Fixing the Red Sox

Last night, the Red Sox completed a collapse that was reminiscent of 1978 by blowing a nine game lead in the wild card during the month of September. For the last twenty games, they managed to play worse than anyone else in the American League except for the Royals, who they tied with a dreadful 5-15 record. That sort of record can be expected by teams that are going nowhere, as they are giving AAA players a shot to prove they can play, but not from a potential playoff team like the Sox were.

However, there is a way to fix the Red Sox so that their issues do not appear again. So step away from the Take-A-Number machine at the Tobin Bridge, get off the ledge, and stop jumping to your deaths. Also, look at the bright side in this – chances are, there will be fewer Pink Hat fans at Fenway next year, allowing real Sox fans to have greater access to the park.

Step One to fixing the Red Sox – get rid of Terry Francona and Curt Young: Quite simply, Francona’s time has come. He has lost the clubhouse, as evidenced by his admission earlier today that he needed to call a team meeting during their time in Toronto earlier this month, telling the players to focus on the game and not any off-field distractions. That obviously did not happen. The Sox continued to play with their heads buried in the sand for the remainder of the month, as they appeared complacent that their superior talent would allow them to coast into the playoffs as though it was their right. Francona has created an atmosphere where players do not need to take responsibility for their actions or performances (see Lackey, John). They can get time off due to phantom injuries (see Drew, JD). They can be out of shape for the entire season, and it does not matter (see half their roster). He needs to go.

Joining him should be Curt Young. Young was a terrible fit for this organization, as they have a number of strikeout pitchers, but he tried to implement a philosphy of pitching to contact. However, to have that be effective, there needs to be something resembling defense behind the pitchers, and the pitchers have to know how to get the hitter to hit the ball off the end of the bat. Too often, Red Sox pitchers threw absolute meatballs in key situations and were unable to get the big outs when they needed them. This can be placed squarely on Young and his pitching philosphy.

Step Two – Find Cement Shoes For John Lackey: If Lackey was the horse that he looks like, he would have been allowed to eat one last sugar cube before someone took a shotgun and blew his brains all over the pasture. The only thing he would be good for is Tyler Durden’s soap. Lackey is the personification of what is wrong with the Red Sox – fat, complacent, unable to take responsibility for the fact that he sucks, and has a contract almost as bloated as his waistline. If the Sox can get anything at all for him, even if it is a garbage bag of used sweatsocks, they should jump on it in a moment. Too bad that Jim Hendry got fired a couple months ago, because Lackey is his type of player – useless and overpaid. Oh, and you have three more years of this at $15.25Million per. The Sox may actually be better off dumping him entirely and regarding that money as a loss.

Step Three – Change Their Free Agent Evaluation Process: Whatever the Sox are doing, it is not working. They are dangerously close to becoming the New York Yankees of the mid 19080′s to the mid 1990′s. Remember that collection of high priced misfit toys that Steinbrenner would assemble that hated each other and could not play together? Well, that’s where the Sox are heading. Instead of trying to find the best fit for their long and short term goals, they have done nothing but throw money at the problems (see Lackey, John and Crawford, Carl). It does not matter if the players make any actual sense for the organization, it just matters as to whether or not they are big names. The Sox used to be good at finding players that fit their system (Ortiz, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, Curt Schilling, etc), regardless of their reputations. Now, they are simply throwing big names at a wall and hoping they stick. This is why the clubhouse is so fractured, and why no one cares. Speaking of…..

Step Four – Youth Infusion: Let’s look at the prospective free agents this offseason for the Sox. There are Marco Scutaro, Ortiz, Jason Varitek, JD Drew, Tim Wakefield, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathon Papelbon. Of those players, only Ortiz and Papelbon would be worth bringing back in. This leaves the door open for Jose Iglesias at shortstop, Ryan Lavarnway at catcher, Ryan Kalish in right field, and a couple of players in the bullpen. The Red Sox were nothing more than a bunch of high priced players who simply went through the motions. While the steady influence and calming nature of veteran leadership is valuable during the closely contested games and the playoffs, it takes youthful exuberance to get a team to play with energy during the dog days of the season. The Sox have been lacking that for a long time, and it has proven to be a major detriment. Bring in some of the kids in AAA, instead of blowing money on high priced players that do not fit.

The Sox just need to do the preceding four things and they will be back to where they were during 2004 and 2007 – winning championships. However, that would require the Sox to actually focus on baseball moves, instead of acquiring players that the Pink Hat community will like. Naturally, this process would be about as popular with them as it would be if someone collected every copy of ‘Sweet Caroline’ and blew them up Disco Demolition style. So it will not happen. Why fix the problem when the park is filled with happy slobs that will pay $10 for a beer, just for the experience of being at Fenway?

The Market For Lackey

With the continual failure by John Lackey to look anything like a major league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, it is time that they admit the signing was a failure. As it stands, when Clay Buchholz comes off the disabled list, Lackey may end up as the long reliever, should Andrew Miller pitch well. And $15.25 million per year is a lot of money to be paying to a long reliever.

Now, to find a proper landing spot for Lackey, one needs to find a team that is willing to take on bad contracts, and has one of their own to dump. As it turns out, there is such a team sitting in the AL West, Lackey's old stomping grounds. In fact, it was while pitching in the AL West that Lackey looked like an All-Star, and managed to trick Theo Epstein into thinking that he should get paid like an ace.

Enter the Seattle Mariners. They have a ballpark just slightly smaller than the Grand Canyon, no expectations, and do not have fans or media that will consistently put pressure upon them. Also, with King Felix and Pineda entrenched as their top two starters, Lackey can slide into the third pitcher role, and probably 'rediscover' his stuff when he leaves the confines of Fenway Park. Since the Mariners are not likely to score anyway, adding another pitcher may help them push towards a pennant, since they are only two games back presently.

So, who would the Mariners send over? Well, as it turns out, they have their own albatross of a contract that actually could fill a position of need for the Sox. Chone Figgins, come on down! His offensive game has vanished in cavernous Safeco Park, and he also desperately needs a change of scenery. The slash line he presently has of .190/.238/.254 can only improve with a move to Boston and Fenway Park. Plus, with the injury to Jed Lowrie, the Red Sox could use a utility infielder/outfielder type, and Figgins has displayed the ability to be that player in his career.

On paper, there is the concern that Seattle would not make this trade due to the difference in price tag (Figgins only has another $17 million over the next two years left). So, the Red Sox send some money over, or a mid-level prospect. It wouldn't be the first time they paid someone to take on a mistake (see Renteria, Edgar). They should be willing to do the same thing here.

Seattle has also shone a willingness to take on a bad contract to dump one of their own. Let us not forget the Carlos Silva for Milton Bradley swap, where more fecal matter switched sides than when monkeys fight at the zoo. They have made these trades before - they will make them again.

Make the right move here Boston and Seattle. Put those two out of their misery and get them a new start.

The New Eddie Whitson

Today, the Boston Red Sox placed John Lackey on the 15 day DL with what is being called a 'strained elbow'. The timing of this 'strained elbow' is rather peculiar, considering he did not appear to be in any discomfort at any point during this most recent disaster start. This time, in his 6 2/3 innings pitched, he gave up 9 earned runs on 9 hits with 5 walks, which has been roughly par for the Lack-ey course this season.

After the round of batting practice game, Lack-ey cranked his excuse machine into gear once again, this time complaining that his life was terrible in any way imaginable. While looking like Mr. Ed is never a boost to the psyche, if a terrible existence involves getting paid over $80million to essentially be a slow pitch softball pitcher, then sign me up.

On the whole, this signing is reminiscent of another ill-fated singing involving a pitcher going to the AL East. For this, let us steal Professor Peabody's Way Back Machine, and return to the year 1984. Fresh off going 14-8 with a 3.24 ERA for the San Diego Padres, Eddie Whitson signed a 5-year contract with the New York Yankees worth $4.4million, with an option for a sixth year. Needless to say, this marriage worked about as well as William Shatner attempting to sing (seriously, watch his Rocket Man cover). From the start, Whitson did not fit with the Yankees or in New York. He clashed with then-manager Billy Martin, getting into a fight with him in a bar and infamously kicking him in the crotch. He would get panic attacks before pitching in Yankee Stadium, and resorted to warming up while wearing a jacket, so that no one would recognize him before he took the mound. Finally, on July 9th of 1986, Whitson was put out of his misery, and traded back to San Diego for Tim Stoddard.

Back to the present. Lack-ey has the same 'deer in the headlights' look that Whitson had during his time in New York. At this point, he may as well be going out there wearing Depends undergarments, because he is soiling himself every time he takes the mound. If he actually was the horse that he looks like, Lack-ey would be glue. It's time to put him out of his misery.

Lack-ey needs to be traded from Boston. He cannot handle this market, the pressure of pitching on a team expected to contend every year, and having any expectations placed upon him. Lack-ey has been a disaster in every way possible since he signed here. If the Red Sox could get back anything that even resembled being useful for him (and this includes used sweat socks) they should take it immediately.

The Dice-K-Lackey Conundrum

After the rainout on April 13th, and the following off day, the Boston Red Sox have changed their starting rotation around yet again. Starting on Friday, the Sox will be sending out Clay Buchholz on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Following Buchholz will be Josh Beckett on Saturday, then Jon Lester on Sunday. Monday, during the matinee game, will be Daisuke Matsuzaka - getting the start a full week since his previous outing. Following him on Tuesday in Oakland will be John Lackey, who is being skipped in the rotation.

The explanation being given is that Lackey has a lot of success against Oakland, and they want to make certain that he pitches there. While his numbers are, in fact, very good against the A's in Oakland (8-4 with a sub 3.00 ERA in 16 starts), if he was to have started on Friday, he would have faced them on Wednesday. Is it possible that the Sox are already trying to protect lackey from the chorus of boos that he will receive the moment he starts to implode again? That is the more logical reason.

Then there is Dice-K, who, in his last start, was more of a train wreck than Charlie Sheen. In two plus innings, he gave up seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks. Tim Wakefield, who is the other option as the number five starter, was slightly better, giving up five runs (four earned) in three and a third innings, while giving up six hits and walking one. If (when) Dice-K has another bad start on Monday, will Wakefield take his spot in the rotation? And how long will Wakefield be able to keep that spot?

The front of the rotation is now closer to what it should have been coming out of Spring Training. Lackey is better suited as the number four in the Sox staff. However, the fifth starter is going to be a position of flux throughout the year. In fact, the best option for that spot may actually be Felix Doubront, who would provide the rotation with a second lefty and is a favorite of manager Terry Francona. Based on how Dice-K and Wakefield have pitched thus far, expect Doubront to get his chance soon.

Long term, the Sox are free of Dice-K after next season, although it feels as though the organization wants to be rid of him as of yesterday. Should the Sox be languishing out of the playoff hunt come the trading deadline, one has to wonder if they will package him with a prospect just to be rid of him. Lackey, meanwhile, is signed through 2014 with a vesting option for 2015, so he will not be leaving any time soon. Should he continue to struggle, the question would then be what to do with him. Sox fans have seemingly turned on him already, and his penchant for finding excuses and refusing to take blame for his awful performances have accelerated the fan's disgust. Right now, he cannot be trusted at home, and that is not a good thing for a player receiving $15.25 million per year.

Right now, the best option would be to move Dice-K to the bullpen as a long reliever, insert Doubront, and let Lackey try to figure himself out. Re-aligning the rotation as they have is a good start, at the very least.