Kuzul

The Boston Red Sox have a few glaring holes to fill this offseason, and they have yet to really dive into the free-agent market.

Boston has made two complementary signings thus far—David Ross and Jonny Gomes—who will each play key roles in the coming season.

But offensively, the Red Sox are still very much without a right fielder and a first baseman. Boston dealt their franchise first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez, to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last year and Cody Ross, who regularly roamed right field in 2012, is a free agent.

The Red Sox have harped on making smart moves and fiscal discipline that will benefit the franchise going forward.

“I think the key is we are absolutely committed to building the best team we can in 2013 and beyond, and we’re going to do that in the most disciplined way possible. When we’ve been at our best, we’ve made good decisions, disciplined decisions,” said Boston general manager Ben Cherington via the Boston Herald.

Even though Boston would be spending a considerable amount of money on moderately long deals, it’s in the team’s best interest to sign both Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher to fill the remaining gaps in the lineup.

George A. King III of the New York Post writes that Swisher, who could ask for around $60 million over four years, could be playing against the New York Yankees come their home opener next season.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation the Red Sox have an interest in the switch-hitting right fielder who can also handle first base. “He’s on their radar,” the person said.

Swisher was Boston’s worst enemy last season, hitting .459/.558/.836 with five home runs and 15 RBI against them in 17 games. The Red Sox barely have any money put toward 2013—only around $68 million, according to Cot’s Contracts—and it would be wise to ensure that he won’t play against them at all in the near future.

Is signing Swisher to a four-year, $60 million deal a disciplined move, though? Yes, because he’s versatile offensively and defensively. Paying around $15 million per season for a player who can hit well from both sides of the plate and play multiple positions is a bargain in this era.

The Red Sox need him to play right field on a daily basis and also be able to fill in should the first baseman need a day off.

Boston could also decide to make Swisher its everyday first baseman as well, but Mike Napoli is much more suited for that role.

Napoli played 28 games at first base for the Texas Rangers last season and has played 133 over the course of his career. Signing Napoli, however, would also be a healthy task since he’s reportedly asking for a fourth year, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden.

Mike Napoli holding out for 4th year from Red Sox…meeting with Mariners who might be willing to give the extra year according to sources

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 22, 2012

Napoli is another Red Sox killer who can play first base easily and also catch, which has been his primary position in his career. In just three games at Fenway Park last season, Napoli collected six hits in 13 at-bats, three of those hits going over the fence for home runs. He drove in eight runs and scored four times in those three games.

The Red Sox already have three catchers on their roster so signing Napoli would either suggest that Boston would trade either Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway, or use Napoli habitually at first. Either way, he would provide another huge boost to Boston’s lineup, which could look like this should the Red Sox sign both Napoli and Swisher:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, David Ortiz DH, Mike Napoli 1B, Nick Swisher RF, Will Middlebrooks 3B, Jonny Gomes LF, Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Jose Iglesias SS

Boston may still have holes with its pitching staff, but that looks like the lineup of a contending baseball team, if you ask me.

The big question will be whether Cherington and the Red Sox decide to spend the money in order to compete as early as next season.

“I know that we’ll have a very strong payroll, a large payroll,” said Cherington on WEEI via The Boston Globe. “I know that we’re going to add to it this winter. I’m confident in saying that we’ll be amongst the larger payrolls in the game. We just have to look at each opportunity as it comes and figure out whether it’s the right thing for the Red Sox.”

Adding Napoli and Swisher to Boston’s payroll would easily make it one of the highest in the game, but is it the right thing for the Red Sox?

By signing the duo, the Red Sox would be bolstering their lineup, filling gaps they currently have to fill and making themselves contenders once again. If that’s not the right thing, then I don’t know what is.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While the front office of each major league club is busy during the offseason, so are some of the top baseball writers in the country.

Yes, the writers are busy writing, but they are also making important decisions as well. They are the ones who vote for some of the most prestigious awards, including Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP.

This year features some of the tightest races that we’ve seen in recent memory.

All eyes will be on the American League MVP race between Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Los Angeles Angels rookie outfielder Mike Trout. Also, did Bob Melvin do a better job with the Oakland Athletics than Buck Showalter did with the Baltimore Orioles? And did Bryce Harper do enough to win the NL Rookie of the Year award over Wade Miley and Todd Frazier?

Here are the odds for each top candidate of winning their respective award, as well as my predictions of who will come out on top when the awards are announced.

The AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards will be announced on Nov. 12, according to the official website of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The AL and NL Managers of the Year will be announced on Nov. 13, the AL and NL Cy Young Award winners will be announced on Nov. 14 and the AL and NL MVP award winners will be announced on Nov. 15.

Begin Slideshow

The Boston Red Sox have yet to be officially eliminated from postseason contention, but the remainder of the season looks rather bleak. That, however, does not mean that you should refrain from watching as there are still several exciting storylines that have long-term effects on this Boston club.

In a few days, Boston’s current 25-man roster will expand to 40, and the names on the jerseys will become even more unknown than ever before. Adrian Gonzalez is gone. Carl Crawford is gone. Josh Beckett is gone. Boston is in a partial rebuilding state as it attempts to get younger and build from within, not buy its way to wins as that clearly doesn’t always work.

This course of action might not be the most popular decision, but it is the best decision for this team. Some players will be playing for new contracts and some will be playing for their jobs. The younger players will do their best to prove that they deserve a spot on Boston’s 2013 roster and that minor league baseball is a part of their past.

These games may not seem important, but they are and here are some reasons why.

Begin Slideshow

There has been no better time all season long to promote shortstop Jose Iglesias to the Boston Red Sox.

If you would’ve asked me a week ago, I would’ve said no. Two days ago, still no. But today, yes. In just a matter of hours, everything has changed, and it really has nothing to do with the performance of Iglesias last night in Triple-A Pawtucket. Instead, it has everything to do with what happened in Cleveland last night.

Red Sox rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks was hit in his wrist during the ninth inning and was forced to leave the game. Middlebrooks had X-rays taken after the game and it was then learned that his wrist was broken, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Source: Will Middlebrooks has a broken wrist. #RedSox will call up Danny Valencia forSaturday’s game.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) August 11, 2012

Rob Bradford of WEEI wrote Saturday morning that Middlebrooks’ wrist is actually fractured and that the Red Sox have not ruled out that he’ll miss the remainder of the regular season. Bradford suggests four options that Boston could use at third during his absence: Nick Punto, Danny Valencia, Pedro Ciriaco and Mike Aviles.

Of those four options, moving Aviles to third base makes the most sense because it would then open the door for Iglesias. Bradford writes that if Boston were to move Aviles, Ciriaco would become the new shortstop, but that’s not the best course of action.

It’s time for the Jose Iglesias era to begin.

Iglesias has been playing shortstop for the Pawtucket Red Sox for nearly two full seasons and is the best shortstop prospect in the Boston organization. Iglesias is a phenomenal fielder who needs to improve at the plate—something he’s been working on this season in order to earn a big-league call-up.

Through 77 games this season, Iglesias is hitting .259/.305/.297 with nine extra-base hits, 38 runs, 23 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Like I said, he’s not going to be a great hitter, but that’s something that the Red Sox are going to have to live with.

Although Iglesias hasn’t hit well over the course of the season, or even throughout his professional career, he has been swinging the bat well lately. In his last 10 games, he’s hitting over .300 with an OPS of .737 and has scored six times.

Paw Sox manager Arnie Beyeler recently praised Iglesias, telling Mike Szostak of the Providence Journal:

“Those guys work hard on some things. He’s rally backing the ball up well. He’s hitting the ball hard, and that’s the key. He’s having good at-bats. All you can do in this game is hit the ball hard. I know he’s pretty tough on himself, but he’s hitting balls hard, and that’s all he can do. That’s all he can control,” 

Iglesias has been called up already this season, but he never saw any time. He played in 10 games with the Red Sox last year, going 3-for-6 in limited time.

If not now, then when? When is Jose Iglesias really going to get a shot at the majors? The Red Sox are about as far away from playoff contention as you can be and without Middlebrooks in the middle of the lineup, things probably aren’t going to get better anytime soon—even with David Ortiz eventually returning to the lineup.

Aviles has had a surprisingly good season at shortstop this season, but it’s really been his offense that’s been keeping him in the lineup. Moving him to third base keeps him in the lineup and gives one of Boston’s top prospects a chance to start his major league career.

The Red Sox aren’t going to make the playoffs this season, and it’s time to start giving the younger guys a shot.

Iglesias has done his time in the minors. We know his game like the back of our hands. Now it’s time to see what he can do on an everyday basis in the big leagues.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Oakland Athletics are in the heart of the playoff hunt, but are they legitimate contenders?

That question’s answer would easily be yes if they could work out a trade for Hanley Ramirez.

Just yesterday, I explained why Oakland shouldn’t trade for Chase Headley, but acquiring Ramirez would be a completely different story.

The A’s lack production from both positions on the left side of the field. They rank last in the AL in terms of WAR from shortstop, according to FanGraphs. They are fourth-worst from third base. Luckily for the A’s, Hanley can play either position.

Ramirez had been the starting shortstop for the Marlins since coming up in 2006. Only until this season when they signed Jose Reyes did Hanley start playing third base on a regular basis. He’s having an off-year, but would still be a major upgrade over Cliff Pennington or Brandon Inge.

Pennington is hitting .197/.259/.282 with 17 extra-base hits in 82 games and Inge is hitting .210/.272/.386 with nine home runs in 56 games with Oakland this season. On the other hand, Hanley is hitting .246/.322/.430 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI and 49 runs this year—a pretty big upgrade.

The A’s would be a great fit for Ramirez, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman. Going off of that, Oakland has shown interest in Hanley, but their level of interest is still to be determined and nothing is close to happening yet, tweeted FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the A’s could even be the favorites.

The Oakland #Athletics have now become the most aggressive team, Marlins exec says, pursuing #Marlins infielder Hanley Ramirez

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 25, 2012

It’s a stretch that the A’s could make a run for the AL West title with their current lineup, but they’d definitely be contenders if they were to acquire Ramirez.

By adding Ramirez to the No. 3 spot in the Oakland lineup, with Josh Reddick and Yoenis Cespedes surrounding him, the A’s would have a very solid heart of the order. Hanley also brings more speed to the team to add to Jemile Weeks and Coco Crisp.

Ramirez gives the A’s plenty of flexibility, mainly because of his ability to play either shortstop or third base. Since neither position has played well this year, it could be a difficult decision as to whom to immediately replace. My first instinct says shortstop, just because Pennington lacks power and usually hits ninth.

The Marlins aren’t even asking for a lot in return for Ramirez, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami is looking to acquire young players who have decent potential, wrote Jackson.

Oakland has several good prospects that they’ve acquired through recent trades who may be of interest to Miami, including Brad Peacock, A.J. Cole or Derek Norris. Michael Choice would be too much to give up, in my opinion, but Oakland could decide to trade Sonny Gray or Yordy Cabrera. Of course, this is all just speculation, but the A’s clearly have the pieces.

With the trade deadline nearing and the A’s still in the race, it makes sense to make a blockbuster move like this. Hanley Ramirez would not only make the A’s contenders for this season, but for the next few as well. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

General manager Ben Cherington, manager Bobby Valentine and the Boston Red Sox have their next big task on their plate—replacing the injured Josh Beckett in the starting rotation.

Boston placed Beckett on the 15-day disabled list with an inflamed shoulder and has chosen reliever Franklin Morales to take his place tomorrow night, according Ian Browne of MLB.com.

It’s still unknown as to how long Beckett will be out for, but you can expect him to miss at least two starts.

Morales will start against the Chicago Cubs, but should Daniel Bard take any future starts that Beckett will end up missing?

Bard is currently pitching in Triple-A Pawtucket trying to find his feel for the pitching rubber.

He’s pitched in three games for the Paw Sox, getting roughed up in the opener and pitching better since. In four innings he’s allowed four earned runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out eight.

After transitioning into a starting pitcher during the offseason and spring training, Bard was about as bad as it gets in his first 11 starts. His June 3 start against the Toronto Blue Jays was the final straw, as he allowed five earned runs in 1.2 innings while walking six batters and hitting two.

Already in last place in the AL East, Boston can’t afford to give away any games. The team will need a starting pitcher to replace Beckett.

Franklin Morales cannot be the interim starter. He’s much too valuable coming out of the bullpen and the last thing they need is for him to get injured trying to go four innings.

I understand that they just found out about Beckett, which is why he’ll start tomorrow. But, that should be the only game that he starts.

That being said, Daniel Bard might be the best option that Boston has.

It actually would make a lot of sense.

If Bard comes back up to the majors and pitches well, great.

If not, then he goes back to the bullpen once Beckett is healthy. He gets around two more starts to prove that he can do it.

If he can’t, it was worth one last shot.

I know there’s a big risk of putting Bard back out there, but Boston has been losing games with the other four starting pitchers on the mound.

What’s the worst that happens?

There aren’t any other better options that Boston currently has.

They could go out and sign someone who just got released, but that doesn’t really solve anything. At least with Bard, there’s a shot at something positive for the future.

There’s no doubt that the Red Sox have their hands tied with this situation. But, it might be best if Daniel Bard’s final chance at starting comes while Beckett is on the DL.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Nothing has gone right for Jason Bay since signing a contract with the New York Mets and his latest injury could push him to the brink of retirement.

In 2009, Bay hit .267/.384/.537 with 36 home runs and 119 RBI for the Boston Red Sox. He was an All-Star, won the Silver Slugger and finished seventh in the American League MVP voting that season.

That offseason, Bay signed a four-year, $66 million deal with the New York Mets that has him under contract through the 2013 season. Unfortunately, Bay’s injuries have made that contract look like an utter joke for the Mets organization and fans.

Through the first two seasons of his contract, he only played in 208 games and hit 18 home runs. He hit under .260 and had an OPS of under .750 in each of those years. Last season he missed 63 games with a concussion.

He had already missed 40 games this season recovering from a rib fracture. After returning, he was hitting .187/.253/.373 with four home runs, six RBI and 10 runs through 22 games.

His worst nightmare happened last night against the Cincinnati Reds: another concussion. On a ball hit to deep left field by Reds slugger Jay Bruce, Bay chased the ball all the way to the wall. He laid out for the ball but ended up missing it and banging his head in the process.

Bay struggled to get to his feet to corral the ball while Bruce trotted around all of the bases for an inside-the-park home run. The trainer would come out to check on Bay and he would then leave the game with a possible concussion.

Just a little while ago, the Mets placed Bay on the 7-day disabled list with a concussion, according to ESPN.

It’s been a frustrating season for Bay and you have to wonder whether he’ll retire after this latest concussion. I asked CBS Sports’ Danny Knobler what he thought about the situation.

 

@DKnobler do you think that Bay will retire after sustaining another concussion?

— Benjamin Klein (@bkredsox04) June 16, 2012

 

@bkredsox04 Too early to say, but you have to wonder that.

— DKnobler (@DKnobler) June 16, 2012

 

I personally think this is the end for the 33-year-old outfielder. His career has been on a downward spiral since joining the Mets and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. His contract will expire in a few years and I can’t foresee any team taking a chance on him.

His glory days from Pittsburgh are well past him and some would say that he’s yesterday’s news.

That failed catch in left field last night might be the last time that we see Jason Bay.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It should be an interesting few weeks before the July 31 trade deadline for the Boston Red Sox.

It will be the first time we get to see new general manager Ben Cherington in action. He is going to have to decide whether to buy or sell, and that will have a big impact on both the short-term and the long-term future of this team.

Will Kevin Youkilis get dealt?

Will Boston add an arm in the starting rotation or in the bullpen?

Will the Red Sox ship off any veterans and decide to go young?

Here are five vital factors that Cherington will have to consider before the anticipated trade deadline.

Begin Slideshow

We’re through the first week of June, and even though the Boston Red Sox still sit in the bottom of the tight AL East, they’ve made a lot of progress since their slow start to open the season.

Their pitching is much improved and the replacements for many of the injured Boston stars have played surprisingly well.

To say that the Red Sox have no chance to make the playoffs at this point in the year is asinine. There’s even a relatively good chance that they go into the All-Star break with a lead in the AL East.

If they plan on leading the most competitive division in baseball, they have to keep playing the way they have over the last month. That being said, there are several important upcoming series for Boston that they need to play well in.

Here are the five most important series that Boston will play before going into the All-Star break.

Begin Slideshow

At last, the Boston Red Sox finally made a decision on struggling starting pitcher Daniel Bard.

They sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket to try and figure things out without hurting the major league club.

A move had to be made after he was taken out of the game in the second inning in his most recent start. The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham didn’t seem surprised by the move, as he didn’t even comment when tweeting it.

Daniel Bard to AAA. #RedSox

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) June 5, 2012

I’m glad they finally addressed the situation, but now the Red Sox have to worry about who’s going to start against the Washington Nationals on Saturday. This would’ve been Bard’s next start if he wasn’t optioned to the minors.

The first replacement who comes to mind is Daisuke Matsuzaka, who I made a case for just the other day.

Well, things happen and I’ve changed my mind.

Why, you ask? This tweet from the official Twitter of the Pawtucket Red Sox might clear that up.

 

Matsuzaka departs in 2nd-inning after throwing 40 pitches. Goes 1.1 innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks with 1 run in and 1 on base.

— PawSox (@PawSox) June 5, 2012

That’s not the kind of start I was looking for out of the potential Saturday starter. Besides, he pitched so poorly, I think it’s going to be at least another start for Matsuzaka in the minors before we see him with Boston.

Abraham also chimed in on Matsuzaka’s performance.

#RedSox wanted Dice-K to go 3 IP for Pawtucket as a tune-up for Saturday. He went 1.1 and threw 40 pitches. Sounds about right

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) June 6, 2012

I’ve decided to go with a less obvious approach for Saturday’s matchup. Why not just use the bullpen the entire game?

Here’s my plan if I’m Bobby Valentine:

Vicente Padilla for four innings.

Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales and Scott Atchison for four innings combined.

Alfredo Aceves for the last innings.

It may look crazy at first, but let me explain.

Vicente Padilla was a starter for the majority of his career. There’s no reason he isn’t capable of going four innings. He went four innings in Boston’s second game of the year, and has appeared in more than one inning in five of his 2012 appearances.

To ask Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales and Scott Atchison to go approximately 1.1 innings is a normal thing—manager Bobby Valentine asks for it on a regular basis.

Lastly, Alfredo Aceves is the closer. Going an inning, if Boston’s close or ahead, is cake for him. He loves to pitch.

Boston has a few days to figure out what they want to do. Maybe they’ll take my advice.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com