Felger & Mazz: Bedard Trade 'Right Move'
With Felger off for the week, Massarotti welcomed Marc Bertrand to the Big Chair beside him for the duration of the week. Right off the bat, Mazz brought up the big deadline trade the Red Sox executed on Sunday afternoon for former Oriole and Mariner great Erik Bedard.
Mazz cleared the air about Bedard for anyone reading about his quiet personality or dislike for big markets by admitting that everything being said about Bedard is absolutely 100% true. Mazz offered two different questions off of his assertion about Bedard: Does it really matter and was Bedard the right call given the starting pitching options on the market? Bertrand did step in to defend Bedard, pointing out that the Boston media and fans should not jump to conclusions before he steps into the Boston limelight.
After that brief discussion, Mazz did concede that Bedard was the guy he wanted the Red Sox to target all along. It has indeed been a long time since the Red Sox picked up a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, dating all the way back to their acquisition of Jeff Suppan in 2003. However, the tandem agreed that this was the right move for the team and a necessary one at that. Bertrand did not view it as a major move, seeing Bedard as more of a back line starter for this team.
The conversation moved to the issue of when Bedard makes his first start for the Red Sox. He is in line to pitch Friday night against the Yankees, but does that make a lot of sense to throw Bedard into the fire like that? Does the Clay Buchholz news that he has a stress fracture in his back put more pressure on Bedard to perform? Should the Red Sox protect Beckett and Lester for the remainder of the season to ensure their health for the stretch run and postseason?
Tune in to Felger and Mazz to hear this discussion and more!
