While Silva isn’t a marquee name by any means, the right-hander was productive in 2010, going 10-6 with a 4.22 ERA for the Cubs. If he can recapture any of that consistency, he could be a pleasant surprise for the Red Sox in 2012.
For now, let's take a gander at this week’s mailbag.
What are the odds that Carl Crawford will be traded this spring? His outrageous salary is costing us inflexibility in dealing with other acquisitions. He cannot perform as a member of the Red Sox. Can we send him along with Theo Epstein to the Cubs for Garza?
– Jim L., Spencer, Mass.
Slow down, my friend. Sure, Carl Crawford struggled last season — he hit just .255 and stole 18 bases, the lowest since his rookie year — but it's way too early to jump ship now after inking him to a seven-year, $142 million deal.
Whether it was the transition to a new team and new city or anything else, Crawford deserves more time to acclimate to his new surroundings and prove himself. You don't just go from four-time All-Star to washed up overnight and the Red Sox know that. We’ve seen plenty of people bounce back after rough years.
Plus, in the scenario you proposed, Crawford likely wouldn't fit into Theo Epstein's plans in Chicago anyway. With the Cubs, Epstein will be looking to build the farm system instead of making notable splashes, which is evident by his desire to shop Matt Garza around.
How will the pitchers respond to their new pitching coach — two in two years — and how does it affect their psyche?
– Tim, Concord, N.H.
Technically, it's the third pitching coach in three years, with John Farrell, Curt Young and Bob McClure. It's not the ideal situation for pitchers, but frankly, it was inevitable after the way pitching faltered down the stretch in 2011.
The psyche can't get any lower than it was in September, when the starting rotation finished with a 7.08 ERA for the month. After the collapse, the starting pitchers should be receptive to any changes because, at this point, the only direction to go is up.
What are they going to do about filling the hole in right field?
-Charlie, Apison, Tenn.
Right now, the position will be filled internally. Last week, Ben Cherington mentioned Mike Aviles, Darnell McDonald and newly-acquired outfielder Ryan Sweeney as the candidates who could rotate at right.
Ryan Kalish is seemingly the long-term solution at right field. But after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum in November, he probably won’t be returning to the diamond until at least May or June.
Aviles is the one to keep an eye on. The Red Sox like his offensive approach, which is why the team asked him to play right field in Puerto Rico — during winter ball for Ponce Leones.
But I’d go with Aviles and McDonald as the leading contenders to fill that vacancy.
Hey! First timer here! I have a question on catchers. Since Ryan Lavarnway isn’t so good at catching, do you think Kelly Shoppach will be the backup catcher for Jarrod Saltalamacchia?
-Angmar, Florida
Barring any surprises or injuries in spring training, it's shaping up that way. Ryan Lavarnway is major league ready offensively, but a few months of seasoning in Triple-A could help him polish his defensive skills and game management.
In the meantime, Kelly Shoppach can complement Jarrod Saltalamacchia as a defensive specialist. Last season, the catcher threw out 41 percent of attempted base-stealers. Throughout his career, Shoppach has found success against lefties, hitting .274/.373/.536.
When are the Sox gonna address starting pitching? This team is nowhere close to as good as last year's -– Buchholz's health and Bard now starting are questions. The back end of the bullpen is not as good as it was last year. If they can't make a trade for Garza or Floyd, can't they backload a contract to stay under $189 million this year or have it easily incentive-loaded? You can't scrape the bottom of the barrel hoping to get by when rotation and team worse — it ain't gonna cut it.
-Dan, Georgia
It's certainly been on the agenda, but the team is hoping for the asking price to go down on guys like Roy Oswalt, Hiroki Kuroda, etc.
With Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Miller and Felix Doubront all in contention to possibly start, Cherington feels he can bide his time on the free agent pitching market. As he patiently waits, the price tag on some of bigger names could come down or better trade deals could emerge.
While the back end of the rotation isn't as talented with Jonathan Papelpon gone, the upside for Andrew Bailey, 27, and Mark Melancon, 26, is much, much higher than last season's duo. Both are young, inexpensive and talented pitchers that could wind up becoming a formidable tandem.
Have questions for Didier Morais? Leave them in the comments section below, send them to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send them here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week.
