Apr 24, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Andrew Bailey (40) reacts after striking out the side to defeat the Oakland Athletics 6-5 during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

This is Bailey’s first trip to the DL since early last season, when he tore a ligament in his thumb in spring training which subsequently required surgery. He did not make his 2012 debut until the 14^th of August, and ended the year with a 7.04 ERA in only 15.1 innings pitched. The 28-year-old had been looking to shed the “oft-injured” label after multiple injury plagued seasons. His short-lived stint as Red Sox closer comes to an end after being lights out since being named to the 9^th inning in mid-April.

Taking his place on the active roster is lefthander Craig Breslow. The 32-year-old southpaw had been less than spectacular in the Minor Leagues where he had been rehabbing a sore left shoulder. Breslow pitched himself to a 9.82 ERA in a very small sample of only 3.2 innings. Breslow missed all of spring training with his injury and had only just begun to work his way back to Boston. He most recently pitched one clean inning for Pawtucket on Saturday, striking out one along the way.

Sep 22, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Breslow (32) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Breslow figures to relieve a largely over worked Boston bullpen and eat some of the middle innings that would have gone to the likes of Clayton Mortensen and Andrew Miller instead. Not only will his return allow manager John Farrell to return Andrew Miller to mostly lefty-lefty match ups, it will also reduce the strain on Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara. Uehara and Tazawa are both among the league leaders in games pitched at 15 and 16 respectively. For now, Breslow’s activation doesn’t cause any problems, but as soon as a healthy Bailey returns, the Sox are going to face a roster crunch of capable bullpen arms.

Apr 22, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Bailey (40) throws a pitch in the ninth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Bailey last pitched on April 28 against the Astros and has been feeling discomfort in his bicep. He was cleared to pitch yesterday, but then after throwing a bullpen session was deemed unfit to pitch. This does not look like a serious injury, but there’s a risk that it could nag on him for a little while. The Red Sox need Bailey back as a force in the back of their bullpen, and preferably as soon as possible.

Sep 22, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Breslow (32) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Craig Breslow has missed the entire season to date after feeling discomfort in his throwing shoulder during the spring. That has since ben diagnosed as left shoulder tendonitis. However, Breslow is making the long road back from injury. Breslow is currently on a rehab assignment in Pawtucket and has looked sharp while there, recording a scoreless inning last night. He should be back soon.

August 5, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Franklin Morales (46) pitches during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Franklin Morales, like Breslow, felt some pain during spring training and has missed the entire season to date. That was diagnosed as a bulging disc in his back, and the news on Morales is not so good as it is on Breslow. He was shut down from his rehab assignment a few weeks ago and is not currently pitching. He did long toss on Monday, so hopefully he is feeling good and is ready to act as the Red Sox’ long-man out of the bullpen.

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Apr 1, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Andrew Bailey (40) pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Boston won 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in a couple of years, Bailey managed to stay healthy throughout spring training and has gotten off to a roaring start this year. Through 7.1 innings this season, Bailey owns a 1.23 ERA and a whopping 12 strikeouts to only 2 walks and 3 hits. Not only has he been magnificent, but with Joel Hanrahan moving to the DL with a sore hamstring, Bailey took over as the closer and has saved 2/3 chances so far.

Fangraphs shows that his fastball is up a few ticks from last year, as his 94.8 mph average this year is the highest of any season in his career. His curveball has also been a dominant pitch for him as well and more than anything else, his statistics show a dramatic decrease in batters’ contact. Batters have swung at nearly a third of his pitches outside of the strike zone and he appears to be getting back to the form he showed in his early seasons in Oakland.

Apr 14, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics right fielder Josh Reddick (16) in between innings in a game against theDetroit Tigers at O.co Coliseum. Tigers won 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

While Bailey has been lighting up both the radar gun and the save column, Josh Reddick has struggled mightily in his second April with the A’s. He is batting a miniscule .109/.236/.217 with 1 home run and 7 RBIs (though he does have a nice beard). Reddick is by far the coldest hitter on a red hot A’s team right now, and has been a black hole in the middle of that lineup.

Though Reddick’s 32 home runs last year were immensely helpful to the Athletics and that can’t be revoked, Andrew Bailey hasn’t been a slouch either. He was injured all of last year, and is just now showing what he is truly able to do. I wish Reddick the best as I enjoyed watching him man right field, but it’s not fair to say that the A’s got a bargain in that trade either.

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

1. By the looks of  Josh Reddick‘s 2012 home run output and the steady rise of Miles Head, the Red Sox appeared to have sold high for Bailey’s services. Even if another club were to be without their closer for a specific period of time, it’s very unlikely the Red Sox would receive a return similar to the package they originally gave up. Long story short: Never sell low.

2. There’s no guarantee that Joel Hanrahan will be a lights-out closer in the AL East. His 2012 numbers for Pittsburgh were rather pedestrian, hence why the Red Sox were able to get him for a relatively low cost (no offense to Mark Melancon, Stolmy Pimentel, Ivan DeJesus, or Jerry Sands fans). If Hanrahan falters, Bailey has a chance to reclaim the closer’s role.

3. Even if Hanrahan doesn’t falter, Bailey can spend 2013 reestablishing his value. With two seasons of control left, the Red Sox could A. Deal Bailey at the July 31st deadline or in the 2013-2014 offseason or B. Attempt for a double jackpot by hoping Hanrahan leaves as a qualifying offer-eligible free agent after 2013 and Bailey repeats sequence in 2014.

4. You can never have enough pitching. Of course there will be exceptions to this rule for this year’s spring training. There are currently ten relievers competing for seven spots in the bullpen. At least one or two guys will be cut or traded by the time spring training concludes (barring injury of course). Bailey’s track record should secure him a spot if he has a good spring. In addition to that, he’s been nothing but professional in the aftermath of his demotion. After the most recent Alfredo Aceves incident, professionalism is an intangible that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

A lot can still happen between now and the end of spring training. But unless an overwhelming package is offered (ex: St. Louis offering top OF prospect Oscar Taveras or pitching prospect Shelby Miller), Andrew Bailey should remain with the Red Sox for at least the first half of 2013. Here’s hoping he reminds us why the club traded for him in the first place (with holds in the place of saves).

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.

It’s been such a long time since Red Sox fans have been excited about Andrew Bailey. He was acquired along with Ryan Sweeney this winter in return for Josh Reddick, Miles Head, and Raul Alcantara. That trade looked pretty good at the time, but right now– with Bailey having been injured all year and Reddick raking to the tune of .253/.325/.500 with 25 home runs and 60 RBIs, not so much. However, Bailey will be activated from the 60-day DL before today’s game in Baltimore and should be at Camden Yards sitting in the bullpen tonight.

A few weeks ago, Bailey started his minor league rehab assignment and over the course of that time he did a pretty good job. In 6 games and 6.1 minor league innings between the Gulf Coast League, Double-A, and Triple-A, Bailey allowed 1 run (a 1.42 ERA), 6 hits, 1 walk, and struck out 10. Despite those impressive numbers, though, he has yet to establish himself in the Red Sox bullpen and the two-time All-Star closer will certainly not just jump into the closer role.

Since Bailey’s injury in a Spring Training game on March 22nd, Alfredo Aceves has been serving in the closer role for the Red Sox. Aceves has been decent so far, however, after years of Jonathan Papelbon locking things down in the ninth, he’s left a bit to be desired. So far, he’s gone 2-7 with a 4.14 ERA and has saved 23 games in 29 opportunities– good for 79%. I’m not sure if Aceves should be a closer in the long run, but he should occupy that role at least until Bailey establishes himself as the pitcher he was in Oakland.

Yes, the dog days are upon us and with it comes a sense of urgency, at least we hope the Red Sox feel that way.  This sub .500 ball club is more streaky than Will Ferrell in Old School, but yet a slim chance remains thanks in part to their schedule that lies ahead.

Currently Tampa Bay and Baltimore own the two Wild Card spots with Oakland, Detroit and Los Angeles well within range.  The bad news is that the Sox have to climb over four of those clubs, but the good news is that they will have many chances to go head to head with those teams directly in front of their playoff dreams.  And it begins Tuesday in Baltimore.

The Sox will open up a three game set against the surprising Orioles, a team that many thought would have folded up camp by now and limp into September with another season being lost to disappointments and what ifs.  But here they are, defying the odds and the critics and the Sox could learn a thing or two from their divisional opponents.  Call it a must win series if you will.

After Baltimore the Red Sox head to the Bronx and while many would immediately frown, shake their head and admit defeat before the work week has even begun, keep in mind this is a Boston team that rolled into Yankee Stadium roughly three weeks ago and took two of three.  Given the Yankees just put CC Sabathia on the DL, they may be ripe for the picking yet again.

The Sox will then take on the Los Angeles Angels six times in the final two weeks of August, three at home and three on the road, so ground can certainly be made on the Halos.  Follow that up with three against the Oakland A’s, who like Baltimore are doing things they aren’t supposed to be doing and suddenly the Red Sox can make some noise.

The Sox schedule in September, after the trip out west, is entirely against divisional opponents which includes six games against Tampa Bay and six more against Baltimore.  Feeling a little more optimistic?

In total that’s 24 games all against team’s currently ahead of them in the standings.  While Detroit isn’t on the schedule, keep in mind the Sox only need to pass four of the teams, not all five to make the postseason.  If Jon Lester can build off his stellar outing and return to his once dominating ways and the Sox can get some key players back from injury, namely David Ortiz, then this season isn’t dead just yet.  With Andrew Bailey likely to return to the big club in the coming week and if Daniel Bard can figure out his sporadic ways, the bullpen will be the beneficiary of some fresh arms.

Call it a faint heartbeat, one that barely resembles a pulse. Call it an internal optimist that maybe is more of a dreamer holding onto that glimmer of hope, but these Red Sox are still alive if they choose to be and it all starts in Baltimore.

We have added quite a few amenities since the organization has been forced to invest so heavily in the Disabled List. Who would have thought that the number of players on the DL would rival the number of actual players on the roster, eh?

Anyway, this area is where everyone hangs out. This room is informally referred to as ‘Carl’s Lair’. He’s not here right now but we expect him back any minute. It’s actually kinda lonely without him. We got so used to seeing him around it just doesn’t feel right without him here. Like you, he had a wrist injury too before the elbow thing cropped up. Oh, and the hamstring thing once he ‘came back’. In any event, the placard on the room can easily be converted to ‘Dice-K’s lounge’ if Carl continues to stay healthy. Ha ha, ho ho…hoo whee, that was a good one wasn’t it Mr. Middlebrooks?

And over here, this where all the action happens when the guys aren’t in treatment or putting together welcome baskets. We’ve got it all here. Video games and unlimited beer and chicken here at “Josh’s Man Cave”.

Beckett  isn’t here for extended periods of time but visits often enough and is so ugly when supplies are low that we decided to simply place a weekly order to keep things on the up and up. Come to think of it, Mr. Beckett is in an ugly mood no matter the circumstance. Oh well.

Feel free to take a seat anywhere except for the reserved seats for Scott Atchison, Andrew Bailey, Rich Hill, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Daniel Nava, David Ortiz, Vicente Padilla or Ryan Sweeney. If I were you, I’d not get a chair next to Sweeney. He’s seemingly so low key and then BAM, he just off and hits something. Mr. Ortiz is also chomping at the bit and has been in a foul mood. Not to worry. He’s a short timer. Also off limits are chairs left open in perpetuity for Mr. Crawford and Mr. Ellsbury.

Settle in Mr. Middlebrooks. Wrist injuries are tricky. It’s going to be a long haul.

Oh, chicken, chicken, you can’t roost too high for me.
Oh, chicken, chicken, come on out of that tree.
Oh, chicken, chicken, chicken, you can’t roost too high for me. 
C is the way it begins.
H, the next letter then, 
I am the third.
C, what a seasonly bird. 
K is to fill him in.
E, I’m near the end.
C-H-I-C-K-E-N,
That’s the way you spell chicken.
- The Chicken, Mississippi John Hurt

The injection will force Ortiz to refrain from doing any activities but the Red Sox are hoping that he can return to the lineup on Thursday when the club travels to Cleveland to take on the Indians.  Ortiz made it public that he doesn’t want to rush back to the lineup and jeopardize his career with the injury

In other Red Sox injury news, Vicente Padilla will need a day or two of rest after suffering a slight groin pull along with bicep and tricep issues.  Maybe that explains the meatballs he’s been throwing over the plate over the past week (speaking more on the Texeira home run).

Remember Andrew Bailey?  He was the bonified closer that the Red Sox acquired and gave up the mashing outfielder, Josh Reddick in return.  Reddick is likely to hit 30 home runs in Oakland of all places and Bailey has yet to throw a pitch for Boston this season.  But the report on Bailey is positive as he’s scheduled to work in back-to-back outings this week and is said to be progressing nicely.

Daniel Bard, another forgotten name in the Red Sox organization is still in triple-A Pawtucket and still trying to avoid hitting batters.  The latest report on Bard is he’s progressing nicely despite a shaky second inning after a dominant first inning.  Valentine thinks that Bard is close to returning to Boston and if he can be effective, adding a dominating Bard to the bullpen is better than any acquisition the team could make.

Scott Atchison‘s season is in the balance.  The reliever is awaiting word on his latest examination as to whether he’ll need Tommy John Surgery or a simple rehab assignment will be enough to salvage the veteran’s season.  Atchison is dealing with a forearm and elbow injury and has been out of action since early July.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is likely in his last couple of months as a member of the Red Sox, made his second rehab start for Pawtucket.  Dice-K, who is recovering from a trapezius strain, surrendered four runs (one earned) on on five hits, while giving up one walk and three strikeouts in three innings pitched.  There is no word as to when Dice-K will be ready to rejoin the big club, not that he would have a spot given the success of Felix Doubront, Clay Buchholz and Franklin Morales.

All injury updates were courtesy of ESPNBoston.com.

. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

If you’ve been watching a lot of baseball around the league this year, you may be asking yourself why the Red Sox traded Josh Reddick. Reddick has played great all year for the rejuvenated A’s and sits at .271/.349/.529 with 21 home runs and 46 RBIs. Now, you may not remember, but a lot of Red Sox fans (myself included) thought that the Red Sox had a steal when they traded Reddick and two prospects for Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney. Reddick has done great since the trade, Sweeney has been himself (.272/.317/.387, 18 doubles), but Bailey has been nowhere in sight.

That’s because on March 21 this year, in a Spring Training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he injured his right thumb. This was a huge blow to the Red Sox in the early part of the year, as the bullpen reeked for the first few weeks. However, since April 21– when the Red Sox blew a nine run lead to the Yankees in three innings– the bullpen has been the best in the league. This opts the question of where arguably the biggest acquisition of the offseason even fits into the 2012 team.

Well, whether we like it or not, we’ll be getting an opportunity to see that before too long as Bailey is about a week away from a minor league rehab assignment. He will throw batting practice before the Red Sox vs. Rangers game this evening (not looking forward to this week!). It appears that his thumb is ready to healthy, the question is whether his arm will be in shape after several months off. In any case, I’m looking forward to finally getting a glimpse of Bailey in a Red Sox uniform and that day will be coming very soon.

Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

On Monday night’s game, the Red Sox were as close to a perfect lineup as they’ve been all year. Jacoby Ellsbury was back and leading off, Carl Crawford in the two hole, and five members of the opening day lineup were starting. Only Pedro Ciriaco and Will Middlebrooks were not members of the Opening Day lineup (and they’ve performanced admirably since their promotions). David Ortiz‘s heel injury has complicated matters, but at the moment– the Red Sox are as healthy as they’ve been all season.

It was such a breath of fresh air to see Carl Crawford stand in and single up the middle in his first at bat of the season. He would score in that inning and in the game went 1-3 with a run scored and a walk. Last night, Crawford continued to prove that he really is back by turning in a great night in a losing effort against Chicago. He went 3-4 with two runs scored, two stolen bases, and an RBI to improve himself to 4-7 (.571) since returning to the major leagues. To have that kind of early production from someone who was such a disappointment last year is really reassuring.

With a clean slate ahead of them for the second half, the Red Sox are as healthy as they’ve been all year. Crawford and Ellsbury have returned and supplied the Red Sox with something they’ve lacked all year: speed. Andrew Bailey should be returning in the next few weeks, Dustin Pedroia should be playing second base by the end of the week, and David Ortiz should be back in a week or so. The Red Sox are in a position to make a run, but they’ll need help from all of these big name additions.

We know that we can count on Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Ortiz; but Carl Crawford has something to prove. It’s possible that Crawford will continue to bat #2 even once Pedroia returns just to keep that fantastic speed at the top of the lineup. Say Crawford bats .300 the rest of the season and puts up decent production and steals maybe 20+ bases. Just imagine the extra runs that would create for Ortiz and Gonzalez than they’ve had all year with people like Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney, and even Nick Punto at the top of the lineup. Going forward, Carl Crawford is the key to the Red Sox season in my opinion and he’s off to a great start.

You’re Ben Cherington and you’ve got the ball.  You always wanted to be the guy on the mound with the entire season on the line. You got what you wished for: to be the one who makes the choice at the moment of decision on the diamond: this will be the turning point in your baseball career.

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Daniel Bard makes his way from the bullpen to the dugout with pitching coach Bob McClure. Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Today Daniel Bard announced that he’s decided that he should go back to the bullpen and the team agrees. Despite Bard blowing the save in Pawtucket last night and throwing two wild pitches, I think it’s the right move.

For a couple days now I’m been debating writing an article pleading with the Red Sox to move Bard back to the pen. I’m glad that they are finally seeing things my way.

If we look at Bard’s minor league numbers, in 07 he was a starter and his ERA was 7.08, his WHIP was 2.053, Bard averaged over one walk and one hit per inning yet he only averaged 5.5 strikeouts per 9. Those are terrible numbers. The next year he moved to the pen. He pitched in 46 games, finishing 17, with an ERA of 1.51, a WHIP of .0927, his hits per 9 dropped to 4.9 and his walks per 9 dropped to 3.5. His strikeouts per 9 jumped to 12.4. And the rest is history.

We know what he did this year as a starter and we know what he did last season as a reliever. So why not move him to the pen? If Bard bounces back to last year’s numbers he can be the closer. Alfredo Aceves has done a decent job but he’d be so valuable in the 8^th. Once Andrew Bailey comes back, he could take over the 9^th, with Bard going to the 8^th, and Aceves being the all so valuable bullpen guy that can pitch in any spot in the game, much like he did last year. That would make for a very good bullpen. Bard should the piece that this bullpen is built around. Hasn’t that been the story as long as we remember? We heard it again and again, closer of the future, closer of the future. So why did they bother to change it? Was the starting pitching market that tight this off-season?

Imagine if the Red Sox decided this before the season? They’d be able to keep either Marco Scutaro or Jed Lowrie, or trade them for something else. Right now Boston has Clayton Mortensen and Mark Melancon to show for it. What if they decided that they didn’t need to completely rebuild the bullpen? Which by the way, if we look at it now, looks pretty similar to last year, minus Bard and Jonathan Papelbon.

Just another case of team mismanagement.

You’re Daniel Bard and the Cheap Bastard Owners screwed you to “save” a few bucks.

You were great in the set-up role, but management [Lucchino and Henry] set you up by refusing to pay for another starter, they set you up to fail.

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Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The 2011-2012 offseason was a big one for the Red Sox. Several players came and went, and many of those who left Boston were much beloved players. Today, I’ll be looking at those Red Sox players who went to pursue their careers elsewhere last offseason and what it would be like if they had stayed. The names I will be covering today are Erik Bedard, Jed Lowrie, Josh Reddick, and Jonathan Papelbon.

Erik Bedard- Bedard only pitched for the Red Sox for two months last season, and his time in Boston was marred by injuries. He was acquired on the Trading Deadline of July 31, 2011 from the Seattle Mariners in return for four minor leaguers. In 8 starts for the Red Sox– Bedard went 1-2 with a 4.03 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 38 innings. Since signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one year deal this offseason, Bedard has seen some success in the Steel City. So far, he’s gone 3-6 with a 3.72 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. The Red Sox certainly could use some pitching help this year, as their pitching staff is ranked 28th in the league with a 4.51 ERA this season. However, I’m not sure where the Red Sox would put Bedard, as it probably would have involved either Felix Doubront or Daniel Bard not being in the rotation; and Doubront has been the Red Sox’ best pitcher this year.

Jed Lowrie- Many thought that it was a pretty fair deal when the Red Sox sent Lowrie and prospect Kyle Weiland to Houston in return for reliever Mark Melancon. Melancon has been stuck in triple-A Pawtucket all year since starting off this season in a miserable fashion, so it’s looking like the Astros lucked out on this deal. Lowrie has been a pleasant surprise for the Astros this year, batting at a .291/.371/.506 slash line with 9 home runs and 23 RBIs so far. Mike Aviles has been solid for the Red Sox this year, with a .258/.279/.433 line this year, but it looks like Lowrie has been legitimately better. With the Red Sox’ bullpen pitching great lately, it doesn’t look like Melancon is in line for a call up, so the Astros had a major steal in Lowrie.

Josh Reddick- Many fans of both Oakland and Boston, myself included, thought the Red Sox had a steal when they traded Josh Reddick and two prospects to the A’s in return for Ryan Sweeney and Andrew Bailey. However, Bailey was quickly injured and had thumb surgery before the season even started and is still on the 60-day DL. Ryan Sweeney has been good for the Red Sox (.321/.356/.450, 16 doubles, 13 RBI)  but Josh Reddick has been money since his arrival in Oakland. Reddick leads the A’s in batting average (.265), home runs (14), RBIs (29), slugging percentage (.545), and runs (33). In the Red Sox’ injury-filled outfield, slotting Reddick in that lineup card would look really nice right about now.

Jonathan Papelbon- Papelbon was the big departure from the Red Sox when the Red Sox’ all-time leader in saves (248) signed the largest deal of any reliever in history (4 years/$50 million) with the Philadelphia Phillies. Don’t get me wrong– Papelbon has been fantastic with the Phillies, a 2.01 ERA and 15 saves in 15 chances. However, Papelbon hasn’t really been missed since April 21, when the Red Sox blew a 9-run lead to the Yankees. Since then, the Red Sox bullpen and new closer Alfredo Aceves (4.73 ERA, 14/17 saves) have both been great. At this point, I would prefer Aceves blow a couple more saves than Papelbon while making about $47 million less.

Let’s start with the pitching:

- Aaron Cook – after having the stitches removed from the nasty gash on his knee, the wound broke open again that delayed his rehab stint.  Cook has resumed throwing and is likely a couple weeks away from muddying up the Sox starting rotation yet again.  Let’s hope this time it’s not Josh Beckett who misses a start.

- Daisuke Matsuzaka – in what is being deemed his second rehab program, Dice-K threw five scoreless innings on Saturday in what was his best pitching performance in likely two years if you count his time with the Red Sox last season.  He only allowed two base runners one of which was a single and wasn’t bothered by the neck injury that has set his return back.  Matsuzaka only threw 56 pitches in the outing but his schedule was either the fifth inning or 75 pitches, which ever came first.  He will need to be stretched as a starter in his next few outings before he’s ready to rejoin the big club, likely in a two to three weeks.

- Andrew Bailey – the former Athletic’s close has resumed throwing activities and has recently successfully tossed from 60 feet.  His return is likely around the all-star break given he hasn’t thrown off the mound yet and would need a near full rehab stint.

The list of position players is a tad longer, namely the outfielders:

- Jacoby Ellsbury – Abraham reports that the all-star center fielder is playing catch but that isn’t something to write home about given he throws with his left and injured his right shoulder.  Still no reported timetable making a July return possible but doubtful with every passing week.

- Carl Crawford – a name that has almost been forgotten about given we haven’t seen him at all this year.  The news at this point isn’t much better.  Crawford is taking 40-50 swings in the cage reports Abraham but as he points out he isn’t yet throwing the baseball, something that will be required as an outfielder as CC isn’t DH material.  Timetable?  Heck we’ll be lucky to see him by September at this rate.

- Cody Ross – this guy is a little more pressing to have back in the lineup given his production at the plate this season.  His injured foot is on the mend, at least to Ross it is.  Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reported that Ross informed Valentine his foot was feeling great and expects to be activated as soon as he’s eligible which is June 5th according to Silverman.  Sometimes what the players feel and what the doctors diagnose are two different things, so let’s hope Cody  is right on this one and we see him back in early June.

- Darnell McDonald – is scheduled to play the full game in Pawtucket on Monday and Abraham reports that no timeline has been set as to how long his rehab stint will take.  Currently he’s 0 for 5 at the plate begging for more time at the minor league level to work on his timing.  Given he’s only hitting .179 on the season with Boston it may not be his timing but more his ability, something that has held him back his entire career.

- Jason Repko – after slamming into the Green Monster and separating his shoulder, Repko is apparently close to a rehab stint but as Abraham points out he may not have a roster spot when he’s fully recovered.  Given how Marlon Byrd and Scott Podsednik have stepped up in the injury riddled outfield, Repko, a soft hitting batter may be looking for work outside of Boston.

- Ryan Kalish – the once promising prospect who has battled injuries of late is set to join class A Salem where he will DH starting this week.  Kalish was in line to compete for the starting right field job this year and at this rate seeing him as a September call up may be his only chance to wear a Red Sox uniform this year.

Whewwww.  That takes care of them all, at least those that we’ll see returning at some point this season.  The likes of John Lackey and company are done for the year so no point in talking about them; especially Lackey, he still makes my blood boil.

• Have a Red Sox player’s home run make contact with the red seat, without being touched by a fan.
• Have an actual sell-out at Fenway.
• A two walk game by Marlon Byrd.
• A two home run game by Daniel Nava.
• Two walk off home runs in the same game.
• Five games straight without Cody Ross striking out.
• Steal of home by Kelly Shoppach.
• Inside the Park home run by David Ortiz.
• Mark Melancon getting a 1-2-3 inning/win.
• Daniel Bard pitching at least 5 innings in a game without a walk.
• Kevin Youkilis plays 150 games with the Red Sox.
• Kevin Youkilis not complaining after a strike out.
• No one with the team mentions the 100 year anniversary or bricks for a week.
• A month without an error by Mike Aviles.
• Liverpool wins a championship.
• Andrew Bailey gets 40 saves.
• Adrian Gonzalez shows emotions.
• Bobby Valentine goes one press conference without making himself the story.
• A Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford double steal.
• Darnell McDonald pitches a perfect game.
• John Lackey gets 20 wins.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka gets through 5 innings in under 100 pitches.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka throws a gyro-ball.

Want to add your ideas for giveaways? We could all use more furniture, right? I’d love to hear more suggestions.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com wrote a column in late April where he asked MLB scouts and executives for help in determining which clubs are contenders and which are pretenders.  The Red Sox to many scouts are seen as a pretender.   The reasons being according to Stark, are the lack of quality relievers and a week outfield.

That certainly holds true, but there is an argument to be made.  If you were to ask me right now I would agree with the scouts that the Sox don’t resemble a postseason contending team, but only the way they are playing.  When you drill down into a couple of areas it’s worth noting that the Sox horizon looks promising and here’s why.

First let’s address the bullpen.  Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon are no where to be seen and after a stomach turning start, Alfredo Aceves and company have settled down.  So much in fact that they are now the ones preventing the runs and giving the Sox a chance to win when the starters struggle.  Case in point, Wednesday night’s game when Daniel Bard left in the sixth handing over a 4-1 deficit to the bullpen with runners on base.  The relievers did their job, the offense did not.

Keep in mind that there is still a slight possibility that either Felix Doubront or Daniel Bard could join the pen before the summer months hit. With Aaron Cook pushing hard for a permanent starter position, Bard struggling of late and Dice-K close to returning, the bullpen could be the beneficiaries of having too many starters.  Bailey will be back around the all-star break and having him healthy for half of a season can only be a good thing.

Next, the outfield.  Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford should return this season and will take a mediocre outfield to an outfield most clubs would dream of.  The problem then will be finding enough playing time for Ryan Sweeny, Cody Ross and Marlon Byrd.  Not to forget Ryan Kalish and Jason Repko will be available this season at some point as well.

The offense is going to be fine and we’ve already seen it when the bats produce double digits in runs on multiple nights, sometimes on back-to-back nights.  Adrian Gonzalez will not hit .260 for the rest of the year and Dustin Pedroia will catch fire to the tune of two-run doubles at clutch moments of the game.

The starting pitching is an interesting cog to the Red Sox wheel. Clay Buchholz is now raising as many questions as John Lackey did a year ago and with a soon to be plethora of starters, there will be options.  If guys like Buchholz continue to struggle, Dice-K can’t perform and Cook fails to meet the requirements a trade in July will be necessary.  Kevin Youkilis is one name that is surely to float around the trading block from now until July 31 and if Ellsbury and Crawford return from injury and can produce, the guys like Cody Ross or Marlon Byrd will become potential trade bait.  A package of legitimate roster players will certainly draw interest and may be enough to lure a Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd or Matt Garza.  I’m not suggesting these named players would do the trick, but a Youk, Ross and a prospect or two has to catch Theo’s attention, would it not?

It’s early May and things are far from perfect in Beantown with the beloved Red Sox.  On paper right now they don’t resemble a postseason club, but in a month or two when some injuries heal and potential deals start to surface, this club could go from pretender to contender real quickly.

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