will take a lot to knock him out of the rotation altogether no doubt. A strong outing tonight leaves him right where he should be the #3 starter behind Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

A bad outing will hurt his chances but he will still stay in the rotation, Boston did not shell out $103M or so for 5 years for a long reliever.

Brad Penny is the favorite to become a spot starter (if Smoltz delivers) and the teams long reliever or possible trade bait for an infielder or DH if they decide to go that way.

My money is on Dice K to regain form sooner than later.

wil.

Yearly salary.........

DICE K.........20 MILLION

WAKEFIELD..........4 MILLION

Let's hope Timmy has a couple solid outings in his next two starts to at least stay in contention on making his first ALL-STAR team.

homedawg · Jun 13, 2009

I got to see Smoltz through in his rehab assignment yesteday at Syracuse. Looked very sharp. Velocity isn't where it once was, but his pin point accuracy was on. Only 14 balls . Got the loss, but 2 runs scored on a blooper that got between 2 out fielders in a fluke play. I think he is ready to join the Sox rotation

C-Gold · Jun 13, 2009

Smotlz is a pretty cool guy. They had him on the radio a few years ago doing his NCAA march madness picks and he was better than half the stiffs working for ESPN, Sportsline and all the other sites.

You see a lot of the players are retarded when it comes to picking spreads or winners but the guy was legit. He'd be a good player to drink a beer with.

TonyMar · Jun 13, 2009

anyone have smoltz's career interleague era?

american league...

alot different animal...

than getting to deal against the likes of the wash nationals all the time.

wilheim · Jun 13, 2009

TonyMar

anyone have smoltz's career interleague era?

american league...

alot different animal...

than getting to deal against the likes of the wash nationals all the time.

I could have found it but I would have has to subscribe to a stat service at $29.95 a year. However lets not forget Smoltz will draw his share of Orioles and Royals (no worse or better than the Nationals in the long run) startng assignments so I don't think it will matter much.

What is more important is how well he performs at Fenway, an unusual ballpark as we all know.

Smoltz started a game at Fenway on May 19th 2007 and pitched 7 innings of 3 hit shutout ball while picking up the win in a 14-0 Braves blowout. On May 22nd 2005 he pitched 4.2 innings at Fenway allowing 2 unearned runs while getting no decision during a 5-2 Red Sox win.

From 2002 thru 2004 Smoltz pitched but was Braves closer and almost all of his appearences were limited to 1 inning and can't be used for comparison purposes to his situation in Boston as a potential #5 starter.

On June 9th 2001 Smoltz pitched but was not involved in a 10-6 Braves win at Yankee Stadium. Going back into the 90's is IMO not really a factor at this point of his career. Smoltz missed the entire 2000 season due to injury.

wil.

Mr.Smith · Jun 14, 2009

Penny needs to be traded to open up room. They also badly need to get Clay Buchholz into the rotation. He has a MLB no hitter to his credit, destroyed everything in sight in spring training and has a 1.75 ERA in the minors this year. But right now they have no where to use him.

VIEJODINOSAUR · Jun 14, 2009

Trade Buckholtz to the Phils for Jayson Werth...

wilheim · Jun 14, 2009

Viejo dinosaur

Trade Buckholtz to the Phils for Jayson Werth...

Not taking a thing away form the talents of Jayson Werth but knowing the history of Red Sox GM Theo Epstein he will never part a potential #1 or #2 starter to any team including the Phils for a single everyday player of Werth's ability. Werth a career .263 hitting outfielder just wouldn't get considered for a heads up deal for Bucholtz.

Save for a Ryan Howard, Chase Utley or maybe a Raul Ibanez The Phils don't have anyone that the Sox would want bad enough to part with Buckholtz heads up. Another possibility could be 2007 NL MVP but now struggling SS Jimmy Rollins with maybe a back-up catcher or spot reliever thrown in. Even Cole Hamels is doubtful.

The most valued unknown commidity in baseball is homegrown potentially great starting pitchers. See Jon Lester for example, the Sox could have dealt him to the Twins for Johan Santana in 2008 but passed.

I highly doubt any of Phillies deals mentioned above are makeable. Just talking baseball.

wil.

TomGshotput · Jun 14, 2009

Has any team in history ever had this many quality pitchers?

Beckett and Lester are now All-Star quality
Wakefield is third in the league in wins
Matsuzaka is a 28-year-old $100 million pitcher who needs to turn it around (but no where else to put him)
Penny (like Lester and Beckett) had a couple bad outings kill his ERA, has now pitched very well in six of his last eight starts
Masterson is good enough to start. With no place to put him, they let him pitch multiple innings in relief
Smoltz, Hall-of-Fame pitcher who has never had a bad year in his career, any team would be jumping at the chance to have him join the rotation as soon as possible
Bucholtz has looked good enough to do more to help the team more than anyone else outside of the top two

And in the bullpen, Papelbon has proved to be one of the best. Okajima, Saito, Delcarmen and Ramirez have all pitched so well, any one of them could have been inserted into the closer role that needed one. And Daniel Bard looks as good as any of them

There has certainly been better pitching staffs, but doubt there has ever been a team with their seventh through 12th best pitchers as effective as the Red Sox this year

midman2161 · Jun 14, 2009

TomG has a lot of good points.. particularly Masterson, who without a doubt is good enough to be at least an above average 3rd starter for a majority of organizations, yet is finding innings in middle relief right now.

As for the Smoltz situation, I would put Dice-K back on the 15 day DL when they activate Smoltz and try to get him straightened out.. that will at least buy them some time in deciding whether Penny is actually back on track after a couple solid starts or if he is just trade bait, and where Matzuzaka's head is at because he really hasnt pitched a quality start this season.

oldmanshuckle · Jun 14, 2009

Trade Buckholtz to the Phils for Jayson Werth

That is a trade that no competent GM would ever make.

SMOLTZ to join Red Sox this Wednesday

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