Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Jonathan Lester's Return
It's a little belated, but Nick Cafardo's story in The Boston Globe on Jonathan Lester's triumphant return from cancer is certainly worth a read. As last year's season fell apart, the realization that Lester had developed a rare form of lymphoma threw all of the temporal worries about an imploding ballclub into stark relief. The news in the offseason that he seemed to have fully recovered was a relief, but that left lots of baseball questions in addition to residual health worries. The standard measurement of remission is five years, so Lester is not out of the woods yet, but so far this is lump-in-the-throat, movie-of-the-week stuff.
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8 comments:
With Lester returning, Gabbard pitching well, and Schilling on the way back, we are looking good. Some arms might be fresh in October too.
Now, what about the Teixera rumours? Bucholz and Ellsbury seems a lot to give up... If we were moving a Hansen, Delcarman or Willy Mo, I wouldn't be too bothered...
GoodLib --
I thought maybe you'd disappeared. Welcome back.
I love the way the pitching staff is shaping up, and with Tavarez's return to the bullpen we have some depth there as well.
I'm not sure about Teixera -- I would be utterly unwilling to give either Bucholz or Ellsbury, never mind both. I know we need hitting, but I'm not certain that we need a first baseman right now. If we can get Tex to sign an extension and we know Lowell is on his way out and Youks (who has played gold glove caliber D at first, by the way) would move back to third, maybe it could work. I guess it depends on the price, which you indicated in your comment, but I'm not sold right now that he is the right guy at the right time.
I guess we'll have to see what Theo thinks.
dcat
Next year's Sox infield--Texeria at first, Dusty at second, ARod at short, Youk at 3rd.
Don't trade Buckholz. Do trade Ellsbury--you can always buy position players. Pitchers are a lot tougher.
I could certainly live with that infield, but it depends on the cost of Tex and whether we can get him to sign an extension.
Do Not Trade Bucholz.
And as you know, I tend not to worry about guys being untouchable -- the list of supposed can't miss prospects who missed is longer than the list of those who made it by a factor of about ten. But in this case, do not trade him.
dcat
My blogger password went on strike and I got a new one when I started my blog!
I guess it all depends on the urgency of how much we need bat now as opposed to the summer. We might finally trade Manny in the summer and get some prospects in exchange, and the likes of A-Rod, Torii Hunter, Adam Dunn and Adnruw Jones might be avaiable. Miguel Cabrera is also rumoured to be avilable for the right price. Why give up an Ellsbury/Bucholz (I wouldn't move either), when you can pick up someone as good for free in the summer?
GoodLib--
Well it's good to have you back, and I just tracked down your blog and even just gave it a pitch and added it to the dcat blogroll, which should be good for about 1.3 readers a day or so.
That sense of urgency is a dual-edged sword as the trading deadline approaches. On the one hand, you want a certain level or urgency at this point in the season -- this is the last best time to get something to improve the team (yes, there is the waiver trade, but that is tricky and unpredictable) and as we saw in 2004, that can be crucial. At the same time, you don't want the urgency to blind you to reality. Nor do you want a well- (or poorly-, depending on perspective) timed winning streak creating a false sense of complacency.
I'd like one more bat, but the preferred option would be for the guys we have to start hitting with a little more verve. Just like getting Lester and Schilling back boosts the staff without having to make a trade, a rejuvenated Manny, Papi, Youk and Drew would do wonders for the lineup, especially with Lugo and Coco returning to life.
Taking three of four from a good Cleveland team is a start. Now they need to keep it going against a not so good Tampa team. Last week we let Kansas City take a series against us. Cannot allow the Devil Rays to do the same. Not at this time of year, not now that we seem to have shaken off the doldrums, and not with THAT team coming back to life and chopping away at our lead.
dcat
I think pitching is too valuable to use your good pitching prospects in trades unless there is a glaring need and you have a real chance to win. I couldn't care less about trading stud fielders if you get good value for them. Last year the Mets decided that Lastings Milledge was the cornerstone of the next generation of players on their team and wouldn't trade him for Zito. This year, he's involved in many discussions the Mets are having. Given that the Mets were probably better than St. Louis last year, it reasons that had they pulled the trigger on that, they could have really had a shot to win it all.
Thunderstick --
Pitching, especially front-tier potential, is the most valuable young commodity in the game. It is also, however, tougher to project than top-shelf position players once they reach triple A and often even the lower levels. There is really no equivalent, for example, to arm injuries that can crush a young prospect.
Right now my inclination is to trade for a second-tier bat and go to war with what we've got. Pitching is going to be this team's difference maker, and the arms are rounding back into shape.
By the way -- place me firmly on the bandwagon of being willing to pursue ARod in the offseason. And if we get him, hoping he wants to return to shortstop. I don't like ARod because he is a Yankee. But anyone who argues that he is not a singular talent has rocks in their heads. (Side note: Yankee fans and their media are constantly on ARod's ass. Coincidence?)
dcat
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