Starting Pitching....

[KingPapelbon]

I think Masterson's future is definitely in the rotation. If Wakefield retires after this year, I think Masterson is a lock to take his spot. If that's so, I'd get a little more warm to the idea of using Buchholz in a trade...but only a little. I wouldn't mind:

Beckett
Lester
Matsuzaka
Masterson
Buchholz

Sick.

Call it a gut feeling, but I still think the Buchholz for Saltalamacchia deal goes down.

[rmkest77]

True, but the trend is troubling. The starting rotation needs some quality starts from Beckett, Lester and whoever Boston calls up to replace Brad Penny (fingers crossed). Masterson and Wakefield are the only reliable starters right now. Boston's BP has been fantastic with the exception of Javy Lopez who should only be brought in after the 15th inning when everyone just wants to go home and doesn't mind losing. Francona has been leaving his starters in to prevent his BP from getting burned out come the post season (could also be because we're short on long relievers) which has put the Sox down early, often, and a lot. However, Boston cannot consistently rely on monster offensive comebacks to win games, which ended up being the case for much of the 11 game win streak, when Masterson and Wake weren't on the hill. Pitching and defense wins championships. Pitching and defense wins enough ball games to get there. I'd like to see Bard, Buchholz, and/or Bowden get A May call up.

Of all our starters, who would have thought that Wakefield and Masterson would have the best start to the season. I hope they maintain and the others come around. If so, we will be dominant.

[Osiagledknarf]

Call it a gut feeling, but I still think the Buchholz for Saltalamacchia deal goes down.

Why? If anything, Saltalamacchia's value has gone up...and the Red Sox seem loathe to part with Buchholz for anything less than a superstar.

I like Saltalamacchia a lot, but I think that ship has sailed.

[sboyajian]

And channelling sboyajian, here's what Beckett had to say on the subject:

Josh Beckett.. wonder child!

[YouksBeard]

Why? If anything, Saltalamacchia's value has gone up...and the Red Sox seem loathe to part with Buchholz for anything less than a superstar.

I like Saltalamacchia a lot, but I think that ship has sailed.

Do you think the Sox would have to throw in another prospect in addition to Buchholz in order to get Salty? If so, than that ship has absolutely sailed.

[Osiagledknarf]

I set up a thread on Saltalamacchia in the Rangers forum about a week ago. Rangers fans all seem to think he's worth more now than he was during the offseason.

That was before he hit a grand-slam in extra innings against Seattle to lock up a win.

His defense is supposedly greatly improved, too.

To be honest, I think Buchholz for Saltalamacchia was too hefty a price tag anyway. I value pitchers higher than any position.

[YouksBeard]

I set up a thread on Saltalamacchia in the Rangers forum about a week ago. Rangers fans all seem to think he's worth more now than he was during the offseason.

That was before he hit a grand-slam in extra innings against Seattle to lock up a win.

His defense is supposedly greatly improved, too.

To be honest, I think Buchholz for Saltalamacchia was too hefty a price tag anyway. I value pitchers higher than any position.

I agree with you 110% about valuing pitchers the highest. I'm even a little uneasy with trading MDC. I realize this is as good as he's ever going to get, but a lights out bullpen to me presents much more value to us than a catcher who might only be a minor improvement offensively. What worries me most about Tek is his inability to throw out runners. TB will run all over us this year.

[Osiagledknarf]

I'm with you...Tek's arm is definitely a concern. I'm not sure there's much we can do about it right now, though. I'm still hopeful Theo can pull off something clever.

I'm with you on Delcarmen too. I'd still trade him for the right piece in return, but I'd hate to even slightly dismantle a bullpen that has been so strong.

[lil'papi]

Masterson is on the fast track back to the pen. So that makes Lopez expendable when Dice returns? I think so...

MDC, I need to see what the returning parts are....he certainly not untouchable.

[RedSoxtober]

I think Masterson's future is definitely in the rotation. If Wakefield retires after this year, I think Masterson is a lock to take his spot. If that's so, I'd get a little more warm to the idea of using Buchholz in a trade...but only a little. I wouldn't mind:

Beckett
Lester
Matsuzaka
Masterson
Buchholz

Sick.

I'm still a bigger fan of Masterson in the BP. Watch his next few starts very carefully. What I tried to point out last year was that, though he started incredibly well, he slowly drifted towards league average (results) as he pitched deeper into games and started more often.

Last year he got to start 6 or 7 and the results were not nearly as great: pitches/IP climbed, strikes/pitches dropped, gb/fb dropped. The latter is his bread-and-butter. Like Carmona '07 he can skate on a lowish k/bb because he drives the ball into the ground. The results slowed considerably when he hit 100 pitches for the first time (in MLB). Keep in mind that he prepped as a starter in 2008 so it was not a stretch for him when he did it with BOS.

Well, guess what. We're at start 5 and the results in the last couple of outings were not that great. In his last start he topped 100 pitches for the first time this season. He's giving up more runs in the later innings (similar to his decline in 2008). I'm not crying out that the sky is falling but I'm beginning to see a trend that suggests to me that he could be a lock-down SU guy who could go 2IP regularly and be effective but who may not be a dominant starter.

[lil'papi]

I'm still a bigger fan of Masterson in the BP. Watch his next few starts very carefully. What I tried to point out last year was that, though he started incredibly well, he slowly drifted towards league average (results) as he pitched deeper into games and started more often.

Last year he got to start 6 or 7 and the results were not nearly as great: pitches/IP climbed, strikes/pitches dropped, gb/fb dropped. The latter is his bread-and-butter. Like Carmona '07 he can skate on a lowish k/bb because he drives the ball into the ground. The results slowed considerably when he hit 100 pitches for the first time (in MLB). Keep in mind that he prepped as a starter in 2008 so it was not a stretch for him when he did it with BOS.

Well, guess what. We're at start 5 and the results in the last couple of outings were not that great. In his last start he topped 100 pitches for the first time this season. He's giving up more runs in the later innings (similar to his decline in 2008). I'm not crying out that the sky is falling but I'm beginning to see a trend that suggests to me that he could be a lock-down SU guy who could go 2IP regularly and be effective but who may not be a dominant starter.

He has had limited starting opportunities , but we use guys where they fit best not always where a team projects them to fit. We don't NEED him to start once all are healthy we do NEED him in the BP.

He throws much harder in the pen. I agree with you. I also believe guys need to work through mistakes. Problem is we don't have too. His fit as of now is the BP once Dice gets back.

Not sure how they can experiment with him? We have two other starters to boot maybe three. Buch-Bow-Smoltz--- why pitch him where he seems less effective. (masterson-starting)

He is such a big kid and still a baby pitching wise. Eventually who really knows what his niche is -right now- the pen seems his calling.

[sawxfan]

I'm still a bigger fan of Masterson in the BP. Watch his next few starts very carefully. What I tried to point out last year was that, though he started incredibly well, he slowly drifted towards league average (results) as he pitched deeper into games and started more often.

Last year he got to start 6 or 7 and the results were not nearly as great: pitches/IP climbed, strikes/pitches dropped, gb/fb dropped. The latter is his bread-and-butter. Like Carmona '07 he can skate on a lowish k/bb because he drives the ball into the ground. The results slowed considerably when he hit 100 pitches for the first time (in MLB). Keep in mind that he prepped as a starter in 2008 so it was not a stretch for him when he did it with BOS.

Well, guess what. We're at start 5 and the results in the last couple of outings were not that great. In his last start he topped 100 pitches for the first time this season. He's giving up more runs in the later innings (similar to his decline in 2008). I'm not crying out that the sky is falling but I'm beginning to see a trend that suggests to me that he could be a lock-down SU guy who could go 2IP regularly and be effective but who may not be a dominant starter.

+1

I agree, I would love to see Masterson as our setup guy for the next long while. Tough to make a young pitcher want to agree to that role. Why wouldn't he want to start in the majors?

His delivery just seems like that of a reliever. I know he has great stuff and can get out lefties, I just think it is tough to get long starts out of someone with that weird arm angle. Maybe I'm wrong; I'm sure some of you will attempt to prove me wrong. I'm not saying this just because of his rough start last night.

[NCBoSoxfan21]

Time to put Masterson back in the pen and give Clay a start before Dice-K comes back.

[Osiagledknarf]

I think it would actually be really counterproductive to call up Buchholz for one start and then send him back down.

It disrupts his development process and sends the wrong message to him.

[cocossox]

I set up a thread on Saltalamacchia in the Rangers forum about a week ago. Rangers fans all seem to think he's worth more now than he was during the offseason.

That was before he hit a grand-slam in extra innings against Seattle to lock up a win.

His defense is supposedly greatly improved, too.

To be honest, I think Buchholz for Saltalamacchia was too hefty a price tag anyway. I value pitchers higher than any position.

normally i would agree but good catchers a soooooo hard to find, there just isnt any b/c kids dont wanna put the work in so when u come across one u should jump at it, i have no problem trading buccholz as long as its for a good young catcher or SS, jmo