Red Sox Report: Is Bedard The Answer?
Monday, August 01, 2011
Priority #1 was to add a starting pitcher before the non-waiver trading deadline.
Mission accomplished.
Seattle lefthander Erik Bedard may not have been the best pitcher available on the market this summer, but he fills a need for the Red Sox who are down 2 starters for likely the rest of the season.
With Clay Buchholz scheduled to see a back specialist in Los Angeles on Monday, his season is most likely over with. Meanwhile, Diasuke Matsuzaka is out for the rest of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
With 46 games remaining in the regular season, Boston has an 8 ½ game cushion over the Los Angeles Angels for a playoff spot in the American League meaning they’re pretty much a lock for postseason play.
Because of that, their top two priorities in these final 46 games are:
1.) Keep Josh Beckett and John Lester healthy, rested and sharp
2.) Find a third starter for the playoff rotation
Unlike if they had acquired Ubaldo Jimenez for example, Bedard is by no means a lock for that third spot in Boston’s postseason rotation. But he is clearly someone who will compete for that spot.
The lefty went 4-7 in 16 starts for Seattle with an ERA of 3.45. However, he just had a rough outing in Tampa Monday night in his first start since coming off of the disabled list with a knee injury.
Staying healthy has been a challenge for Bedard in Seattle. In 3 ½ years with the Mariners, he has managed to make just 46 appearances compiling a record of 15-14 and an ERA of 3.31.
Seattle had much higher hopes for him when they acquired him in 2008. In 2007 he had a strong season for Baltimore going 13-5 with an ERA 3.16 in the rough and tumble American League East.
The deal was a 3-team trade between Boston, Seattle and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox also received right-hander Josh Fields who was a first round draft choice of Seattle in 2008 who went a combined 1-2 with an ERA of 3.92 and 3 saves between the Mariners’ double-A and triple-A clubs this year.
Boston sent minor league pitchers Stephen Fife (11-4, 3.66 ERA @ AA Portland) and Juan Rodriguez (2-4, 5.19 ERA @ A Greenville) along with minor league catcher Tim Federowicz (.275, 7 HR, 50 RBI @ AA Portland) who is known as a solid defensive catcher to the Dodgers. In exchange, LA sent outfielder Trayvon Robinson (.293, 26 HR, 71 RBI @ AAA Albuquerque) to Boston who proceeded to ship Robinson to Seattle.
The Mariners also received the minor league outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang from Boston. Chiang leads the AA Eastern League with a .340 batting average. He also 18 HR’s and a league-leading 76 RBI for the Sea Dogs.
Did the Sox give up a lot for Bedard? Maybe. But this trade was about the here and now and not the future.
Bedard will compete for that coveted third spot in the playoff rotation with John Lackey and another pitcher. Theo Epstein would not say who the odd man out of the rotation will be but the smart money is on Andrew Miller getting bumped out in favor of Tim Wakefield.
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It