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

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

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

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

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

After a brilliant outing against the cellar-dwelling Toronto Blue Jays, a pair of Jays announcers went out on a limb to accuse Clay Buchholz of doctoring his pitches. I’m sure that Jack Morris and Dirk Hayhurst are well-respected within the Toronto broadcasting community; however they may have gone too far with this one. Buchholz is putting together a Cy Young type season for Boston and was just named American League Player of the Month, yet it seems that his critics will do anything to stop him in his tracks.

May 1, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox pitcher starting Clay Buchholz (11) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

As far as these accusations go, it’s a low blow by a pair of former pitchers who can’t bear to watch their team get rocked night in and night out. Buchholz has pitched himself to a league leading six wins not to mention a 1.01 ERA in six games started. But apparently both Hayhurst and Morris didn’t do their research on the lanky right-hander, as he has always been filthy, but in the good way. All the broadcasters had to do was look back to 2010 when Buchholz had 2.33 ERA in 173.2 innings pitched, good for sixth place finish in Cy Young voting.

Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley was quick to jump to the 28-year-old’s defense. Eckersley began his on air attack by calling into question the reputations of these guys, at one point calling Hayhurst a career minor league pitcher. While these reputation attacks might be well founded, they were out-of-order, but it is Eckersley’s defense of the Sox hurler that should matter. Eckersley pointed out that spitballs have wild, unpredictable movement to them, but Buchholz succeeds with pinpoint command and his ability to ‘paint’ the strike zone.

Apr 7, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell in the dugout prior to a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Hayhurst and Morris’ main complaint was the ‘evidence’ of some white, pasty substance on Buchholz’s arm. Both of the former big-leaguers obviously know about the presence of the rosin bag behind the mound, which is designed to afford the pitcher some grip on the baseball.  Sox Manager John Farrell similarly jumped to this conclusion in defense of his ace pitcher, stating “rosin was designed to get a grip… [Buchholz's] got it on his arm.” Buchholz himself came out in defense of his general use of the chalky powder:

Put rosin on my arm throughout the game. Sweat, water, whatever…Sometimes I put a little thing of water on my hip just to get moisture on your hands. Cause sometimes the balls that they throw to you feel like cue balls off a pool table. Got to find a way to get grip. But yeah, I mean, definitely no foreign objects or substances on my arm.

Rosin is a perfectly legal part of the game, pitchers these days may even be encouraged to use it. Unfortunately no one other than Clay Buchholz knows whether he was doing something illegal, and he maintains that he was complying with all of MLB’s rules and regulations. In today’s game there are any number of people on the field who would call a pitcher out on such use, the hitters are going to know that something is up, as is the umpiring crew and both dugouts. There simply isn’t anyway that a pitcher could get away with something like that. These accusations are unfounded and slanderous. Chances are Morris and Hayhurst are upset that Buchholz stymied the hapless Blue Jays and were looking for some excuse other than that their team was simply overpowered by an excellent young pitcher.

Mar 9, 2012; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront (22) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the game at JetBlue Park. The Orioles defeated the Red Sox 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Felix Doubront would pitch five plus innings allowing three runs. He walked none and had six strikeouts. But he would give up a total of nine hits, five of them for extra bases (four doubles and a home run). The Sox are really counting on Doubront to take the next step in becoming that reliable middle of the rotation arm they envision him to be. The K/BB ratio on the night was outstanding. The five extra base hits are a concern though. If he can limit them to just singles, he can allow himself more double play opportunities.

The main antagonists on the night were Jose Reyes, Mark DeRosa, and Josh Johnson. Reyes would go four for five with two doubles and home run (the latter would provide a blown save for Junichi Tazawa). Mark DeRosa would hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the bottom of the second and a home run to cut the Sox lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Although the Sox hit Johnson rather hard (nine hits, two walks, four runs/three earned), he would hit Jose Iglesias in the right arm with a 93-mph fastball. Iglesias would leave the game with a contusion. With Stephen Drew nearing a return, it might be the last we see of Iglesias for a little while.

The big story on offense was the team finally cracking into the home run category with Will Middlebrooks and Mike Napoli each going deep. The lineup would also combine for 12 hits and six walks (fan favorite Pedro Ciriaco would replace Iglesias, filling in nicely going two for four with an RBI). Unfortunately, they did strand 33 baserunners. Not my intent to damper anybody’s spirit with that number, but it makes one wonder just how dangerous they really can be with even more timely hitting.

Aside from Junichi Tazawa’s homer to Reyes, the bullpen did a stellar job. Koji Uehara would relieve Doubront with a runner already in scoring position. He would proceeded to strike out the next two batters and induce a flyout to strand the tying run. Andrew Bailey would pitch a scoreless eighth while allowing a hit and a walk. Joel Hanrahan would allow one walk in a scoreless ninth to record save number two on the season.

Tonight’s win assures no worse than a .500 record for the Sox when they return for the opener at Fenway. Hopefully they can steal at least one more before that though. John Lackey takes the hill tomorrow in his first start since 2011.

The Jays are loaded with talent on offense, defense, and pitching and only a plane crash could stop them from winning 110 games; the media will use “The Surprising Sox” as the 2013 storyline and with Toronto already in the stables, the Rays and Sox will come down the stretch for a Photo finish.

AL East Predicted Standings:               WORLD SERIES ODDS*
Blue Jays [Reloaded in all categories]                   14/1
Red Sox ["Surprise Team" Wild Card]                  28/1

SEE: How Red Sox Could Win AL East Flag  http://bosoxinjection.com/2013/02/04/how-red-sox-could-win-the-al-east-crown/

Rays [Will chase Sox into last week]                       25/1
Orioles [Hammels Ace? Luck evens out]               28/1
Yankees [Cano & 7 Aging Dwarfs]                                                     11/1   [NYC bias]

MVP Candidate from AL East: Jose Bautista  [lineup protection]
Cy Young Candidate from AL East: R. A. Dickey [Run support]

AL Central Predicted Standings:                         WORLD SERIES ODDS*

Tigers   [add V-Mart and improved Def.]                                  8/1
White Sox [Viciedo, Sale lead Sox]                                            30/1
Indians   [lack depth; too many low WAR scores]                  75/1
Royals  [weak R-production from INF]                                    75/1
Twins [Scott Diamond Ace? Last again,by more games.]     100/1

MVP Candidate from AL Central: Miguel Cabrera [first back-to-back Triple Crown?]
Cy Young Candidate from AL Central: Justin Verlander [Run support]

AL West Predicted Standings:                                                                             WORLD SERIES ODDS*

Angels [Hamilton/Pujols/Trout power offense]                                                                 12/1

A’s [P depth, OF depth, +C. Young, Lowrie to 3rd, Grant Green to 2b]                         18/1
Rangers [Lack of Rs from INF, loss of Hamilton, Napoli, Young]                                   12/1
Mariners [Will win "Second Tier" division in runaway]                                                    66/1
Astros [100 Ls or more, pre-5 year plan years]                                                                   200/1

MVP Candidate from AL West: Mike Trout [unless Miggy repeats Triple Crown]
Cy Young Candidate from AL West: Felix Hernandez [peak years now]

* Betvega odds: http://www.betvega.com/world-series-odds/

Feb 24, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Toronto Blue Jays logo before a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Florida Auto Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

April 20, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Historical logos on display under the grandstands during the 100th anniversary celebration at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It was readily apparent from the outset of the 2012-13 offseason that the Toronto Blue Jays were all in and playing for keeps. In short order they bagged some big names, constructing arguably the best lineup on paper in the AL East. They’ve done everything in their power to get their pieces in place and position themselves for a run at the division title. I recently had a chance to catch up with Fansided’s Jay’s Journal Editor, Kyle Franzoni. Here’s how my Q&A went with him.

In your opinion, did the Blue Jays make enough changes in the offseason to help increase their chances to win in 2013?
I think you’d be hard pressed to find an organization that did more work during the offseason than the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only did the Blue Jays net Josh Johnson, R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonficaio, and Mark Buehrle in big trades with the Marlins and Mets respectively, but Alex Anthopoulos spent just as much time signing players like Melky Cabrera and Maicer Izturis to bolster other needs. And that says nothing of the multitude of waiver claims made this winter.

What/who have been your most surprising upsides and let downs during this spring training season?
Surprise wise, you’d have to go with Mark DeRosa, who has looked pretty spry this spring. Coming off a multitude of injuries over the past several years, he was an under the radar type guy that could play an important role this season, especially with Brett Lawrie starting the season on the disabled list.

There is no greater disappointment to Blue Jays fans than Ricky Romero. The one-time ace has still not recovered from his dismal 2012 campaign and the fans are clamoring for him to start the season in the minor leagues rather than let that carry over into the regular season. Yes, you can get by with your fifth starter struggling for a few starts, but how much rope will the Blue Jays give him?

Key injuries impact teams both on Opening Day and beyond. What injuries, both short-term and long-term, will most hamper the Blue Jays’ ability to be successful?
The injuries I am watching are those to the back-end of the bullpen. Closer Casey Janssen just started appearing in games and has looked good, but coming off of shoulder surgery and getting such a late start is concerning.

Then there is Sergio Santos, the primary set-up man who would be closer if Janssen faulters. Santos missed all of 2012 with arm issues and required his own surgery. Like Janssen, he’s looked okay, but having two bald tires on the back of the car is scary, especially given the Blue Jays aspirations in 2013.

What are the three keys to success for Toronto to compete for an AL East title in 2013?
1.)  The bullpen must be solid. Dickey and Buehrle will eat up innings, but Romero, Brandon Morrow, and Johnson aren’t known for working deep into games. That means a lot of innings on the pen. Baltimore proved in 2012 that you can lean on the pen, if done properly.  Let’s hope Toronto can count on theirs.

2.)  Health. Plain and simple. This team struggled to stay healthy in 2012. They appear to be in better shape this season, especially when it comes to depth. However, they have a lot riding on this season. One injury to a front line starter and this team may be in some trouble.

3.)  The top of the order will be essential. Toronto got little to no offense out of the first and second spots in the order in 2012. They made a huge play to rectify that by adding Reyes and Cabrera to bat 1, 2 and that will be huge to have in front of the big boppers in the middle of the order.

Predict your AL East end of season standings and why.
1)   Blue Jays – They are the deepest team in the division, and they are most well-rounded. They have very few weaknesses to exploit. As long as they stay healthy and can gel as a unit, the division should be theirs to lose.

2)   Tampa Bay – It’s hard to beat good pitching, and the Rays have that in droves. What they don’t have it much offense outside of Evan Longoria. Wil Myers may help change that, but they’ll have to wait a month until they engage that weapon.

3)   Boston – The Red Sox made some subtle tweaks and I think they’ll surprise a lot of people. They may not qualify for the playoffs, but they’ll be a lot better. Lester and Buccholz cannot possible struggle again in 2013 and the new additions will be good for them. Can Big Papi get on the field though?

4)   Baltimore – The Orioles arguably overachieved in 2012 and I think they are in for a market correction in 2013. Baltimore will have the same core, which should help them, but can they rely on their bullpen to bail them out again this season or will they need something more this time around?

5)   New York – It’s tough placing the Yankees this low, but the injuries and the complacency this winter is going to be tough to overcome. How do you lose that much offense and still contend? If they figure that out, Girardi could be up for Manager of the Year, but I’m not ready to buy in yet.

—————————————–

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

Mar 7, 2013; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Clay Buchholz (11) throws in the first inning during a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Against a watered-down Toronto lineup (Jose Bautista and Colby Rasmus were the only players expected to be on the Jays’ opening day roster) the Red Sox prevailed 5-3. Clay Buchholz pitched four shutout innings while allowing three hits and striking out one. He’s now pitched eight and a third scoreless so far this spring. Andrew Miller pitched one inning and gave up a two run homer, the first time he’s allowed any runs so far. Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless sixth and gave up a hit. Prospect Allen Webster gave up three hits and an unearned run (fielding error by Jackie Bradley who went one for one) while striking out three en route to a three inning save.

Mike Napoli was Boston’s leader offensively (two for three, single, double, one RBI).

A few familiar faces from 2012 were on the field for the opposition today. Justin Germano started for the Blue Jays and gave up two runs in three innings. Andy LaRoche was hitless in three at-bats. Former future middle of the order threat Lars Anderson went two for four (single, double, RBI).

The win puts the Red Sox back at .500 (9-9) for the spring.

NOTE: Got a Baseball Question? “Just Ask Earl”

Just Ask Earl is a new feature that Bosox Injection is pleased to present. Esteemed BSI Senior Writer and certified baseball junkie Earl Nash will answer your questions related to baseball: rating prospects, fantasy trade advice, baseball cards, history, pitching techniques, strategy, rules, Red Sox issues, HOF candidates, MLB policies–you name it. If you can think it up, Earl will answer your questions.

Send your questions to bosoxinjection@gmail.com and Earl will publish the questions and answers on the Bosox Injection site, ensuring that you get your 15 minutes of fame.

It’s only spring training and it’s best for fans to not look too much into the stats and records of exhibitions. But making a good impression definitely doesn’t hurt.

Feb 25, 2013; Dunedin, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the bottom of the second inning of a spring training split squad game at Florida Exchange Park. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Boston’s 4-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays featured several good impressions. Steven Wright pitched two shutout innings giving up two hits while striking out three. That was good enough to earn the win over 2012 Cy Young winner and prized trade acquisition, R.A. Dickey. Prospect Allen Webster would follow Wright. Webster would pitch two innings, giving up one run on two hits while striking out four. Both pitchers are on the 40 man roster and are likely to be up at some point in 2013.

From the offensive front, Jackie Bradley Jr. recorded three hits in three at-bats to go with a run, RBI, and a walk (one double and four total bases). Second baseman Brock Holt recorded two singles and scored one run. Holt is projected to begin the year with Pawtucket and is on the 40 man roster. If an injury were to occur in the infield, he’s a candidate to be called up. Bradley will either begin 2013 in Portland or Pawtucket. He’s not on the 40 man as of right now, but could force the big club’s hand if he continues to rake in the minors.

It’s only spring training, but count me in as one who’s excited for 2013 to get underway.

If the deal goes down, Jose Reyes and a five teammates are moving from sunny Florida to the Great White North. Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

In the end, it was irresistible – like candy in a candy store to a six year-old. You know it’s eventually gonna make you sick but you just can’t help yourself. Must…have…sweet..sweet…revenge.

Today the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly dove into the world of Fireballs (pitcher Josh Johnson), Good & Plentys (pitcher Mark Buehrle), Twizzlers (shortstop Jose Reyes), Gobstoppers (catcher John Buck) and Saf-T-Pops (utility infielder Emilio Bonifacio) in a mammoth 12 player deal with the Florida Marlins. The deal isn’t done – physicals are pending – but with the move the Blue Jays are clearly signaling in one felled swoop that they’re sick and tired of finishing at or near the bottom of the AL East.

At least this much can be said. If the deal goes down the Blue Jays will either become instant contenders or they’ll get to wring their hands raw all at once.

In return it is reported that  Marlins will get at least seven players: shortstop Yunel Escobar, right-hander Henderson Alvarez, Cuban prospect Adeiny Hechavarria, outfield prospect Jake Marisnick, pitching prospects Anthony Desclafani and Justin Nicolino, and veteran backup catcher Jeff Mathis.

The $153 million roll of the dice is reminiscent of Red Sox deals of late with one very distinct exception; the Blue Jays are doing it all in one orgiastic move. It took Boston five years to bring Daisuke Matsuzaka, Carl Crawford, John Lackey and Adrian Gonzalez to Boston.

After having suffered through the Red Sox high rolling, underperforming years I’m just as content to let another team walk the razor’s edge.

You’d gamble or give anything
To be in with the better half
But how many friends must I have
To begin with to make you laugh

Will you still have a song to sing
When the razor boy comes
And take your fancy things away
Will you still be singing it
On that cold and windy day
- Razor Boy, Steeley Dan 

With that, let’s look at the pitching matchups for the upcoming Jays series, courtesy of the Globe.

Friday: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5, 7.20) vs. LHP Aaron Laffey (3-5, 4.43), 7:07 p.m.

It’s hard to believe, but Dice-K continues to take the mound and start for the Red Sox.  Manager Bobby Valentine informed the media this past week that Matsuzaka’s bullpen session was positive and that a mechanical flaw was identified.  His last start against the A’s was awful, going 3.2 innings and giving up 6 runs on 7 hits.  He last started against the Jays way back on June 26 and was actually pretty good going 5.2 IP, giving up only 1 run on 6 hits with only 1 walk and 5 strikeouts.

Laffey could be called the Red Sox slayer this season.  Over three starts this year Laffey is 1-0 with a sparkling 1.04 ERA.  If the last start is any indication then maybe the Sox have studied the game film and figured Laffey out as they were able to sneak out 2 earned runs, the only two runs they’ve pegged on him all season.

Saturday: RHP Clay Buchholz (11-6, 4.46) vs. RHP Carlos Villanueva (7-5, 3.48), 1:07 p.m.

Buchholz is pitching like the guy we were all waiting for over the first couple months of the season.  Over his last 10 starts he’s 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA. Aside from the one ugly outing against the Angels, Buchholz has surrendered 4 runs only twice, with everything else being 3 runs or less.  He’s been the victim of a stale Sox offense at times but it’s nice to see him throwing so well, one of the few positives as this year comes to a close.

Villanueva recently drew some skepticism from Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos when he questioned if the pitcher was able to endure a full season as a starter.  Villanueva is set to become a free agent this year and was thought to be a potential young arm that the Jays could develop for the future.  His last two starts against Boston he’s given up 3 earned runs in both games lasting at least six innings.

Sunday: LHP Jon Lester (9-11, 4.99) vs. RHP Brandon Morrow (8-6, 3.16), 1:07 p.m.

Like Buchholz, Jon Lester is pitching much better as of late and you could go back to the thumping he took at the hands of the Blue Jays on July 22 as the starting point.  Since that game when he gave up 11 runs over 4.0 innings, Lester is 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA ver 54.2 innings.

Morrow has made a nice impact on the Jays club since recovering from injury.  Over his last four starts he is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA.  He has yet to start against Boston this year.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that every source he has, confirms that Farrell will indeed be the Red Sox number one target to fill what will likely be a vacant manager’s position.  But while there will be discussions around compensation and whether or not the Sox should part ways with top prospects for their former pitching coach or if the Jays will fire Farrell and make life easy on Boston, there is still a series to be played out.  With both clubs all but eliminated from the postseason, they are still playing for the dignity of not finishing in last place in the AL East.

With that, let’s look at the series that lies ahead for the Red Sox:

Toronto: 61-75 (27-41 on the road)

Boston: 63-75 (32-38 at home)

This series has the potential to be a high scoring affair, given that both clubs have plenty of pop in their lineups but more so because of the struggling pitching both clubs will send to the mound.

Pitching matchups (courtesy of the Globe):

Friday: RHP Henderson Alvarez (7-12, 5.04) vs. LHP Felix Doubront (10-7, 5.03), 7:10 p.m

Doubront has struggled for Boston since starting the season as a pleasant surprise to the rotation.  Over his last six starts the lefty is 0-3 with a 7.85 ERA. In three starts against Toronto this season, Doubront is 1-1 with a 4.67 ERA.

Alvarez has also struggled for his club after such a promising start to the season.  Over his last six starts he is 0-5 with a 7.67 ERA.  He has beaten Boston in both of his starts against the Sox this year, one on June 25 and again on July 22.

Saturday: LHP Ricky Romero (8-13, 5.85) vs. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-4, 6.15), 7:10 p.m

Dice-K is likely winding down his time in a Sox uniform and given all the injuries to the rotation, he should see a few more starts this month.  Another injury riddled year has limited Dice-K from making more starts and in the ones he has made, inconsistency has been the story.  His last outing he went just 3.2 innings and gave up 6 earned runs on 7 hits to Oakland.  Prior to that start he 7.0 innings of shutout ball against the Royals while only allowing 7 hits.  He took a no decision in his only start against the Jays back in June.

Romero, the designated “ace” to be of the staff has also been the horse for the Jays this year making what will be his 29th start of the season.  While he has not lived up to the “ace” label, Romero, like Dice-K has been inconsistent over his last ten games, going winless while being saddled with nine losses.  His ERA over that span is 7.13, while giving up 65 hits over 52.2 innings of work. His latest blunder was against Tampa Bay where he gave up 7 runs on 8 hits while not recording an out in the second inning. He’s 1-1 in two starts against the Red Sox this year.

Sunday: LHP J.A. Happ (3-2, 4.46) vs. RHP Clay Buchholz (11-5, 4.47), 1:35 p.m

Buchholz will look to continue his solid pitching.  Aside from his start against the Angels back on August 22, Buchholz has been solid over his last ten starts, going 3-3 with a 3.22 ERA.  His only start against Toronto this year was back on June 1 when the righy went 8.0 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits on his way to earning the win.

Happ is one of those young pitchers that the Jays have high hopes for in the future.  Acquired from the Houston Astros as part of the 10-player deal, Happ has made six starts for Toronto, going 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA.  He appeared against the Red Sox on July 21, going 0.2 innings of relief without giving up a hit.

From an offensive standpoint, Cody Ross continues to prove why the Red Sox need to sign him to an extension by hitting .341 with 11 RBI over his last eleven games.

The Blue Jays boast one of the most powerful hitters in the game with the upstart Edwin Encarnacion who has 37 home runs and 95 RBI on the season, both career highs.

The “Top 20 International Prospects List” by Baseball America’s Ben Badler is out and the Red Sox are hot on the trail of #3, RHP, Jose Mujica, of Venezuela. [MOO-hee-ka]

(more…)

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Toronto Blue Jays are “sniffing all over” Garza as a way to shore up their rotation that could use a veteran of his magnitude.  Buster Olney confirmed that Garza is available for the right pirce and we know that Theo Epstein wants a multitude of prospects in return if he was to deal Garza. The Blue Jays have enough depth in their minor league systems to explore the notion.

Rosenthal adds this deal would make sense for the Blue Jays as he feels the club is one starter and one hitter short of potentially being considered a real contender for a postseason birth.  Garza would do wonders for the Jays staff as both Kyle Drabek and Henderson Alvarez started the year strong but have tapered off somewhat recently, something the Jays will need to correct if they are to hang around in the division.

Last week we learnt that the Yankees were interested in Garza over any other available staring pitcher, this according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Given Garza’s track record of playing in the AL East and being able to handle not only the pressure of competing against those clubs but his ability to contain their powerful offenses, the Yankees think highly of his services, as they should.

Heyman goes on to further state the Yankees don’t hold high regards for the Brewers Zack Greinke given his personal struggles with anxiety mixed in with a New York atmosphere that could be like mixing fire and gasoline.  Heyman also says the Yankees front office has concerns with Shaun Marcum and whether he could transition back to an American League type pitcher.  Hence the focus on Garza.

The Yankees do have the prospects to throw at Epstein if they get serious about trying to acquire Garza but with multiple moves made in the past that have somewhat depleted the farm system, you have to wonder how far GM Brian Cashman is willing to go.

Garza would make sense for the Red Sox given their starting pitching ERA is third last in all of baseball and how Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reported the Sox focus will be to upgrade their rotation.  But again, the question becomes, is Garza worth unloading three, maybe four grade A+ prospects for the 28-year old who’s under team control through 2013?

On the season Garza has made 10 starts going 2-4 with a 4.10 ERA, 1.146 WHIP, 3.0BB/9 and a 8.3K/9.  His WAR rating is currently 0.3 but keep in mind he is playing for one of the worst teams in baseball.

1.       The Jays recently came off a disappointing road trip that wrapped up by getting swept by the Texas Rangers, prompting some media and fans to cry that the team is not a serious contender.  Then they go and sweep a series from the AL East leading Orioles.  Is the Jays fan base concerned about this team or do they feel they are legit contenders for the AL East?

JJ – I think that fans are concerned with certain aspects of the team but not too worried about the overall club as a whole. The AL East is completely up for grabs this season and after sweeping the Orioles this week, the Jays are two games back. Considering the team’s offensive struggles so far and the winnable games that they’ve let slip away, I think it’s encouraging to see that the club is within striking distance without having even played their best baseball yet.

As the Red Sox offense has done all year when Buchholz is on the mound, they delivered run support as Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz led the way with 2 RBI each.  Gonzalez finished the night with three hits boosting his season average to .275 while Daniel Nava continues to produce, going 4-for-5 on the night which included three doubles.

The final line on Buchholz was his best of the season, going 8.0 IP while giving up 2 earned runs on 6 scattered hits.  He walked 2 and fanned 7 but was once again serving up home runs as both Jays runs were courtesy of the long ball.

Scott Atchison continued his scoreless innings streak working in the ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one.  His ERA on the season is now a sparkling 0.89.

The Red Sox broke open the scoring in the second inning when Ortiz hit his team leading 13th home run of the season to left center field.

Gonzalez would single in Daniel Nava later in the third inning, giving the Sox a 2-0 lead, only to have it cut in half in the bottom of the inning when Yunel Escobar took Buchholz deep to left center.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia continued to drive in runs, albeit it wasn’t the prettiest RBI.  Salty grounded into a force out scoring who else, Daniel Nava.  It should have been a double play but Jays pitcher Henderson Alvarez forgot to cover first allowing Salty to reach base safely.

The Red Sox would bust open the game in the seventh thanks to a Scott Podsednik RBI single, followed by a Daniel Nava double, another RBI single from Gonzo and finally a third RBI single of the inning, this time from Ortiz.  7-1 at the stretch and the Red Sox were cruising.

The bottom half of the inning was when Buchholz served up his second long ball to recent call up David Cooper, making it a 7-2 game.  But that was all the scoring the Jays or Sox would muster.  Another win for the Red Sox pulling them into a tie with the Blue Jays and are just three games back of the division leading Tampa Bay Rays.

Saturday afternoon’s game has Felix Doubront (5-2, 3.86 ERA) against Kyle Drabek (4-5, 4.55 ERA).  Game time is 1:07 EST.

March 15, 2012; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher

Going into spring training it seemed like the Red Sox and Bobby Valentine would give Daniel Bard every opportunity to become a starter. The decision was made in the offseason when Bard proposed the idea of converting and the thought was the Sox were committed to giving him the fourth spot in the rotation, as long as things didn’t go terribly wrong. Things havent gone “terribly” wrong, yet you get the feeling that Bobby V isn’t so sure about Bard in the rotation. This is what the new Red Sox manager said after Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays..

“It’s real hard for me to figure, But that’s exactly what I’m looking at or wondering. I don’t think even with his good stuff I can handle his walks.

I agree the walks could be a problem but reading between the lines suggests that Bobby Valentine isn’t convinced that Daniel Bard should be in the rotation and one more bad outing could end the experiment before Bard even throws a regular season pitch. I don’t think that’s the right way to go.

When you take away Bard’s relief appearance earlier this month he has a 2.70 ERA in 10 IP with 5H, 3ER, 6BB, 5K. There’s no question the walks are high, but his WHIP is still just 1.10. If he can maintain that and lower the walks a bit it would be manageable. After all we are talking about a fourth starter that’s thrown a total of 12 2/3 innings this spring, 2 2/3 coming in relief.

He hasn’t had a problem going deep into games, he went five innings in his last start against the Blue Jays. In that start Bard gave up all 3ER in the second inning before settling in to retire 12 of the last 14 he faced. He did walk 3 in that game but in all it wasn’t a terrible start. So why do I get the feeling Bard’s on a VERY short leash?

Truth is I don’t think Bobby V was fond of the idea to begin with, making it that much easier for him to pull the plug. It doesn’t seem rational to give up on Bard after such a small sample size.

If you look at Bard’s career stats there is nothing to suggest that the walks wont go away. In 197 IP for his career, he has given up 76 walks and just 132 hits for a career WHIP of 1.06. His WHIP in ’11 was even better at 0.96. His WHIP of 1.10 in his starts this spring is right on par with those numbers and his 2.70 ERA in those starts is over .60 points lower than his ERA in 2011.

When you look at the numbers, the quotes and analyze the situation thoroughly, you have to wonder if Bobby V is committed to giving Bard “every opportunity to succeed”. I’m not convinced that he is.

What’s your take on this? Everyones opinion differs on the subject of Daniel Bard starting so share yours with us at BoSox Injection.

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

Spring training may not mean much in the way of the standings, but what it can do is boost a fan’s base confidence when a team is cruising in first place in the Grapefruit League.  That is exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays are doing this spring. With a record of 12-2, only the Detroit Tigers have a better winning percentage with the Jays having the most wins in all of baseball when you include the Cactus League in Arizona.  But just ask the Minnesota Twins from a year ago and they’ll tell you that winning in March doesn’t translate into a spot in the October dance.  None the less, this Blue Jays team is showing everyone that they are a legitimate threat to contend in the AL East.

Recently both Alex Rodriguez and Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees went on the record and declared the Jays to be considered a contender in not only the AL East but the American League.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post had the story.

“They are knocking on the door. It is undeniable that they are going to win and win for a while. They are reaping the benefits of great scouting, patience and doing things right.” – Brian Cashman

“They aren’t a secret anymore,” – Alex Rodriguez

The truth be told, our friends to the north are a serious threat to the Red Sox and it starts this April.  Their lineup is full of power and ability to get on base and that is consistent one through nine.  All-star slugging Jose Bautista leads the charge and comes as no surprise as one of the most feared bats in all of baseball.

Adam Lind is expected to carry a big portion of the offense and after a slow start in 2011 he came around to put up good numbers by the end of the season; 26 homers, 87 RBI, .251, .295, .439, .734.  The Jays brass may becoming impatient with Lind and should another slow start hold the team back this year Lind may be found on the chopping block.

After the two veterans in Bautista and Lind, the secret of the Jays is out: their youth is good and ready to win……now!

Players like J.P Arencibia, Edwin Encarnacion, Colby Rasmus and the phenom Brett Lawrie.  These four players highlight a group of youngsters that are making waves in the MLB and will be relied upon to win ball games for Toronto.  Who could forget Lawrie’s dramatic walk-off home run late last year against the Red Sox.

Lawrie is poised to become the next big thing in the Jays organization.  With raw power, tremendous bat speed and above average hitting ability, the Canadian native brings the full package to the plate.  His numbers last year prove that: 9 HR, 25 RBI, .293, .373, . 580, .953 and this was all in only 150 at-bats.  Had he started the year with the big club and kept up this pace he would have been the walk-away winner of the AL Rookie of the Year.

Colby Rasmus was a highly sought after prospect with the St. Louis Cardinals, hence the reason the Jays wanted him so badly.  So badly in fact they dealt four players and cash to the Cards for Rasmus and three others.  Injury limited his season in 2011 and his numbers reflect it, hitting just .173 and an OBP of only .201.  But he’s only 25-years old leaving plenty of room to grow and mature into the everyday outfielder the Jays are banking on, adding another piece to the offensive and defensive puzzle.

While the Jays boast an offensive loaded lineup that can compete with any AL East club, their pitching may be their Achilles heal. Currently their rotation features Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan.

Romero and Morrow provide a nice one-two punch but only if Morrow can consistently deliver.  His talent is true, but his inability to perform every fifth day is holding him back from being a legitimate number two starter.  An ERA of 4.72 last season will need to be reduced to enable the Jays to count on him as a starter.

Cecil and Alvarez are a work in project and could blossom this year giving the Jays a solid back end to their rotation.  Alvarez had a WHIP of just 1.13 last season to go with a nice ERA of 3.53 despite starting just 10 games.  Cecil meanwhile needs to avoid the big innings that ballooned his ERA to 4.73 with a WHIP of 1.33.  Both pitchers will be counted on to fill their share of innings and if one struggles, a deal for a veteran pitcher may be in order for Toronto.  They’ve already been tied to Gavin Floyd and John Lannan and with an overloaded prospect system they have the best chance of anyone to offer what other teams are looking for.

Their fifth starter in Dustin McGowan, at least for now, did have the makings of an ace.  Two shoulder surgeries later and McGowan finally returned to the mound in 2011 to make four starts but struggling with control.  He could be the wild card to the Jays chances of contending this year with a solid bounce back year.  Waiting in the wings is prospect Kyle Drabek who could be used as trade bait later in the year.

The Jays bullpen was completely overhauled this winter that saw the acquisitions of Sergio Santo, Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero, giving them one of the best bullpens in the division, at least on paper.

Keep in mind that this club is managed by the brilliant mind of John Farrell and has plenty of financial backing from the Rogers Communication Group.  Meaning this team’s payroll should increase as they continue to contend, allowing them to spend more money on some high profile free-agents while locking up their core pieces for years to come.  As mentioned, they are littered with talented prospects, too many to name.  This will allow them to be aggressive on any trade they feel will help them improve the ball club now.  Suddenly the Yankees and Red Sox have serious competition when going after the big names via the trading block.

In short, this club is good, very good and the spring training games are proving just that.  If I had to pick one sleeper to surprise everyone this year in the American League it is the Toronto Blue Jays.  They may be one starting arm away from pushing for a Wild Card spot.  Get in to the dance and anything can happen on the floor.

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.

Despite Daniel Bard, Felix Doubront and Alfredo Aceves all making their case to make the starting rotation in a relatively strong fashion thus far in March, the Red Sox brass appear to be willing to at least examine other alternatives when it comes to starting pitching.  The latest is Joe Blanton of the Philadelphia Phillies and according to Jim Sallisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Red Sox have joined the crowd to watch Blanton during his spring training starts.

We heard earlier this week that the Blue Jays were on hand to watch Blanton and Jays GM Alex Anthopolous left as soon as Blanton was pulled from the game.  The Orioles have also sent scouts to join Boston scouts in the stands to evaluate Blanton, as both clubs could look to add some veteran experience into their respective rotations.

It’s being reported that the Phillies are willing to eat as much as $2M of Blanton’s $8M dollar salary that he’s owed this year.  He is set to be a free-agent at the end of the season so the urge to move him may pick up for Philly, rather than risk losing his for nothing.

Sallisbury reports that team officials with the Phillies believe Kyle Kendrick is ready to step into the rotation and contribute on a consistent basis.  Hence Blanton becoming expendable.

The Phillies have become one of the top five payrolls in baseball and this year will be no different as they approach the $178M tax threshold.  Trading Blanton would provide some relief and enable to them to make a deal to upgrade another position.  Lately we’ve heard that the Phils are looking to add some infield depth, but may be willing to wait until the July trade deadline.

It’s hard to imagine the Red Sox not pulling the trigger on this deal because of the potential $6M that would be owed to Blanton.  Marco Scutaro was traded to shed his $6M so that other deals could be worked out.  Cody Ross signed for $3M and management has said they will go over the threshold this year if need be.  Owner Larry Luchhino stated that he could see the Red Sox payroll push the $190M mark by season’s end, so taking on another $6M for Blanton shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Considering that the Phillies may develop an itchy trigger finger on this deal, the timing could be right for the Red Sox.  Michael Bowden or Andrew Miller may be more than enough to pry the 8-year veteran away from the city of Brotherly Love.  Of course the Blue Jays are loaded with talented young arms, but they may not be too eager to acquire a starting pitcher who is owed substantial money. At least according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail.

Does this potential trade make sense for the Red Sox?  Let’s take a look at Blanton’s numbers.

His career record is 73-62 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.348 WHIP and a 5.7K/9.  His best year was in 2007 when he was a member of the Oakland A’s, going 14-10 while posting a 3.95 ERA, 1.217 WHIP in 34 starts, amounting to 230 innings.

The innings worked is worth noting.  He has consistently worked in 190+ innings each season from 2005-2009.  In 2010 he threw in 175.2 innings and then last year he was limited to just 41.1 and 11 starts.  Here is where the concern comes in.

Blanton is recovering from an elbow injury that forced him to miss most of last season. He is considered risky and his latest start of the spring didn’t go without a blemish or two.  He allowed three runs on four hits over five innings against the Atlanta Braves, while fanning four and walking only one.

Overall this spring he’s worked in 10.0 innings, surrendered 10 hits, struck out 8 and gave up the three runs previously mentioned.  He will have to prove he’s worthy of acquiring before any team takes a chance on him. If he can stay healthy and regain his workhorse like career then his stock with the Red Sox will sky rocket.

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