Apr. 4, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But, as usually happens when Dempster sees pinstripes, it didn’t work out for him or the Sox.  He came in 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in five starts lifetime vs New York and it was more of the same as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 4-2.

Former Sox spring training invite Lyle Overbay started the damage with a two out, two run single in the second inning after a Travis Hafner single and Eduardo Nunez  ground rule double.

Brett Gardner then hit a solo home run to right to lead off the third and from there it was lights out for Dempster.  He ended up going 5 innings and allowing 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 4 walks and 8 strikeouts.  Not exactly awe inspiring.

Offensively, the Sox got off to a weird start as Shane Victorino, who singled in the first inning and advanced to second on another single by Mike Napoli, was thrown out at home while attempting to take two bases on an Andy Pettitte wild pitch.

From there the bats were quiet vs Pettitte, who went eight strong, until the 7th inning when, with two out, Will Middlebrooks (2 for 4, RBI) singled and was immediately doubled home by Jackie Bradley, Jr. to break up the shutout.

But Clayton Mortensen gave it right back in the bottom of the inning as Sox killer Francisco Cervelli led off with a homer to left center.

The Sox tried to rally in the 9th inning in Mariano Rivera‘s first appearance since last May.  They put two on and scored one run on a Middlebrooks ground out but Rivera then struck out Bradley looking to end the game.

Despite the loss, Jose Iglesias had another multi-hit (2 for 3) night as he tries to fight off the looming return of Stephen Drew from the DL.

As far as Dempster?  He is what he is, a 36-year old veteran who will probably be a work in progress all season.  He will not be the difference between the Sox having a big year or not.  His job is to give them innings.  Hopefully there will be more good than bad.

But make no mistake, this was a very good series for the Red Sox.  It was important for them to win at least two against an undermanned Yankees team and they got it done.  And, as a bonus, their two young aces pitched well and kept the Yanks down.  The team looks confident and back to normal after the chaos of 2012.

The Sox now move on to Toronto for a weekend series with the Blue Jays and it will be Felix Doubront vs former Marlins ace Josh Johnson tomorrow at 7:07pm to get things started.

Hey Sox Fans: Get Hip! Chat It Up in the Bosox Injection Fan Room, free and available right now!

The latest casualty is first baseman Mark Teixeira, who has a strained wrist tendon and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.  Add him to a list that includes Curtis Granderson (broken forearm out 8-10 weeks), Phil Hughes (back), Derek Jeter (recovering from broken ankle), Alex Rodriguez (hip) and Mariano Rivera (recovering from major knee surgery).

Feb 26, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira (25) against the Philadelphia Phillies duringa spring training game at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Wrist injuries are tricky.  Ask any Red Sox fan.  Nomar Garciaparra was never the same after Al Reyes broke his wrist in 1999.  There are no guarantees Teixeira fully recovers.

At some point it becomes too much to overcome when you lose all these stars at once.  Look at the 2010 Red Sox, who hung in the pennant race until mid-September but eventually succumbed to too many man games lost to injury by their big players.

I’ve been saying all off season that the Yankees could be in trouble and that this could be the year it all goes bad for them because of all the age they have.  In fact, I made a video about it a few weeks ago on my web show, which you can view here:  http://youtu.be/iIlbWVlf1zA

I just didn’t see where the Yankees improved themselves after the Tigers and Orioles exposed their offense in the playoffs.  They didn’t re-sign Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez or Eric Chavez and now they’ve lost two huge offensive forces in the middle of their order to long term injuries.  It’s going to be fascinating to see how Robinson Cano functions in this lineup with very little protection around him early in the season.

Their pitching staff is a major problem too.  There’s too much age on it and the Yankees arrogantly decided to simply bring back 38-year old Hiroki Kuroda and 41-year old Andy Pettitte as their major moves.

Plus, CC Sabathia had bone spurs removed from his pitching elbow, Rivera is 43 with no guarantee he’ll be what he was even though we all see him as the Bionic Man.  They let Rafael Soriano, his insurance policy, go to Washington so the bullpen also has questions.

Feb 19, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera during spring training at Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

This is the perfect storm of trouble for the Yanks.  When you add the age, untimely injuries to major players and their sudden austerity spending program together you are looking at a potential catastrophe of a season.

You can feel the noose tightening around the neck of Yankees fans.  Just listen to them call in to WFAN radio in New York if you get the chance.  They want GM Brian Cashman’s head on a platter because of the lack of off season moves.   As a Red Sox fan, it’s hilarious to see this unfold.

Yankee fans reveled in the misery of the 2012 Red Sox season.  But payback is a you-know-what and now it may be time for the Yankees and their fans to pay the piper for making the playoffs 15 of the last 16 years.

The message?  Nothing lasts forever and you cannot defeat father time.  Eventually the long playoff runs come to an end.  Again, just ask any Red Sox fan.  It can all disappear in a minute.

Both Cashman and Joe Girardi say “don’t worry, we’ve got veterans that have faced this before and know how to adjust and win, we’ve been counted out before.”  Maybe so but they’ve never been decimated by injuries quite like this.

If it keeps up, and the Yanks can’t replace Teixeira with say, a Justin Morneau, it may just be a reversal of fortune as Sox fans get to have the last laugh in 2013 while the Yankees struggle to win 75 games.

It all stems from two things: A-Rod’s probable long recovery from a second hip surgery in less than four years and his alleged involvement with a so-called anti-aging clinic in which the director of the clinic, Anthony Bosch, has been tied to performance enhancing drugs with up to 20 professional athletes- most of them baseball players.

Oct 14, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez reacts after striking out in the 2nd inning against the Detroit Tigers during game two of the 2012 ALCS at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

It remains to be seen how the Yankees and A-Rod will handle the future of their relationship.  Money plays a big part in it. It’s doubtful the team will be willing to eat the remaining five years and $114 million on the contract so agreements, if any, will have to be worked out for a parting to happen.

The flip side of all this trouble around A-Rod right now is that the team and its fans have a chance, however remote, to be rid of him forever and that has to make both parties ecstatic.

Say what you want, but there has been a constant love-hate relationship between the fans and A-Rod ever since he first pulled on the Yankee jersey back in 2004.

Some never wanted him there in the first place.  Others looked at his act when he got to New York and quickly soured on him.  Most of that has to do with negative comments A-Rod directed toward Derek Jeter years ago in an Esquire magazine article.  For them, that was enough to forever hate the intruder from Texas.

If he doesn’t play this year and has played his final game in pinstripes, it is likely Kevin Youkilis will play a big part in the scenario.  He’s only signed with New York for one year but if A-Rod stays away and Youkilis produces well, you know the Yankees will likely want to keep him at third base.  Certainly, that is an idea that makes the stomachs of Red Sox fans everywhere turn.

September 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis (20) before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox fans have always wondered how they’d feel about Youk if he didn’t play for their team.  Well, now they’re about to find out with him playing on the team’s most hated rival, possibly long term, if indeed it’s over for A-Rod in New York.  It should make for an interesting summer at Fenway and beyond.

For more thoughts on this story please click below for a link to my web show. http://youtu.be/0BXZ8EmX__A

September 17, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

His agent is Scott Boras, who always takes his free agent clients to the highest bidder. The Red Sox seem to be taking a wait and see approach with Ellsbury because of his injury history and are grooming Jackie Bradley, Jr. as his eventual replacement.  And we all know the team has been extremely wary about handing out long term contracts lately.

But I actually see a way that Ellsbury could be re-signed to a long term deal if everything falls into place perfectly for the Red Sox.  It’s a long shot, but not impossible.

Almost everyone expects Ellsbury to bounce back from an injury plagued 2012 season and put up numbers similar to his MVP-like performance of 2011 because he is in a contract year.  That scenario may very well play itself out and if it does, he probably is gone. But what if it doesn’t?

What if Ellsbury has just an above average year in 2013?  Combined with his long history of injuries, it could depress his market value enough to give the Sox a window that allows them to offer him a long term contract at a reasonable rate.

Add those factors to the idea that Boras can tend to sometimes price his clients out of the market (see Michael Bourn and Ryan Madson) and it’s not that farfetched a scenario.

The Red Sox have to spend the money they recouped in the Dodger trade from last season somewhere.  Like it or not, Ellsbury is one of the most popular players in Boston.  If Sox management has the chance to lock him up for what they feel is a reasonable deal you’d have to think they’d be all over that.  It would allow them to keep another young, marquee position player to build around with Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks.  As fans we should never underestimate the power of marketing!

August 25, 2012; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2) hits a double during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

So let’s allow the season to play out before we all decide that we’ve definitely seen Ellsbury’s final days in a Red Sox uniform.  He might just be sticking around a bit longer.

For more on this story please see the link below to my web show where I further discuss this issue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s3PHHdjGwA

It was believed that Bailey would step in and assume Papelbon’s role with little drop off.  He certainly had the numbers to think he was more than capable. During his time in Oakland Bailey saved 75 games over three seasons, won the 2009 AL Rookie of the Year award and made two All-Star teams.

Sep 23, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Bailey (40) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

But Bailey struggled through an injury plagued season in the disaster that was the 2012 Red Sox.  The injuries started in spring training and never stopped all year.

Everyone assumed that under new manager John Farrell, a healthy Bailey would be allowed a clean slate as the now established closer of the Red Sox and would look for a big rebound as he returned to his previous form.  But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

This past December the Red Sox decided to go out and trade for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan and Farrell immediately named him the closer sight unseen.  No spring training competition, no possibility for Bailey to keep the job unless he was out pitched, nothing.

So what gives with Bailey?  There were a lot rumors flying around him during this off season.

First, he was rumored to be the guy going back to the Blue Jays as the compensation for bringing Farrell here as manager.  Then it was said he’d be traded somewhere for a big bat but neither of these things happened.

Now the Red Sox go into spring training with Bailey as a set up man and no one can explain why.  It’s puzzling as to why Hanrahan was brought here.  Is it a sign that management is not confident in Bailey’s ability to bounce back from injury and perform at previous levels?

If so, that’s a bad sign for GM Ben Cherington who is taking heat from many Sox fans for his ability to build a roster.  This was his signature move last off season and now he goes out and basically admits it was a mistake by bringing in another closer?  Not a good way stop the questions from being asked.

September 20, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Bailey (40) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 7-4. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Management can say all it wants about how Bailey was accepting of his move to the eighth inning but this has to be killing him inside.  He’s a competitor and seems to have the mental make up for a closer.

After arriving in Boston he said he was looking forward to taking on the challenge of replacing a very popular player in Papelbon.  When healthy, Bailey’s on field performance is very solid so having no competition for the closers job makes no sense.

The good side of this is that if Hanrahan fails, Bailey will be right there to step in and if Hanrahan is good, the last two innings make the Sox potentially lethal late in games.

It’s just odd that the Red Sox would cast aside a solid pitcher like Bailey sight unseen because of injuries.  An opportunity for guys to earn their bullpen roles in spring training would be ideal because it reduces controversy around the team.  Farrell’s plan better work because the last thing the Sox need more of in 2013 is controversy.

September 30, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones (10) is out at second base as Boston Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias (58) starts the double play in the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

With the recent signing (pending a physical) of Stephen Drew, it seems like Jose Iglesias will begin the 2013 season with Triple A Pawtucket. This probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to a significant percentage of Red Sox fans. Iglesias only hit .118/.200/.191/.391 with one home run in 77 plate appearances in 2012. Though there’s a really good chance the lineup will be a very productive one in 2013, it would still be a big gamble to plug Iglesias in there. Even more so in case the likes of Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino put up numbers that resemble their 2012 versions rather than their stellar 2011 performances. Plus given the club’s decent track record of one-year deals working out for the better, the Drew signing should be a solid one.

At this stage, Iglesias seems to be at the edge of a cliff (metaphorically speaking). Simply moving forward from the edge presents Iglesias with a rocky road. Xander Bogaerts is close to surpassing him on the depth chart. There’s also high ceiling prospects not far behind in Tzu-Wei Lin, Jose Vinicio, and Deven Marrero. This will be the last season where Iglesias can be optioned to the minors while remaining on the 40 man roster. If he doesn’t improve his bat, he will likely be removed from the roster at season’s end, effectively falling off the cliff.

In a recent article for the Boston Globe, Tony Massarotti pondered whether the Red Sox should keep Iglesias or package him in a trade. In his recent mailbag, Nick Cafardo stated that Iglesias has always been available, but nobody’s really offered a decent return. That was until a recent article from NESN.com that stated the Pittsburgh Pirates might have interest. In his recent post, Conor Duffy mentioned that the Red Sox and Pirates have been discussing a trade involving closer Joel Hanrahan. Perhaps Iglesias could be included in such a deal.

What does the future hold for Jose Iglesias? That’s anybody’s guess. If he isn’t traded, he’ll be with the organization for at least one more season. If the bat doesn’t improve, he’ll likely fall of that cliff. But his awesome glove could provide a soft landing, so to speak. Perhaps landing a cozy gig as a starter or backup for a small market team.

Spring Training 2014 will likely be the next chance for the Yankees to see their top pitching prospect, Manny Banuelos, on the mound. (Image Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE)

Banuelos made just 6 starts on the 2012 season, totaling 24.0 innings. He finished 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 8.2 K/9, but struggled with command and with runners on base. By mid-May the team had shut him down with what was described at the time as elbow soreness. The team conducted their usual array of examinations (MRI, etc.) but found no structural damage. So Banuelos was simply shut down for a few weeks until the arm felt better. By late-June he was back on a mound, throwing bullpen sessions at the team’s minor league training complex in Tampa. A lack of comfort in throwing his curveball and a nagging back issue led the Yankees to shut Banuelos down for the season on August 6th. The organization termed the injury at the time as a simple bone bruise and expressed an expectation that Banuelos would pitch in winter ball and join the team in Spring Training.

Late Tuesday afternoon a new announcement was made with regards to Banuelos, simply that he would be undergoing Tommy John Surgery on Thursday and will miss the entire 2013 season.

Now the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, who may have been MLB-ready next season, will have missed two full years of development and his prospect status will likely take a hit. Upon returning for the 2014 season Banuelos will still only be on the verge of his 24th birthday, so all is certainly not lost for the young left-hander from Mexico. But for New York, it’s a big blow for an organization hoping to infuse homegrown talent into an aging roster so that they can continue to ratchet payroll back under the luxury tax threshold. The team’s disappointment was apparent when Joe Girardi was asked about the announcement prior to Tuesday night’s game (per Mark Feinsand):

It’s not what you want to see out of your young players that you think have a bright future for you, but a lot of guys have had setbacks and went on to have great careers. He has an opportunity to heal up, get strong and be a factor after that. I’m sure it’s frustrating for him and it’s frustrating for us, but you have to make the most of it.

While you never wish that a player on an opposing team succumbs to injury (particularly when this writer happens to be more of a Yankees fan than a Sox one), losing Banuelos could benefit Boston simply based on the fact that the Sox won’t have to face him next season. Banuelos was described as “having the potential to be the Yankees best homegrown pitcher since Andy Pettitte” by Baseball America in their 2012 Prospect Handbook before the start of the 2012 season. They also project him to be a possible #2 starter once he reaches the Major Leagues. Had he remained healthy and continued to refine his pitches, it is entirely possible that he could have been a viable option for the Yankees next Spring as they assemble their rotation. Now those discussions will have to be pushed back at least another year. Boston’s had its fair share of problems facing the Yankee pitchers in the past, so delaying the addition of a second talented lefty to the New York rotation can’t be a bad thing for the Sox.

Sep 24, 2011; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

According to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine hinted that he could put Jon Lester up against C.C. Sabathia in the final game of the Yankees series on Sunday.

As it stands Daniel Bard would be in line to face the Yankees number one starter but with the off day Thursday and the fact that Lester only threw 80 pitches on Tuesday, he would be able to start on adequate rest.

The Sox and Yanks’ respective aces have been opposite of each other in the early goings of ’12. C.C. was mediocre in his first two starts before pitching well in his last and Lester was dominant in his first two but couldn’t handle the Rangers’ powerful offense in his last start.

The move does make sense for Bobby V and the Red Sox, with Lester on adequate rest they give themselves a better chance of taking the series from the Yanks–a sure way to get some momentum going in advance of the teams next road trip.

The way things have gone for Bobby and the Sox in the early part of the season, salvaging any win possible looks like a good move to me. Let’s just hope–when Lester runs out of gas–that Bobby has the common sense to park him in favor of a competent reliever not named Justin Thomas.

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It’s time to turn our attention to the most competitive division in baseball and the one we care the most about; the AL East.  The five teams are already making headlines this spring.  There’s the obvious – how will the Red Sox rebound after the collapse and the Yankees are supposed to be good again.  Then there is the Tampa Bay Rays who have become the favorite in the division thanks to a strong rotation.  The Toronto Blue Jays tore through the Grapefruit League, chewed up the competition and spit them out, but will it translate into regular season success?  They have some pop in their lineups but can their pitching pick up the slack?  And of course the lowly Baltimore Orioles who are firmly entrenched in the basement of the division.

Aside from the O’s, the division is up for grabs according to the writers here at BSI.  Here we go…..

Derek:

1. Rays

2. Red Sox

3. Yankees

4. Blue Jays

5. Orioles

Call me crazy, but the Red Sox can compete believe it or not.  While the Rays have an outstanding rotation and will win the division, the Red Sox will be in the mix all season long.  This is almost the same offense as last year and for three quarters of the year this was the best team in baseball. And they did it with John Lackey, Tim Wakefield, Andrew Miller and Kyle Weiland trying to fill in the back end of the rotation.  Surely Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront is an upgrade, so why can’t this team be the best team in baseball again?  The bullpen will be the make or break point of this club’s success and with the desire to win, the management could pull the trigger on a deal for another starter at some point of the year.  No offense Yankee fans, but this is the year I feel the age catches up to the club.  While the Jays are close, they aren’t close enough but expect major growth from this young and exciting team.  And Baltimore, well………

MVP – Dustin Pedroia

Cy Young – James Shields

John:

1. Rays

2. Red Sox

3. Yankees

4. Blue Jays

5. Orioles

Unlike the majority of baseball writers this year, I see the Rays as the top dog in the AL East. The Red Sox and Yankees have more firepower in the lineup but good pitching beats good hitting every time and the Rays are far superior in that department. With a 1-2 punch of David Price and “Complete Game” James Shields along with young stud Matt Moore, the Rays could have the best rotation 1-5 in all of baseball. The Yankees and Red Sox will battle for second and third but I feel the Red Sox and their potent offense will come in just ahead of the Yanks. While the Jays have huge potential, it’ll be a coupe years before the final pieces are in place and they make a run at the top spot in the AL East.  The Orioles are hopeless. It’ll be atleast a decade before they are able to come out of the basement in the division.

Cy Young- James Shields

MVP- Adrian Gonzalez

Rick:

1. Rays

2. Red Sox

3. Yankees

4. Blue Jays

5. Orioles

Tampa has the best pitching in the division, if not the entire Majors.  They offense is not comparable to Boston’s or New York’s but any lineup with Evan Longoria is good enough to score enough runs to win.  Boston and New York will battle for one of the two Wild Card spots.  With Michael Pineda out to start the season will be a huge loss for the Yanks to start the season.  How long in tooth will the Yankees be there year with Jeter, A-Rod and Mariano getting up there in age.  The Yanks should make Cano their clean up hitter but wont as long as A- rod is healthy.  The Red Sox are out to prove that last year was a fluke.  I think having two lefty’s in starting rotation is a plus with Lester and Dubront.  I think the Yankees age will give out to the Sox in the end.  Toronto will be stronger but still not good enough to compete for a playoff spot.  The Orioles will continue to linger in the basement, unless that can get their young pitchers to step up.

MVP – Dustin Pedroia

Cy Young – Jon Lester

Steve:

1. Yankees

2. Rays

3. Red Sox

4. Blue Jays

5. Orioles

New York will win the AL East again by default as the Red Sox will never hit a pitching groove all season and will likely be upended by another serious or at least nagging injury to either Lester, Buchholz or Beckett. Carl Crawford will not bounce back for quite some time. Ask Nomar Garciaparra and Jed Lowrie about wrist injuries. When Crawford does hit his stride it will be too late. Boston will fold earlier this year than last. Although their pitching will be good enough, the Rays will continue to score a paltry number of runs. Toronto and Baltimore will be, well, Toronto and Baltimore.

MVP – Jacoby Ellsbury

Cy Young – Ivan Nova

Conor:

1. New York Yankees

2. Tampa Bay Rays

3. Boston Red Sox

4. Toronto Blue Jays

5. Baltimore Orioles

The AL East is always a tough call and 2012 is no exception. Simply by the history involved, I would predict the Yankees to finish in first as they acquired starting pitchers Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda this offseason to go with their potent bats and join potential Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia. The Rays have great young pitching and have been able to dominate the AL East– I reluctantly would pick them to finish ahead of the Red Sox. The Red Sox have great bats– led by Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and one man who could win the AL MVP this year in Adrian Gonzalez. However, their pitching is shaky at best and full of question marks. The Blue Jays should be good soon– but as with the Royals, 2012 is not their year. The Orioles are just awful– that’s it.

MVP – Adrian Gonzalez

Cy Young – CC Sabathia

Stephanie:

1. Red Sox

2. Rays

3. Yankees

4. Orioles

5. Blue Jays

Why, the Red Sox, besides the obvious? I believe in Salty, and Jacoby, and Cody Ross, and Ortiz. I believe Valentine has some tricks up his sleeve like we could never guess. He has been very quiet and very confident . Makes you wonder what he knows that we don’t.  The Rays hands down have one of the best rotations in baseball. (We are waiting for you Luke Scott) Joe Maddon continues to be an excellent coach. If they sort out their catcher and closer situation I do not doubt that this year the Rays could pull ff their Cinderella story and take it all as the Wild Card.  The Yankees are a starter and a catcher short. They are a bit older. That’s not to say they are not still, the Yankees but, what the Red Sox and Rays have are fresh players and fresh ambitions.   Orioles have no big hitting averages to brag about. No big pitchers to show off and yet, I still don’t count them out. But the fact is, the guys they are up against a better stronger and faster. Efficiency is what they lack.   The blue Jays, great home run hitters not great against these kinds of big leaguers. Would I love to see them come out, of course ut against the Yankees Red Sox and Rays, it would mean almost a collapse of baseball!

Cy Young award- Josh Beckett

MVP – Jarrod Saltalamacchia

That’s it for the predictions, let the games begin.  It’s going to be a wild ride!

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Tim Kurkjian of ESPN spent a day in Red Sox camp and spoke about his experience on WEEI’s Mut & Merloni today. He said the following about Crawford.

I’m hopelessly positive about things, but I don’t think he’s in the right place right now — not meaning Boston. I mean, I think at this point he’s going to have a similar year to last year, as opposed to those really good years in Tampa Bay,” Kurkjian said. “As we know, this guy’s all about comfort, he’s all about trust. At least that’s what the Rays people have told me. And if he’s not comfortable and he doesn’t trust the people around him — meaning all the people around him — he’s not going to be the player that he needs to be.

I can honestly see where Crawford may have a problem trusting some of the guys in the clubhouse. The crap storm that followed the 2011 season really took a lot from this teams chemistry, but can his poor performance really be attributed completely to his comfort level or trust in his teammates? I don’t think it can.

I think the Red Sox need to focus on different areas of Crawford’s game. Starting with his batting stance. I understand that he was using the same stance during his All-Star years in Tampa but It simply didn’t work for him in 2011. It seems like I was constantly getting frustrated when he swung late pitch after pitch, or swung underneath a fastball in the zone. Maybe his bat speed declined just enough over the winter of 2010 to finally render this stance useless? It sure seemed like his mechanics were working against him all year so it’s a possibility.

There is also a chance that Crawford was dealing with more wrist problems than anyone knew about. The motive for keeping it quiet would have been understandable. Red Sox Nation was clearly frustrated with their new outfielder already so a significant loss of playing time could have put the fans over the edge.

Whatever the reason may be for Crawford’s disappointing season he will need to put it behind him when he returns. There’s quite some time left on that contract he signed making it vital that he gets healthy and comfortable to make an impact in 2012. What it will take, I’m not sure but hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

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The final installment of the AL East previews takes us north where we find the Toronto Blue Jays.  An up and coming team that can slug it out with the best teams in baseball, the Jays are coming off a promising year in 2011 that saw them play .500 ball at 81-81 but still finished fourth in the meat grinder, known as the AL East.

The Jays have one of the best bats in all of baseball in Jose Bautista and he is certainly someone you can build a ball club around.  With young pitching arms and a revamped bullpen, the Jays have lofty expectations for this season.

Jared from the Jays Journal was gracious enough to take the time to answer our questions we had on the Blue Jays and as you can see, the Jays fans do indeed expect big things with this club.  They are even talking the postseason in the not to distant future.  Is it realistic?  Jared seems to think so.

 1.       Paul Beeston expects the Jays to make the playoffs in three of the next five years.  In your opinion is this a realistic expectation?

Jared - In my opinion, Blue Jays president Paul Beeston’s “expectation” for the Jays to make the playoffs in three of the next five years is somewhat realistic. While the Jays might not make the playoffs three times in the next five years, they’re in a good position to play postseason ball at least once or twice in that span. The addition of an extra wild card spot is one main reason, but the right pieces are being added at the big league level and in the minors to make it happen. The army of impressive draft selections over the last two to three years is inching closer and closer to the big leagues, and at least a few of those prospects could have an impact on the Major League club very soon.

2.       Who’s in and who’s out?  Which players that aren’t around from last year will be missed the most and which additions should we keep our eyes on?

J - The interesting thing about the Blue Jays over the last nine months or so is that general manager Alex Anthopoulos has managed to upgrade the club at multiple positions without losing anyone valuable. None of the departures–guys like Jo-Jo Reyes, Shawn Camp, Jon Rauch, Jayson Nix and Corey Patterson–are going to be missed, and they’ve been replaced by much more intriguing players. Fans will understandably be most excited for Brett Lawrie‘s first full season with the Jays at third base, but there are other significant changes to the roster worth paying attention to as well.

After opening the 2011 campaign with Aaron Hill and Rajai Davis at second base and in center field, respectively, the Jays will open the 2012 season with Kelly Johnson and Colby Rasmus at those positions instead. After watching Jo-Jo Reyes give up over 11 hits per nine frames and limp to a 5.40 ERA in 20 starts, promising right-handed youngster Henderson Alvarez will be the Jays’ new No. 4 starter. And after having to field a position for almost half the year, Edwin Encarnacion should finally be able to be a full-time DH.

The most notable changes, though, are in the Jays’ bullpen. After lacking defined roles last year and using multiple closers, the Jays head to spring training with one specific closer, hard-throwing righty Sergio Santos, picked up from the White Sox over the winter via trade. The Jays also added two free agents, Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero, to set up Santos while bringing back a dependable arm in Jason Frasor and re-signing underrated  right-hander Casey Janssen.

3.       The Jays made a run at Yu Darvish, Carlos Beltran and to some extent Prince Fielder, albeit on a limited basis.  All three names are big fish so to speak.  How is the Jays fan base reacting to the club not being able to sign a big name free agent as mentioned above?

J – The expanding payroll/adding a free agent issue was the talk of the Blue Jays’ off-season. During the winter meetings in December, Anthopoulos mentioned “payroll parameters” in a series of interviews, which initiated a negative response from a lot of Jays fans. There was a lot of excitement among Jays fans when reports on the Yu Darvish bidding process (falsely) linked the Blue Jays, and the reaction when to the Rangers winning the bidding was the complete opposite. While Darvish did represent an expensive gamble, the one free agent that fans were unanimously hoping for was Prince Fielder. No one really expected the Jays to fork out over $200 million on him, but many fans felt that he made a lot of sense for the team given Adam Lind‘s struggles in the last two years.

4.       What holes does this team have if any that could potentially impact this club’s success for 2012?

J - The hole that could potentially have a positive or negative impact on the Jays’ success next year is their starting rotation. Outside of No. 1 starter Ricky Romero (who will still lead the rotation but regress in some capacity), the Jays’ rotation is littered with question marks. With the addition of a cutter and a new mental approach, Brandon Morrow seems poised to be a breakout candidate next season, but he’ll need to cut his walk rate down once again and address the career-high 21 home runs that he allowed in 2011. Speaking of home runs, Brett Cecil will not only have to keep the ball in the park, but he’ll need to pitch like he did last July (2.19 ERA/.642 OPS in five starts) in order to keep his spot in the rotation later in the year when notable pitching prospects like Drew Hutchison come knocking. Plus, in addition to seeing how Alvarez fares in his first full Major League season, it’s almost impossible to predict Dustin McGowan‘s contributions as the Jays’ No. 5 starter this coming season given his injury history.

5.       Do you see the club making any significant moves between now and the trade deadline?  This is a club that is deep with prospects and could use that to dangle in front of a club for a Matt Garza?

J - Anthopoulos has hinted before that he’ll look to be active at the trade deadline, and it’s a very likely scenario given the Jays’ impressive group of prospects. I wouldn’t think Garza is the type of pitcher that Anthopoulos would be after, but it’s safe to say that a deal of some kind will be made.

6.       In your opinion, how do the Jays stack up to the rest of the AL East?

J - It’s tough to really guess how the Blue Jays will fare next season because of, as I mentioned above, all of the question marks surrounding the team right now. Even with Jose Bautista, I’d say the Jays lack the middle of the order power that both the Yankees and Red Sox have, and lack the solid pitching 1 through 5 that the Rays have.

That being said, though, I feel that the team will be better than they were in 2011 and competitive well into September. They could surprise a lot of people, but it will really come down to how they play against other AL East teams.

For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.

As we roll on with our preview of the AL East division, we turn our attention to the Evil Empire, the New York Yankees.  The hated rivals were once again crowned as the AL East champs last season and although some might argue that it was the Red Sox who lost it and not so much as the Yankees winning it, either way, they won and we didn’t.

As always, we reached out to our friends at Yanks Go Yard  for a little preview of what to expect from the Yankees this year. Ricky Keeler was gracious enough to help us out. You know what they say, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

1.       The Yankees appeared to have bolstered their rotation by trading for Michael Pineda and signing Hiroki  Kuroda. While Pineda is on the cusp of greatness, how do you feel Kuroda will adjust to a fierce AL East lineups and ballparks that aren’t so pitcher friendly as he was used to in the NL West?

R - First off, about Michael Pineda, I think he will make an impact eventually, but a lot of Yankee fans want him to be the number 2 starter right away and I think that is unrealistic to expect greatness right away from him when the kid has not finished a full season in the major leagues. As for Kuroda, I think the wins will go up because of the run support he will have behind him, but the ERA will also go up. The bats in the American League now with Pujols and Fielder in the AL to go with the tough lineups of the Rangers and Red Sox. I think he will be a nice veteran starter for kids like Hughes, Pineda, and Nova to look too and he can be a player that is a solid back of the end starter in 2012 for the Yankees.

2.       Mariano Rivera is 43 years old.  Is this the year he starts to show his age or can we expect another brilliant season from the greatest closer of all time?

R - This will make Red Sox’ fans happy, but I think this is Mariano Rivera’s last year in the big leagues. He has stated repeatedly that he will not leave the Yankees high and dry by staying too long and the further you get in age, the closer you get to doing that. Rivera had one of his best seasons last year and continues to be that stable force in the 9th inning. Mo will have a nice final season for the Yankees, but I expect some struggles in April and May similar to last season which will scare some people off the cliff.

3.       Aside from Pineda and Kuroda, who’s in and who’s out?  Which of the players that aren’t there will be missed and which new ones will have the most impact and why?

R - The player that is going to be missed on the Yankees is Jesus Montero. Montero played very well in September for the Yankees and was looking to be the designated hitter of the future with his power. Personally, I thought he was untouchable unless Cashman was able to get Felix Hernandez. However, that was not the case and he was dealt to Seattle for Pineda. I think Montero will be a nice hitter for the Mariners in the future and they could have had him two years ago for Cliff Lee instead of their slumping first baseman, Justin Smoak.

As for the new guy that makes the most impact, I would go with Pineda because I think he will eventually get used to the pressure of playing in New York. But, keep an eye on some of the players New York has for their strengthened bullpen. The focus is on the middle innings. You Red Sox guys know some of them well with Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen in camp as minor league invitations. The guy I like is Cesar Cabral. Cabral is a Rule 5 addition from the Royals who had a 2.95 ERA in the minors last year. He has an electric fastball and New York could use him as a 2nd lefty besides Boone Logan.

4.       With the addition of Pineda and Kuroda the rotation is getting crowded.  Talks of trading A.J. Burnett have again surfaced, but there don’t appear to be many takers.  How do you see Burnett’s future playing out with the Yankees?  Will Phil Hughes and/or Freddy Garcia make the rotation this year?

R - I can’t see AJ Burnett starting the season with the Yankees. It already makes me a little bit nervous that the trading impasse has occurred. If you let Burnett start the season or even go deep into Spring Training with the club, it will just provide another distraction. I thought Burnett would be the number five starter for the Yankees coming off of his solid finish to 2011, but I think Cashman is doing this for two reasons. The first reason is to get rid of a clubhouse distraction and the second reason is to give Phil Hughes a little bit of confidence. Hughes has come into camp much slimmer this year and is looking to return to 18 win form from 2010. The confidence has to be there for Hughes to be successful as they could just stick Freddy Garcia in the long man role out of the bullpen as a spot starter.

5.       This is a ballclub that won 97 games last season and the AL East.  What holes does this team have if any that could potentially impact this club’s success for 2012?

R - There aren’t many holes in this Yankees’ team, which is why I was not surprised that the franchise did not make that big splash move during the Winter Meetings. They do need that lefty bat as a DH or platoon player that Jorge Posada filled last year. I wrote on YanksGoYard.com that the team should go out and get Raul Ibanez, who hit 20 HR’s in Citizens Bank Park last year and could be a nice glove in the 4th outfield spot. A lot of fans want Johnny Damon and I love what Damon has done. I would not be opposed to Johnny, but he wouldn’t bring much pop to the bottom of the order. With Ibanez, you can keep the lineup pretty much as is. They also need more bench depth, which they should get if they re-sign Eric Chavez once the Burnett drama is over.

6.       In your opinion, how do the Yankees stack up to the rest of the AL East?

R - The Yankees are still the favorites for me in the American League East. They have more depth in the rotation, the lineup is still great, and the bullpen is one of the best in baseball. They don’t have to answer questions to eating fried chicken in the locker room, which is a plus. I am concerned about Tampa’s pitching, but I don’t think their offense is good enough to win that division. New York still has control in a tight division, but I don’t think they have enough to win the entire American League as of right now with the moves the Tigers, Rangers, and Angels made in the offseason.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are becoming the model franchise in Major League Baseball; at least from an on-field perspective.  While they continue to battle the St. Petersburg area to draw fans to the lowly Tropicana Field, the Rays have built a contending ball club and nothing was more imminent than their 91 win season last year that saw them dramatically get into the postseason on the last day of the year.  As we continue our look at the other AL East foes, the Tampa Bay Rays are becoming a major hurdle in the Red Sox path to success.

With team friendly contracts being taken by Evan Longoria and a pitching staff that any major league club would die for, the Rays and their fans have reason to be optimistic heading into this season.  They say pitching wins championships and we’ve witnessed that during the last couple of World Series.  If that trend holds true then the Tampa Bay Rays could be a World Series contender this year.

Devon from the Fansided site, Rays Colored Glasses helped us out with the preview of the Rays and what he discloses may surprise some of you.  Devon predicts that this team could win 99 games this year which would obviously give the Rays the AL East.

Despite this team being obliterated by free-agency two winters ago, they continue to promote from within their system, sign some  free-agents who are within their spending limit and ride their ability to produce unbelievable pitchers.  As Devon points out, he feels this pitching staff is good enough to ride to an AL pennant and a World Series birth.

“I certainly believe the pitching staff is good enough to carry the team. I would put the Rays rotation up there with any in baseball. They did a great job carrying a struggling offensive team last season and now that the offense has been improved, I could see the Rays making the World Series on the backs of the rotation. With Shields, Price, and Hellickson at the top plus Matt Moore and either Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann the Rays have not much fall-off one through five.”

But as Devon pointed out, the Achilles heal for the Rays last year was the inability to produce runs.  With both Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman departing Tampa, Devon acknowledges the tremendous job that the Rays front office has done to fill those holes and address the lack of offensive production.

“The Rays had a great offseason, filling all of their biggest holes with great players. The Rays brought in Carlos Pena, Luke Scott, Jose Molina, and Fernando Rodney.  I would say that Pena and Scott are big improvements over both Kotchman and Damon.”

Both Luke Scott and Carlos Pena will certainly bring an upgrade to the offense over the aforementioned Kotchman and Damon but I don’t know if it’s to the extent that Devon thinks.  Last season Pena hit just .225 with 28 homers and 80 RBI.  It’s been a steady decrease from his best season in Tampa back in 2007 when he smashed 46 long balls and 121 RBI.  I’m not saying he won’t produce, I just don’t know if he can be counted on for 100 RBI like he once was.

Like Pena, Luke Scott is another interesting case of hoping for production.  At least with Pena he’s proven he can put up big numbers, while Scott has yet to crack the 30 home run plateau and has never produced more than 77 RBI in a year.  He doesn’t hit for average, just a .264 career batter but did provide decent power for three season prior to last.  Injuries ravaged his 2011 campaign and the Rays will need him to recover if he’s to help this offensively challenged lineup.

There are other threats in the Rays lineup.  The obvious one in Evan Longoria and it’s worth mentioning the name B.J. Upton. But as Devon points out, the Rays could have two sleepers in terms of offensive production.

“I would say Ben Zobrist will have a bigger impact on the offense than BJ Upton. Zobrist has emerged as the Rays second big bat, providing consistency in the middle of the order. Upton is streaky,but when he gets it going he is one of the better hitters in baseball.  Beyond them, I could see Desmond Jennings breaking out to become a big leadoff hitter for the Rays. Also, I would expect Matt Joyce to continue to improve and provide yet another power option.”

This isn’t a team that will get engaged in many slug fests throughout the year and it’s clear they are going to rely on their pitching to win ball games.  Last season they scored just 707 runs, the lowest in the AL East and eighth in the entire American League.  But here’s the difference: they gave up the fewest runs the AL and third fewest in baseball.  That’s how they win and adding Scott and Pena will help but it’s not going to turn this team into an offensive juggernaut.

Which brings me to my next question for Devon.  I asked him if he felt the Rays would be in line to make a major move between now and sometime in July.  His answer was in line with the little trade action the Rays have taken part in leading up to the July deadline in the past.

“I really don’t expect the Rays to do much in the middle of the season. They have been never been a team to change things if they are winning. They don’t really need a big bat since they paid a premium for power with Carlos Pena and Luke Scott this offseason and still have Zobrist and Longoria, who can both hit 20-30 homers. They may pursue a shortstop depending on how Sean Rodriguez and Reid Brignac do or add another catcher in the season, but not much beyond that.”

Of course there is the case of B.J. Upton who has been involved in trade talks for the past couple of years and Devon agrees that his name could come up again with free-agency looming on the star outfielder.

“If the Rays fall out of contention for some reason, I could easily see them shopping guys like BJ Upton or Kyle Farnsworth, both of whom could be in demand to contenders.”

It seems like every year lately the Rays have been contending in the AL East.  And every year we hear about the attendance issues that continue to surround this ball club and their stadium.  I asked Devon about the lack of fan support and he feels that this  year the Rays need to get off to a good start to spark the interest again.

“I would hope that we would see a rise in attendance figures, but I think it will depend on whether they get off to a hot start. I think the slow start last season discouraged many fans and they just didn’t bother coming out. It seemed to continue all season, but when it got down to the end Tropicana Field was packed.”

“The organization did a good job keeping tickets low priced for the upcoming season, and as long as management doesn’t shoot themselves in the foot by saying stupid things about the stadium or fans, attendance figures should rise. When they say things against fans, I think many stay away just as a protest.”

So there we have it.  A promising season in the waiting for the small market Rays.  They play in the toughest division in baseball and yet they find ways to not only stay competitive, but win.  This season, Devon predicts an AL East title for Tampa Bay and he also feels that this club could be good enough to threaten the 100 win mark.

“I think the Rays will have a great season this year. All the pieces are in place to win a lot of games this season, with the great pitching staff and a developing offense. I think the Rays will win 99 games and win the division this year. It is a bit ambitious, but I think it will all come down to the pitching staffs in the AL East since all of the offenses are not that different. If it comes down to pitching, the Rays will win the division.”

A bold prediction?  Perhaps a little with the offense not guaranteed to produce, but certainly an upgrade from last season.  This team will go as far as their pitching staff takes them and many are predicting that the Rays will finish ahead of the Red Sox again this year.  Another reason for Red Sox Nation to embrace the underdog role and remember, it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.

For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.

As the baseball world gets ready to kick off Spring Training, so do we here at BoSox Injection.  And what better way to do so than by previewing the AL East opponents that us Sox fans will watch each team eighteen times this season.  Yes, baseball is in the air with the recently departed equipment truck heading for Fort Myers, Florida, better known as truck day.  With what should be a relatively quick work week and pitchers and catchers set to report on the 19th, before we know it we’ll be tuning in for Spring Training games.

But first we must continue dissect the opponents.  Up first are the Baltimore Orioles.  In a new format titled Q&A, we begin a series that will dig into each opponent in the AL East.  A big thanks to Dominic at the Orioles’ Fansided site, Birds Watchers for his help answering our questions.   (more…)

For the last several years, the AL East has become a 3-horse race. The Red Sox and Yankees were joined by the Rays as perennial contenders, but since the All-Star break, it seems like the Rays are going in a different direction. While the Red Sox and Yankees have gone a combined 14-6 over the last 10 games, the Rays are a poor 4-6 and are now 5.5 games behind the Yankees and 7.5 games back of the division leading Red Sox. With a week left before the trade deadline, have the Rays played themselves out of the division race and into sellers before July 31st? Let’s explore. (more…)

AP Photo/Steve Nesius

The big news story for the New York Yankees this week was the signing of outfielder Andruw Jones. Jones has been in the majors for 15 seasons, the first 12 with the Atlanta Braves, and he has hit over 17 home runs in 13 of them. A once intimidating force in the batter’s box, Jones has struggled the past 3 seasons, putting up .158, .214 and .230 batting averages with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox respectively. Except for his time in LA, he has maintained his strong home run totals, hitting 36 total the past 2 seasons in just 189 games played. The Yankees chose Jones as their 4th outfielder, amid speculation Johnny Damon might be the guy to return to the Big Apple. Despite not joining the Yankees, Damon is now exploring other AL East venues, reportedly close to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

(more…)

Entering this off-season, there was a lot of chatter about the potential to reorganize the division structure in the MLB. Although there is no real structure proposed or any agreement on the table yet, it got me thinking about. Let’s be honest, the AL East is one of the main reasons why owners and executives would be interested in reconfiguring the league. With 3 perennial power-house teams, a 4th strong contender and the AL Wild Card almost guaranteed to be locked-up within the division every season, it makes gaining a playoff spot in the AL Central or West much harder/near impossible. As a Red Sox fan, it is nice to almost guarantee 2 divisional playoff spots each year, but the competition between the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and sometimes the Toronto Blue Jays makes winning 90+ games each year a bear. The top 4 teams in the AL East finished with 85+ wins in 2010, leaving only the Baltimore Orioles with a below .500 record. Is it time to share the wealth and spread the love? (more…)

Sitting in Philadelphia right now, I can identify with the Rays.  They were cruising, so smoothly, in fact, that they still have the best record in baseball, even after getting swept.  Everything was going according to ESPN pre-season predictions, and though of course you’re going to lose a game here and there, when you’re accustomed to the opposing team being merely a speed bump on your way to a locker room celebration, a sweep is a surreal thing.  Especially at the hands of someone you only just swept last month. [...] (more…)

When you were growing up, did you ever have that friend whose dad was cool with everything?  No matter how loud things got, or how late you came back, or how much you reeked like weed and llama piss, he never once raised an eye brow.  He was probably in flip-flops, even in the middle of January, watching the game, but perfectly willing to give up the living room so you guys could play Mario Kart instead of going out and getting girlfriends.  He had a good marriage, and a solid family, and in all likelihood, now, he’s probably retired on a tropical island, watching a shirtless dude eat a flaming sword during happy hour. [...] (more…)

After getting crushed by the New York Yankees in games 1 and 2 this past weekend, the Sox salvaged the series and perhaps the season by dropping a 9-spot on A.J. Burnett on Sunday. With a three game set coming up against the team immediately in front of the Sox in the AL East standings, the Toronto Blue Jays, the series beginning on Monday is a must win if the Sox want to turn the 2010 season around. (more…)