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.

David Ortiz got the Red Sox off on the right foot four batters into the game as he launched a mammoth three-run homer off Rays starter Matt Moore, who came into the game 6-0, to quickly put the Sox up 3-0.

May 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) hits a 3-run home run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

John Lackey started this one for the Red Sox and, after a clean first two innings he got into a bases loaded jam in the third.  But he got out of it unscathed as he got Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist to ground out around two hits and a walk in the inning.

But Lackey could not escape the disaster that was the fourth inning.  After three straight hits to start the inning, Lackey ended up giving up five runs total as Luke Scott had an RBI double followed by a Jose Molina two-run single.  What followed represents the abomination that is Tropicana Field.

With two out in the inning Lackey seemingly got out of it with only the three runs by popping up Matt Joyce.  One problem though:  the ball was hit so high it hit the catwalk overhead and dropped to the field between an annoyed Mike Napoli and Dustin Pedroia.  That’s a fair ball by the ridiculous stadium ground rules in Tampa so two additional runs scored for a five run inning and a 5-3 Rays lead.

From there, Moore mowed down the Sox after the first inning trouble and showed why he and Clay Buchholz have been the top two pitchers in the AL so far this season.

May 14, 2013; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore (55) throws a pitch during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Moore worked the first six giving up just the three runs on three hits with two walks and eight strikeouts on 100 pitches as he improved to  7-0.  The Rays pen finished up with a spotless three innings of work as the Sox bats again went quietly after the first inning outburst.  If they’re going to start winning some games they have to start getting some hits.  One hit after the first inning isn’t going to cut it.

Lackey (1-4) did not have a good start as he only lasted 4.1 innings with the following line: 9H, 5ER, 1BB and 3K as his ERA rose from 2.82 to 4.05.

For sure it was a disappointing start to this trip for the Sox.  Boston will send Jon Lester to the mound tomorrow night to try to stop the losing streak as he opposes Sox nemesis David Price.

March 12, 2013; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

March 24, 2013; Clearwater, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox fans hold out balls to get signed by players prior to the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Bright House Networks Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays have been a perennial contender in the AL East for quite some time and it’s no surprise. I hate Joe Maddon sticking his finger in my eye but the guy can manage and does this franchise ever know how to develop pitchers.

Fansided’s Rays Colored Glasses Editor Robbie Knopf has been out straight leading up to Opening Day. As busy as he’s been I was able to badger him enough so that he eventually sent me his Q&A just in time and worth it. Read on to get Robbie’s take on the Rays and what they’ll need to do to compete for another AL East title.

In your opinion, did the Rays make enough changes in the offseason to help increase their chances to win in 2013?
The Rays’ biggest move this offseason was generally construed as being something that will set them back quite a bit this offseason, and if that was the only thing the Rays did, maybe that would really be the case. Luckily it was not. The Rays made a series of very interesting upside plays, trading for Yunel Escobar and signing Roberto Hernandez, Kelly Johnson, and James Loney, and while the chances of all four of them working out well are pretty small, Hernandez could be a useful starter at the back of their rotation and their offense has a pretty good chance of being improved next season between Escobar, Johnson, and Loney- and quite a bit of expected improvement from their returning players. The biggest lift the Rays could ever get would be Evan Longoria shaking his injury issues the past few years and staying healthy and season. Luke Scott‘s surgically-repaired shoulder is finally fine and he could be primed for a big sophomore season with the team. And then you Desmond Jennings and Matt Joyce, two young players primed for breakout years, with Jennings healthy after being bothered by a knee injury and Joyce simply needing a mulligan after a tough 2012. The rotation is great, the bullpen may be even better, and the offense could be improved. Sounds like a team that can go far to me.

What/who have been your most surprising upsides and let downs during this spring training season?
The surprise position player that Rays fans actually got most excited about this spring was actually not a prospect but instead 29 year old catcher Chris Gimenez, who went 14 for 38 (.368). Gimenez lost in a bid to win the Rays’ backup catcher job to Jose Lobaton basically only because Gimenez had a minor league option and Lobaton did not, and he’s a player who made a breakthrough at the plate at Triple-A last year and might just be the player who could give the Rays halfway-defense offense from the catcher position.

It was on the pitching side where the prospects really stood out the most, with starting pitcher Chris Archer allowing just 1 hit in 7 innings of work and Enny Romero allowing just 3 in 5 innings and striking out 4 despite not logging a single game at Double-A in his career. Relievers Brandon Gomes and Josh Lueke also looked great and could be big parts of the Rays’ bullpen at some point in 2013 if they keep their strong springs up.

The biggest disappointments had to be that Wil Myers played well, hitting .286 (10 for 35), but he didn’t set the world on fire and was quickly sent down to the minors. Another thing was Jeff Niemann‘s fastball velocity, which stayed in the 85-86 MPH range nearly the entire spring before finally getting up to 88-89 MPH in his last start, killing his trade value and prompting questions over whether he’s hurt. Also getting people worried with their poor performances this spring were Kelly Johnson, Sean Rodriguez, and Matt Moore, although I can’t say I take too much stock in major leaguers’ spring training stats.

Key injuries impact teams both on Opening Day and beyond. What injuries, both short-term and long-term, will most hamper the Rays’ ability to be successful?
If Evan Longoria goes down, the Rays are done. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. He was held to just 74 games in 2012 and the Rays were 47-27 with him and 43-45 without him. The Rays are going to take every precaution with him this year, and if they can keep him on the field, that will make all the difference. The Rays are lucky enough to be able to absorb a short-term injury to any of their pitchers without losing a beat, but they need players like Luke Scott, Desmond Jennings, and Matt Joyce who all saw time on the DL last year to stay healthy as well because they have to squeeze out all the offense they can get.

What are the three keys to success for Tampa Bay to compete for an AL East title in 2013?
1) Evan Longoria has to stay healthy. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the most dynamic players in the game and makes all the wheels turn for this Rays team. If he’s playing well in the middle of the Rays lineup, everything else will just come together.
2) Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore have to step up. Losing James Shields is something the Rays can overcome, but doing so pushes Hellickson and Moore into the 2nd and 3rd spots behind David Price in the rotation. Hellickson has managed great ERAs the last two seasons but has been enigmatic even in doing so. With his curveball emerging as an effective third pitch for him behind his bread-and-butter fastball and changeup, this could be the season that Hellickson emerges as a true number two starter with his peripherals matching up with his performance and 200 innings becoming a possibility. Moore is enormously talented and showed that his rookie year, but his control and command remain concerns and the Rays are waiting for something to click. If that happens and Moore goes David Price 2010, this team could win 95 games, but even if it doesn’t, Moore has to make progress.
3) Desmond Jennings, Luke Scott, and Matt Joyce need to have bounce-back years. The performance of all the offseason acquisitions will be important plus Wil Myers will be key coming from the minor leagues, but Jennings, Scott, and Joyce will pair with Longoria and Ben Zobrist to form the core of the Rays’ offense and they’re talented enough to make this offense middle-of-the-pack in the American League, which is all it has to be given the Rays’ pitching. Jennings and Joyce have untapped potential while Scott has shown that he can be great when healthy, and this has to be the season that all that ability starts to surface on the field.

Predict your AL East end of season standings and why.
1) Rays- I believe in the pitching and Longoria staying healthy, and enough members of the offense will break out to at least keep this team right around 90 wins, which should be all it takes in this division.

2) Blue Jays- Offseason acquisitions were huge, but if I was a fan of theirs, I would be terrified of injury concerns with Josh Johnson, Brandon Morrow, Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, and Brett Lawrie (already happened) and the bullpen is already beginning to crumble. I still think they win 86 or 87 games.

3) Yankees- They’re in trouble but not quite as bad as people think with great pitching and a still solid offense. I’ll peg them for 84 or 85 wins.

4) Boston Red Sox- I don’t think there’s a position on the field (other than the bullpen) where I don’t have concerns with this team, but enough of their guys will pan out that they’ll finish at or above .500.

5) Baltimore Orioles- Time for reality to set back in and this is not a very good team. The pitching staff is mediocre at best and the offense is not nearly as good as people think (I even think Adam Jones is bound for regression). This looks like a 75-win team to me.

—————————————–

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

The Hysteria Helium has leaked out of the countless Trade Rumor balloons; the wrinkled bladders litter the blogosphere; just 21 deals got done.  So, how did the 6 AL East trades impact the Red Sox’ post- season playoff chances?

(more…)

Source Image,bloomberg.com/news, Photoshopped by EN

Keep you expectations at, or below, sea level about Red Sox trades—there won’t be any.

[OK, maybe some insignificant trade, but not one that will put the Sox in the Playoffs this season.]

(more…)

The Red Sox are back in action and what is officially the second half of the season, the Sox will look to get back into the thick of things in the AL East and further position themselves in the Wild Card standings.  And what a perfect opportunity to do so by kicking off the post all-star game with a three game series against the divisional opponent Tampa Bay Rays.

Tropicana Field has not been kind to the Red Sox over the years and given the Sox will see both David Price and James Shields this weekend, it could be a grueling series for the Old Towne Team.  The offense needs to get rolling and the pitching needs to step up.  Clay Buchholz is set to return on Saturday in what many are calling a mismatch, including David Hill, a staff writer at Rays Colored Glasses.  David helped us get an inside scoop on the Rays answering this series’ Q&A session.  We discussed the trade deadline and which the Rays will go along with the struggles of Matt Moore and the injury to Evan Longoria.  Enjoy.

1. What’s the deal with Evan Longoria? First we hear he’s rehabbing, then he’s out indefinitely. Can you give us an update on when the all-star third baseman will return?

Longoria tweaked the left hamstring again while in his second rehab game, and had to leave. As it stands now, he’s going back to square one of his rehab assignment. Once he’s able to run the bases, hit, and get through fielding drills, then he’ll be able to play in minor league games again. Right now, they’re targeting mid-August for his return.

2. There has been a lot of talk about the Rays and which way they’ll go at the deadline, buyers or sellers. What do you think will happen?

Actually, it might make sense if they did both. The Rays have a couple of players on the last year of their deals that may be attractive to other teams, so they may attempt to get pieces that they could control, yet help them in the playoff run this year. It’s possible that they could trade a pitcher to a team desperate for pitching, then turn around and make a move for a position of need, such as catcher or shortstop.

Despite all the injuries, they are a half game out of the wild card, and the team ahead of them (Baltimore) has a run differential of -36. Regardless of how they started the year, it’s fair to wonder whether or not the Orioles are actual contenders.

3. Could the Rays really trade Big Game James Shields? 

Of the pitchers, Shields would make the most sense if they feel they won’t be able to resign him for an amount that works within their budget. Shields’ peripheral stats are very similar to his breakout 2011 campaign, so his regression this year appears to be at least partially attributable to bad luck on the batted ball. With his reputation as a starter that preforms in pressure situations, a team that would be looking to rent a player for the playoff push would likely inquire. I could see a team like the Dodgers or Pirates making a strong bid for Shields’ services.
4. Matt Moore was touted as a potential rookie of the year but has struggled so far this season. What’s been the biggest reason for his struggles and what does he need to do to turn it around?

The most glaring issue with Moore is his walk rate. Through 99.2 innings this year, he has walked 50 batters, fourth in the AL. From what I’ve seen, it feels like he’s overthrowing the ball, trying to throw it past hitters, leading to the increased walk rate and his tendency to get the ball up in the zone. Simply, he just needs to take a couple of miles per hour off the pitches, and he should be fine.
5. Will BJ Upton be traded and if so what can the Rays expect in return?

Upton has been mentioned in trade rumors, mainly because he’s in the last year of his contract. However, it really doesn’t make sense to trade him at this point. The Rays have enough problems with outfield depth where the corpse of Hideki Matsui has made 14 appearances in the field. Moving Upton would further deplete an already barren area.

6. Finally, give us a brief breakdown and prediction on each game in this series. 

In general, this should be a fairly low scoring series. Morales has done a commendable job as a starter, and Beckett goes in the third game against Shields. The best chance for the Rays offense to go off would be in the second game, where Buchholz and his 5.53 ERA face David Price in what appears to be the biggest mismatch of the series. Given the Red Sox struggles this season, and how they keep finding ways to lose games, I think the Rays take two out of three.

Just in case the Sox are frozen out of the post-season this year, can we at least bring back some warm memories to Fenway?

Here is the wicked cool, well thawed-out plan:

(more…)

The system uses a simulated expected winning percentage based on the team’s strength but not exclusive to the schedule.  Given the Red Sox recent surge in the baseball world and the Rays even keeled play it’s not surprising to see the Sox slightly ahead of Tampa.

When looking at the 1-day delta that compares the team’s chances from a day before, the Red Sox are a positive 9.4% while the Rays are a negative 10.6%.  Again, not mind blowing when you take into account the Red Sox beat Justin Verlander while the Rays lost with James Shields on the mound.

The 7-day delta is a little more telling as it captures the previous week of play, something that again bodes well for the BoSox who were +2.8%.  Tampa was -11.4% and the Yankees were +3.1% with their recent winning streak.

What does it all mean?  A whole lot of nothing really but it is fun to compare the other divisional teams as we get set for the grinding summer months that will separate the contenders from the pretenders.  As part of my due diligence, I will look at this projection near the end of each month and reflect on the recent changes.

The Texas Rangers are almost a sure thing to make the postseason with a 98.8% chance while the surging Chicago White Sox have a 63.0% projection.  The Detroit Tigers, a team many thought would run away with the Central have a 34.3% chance as of today.

Be sure to check out the webpage if you’re like me and are fascinated with baseball statistics and idiosyncrasies.

In another themed road trip in honor of Ken Rosenthal’s bow tie, the Tampa Bay Rays will resemble a bunch of nerds invading Fenway Park this weekend. The Rays will occupy the visitor’s clubhouse for a three game series to be followed by the under achieving Detroit Tigers for a four game series starting Monday.  But let’s not look ahead and rather focus on the divisional opponent that lies ahead, giving the Sox a chance to make up more ground in the meat grinder known as the AL East.

The Rays enter Boston in second place with a record of 27-18 and only one-game behind the first place Baltimore Orioles (has a different ring to it doesn’t it). The Red Sox are an even .500 at 22-22 and have narrowed the gap to only 5.5 back of first and 4.5 of Tampa Bay.  Sure the Yankees and Blue Jays are in between them but the best way to control your own fate is to just keep winning.  And what an opportunity this series will present.

Friday night will see Jon Lester (3-3, 3.95 ERA) against the rookie and recent call up Alex Cobb (1-0, 2.57 ERA) who is making only his second start of the season.  Given Lester’s fine performances of late, the Red Sox could have the edge  but don’t be too quick to overlook this Cobb kid.  He gets high praise from everyone in the Tampa organization and is another example of how well they develop young pitching skill.

Saturday’s matchup is setting up to be a low-scoring pitcher’s duel that’ll Josh Beckett (4-4, 4.38 ERA) battle David Price (6-3, 2.38 ERA).  Beckett’s last two outings have been brilliant, going a combined 14.1 innings and only allowing one earned run.  This after the whole golf gate scandal that ripped through the Boston organization.

The Sunday finale favors the Rays in a big way and it’s two words or one name that give them the edge; Clay Buchholz.  The owner of the worse ERA in baseball, Buchholz (4-2, 7.84 ERA) is paired up against Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 2.73 ERA) who beat Buchholz and the Red Sox nine days ago in a 2-1 game held at the Trop.  It was a promising outing from Buchholz only to go and throw a stink bomb in his next outing against the O’s giving up 6 hits and 5 earned runs over 5.1 IP.

The injury bug has bitten the Rays of late with some notable names occupying the MASH unit.  Names like Evan Longoria, Jeff Niemann, Desmond Jennings and Jeff Keppinger are scheduled to miss a significant amount of time joining the likes of closer Kyle Farnsworth and Sam Fuld who have been on the DL for quite some time.

Yet the Rays just keep winning and are doing it with some timely hitting and excellent pitching.  Lately it’s been the bat of B.J. Upton who’s in a modest 7-game winning streak and has managed to pull his batting average to .300 on the season.  He played hero in a walk-off fashion against Toronto on Wednesday and will look to torch the Red Sox this weekend.

As always we can’t forget our dear friend Luke Scott who will make his second trip to Fenway Park after calling it a dump and running down every Red Sox fan in the country.  Don’t expect a warm reception for Mr. Scott, the garbage man.

The Sox have taken four of six from the Rays so far this season which includes taking three of four at Fenway back in mid-April.  The Sox have outscored Tampa 37-17 including two monster offensive games that saw David Price and Hellickson get shelled.  Will history repeat itself in short time span?  It’s unlikely but I do think the Sox can take two of three if the bats can get to Price early, drive the pitch count up and get to the bullpen.

While the road trip will only comprise of 8-games, it’s a chance for the Old Towne Team to make up some ground in the division and more importantly try and stall the two teams that are currently leading the AL East.

Entering Thursday night’s game the Sox are 8-8 on the road and have a +10 run differential.  But the offense will be tested throughout the road trip with excellent starting pitching set to take the mound for the opposition.  After watching Jeremy Hellickson mow down 6 Red Sox batters by way of the K, it’s the phenom Matt Moore on the hill Thursday before seeing Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Cliff Lee in Philadelphia.  Not exactly a list of up and comers but rather a list of who’s who that have some major accomplishments in their career.

While the starters for the Baltimore series are not listed yet, the way the schedule works it could be Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta.  All three young arms have shown excellent stuff this year including a brilliant outing from Arrieta back in early May when he shutout the Yankees through eight innings while only allowing five hits and striking out nine. The Orioles are playing great baseball and are begging to be considered a real contender this year. Suffice to say entering Camden Yards will be a stiff test for the Sox.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Sox when they return home after this road trip.  Waiting for them at Fenway Park will be the Rays and Tigers, both three game series. Home hasn’t been where the heart is for this club, but a better outing before hitting the road has to make them feel better about playing in front of the Fenway Faithful.

If the Sox can get through this road trip and take 5 out of 8, then call it a success given the quality of pitching they will see.  If they can beat some of those pitchers listed above then this club could be considered a contender.  Should they struggle and finish up with only 2 or 3 wins on the road, suddenly we’ll be nearing the end of May and .500 will still be miles away.  At that point, with a difficult schedule at home, the Red Sox could be considered pretenders and then the questions will start flying around about what to do with this team.

Optimism is the key, so for the record let’s say this road trip ends well for the Boston crew.  They are playing better baseball lately and it was two costly mistakes that resulted in the loss last night.  In that game the Red Sox showed that they can not only play with the Rays but beat them, given they took three out of four earlier this year.  They now need to prove that this club has the tools to compete against the top clubs and it starts with this road trip.

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

The Rays are going step for step with the Orioles atop the division despite going through a rough stretch recently that saw them lose 6 of 7 games.  The injury bug has hit the Rays recently as both Desmond Jennings and starter Jeff Niemann were placed on the DL where they join all-star third baseman Evan Longoria.  But the injuries do not appear to have affected the Rays winning mentality as they just keep on trucking.

We collaborated with Rays Colored Glasses editor, Robbie Knopf to seek answers about what is making this Rays club winning without some key pieces.  We also talked about the rookie phenom Matt Moore and whether the Rays could make a trade to upgrade their offense.  Enjoy.

1.       First Evan Longoria went down to injury, now Desmond Jennings and Jeff Niemann suffered injuries that’ll see them on the DL.  Yet the Rays continue to keep pace in the meat grinder AL East.  What has been the main reason for this?

The Rays are renowned for their pitching depth, so that will help them survive the Niemann absence and likely do just about as well. Wade Davis, Alex Cobb, and Chris Archer are candidates to replace Davis in the rotation…. That’s obvious. You don’t need to know anything about the Rays to say that. The bigger question is how the Rays have survived the presences of Longoria and Jennings not being in the lineup.

The answer is that you can’t underestimate the versatility of the Rays’ roster. The Rays have several players who can slide into whatever position is vacant: Ben Zobrist, Sean Rodriguez, Elliot Johnson, Will Rhymes, and Jeff Keppinger. Are those guys great? Zobrist is a very good all-around player, but the others don’t exactly knock you off you feet. But when you have that many guys fighting for available playing time, someone has to get hot. Right now, it has been Rodriguez and Johnson who are playing extremely well and Zobrist starting to come on as well to go along with guys like Matt Joyce who have played well all season. Defensively, the Rays are missing Longoria and Jennings and it has shown in their team defense, but they still have more-than-capable players across the board. And then there’s the pitching. The Rays don’t need to score a ton of runs when their starting pitching and bullpen are on. A few disaster starts mixed with some bullpen struggles led to a 6 of 7 losses stretch recently for the Rays, but overall their rotation and bullpen have been very good and that puts less pressure on the offense.

2.       Matt Moore is struggling this year and now with Niemann on the DL and a boat load of prospects waiting in the wings along with Wade Davis in the bullpen, what do you believe the Rays will do with Moore?

Moore has been hit hard. There’s no two ways about that. But his stuff remains electric and the only issue has been command. This is something that has afflicted Moore before, especially early in seasons. This isn’t a case where his velocity is down or his curveball isn’t breaking sharply. This isn’t a Phil Hughes or Brett Cecil situation. His repertoire looks as good as ever. If he gets his command consistently he’s going to even out his numbers with a crazy run of starts. The Rays will let Moore find himself out on the mound, and when he does, watch out. It’s been frustrating to watch him get hit hard, but it’s only a matter of time until he rounds himself out.

3.       In your opinion, should the Rays consider dealing some prospects for an upgrade to their offense? 

I would absolutely not trade any highly-touted prospects, and there’s next to no chance they do. The only scenario that was a possibility was a trade of a pitcher like Alex Cobb, but with the Niemann injury, that’s out the window. The Rays don’t trade prospects for big leaguers. That’s not the way they operate. The Rays won’t trade prospects unless the deal is an absolute steal. Jesse Chavez for Rafael Soriano? Sure, why not. But you’re not going to see any of their legitimate low minors prospects traded and their upper levels are a little thin right now. I thought Tim Beckham might be trade bait, but with him suspended, that’s not happening.

The only conceivable scenario would be a trade for a catcher, but even then they would have preferred much more to trade a starter, and if they make a major trade I would expect it to be a blockbuster for a legitimate long-term catcher, not a Geovany Soto our Kurt Suzuki type. I don’t think that type of player is realistically on the market right now. I’m not entirely against trading prospects for a stud catcher on principle, but teams generally don’t deal stud catchers. I would be extremely surprised if that type of deal or any type of trade where the Rays dealt noteworthy prospects happened over the course of this season.

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

Matthew Pouliot of Hardballtalk.com looks at defensive replacements for Longoria.  Both Jeff Keppinger and Elliot Johnson are options but as Pouliot points out, neither bring a stable presence at the plate.  One option that is presented is to move Sean Rodriguez to third and call up Reid Brignac, but Pouliot is quick to state that it appears Brignac will stay at AAA.  Will Rhymes is the front runner to replace Longoria according to Pouliot and even the former Tiger can’t measure up to a tenth of the production that will be missing with the injury to Longoria.

From a pure offensive standpoint, the Rays have done a decent job producing runs through the first month of the season.  Keep in mind Longoria was the jugular vein in the lineup and replacing him will be like trying to replace Jacoby Ellsbury; it just can’t be done.

So what options do they have?  Newly signed Hideki Matsui could be thrown into the fire a lot sooner than anyone predicted and if he can regain his run producing abilities, the former Yankee may help replace some of those runs.  The obvious players to pick up the slack are both Carlos Pena and Luke Scott.  Both were brought to Tampa this winter to bolster the offense around Longoria and now they will be relied upon to carry the load.  Scott is off to a nice start with 5 homers and 17 RBI and a SLG of .594.  Pena meanwhile has 4 homers with 13 RBI and a SLG of .488, certainly a slower start than anticipated but still respectable.

Ben Zobrist is another name that we’ll hear a lot about in the coming weeks.  He’s often described as having sneaky power and was pegged as a major offensive catalyst for this team in 2012 but with just 3 homers and 11 RBI, saddled with a weak batting average of .205, he needs to get hot in a hurry.

Others like B.J Upton when healthy and Desmond Jennings will need to use their speed on the basepaths to create scoring opportunities while taking some pressure off the middle of the order.

Of course the Rays will ride their starting pitching for a vast majority of their wins this season and in Longoria’s absence this will only be heightened.  But now with their biggest bat gone for an extended period of time, relying this much on their five horses might be just too much to ask for.  The result could be a slip in the standings until #3 returns, but should stay within striking distance of the division lead.

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

The Red Sox limp home after a tough 1-5 start and things won’t get any easier to open Fenway Park when the Tampa Bay Rays invade the visitors clubhouse for a four game set.  The Rays are showcasing their highly praised starting rotation and proving to be a legitimate threat to win the AL East this year.  The Sox will see four of their best arms this series which will conclude on Marathon Monday and with an offense that needs to get going, this series will be one of the toughest the Sox will have all year.

Quite often some home cooking will do a team some good and for the Red Sox they are in some desperate need of anything positive with the return home.  Will the Rays prove to be a task to daunting to right the ship?  Robbie, the editor from Rays Colored Glasses thinks so and he believes the Rays pitching will dominate this weekend.  So much so, that a four game sweep is a real possibility in Robbie’s mind.  Personally, a split would be considered a victory for the Red Sox and if history can repeat itself from last year when the Sox returned home to win a game or two, then maybe we’ll hear Dirty Water blare from the speakers at Fenway.

Check out Robbie’s analysis of the Rays so far this year as he was gracious enough to answer a few questions.  He breaks down the pitching matchups, players to keep an eye on and talks about the Rays bullpen that could be the opportunity for the Sox to win some games.  Enjoy.

1.       The Rays are off to a nice start at 4-2, which included a sweep of the Yankees, always a nice accomplishment. In all honesty, they could be 5-1 or even undefeated. What’s been the bright spot for the Rays through the first two series?

The bright spot for the Rays has been what we expected, their starting pitching. James Shields struggled mightily versus the Yankees on Opening Day, but David Price pitched well in his first start before Jeremy Hellickson absolutely blew the Yankees away, coming up just short of a complete-game shutout. Matt Moore didn’t have his best stuff, but battled, and Shields hanged tough against the Tigers on Wednesday to come away with a win after Verlander collapsed. Jeff Niemann is the only pitcher to worry about a little bit after he didn’t look right all game on Thursday and then blew it for the Rays in the 5th.

One of the main reasons the Rays are 4-2 is their bullpen. They have some nice arm out there, but with the exception of Fernando Rodney, they all have to pitch a lot better.

2.       The young phenom, Matt Moore appears to be ready to compete at the major league level every fifth day.  How do you see the Rays handling their plethora of starting pitching, namely a guy like Wade Davis who has recently been used out of the bullpen?

I don’t think anyone would want to be an upper-levels Rays pitching prospect right now. You have Davis in the bullpen after a 4th place Rookie of the Year finish in 2010 and 184 IP in 2011, Alex Cobb back at Triple-A despite pitching well in 9 major league starts and overpowering Triple-A hitters both in 2011 and to begin this season, and Alex Torres didn’t even get a look for an MLB rotation spot after leading all Triple-A pitchers in strikeouts in 2011. And the list goes on. But the Rays like having so much pitching depth because injuries are always a concern, as we saw when Niemann went down in 2011 and when Hellickson was hit by a ball in batting practice the other day, and because the Rays will want to limit the innings for Moore and to a lesser extent, Hellickson this season, which should guarantee at least a couple MLB starts each to Davis and Cobb. I think for the most part, the Rays stick with their current starting five, which has the potential to be dominant up and down, and keep Davis in the bullpen, where he has seen an uptick in velocity on his fastball and looks pretty comfortable out there. Cobb, Torres, and others are probably out of luck, at least for now. You would think that the Rays would be willing to trade a starter with all the starting pitching they have coming out of their ears, but after a 2009 season where great starting depth completely imploded, the Rays will play at safe at least until the trade deadline.

3.       If there was a point of concern around the Rays heading into the season it was their offense.  Six games in they’ve scored 26 runs. Does this offense appear to be the real deal or do they still need to look at adding a bat? Or is the pitching that good that the offense will never be a concern? 

The Rays offense is OK, not great, but it will be better when B.J. Upton and Luke Scott return from injuries. If all goes well, the Rays will have a lineup in the upper third of the 30 MLB teams. I don’t think the Rays are intent on adding a bat unless injuries persist because of their pitching, like you said, but nothing is out of the question, especially with Andrew Friedman.

4.       Like the Red Sox, the Rays suffered a major blow when they lost their closer, Kyle Farnsworth for a good part of the season.  Fernando Rodney appears poised to step in and handle the closer role.  How confident are Rays fans with Rodney at the back end? 

It was supposed to be a closer by committee for the Rays, but they clearly like Rodney. Rodney has succeeded thus far for the same reasons that Kyle Farnsworth was so great for the Rays last season. He isn’t striking everybody out but he isn’t walking anybody and is forcing contact on the ground, an excellent game plan when you have the Rays defense behind you. I think by nature, Rays fans don’t trust any relievers after our horrific experiences in the D-Rays years and how significantly Jake McGee has struggled at the big league level despite arguably the best arm on the entire team, but Rodney has looked as good as ever, better even than his 37-save year for the Tigers in 2009, and I’ll admit that I’m starting to believe in him. If Farnsworth can somehow get healthy, the Rays could have a dynamic back of their bullpen.

5.       Aside from the usual suspects, Longoria, Upton, Pena, who are two players that could be game changers in this series that Red Sox fans should worry about? 

The obvious answer is the starting pitchers, but I assume you mean a couple hitters. I think the two players to watch are Desmond Jennings and Ben Zobrist. Jennings has been just OK to begin the year, but he has power and speed and can do everything for the Rays. He has ability to wreak havoc both in the batter’s box and on the basepaths, and if he can get hot over the weekend, the Red Sox will be in trouble. Zobrist has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season, but he’s a professional hitter and we saw him lace the big 2-run single that gave the Rays their 4-2 win over the Tigers the other days.

6.       Looking at the four game set, briefly breakdown the pitching matchups and who in your opinion wins this series?

Here are the four matchups:

Friday: David Price versus Josh Beckett

Saturday: Jeremy Hellickson versus Clay Buchholz

Sunday: Matt Moore versus Felix Doubront

Monday: James Shields versus Daniel Bard

David Price is a guy who has flown under the radar a little bit after just a decent 2011, but he actually improved his strikeout to walk ratio and is primed for a huge year. We saw Beckett struggle against the Tigers, and although the Rays’ lineup is not of that caliber, you’re going to want to struggle when you’re facing off against Price this year.

Jeremy Hellickson is a guy people have tagged for a regression in 2011 after his ROY-worthy rookie season, but the reason his strikeout to walk ratio was not up to par was that he fell in love with his fastball-changeup combo. Against the Yankees, he got his curveball and cutter working and the Yankees couldn’t get anything against him. Buchholz is a nice pitcher and this will be a nice game, but Hellickson has the edge right now.

Matt Moore has an electric arm that was mitigated some by the cold Detroit weather on Tuesday, but we’ll see him in full force on Sunday. Doubront has the ability to be a fine pitcher, but he struggles at times with control and is a very favorable matchup for the Rays. I feel like this is a game that the bullpen could blow for the Rays, but I have little doubt Moore can outduel Doubront.

And the finale is a mismatch. If Shields is on, this one could be a blowout. Bard has electric stuff but I won’t trust him as a starter yet at all. I have a good feeling about Big Game James in this one, and this may just be his first complete-game shutout of the season.

I’m definitely biased on this one, and the Red Sox definitely have a chance in the first three games of the series (especially when considering the Rays’ sketchy bullpen), but this could definitely turn into a 4-game sweep for the Rays and panic time in Boston.

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

The feud between former manager Terry Francona and the Red Sox ownership, namely Larry Lucchino and John Henry took another ugly turn this week when Tito declined the invite to take part in the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park.  I can’t say I blame him for the way he was thrown under the bus after what was an epic collapse last September that should fall mostly on the shoulders of the players.  None the less, the story is again making headlines and opening the wounds of what was a painful 2011 season.

To make matters worse, the Red Sox finally return to Boston to host their home opener this weekend after sputtering out of the gates for a second straight season.  A 1-5 start on the road has many pointing to last season’s 0-6 start and ready to hit the panic button.

With the first game at Fenway this Friday, the skeptics and critics will be out in full force ready to jump all over any blemish that the Red Sox dare make while on a 9 game home stand.  Which is why this Francona feud with the owners might be just what the Red Sox need; a little distraction from their on-field play.

If you’ve tuned into any of the first half dozen games the Sox have played you’ll see a very uptight, timid ball club that looks uncomfortable.  And it’s showing in the numbers for many, for example Kevin Youkilis who has more strikeouts than hits in his first 18 plate appearances.  The offense is struggling, the bullpen has holes and the rotation has many questions.  Not exactly a soothing bunch heading home to play in front of a faithful crowd that is growing restless and impatient, all but ready to ring Fenway Park with a chorus of boos if the results don’t change.

So rather than sit and analyze what’s gone wrong over the first six games, maybe Tito will take a little pressure off his former club and steal the spotlight for a little while; giving the Sox a chance to pick up their game and produce a few wins.  Next Friday, April 20th will mark the big anniversary of Fenway and you know leading up to the festivities, the media will once again be feasting over the ongoing feud between Tito and the three headed monster, known as the owners.  Maybe the owners can have the limelight and let the players do what they do best, play baseball.  Maybe, just maybe a little less pressure and attention will do this club some good over the next week.

Funny to think that the same man who brought two championships to the city of Boston could also be instrumental in helping this club break out of their funk.

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

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!

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

Nick Cafardo ranked all 30 MLB managers and not surprisingly Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays was at the top of the list.  As Cafardo points out with veterans like Tony LaRussa and Terry Francona no longer sitting in the dugout mulling over their lineup cards, a new wave of brilliance moves ahead on his ranking.

I have to agree with Cafardo on Maddon’s position.  To have a small market payroll and compete consistently for the past five years is remarkable.  He gets the best out of his players and he has them drinking his special dose of kool-aid.

Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers was second and again this is a good and fair spot for him.  His ability to manage egos will be tested this year with Prince Fielder forcing Miguel Cabrera over to third.  But he has a way to get his players singing off of the same song sheet that he needs in order to win.  Expect nothing less this year.

Mike Scioscia of the Angels and Charlie Manuel of the Phillies are three and four respectively.  Let’s turn our attention to some of the more curious rankings by Cafardo.

First, he has Joe Girardi of the Yankees at number five, the same Joe Girardi who chose not to bring his closer Mariano Rivera back for the tenth inning in a game at Fenway Park.  A move that sparked numerous debates as to whether it was the right move.  Just one example where Girardi makes peculiar calls and reason enough to feel that number 5 on the list is a little high.

Buck Showalter is at number six and again Cafardo states that he’s a heck of a manager who will prove it when he gets more talent.  Well Nick the time is now and while we would like to take your word for it and believe it to be true, the proof is in the pudding and there hasn’t been much pudding in Baltimore lately.

Bruce Bochy in my opinion, is a better manager than both Girardi and Showalter and while an 8 slot is respectable, one could argue he should be in the top five.  He’s a strategist of the game and proves it by playing in the NL where he is continuously challenged with late inning puzzles of the double switch.  He’s taken an offensive limited team and made them compete two years in a row and we all remember what happened in 2010.

I won’t dissect the entire list but wanted to mention both Bobby Valentine’s place along with John Farrell’s.

Bobby V strolls in at number 15, middle of the pack.  An interesting choice by Cafardo, given Bobby hasn’t managed in the majors since 2002.  While he is fundamentally sound and loves the detail as Cafardo notes, a guy like Ron Roenicke of the Brewers (who is #16) has done more lately, making Bobby’s ranking somewhat generous.

The other head scratcher I have is the Blue Jays manager and former Red Sox pitching coach, John Farrell at number 26. Granted his resume is short with just one year of managerial experience, he is a great baseball mind and is doing wonders in Toronto with what is a limited payroll.  If Terry Collins of the Mets is a better manager than Farrell then John Lackey is the ace of the Red Sox staff next season.  I don’t think Farrell should be in the top 20 but to put him ahead of only four other managers, three who are entering their first season as such is a unfair.

It will be interesting to see if this list is re-examined in either July or October and see the changes in rank that will have occurred.

What’s your thoughts? Did Cafardo nail this one or are there some managers who you feel should be higher or lower?  We’d love to hear from you so let’s spark a debate.

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

The Tampa Bay Rays are emerging as a model franchise in Major League Baseball, at least from their on field performance.  Despite  inconsistent support from their local fan base and a stadium that is need of dynamite, the Rays have developed their group of youngsters into a club that can compete not only for the AL East division in 2012, but also a World Series title according to many.

These hopes and expectations are saddled solely on their pitching which could be the best in all of baseball.  The rotation is beyond average from one through five.  In fact, they currently have two arms battling it out for the final rotation spot.  The loser could be used as trade bait and many teams would be calling for either Wade Davis or Jeff Niemann.  This is dependent on the phenom, Matt Moore being able to transition smoothly to life full-time in the majors.  So far this spring Moore has brought on a few doubts with is numbers not being where the Rays were hoping the number two ranked prospect would be.  An ERA of 9.00 in just 4 innings of work have the promising arm a little behind in the workload department and now his spot in the rotation could be delayed.

Rays fans don’t seem to be too worried about Moore though.  Without him they still have a far above average rotation that has only pitcher in David Price at the age of 30.  Everyone else is younger than the elder statesman making this group of arms a rare breed in baseball today.

James Shields could be one of the best pitchers in the American League.  His ability to shut down the big lumber in any lumber is beyond impressive and it was highlighted last year when he threw 11 complete games; a simply astonishing feat.

Throw in Jeremy Hellickson as the number three starter, followed up by the aforementioned Davis, Niemann and/or Moore and this team is going to win some ball games from their starters performances alone.

A revamped bullpen from two years ago doesn’t hurt either when Kyle Farnsworth proved he is more than adequate to replace Rafael Soriano as the closer.  So now they’ve gone from winning some ball games to competing for a postseason birth.

But is the pitching this team has enough to win the AL East and contend for the World Series?  When you look at the rest of the teams in the meat grinder division they all offer explosive power surrounded by tremendous offensive ability.  The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are considered to be three of the most potent lineups in all of baseball and for the Rays they will see each time 18 times throughout the year.  Sure pitching is going to win them some games and they will hang around all season and threaten for a spot in the October dance. But can this Rays offense produce enough runs to win those games when the other clubs get to their arms, namely their starters, and make a push to win the AL East while preparing for a World Series run?

Gone are Johnny Damon, Kelly Shoppach, John Jaso and Casey Kotchman.  Certainly not a whole lot offensive prowess among those names, but production non the less.

To help make up for the lack of offense and the lost players, the Rays signed Carlos Pena who ripped the cover off the ball during his previous stint with Tampa Bay.  Over four years as a Ray, Pena smacked 144 long balls which included a career high 46 in 2007.  Pena should be good for another 25 homers and given that he will see hitter friendly ballparks such as Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium more often, he could well exceed the 30 HR mark.  Even though he won’t hit for average or OBP, Pena still poses as a big threat in the Rays lineup.

Luke Scott, who seems to care more about his mouth and running down Red Sox fans than playing baseball, was also signed this off season.  While he won’t match Pena’s home run total he could be counted on for 50+ RBI and should he ever truly maximize his potential then 75 RBI’s is within the realm of possibility.

Pena and Scott will compliment an already decent lineup that features the pure swinging Evan Longoria and the streaky B.J. Upton.  Ben Zobrist has emerged as a legitimate threat with plenty of pop in his bat, giving the Rays a much needed heavy bat, but at the same time twenty dingers could be his ceiling.

Desmond Jennings is as exciting to watch as any lead off hitter in baseball and he gives the Rays that threat at the top of the order who can turn a single into a double or triple with the swipe of a bag.

Those will be the main culprits for the Rays this season and as always will be led by Longoria.  When he’s going, so too are the Rays.  Pena and Zobrist will add some punch as will Upton on an inconsistent basis.  Jennings will terrorize the base paths when he’s on and if he struggles early the search could be on for a new lead off hitter.

Did the Rays do enough to shore up their offense? Sure they did.  Is it enough to help propel them to atop the AL East?  I don’t think so.  This team will need to ride it’s pitching as far and as long as they can due to the offense still being mediocre.

As I’ve always said, just get into the postseason and anything can happen.  The pitching should take the Rays there but to be able to count on a clutch hit at a key time of the game is something that they may not have.  Therefore I think they will rely too much on their pitching which will cost them in the long run.

This is still an excellent ball club don’t get me wrong, I just think they need a little more offense to become a legitimate threat for the World Series.

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

At least according to Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com they do.  In an article where Melewski ranked the AL East starting rotations, he penciled the Olde Towne Team’s rotation only second to the Tampa Bay Rays.  The New York Yankees were ranked third, which will likely surprise many people, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays.  The lowly Baltimore Orioles were last, a spot they should get comfortable with.  While the Jays are close to contending, their pitching is still young and perhaps a little thin on the back end.  For now we’ll focus on the top three.

It’s no surprise that the Rays were ranked number one.  In all honesty they have one of the best rotations in the game and if rookie Matt Moore can live up to they hype, they may turn into the single best rotation, hands down.  James Shields, David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore are the front four and all are 30-years old or younger.  Shields is the elder statesman of the four, having just turned 30 in December.

When you have Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann battling it out for the final spot on the rotation, you know you are deep with pitching.

So the Rays are the obvious choice at number one.  The battle for second place is really between the Red Sox and Yankees and after the Bronx Bombers signed Hiroki Kuroda and traded for Michael Pineda, many had the Yanks with the superior rotation.  But was this more of because of the way last year ended for Boston and not so much what the Red Sox have on paper?  It appears so.

When you compare the top three pitchers on each club the edge goes to Boston and Melewski agrees with that.  Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, when healthy, are one of the top trios in the game.  The Yankees top three consist of CC Sabathia, Kuroda and Pineda.  Still a great trio to have, but when you take into account how the Red Sox owned Sabathia last year, it adds a little skepticism to the conversation.  Going 1-4 against the arch rivals has surely planted some doubts in the mind of the Yankees’ ace.  Unless he comes out this year with all guns a blazing and paralyzes the Sox in multiple outings it’s hard to shake the reminder of what the Red Sox offense did to him in 2011.

Kuroda is a wild card at this point.  At 37-years of age he’s only a four year veteran of the MLB and those years were spent in the NL West where pitcher friendly ballparks are common.  Throw in the less offensive lineups that the NL West provides compared to the AL East and Kuroda will be tested early and often in New York.

Pineda was brought to New York with the possibility of being slotted as the number two arm.  But an extra twenty pounds this off season and a dramatic drop in his fastball velocity has many wondering if the young phenom is ready and mature enough to step into that limelight.

All health issues aside for all pitchers discussed and the edge goes to Boston.

But it’s a long season and the number four and five pitchers are possibly the most valuable starters in terms of carrying their share of the workload, reducing the stress on the top three.

Boston’s final two spots are up in the air.  Daniel Bard looks poised to grab one spot and then it’s either Alfredo Aceves, Felix Doubront or Andrew Miller.  The Yankees have the young and talented Ivan Nova and either Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia as their number five guy, with Garcia coming off a nice 16-win campaign.

Based on the uncertainty of transitioning Bard or Aceves, or both to a starting role, the Yankees have the edge here simply based on Nova showing tremendous ability and having either Hughes or Garcia to round out the rotation.  Nova is still young and the verdict is still out on him after he struggled to maintain his torrid pace that he got off to at the start of last season.  Aceves and Bard haven’t proven they can live up to the starting role, giving them less credit.

When you take into account all five potential starters for both clubs, the Red Sox have the better rotation.  The Yankees, like the Red Sox have many questions about their rotation and should find answers to most of them by the end of March.

Of course if Beckett can’t get let go of last year and decides to let his ego take over then the Sox are in serious trouble.  So far, all indications point to a renowned Beckett, along with the rest of the starters giving the Red Sox a loaded rotation.

In my mind Melewski nailed this ranking. One through five makes perfect sense to me.  What are your thoughts on the ranking of the AL East rotations?

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

The game of baseball is based upon respecting your opponent.  There are times when they cross the line and as an unwritten rule discipline may be warranted.  But what the Tampa Bay Rays did on Friday when they played the Baltimore Orioles was just down right bizarre.

Every Red Sox fan remembers Robert Andino‘s game winning single last September that capped off a dismal final month for Boston.  As a result of the BoSox losing the game to the Orioles and a dramatic win for the Rays a few minutes later, the Rays got in the postseason.

So to thank Andino, the entire Rays dugout got up and gave him a standing ovation prior to his first at bat during Friday’s spring training game.  The decision for the obscure behavior was none other than the managers, Joe Maddon.

“We just talked about that prior to the game, what was the appropriate thing to do? We saw him in the two-hole, we said let’s give him a nice round of applause.” – courtesy of Ricky Doyle, NESN. 

Even Andino was startled by the unforeseen actions as Maddon noted.

“He was startled by it. He didn’t know what was going on. He was looking around. I thought it was pretty good.”

Case in point on how stupid it was, Andino didn’t even know what was going on or what to think of it.

To think that the Rays waited until spring training to show their appreciation to me stinks of arrogance.  Why not send him a text after the game last September thanking him for the hit.  Rather they went public with their act and to me it says “hey remember what we did on the last day of the year, well we couldn’t have done it without you Robert.”

Maybe the Rays should worry about this year and not dwell on the past.  Sure it was a fantastic day for baseball and despite the heartache and misery that I incurred, I admit it was great for the game.

Perhaps the Rays are becoming a little arrogant in their recent success.  A postseason birth last season, an AL East division title in 2010 and an AL pennant in 2008 is impressive with their Mickey Mouse payroll.  So good for them on beating the Red Sox and Yankees in those years despite having one third of the salaries.  But don’t get too caught up in it all.  This is a game of ‘what have you done for me lately’ and given that this is a new year, the Rays haven’t won squat.

Add this weird behavior to the loose lips of Luke Scott, also known as the Village Idiot who was given that name by our very own Stephanie, and suddenly the Red Sox & Rays rivalry is heating up to a level comparable to the Yankees rivalry.

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

With the Red Sox starting rotation far from set the team is still open to making a deal for a bonified type starter reports Alex Speier of WEEI.com. 

Currently the five pitchers battling it out for the final two spots have been good in their outings with Daniel Bard leading the way.  Felix Doubront is out of options so a bullpen spot may be more suitable for him if he can’t adjust to pitching every five days.  The same goes for Andrew Miller.

Alfredo Aceves is the most likely to snag the fifth and final spot but his services are best used out of the bullpen.  Let’s hope Bobby Valentine agrees with that and uses Aceves like Francona did last season; spot starts and valuable innings out of the pen.

While no teams have been named and Speier goes on to say that it’s too early for a market to materialize, it is intriguing to hear the club keep an open mind about making a deal.

We know the Chicago White Sox will attract a lot of attention at some point this season with starter Gavin Floyd sitting in the Windy City.  With the Chi Sox stuck in the middle of trying to rebuild or reload, Floyd will likely become available, it’s just a matter of when.  Depending on what kind of start the club gets off too and how quickly the Tigers run away with the division, it could be sooner than later, and the Red Sox will be interested.  Floyd is under team control in 2013 for a value of $9.75 million.

To lure Floyd from one Sox team to another will require prospects and young talent.  The Red Sox have a few options who are out of options; Felix Doubront, Andrew Miller and Michael Bowden.  All three have tremendous potential, but their internal clock is ticking and they best prove something this spring.

Lars Anderson is another player that the Red Sox would love to move.  His stock has fallen lately but his start to the spring is encouraging.  If he can continue to produce this spring and bump his trade value, it’s likely we’ll be hearing his name on the trade front.

The ideal trade partner for a starting pitcher is the Tampa Bay Rays with both Jeff Niemann and Wade Davis battling it out for the final spot and the loser possibly being dealt.  But an inter-division deal is highly unlikely, especially between the Red Sox and Rays, a rivalry that continues to heat up.  So let’s count the Rays out.

There is always Matt Garza who is still waiting on a long-term deal from Theo Epstein and the Cubs.  If no deal can be struck then Garza could be moved, likely at the last minute of the deadline.  The Sox may not be willing to wait that long and it’s doubtful that Garza’s price tag would have dropped from the prospect filled package to be sent the other way.

The Houston Astros are the other team that is a proverbial front runner to make a deal for starter Wandy Rodriguez.  And he’s a lefty, something the Red Sox could use in the rotation, another southpaw.

We’ve heard Wandy’s name quite often throughout the off season, only to have any rumors fall flat.  The Astros, like the Cubs and White Sox will likely wait to see what type of market develops before pulling the trigger, but many see Rodriguez being dealt this season.

Rodriguez does bring some baggage, in the form of a $13 million dollar contract for 2012 and 2013.  The team does have an option in 2014 for $13M or a $2.5M buyout.  The key to landing Wandy will be, surprise, prospects.  The names Miller, Doubront, Bowden and Anderson once again appear as trade pieces should the Red Sox brass feel a deal is needed to be made later this spring.

For now we wait and watch as the Ben Cherington plan of buy low, stock pile and hope like hell that one or two of his low-cost investments can regain their old form will pay off.  So far we’ve seen a bit of both but nothing is certain, even in baseball.

Take part in our poll and let us know who you think the Red Sox should trade for.

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