Red Sox Report - Back In Business

First off, let me apologize about the long layoff. I just got married and had work obligations, so I wasn't able to update the Red Sox report. I'm back and available to answer any and all questions relating the the Red Sox. Email me at redsox@fantasyinfocentral.com if you have any comments or questions. For an in-depth look at the Red Sox' recent draft picks, go here.

Since it has been some time since my last posting, I will give an analysis of the Red Sox roster as a whole.

As the standings look today, the Red Sox are in first place in the AL East with the best record in baseball. They are 39-17 and hold a three game lead over New York. There have been some surprises and dissapointments thus far, but the team is playing great baseball. Without any further ado:

CATCHERS

The tandem of Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli have performed well thus far. Defensively, both have been excellent. Varitek is, of course, the starter and the guy you should be focusing on. He's hitting .251 with four homers and 25 RBI. His OPS is .696, not too bad for a catcher. Mirabelli was starting behind the plate for all of Darren Oliver's starts, but since he was banished to the bullpen, Doug's playing time has fallen off of late.

Obviously, unless you are in a deep AL only league, the only one of these guys you want is Varitek. He won't kill your team and you could do much worse. Varitek is among the second tier of fantasy catchers and is productive if you can't grab one of the big guns.

FIRST BASE

UGH! That's the only word to describe Tony Clark. Big things were expected of the waiver wire pickup, but he's failed to produce so far. Maybe the Tigers knew something the Sox didn't. In any case, he doesn't hurt them too much. He only has a year contract, so the team can cut bait when the season is over. I, for one, haven't given up completely on Clark yet. He has some serious mechanical flaws in his swing right now that need to be worked out. He isn't driving the ball with any authority, save for the last few games, and he has been hitting a lot of groundball outs. As I just said, he seems to be hitting better the past few games. In his last four games, he's hitting .333 with a homer, four ribbies, and four runs scored to go along with an OPS of .944. Still, it's hard to look at his season numbers of .211, two homers, 16 RBI and not cringe. And to top it all off, the guy is as healthy as he's been in years. Hard to figure this out. Sox hitting coach Dwight Evans had better do some OT in order for Clark to break out of this season long slump.

On the other hand, Brian Daubach has been a pleasant surprise. Notoriusly streaky, he has tailed off some recently. He's still got some solid stats, however. His .287 start with 8 homers and 26 RBI are more than the Sox figured they'd get from this guy thus far. In his last 30 at-bats, he's only got six hits, though. If you have Dauber on your team, be prepared for a season long roller coaster ride. This guy is as streaky as they come, but when he's hot, he's worth it.

I don't even want to waste this space on Jose Offerman, but I guess I have no choice. The only thing holding this guy to the team is his enormous $6 million + salary. He's a role player, but he just doesn't know it yet. As soon as he accepts that reality, he may thrive. Until then, though, he's pretty useless. He's batting .230 with four homers and 17 ribbies. He has stolen four bases, but he isn't exactly a basestealing threat. If you have him on your team, you may as well start getting ready for next year's draft.

SECOND BASE

When Rey Sanchez signed with the club at the last minuite, everyone figured the Sox' defense would be vastly improved. What they didn't count on was him hitting .318 and scoring 22 runs. This guy has proven to be a tough out at the bottom of the lineup. He isn't a great basestealer, but he good speed on the basepaths, something the Sox improved drastically this year. His .756 OPS is way above his career numbers, so he may cool off a bit. He hasn't shown any signs of it yet, though.

When you need a utility player, you want a guy who can come off the bench and provide some spark. But in Carlos Baerga's case, he provides spark off the field as well. He is the main reason the Sox are so much more relaxed in the clubhouse. Of course it helps that he's hitting .321 in a semi-regular role to go along with strong defense. He won't see enough at-bats to help your team, but you can thank him for creating a good clubhouse atmosphere, keeping the Red Sox you may have relaxed.

SHORTSTOP

Always among the best players in baseball, Nomar Garciaparra is showing why once again. If you balked at drafting him on draft day due to last year's wrist problems, you are missing out. The roto-stud is batting .318 with eight dingers and 48 RBI. His .914 OPS is among the best on the club. You know he's one of the best, so let's just move on.

THIRD BASE

The biggest surprise on the team, maybe even in all of baseball, is the bust out year Shea Hillenbrand is having. As of now, he is the top vote getter for American League All-Star third baseman and deservedly so. He's hitting at a .323 clip with 10 homers and 43 ribbies. He's taking the first pitch still and pounding opposing pitchers. His defense has improved markedly as well. This far into the season, it's safe to say he won't have a total collapse. Expect more of the same from this rising star.

OUTFIELD

Before his finger injury, Manny Ramirez was absolutely on fire, hitting .372 with nine homers and 35 RBI. He is expected back in four to six weeks. The Sox have played well without him in the lineup, and they will be that much better with him. The finger injury isn't as serious as first thought and he may start swinging a bat in a couple of weeks.

Manny's replacement, Rickey Henderson, has proved a valuable signing for the Red Sox. He has brought his basestealing knowledge to the team as well as his love for playing. He's hitting .261 so far with five steals in six attempts. He suffered a minor back injury making a diving catch into Yankee Stadium's left field wall, but he should return soon.

The big free agent signing this off-season has paid off for Boston. Johnny Damon is putting up MVP-type numbers. He is second in the league with his .347 average and he's swiped 15 bags in 18 tries. He's also smacked 4 homers, knocked in 28 runs, and has scored a whopping 50 runs. Hitting at the top of this scary lineup is just what Damon needed after escaping baseball purgatory in Kansas City and his poor 2001 campaign in Oakland. His defense in center field has also been a great addition.

After a rough start, Trot Nixon seems to be heating up. He's hitting .313 in his last five games with a homer, three RBI, and six runs scored. Overall, he's hitting .249 with six homers and 21 ribbies. He won't be benched anytime soon, so he will be allowed to play out of his funk.

STARTING PITCHERS

It's been frustrating watching Pedro Martinez this year. You're just waiting for the report of his latest arm trouble. It is the time of year for him to have it, after all. No one can explain why he's getting pounded early on in ballgames. Eventually, he seems to get into a grove and get outs, but after he's given up four runs. The interesting and scary thing about Pedro is this. When his brother, Ramon, had the same type of injury to his shoulder a few years back, the results were eerily similar. Ramon would get shelled in the first few innings of a ballgame, then settle in and cruise through the rest of the game. We all know what eventually happened to Ramon. Could that same result be waiting for Pedro? Hopefully not, but we'll just have to see. That being said, he's still among the best in the buisness. He's got a 3.18 ERA with 84 punchados in 73.2 innings. Amazing. His 7-0 record is partly due to excellent run support.

The early odds on favorite to win the AL Cy Young award is converted closer Derek Lowe. Not to pat myslef on the back, but I've been touting this guy since day one of Spring Training. He's been the best pitcher in the AL, hands down. He leads the league in ERA (1.81) and wins (9). He also hasn't given up a homer this season. In fact, he thrown over 100 innings without giving up a gopher ball. Boston desperatly needed a #2 starter this season to compliment Pedro. So far, it looks like they found a new #1.

At age 37, John Burkett is showing he's got plently left in the tank. Injured early on, he's pitched well. He has an ERA of 3.86 and a 7-0 record. He's also the beneficiary of the Sox' great lineup. He has given up nine homers so far, which is a bit troubling, but most have come with no one on base.

Yet another surprise is Frank Castillo. The crafty veteran is 4-5 with a 3.61 ERA. He has changed speeds well and he completely baffled the Yankees in his last start. It's safe to expect a .500 record from Castillo, but his other numbers are superb for a #4 starter.

BULLPEN

This is the glaring weak spot for the Red Sox so far. Thankfully, they have gotten a lot of innings from their starters, so they haven't had to go to the pen as much.

What a season poor Rich Garces is having. His 11.77 ERA is worst among relievers. He recently landed on the 15-day DL with a hamstring twinge. "El Guapo" doesn't look any differently mechanically and he's always been, well, fat, so there is no real explanation for his awful season. The Sox will likely let him work it out, unless he ends up blowing too many ball games for them.

On the other hand, the Sox have the AL saves co-leader in Ugueth Urbina. He's having a great season after some early struggles. His ERA is down to 2.61 and has struckout 18 in 20.2 innings of work. If the Sox can get to the ninth inning with a lead, they don't have to worry too much about Urbina. They just have to worry about any pitcher between him and their starter.

Rolando Arrojo has recently grabbed the fifth starter's role. He's 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA with a save so far. In his one start this season, he pitched five innings, gave up 2 runs, and struck out six Yankees in New York. Not too bad. He provided great starts last season when Pedro went down, so he does have some quality starts in him. If he's available in your league, I would advise picking him up.

The mirage that is Darren Oliver. He had most of us convinced he was coming around, but then the lefty reverted to his old ways. Ousted as the team's fifth starter, he doesn't even provide decent relief now. His 5.44 ERA and 23 walks in 49.2 innings is horrid. He had some success early on, but the fact remains Darren Oliver in any uniform is just Darren Oliver.

Lefty Casey Fossum has been the best bet for middle relief so far. "The Blade" has a 2.19 ERA and 16 K's in 24.2 innings. If Arrojo struggles, he may get the call as the club's fifth starter. I wouldn't run out and grab him now, though.

RUMOR MILL

The prevailing rumor is a trade with Colorado that would send Mike Hampton to Boston. No one is really sure where this came from or who else would be involved, but it doesn't seem likely as the Red Sox ownership is adamantly opposed to taking on big contracts. Another sniff of a rumor was Bartolo Colon coming to Beantown, but that too seems far fetched. Look for the club to make a minor deal and try and shore up their bullpen. The Cubs had some intrest in Garces and Arrojo, but likely that has been quelled. Garces ERA is rapidly approaching his waistsize and Arrojo is just too valuable to Boston right now.

ON THE FARM

Paxton Crawford - RHP: Crawford is rehabbing right now with the Red Sox' AA affiliate, the Trenton Thunder. He looked sharp in his first start and grabbed the win. He threw 90+ pitches over 6 innings. Paxton surrendered only three hits and a walk while striking out six. He also didn't allow an earned run. Crawford, when ready, will likely be headed to Boston as the fifth starter. Keep an eye on his progress. Or, if you're really lazy, I guess I'll just do it for you.

INJURIES

Dustin Hermanson - I don't know what to say about this. A groin shouldn't bother you for as long as this has. Hermanson has missed the first two months of the season and it doesn't look like he's close to returning. A hurt groin is a tough thing for a pitcher to get over, not to mention what effect it's having on his, ahem, relationships with the ladies. He went to Ft. Myers, FL to the Red Sox training facility there and see if he could continue rehab. He has stated he will most likely return as a reliever, so there is really no encouraging news on this front.

Manny Ramirez - Looks like Manny is getting closer to returning after his finger injury. He should be able to hold a bat soon and take some swings in a couple of weeks. It was feared that he would need surgery, keeping him out for an extended period of time, but those fears were allayed by several medical opinions.

Rickey Henderson - Rickey should return to the lineup any day now. He hurt his back making a great catch off of Rondell White at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. He ended up crashing into the wall, but he held onto the ball like the gamer he is.

Rich Garces - The Sox probably don't want to see Guapo back too soon. It could be that this hamstring injury he has was the cause of his problems. Or maybe it could be that he's too damn out of shape. I think I may be onto something.....

ADD

Jason Varitek - Solid numbers if you missed out on the stud catcher derby.

Rolando Arrojo - Should put up good numbers as the Sox' fifth starter. He can grab you a few wins and won't hurt your ERA or WHIP. If you're hard up for a starter, get him now.

Rey Sanchez - If you're in a league using middle infielders as a roster spoet, you could do worse than Sanchez. He may not crank homers, but he'll steal the occasional base and score his share of runs.

Frank Castillo - Has pitched very well as the #4 guy in the rotation. The Sox may steal him a few wins on his off days and his other numbers are pretty solid.

Brian Daubach - Streaky hitter who will be better than a lot of first basemen out there. When he heats up again, try and deal him for something. It's likely he'll cool off again after that.

DROP

Jose Offerman - If you have Offerman on your team, I don't even want to know.

Darren Oliver - His hot start was obviously a fluke. Cut him now and you'll be glad you did.

Tony Clark - I have to admit, this guy fooled me. Don't let him play you for one, too. He's had enough time to straighten himself out. It's time to let go. That's it, you can do it. Just let go.

Dustin Hermanson - If you have this guy stashed away on your DL, just forget about it. He has no timetable set for his return and he keeps having setbacks. Not a good situation and he won't be very effective if he even makes it back this year. And if he does, it's more than likely he'll be just a reliever anyways.

HOLD

Derek Lowe, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, Shea Hillenbrand, Johhny Damon, John Burkett, Ugueth Urbina, Pedro Martinez....OR....

TRADE

If you aren't confident and you have Pedro on your team, I won't hold it against you if you want to deal him. You may get something valuable in return. If he does end up shutting it down in a month, you made the right call. If he goes on to win his 4th Cy Young, well, that's the breaks. Give him a couple more starts to see where he stands. As mentioned previously, his early inning troubles are alarming, so watch closely.