Down on the Farm

With all of the free-agent signings this winter, it's easy to forget Theo's comments early this offseason, warning of a possible "bridge year." When the Sox GM first dropped the b-word, fans panicked, thinking we would be in for a lackluster year while biding our time for the prospects to pan out. Clearly, that's not the case, but we are in between waves of big-league ready prospects.

The next year or so probably won't see any impact players coming from the farm system - at least, there won't be can't miss guys like Pedroia ('07), or Ellsbury ('08). However, in 2011 and beyond, brace yourself to see a flurry of talent coming up.

We got a sneak peak at Josh Reddick this season, as he had 63 plate appearances for the big club in the second half. The young outfielder hit just .169... but he did clobber two home runs. In 63 games in Portland (AA), Reddick hit .277 with an OPS of .871, but when he made the jump to AAA Pawtucket, those numbers fell to .127 and .373. There have been some theorizing that Reddick's pitch recognition skills just weren't at AAA or major league caliber yet... but that's certainly something that will improve with time. Fun fact: William Joshua Reddick is his given name, and though he throws right-handed, he's a lefty at the plate.

It's official: Casey Kelly is going to be a pitcher. At first, the big righty (6'3") said he wanted to play shortstop, and for the last two seasons in the minors has been pitching to his innings limit and subsequently playing at shortstop. Kelly's numbers as a pitcher are considerably more impressive than those as a batter, as he boasts a career minor-league ERA of 2.08, and a batting average of just .219. Fun fact: Kelly has an extensive baseball genealogy - uncle Mike Kelly and father Pat Kelly both played in the majors, while his brother Chris is currently in the Rays' system. [Bonus fun fact: I'm calling dibs on him. Right now. He's Off the Monster's Dustin of the future.]

Ryan Westmoreland is one of the most impressive young men in the Red Sox system, and that's really saying something. He was an all-star in high school, both on the field and in the classroom, passing on a full scholarship to Vanderbilt to sign with the Sox. He missed all of last season after breaking his collarbone running into an outfield wall, but performed admirably in 2009. Playing mostly as a DH for Single-A Lowell, Westmoreland hit .296 with an .885 OPS. Fun fact: Westmoreland is the first player profiled on Off the Monster who is younger than I (three months, 9 days younger, to be exact, with a birthday of April 27, 1990).

Ryan Kalish is the Golden Boy of the future - heck, he's even an outfielder. However, even if you look beyond the chiseled face (please, look beyond the chiseled face) Kalish is one to watch. Playing most of 2009 in Portland, Kalish hit .271 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs in 103 games, and according to soxprospects.com he has the potential to be a lead-off guy with some pop. Fun fact: he played center field as a kid, but is open to all outfield positions: "I want to get to the big leagues so it doesn’t really matter where I am at. I’d play first base as long as I make it."

In a position the Red Sox desperately want to fill, Luis Exposito is very promising. He has a career minor-league batting average of .280, with an OPS of .785, and has the potential to be an everyday catcher with good power. One criticism Exposito gets is that his game-calling needs some work - Jason Varitek, your skills are needed here! He has a good arm, and is adequate at throwing out base stealers, something Sox backstops have been struggling mightily with lately. Fun fact: Exposito speaks both Spanish and English, and, by all accounts, has matured into a very positive clubhouse influence.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the signing of International Free-Agent Jose Iglesias had some bearing on Kelly's final decision to embrace the pitcher's mound. Iglesias is highly touted as an excellent defensive shortstop, and even at the young age of 20, scouts are projecting potential Gold Gloves in his future. His bat is average at best, but an average bat and sparkling defense at shortstop would be a major boon for the Sox, who have been struggling to fill the hole since 2004. Fun fact: Wikipedia lists two different birthdays for Iglesias (January 5 and May 1, 1990), and his age has to be questioned a bit, given the fact that he's a Cuban defector. Still, it's not as if he's secretly 35, but an extra year or two wouldn't be unheard of.

On a totally girly and unrelated note, these boys aren't half bad-looking... I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait to get my butt over to Portland this summer to catch some of these guys in action for less than $10. Hopefully I'll see some of you there!

[Thanks to soxprospects.com and baseball-reference.com for stats and insight!]

John Lackey: Playing to Win

When I was in high school, my field hockey coach had a saying for every occasion, which my teammates and I jokingly termed "Keeley-isms." They were just little quotes that could inspire or motivate, but they've stuck with me. There was one in particular that we would hear at halftime, and it kept us working at 110% throughout the second half: "Play to win. Don't play not to lose."

On the surface, it might seem like it comes to the same thing: if you've won, you haven't lost, and if you haven't lost, you've won. However, the mindset is completely different: if it's field hockey, being up by six goals at the halfway mark can make you complacent (typical field hockey scores are 1-0, 2-1, etc.), but the idea of playing to win keeps you pushing for that extra goal, it keeps you hustling back on defense, and it keeps you doing everything you can to beat the other team. In baseball, of course, there's no clock. The game isn't over until the last batter is out, and so playing to win is of the utmost importance. Baseball teams routinely come from behind to win, scoring as many as twelve runs (1911 Tigers and 1925 Athletics) to seize victory.

So why bring this up now? Well, as I was perusing today's baseball stories I stumbled across a profile about John Lackey written by the estimable Amalie Benjamin, with the following quote from Lackey's former manager, Mike Scioscia:

“John is not afraid to fail. He’s not going out there afraid to lose."

Benjamin goes on to capture the extreme confidence and high expectations that Lackey has for himself:

"[He] elicits a 'Never’ from his former manager when asked if Lackey ever has felt he was ready to be taken out of a game. [He's] the guy who is unyielding as a pitcher, unwilling to give an inch from the confidence that he can and should always win."

In short, Lackey is the guy playing to win. Every day. And because he is a pitcher in the American League, all he can do is take the ball, holding on to it as long as possible. Lackey is not playing for a no-decision; he's playing for that W, every time. Lackey joins Jon Lester and Josh Beckett in a rotation that always wants the ball, and never plays "not to win." I know some of you weren't the biggest Lackey fans while he was playing out in Anaheim, and you may have questioned Theo's decision to bring him to Boston, but he sounds like a great guy to have on your team. I know Amalie Benjamin wouldn't write a profile bashing the Sox's highest profile acquisition, but she's really sold me on Lackey. If he has half the character she describes in her piece (fierce competitor, great clubhouse personality, community guy), I'm thrilled to have him.

So is it time for baseball, yet?

On a semi-related note, don't these two look similar? Do the Angels actively TRY to acquire weird-looking players?

Innocence Lost

The award for least surprising news of the decade (thus far), goes to one Mark David McGwire, for finally admitting that he used steroids during his career, including during his record-breaking 1998 season.

This home run brought to you by the wonderful world of chemistry!

McGwire released a statement earlier today, and it included all of the usual components: apologies, contriteness, and the qualificaton that "I thought they would help me heal and prevent injuries, too."

Oh, Mark. Well, at least it's all out in the open, now... even though we've all known as much for the last ten years. I don't know about the rest of you, but I was eight years old in 1998, and I was as aware of the home run race as anybody else: one of my teachers told us that Sammy Sosa was clean, and that McGwire was on steroids, so the consensus in my third-grade class was support for Sosa. Now, of course, we know that neither man was clean, and that the true single-season home run king is Roger Maris, despite the fact that his record of 61 has been "broken" six times, by Sosa (3), McGwire (2), and Barry Bonds (1).

The most stirring sentiment in McGwire's release was the following:

"I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."

I bet that's a wish that countless men share: how many current and former major leaguers live with the dread that they will be the next name published, their name forever tarnished because of one stupid mistake? In 1998, baseball was still struggling to regain its fanbase after the debacle in 1994 when the World Series was canceled, and along came this pair of sluggers in a race to reach one of baseball's most exciting records. Why on earth would the commissioner delve too deeply into such a boon for attendance and television ratings? Let's not pretend that most of us would have acted differently: perhaps we would have done something before things got so out of control; perhaps not.

McGwire then toes the official line in claiming that the game is totally clean now:

"Baseball is really different now - it's been cleaned up. The commissioner and the players' association implemented testing and they cracked down, and I'm glad they did."

Let's not fool ourselves: there are players out there beating the system right now, with the use of HGH (which has no accurate testing procedure). However, the days of rampant and open clubhouse drug use (Hello, late-90's Texas Rangers!) are over, and good riddance. Unfortunately, the game isn't out of the woods yet - that will only happen when the last user retires from the game completely, which isn't exactly in the cards for the next forty years or so. And until then? Well, I plan to be a fan of the game as always... but a little less innocent than I was way back in 1998.

It may be irrational, but...

Exactly a year ago today, I wrote this post about Mark Teixeira's New York press conference. It was my third post ever, and I'll admit that I might have overreacted in some respects. However, I stand by one thing in particular: I LOVE hating Teixeira. But why, exactly, is he as high as #2 on my Most-Hated Yankees List (Contemporary Edition)?

Is it the team-leading 39 home runs he hit in 2009?

Nope.

Is it because his wife wears the pants?

Nah... I don't hold grudges based on that stuff. But just look at her... it's like she's practicing remote mind control.

Is it the idiotic face he makes when he's hitting the ball?

No, but we're getting closer...

I'm pretty sure it's the fact that he can look like this:

Dear god, why? Mark Teixeira just strikes me as an annoying human being. Would I like him if he played for the Red Sox? It's possible... But I don't pretend to be rational about these things. Mr. Leigh is officially #2 on the Most-Hated Yankees List (Contemporary Edition) - brownie points to those of you who can guess my #1.

Everything you own in a box to the left...

According to the Providence Journal, Jacoby Ellsbury has been relegated to playing left field for the near future. Mike Cameron has almost exclusively been manning center field for his entire fifteen-year career, and he's good at it.

As quick as Ellsbury is - and we've all seen that speed in action, ahem, Andy Pettitte -


Cameron is the better defender, at least according to metrics such as UZR and WAR. Though Ellsbury's quickness is undeniable, he tends to take a roundabout route to balls hit in his area, resulting in the inefficient use of his blazing speed.

Understandably, Golden Boy was a bit upset when Tito called to break the news:

"He was worried that it was a demotion, which it is not," explained Francona. "I kind of insured him of that. I just think we're tying to put guys where we think they can make the biggest impression. Cam was great, for a guy who is 37-years-old and played center field his whole life, he said, 'Hey, I'll play anywhere.' So it was just a decision based on what's best for our team." - projo.com

Ells has played left field as recently as 2008, when he was platooning with Coco Crisp (remember him?), and he performed very well. While Jacoby doesn't have a cannon for an arm, he's no Johnny Damon, either, so I don't see this arrangement becoming a problem, though it does leave Jeremy Hermida out in the cold.

Ellsbury is too young to play the scorned lover card and pout - the man's still making the league minimum - and I'm sure he's too proud for that, anyway. As things stand, I like the Red Sox outfield. A lot.

No, not THAT Adrian.

Off the Monster would like to extend a cordial welcome to the newest member of the Boston Red Sox: Adrian Beltre. As much as I'd like to think Theo was going for a certain first baseman from San Diego and simply got mixed up, I agree with the sentiments of the Globe's Peter Abraham:

"Long-term, this suggests they do not believe they can pry Adrian Gonzalez away from the Padres any time soon. It also would seem to indicate that Mike Lowell will either play off the bench or be traded."

Not that this is particularly unexpected, but I won't pretend to be thrilled about it. Beltre is absolutely an upgrade defensively over Lowell, but he's not the bat that Mikey has been over the course of his career. Of course, part of the issue here is that Mike is getting older and, as we've been noticing, much more fragile. Though Lowell hit .290 last season, he only played in 119 games, and as he's already been part of an attempted trade, he's clearly not the first choice (if you ask the front office).


Beltre has been a power bat in the past; it's entirely possible that last season's failures were a fluke, and that he'll recover in the next year. However, the way the deal is structured, we'll be stuck with Beltre if the production doesn't return, and if he has a monster year, then he won't trigger the player option.

Sentimentally, I love Mikey. Ideally, I want Adrian Gonzalez. But practically? I guess I'm okay with Beltre.

10 for '10 - Ringing in the New Year!

Most people come up with resolutions for New Years... and inevitably, they get forgotten by Valentines Day. This year, Off the Monster is writing a list of New Years wishes - which are, of course, much better than resolutions in that they require absolutely no commitment on my part.

10. Tim Wakefield will maintain his health for the season, and will reach the Red Sox win record by the end of 2011. Is there a better guy in the organization than Wake? You all know my thoughts on the matter, so I'll spare you, but I think we can all agree that he deserves some major recognition for his contributions to the Red Sox over the years. Another franchise record would be wonderful.


9. Josh Beckett signs an extension that makes sense for both sides. Becks is thirty this year, so I don't see anything longer than four years and an option... but a motivated Josh Beckett is definitely something to look forward to, and if he spends the year gearing up for a payday, ultimately costing a few million extra dollars of John Henry's dough? So be it. Imagine a rotation of Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Matsuzaka, and Buchholz, with Wake for spot starts and extra rest. Wow.


8. The offense performs above expectations. Here's one that's a bit of a stretch. We've all been spoiled with years of Manny and Papi: that kind of firepower doesn't come along every day, and it would be selfish to expect to keep it forever. That said, the lineup does look a bit thin, and I have to believe the front office is hard at work to correct it.


7. Someone on the team wins a Gold Glove. Okay, I know the Gold Gloves are meaningless at best, and comical at worst (look no further than Derek Jeter's FOUR GGs for evidence of that), but I would like to see some recognition for what looks to be the best defensive team Boston has seen in years. If Youkilis stays at one position, I could see him being the team front runner: moving back and forth between first and third base (and left field!) have certainly hurt him in this area.

Photo from sawxblog.com

6. Marco Scutaro breaks the Curse of Nomahhh. You guys know this story: since the departure of Nomar Garciaparra in 2004, Boston has had a veritable parade of shortstops. We've seen the good (Alex Gonzales, Orlando Cabrera), the forgettable (Gil Velasquez, Alejandro Machado), and the downright disastrous (Edgar Rentaria, Julio Lugo). Here's hoping that Scutaro can hold down the fort until Jose Iglesias is ready to step in.


5. Jason Varitek imparts his wisdom (and A*Rod ass-kicking mojo) to VMart. From what I can gather, the Red Sox Captain continues to display his class by acknowledging his reduced role for next year. That's got to hurt the man's pride: taking a backseat to the new guy in town can't be easy, especially to a guy who, not so long ago, was the cream of the crop, catcher-wise. Variek has given his heart and soul to this team - his dedication (on the current roster) is rivaled only by the aforementioned Tim Wakefield. I wish nothing but happiness for Tek this year.


4. On a related note, I wish for an extension for Victor Martinez. Apparently that Luis Exposito kid is pretty damn good, but he's only 21, and though he had some success in AA Portland last season, catchers generally take a long time to develop. In the meantime, I'm a fan of seeing VMart behind the dish for the near future, especially with Varitek there to mentor him.


3. A good year of development for Theo's boys. It's common knowledge that Theo holds his prospects in the very highest esteem; some of you would even say he values them a bit too highly. However, it can only bode well for the big club if some of the kids have good seasons. Even if those at the lower levels can't help in Boston yet, good seasons improve their value as trade chips, and some of them will undoubtedly make guest appearances at Fenway before the year is done. I for one will be keeping an eye on Josh Reddick, Iglesias, Lars Anderson, Exposito, and Junichi Tazawa, among others.

Lars Anderson: GET BACK ON TRACK.

2. A monster year for Dustin Pedroia. It's no secret around here that Pedey is my very favorite player. Last year was by no means a bad year, but I'm confident he'd be the first to tell you that it was a fluke and he can do better. I'm sure that a combination of pitchers taking the 2008 MVP seriously (finally) and midseason stress over his wife and unborn son affected his game - not that he'd ever admit as much. However, Kelli and Dylan are just fine, and Pedey has undoubtedly dedicated himself to improving every possible facet of his game over the offseason.


1. A World Series title for the Boston Red Sox. Seeing the celebrations in the Bronx (I tried to avoid them, but it was impossible to miss all of it) made me feel physically ill. Let's turn some of that around, shall we?

Less of the former, more of the latter.

One last thing: I'd like to thank those of you who read and comment on the blog. I started it about a year ago as a place for me to vent about baseball, and never really thought I'd have any sort of audience. I'm honored that you spend any fraction of your internet time reading something I've written, and I hope to exceed your expectations in the coming year. Feedback is always appreciated, and I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.