MLB Notes with McGowan, Bucholz, Ramirez and Damon
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Johnny Damon is older than every single Red Sox player who took the field Monday evening at Fenway Park. In fact, other than Mike Cameron, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, Damon is older than every player on the team’s 40 Man Roster. But the 36 year old might be exactly the spark the Sox need to catch the Tampa Bay Rays in the final month of the season.
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Boston claimed Detroit’s aging outfielder off waivers Monday afternoon and now the Tigers have three options when it comes to Damon. The team can pull him back; trade him to the Red Sox; or allow him to leave for nothing. Damon has a no-trade clause in his contract to all but eight teams and the Sox are not on that list, which means Damon could veto any move to Boston.
Damon is hitting .270 with just 7 homeruns this season and has only played 36 games in the outfield all season, but he does have 30 doubles and might be able light a fire under what has been a pretty bland team this summer. It wouldn’t be like bringing back Manny, but Damon has been there before and his experience could help a team still struggling to find its identity late in August.
Damon might block move
It would make all the sense in the world for Damon to refuse a trade to the Red Sox. He has, after all, been booed relentlessly by Red Sox Nation since he left for New York following the 2005 season. On Monday, he told reporters he loved playing in Boston, but he has a little animosity toward to club and its fans.
“I had a great time playing there. But I think once it was apparent that I wasn't a necessity to re-sign there, it started to get ugly. I have to think long and hard if I'm going to once again be probably one of the nicest guys in baseball, but be once again the most hated guy in baseball. That's what it boils down. You guys see how I get booed in every ballpark already."
Damon is a sensitive guy. But with the Tigers all but out of contention in the American League Central, a move to Boston could be his only chance to reach the playoffs in what is likely to be his final season. And what better way to make up with the fans who used to adore him than to lead the Sox to the post season.
Ramirez could pose a problem for Sox
The Red Sox haven’t reached the World Series since trading Manny Ramirez in 2008 and some short-sighted fans have questions whether it was the right move to get rid of the guy who helped lead the franchise back to prominence. Now the team might be forced to deal with Ramirez again if the Los Angeles Dodgers place him on waivers.
While all National League teams would have the first chance to claim Ramirez, there aren’t very many that have both the money and a reason to acquire him. Only the Giants and Phillies are likely to express any interest. But if the National League passes, there is a chance that the Sox will be forced to claim Ramirez simply to block the New York Yankees from getting near him.
If that does happen, Ramirez will probably end up staying put in Los Angeles. But you can bet those fans still stuck in the good-old-days will be keeping an eye on this situation.
Buchholz has pitched like an ace
As it stands today, the Sox are 5 games from the Wild Card leading Rays. But if it weren’t for Clay Buchholz, there would be no talk of bringing in Damon or anybody else because the team would likely be floating somewhere around .500.
Buchholz has been lights out this season, going 15-5 and leading the league with a 2.26 ERA. The right-hander has only given up more than three earned runs in a start once since May 8 and has only lost twice since June 1. On Sunday, he was dominant again, shutting down Toronto over six innings and earning the victory.
It is clear that Buchholz has placed himself on the shortlist of candidates for the American League Cy Young, right up there with CC Sabathia in New York and David Price in Tampa Bay. The question now is whether or not Terry Francona will be willing to use him on short rest over the final month of the season.
Josh Beckett simply hasn’t been right since returning from the DL and now he’s becoming a liability. The smart move for Francona might be to use Buchholz, Jon Lester, John Lackey and alternate between Daisuke Matsuzaka and Beckett down the stretch. The Sox play the Rays and Yankees 12 times over the next month. No matter what Francona decides, one thing is crystal clear: Buchholz needs to pitch in as many of those games as possible if the Sox hope to gain some ground.
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