OK, a meaningless game against a team 21 games out of first place isn’t exactly what we think of when we talk about baseball in October. But thanks to the World Baseball Classic, the MLB season is later than ever, and the postseason won’t begin until Oct. 7.
So the agonizing wait until the playoffs continues. Agonizing because the Red Sox have lost six straight, and they want you to understand it just doesn’t matter.
Remember the old adage that you want to be playing your best baseball heading into the playoffs? The 2009 Red Sox are bound and determined to prove to you that there is no truth to that axiom.
“Finishing strong over the last weeks, two weeks, month, it actually has no bearing whatsoever on how the team performs in October,” Theo Epstein said.
It could, however, have a bearing on who gets to play in October. For the most part, it’s pretty easy to figure out the bulk of the playoff roster Epstein, Terry Francona and the rest of the Red Sox’ brain trust will announce next week before the ALDS begins in Anaheim.
Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Alex Gonzalez, Mike Lowell, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew and David Ortiz are the nine starters who will get the bulk of the playing time. Jason Varitek, Casey Kotchman and Rocco Baldelli are three definite position players to join them.
Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka are in as starters. Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Billy Wagner, Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez are the six relievers that will make up the bulk of the Red Sox’ bullpen next week.
That’s a total of 12 position players and 10 pitchers. That leaves three spots on the roster.
One will go to a backup infielder. If Nick Green cannot play (it was telling that he remained out of the lineup Wednesday night with a cast of reserves getting the nod against Roy Halladay), either Jed Lowrie or Chris Woodward will make it.
That leaves two. Now it gets a bit tougher.
Joey Gathright is the fastest baserunner on the team, and should make the roster on that skill alone. He also gives them more outfield depth.
So the team will have to decide if it wants a 14th position player or an 11th pitcher. Francona leans toward a bigger bullpen, which means he will have to choose from the following players:
Manny Delcarmen. A month ago, he was a core part of the bullpen, but has fallen on hard times. After giving up two more earned runs in an inning of work Wednesday night, he finished September with a 14.14 ERA, giving up 15 hits and walking eight batters in seven innings. There’s no way to know if he is going through a physical issue or a crisis of confidence, but it’s hard to imagine him getting the ball in any crucial moment going forward.
Tim Wakefield. No one has done more over a longer period of time, but after a brutal outing Wednesday night, Wakefield is still winless since the All-Star Game. It’s been tough to watch him try to field his position, and there’s no way he’ll get the chance to do it in the postseason.
Paul Byrd. He could make the roster by default, but there really isn’t a need for his long-relief/mop-up role.
Michael Bowden. He could have pitched his way onto the roster, but has been ineffective. He’s given up nine earned runs in his last 5 1/3 innings of work.
Without a clear choice to help the bullpen, it might make more sense to choose an extra position player out of the group of Brian Anderson, Josh Reddick, or perhaps a third catcher who will give Francona the flexibility to pinch hit for Jason Varitek if he starts a game.
For those players, these final four games are not so meaningless. While the team’s playoff fate was officially determined in the wee hours Wednesday morning, there is a handful of players battling for their playoff lives in the games ahead.
