Roy Oswalt probably won't be signing in Boston any time soon and the Yankees are discussing a multiyear deal with Russell Martin. Here are some more updates of note from the AL East…
- Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said he's ready to move on without Oswalt, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. “I think I may have been more comfortable, but I wouldn’t have been totally comfortable,” Valentine said of potentially signing Oswalt. “What did he pitch, 136 innings last year?” Valentine was close — it was 139.
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he doesn’t anticipate making any more additions in the near future, Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports discusses the Rays’ impressive rotation depth and explains why it’s a good ‘problem’ to have. Manager Joe Maddon told Rosenthal the club could use a six-man rotation at times this year and said top prospect Matt Moore won’t be relegated to the bullpen.
- Mariano Rivera seems to be savoring the early days of Spring Training, so Joel Sherman of the New York Post won’t be surprised if the closer chooses to retire after the season.
- Blue Jays infielder Omar Vizquel said he'll likely become involved in coaching next year, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm (on Twitter). The 44-year-old doesn't anticipate playing after 2012 and would eventually like to manage in the Major Leagues.
I guess Valentine was more comfortable with 160 IP of Lackey, 82.2 IP of Bucholz, and 37.1 IP of Matsuzaka than a mere 139 IP from Oswalt.
No, he isn’t. That’s the point. Having extra innings would have made him more comfortable, but a guy like Oswalt probably wouldn’t get him completely settled.
Clicked like instead of reply…
I don’t think you understand my point. He downplayed the fact that they could not get Oswalt at $5mil by basically belittling Owsalt for throwing ONLY 139 IP in his last sentence. I’m fine with everything else he said but that last comment was uncalled for and unprofessional.
that’s not at all what he did… he said he still wouldn’t have been completely comfortable with Oswalt
That’s what he said before making the 139 IP comment. The last comment was made with a negative tone and serves no other purpose but to underrate Oswalt.
He wasn’t just insulting Oswalt to be a jerk he was simply explaining why he would have wanted more rotation help even if they signed Oswalt.
And it makes sense. The Red Sox could have a lot of excess innings with no one decent to soak them up – a pitcher with Oswalt’s injury history could still leave them in a rough place. Should he have lied to protect Roy’s feelings?
“totally comfortable” = current Sox staff with no injuries + Oswalt with no injuries + someone else awesome, probably, and everyone pitching lots of innings.
“I may have been more comfortable” = current Sox staff + Oswalt, even with injury problems across the board, and even with Oswalt coming off a 139-inning season in which he proved that he wasn’t the workhorse he used to be
“ready to move on” = now.
In short — Oswalt would be a welcome addition, but his limited innings last year suggest that he’s not the ideal addition.
I think the term you’re looking for is “sour grapes”. Sure, Valentine is saying something negative about Oswalt in an effort to weaken the disappointment for not signing him. It’s not to belittle Oswalt, it’s to feel the sting a little less.
belittling him? reeeaaaach
Belitling may have been too strong but he was definitely not praising him and that comment was made in a negative tone.
I am sure Roy’s feelings are very hurt.
Clicked like instead of reply…
I don’t think you understand my point. He downplayed the fact that they could not get Oswalt at $5mil by basically belittling Owsalt for throwing ONLY 139 IP in his last sentence. I’m fine with everything else he said but that last comment was uncalled for and unprofessional.
Where are you getting any of that? Oswalt wasn’t an option for the Red Sox last year, which is what you’re referring to with your IP totals. Lackey’s likely out for this year, Buchholz should be healthy, and Matsuzaka won’t be back until later in the year, if at all. Seriously, try harder to make sense.
Read my comment above.
” Lackey’s likely out for this year, Buchholz should be healthy, and Matsuzaka won’t be back until later in the year, if at all.”
This comment doesn’t help you at all. In fact it proves my point. Seriously, try harder to make sense.
Nope. You said he was more comfortable with what those three did in 2011. He never said anything about their performance last season. He just said he’d be more comfortable with Oswalt, but not totally comfortable.
Well, It’s great we traded Scutaro to open up payroll for Oswalt. No shortstop, No 4th starter. RUT ROW REORGE!
That was the speculation at the time, but there was never any indication that that was the actual reason for the trade. It may have really been just a salary dump, or they may have more faith in Aviles (or Iglesias) than the fans. I’m not sure I would agree with them in either of those scenarios, but they are possibilities, and as far as the second scenario goes they would have a better idea about those players than the fans.
Read my comment above.
” Lackey’s likely out for this year, Buchholz should be healthy, and Matsuzaka won’t be back until later in the year, if at all.”
This comment doesn’t help you at all. In fact it proves my point. Seriously, try harder to make sense.
No! Keep on playing Omar!
Right, i was hoping he would have at it with Moyer, to be the first 80 year old player in MLB history.
So… what about shortstop, Ben?
Nick Punto, Mike Aviles, Jose Iglesias (unlikely…unless he rocks Spring Training offensively)
Bobby V has been fielding questions all spring so far about Iglesias and his comparisons to Ordonez.. he seems non committal, even said that Iglesias, in the early going seems to have even more range than Ordonez did as a youngster..
I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Bobby v started the season should Iglesias hit fair in ST and Aviles be sent to Pawtucket, since he has an option left as i recall. Bobby will do things like that, even though Iglesias is 2 years younger than ordonez was when he went him as an all glove, he made the choice and now admits it could have hurt him grow offensively, but did give them one of the slickest fielders in the game early on and no one could deny that pairing iglesias next to Pedroia wold give Boston an air tight middle infield for about anything getting thru the middle.
not saying i want to see it by any means.. But he (Valentine) seems to not have ruled Iglesias starting the season out as the starter yet.
I agree that there is a real chance that Iglesias is the starting SS coming out of spring training, but I doubt that Aviles is sent down to AAA if that is the case. More likely he would play off of the bench and someone else (probably McDonald) would be removed from the roster; Aviles is too valuable/versatile to send to Pawtucket (the ability to play 2B/SS/3B/LF/RF reasonably, and to hit reasonably well).
Aviles would like to see stick also, along with Punto if Iglesias should make the team. but still think it would require more than mcdonald leaving IMO. it would be pretty much 3IF on the roster, though I understand that Aviles has been playing some OF in winter ball.
I like Aviles bat and wold like to see him stick even if Iglesias is the starter, just don’t see how.
It’s easy: Sweeney is the 4th outfielder, Punto is the 5th infielder, and Aviles is IF/OF. McDonald would simply be a 5th outfielder, so there’s really no reason to keep him over Aviles. A four man bench (Punto, Aviles, Sweeney, Shoppach) is pretty much standard.
You probably remember my feelings on McDonald anyhow and just about anyone on the roster over him is an improvement..
it would be nice to see the glove work of both iglesias and pedey up the middle, but his bat..
This choice could be the 1st call the NE media tears him up for after the fact if he does go with Iglesias.
I hope he (nor anyone else) makes those kinds of decision based on what the media might do. If Iglesias ends up being their best option he should (and I think would) be their starting SS, and I think Aviles would stick in Boston if that were to happen.
So… what about shortstop, Ben?
Its sad that Omar Vizquel after 24 years in the majors never won a ring.
Too bad that will change this year!
When did the Red Sox become the American Leagues version of the NL Pittsburgh Pirates? That no starting pitcher that controls their own destiny wants to play there.
Fail
When that loudmouth Bobby V. took the helm. All the guy does is run his mouth, burn bridges and create bulletin board material for the opposite team. There is a reason he was unhireable for almost ten years. Keep sticking a microphone under his mouth. I feel bad for sox fans.
Is that why Boston is the only team with rumored interest that’s not near his home that he didn’t tell not to bother? (Toronto and Cleveland inquire about him and he tells them not to bother; Detroit offers $10M and he flat out says no; Boston offers $5-6M and remained a possibility until he decided to wait until mid-season)
My friend, it hasn’t been only Oswalt who has shunned the Red Sox this winter. Have you forgotten about Edwin Jackson?
As for Boston’s offer “remaining a possibility” as you call it. I seriously doubt that. If it was a possibility he would have taken them up on that offer long before yesterday. But we are all entitled to our opinion.
I think the poster above you “2001more…” hit the nail on the head. FA players look at Bobby V and say to themselves “no way”.
It’s not like it’s my opinion, every post on this very site has said that they remained a possibility right up until yesterday (or was it the day before now) in the same post that said that the Rangers and Cardinals were no longer options. That’s simply a fact, so you can doubt it all you want, but it wont change anything. And Edwin Jackson took more money with the Nationals.
Look, I’m not try to defend Bobby V (far from it actually), but I think there are far more likely reasons than him for those two pitchers to sign elsewhere. Oswalt was very obviously limiting his choices to only a couple of teams and really wanted to be close to home, which Boston isn’t; and Jackson got offered more money than Boston was willing to offer him. Also, both of those guys were taking one year deals to reestablish value to sign a more lucrative deal next year – something that isn’t a good thing to try to do in Fenway park or the AL East – so if there a reason they didn’t want to come to Boston I think it would be that. That and the fact that Boston is trying to be cheap this off season, so they aren’t offering large contracts.
In any case, there have been plenty of starting pitchers to sign with Boston this off season (in fact, all of the ones they have gone after that they could get cheaply have signed with them – Padilla, Cook, Silva, Ohlendorf, Spoone, Inman are all starting pitchers and all signed with Boston without even a guaranteed spot in the rotation).
Maybe in theory the Red Sox remained a possibility for Oswalt but in practical terms they had no more of a chance of landing Oswalt than the Tigers or the Blue Jays.
As for your last paragraph and the “list” of of starting pitchers to sign with Boston. All I can say is you have to be kidding.
Not kidding at all, you said that starting pitchers wouldn’t sign with Boston and the fact is that several of them have without even having a guarantee that they will get to start. The quality of the pitchers doesn’t matter, it still shows that they are willing to sign with Boston so your opinion is not correct.
And it doesn’t matter if it is “in theory” or not, Oswalt didn’t rule Boston out until he ruled everyone out, so he wasn’t unwilling to sign in Boston either.
I know you want there to be some controversial issue happening in Boston, but there simply isn’t one. The biggest issue in Boston is their unwillingness to spend what it would take to sign a starting pitcher, not the pitchers’ unwillingness to sign there.
If it makes you feel better to hang your hat on those 6 pitchers that you listed as an indication of pitchers willing to sign with the Red Sox, go for it.
I certainly don’t know this for a fact but when I look up those guys stats (oh and btw some didn’t even pitch at the ML level in 2011) I’m tempted to believe they signed on minor league deals with the Red Sox because no one else wanted they. They are about as a pathetic group of 6 pitchers as you could find. That’s just my opinion of course.
I understand that they weren’t overly sought after pitchers, but the fact remains that they were willing to, and did, sign with the Red Sox. And you’re focusing on one aspect of my comments that you feel you can argue with, while ignoring all of the other points I have made that disagree with your original point.