Kuzul

The Kansas City Royals finally got their ace, acquiring right-handed pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for prospects Wil Myers, Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi and Patrick Leonard. Although Shields was the centerpiece of the deal for the Royals, it’s Davis who could provide the most long-term value. 

The Royals have been widely criticized by those who believe they severely overpaid. Baseball America listed Myers, Montgomery and Odorizzi among the team’s top-five 2012 prospects. 

In his analysis of the deal, ESPN.com’s Keith Law crushed Kansas City GM Dayton Moore, stating, “The deal reeks of a GM feeling pressure to improve short-term performance to keep his job.”

Although the Royals hope to win now, the true impact of the trade may not be fully known for years. However, it may not end up as slanted as some believe. Davis has the kind of talent and opportunity that could change opinions.

Shields has been one of the most consistent starters in baseball over the past six seasons. During that time he’s averaged nearly 14 wins and 221.2 innings per year. His presence will undoubtedly help a Royals rotation that hasn’t had a pitcher win more than 12 games since Zack Greinke won 16 in 2009.

Despite his pedigree, Royals fans shouldn’t expect Shields to have a long tenure in Kansas City. He has a maximum of two years and $21 million left on his current deal. An extension seems unlikely given the Royals’ finances.

Greinke, who is listed by Baseball Reference as having the closest similarity score to Shields, just signed a six-year, $147 million contract. This suggests that Shields might expect a good chunk of change once he becomes a free agent if he continues pitching even close to his current level.

It’s hard to imagine the Royals being a major player on Shields if he sought a contract of any significance. They’ve been at or near the bottom of annual MLB payrolls for more than a decade, according to StevetheUmp.com (stats obtained through the Associated Press).

Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reported that owner David Glass is being maxed out this season by pushing the team’s entire payroll to $80 million. Financial flexibility does not appear to be on the horizon.

The key to the trade may very well be Davis. He is relatively cheap and appears to have recently turned the corner in becoming an above-average pitcher.

The 27-year-old was a mediocre starter for Tampa Bay in 2010-2011. Although he had a combined 23 wins, his 4.27 ERA and 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings were nothing special.

Davis seems to have found himself in 2012. Because of a stacked starting rotation, the Rays pitched him exclusively in relief. He went 3-0 in 54 games with a 2.43 ERA. More impressive were his 11.1 strikeouts versus 6.1 hits allowed per nine innings.

Davis throws a fastball, slider, curve and changeup. His 2012 average fastball velocity spiked to a career-high 93.7 mph according to FanGraphs.com.

Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reported that Davis believes his improvement was because of a change in approach. The Royals’ new hurler explained, “I learned to put my foot on the gas pedal from the get-go rather than working into a rhythm.”

Despite his new-found success as a reliever, Davis will be a starter for the Royals. According to Grathoff, his new pitching coach, Dave Eiland, believes he is more than up to the task. Because of what he learned in the bullpen last season.

“He’s a big guy with some power. He needs to go out there and put the foot on the accelerator from the first pitch on. He has the ability to do that. He needs to come right at hitters because he can control any lineup in baseball with that stuff.”

If Davis carries his success as a reliever back to the rotation, the Royals will have a steal. He is due to make just $7.6 million over the remaining two years of his current contract. After that, the team holds annual team options that could keep him in Kansas City for an additional three seasons for a combined $25 million. Compared to the contract just signed by Greinke, such numbers seem very reasonable.

Count ESPN.com’s Buster Olney among those who believe Davis is the key to the trade. Speaking about Davis’ development, he said, “The Royals now become a place of opportunity, to apply all that he learned about himself last summer.”

The Royals may have given up a lot of young talent, but they got back the same in Davis. If he continues to develop he will wind up being the team’s key to this deal and potentially provide the long-term impact pitcher they have wanted for so long.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Texas Rangers have reportedly traded infielder/DH Michael Young to the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever Josh Lindblom and minor league pitcher Lisalverto Bonilla, according to a tweet by MLB.com’s TR Sullivan.

Lindblom, Bonilla for Young as trade is done wp.me/p1rXwL-8WpT

— TR Sullivan (@Sullivan_Ranger) December 8, 2012

The trade was confirmed a few minutes later in a separate tweet by MLB.com.

Source tells @sullivan_ranger that @phillies will send RHPs Lindblom, Bonilla to @rangers for Michael Young: atmlb.com/SVv8g2

— MLB (@MLB) December 8, 2012

The Phillies will install Young as their starting third baseman, while the Rangers add depth to their pitching at the minor and major league levels. It was a great move by one team and a bit of a head-scratcher for the other.

Click through to see who are the immediate winners and losers of the Michael Young trade

Begin Slideshow

The Red Sox have taken flak this offseason because of their lack of major moves. Apparently, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, Boston recently had a proposed Jacoby Ellsbury-for-Cliff Lee trade squashed by the Philadelphia Phillies.

“According to multiple sources,” wrote Salisbury, “the Red Sox approached the Phillies and a Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee deal and were told Lee was not available.” He went on to explain that the Phillies want to see what their three-headed pitching monster of Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels can do this upcoming season.

The Phillies had been in dire need of a center fielder, but were able to acquire Ben Revere from the Minnesota Twins earlier this week. Having just completed his second full season in the majors, Revere made only $492,500 last season and represents a significantly cheaper option than Ellsbury.

In addition to wanting to maintain their pitching strength, the Phillies may have been turned off by a couple of major issues with Ellsbury.

Despite his enormous talent, Ellsbury has struggled mightily with injuries throughout his career, averaging just 83 games per season over the past three years. He was the 2011 AL MVP runner-up but played in just 74 games last season, and his .271 batting average and .682 OPS were big disappointments.

Trading for Ellsbury may have also wound up being just a one-year rental for the Phillies. He is arbitration eligible this offseason and will likely make in the neighborhood of $10 million in 2013 before heading into free agency. Since he is represented by Scott Boras, he will be looking for a major payday when he hits the market, something the Phillies may not have wanted to become involved in.

For their part, the Red Sox would have assumed major risk of their own if they had taken on the left-handed Lee. He has three years and $75 million remaining on his current contract. In 2016 he can have an additional year vested if he pitches 200 innings in 2015 or a guaranteed $12.5 million buyout if he combines for more than 400 innings between 2014-15.

Lee’s 6-9 record in 2012 may look like he slipped in his performance, but his secondary stats tell a different story. He had a 3.16 ERA and struck out 207 batters in 211 innings, clearly maintaining his status as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The Red Sox may not have been able to land Lee, but their pursuit of Lee shows how serious they are about making a significant upgrade to their starting pitching. It will be interesting to see if they continue to use Ellsbury as a trade chip and, if so, where they might next set their sights.

Statistics via BaseballReference 

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Numerous reports have indicated the willingness of the Kansas City Royals to trade top prospect Wil Myers this offseason for pitching help. The Kansas City Star’s Bob Dutton wrote that Kansas City is willing to hold off on a trade until it feels it has found the right fit. But if it has to trade a prospect like Myers, its best move is to obtain a top-flight pitching prospect instead of a veteran starter.

Myers is an outfielder who will be 22 years old next season, and he is one of the most highly regarded prospects in baseball. The former third-round draft pick exploded in 2012, hitting a combined .314 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI between the Royals’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Any number of teams would love to add his projectable bat to their lineup.

Dutton already speculated that Myers could help pry southpaw Jon Lester from the Boston Red Sox, and FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the prospect could bring in right-handed starter James Shields from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Sources tell me and @jonmorosi that #Royals may be at critical stage in decision on whether to trade Myers for an SP such as #Rays’ Shields.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 6, 2012

While both Lester and Shields are established major league starters who eat innings for breakfast, they would individually be a poor return on any deal involving Myers. Including team options, Shields has two years and $21 million left on his current deal, while Lester has two years and $24.625 million remaining.

If the Royals acquired either Shields or Lester, they might get good production during the next two seasons, but would be hard-pressed to retain either pitcher after they hit free agency. Two years of a veteran starting pitcher is not a good enough return on a prospect like Myers. 

Despite having traded for starter Ervin Santana and re-signing free agent Jeremy Guthrie, the Royals are a young team and are not looking like serious 2013 playoff contenders. Adding a young pitching prospect, whom they could control at a moderate financial cost for the next five or six seasons, would be a much more fiscally sound move and potentially give them a wider window of opportunity to contend in the future.

The two trade partners the Royals should give the most consideration to are the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves.

Arizona’s 2011 first-round draft pick, right-hander Trevor Bauer, of whom ESPN’s Buster Olney recently wrote had fallen out of favor and was likely to be traded, would be an ideal target. He went 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA in the minors last season. Despite struggling during a four-game stint in the majors, he has the talent and intelligence to develop into an ace on a team like the Royals.

ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reported that Arizona signed free-agent starter Brandon McCarthy to a two-year deal. Adding McCarthy to Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Trevor Cahill, Wade Miley and Tyler Skaggs gives the team the surplus of pitching next season that would make it easier to think about trading Bauer.

FoxSport’s Jon Paul Morosi recently reported that the Diamondbacks could trade outfielders Jason Kubel or Justin Upton. If that were to happen, exchanging Bauer for an impact outfield prospect like Myers would be a good deal for Arizona because of the need to find a replacement and because of the same financial control they would be able to exert.

The Braves would be the Royals’ other likely trading partner if a swap of prospects were to be explored because they could offer right-hander Julio Teheran in such a deal.

Teheran has pitched professionally for five years, but will only turn 22 later this winter. He was ranked as Baseball America’s fifth-best prospect in 2012 and has already had a couple of brief stints with Atlanta. Possessing a big fastball, he is projected to be a top-of-the-rotation starter for years to come.

The Braves also have pitching depth, and adding Myers to an outfield that already boasts Jason Heyward and newly signed B.J. Upton could be enough reason to have them consider such a trade. Atlanta also has a modest payroll that would make a cheap, young impact player like Myers a desirable option.

The Royals should absolutely look into trading Wil Myers if they think they can improve their team in other ways. However, they must look at what their potential return can give them in the long-term, and not just in the next year or two. Gambling on a young pitcher who could turn into the ace they need could be risky, but the potential reward should be tantalizing for a team that is hungry to become a winner.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

ESPNBoston’s Gordon Edes has reported that the Boston Red Sox and free agent outfielder Shane Victorino have agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract, pending a physical.

The deal is already being widely lampooned, with ESPN.com’s Keith Law saying the deal “vaults to the top of the rankings of the worst contracts signed so far this offseason,” in his insider column.

As of right now, Victorino is slated to be Boston’s starting right fielder, while providing backup depth in center field. However, the Boston outfield could continue to change as additional signings or trades are pondered.

ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that entering the offseason, it was estimated by at least one front-office man that Victorino would be lucky to get a one-year contract for modest money.

One team guesstimated early in offseason that Victorino could be a good value buy at about $6-7 million on a one-year deal #explodingprices

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 4, 2012

The proof will be what is produced on the field, but right now there aren’t a lot of positive feelings about the Red Sox signing Victorino.

Click through to see three quick reasons why signing Victorino to such a large contract was a bad idea.

Begin Slideshow

Starting pitcher Dan Haren ended weeks of speculation of where he would pitch in 2013 by signing a one-year, $13 million contract with the Washington Nationals today, according to MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. The Red Sox had been rumored to be interested in the right-hander but ultimately decided to pass, which, given the available information, was a proper decision.

ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes reported that the Red Sox chose not to be aggressive in their pursuit of Haren because of concerns over his health and what they were willing to pay. One of Edes’ sources said that “It was a simple case of money,” when asked why Boston allowed Haren to go to Washington. 

Haren has been one of the better pitchers in baseball during his career, posting a 119-97 record with a 3.66 ERA, and exceeding 200 innings pitched in seven of the past eight years. However, the Red Sox were likely swayed by a litany of concerns that cooled their interest in the free agent.

Haren saw his reputation as a workhorse take a hit in 2012. Because of injuries, his 176.2 total innings represented his lowest total since 2004, when he had just 14 major league appearances and just five starts.

A bad back landed Haren on the disabled list for several weeks this past summer, contributing to his drop in innings. Although he came back to finish the season, the Red Sox had serious doubts about his health moving forward, according to a tweet from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

Red Sox didn’t like what they saw on Dan Haren’s medicals on his hip.

— Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) December 4, 2012
 

Haren will pitch as a 32-year-old next season. His advancing age, combined with a dip in velocity were other red flags for the Red Sox. FanGraphs.com show that Haren’s average 2012 fastball velocity was 88.5 MPH; the lowest mark of his career since they started tracking such numbers in 2007. It also represented a drop of nearly 1.5 MPH from 2011.

Edes indicated that a Red Sox source felt the team was concerned there wouldn’t be enough of a difference in velocity between Haren’s fastball and his off-speed pitches to allow him to be as effective as he has been in the past. Pitchers past their thirtieth birthday with a fading fastball and bad back are not typically thought of as a great investment.

FanGraphs.com also showed that Haren’s 2012 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 4.00 was his worst mark in that category since he became a full-time starter in the major leagues. They consider such a number to be merely average, making it worth wondering if it is the start of a downward trend in his effectiveness.

Some might not agree with the Red Sox deciding to pass on signing Haren. However, with so many viable concerns, they made a smart choice by deciding to go in a different direction. Although he may prove them wrong, the risk he represented wasn’t worth taking that chance.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This is the time of year when baseball teams decide whether or not to tender offers to arbitration-eligible players.

Slugger Mark Reynolds, who played a major role at first base and third base for last season’s Wild Card Baltimore Orioles, recently received word that he was non-tendered and is now a free agent. Is it possible that he could now become a target of the Red Sox?

The news of Reynolds’ non-tender was first reported in a tweet by MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli.

Mark Reynolds has been non-tendered.

— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) December 1, 2012

 

MLB Trade Rumors reported in October that Baltimore had paid Reynolds a $500,000 buyout instead of accepting his 2013 contract option. This still gave the team the option to negotiate a contract with him through arbitration, provided it tendered him a contract.

Ultimately, the Orioles decided it was in their best interest to not offer him a contract.

According to another tweet by Ghiroli, the Orioles declining Reynolds’ 2013 option took his potential $11 million 2013 salary off the books.

The #Orioles have declined Mark Reynolds’ $11 mm option for 2013.

— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) October 31, 2012

 

Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors estimated that if the Orioles had taken Reynolds to arbitration, the corner infielder stood to make in the neighborhood of $8.9 million next season.

Evidently, the Orioles felt that kind of money was too rich for their blood, but the Red Sox might have different thoughts.

Reynolds is not a star player. While a poor hitter on average (.235 for his career), he does hit a lot of home runs and gets on base enough to make him a useful presence in a lineup. He’s not a great defensive player, but can play third and was surprisingly effective as the Orioles’ first baseman during the second half of 2012.

Reynolds has hit .221 in each of the past two years since first coming to the American League. The 159 strikeouts he had last season were his lowest total since his rookie year in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the first time since then that he hadn’t led the league in whiffs.

There seem to be significant reasons why Boston wouldn’t want Reynolds, but his value becomes more apparent upon closer inspection. Over his six-year major league career, he has averaged 30 home runs and 83 RBI per season. Because of his ability to draw walks, he has a career OPS of .807.

Not only does Reynolds have a .924 career OPS in 21 career games in Fenway Park, but he has also killed Boston’s archrival, the New York Yankees, during his career. He has hit 14 home runs in 39 games against the Yankees, while posting an impressive 1.024 OPS.

His ability to bother the Bronx Bombers would be highly desirable in Beantown.

The Red Sox currently have a gaping hole at first base and are hoping last year’s rookie third base sensation, Will Middlebrooks, can return from a broken wrist and continue his electric play.

Between those situations, there should be plenty of playing time if the Red Sox decided to pursue Reynolds.

Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino told WEEI that the team is trying to get out of the business of handing out long-term contracts. Such a philosophy would make a player like Reynolds a perfect fit. He will command a decent salary because of his elite power, but isn’t likely to receive any contract offers that extend beyond two years.

With the uninspiring pool of available first basemen and free agent Mike Napoli supposedly seeking a four-year deal, according to FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, the Red Sox could prefer to go with a more temporary option like Reynolds. He could keep the position warm until a long-term candidate is identified over the next season or two.

Reynolds has previously indicated that his heart lies in Baltimore, but he does understand the business realities of baseball. He recently told The Baltimore Sun’s Eduardo A. Encina that, “At the end of the day, it’s a business and they have to do what’s best for the Orioles and I have to do what’s best for myself.”

Now that Reynolds has been non-tendered, he is eligible to sign with any team he wants. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox show any interest in bringing the free-swinging slugger to Boston.

Statistics via BaseballReference
 

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Red Sox fans have patiently waited this offseason for the team to make the major moves they have become accustomed to in recent years. However, public comments made by team President and CEO Larry Lucchino indicate that a new day may be dawning, putting a damper on expectations that the team will acquire the bigger names so many are hoping for.

Lucchino was a guest on the Dennis & Callahan Show on the WEEI radio station on Thursday. When asked if the Red Sox planned on pursuing major names like Zach Greinke, Josh Hamilton or Joe Mauer, Lucchino responded, “We haven’t ruled anyone out.”

However, as the interview continued, Lucchino seemed to tip his hand that the Red Sox might only be interested in big-name free agents and trade targets if they were able to get them on the cheap.

“We’re not going to get into seven, eight-year deals as we’ve done before” said Lucchino. “What we have ruled out is the kind of long-term, gigantic commitment to players if at all possible… We are more concerned about years than we are dollars.”

Taking that kind of stance is certain to alienate the Red Sox from the best available players on the market.

According to a tweet by John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus, Hamilton is seeking a seven-year deal worth $175 million.

From someone who knows these things: Josh Hamilton’s asking price is 7 years and $175M. #Rangers #MLB

— John Perrotto (@jperrotto) November 2, 2012

Perrotto has also tweeted that Greinke is expecting his new contract to be in the neighborhood of six years and $150 million.

Zack Greinke‘s asking price is six and $150M according to someone who knows these things. #MLB

— John Perrotto (@jperrotto) November 7, 2012

Mauer has six years and $138 million remaining on his current contract.

There are no guarantees that Hamilton or Greinke will get what they are looking for, but there is a good chance they will at least approach those figures, and may even possibly exceed them. If Lucchino is being serious about the Red Sox’s new-found fiscal responsibility, it would likely take them out of the running for such players, now and in the future.

When asked what he thought about the exorbitant demands Greinke and Hamilton have allegedly made, and the need for teams to capitulate, Lucchino responded:

In certain situations it may be a way to attract someone. I do believe the danger of free agency are the dangers of tying up your financial capacity, making extra-long commitments because of the pressure and competitiveness of free agency, signing someone you might like to sign for maybe three years gets into the free agency market and all of the sudden it’s five or six years. And you have to do it because you don’t know what the other clubs are doing; it’s not an open negotiation. That sometimes leads to long and debilitating contracts.”

If the Red Sox are indeed putting an end to negotiating mega-sized contracts, they have essentially announced to the baseball world that premium free agents and teams shopping pricey veterans might as well look elsewhere. This begs the question if this is a temporary approach or a new long-term strategy for the team.

Lucchino‘s comments don’t match up with recent rumors connected to the team. He may have been overstating his case, but Boston may also be coming to realize that they need to change the way they do business.

Lucchino’s stance on lengthy contracts is especially puzzling given the recent report by ESPNBoston’s Joe McDonald that the Red Sox are interested in exploring an extension for second baseman Dustin Pedroia, despite the fact that he still has three years left on his current deal.

According to a tweet by MLB.com’s Peter Gammons, the Red Sox have also inquired incessantly after Mauer and the six years and $138 million he has remaining on his current deal.

Red Sox inquired on Mauer in Sept., Oct., Nov…”not being traded” response. Period

— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) November 28, 2012

If Boston truly is afraid of contracts that have the potential to become albatrosses, handing out an extension to a player like Pedroia with so much time left before his current deal ends makes little sense. Neither does exploring Mauer, who is considered risky because of his injury history.

With next week’s winter meetings approaching and two months left in the offseason, there is plenty of time to see what kind of moves the Red Sox will make. However, if Larry Lucchino is to be believed, fans may be disappointed to find out that their team is more interested in bargain shopping instead of making a big splash.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Newly signed David Ross joined Ryan Lavarnway and Jarrod Saltalamacchia as Red Sox catchers, increasing the likelihood that one of the incumbents will be moved before the start of the 2013 season. 

Getting rid of Saltalamacchia is not only the best move the Red Sox can make, but it may also be key in helping the team improve next season.

Saltalamacchia has the misfortune of being a catcher who is neither a good hitter or defender. Fans may be drawn to his occasional power, but it’s a mirage that masks his other deficiencies.

Saltalamacchia hit 25 home runs last season, but there was little else he did of offensive value. His .222 batting average and .288 OBP were both well below the league averages of .255 and .320. His 1.8 oWAR was still below replacement level despite his homers.

Now six years into his major league career, Saltalamacchia has a proven track record when it comes to his offensive ineptness. He has career marks of a .239 batting average, .720 OPS and strikes out once every 3.4 at-bats.

Saltalamacchia’s failure to make contact is his major downfall at the plate. ESPN.com’s Tristan Cockroft explained how the average major league BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) usually is in the .290-.300 range. According to FanGraphs.com, Salty’s career BABIP is .309, meaning that when he puts the ball in play he is a little bit better than average. Unfortunately his all-or-nothing approach at the plate severely diminishes his effectiveness.

As a switch-hitter Saltalamacchia has another false sense of value. He is such a bad right-handed hitter (.203 batting average and .256 OBP for his career) that it’s a wonder he hasn’t given it up as a lost cause by now. He has especially struggled from the right side during the last two seasons with Boston, evidenced by his .196 batting average.

Never known for his defense, Saltalamacchia started receiving more plaudits for his play behind the plate in 2012 after finally wrestling the starting job away from Jason Varitek. MLB.com’s Ian Browne referred to Saltalamacchia in the New England Baseball Journal as a “defensive threat,” and cited his improved defensive work. Unfortunately the numbers simply don’t support such claims.

In 2011 Saltalamacchia threw out 30.8 percent of base runners and had a .992 fielding percentage. This past season he fell to 18.4 percent caught stealing and a .991 fielding percentage.

It also appears that Saltalamacchia struggles calling of games. In 2011 Red Sox pitchers had a combined 4.62 ERA when he caught them, as opposed to 3.61 with anyone else. Last season, pitchers had a 4.84 ERA with Salty, but that dropped to 4.51 with the other catchers.

Giving Saltalamacchia some at-bats as a first baseman has also been discussed as a way to maximize his power. That would be a big mistake. He has appeared in 40 games at first during his major league career and committed a staggering 11 errors. Granted, it’s a position he rarely plays, but if the Red Sox want to win, experimenting with a player of Saltalamacchia’s caliber at different positions isn’t going to help.

Saltalamacchia made $2.5 million in 2012 and is arbitration-eligible, likely putting him in line for a raise next season. The Red Sox can’t afford to allocate that kind of money to a player with so many holes in his game.

Since Lavarnway is ready to play and they now have Ross, the Red Sox should see what they can do about trading Saltalamacchia. Lavarnway has a chance to be above average with his bat and Ross is already one of the best defensive catchers in the game. Boston shouldn’t expect that they will get much in return for Salty, but the team may find that moving him would be addition by subtraction.

Many fans have grown fond of Saltalamacchia since he joined the Sox, but that isn’t a reason for keeping him around. If the Red Sox want to return to their winning ways they need much better play out of the catcher position. The time has simply come for Salty to go.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Boston Red Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves had a miserable 2012 campaign, losing 10 games and posting a 5.36 ERA. The low-point of the season came in late August when he was suspended for three games for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Despite this transgression, it appears new manager John Farrell is willing to give Aceves another chance, which is a good thing because of how much value he can bring to Boston’s pitching staff.

WEEI’s Alex Speier wrote about an interview Farrell did with the WEEI Red Sox Hot Stove Show, and mentioned the skipper had been in contact with Aceves about next year. Farrell explained, “I think the one thing we are going to hold ourselves accountable to is the way we play the game, the way we respect one another in uniform and that we work each night as a unit.”

Aceves’ talent is obvious. In 2011 he went 10-2 in 55 games (four starts) with a 2.61 ERA. His durability was a huge asset, as he threw 114 innings. On two different occasions that season he pitched three or more days in a row, including the final four games of the year as the team fought for a playoff spot.

Most pitchers tire when asked to work in consecutive games, but that doesn’t appear to be the case with Aceves. There have been 37 times during his career he has pitched after appearing in the previous game, and he has excelled in those situations, going 5-2 with a 2.55 ERA.

After injured closer Andrew Bailey started the 2012 season on the disabled list, Aceves was given the ninth inning role. While he had 25 saves, his entire season was an adventure. He gave up a career-high 11 home runs and was constantly working with runners on base.

According to ESPNBoston’s Gordon Edes, Aceves was excited to assume the closer role after having been disappointed that he didn’t claim a spot in the starting rotation that spring. His acting out later in the year may have been a result of his fiery competitiveness clashing with his less than optimal results.

It has not been made clear what Aceves’ role will be in 2013. If healthy, Andrew Bailey is certain to be the closer, and while Aceves may prefer to start, his greatest value to the team may be in the bullpen. A lot will be determined by who is picked up during this offseason and what happens during spring training.

Farrell made it clear he’s not simply giving Aceves a clean slate, telling WEEI, “There are going to be some things that are non-negotiable. If certain situations arise, consequences may exist.”

If Aceves can keep his head on straight and embrace whatever assignment the Red Sox give him, he could be one of the most valuable pitchers on the staff. Only time will tell if he decides to behave or will create more drama.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com