The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

It's very early to start talking about the status of this division before FA even starts - but I was getting some notes together for a couple shows I have to do this week on a fill in basis and I already know what everyone is going to want to talk about:  The status of the Red Sox and what they need to do next season.  You can't look at one team and not at least try to forecast what other teams are going to do. 

The Yankees are going to dive head first into the FA market and hunt down arms.  In specifics...starting pitching.  On paper Boston seems okay.  Right?

I'm not so sure.

Not that I know anything about Beckett's injury and status (after all, I've only met him at Maine Mall autograph signing sessions) but I'm not sure he's going to be ready to go in five months.  The treatment he'll need (again...pure guess work on my end) might even require him to miss a good chunk of next year. 

So for a minute let's say that I actually know a thing or two about what is going on with this team.  If Beckett isn't going to be "Beckett" next season until later in the season (if at all), wouldn't it put Boston in a position where they need to chase down the same FA pitching that NY covets?  And, for that matter, Toronto?

Doesn't that change the entire landscape of the AL East all by itself?

Another interesting item would be Mike Lowell.  When he goes under the knife today it'll be more than a labrum repair being done.  Lowell is signed through the next two seasons and is on the wrong side of 35 years old.  Lowell is another guy that might have Boston's front office thinking about other options.  Now this is something you do not do unless there is someone on the market worth going after.

Isn't Mark Teixeira a "someone worth going after?"  The Yankees and Jays both have eyes for Big Tex.  Reports that Baltimore does as well.  That would make four teams, all from the same division, chasing down virtually the same players.  Boston's batting order showed some massive lack of pop in the final games of the ALCS; Kotsay, 'Tek and Cora / Lowrie were as close to automatic outs as you get.  How different would that order look if you are slotting Teixeria behind Ortiz, bumping Youkilis to 5th, Drew to 6th and Bay to 7th?

At that point you need to worry about 8th and 9th which brings me to yet another player you'll see the entire AL East trying to chase down via trade...Jarrod Scott Saltamacchia.  Boston, New York and Toronto have all inquired with Texas on the going price for Salty.

All these player movements, acquisitions, trades...they all beg the following question:

Is Tampa Bay for real or are they a fluke?  One could make a stance for either side.  On offense they are not as good as they are showing in the playoffs.  They are a middle of the pack, grind it out, good but not great offensive team.  Starting pitching is solid.  Bullpen is actually not very good, again they are playing out of their heads.  David Price will be a starter next season, not in the pen.  But Tampa won't be making a lot of moves in the offseason, they'll be looking to find ways to keep their own. 

How do you see the AL East in this offseason?  Who will do what?  How will this change the landscape of this division?  Is Toronto waiting in the wings to take over the whole damn thing?  This is a team that is a couple bounces going their way from being a 100-95 win team.  Is that happens, and they catch fire, are we seeing a changing of the guard in this division?

Thoughts?  I would really love all input, it'll help with my show prep.

I have Friday as the over/under on when we find out what is actually wrong with Beckett.

After last year, it was hard seeing Lowell playing in such obvious pain, hopefully the surgery goes well and Youk can get his ass back over to 1st base.

The Sox are getting old quickly and for the most part (Pedroia exception really) the youth on the team just did not look good in the ALCS (not that the vets did either, I know)

...And please should the Sox do the unthinkable and actually sign Timlin, please don't tell me cause I may cry.

I expect the Yankees to be much better, barring some more fluke and disastrous injuries that cost them 3/5 of their rotation, 1/3 of their outfield and half their bullpen. But, I am not giving them the division or even a playoff spot yet.

Boston's weakness this year was the bottom of their order. Kotsay/Varitek/Crisp? Abomination. All the respect in the world to them to even get as far as they did with a bottom lineup the NL would make fun of. So, if they dump Crisp(and it's time, he can't hit) and get healthy, they are back in this. They have the young arms to contend.

The Rays....can they repeat their success? Championship teams are usually a mix of young guys breaking out, veterans playing well and roll players having career years. The Rays are good and will be for years to come, but 3/5 of their rotation had career years. Kinda hard to duplicate that success. I have them pegged as the 91 win 3rd placed team that can easily repeat as division champs with a bounce here or there.

I feel bad for the Jays. Put them in the AL West, Central or NL West and they are division winners. With the loss of Burnett and Marcum for the whole year, I don't see them contending. Shame too.

^^But the thing is all it takes is one weird trade to bring your rotation back around.  Case in point Tampa and Matt Garza.  Look at his stats in the second half, he was beastly.  If they convince Burnett to stay (and it's funny how money could do that to you) and find a diamond in the rough...they'll be okay.

* I expect Tampa Bay to still be a monster...and to win the AL East.
* I expect the Sox to battle TB all season, and then as a wildcard in the playoffs again.
* I expect the Yankees will stuff enough money in enough holes to improve just enough to finish in 3rd place.
* I expect The Blue Jays will look like beasts of the apocalypse on paper, and then go out on the turf and finish 4th.
* I expect Baltimore to continue it's supreme suckage and be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs in April.

Do you remember the year that Boston started the season something like 19-3, the Yankees were 18-4 and Baltimore started 0-22?

They were 20 games out of 1st before April ended.  It was awesome.

Garza for Delmon Young, bit of a one-sided trade. I think I remember Garza having an attitude problem in Minnesota, or just not getting along with coaches. Worked out well for Tampa.

It's a shame the AL West exists, the AL East can be a 4 headed monster if Toronto gets some help. That's not elitist either, the West just sucks except for the Angels who should have a 2 year suspension from the playoffs until they man up and beat someone other than the Yankees.

Toronto - The pitching staff is one of the best in baseball (arguably), got a rock solid bullpen, offense needs one power bat to be a great offense, and Cito Gaston and the rest of the coaching staff is back.

The team was 51-37 after Cito toke over, including a 10 game winning streak (alot longer than what Gibby was ever able to do). This team could have been a 93 win team had Cito been with the team from the start.

The jays (in my opinion) just need 1 power bat, and 2 solid pitchers (if burnett leaves)

Maine. lets just say, manny comes to the jays, what do the jays do to fit him into the lineup, would it be better to put him in DH. or LF, and what do you do with Snider and lind

Manny in Toronto - your only option is to DH him and have him play occasional LF.  Rogers' Centre is too massive for Manny on a fulltime basis and his knees wouldn't hold up well on that turf.

Glad to hear today that Lowell's surgery went well

^Yeah, that's pretty big.  I'm still worried that five months isn't going to be enough time for this guy. 

I still have to wonder how much of a difference Lowell's presence would have been in the Tampa series had he been healthy.  If you break down the RISP that were left on base, there was 35+ that were left on by batters in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th position.

Lowell would have been batting in the 6th spot, bumping Drew and Bay to 7th and 8th.

Boston lost game 2 by one run (and left 13 RISP) and game 7 by two runs (and left 8 men in RISP).  I have to wonder if the series would have been the same with a healthy Mikey Lowell.

Woulda coulda shoulda.

I think it would have made a huge difference, but hey, they had their shots in both games and couldn't get it done

Right...but they also had Little Bo Peek, Mini Driver and Donald Duck swinging the bats in key spots.  I don't think I've seen a worse 7, 8 and 9 in my life as I did in game 7.  That was BRUTAL.

Yeah, Lowell would've made a massive difference. Kotsay and Varitek were murder. You can be a prick and even argue those two were more valuable to Tampa Bay than Upton and Garza.

To be honest, it's a miracle Boston even took it to 7 with their injuries and underperforming sluggers. The whole series was Drew, Bay, Pedroia and Youkilis. 4 excellent players, but that leaves 5 guaranteed outs.

Boston actually had a remarkable season.  When you think about how late into the season they played in 2007 (first week of November)...opening the season in Japan, flying to L.A. for more spring training games, then to Oakland, then home for three games and then back out west for a trip to Seattle and Texas...brutal way to start the year.

And then toss in Schilling missing the entire year, Ortiz missing two months plus (and being a shell of himself when he came back), Beckett missing a combined 8 starts, Drew missing a combined month, Lowell missing a month, Lugo going down at the all star break and never coming back...the Manny drama...

A lot of teams would have imploded under that pressure.  Boston won 95 games and took the ALCS to seven games.  Very impressive if I do say so myself.

Maine speaking of Schillings, is he pretty much done, career wise? or does he have 1-2 more years in him

He has hinted publicly that he's very close to deciding to retire

It wouldn't shock me to see Schill take a page of the Clemens play book and play a half season next year.  His ego is so huge...he'll sit around and cherry pick a team that could use one more arm and then jump on that bandwagon.

You'll be hearing "what is Curt doing" rumors for a while next year.

I've heard a tasty nugget of a rumor about Boston today.  They are looking for one more powerbat in the lineup in the hopes of making 5-9 look like this...

5 - Youkilis
6 - Lowell
7 - Drew
8 - Bay
9 - Tek (?)

...and that power bat that might be on it's way could be none other than Matt Holliday.

Holy crap.  All I want for Christmas is MATT F'N HOLLIDAY!!!!!

Jason Bay at #8 seems odd...why don't you want a hitter of that caliber a little higher up the order?

No Holliday for Boston until their payroll is within 30 mil of TB. ;)

^^That will happen next year!  Boston is forecasted to be right around 110 million while Tampa shoud be between 80-90!

Bring on HOLLIDAY!!!!!!!!!

^^
Good call, one day early.

He has a oblique tear.  A TEAR. 

Had this happened in July it would have put him on the shelf for 6-8 weeks.

And, yet, how many times did we hear from Boston's front office that "there is nothing physically wrong with Josh Beckett?"

Liars.

See, I was close...

Heard that Lowery was playing with a wrist issue too