By that logic, teams should have no problem choosing from a wide array of pitchers just looking for a job, from youngsters such as Andrew Miller, who is hoping to restart his career in the minors, to veterans such as Alan Embree, the former Boston lefty who was in camp last spring trying to earn a gig. Lefties are the like the pack of teenage girls mingling on the sidelines of the high school dance, just waiting for someone to come along and offer them a hand.
The 2010 Boston Red Sox should suggest that just offering a dance to anyone does not guarantee a good time, and that's why they were willing to stick with someone like Hideki Okajima, even after the worst season of his four-year career.
Okajima was one of a handful of lefties given a chance to get big outs for Boston in 2010. Embree and Brian Shouse were among the candidates during spring training, but neither threw a pitch. Scott Schoeneweis was in the mix early on before being released with a 7.90 ERA. Dustin Richardson came along later, walking 14 men in 13 innings. Rich Hill was given a late audition, throwing four scoreless innings and earning himself a chance to at least compete for a spot in Fort Myers, although he figures to be a prime candidate for Pawtucket.
Felix Doubront showed something in his short stint, but his season was cut short by injury. Essentially, nothing worked. The Sox, who flirted with the idea of bringing in southpaw Scott Downs at the trade deadline, saw their staff post a 1.48 WHIP against lefties, better than only six teams in the majors, none of which had a winning record.
While his ERA and WHIP skyrocketed for the third straight season, Okajima's familiarity with the club, past success and strong finish last year (albeit in less pressure-packed situations) allowed him to remain in the mix going into 2011. The organization has been linked to veteran Brian Fuentes, but past him, that often large pool of lefties looking for a job is rather small.
Much has been made of Okajima's downward trend since his phenomenal debut in 2007. Pick a category and chances are the number has looked worse each year since then. The fact that he was hurt in 2010 gave his early-season struggles a bit of an asterisk, and when he returned from the disabled list in late-August and proceeded to throw 10 scoreless innings, it supported the theory that something physical was getting in the way.
Also, with the addition of Bobby Jenks, Okajima will not necessarily need to be utilized in high-leverage situations. Jenks has had better success against lefties in his career and will now handle many of the eighth-inning duties in that regard. If Okajima, who has limited lefties to a career OPS of .591, looks anything like the pitcher Boston had from 2007 to 2009, or the one that pitched well at the end of 2010, he could be quite a weapon in the less-tense sixth and seventh innings.
The Red Sox are not bringing back Hideki Okajima with the hope that he posts a sub-3.00 ERA, as he did in his first two seasons, or to be the only arm they use when a tough left-handed bat is up. They are bringing back a guy who has had success in Boston, has reason to expect a moderate return to form and has plenty of support in a bullpen that suddenly looks loaded.
Also, he is a lefty, and as the Red Sox found out in 2010, those are harder to come by than logic would dictate.
