Joel Pineiro
I don't think we touched on this, but Joel Pineiro looks to be the new closer for the Boston Red Sox. So Papelbon will be starting? I think their rotation looks pretty good. Schilling, Becket, Matsuzaka, Papelbon, and .... I'm not sure of their fifth. Did this just creep up? I don't remember Boston even talking with him. How about you guys??
posted by J. Marcavage at 10:45 AM
5 Comments:
He had something like a 7.00 era after the break last year. He's never closed.
Wakefield as the 5th starter?
It seems like Boston hasn't had a traditional closer in years - if you don't count Foulke's '04 season. They're a closer by committee team. You don't see to many of them winning championships though.
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In regards to the last post I was kidding about Mattingly and O'Neill. I thought it was amusing.
They will go by committee for a time, but they have a lot of good arms out there and one of them will rise and become the regular closer, I would guess.
Yes, they do have a good staff, but there are question marks. Will Schilling pitch his age? Will Beckett be mediocre again? Will Maz be anything at all in the big leauges? Will Papelbon successfully convert back to starting? Will Wakefield show his age? Many questions marks, but I'd certainly take their staff over ours at this point. They could potentially have FOUR number ones on their hands.
They could have 4 #1's or 5 #3's. It's all how they play out. They have the potential to be a good staff.
That's the thing: potential.
Boston certainly doesn't want to keeping dropping in the standings. They're building long term. But what will happen in the meantime?
Wow, Boston does have a huge upside with their starting rotation. Even if Papelbon, by some chance, closes this season, Pineiro is a good fifth starter.
I don't think Wakefield's age will come into play. Knuckleballers can usually pitch well into their upper thirties and early forties before they show signs of age. He'll probably win 13 games or so.
But if the veterans play back to form, and the younger guys develop quickly, Boston will be a tough win regardless of who is starting. They're scary.
-OG
In other news, Barry Bonds tested positive for amphetamines when tested last season. Here's the article
My hatred for this man only grows with time.
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