Comments on: Veteran Pitchers Everywhere

By: peter griffin

peter griffin — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:17:19 +0000

adam mills has won 8 straight starts for the redsox AA team

By: Judy

Judy — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:52:28 +0000

They were probably going to need them both, anyway, and will clearly need them both now, one to take Masterson’s spot in the pen and the other to take Smoltz’s spot in the rotation. Tazawa was available to pitch sooner.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:45:46 +0000

On a different note, the reason Bowden likely hasn’t been called upon is because he hasn’t exactly blown the world away in AAA. Walks are up, K’s down. The Sox likely don’t want to thrust this young guy who’s showing some struggles in AAA into their rotation right now, especially given the way they’ve sucked recently.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:43:21 +0000

Well, Tazawa’s up with the team now after DFA’ing Smoltz. Could be up as an insurance policy if Penny and Buchholz continue to suck and if Paul Byrd can’t get it done.

By: Judy

Judy — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:48:04 +0000

Don’t use them, don’t trade them, it’s like a hobby, collecting young pitchers for the sake of collecting them?

By: James

James — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:35:40 +0000

“Byrd has familiarity with the team and all that goodness, but it still seems odd given the Red Sox’s refusal to find consistent starts for Buchholz or Michael Bowden.”

Buchholz has been in the rotation since mid-July. Starts don’t get much more consistent than that.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:14:43 +0000

I’m not entirely sure why, since the Red Sox have a surplus of young starters close to the majors, including that guy Clay Buchholz.

Perhaps it’s because they don’t actually have a functional surplus?

That Bowden isn’t in the Sox rotation right now is a pretty telling statement on what the Red Sox themseleves thing about Bowden, his stuff, and likelihood of succeeding at the major league level. Same for Tazawa to a lesser degrett. All year long from the winter hot stove on we’ve heard over and over about the Sox embarrassment of riches with pitching. People keep persisting in believing this. But that they are signing Paul Byrd with the aims of putting him in the major league rotation (rather than AAA filler) says a lot about what they think of their own young talent resources.

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:13:03 +0000

That being said I would not be against them bringing up Bowden as long as he was on a short leash. Pull him at the first sign of trouble sort of thing.

I just don’t want to sacrifice the long term plan of Bowden to help with the short term wins this year.

By: Joe R

Joe R — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:12:32 +0000

I agree. Smoltz right now has been the king of why K/BB isn’t perfect.

Who cares if you throw strikes and occasionally miss bats when the times you don’t miss bats, you offer fat ones?

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:10:39 +0000

Agreed. Bowden has not really shown that he is ready in AAA either. Compared to last year his strikeouts are down and his walks are up. He pitched one mlb game last year and one mlb game this year. I don’t think this is the best time to give him his first MLB string of starts.

“Welcome to the Bigs, by the way, Smoltz, Penny, and Buch haven’t been able to do it but you better.”

The Byrd signing is great. He pitched average ball for the Sox last year. If he can do that again this year he would be an upgrade over Smoltz and Buch atleast.