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The Boston Red Sox have hired Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell to the same position with their organization, according to a report from Red Sox insider Sean McAdam.

Compensation for Toronto will be announced later tonight.

Farrell’s contract is reportedly a four-year deal.

Farrell returns to Boston after being their pitching coach from 2007-10 under former manager Terry Francona before accepting Toronto’s managerial position in 2011. 

Farrell now has the very difficult task of restoring the Red Sox back to their usual success. 

This past season under manager Bobby Valentine was a year marred by tension in the clubhouse, poor play and a multitude of questionable decisions by Valentine himself. These issues led to arguably the worst season in the Red Sox’s storied history as they finished 69-93 on the year, and Valentine’s inevitable firing came immediately after the conclusion of Boston’s tumultuous season. 

It will probably prove to be extremely difficult for the Red Sox to turn their organization around, but the hiring of Farrell could prove to be a boon for Boston as they try to move on from the 2012 season that was in disarray from the beginning.

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On May 18th, Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis strained his hamstring against the St. Louis Cardinals and was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day, adding his name to a long list of Dodgers who have spent time on the disabled list this season.

As a result of Ellis’ injury, the Dodgers called up longtime minor league veteran Elian Herrera to replace him. The 27-year-old had spent seven seasons in the minor leagues before his call up roughly three weeks ago, and he has not disappointed. In addition, Herrera has been very consistent since his promotion to the big leagues, perhaps even more so than Ellis, which leads to the following question: Should Herrera remain the starting second baseman upon Mark Ellis’ eventual return?

Mark Ellis, despite his .273 average, two home runs and nine runs batted in, had begun to go downhill in his performance at the time of his injury. Herrera, meanwhile, boasts a .308/0/9 RBI stat line and, as mentioned earlier, has provided a measure of consistency at second base in his 19 MLB games this season. 

Herrera has filled his role admirably throughout his major league stint, and frankly, has better ability than Mark Ellis at this point in time. Herrera has never had much power in his career, however, he has always been an excellent average hitter dating back to his long minor league career, as he routinely hit in the .280 range throughout his seven minor league seasons. In addition, Herrera boasts good speed and baserunning skills, and is seven years younger than Ellis.

Dodgers second baseman Elian Herrera has definitely produced and made the most out of his major league opportunity, and as a result of his consistency, I believe Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly should opt to keep Herrera as the starting second baseman over Mark Ellis.

What are your thoughts on Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Elian Herrera? Should he remain the starter, sent to the bench, or perhaps demoted back to the minor leagues? Leave your thoughts on this debate in the “Comments” section below!

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If you are reading this article, you most likely have been looking forward to Stephen Strasburg’s debut. Well, if you can’t get to a television, you are in luck as I will provide in-depth analysis on Strasburg every time he takes the mound. Check back between innings for the latest updates.

Here goes.

1st inning

Strasburg was definitely wild throughout his first MLB inning, but his speed saved him, as his slowest non-curveball reached 96 MPH. His curveball earned him his first career strikeout though, and he has zero hits through one inning.

2nd inning

He has matured through one more inning and he is utilizing his curveball and slider more. He has shown a lot of break with his slider—one of them started on the outside of the plate and ended up behind the batter by the time it was caught. Strasburg is definitely a phenom in the making.

Strikeout count: Four

3rd inning

Strasburg is relying on his speed now and he is throwing more pitches in the strike zone. He is still keeping his speed up in the high 90s and he is getting strikeouts consistently. 

Strikeout count: Six

4th inning

Stephen Strasburg can no longer find the strike zone and is becoming a little too wild. One other problem he is facing is that when he does find the strike zone, it is consistently right down the middle. He needs to change his strategy up a bit as Pittsburgh has begun to expect his blazing fastball and they have been teeing off on him. He also surrendered his first home run in the fourth.

5th inning

Strasburg recovered from adversity in the fourth inning by having a 1-2-3 inning. He is showing the ability to rebound, which is rare in a rookie pitcher. Overall, a great performance. 

6th inning

Strasburg is definitely cementing his place as a strikeout pitcher. Through six innings he has struck out an astounding 11 batters. Stephen Strasburg is going to be not only the savior of the Nationals, but the next Nolan Ryan if his career is not cut short by injuries. Congratulations, Nationals fans. You won the grand prize.

7th inning

Strasburg is on fire! He has a total of 14 strikeouts through seven innings. He is seven strikeouts away from the record for the most strikeouts in a game. However, the Nationals pulled him in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Conclusion: Stephen Strasburg had the best possible MLB debut. He not only got 14 strikeouts but he only gave up four hits! But it had to be ruined by his being pulled right after he struck out the side.

But I agree with Jim Riggleman’s decision to pull no. 37 and I agree with them trying to protect his arm. They didn’t need him to pitch because they were already ahead by two runs. I am sure Riggleman will be getting a lot of heat because of his controversial decision, but I agree with him protecting Stephen Strasburg.

(What is your reaction to Stephen Strasburg’s debut? Comment below.)

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Ever since the Washington Nationals signed number one overall pick Stephen Strasburg in August 2009 with a record $15.1 million rookie contract, the hype machine has been on full power. 

Strasburg has been compared to everyone from Randy Johnson to Nolan Ryan, thanks to his blazing 102 MPH fastball and a 7-2 record in the minors with a 1.30 ERA. He has been praised as being the savior of Washington and every MLB fan (including myself) has been anxiously awaiting his debut.

Well, the wait has ended. As a result of this event, I will be providing a in-depth analysis of Strasburg’s inning-by-inning performance tonight.

So be sure to refresh your computer between innings for the latest updates starting at 7 P.M. EST, 4 P.M. PST.

Stay tuned. 

UPDATE: Here is the analysis: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/403202-stephen-strasburgs-mlb-debut-live-inning-by-inning-analysis

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The official countdown to Stephen Strasburg’s MLB debut starts now.

Strasburg, the pitching phenom in the Washington Nationals minor league system, will make his debut June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Strasburg’s minor league resume consists of five starts in AA Harrisburg and an additional five starts in AAA Syracuse with a 6-2 record and 1.27 ERA combined.

This announcement finally puts an end to the questions surrounding his debut, as he was rumored to debut either June 7, 8, or 9.

So now all Washington Nationals fans and MLB fans alike have to do is wait for June 8, 2010.

Ladies and gentleman, the countdown to Strasburg begins now.

(What’s your reaction to Stephen Strasburg’s debut date? Sound off in the comments.)

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