The Baseball Reporters Show Recap 6/1
Most MLB executives operate under the idea that you are what you are at this point in the season. Now that the Sox are 2 months into the season, Tony asks the question "What are the Red Sox?". Is this Red Sox team (29-23) closer to the A's (28-24) or the Rays (34-18)?
The Sox are almost 1/3 of the way through the 2010 season. At 29-23, they are at a 90 win pace for the year. For most teams that is a great year but we have higher expectations here in Boston. 90 wins simply does not get it done in this division especially with the way the Rays and Yankees are playing.
The Red Sox are 14-7 when Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz start. Under the rest of the rotation? 15-16. Starting pitching has to get better if this team expects to play in October. Tony believes that the starting pitching will get better and that leaves the Sox with 1 glaring need in his opinion: the bullpen.
Tony on the bullpen, "Who are these Red Sox? Where are they going? And where do you help them? Because outside of the bullpen, I don't see an appreciable area of need. They need a late inning reliever."
So what are the Red Sox? Tony had this to say, "I think they are closer to being what they have shown in the last 2.5 weeks than what they showed in the first 2 weeks. Let's look at the extremes. They started the season 4-9. They have finished, and I'm talking about this stretch now, they've finished at 11-3. Those kind of counter balance one another. So really, for the majority of the first 2 months they've played .500 baseball. To me, that's a pretty good sample size."
Kevin in Brighton called into the Baseball Reporters Show today and asked Tony a very interesting question regarding David Ortiz. If Ortiz keeps up this pace, do the Red Sox sign him for next year? Tony on Ortiz, "He has been absolutely terrific. I don't think you can put enough emphasis on what he means to that lineup. If Ortiz hits like this all year long, and again that's a big if because remember his April was as bad as his May was good, but if he hits like this all year long the Red Sox aren't going to need a big bat in 2010."
The Red Sox open up a 3 game series at Fenway tonight vs. the Oakland Athletics. John Lackey gets the start and will face LHP Gio Gonzalez.
