Isn’t it time to send Darnell McDonald packing? He had a fluke season last year. I would also like to see the Red Sox make a play for a right fielder like Hunter Pence. With J.D. Drew’s money coming off the books at the end of the season, they could easily afford it. Their outfield would be set with young, awesome players for the next five to 10 years.
— Craig Lawson
Craig actually had about six other comments in here regarding several members of the pitching staff. In the interest of keeping the topic somewhat narrowed here, let’s just focus on the outfield.
First of all, the Red Sox don’t view McDonald’s 2010 season as a fluke. They see him as someone who is incredibly valuable in that he can play all three outfield spots, can hit with some power, can steal a base and does some other little things, such as leading the team in sacrifice bunts last season. He has struggled mightily this year, but the club has confidence he will be that same valuable piece in the second half of the year.
Pence is under Houston’s control for two more seasons after 2011, so there is no way they get him unless they offer a truckload of top prospects to the Astros. Just doesn’t seem very likely, even though he would fit in nicely with the Sox.
Daniel Nava started out dreadful but has raised his average 100 points with a monster June. Why didn’t the Red Sox release or send down McDonald and bring him up Nava for a shot at the outfield? Also, who is on the radar for going into the All-Star break? I like Michael Cuddyer from Minnesota. Can we get him and what would it cost?
— Christopher Soule
I guess I could give some of the same answer right here. As well as Nava performed last year when rushed into duty, McDonald was a much more valuable player. The fact that Nava is familiar with the big league scene means the organization will not be shy about bringing him up if there is another rash of injuries in the outfield, but he’s down that list a bit right now. It is nice to see him playing well at Pawtucket.
If McDonald heats up, there’s a chance that the team will be somewhat silent in terms of outfield upgrades at the break. If not, one figures they could most use a right-handed bat off the bench, or someone to platoon with J.D. Drew. Cuddyer, an All-Star, will cost around $5 million or so, as well as a handful of prospects, and the Twins are still thinking they have a chance to climb into the AL Central race.
What would be the penalty for releasing John Lackey? How much money would we have to pay him? I know they didn’t want to cut ties with Daisuke Matsuzaka because of the price. Is Lackey releasable?
— Ethan Linehan
Lackey is due over $48 million the next three seasons, plus the remainder of what he is owed this year. That’s a huge sum of cash, and the Sox will not be releasing Lackey anytime soon. We have many more Lackey questions to get to, but we can probably rule out a release at this point in time.
What are the Red Sox going to do with Lackey!? Surely a team that has World Series aspirations can’t have a starter as lackluster as him in the starting rotation. For every good start he gives us he pitches three more abysmal ones. What can be done given his HUGE wage bill?
— John
John writes to us from the United Kingdom, hence his use of “huge wage bill” rather than “high salary.” I like it. May start using that one instead.
As for Lackey, there aren’t many options other than to press on and hope for more of those good starts and less of those abysmal ones. With Matsuzaka gone for the year and Buchholz’s back potentially becoming more of an issue than originally thought, the rotation is suddenly a pretty slim bunch. The Sox need Lackey in the worst way to at least find some sort of consistency.
If there is a physical issue beyond what we know, that’s another thing. But as long as he says he is healthy, Lackey is part of the formula. Let’s just hope he doesn’t remain part of the problem.
Why does Terry Francona give Lackey such a long leash? We cannot give a team between five and nine runs, and then expect to win. Every time Lackey has pitched at Fenway that is the case — he lets the other team spray the field with multiple hits and a substantial lead before he comes and gets him.
— Michelle
Lackey’s issues have been substantial at Fenway, where he has a 9.17 ERA. But Francona cannot pull a guy, any guy, at the first sign of trouble. He only has so many relievers and each one of them has only so many innings in them. Francona has to give Lackey an opportunity to right the ship and at least get into those middle innings and spare the pen.
A good example of this mindset paying off was when Alfredo Aceves made his last start June 21 at Fenway. He was completely lost early in that game, at one point walking five straight hitters. But Francona resisted the urge to make the call and Aceves settled down enough to pitch five innings.
Boston still lost the game, but it was able to tie things up at one point and only had to use three relievers.
Here’s a question that’s actually not about right field. Do you think that Adrian Gonzalez will be the AL MVP at the end of the season and how close will he be to winning the Triple Crown?
— Jeff “Gator” Welch, Springfield, Mass.
If the year ended today, Gonzalez would be my choice for MVP, with all due respect to Jose Bautista. A lot can change over the final three months, though. As for the Triple Crown, Gonzalez’s current home run drought is going to make that tough. He has just one homer in his last 14 games, leaving him with 16, 11 shy of Bautista. And even if Bautista slowed down, there are eight other guys with more home runs than Gonzalez right now. He would need to have quite a power surge and hope that others stay put.
Why is defensive indifference used when a runner on first goes to second when the lead is only two?
— Ron Richardson
The official scorer can make that call if he/she deems that the defense did not do anything to prevent the runner from advancing. If nobody held on the runner or there were no pickoff throws or anyone moving to the second base bag or anything like that, it can be ruled as a sign of indifference on the part of the team in the field.
When is Carl Crawford going to be ready? Will it be during the homestand?
— Angel
On Monday, after a visit with Dr. Thomas Gill, Crawford was cleared to begin running the bases, his last major hurdle before returning. His return could come during the homestand, but that remains to be seen. If not, I expect him back that first game after the break.
Who were you most surprised to not see on the lists for the All-Star Team? (Not Red Sox specific)
— Kevin
In the American League, I was surprised to not see CC Sabathia and Paul Konerko make it. Sabathia was baseball’s first 10-game winner and then its first 11-game winner. He may not possess all the dominance of other pitchers in the game, but he is a true ace for the best team in the AL record-wise.
Konerko is batting .319 and is fourth in the AL in RBIs. His teammate, Carlos Quentin, was chosen as Chicago’s representative despite having lesser numbers in every significant category. That made little sense to me, even if there is a need for more outfielders than first basemen.
I thought Tommy Hanson had a gripe in the NL. He is 10-4 with a 2.52 ERA after a win Monday, and ranks among the league leaders in WHIP and strikeouts. Perhaps he gets a last laugh when Cy Young Award votes get handed down. He’s right in that mix at the current time.
Che-Hsuan Lin is a name that not many Red Sox fans hear about often, but he has worked his way through the Red Sox farm system. He is only 22, he has played in and was named the MVP of the Futures All-Star Game, played in the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics for Chinese Taipei, and he has also been selected as having the best strike-zone discipline and as the best defensive outfielder by the Red Sox Top 10 Prospect Scouting Report. Is he in the discussion for possible right field options for this season, or next year? Also, why is this guy not regarded as highly as Ryan Kalish when he has had a solid minor league career?
— Bryan
Great information from Bryan. I guess I don’t need to go too in-depth on Lin after that, except to add that he is seen more as a center fielder than a corner outfielder. He has great speed and understands the position as well as anyone in the system — simply watching him track down balls during practice this spring was something to behold.
Obviously, with Jacoby Ellsbury around, Lin’s progression to that position is blocked. While Lin has all those great tools, he does not possess much power at all and has never hit better than .275 at any stop in the minors. Not to take anything away from him, but right now he is not the offensive player of a Kalish or Reddick.
With Josh Reddick’s success at the major league level, do you think that Ryan Kalish’s job in right field is in jeopardy? There does not seem to be room on the roster for both. Will the Red Sox use one as trade bait? With Crawford’s disappointing start, I can’t help but think the Red Sox outfield future needs could have been kept within the farm system.
— Colleen
We should not rush to judgment on Crawford just yet. He has several more years in Boston, and there will be many days when you will love having him on this team. Also, Kalish doesn’t have that job just yet. It’s largely speculative that he is the natural successor to J.D. Drew, but the happenings of the past couple of months could change that. With Kalish trying to get healthy and Reddick playing well in the majors, things have been altered a bit.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that some of the outfielders in the system are used to make a trade this month. If that does not happen, so much of the 2012 landscape will depend upon how Kalish can come back this year.
Hey! Any news on Blake Swihart, whether he is going to sign with the Red Sox? Maybe he already has and I haven’t heard about it, or is he is still keen on going to university? Thanks.
— John
Hey! No news yet on the Swihart front. He has indicated that playing college ball is his top choice, but we’ll have to see if the big bucks can cause him to change his mind.
Not really a question, just wanted to say I agree wholeheartedly with your Tony awards. It’s especially nice to see Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek get the credit they deserve. I, for one, am so thankful we kept Varitek. What do you think the Red Sox will try to do before the trade deadline? Thank you.
— Pam Desrochers
You see what Pam did there? She softened us up with a compliment, said she didn’t have a question, and then snuck one in. Good work on her part.
In recent weeks the trade talk has entirely surrounded the right field situation. With the Lackey/Buchholz situation gaining steam, the Sox have to be thinking of adding a starting pitcher. Also, another lefty in the bullpen would be welcome.
