Patriots WR Randy Moss

The New England Patriots ended 2009 on a horrible note, getting lambasted by the Baltimore Ravens at home in the AFC Wild Card Game back in January.  Most of the blame fell on the apparent softness of the defense.  Many of the holes have been addressed through the draft, as first round pick Devin McCourty from Rutgers is making a case to start at cornerback.  Despite his lackluster performance in the last preseason game vs. the St. Louis Rams, McCourty has been solid in camp in the preseason, and could bring a physical presence that that Pats have lacked on the outside for quite some time. 

To solidify the run defense, the Patriots selected ILB Brandon Spikes from Florida.  A natural leader, Spikes’ stock fell in the draft due to his poor 40-yard dash as the scouting combine.  With that being said, his tenacity and play making ability has impressed the coaches, and he is the favorite to start next to ILB Jerod Mayo.  On the outside, Tully Bata-Cain and Derrick Burgess are back.  OLB Marques Murrell has joined the team as a 2-down OLB.  The pass rush has been spotty at best so far in the preseason.

The defensive line still has many questions however.  DE Ty Warren was lost for the season with a hip injury.  Vince Wilfork will still be the rock in the middle, but the rest of the line will more than likely be a pu-pu platter of former Cleveland Brown and Oakland Raider castoff Gerard Warren, Mike Wright, and BC’s own Ron Brace.  Brace has looked good in the preseason thus far, but is currently nursing a sprained ankle.3

The offense was also questioned heavily last year for being too predictable.  To solve this, Bill Belichick completely gutted the tight end position.  Ben Watson left for Cleveland, and was replaced by two exciting and promising draft picks in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. 

Gronkowski has already become a cult hero in the preseason with 3 TD’s.  He’s a huge target at 6’7”, and could give the Pats their best threat at the position since Ben Coates.  Hernandez has more of a receivers’ body, and could see time as an H-back.  You could draw many parallels with Hernandez and Indy’s Dallas Clark.  Randy Moss is still one of the best in the league, and Julian Edelman has made huge strides.  With Wes Welker also looking spry and healthy, the receiving corps looks solid.

The issues that could hinder the offense lie with the offensive line and the running game.  Pro-bowl guard Logan Makins is a holdout, and may have played his last game for the Pats.  He is being replaced by Dan Connolly, who has been good thus far.

As for the running game, it was not addressed in the offseason, as Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, and Sammy Morris will all be back, with no clue as to who will get the majority of the carries.  (Fantasy note:  do yourself a favor….don’t draft ANY of these guys!!)  Maroney’s status is also in question, as he hasn’t played in the last 2 preseason games. 

With all this being said, the potential is certainly there for the Pats to win 10 games and return to the postseason.  As long as Tom Brady is standing upright, they have a good a chance as any AFC team.

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.

Struggling Red Sox RP Hideki Okajima

During their current West Coast road trip, the Boston Red Sox need for bullpen help has never been more present than it is right now.  While the offense has been silent lately, help is on the way as Victor Martinez will be back this week, Jacoby Ellsbury is on a rehab assignment, and Dustin Pedroia isn’t far from coming back.  There are no such reinforcements in sight internally for the Red sox.

Following Hideki Okajima’s horrendous performance yesterday – 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 inherited runner scored, and a blown save – one would think that a move would be coming very soon.  Okajima’s outing, combined with Manny Delcarmen’s brutal outing on Thursday – 4 batters faced, 0 outs recorded, 2 H, 4R, 1 BB – against the Seattle Mariners, the worst hitting lineup in the American League at a .233 batting average -has made the bullpen a priority at the trade deadline. 

It is June 26, and hope for a playoff berth is slipping away with by the day as the team continues to blow leads late, make crippling errors (see: Bill Hall and Eric Patterson), and get next to no production from their outfield.  The Yankees and Rays are taking full advantage as they continue to win easily against the dregs of the American League, which is something that this Red Sox team seems to have a hard time with between Oakland and the Mariners on this trip.

The road will not get any easier.  The Red Sox begin a 3 game set at Anaheim vs. the Angels tonight.  Tonight, they will have to face the newly acquired former Cy Young winner Dan Haren, who was absolutely thieved from Arizona for a struggling Joe Saunders and a pupu platter of questionable minor league prospects in a trade yesterday afternoon.  If they do not take 2 out of 3 from the Angels to salvage a .500 record for this trip, it may be panic time.

Red Sox RP Michael Bowden

As the July 31^st non-waiver trade deadline approaches, the Boston Red Sox have their share of needs to fill.  What are those exact needs, and who are the players that could potentially fill these roles?  As the Red Sox threaten to fade down the stretch, here are the problem areas that need to be addressed, as well as some possible solutions.

Leftfield

Synopsis: The Red Sox have been able to get by with what have been essentially Triple A players, but the holes in the lineup are starting to catch up with them, as evidenced by the last series at home vs. the Texas Rangers.  Leftfield is traditionally a power position, and as of this moment, there is not much power being generated from this area.

Current Options: LF Daniel Nava, OF Darnell McDonald, OF/2B Bill Hall, OF/IF Eric Patterson.

Potential Internal Solutions:  The Red Sox are waiting on Jacoby Ellsbury’s return; however Mike Cameron’s abdominal injuries may eventually force him to be sidelined for the year, thus moving Ellsbury back to his natural centerfield position.  Jeremy Hermida could play LF once off the DL, but his defense has been atrocious at times.  OF Josh Reddick could be called up from Pawtucket.

Trade Solutions: The big bat that is potentially available is Washington’s 1B/OF Adam Dunn.  Dunn would give the Red Sox a huge power threat from the left side, however he could be costly, as he is a potential Type A free agent and wouldn’t come cheaply.  Another solution is Kansas City OF David DeJesus who could come a lot cheaper, and is more likely to be dealt.

Bullpen

Synopsis: Outside of Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon, the bullpen has been shaky all season long.  If the Red Sox are to go anywhere, they will need both a left handed and right handed bullpen arm to step up to shorten the game.

Current Options: Ramon Ramirez, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Dustin Richardson

Potential Internal Solutions:  Prospect Michael Bowden has been converted into a reliever and called up.  Manny Delcarmen has come off the DL recently and the coaching staff likes what they see since his return.  Dustin Richardson is the only other lefty besides Okajima and is really on the roster for that sole reason.

Trade Solutions:  The Blue Jays are trying to peddle RHP’s Kevin Gregg and Jason Frasor as well as LHP Scott Downs.  Downs is a potential Type A, so he’s probably too expensive.  Indians RP Kerry Wood was available, but is now on the DL, however he could be waived after the deadline.  Royals RHP Kyle Farnsworth is also available, and probably inexpensive.

Catcher

Synopsis: The Red Sox have been in quite a pinch behind the plate as Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek were injured days apart.  They have struggled to find a viable replacement for either of them on the offensive side, which has created a hole in the bottom of the lineup.

Current Options: Kevin Cash, Dusty Brown

Potential Internal Solutions: Few and far between.  There’s not a clear timetable on the return of both Martinez and Varitek, and the minor league catching cupboard is fairly barren. 

Trade Solutions:  Strangely, now that the Rangers have traded 1B Justin Smoak, they have a need for a right handed bat.  Enter Mike Lowell who was traded to them in the offseason for C Max Ramirez, only to fail the physical to kill the deal.  It is possible this deal could take place for a second time, as Ramirez has become expendable with the acquisition of Bengie Molina.

Red Sox 1B Kevin Youkilis

As the Red Sox bandwagon limps into the 2010 All-Star break with 2 broken wheels and a seizing engine, the team still finds itself in decent shape, with a 51-37 record, 5 games behind the Yankees and 2 behind the Rays for the Wild Card.  Not bad for a team with 12 players on the disabled list. 

In comparison, last season a healthy Red Sox team found itself with a 54-34 record at the break, 3 games ahead of the Yankees for the AL East lead, but one that they would eventually relinquish.  For the Red Sox to be only 3 games off last year’s pace with the number of injuries they currently have is nothing short of remarkable. 

To put it in perspective, 4 of the 6 Red Sox selected to play in the 2010 All-Star Game in Anaheim cannot play due to injury.  Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Clay Buchholz, and Adrian Beltre – who strained his hamstring just yesterday – will not play.  Jon Lester and David Ortiz are the only Red Sox healthy enough to play for the American League, which has won 12 in a row, if you throw out the embarrassing tie in the 2002 All-Star Game.

It could be said that no team needs the All-Star break like the Red Sox do, who in addition to the aforementioned infirmary all-stars, are currently missing ace Josh Beckett, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, captain C Jason Varitek, 3B Mike Lowell, OF Jeremy Hermida, and RP Manny Delcarmen.  Also, OF Mike Cameron – who is fighting through an abdominal tear – and SP Daisuke Matsuzaka have also battled injuries this year as well.

The ability of the Red Sox to be where they are now is a testament to the front office and manager Terry Francona, who has deployed numerous replacements that not many had heard of including CF Darnell McDonald, LF Daniel Nava, SP Felix Dubront, 2B/OF Eric Patterson, as well as veterans IF/OF Bill Hall and C Kevin Cash. 

While the Red Sox will apparently be getting healthier as time progresses, they will have their work cut out for them following the break.  They will host Texas for a 4-game set at Fenway, which is sure to include one game against the newly acquired ace Cliff Lee. 

They will then embark on a 10-game west coast road trip, (which is never easy) with 3 games at Oakland, 4 at Seattle, and 3 at the Angels and then host the Tigers (3) and Indians (4) before heading to Yankee Stadium for a 4-game weekend set. 

If the Red Sox can break even on the west coast trip and win both series at home before heading to the House That Jeter Built, they will still be in good shape.  For this to happen, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka must earn their keep, the front office must bring in another bullpen arm to buttress Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard, and some of the other pieces must get back into the fold as well. 

As Boston fans we want to see this team as the 2004 Patriots, who battled a ridiculous amount of injuries on their way to a third Superbowl title, rather than the 2006 Red Sox, who had an equal amount of freak injuries, but fell out of the race in August after being swept at home in a 5-game series by the Yankees.  By the time the series in New York is over on Monday August 9, we will know exactly where this team stands.

Bruins Draft Pick C Tyler Seguin

The Boston Bruins have been very busy this offseason, and seem to have been successful in plugging some of the holes that plagued them during their historical collapse in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers.  After the losses of David Krejci and Marco Sturm during that series, the lack of scoring depth was a glaring problem.  So far, although it is still relatively early in the offseason, the Bruins have addressed this problem via the draft, as well as through trade.

When looking to add instant offense, it always helps to have a surefire talent fall into your lap at second overall.  With this pick, which was acquired from Toronto for Phil Kessel before last season, the Bruins selected 18-year old center Tyler Seguin from the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL.  Seguin, who is expected to contribute immediately, has been often compared to Detroit Red wings Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman.  Seguin tied for the lead in OHL scoring with 1^st pick Taylor Hall with 106 points.

Many including myself chastised the Bruins for dealing Kessel last season without getting anything to replace him for that season.  It appears that the Bruins will get the better end of the deal, as they also have Toronto’s 1^st round pick in 2011 as well, but obviously Kessel is a gifted scorer and Seguin has yet to play an NHL game yet.  As of this moment however the Bruins have the upper hand, but time will tell.

The Bruins added another explosive piece in former Florida Panthers LW Nathan Horton.  Horton, who was acquired in exchange for defenseman Dennis Wideman, is a legitimate scoring threat.  The third overall pick in the 2003 draft, Horton has averaged 25 goals a season for the past 5 years, and one could argue that he did this with a lack of talent surrounding him.  The 25-year old’s work ethic was questioned down in Miami, but now that he has been shipped to a hockey hotbed and is surrounded by talented veterans, Horton is relishing the opportunity to shine.

On the defensive side, the Bruins resigned defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a 4-year deal.  Seidenberg was sorely missed during the Bruins’ playoff run, as he was injured with a lacerated wrist, but was an integral piece late in the regular season n helping the B’s climb their way into the 6-seed.  A full season of Seidenberg on the blueline should be an upgrade from Wideman, whose play was erratic at best during his time in Boston. 

The Bruins still have some work to do this offseason, namely on the blueline, but is still early.  They have an important trade chip in goalie Tim Thomas, who had his job taken from him thanks to an impressive rookie campaign by Tuukka Rask.  If the Bruins can acquire a top-4 defenseman for Thomas, and keep Marc Savard on the roster, they will be a legitimate threat to go deep in the playoffs in 2010-11.

Red Sox CF Mike Cameron

Despite the fact that the Boston Red Sox seem to be dropping like flies, they remain just 2 games behind the hated Yankees for first place in the American League East.  After today’s game at the Giants, the Red Sox head home to face the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles.  They will be happy to get out of San Francisco alive at this point. 

In what can be described simply as a freak injury, second baseman Dustin Pedroia could be lost for up to two months after breaking his foot when he fouled a ball off of it in Friday night’s game.  Pedroia is an irreplaceable piece of both the offensive and defensive picture, and will be sorely missed.  Hopefully the Sox can tread water with Bill Hall at second, who has been below average at best as an outfielder.  Here’s to hoping he doesn’t butcher too many double-play balls in the next few weeks.

Clay Buchholz suffered a scare in yesterday’s game, in which he pilled up lame running the bases.  Thankfully it turned out to be just a hyperextension of the knee, and Buchholz should be good to go for his next start, which should be Saturday at home vs. the Orioles.

Elsewhere in the Red Sox infirmary, there is a one Jacoby Ellsbury, who is still apparently not close to resuming baseball activities in the wake of what must be the most horrific rib injury ever suffered by a professional athlete.  

Ellsbury broke his ribs the first week of the season after colliding with third baseman Arian Beltre.  He made an attempt at a comeback about a month ago but went back on the DL after just 3 games.  Maybe we’ll see him sometime before 2012, get well Jacoby.  Good thing you didn’t use your 4.3 40-yd dash time to make a play as a wide receiver, because things such as hangnails are generally not seen as serious injuries in the NFL.

On the other side of the spectrum, Mike Cameron continues to gut his way (no pun intended) through an abdominal tear, playing just about every other game.  Cameron put his body on the line, making a spectacular catch in the 8^th inning yesterday to save extra bases on a shot from Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval.  Cameron also supplied the offense, smashing a 3-run bomb.

In the face of adversity, the Red sox have managed to find ways to win.  They have had a great month of June, going 16-8, helping to circumvent their slow start.  Hopefully, the impending return of Josh Beckett and the continued success of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz will help them stay afloat until Pedroia’s return.

Red Sox SP Clay Buchholz

Red Sox P Clay Buchholz is finally starting to live up to the hype that comes with being a former top prospect in the Red Sox system.  Following last nights 6-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Buchholz is currently 9-4 with a 2.67 ERA in 13 starts.  8 of those games have been Quality Starts (6 IP and 3 ER or less) and he also has a complete game shut out vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

Buchholz has stepped up in a major way with Sox ace Josh Beckett on the disabled list.  Granted, while his last few starts haven’t exactly been against the juggernauts of Major League Baseball, (Arizona, Cleveland, Baltimore, Kansas City), he does hold victories over 5 American League teams with winning records – Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Detroit, the L.A. Angels, and Toronto. 

His only horrible start of the year was against the New York Yankees, in which he allowed 5 earned runs in just 5 innings.  How many pitchers are able to squash that lineup?  Not many.  Even Phillies ace and perennial Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay was whacked by the Bombers, giving up 4 homeruns yesterday at the House that Jeter Built.  Besides that one bad performance, one could make the argument Buchholz has been the Red Sox’ most consistent starter thus far. 

He has shown composure that has not seen from him since his no-hitter back in 2007, as he has the lowest strikeout to walk ratio of his career (1.71).  His control has improved dramatically, and he has used that control to pitch to contact and rely on the improved infield defense of Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro to get more groundouts.  He is becoming more of a pitcher than just a thrower who is just trying to blow every hitter away. 

Buchholz is a fantastic value for the Red Sox as he is currently making less than $500,000 this year, and is able to offset questionable contracts such as those of Mike Cameron and Daisuke Matsuzaka.  While he has been the subject of trade rumors ever since he made his major league debut back in 2007, with the injuries to Beckett and Matsuzaka they need him more than ever. 

However, one could also say that his trade value may never be higher, given his performance and contract.  While this may be true, for the moment the Red Sox offense looks pretty decent.  This lineup, which before the year looked questionable on paper, has been a nice surprise thanks to Beltre’s offensive output, as well as key contributions from the likes of Darnell McDonald, Jeremy Hermida, and Daniel Nava in the absence of Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury.  Buchholz’ next start will be at home Sunday against Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers, which should be wildly entertaining no matter how you slice it.

Red Sox DH David Ortiz

With last night’s 2-0 win at the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox continued their hot streak.  Over the last 12 games, the Red Sox have gone on an 8-4 run against some of the best teams in Major League Baseball.  Despite losing their series at Detroit May 14-16, they have split a two game set at the New York Yankees, beat the Minnesota Twins in a two-game sweep, taken 2 of 33 from the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies, and now taken two of the first 3 at Tampa, which at point this season has looked unbeatable. 

With that being stated, the Red Sox are still 6.5 games in back of Tampa, but are only 3 games behind the Yankees in the loss column for the early Wild Card lead.  Despite all the inconsistency that has plagued the club up until this point, the ship seems to be righting itself, as David Ortiz has awaken from a comatose April to post a .359 batting average, 8 home runs and 21 RBI in the month of May. 

If the Red Sox can stay consistent, they can fatten up their record in the next two weeks, as they face Kansas City and Oakland at Fenway and travel to Baltimore and Cleveland.  All of these teams currently have losing records except for Oakland, who currently stand at .500 with a 23-23 record.  The Sox need to take advantage of this part of the schedule to make serious headway in the division.   

Ortiz’ resurgence combined with the apparent ascension of Clay Buchholz as well as Jon Lester shaking off his perennial early-season struggles have been the prime reason for the marked improvement.  They continue to hit the ball well, as they are second in the AL in home runs behind the surprising Toronto Blue Jays, who have belted 79.

They should be able to move out 4^th place in the division and past the Blue Jays, whose free swinging ways will surely catch up to them.  Although they are smashing the ball out of the park at an alarming rate, one would believe that their offensive success will eventually tail off.  They are hitting .243 as a team, and their on-base Percentage of .309 is currently the worst in the American League.

The Blue Jays have changed their ways over the last year or so, exchanging their old philosophy of working pitch counts for one of “see the ball, hit the ball” for lack of a better term.  Of all the AL East teams, they have played the least divisional games, and have faced a much weaker chedule than the Sox. Yanks and Rays up until this point. 

With Mike Cameron now healthy and active, the defense should dramatically improve in the outfield.  Although Jeremy Hermida has been an adequate replacement at the plate, his defense has been atrocious at times.  The jury is still out on exactly what Jacoby Ellsbury’s condition is, so we may see more of the Hermida/Darnell McDonald/Bill Hall pupu platter in the outfield than was to be expected at this point.

The Red Sox seem to be getting healthy and hot just at the right time.  Their series wins over the Twins, Phillies, and Rays should boost the confidence of a club that was struggling mightily just a month ago.  It may not be such a long hot summer after all.

Outside of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the starting pitching has been awful

In 39 games played, the pitching rotation has just 18 Quality Starts (6 IP, 3 or less ER) to their credit.  John Lackey has been disappointing thus far, as his strikeout rate (5.58/9 IP) and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.48) have been the worst of his career to this point.  In his last 2 starts, he has allowed 11 earned runs in 13 innings, causing his ERA to jump a full run to 4.86.  Not exactly what you’re looking for in your highest paid player.  Josh Beckett has allowed a staggering 52 hits in just 41 innings with a pitiful 7.46 ERA, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is his usual disappointing self, as he has made past the 5^th inning just twice in 4 starts, once of which was against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Offense has been better than expected despite injuries

The Red Sox are 2^nd in the A.L. with 54 HR, and 3^rd in runs scored with 203.  J.D. Drew has been the most productive hitter with 26 RBI, and Adrian Beltre is an unlikely candidate to be leading the team in hitting with a .312 average.  Even David Ortiz is showing signs of life lately with 6 HR in May.  Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis have been their consistent selves. Victor Martinez was moved down to 5^th in the lineup and hit 2 HR last night. Marco Scutaro has been a good leadoff hitter, with a .363 OBP.  Jason Varitek has been good when he’s been asked to spell Martinez.    One would think that Beltre will come back to earth, as his patience at the plate has not been great (8 walks in 149 Plate Appearances), but the offense in general should improve once Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron Return. 

The middle relief has been horrible, but the late inning relief has been solid

Since the starting rotation is rarely going deep into games, the bullpen continues to be tax heavily, which mean that Hideki Okajima and Ramon Ramirez are pitching much more than they should.  Each is sporting an ERA over 6.00, and are both possible candidates to be released at some point should there be more of the same.  Addtionally, left-handed hitters are hitting .346 off “lefty-specialist” Scott Schoenweis.  Things usually don’t bode well for pitchers who are paid to get 1 out a game and can’t do it.  The back end of the bullpen has been solid however, as Daniel Bard has been great, striking out 26 batters in 20 innings.  Despite last night’s rough outing, Jonanthan Papelbon has been good, converting 9 of 10 save opportunities.

So what needs to happen for this team to succeed?  If the starting pitching can come around and get into the 6^th and 7^th innings consistently, the Red Sox can improve.  Once the offense is healthy, they will score more runs, and Ellsbury’s speed will make them more diverse of a threat.   Hopefully by the time these things happen, the Red Sox won’t be 15 games out of first.