Tag Archives: aaron cook

Hurlers For Hire: Red Sox Fifth Starter Job Up For Grabs

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ImageIn my first post about the Red Sox off-season outlook I talked about the BoSox possibly chasing after soon-to-be big name free agent, Texas Rangers Outfielder, Josh Hamilton. This time around I’d like to talk about a position that will hopefully have opposing batters chasing fastballs and breaking balls for consistent outs at Fenway Park.

That’s right I’m talking about a makeover on the mound. No doubt the Red Sox pitching staff had it’s struggles in 2012 with a 5.18 team ERA ranked 27th in the majors. However, despite those dreary numbers, the Sox still have a solid nucleus to build around with the likes of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Felix Doubront. Newly acquired skipper John Farrell has insisted all three starters, and John Lackey, will be back to pitch next season. Granted, Lackey is returning from Tommy John surgery and his performance so far in Beantown leaves plenty of room for skepticism from the Fenway Faithful. That leaves the 5th spot in the rotation open for debate.

Let’s look at the clubhouse options versus free agents this upcoming off-season: Continue reading →

Surprise! Another Sh*t Signing For Red Sox

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In other news over the weekend, the Red Sox signed John Maine. Pretty upset I even have to write this article. It’s more or less the same as this blog or this blog, but even more frustrating. John Maine hasn’t even pitched in the majors since May 2010.

Even though they only signed him to a minor league contract, its another move from the organization I don’t agree with. I may just be frustrated with this move because I always thought this guy could “break out” for my fantasy baseball team and just never broke out. Year after year and waiver wire pickup after waiver wire pickup he would let me down.  He was a decent pitcher for a couple years, but that was back in ’06 and ’07. He’s been plagued by injuries throughout his career and has had his most troubles since shoulder surgery in 2010.

Maine had a stellar 7.43 ERA in the minors last year until he quit the team in June, saying he might retire. Stay hot Ben Cherington, yet another supergood transaction.

This article can be summed up pretty easily: John Maine is not the solution for the Red Sox pitching problems. They really need to stop wasting time trying to bring in guys like John Maine and make a serious attempt at fixing their rotation.

Man Vs. Boy: Sox Counter Yankees Monster Moves by signing Padilla

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Last Friday, the New York Yankees awoke from their slumber during this offseason and had a MONSTER day. Not only did the Yankees sign Hiroki Kuroda, one of the most coveted free agent pitchers this year, they completed a huge trade by dealing their top prospect Jesus Montero for pitching phenom Michael Pineda. The Yankees completely turned around the horrible situation they had in their starting rotation with these two moves.

The Kuroda signing is big for a couple of reasons. Kuroda was heavily pursued by the Sox and he would have solidified their rotation, but the Yankees were able to complete a deal with him first. Also, Kuroda was as consistent as you could get as a starting pitcher in the last few years. Although his record didn’t reflect his good pitching due to shit run support, he had 3.45 ERA the past four years, including a career best 3.07 ERA last year.

The big move was for Pineda. Pineda is one of the best young pitchers in the MLB. He is a 22 year old, 6′ 7″ giant who just throws straight fire. He had the fourth highest average MPH on his fastball in the entire league AT AGE 22. His fastball combinded with his filthy slider led to a 9.1 K/9.

As for the Red Sox, they are at it again. They fired me up even more than Aaron Cook, by signing perhaps the ugliest pitcher in the MLB. Although they signed another crap pitcher, in Vincente Padilla, he could very well end up as another innings eater either out of the pen or occasionally in the rotation. My problem with Padilla is that the guy is known to be a virus in all clubhouses and no teammates ever end up liking him. The last thing that the fragile Red Sox clubhouse needs is another guy with shit attitude.

It’s not exactly time for the Sox to give up on the season though, as Kuroda and Pineda haven’t proved anything in Yankee Stadium yet. Kuroda is 36 years old and has pitched on crappy teams, so his ERA could potentially balloon when the pressures on in New York. Although Pineda has displayed brilliance, there are questions to his consistency (he was 8-6 with 3.03 ERA in 1st half of 2011, 1-4 with 5.12 ERA in 2nd half). Also, he has an “inverted W” pitching style, (similar style to Adam Wainwright, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Stephen Strasburg, Joba the Hut), which puts an unhealthy amount of stress on your elbow. Basically, what that means is that he’s eventually going to need Tommy John Surgery. Also, it helps that they had to give up their top prospect catcher Jesus Montero (compared to Miguel Cabrera and Manny Ramirez offensively, but unproven defensively).

Sox sign Cook, Larkin Gets Hall Pass

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Late last night, the Red Sox inked a minor league deal with Aaron Cook. Most readers are probably saying, “Who the F**k?”, which I can definately understand. Aaron Cook has been a member of the Colorado Rockies rotation for the last 9 years. Yeah, Cook played pretty solid in 2008 (3.98 ERA, 16-9 record), but the guy has battled injuries ever since and it seems as if his time is up.

Signings like this are what gets me most mad about the Red Sox. It seems every year we decide to buy 3 to 4 shit-bum, washed up pitchers to minor league deals and hope that one will pan out and help the major league roster (Rich Hill, Erik Bedard, Kevin Millwood, Boof Bonser, etc.). I don’t understand why we can’t just commit to our farm system with the end of the rotation pitchers, instead of signing these has-been veterans as a temporary fix.

In other MLB news, 1995 NL MVP Barry Larkin was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame today. First off, I’d like to state that Barry Larkin was a clear cut choice for every one of my Backyard Baseball 2001 squads. Guy could play second, shortstop, or third in the game and was fast, a good fielder, and was a solid batter. Even though Derek Jeter might have been a better choice, I could never bring myself to putting him on my virtual squad back in the day. The only other thing worth talking about in regards to the Hall election is that it again looks like the voters are very against the steroids era. Larkin was the only one elected and Mark McGwire and former  Viagra spokesman Rafael

Palmerio each received less than 20% of the vote (you need 75% in order to be elected). Should be very interesting to see how the voters treat Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds next year in their first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame.