Mar 15, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; A Boston Red Sox players hat and glove is seen in the dugout before the start of a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This Day In Red Sox History
1942: Ted Williams is sworn into the U.S. Navy.

Wow, Talk About Loading Up the Baseball. Alex Sanabia Caught In The Act

The Orioles Continue to Find a Way To Win in Extra Innings, Beat Yanks. Yeah!

Just When You Thought His Trip Couldn’t Get Any More Weird: 48-Year Old Jose Canseco Joins Indy League Team

Mar 15, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; A Boston Red Sox players hat and glove is seen in the dugout before the start of a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

This Day In Red Sox History
1988: Bobby Doerr‘s #1 is retired by the Red Sox.

Catching Up With Pedro Martinez

This Day in Baseball History
Babe Ruth‘s circa 1920 jersey sells to an undisclosed buter for $4,415,658, the largest amount ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia according to auction report.com. The woolen uniform top was probably worn by the Babe during his first season with the Yankees after being traded by Red Sox owner Harry Frazee.

Donnie Baseball on Hotseat in L.A.

June 18, 2012; Omaha, NE, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) throws against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second inning of game eight of the 2012 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Stanek has a fantastic, projectable body (6’4″, 180 lbs) as a tall right-hander with a repeatable delivery. He throws into the high-mid 90′s, topping out around 97 mph with nice, sinking movement and he mixes in a curve, slider, and change. The slider, one of the tight and quick variety, has the potential to be his out pitch in the future. His change and curve need work, but if they develop, there’s no question he’ll be a great pitcher.

As there often are with pitchers who have great stuff but only one or two good pitches, there are questions of whether he’ll start in the majors. If his curve and slider do develop into even average pitches, though, he will continue to be a starter. Stanek would still be a valuable late inning reliever with his arm, but he would obviously be more valuable as a starter. His riskiness as a prospect may deter Ben Cherington though.

The Pitchers

• Allen Webster made a pair of starts this week and apart from some control issues in both starts, he was pretty good. In his first start on Tuesday, he allowed a run on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5 in 5 innings. Today, he allowed just a run on just a hit but walked 5 in 5 innings. That will bring his season statistics to a very impressive 2.40 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 30 innings. He will remain the man to be called upon with any injuries in the big leagues.
• Matt Barnes continues the turnaround from his slow start with a quality start on Friday. He did allow 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk in 6 innings, but he also struck out 7 batters and lowered his ERA to 4.62. Although that doesn’t look impressive, with his peripherals (45 strikeouts to 13 walks in 37 innings), that should change soon.
• Rubby de la Rosa, like Matt Barnes, continues to shake off the demons that plagued him in his first several appearances. He continued that this week in one appearance on Thursday which saw him go 4 innings and allow just an unearned run on a hit and 4 walks. The walks are not very good, but de la Rosa still lowered his season ERA to 3.65 and he has 29 strikeouts in 24.2 innings to boot.
• Anthony Ranaudo did not compile his most impressive start yesterday as he went only 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks with 5 strikeouts. Regardless of this most recent start, however, Ranaudo has had an excellent rebound year in Portland as he holds a 1.67 ERA, and should be due for a promotion soon.

The Hitters

Mar 15, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Bryce Brentz celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo homerun against the Baltimore Orioles during the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

• Xander Bogaerts has begun to break out of a mini-slump that he has been in recently. He batted .269 with 0 homers and 4 RBIs this week, bringing his season totals to .291/.367/.440 with 2 homers, 7 doubles, 4 triples, and 17 RBIs. The power hasn’t been quite so prevalent this year, but for a 20 year old in Double-A, Bogaerts has played very well and should be deserving of a promotion before year’s end.
• Bryce Brentz has been awfully hot of late and this week was a very productive one for the right fielder. He batted .345 with 1 home run and 5 RBIs this week and has been very good for Pawtucket lately. This brings his season totals to a solid .276/.325/.487 slash line and he has 7 home runs to go with 29 RBIs. It shouldn’t be too long before we see him manning the spacious outfield of Fenway Park.
• Garin Cecchini has been ridiculously hot all season long and this week presented no difference. This past week, Cecchini raked to the tune of a .500 average with 0 homers and 2 RBIs. Cecchini is now hitting .382/.477/.664 to start the year.

Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway (20) at bat against the Minnesota Twins during a spring training game at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Something has to be done to help Lavarnway have some long-term success at the major league level. My proposition is that we start a nickname trend for the burly catcher, and my input is “Hot Lava.” Here are a few reasons as to “Hot Lava” should become the proper terminology when referring to Ryan Lavarnway.

1. It can be chanted at Fenway Park (HOT LA-VA! HOT LA-VA!)
2. The nickname may get him hot when he isn’t hot, and when he is hot, it will remind the pitchers of that fact.
3. Everyone played the game “The floor is lava” when they were a little kid. This nickname will remind opponents that nobody steps on or screws with Ryan Lavarnway.
4. It just fits.

So, fans of BoSox Injection, let’s make this happen. Next time you go to Fenway Park, start chanting it if Lavarnway comes up to the plate. If you know somebody going to Fenway Park, tell them to start chanting it if Lavarnway comes up to the plate. I’m telling you, there’s no doubt that this nickname will get Lavarnway hot.

However, both pitchers were absolutely terrible all night long. Neither got out of the fifth inning, and Dempster needed 126 pitches to go through all of 4.2 innings. Dempster and Diamond, both usually control pitchers, walked a total of 9 batters in a total of 9 innings. Luckily, the Red Sox were able to hit Diamond better than the Twins hit off of Dempster. 

May 18, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) hits a three run home run in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox posted three runs in the first inning on a long home run to right-center field by David Ortiz, his sixth of the year. Ortiz drove in one more run in the third inning on an RBI single that played right fielder Oswaldo Arcia enough so that he couldn’t get a good throw in. The Red Sox took three more runs in the fifth inning, but in the bottom of the fifth, the Twins put a little rally together as well. They scored three runs in the inning and knocked Dempster out of the game, as the Red Sox chose to bring in Clayton Mortensen.

Mortensen worked out of that jam with just one more run scoring but he got himself into another jam in the sixth. That was when Craig Breslow came in and pitched exactly like the Red Sox needed him to. Breslow went 1.2 innings of relief with no runs allowed on a hit and a walk. The Red Sox would supported Breslow in the seventh with a pair of two-run homers by David Ortiz and Daniel Nava to put the Red Sox up 11-5.

From that point on, the game went by pretty quickly (thank God, we would’ve been up until midnight!). The Red Sox tacked on one more run in the top of the ninth with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Lavarnway (Hot Lava had two RBIs in this game). Alex Wilson pitched very well in relief to close out the game, going two scoreless innings while striking out two batters. The one positive I can take from this game is that we’re in a whole lot better of a spot than the Twins.

Jul 4, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; A general view during a flyover past a large American flag draped over the green monster prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

After all, Manaea is certainly stuff-oriented. Although he is a bit raw and he doesn’t have as good a feel for pitching as many of the college pitchers that get drafted, Manaea simply has wicked stuff. He struck out 85 batters in 51.2 innings last summer and has struck out 88 in 68.1 innings with Indiana State so far this season. More often than not, batters just can’t touch Manaea’s mid-90′s fastball when he’s mixing in his hard slider and chance with success, and Manaea is as intimidating as any on the mound.

Ben Cherington hasn’t been a very risky general manager so far, and thus Manaea may not be the most likely choice. Even though he has filthy stuff, Manaea may not round into a plus major league starting pitcher, or even a major league starting pitcher. Still, it’s hard to argue that Manaea doesn’t have some of the best stuff in the draft and I would not be opposed to the Red Sox picking him in the first round.

Jun 11, 2011; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran (18) throws to first during the first inning of the Chapel Hill super regional of the 2011 NCAA baseball tournament at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

However, being the #7 pick in the draft would have to entail a somewhat high ceiling and Moran has the chance to be a very good major league player. Moran has a great hitter’s frame at 6’3″, 209 lbs and will likely grow into more power as he fills out. He’s no slouch at the plate right now though, as he has hit .379/.512/.636 with 13 home runs with the Tarheels this year. The metal bats used in college obviously bump up his power numbers a bit, but power isn’t the main reason the Red Sox would draft him.

That reason would be that he is arguably the best pure hitter in the draft. His smooth, polished hitting mechanics make for a player who makes solid contact as much as anyone in college baseball. He has good enough opposite field power that he could probably compare to an Adrian Gonzalez type as his absolute ceiling, somebody who hits over .300 with around 20 home runs, a good number of which are over the monster. That would be the ceiling, but even if Moran doesn’t turn into Adrian Gonzalez, a guy who consistently hits .280-.300 with 15-25 homers has a ton of value.

Most Damaging: Prince Fielder, 4.48 HRD, #13 in 2013, #268 Overall

May 15, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) walks back to the dugout after he pitched the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 9-2. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The offense finally came alive in the third inning. David Price would only record one out before the route began. After giving up an RBI single to David Ortiz, Price would exit with an arm injury. Jamey Wright would come in to relieve Price, but ironically provided very little relief at all. He would allow both inherited runners to score. The third inning route would be capped off by a grand slam by Stephen Drew.

The score would remain 8-2 until the eighth inning, when Will Middlebrooks pretended Kyle Farnsworth was RA Dickey and took him deep for a solo home run. Koji Uehara and Jose De La Torre would pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth to secure the victory.

Felix Doubront opposes Alex Cobb tonight in the rubber match.

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May 5, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) throws to the Texas Rangers during the first inning at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP): Like BABIP with hitters, pitcher BABIP can be indicative of unsustainable performance if at particular extremes. However, unlike hitter BABIP, pitchers tend to have less control than hitters are managing opponents’ ability to get hits on balls in play. League average BABIP tends to fall in the .290 to .300 range, but there can be exceptions to the rule. For example, high strikeout pitchers frequently generate weaker contact, thus producing lower BABIPs. Also, teams that have strong defenses will tend to have more balls in plays converted into outs, thus producing lower BABIPs on a whole. BABIPs that deviate from league average and don’t fall under these exceptions, should under most circumstances, regress to the mean (which in this case is .290-300)

Red Sox Rank: 20th in MLB (.295)

Individual Leaders (arbitrary minimum of 20 innings for starters; 10 innings for relievers):

Starters: Jon Lester (.231), Ryan Dempster (.252), Clay Buchholz (.269)

Relievers: Andrew Bailey (.227), Clayton Mortenson (.245), Koji Uehara (.250)

Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP): While much of balls put in play is subject to a variety of factors (see above with BABIP), FIP eliminates the variability and randomness of this by simply looking at what the pitcher can control (strikeouts, walks/hit by pitches, and home runs). By just looking at these things, a pitcher’s true talent level can be gauged and has been statistically proven to be more effective in predicting future performance than ERA.

Red Sox Rank: 11th in MLB (3.77)

Individual Leaders (arbitrary minimum of 20 innings for starters; 10 innings for relievers):

Starters: Clay Buchholz (2.25), Felix Doubront (2.81), Jon Lester (3.24)

Relievers: Andrew Bailey (1.78), Alex Wilson (3.25), Koji Uehara (3.34)

Strikeouts per Nine Innings (K/9): Pretty simple, just the rate of strikeouts per nine innings. Teams that strike a lot of batters out will tend not be influenced by the whims of BABIP as much as other teams.

Red Sox Rank: 2nd in MLB (9.65)

Individual Leaders (arbitrary minimum of 20 innings for starters; 10 innings for relievers):

Starters: Ryan Dempster (11.44), Felix Doubront (9.74), John Lackey (9.67)

Relievers: Andrew Miller (16.2), Andrew Bailey (14.59), Koji Uehara (12.27)

Walks per Nine Innings (BB/): Similarly, this just the amount of walks permitted per nine innigs. Obviously, walks aren’t good

Red Sox Rank: 24th in MLB (3.69)

Individual Leaders (arbitrary minimum of 20 innings for starters; 10 innings for relievers):

Starters: Jon Lester (2.56), John Lackey (2.82), Clay Buchholz (3.22)

Relievers:  Koji Uehara (1.23), Junichi Tazawa (1.65), Andrew Bailey (2.92)

All stats from 5/13/13

May 7, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) reacts to being relieved during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Dempster simply didn’t have it today. He would give up six runs (all earned), seven hits (three of them home runs), and one walk while striking out six. On the plus side, he did go at least five innings and continued his high strikeout total.

The “star” for the Sox offense was Mike Napoli, who went three for four with a double and a home run.

As bad as the pitching and hitting were for the Sox for today’s game, an even bigger concern arose in the fourth inning. While trying to prevent Edwin Encarnacion‘s eventual home run off Dempster, Shane Victorino would crash ribs-first into the right field wall. Victorino exited the game and would later pay a visit to the hospital. Hopefully his injury isn’t too serious.

With the loss, the Sox are now 2-8 for their last 10 games. They’ve now dropped three straight series and are 4-8 for the month of May. Many of us figured they wouldn’t continue at the pace they had been going in April. But they need to get back on the right track and end this skid soon. With who they have on schedule for the remainder of the month, it’s not an unreasonable goal for them to at least break even.

Like Clint Frazier, who I highlighted in the last Amateur Hour, Bryant shows the potential of a 25-30 home run bat if he develops properly. However, he lacks the pure athleticism of Frazier, and does not play a premium position like the Logansville High School center fielder. While Frazier’s struggles may move him from center to left or right, Bryant’s struggles in the field may move him from left field, right field, or third base all the way down on the position chart to first base.

Jul 4, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; A general view during a flyover past a large American flag draped over the green monster prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Still, whenever there is a right-hander power bat who also fills a need available, the Red Sox are sure to be around. Bryant could play pepper with the Green Monster and fit into the middle of a lineup in a few years, as he is relatively advanced. If Bryant is around with the #7 pick, he will almost certainly be one of the Red Sox top choices.

The Pitchers:

July 9, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; USA pitcher Matt Barnes (26) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning of the 2012 All Star Futures Game at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

• Matt Barnes is finally turning his season stats around as this week, he recorded not one, but two great starts. On Tuesday, he allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 4 over 6 shutout innings. Yesterday, he was excellent again as he allowed a run on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7 over 5 innings. This brings his season record to 3-1 with a 4.65 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 31 innings.
• Rubby de la Rosa is also performing quite a bit better after a rough start to his season. In a pair of 4 inning relief appearances this week, he allowed a combined 6 base-runners while striking out 13 batters. After a slow start, this brings his season ERA to a decent 4.35 mark and he has 26 strikeouts to 10 walks in 20.2 innings pitched.
• Anthony Ranaudo has continued his rebound season with a pair of nice starts this week. On Wednesday, he went 6 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits and a walk. Today, he tossed 6 scoreless innings with 3 hits and 3 walks to 5 strikeouts. He is now 5-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39 innings.

The Hitters:

• Xander Bogaerts continued the nice little upswing he has been on with a quality week here. He batted .250 with a triple and 3 RBIs and is now batting .296/.372/.452 with a pair of homers and 14 RBIs. If he continues to hit like this, he should be in Pawtucket before too long.
• Garin Cecchini just keeps piling onto his age 22 season in Salem by hitting .333 with a home run and 5 RBIs. Cecchini has kept his slash line  at a torrid .368/.463/.640 with 4 home runs, 22 RBIs, and 11 steals. So far, Cecchini has been doing it all this season and if a spot opens up in Portland, you can bet he’ll be filling it.
• Blake Swihart is beginning to break out of his early season slump, as he had a good week here. He batted .273 with a double and 2 RBIs and has brought his season slash line to .267/.353/.422 with 11 RBIs. His bat seems like it is coming along slowly, but if he can become a good defensive catcher and hit like he has in the minors, nobody is going to complain.

May 11, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) pitches during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Buchholz started off the game very strong, but ran into trouble in the third and fourth innings. Melky Cabrera‘s RBI bloop single to score Colby Rasmus from second capped the rally in the third while an RBI single from Rasmus would score Adam Lind to put the Blue Jays up 2-0. Buchholz settled down from then on and wound up stringing together a pretty strong outing. He went 8 innings, allowing just those 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while punching out a total of 4 and getting away with a no-decision.

The Red Sox bats also started the game off fairly strong, putting two men on base in each of the first three innings. In that fourth inning, however, Mark Buehrle settled into an incredible groove and set down each of the next 13 batters with ease. The streak was broken when David Ross worked a nine pitch walk to lead off the eighth.

That would drive Buehrle from the game in favor of Darren Oliver and on Oliver’s second pitch, Jacoby Ellsbury blasted a triple over Colby Rasmus’s head in center field. Ellsbury would score when shortstop Munemori Kawasaki couldn’t come up with a soft ground ball hit by Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury raced across the plate to tie the game at 2-2, but that was all the Red Sox got in the inning.

Newly announced closer Junichi Tazawa came on to pitch the ninth inning, and ran into trouble almost immediately. His 2-2 fastball to Adam Lind was crushed over the wall to dead center to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 advantage. Tazawa managed to get out of the inning with only that run scoring and Will Middlebrooks doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth. There was hope and excitement in the atmosphere until closer Casey Janssen induced a pop-out, fly-out, and ground-out to end the game and tie the series at one apiece.

Considering that Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray are the consensus top two picks, it seems very unlikely that either one slips to the Red Sox. However, the player with the next best ceiling may be high school outfielder Clint Frazier. He has five-tool potential, but the most impressive of those tools is his power, coming from his elite bat speed. Even though Frazier isn’t a big guy (6’1″, 190 lbs), he has shown power to all fields and scouts are in love with his short, quick swing.

Jul 4, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; A general view during a flyover past a large American flag draped over the green monster prior to a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

That right-handed power would play very well into Fenway Park and would likely result in plenty of home runs and doubles off the Green Monster. Even beyond his power though, there’s a lot to like about Frazier. He has a good hit tool and good speed that, although he may have to move from center, would be a plus for a corner outfielder.

The only question would be whether Frazier would last until the seventh pick in the draft. If he is still available, he seems like he would be an excellent choice and would likely fit into the Red Sox’ top five prospects. Elite power is hard to come by, and elite right-handed power is especially useful for the Red Sox. If Frazier is still around, it seems like it would be foolish not to grab him.

This report covers games from Friday, May 3rd through Thursday, May 9th.

Apr 27, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew (left) goes to the mound to visit starting pitcher Felix Doubront after he walked in a run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Rotation:

With all due respect to Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Ryan Dempster (and the solid outings each have provided so far), you can never have enough starting pitching. That old belief is very obvious when looking at the state of the fourth and fifth slots of the Sox rotation. John Lackey has looked pretty good so far (Only one of the five runs he gave up last night was earned. But that error night was his error). But he’s still a guy coming back from Tommy John surgery, and he’ll be closely monitored throughout the season. Felix Doubront has been disastrous. He does average over a strikeout per inning, but he allows too many walks and base hits. That lethal combination makes his economy of pitches lackluster and he usually exits the game too early.

The Sox do have a nice influx of pitching prospects to help out. But if Allen Webster‘s outing this past Tuesday taught us anything, it’s that rolling the dice on prospects is a risky business. I do believe guys like Webster, Rubby DeLaRosa, Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Barnes, and Henry Owens are going to be huge factors to the success of the franchise’s future. The return of Franklin Morales could help if the Sox decide to use him as a starter. Right now there’s really no trade market for an established starter. But things could change by July 31st.

Possible Worthwhile Trade Acquisition(s)

Apr 25, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee (33) delivers to the plate during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Cliff Lee
The Phils aren’t moving him as of right now. With Roy Halladay now on the DL following a shoulder surgery, Philadelphia is actually in buyer’s mode. But if they continue to tread water and find themselves in a similar position by the end of July, they could make Lee available. Lee is owed a lot of money ($25 million in 2014 and 2015 and a $27.5 million vesting option for 2016) and they won’t just hand him to the Sox. But this is likely their last chance to unload that contract for a decent return. With the depth of the Sox farm system, Boston finds themselves in a unique position. They could walk away if the Phils ask for too much. If a package doesn’t include any of Webster, DeLaRosa, Barnes, Ranaudo, Owens, Garin Cecchini, Blake Swihart, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, or Bryce Brentz, a trade for Lee might be worth it.

Okay enough about pitching. Here’s the other area of concern:

Third Base

Will Middlebrooks‘ numbers for 2013 as of May 9th: .194/.229/.379/.608

Middlebrooks vs Toronto: .320/.370/.880/1.250

April 26, 2013; Boston, MA USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks (16) reacts after getting put out at third base during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Middlebrooks vs everybody else: .162/.194/.253/.447

Middlebrooks vs everybody else if you remove the Houston series: .119/.149/.167/.316

Long story short: Middlebrooks has been a subpar producer from a position where above average offensive production is needed. His lack of plate discipline is a concern for both the present and future (39 strikeouts versus only five walks). One of the biggest reasons the club hasn’t really considered demoting Middlebrooks right now is simply the fact there really isn’t another third base prospect near major league ready (Michael Almanzar has only 29 games at Double A and Garin Cecchini is in High A). There’s no current trade market and the only free agent to be who might be a worthwhile pickup is Michael Young.

Different Scenarios For Third Base If Middlebrooks Is Sent Down

Free Agents Scott Rolen or Chipper Jones

An unlikely avenue they travel, but a possibility nonetheless. Both can field the position efficiently and could provide an offensive upgrade. But both guys are injury prone and won’t sign unless the price is right. But in the case of Jones, we have a guy who’s at peace with retirement and is undeniably proud of spending his entire career in one organization.

Mauro Gomez Part II

Brandon Snyder, a first round pick by the Orioles in the star-studded 2005 draft, has been on fire at Pawtucket with a line of .327/.425/.644/1.069 with seven home runs. But he’s never been able to carry that success over to the major league level and has played more first base than third base. The Sox ultimately went down this road with Mauro Gomez last year. Gomez never hit for much power with the big club and was a subpar fielder at third.

Xander Bogaerts

Though a shortstop by trade, the athletically gifted Bogaerts could eventually find himself moving off of shortstop. Third base or left field are the likely possibilities. With Bogaerts hitting well at Portland, the Sox could give Bogaerts the call and put him at third. But it should be noted that he’s played less games at the upper levels than Jackie Bradley had before making his major league debut. So there’s a good chance that Bogaerts could find himself overmatched as well.

Get Creative

They could call up Jose Iglesias and move Stephen Drew to third. Iglesias will likely not be hitting the way he had been coming out the gate, but his glove will help the pitching staff in run prevention. Drew has never played third in his professional career, but he has the range to be a viable defender at the position. His bat has come around and he would be an upgrade over Middlebrooks.

It’s still early and there’s still a chance Middlebrooks and Doubront make the necessary adjustments and turn things around. But if they don’t, the Sox need to consider upgrades.

May 7, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster (46) reacts to being relieved during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The offense could do very little against Twins starter Scott Diamond. The highlight of the night for the offense would be David Ortiz extending his hitting streak to 27 games (30 more to go).

The game got out of reach in the eighth when there was a collision between David Ross and Will Middlebrooks which led to both players leaving the game. Pedro Ciriaco would supplant Middlebrooks at third and would botch two grounders which helped lead to a big inning for Minnesota.

Tough loss for the Sox on Tuesday. But the bigger loss could be a huge void at third. After Middlebrooks, there really isn’t a major league-ready third baseman waiting in the wings. Here’s hoping his injury isn’t serious.