A few odds and ends as a rather eventful Saturday in MLB winds down …
- Red Sox GM Ben Cherington offered embattled manager Bobby Valentine a vote of confidence following this afternoon's disheartening loss. Cherington told reporters, such as CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, that he's "very satisfied" with Valentine's performance, noting that the skipper is doing the best he can with the current roster (Twitter link).
- To that end, Cherington did allow that the team's sluggish 4-10 record "does increase the urgency" to find solutions for a battered pitching staff, tweets Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The money saved in the acquisition of Marlon Byrd will not affect the Red Sox's luxury-tax calculation, according to Speier, a loophole MLB recently closed (Twitter links).
- Touted Angels infield prospect Jean Segura's future with the club may be in question now that the Halos have locked up shortstop Erick Aybar and second baseman Howie Kendrick to long-term contracts, writes Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
- The Halos have not fared particularly well in signing relievers to multiyear contracts of late, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, a trend that GM Jerry Dipoto is trying to rectify by piecing together a cheap but effective bullpen of undervalued types. The Angels' list of relief flops includes the likes of Brian Fuentes, Justin Speier and Fernando Rodney.
- Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he still has faith in Freddy Garcia when asked whether the right-hander was "running out of time," according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Garcia has gotten off to a poor start, including an ugly outing today, and is a candidate to be moved (either to the bullpen or perhaps elsewhere) when Andy Pettitte is called up from the minors.
The thing is, though, Bobby V is tremendously mismanaging the pitching staff. I can think of a few times where he has used guys like Justin Thomas, Matt Albers, and Vincente Padilla in high leverage situations. Yes, there isn’t much talent in the pen right now. Bobby isn’t doing the staff any favors with his poor management.
This is called “I really blame Larry. I wish I could fire him, but instead I’ll probably eventually fire Valentine”.
I’m hoping he will get fired soon and the organization will go on its hands and knees to beg Francona to return.
Because he sure could handle all of the egos on this team…
Valentine sure isn’t the one who allowed those ego’s to develop in the 1st place on the team, not to mention run wild for so many years.
The issue is.. Every time he says something now where he does try and crack down (see Youk comment) the rest of the media and other ego’s on the team jump right in and support the player.
One person has to be in charge and his authority has been cut off every time he tries to take charge and use his ways that do work.
Now.. the roster.. Whoever is responsible for “bodies” like Repco, McDonald and Spears (before he was cut) being on the roster is doing the team a disfavor from the start. Ciriaco was an improvement over Spears as an example.. He brought speed to the team, where Spears brought nothing useful. Repco brought nothing over Lin, McDonald has brought nothing since 2010..
The makeup of the relief corps has to giving someone serious questions to think seriously over.. Padilla with 1 good game and the rest serious bomb appearances. Atch has been fairly solid, but is a journeyman, Albers has been fair until yesterday, Thomas is useless. Morales the same, exact maddening as always who goes from dominant to terrible from game to game and *he* has been the 8th IP guy.
It is time to shut down the Bard as a SP and move him back, not from failure, but because the BP is just awful unless they think Wilson is worth a shot as a long guy, another mistake on Boston’s part for leaving him at AA for so long last season.
I only wish Valentine stuck by his comments on Youk instead of caving. Youk’s looked awful! Say it Bobby! And after that, he should have told Pedroia to shut his mouth and that it is his team to run, and not Pedroia’s.
I agree with you there. Valentine needs to stand up to the media, show them he is in charge and maybe even ban some of the members from the clubhouse if that is what it takes. Is that approach draconian? You bet it is, but the local NE media is used to getting their way no matter what and Valentine needs to put his foot down with them and maybe even with Francona’s old pets, like pedey who might be one of my favorite players, but had no business usurping Valentine’s authority 1 bit.
This isn’t drunkard Billy Martin just spewing bits of nonsense, but honestly critiquing one of his ball players here who honestly has played terribly this season and Bobby didn’t cross any lines.
If Pedey, Beckett, Ortiz don’t like the way he does it? Maybe they should bare down and play the game a little harder, cause many of the fans don’t like the way they are playing either.
I would like to see a few of the useless NE media barred anyway going back to what mentioned 1st and never report anything of use.. Shaugnessy being the top of the list of garbage reporters and maybe even the entire Globe entourage until the media gets the message across.
Correction: There is no talent in their bullpen.
Who is he suppose to use? Bailey? Melancon? The truth is this team is in shambles in term of pitching as they’ve taken numerous hits due to injuries. It’s not Bobby’s fault, this team just has too many glaring holes to cover up with Ellsbury, Crawford, Bailey, Melancon, Lackey and Dice-K all not contributing to the team. I do expect them to be much more competitive come June.
I agree with that. He doesn’t have any quality bullpen arms right now, so putting in pitchers like Padilla or Albers is simply him working with what he’s got. Even with Bailey and Melancon it was going to be a shaky bullpen, but losing Bailey to injury and having Melancon sent down is not helping. I too expect them to be more competitive down the road, but I honestly wouldn’t be shocked if we missed the postseason. I’d be curious to see what happens in the offseason if we don’t make the playoffs, though.
Taking out Doubront was a over managing by Bobby V period. he then left paddila who clearly had nothing left out there to get hit around and did the same with aceves who cleared just didnt have it. he was to quick to take moralez out, he should of never took him out after the single by nunez. 6 outs safe against the yankees not going to happen, you dont have mo.
Pushing Doubront to 120 pitches would have been a little risky, but the Red Sox need for a win might have validated it. With the shakey bullpen, Doubront for 7, and Aceves to finish. If Ace knew he was just mopping up to get his work, I’ll bet the results would have been different. He was throwing 95-96, but he has a tendency to overthink situations. Protecting a 9-1 lead for 3 innings would have been a pretty easy task for him.
Valentine was thinking spreading the work around, when he should have won at all costs. If he loses the fans, he’ll lose the press, if he loses the press, . . . . . . well just ask Mo Vaughn, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens.
I may be in the minority, but I wouldn’t consider Fuentes to have been a flop for the Angels. He wasn’t always efficient, but his first season he led the league in save, and therefore did his job right 48 times.
Rodney, however, I wish I could forget.
He’s looking pretty good for the Rays on the cheap, now, too. Reminds me of Farnsworth.
Odd at-bat against… the Twins last batter, whoever it was last night. Three straight changeups (1-2 count) is really odd, but then a 96 MPH fastball for a strikeout, so I guess it worked.
I disagree with some moves that Bobby made so far but tonight I mostly blame on the pen. Padilla had been rolling and messed up which is not something I think he won’t get by but it happened. As far as Aceves goes I think he needed to be put in there in the 8th to stop the tide but he messed up thats on him. I think Tazawa will become something of a bright spot and that Albers, Morales, Padilla, and Aceves will figure it out. Pen aside though I don’t like Bobby’s style. Boston is harsh enough on its own we don’t need some big mouth complaining about every thought that comes in his head. Managers like Torre and Francona were successful because they had balance. They would give em hell behind the scenes but never publicly drag them through the mud in the media. Bobby needs to check himself.
Sweet Caroline……..WOMP WOMP WOMP
Re: Segura
Teams always need depth, and Segura provides that more than trading him ever would.
Garcia is going to waste a bullpen spot on the Yanks once Andy is ready. Touch and feel pitcher who needs regular work, and who, by his own admission, can’t warm up quickly. Yanks should be working hard to find a potential trade partner for Freddy right now and be prepared to eat about $1 million in salary.
The Red Sox bullpen is a wreck and the starters still have no consistency. Win with pitching and they ain’t got it. Just picked up where September left off.
Youk and teammates are upset over comments Bobby V. has made. Didn’t Youk toss Ellsbury under the bus?
IMO this Sox team is going nowhere. No spark. No anything. For what they charge for tickets it is consumer fraud.