Red Sox OF Ryan Kalish
The Boston Red Sox were essentially spectators at the trade deadline rather than a buyer or seller. Team management believes that the solutions to the teams woes – bullpen, not enough offense from OF – can be addressed with solutions that are internal. They began with addition by subtraction. LF Jeremy Hermida was designated for assignment, and RP Ramon Ramirez was shipped to the San Franciso Giants for minor leaguer RP Daniel Turpen.
Hermida was hitting just .203 at the time of his designation, and had been an absolute butcher in the field, botching numerous routine plays. Ramirez, who was acquired from Kansas City for Coco Crisp after 2008, had a 4.46 Era in 2010, falling well below the expectations he had set in the first half of 2009, when he was very reliable.
In Hermida’s place steps outfield prospect Ryan Kalish, who was called up Saturday just before the 4:15 start at Fenway. Kalish, who had 13 HR and 25 SB between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket got his Major League career to a good start, as the 22 year old went 2 for 4 with an RBI Saturday and picked up another RBI in Sunday’s win as well, both against the Detroit Tigers.
Kalish will be depended on much more to come as Mike Cameron went on the DL today and will more than likely have abdominal surgery to end his season. Daniel Nava was called up today and will be in Boston until Jacoby Ellsbury returns, which could be this week.
As for the bullpen, the hope is that Michael Bowden will be called up to help the Sox, as he is being converted to a relief pitcher in Pawtucket, as is lefty Felix Dubront, who made a few spot starts for the Red Sox in July which yielded mixed results. That help needs to come sooner than later, as another lead vanished in yesterday’s near debacle, with Jonathan Papelbon blowing yet another save.
As the Red Sox sit 5.5 games in back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the Wild Card and 6.5 behind the Yankees, many things have to go right. The good news is that they will have their cracks against both these teams in the nest two months, with 6 games vs. Tampa and 7 vs. the Yankees, 4 of which come this weekend at Yankee Stadium. While it is still too early to count them out at this point, they certainly have their work cut out for them.
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Red sox hoping young players will cure their ills.. Bully
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