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So the Sox are coming up on the trade deadline with some apparent issues in bullpen and some concern regarding the health of David Ortiz. Our pen has looked shaky lately. Okajima, Delcarmen and Hansen are our most reliable relievers before Papelbon, and none of the three has upped their game to the point where we can count on them to get crucial high-leverage outs late in games. This could be a problem we may solve via trade.

But in the name of senselessly beating the deadline drums, let me throw out a scenario. The cure to our ‘pen problems is Justin Masterson. Clay Buchholz has been masterful of late in AAA, and I don’t see him staying there for very long. If he were to take the five spot, we could afford to move Masterson into our pen. Masterson could catch lightning in a bottle out of the bullpen and stabilize what is at this point the teams most glaring weakness.

So, that really doesn’t count as a trade scenario, right? Well, there is the issue of David Ortiz and his wrist. I would say that right now, his status is uncertain at best. J.D. Drew has been great in his absence, but I think we need another bat in the line-up. If ATL is going to shop Mark Teixiera this deadline, I think at the very least the Sox will give a phone call. I think if we are approaching the end of July and Ortiz isn’t very close to playing, I think we should part with the necessary talent to bring in an impact bat. Too much talent is a problem we can deal with if Ortiz returns at full strength. We have a rare opportunity to repeat as WS Champs, but if we are relying on Ortiz being there down the stretch and his injury continues to keep him off the diamond I don’t think that is a problem we can easily overcome.

Josh Hamilton is the clear frontrunner for AL MVP this year. He currently leads the AL in homeruns (19) and RBI (76) and still has a chance to make a run at the triple-crown. Currently .020 off the pace for the batting title, Hamilton’s closest competition for MVP may be the man leading the batting race; Milton Bradley.
Bradley is hitting .330 and has been walked 47 times already. Despite the fact that pitchers are staying away from him, he has hit 15 long balls and driven in 48 runs. His OPS is also the best in the American League at 1.070.

Always a threat to catch fire, Alex Rodriguez deserves to be mentioned in the conversation as well. Rodriguez is second to Bradley with a 1.000 OPS. He has gone yard 14 times and driven in 41 runs. Some consideration could also be given to Ian Kinsler who leads the league in hits, but given the standout performance of his teammate (Hamilton), he will not receive many votes.
In a comparatively weak year for individual offensive performances in the AL, Hamilton will look to cash in. It is Josh Hamilton’s race to lose

In the National League, Albert Pujols is having an MVP caliber season. Unfortunately for Albert Pujols, this league belongs to Lance Berkman and Chipper Jones, everyone else is just playing in it.

Since late April it has been apparent that these two would be fighting for the MVP and, barring serious injury, that’s how it is going to end. So unfortunately for Fat Albert, top ten performances in homers, RBI and batting average, plus a 1.121 OPS are probably going to get him nothing.

Berkman leads all of baseball with an OPS of 1.154. He has better power numbers than Jones with 21 HR and 63 RBI. But Chipper is still flirting with .400. At last check, Chipper was hitting .394 and while batting average is an overrated stat, it gets attention from the writers. Jones has hit a respectable 16 HR and knocked in 46 runs. Jones also has the ‘valuable’ factor wrapped up, seeming to always come up when the Braves need him this year.

While the race is closer than people realize between these two, Jones appears to be in the driver’s seat. If he hits .400 the race is over, but even if he stays around where he is, he will most likely be voted NL MVP.

A great article over at CNNSI which takes an in-depth look at the Knuckleball phenomenon. How it works and why only two major leaguers throw it. Plus a lot of good info on Wake. Check it out:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/the_bonus/06/25/wakefield/index.html

This year, July 31st is looking to be one of the flattest trade deadlines in recent memory. Of course, when that’s the expectation, it usually ends up being quite the opposite. I don’t really see the Sox adding much. We’re playing relatively good baseball, there aren’t any glaring needs, and the biggest additions to the Sox this summer will be David Ortiz’s return from the DL and Clay Buchholz’s promotion from AAA. Also, look for Masterson to shore up a shaky pen in the second half. Our system is stocked; we could bring in ML talent, I just don’t see a need glaring enough to justify trading Bowden or any other coveted prospects that will surely be part of the price tag.

I’m not worried about the Sox, but I am becoming supremely worried about Tampa Bay. They have the best system in the major leagues. David Price is rising fast, drafted out of Vandy last year and already in AA, and he could be the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal. With the way Kaz, Garza and Shields are going right now, they won’t miss him. C.C. Sabathia can probably be had for the right price, and I think TB can meet that price easily.

C.C. doesn’t scare me on his own. The weight issue, the high stress delivery and the October meltdown I watched first-hand last season make me think he could really flop big time if traded to a contender. However, don’t underestimate the effects a deadline deal can have on a team like the Rays. They’re young and haven’t experienced a playoff chase before, and they might be searching a little bit come August. It would be a huge vote of confidence from GM Andy Friedman to go out and acquire a veteran pitcher. That could provide the perfect spark for the Rays to take off and maintain their play through the second half.

The Gagne acquisition had a similar effect on last year’s Sox, despite him being a monster disappointment. To go out and acquire a player of that stature says to your players that you’re willing to pay a sizable price - be it talent or otherwise - to contend immediately. That can fire guys up, and if Friedman swoops in and nabs C.C., I won’t be worried about facing him in October, but I’ll be pretty afraid of the other 24 guys that never thought their team would be anything other than a seller come the deadline.

On Thursday, Curt Schilling confirmed what I figured would be the inevitable outcome of the team prescribed rehab program. When renowned shoulder expert Dr. James Andrews describes your bicep as “three strands of spaghetti” – especially if you’re on the wrong side of 40 – you probably aren’t going to be too optimistic about playing any sport at a professional level, even if you’re Curt Schilling. Should the Red Sox be fortunate enough to find themselves playing October baseball, the closest Curt will be getting to the mound is at his seat on the dugout bench. The 41-year-old underwent season ending surgery June 23rd on the right shoulder that played such a pivotal role in bringing Boston two World Series trophies. The surgery will keep Curt from throwing until next winter at the least; he could very well be looking at adding his name to the retirement list.

Schilling himself acknowledged on EEI’s Dennis and Callahan show that there is a “pretty good chance” he has thrown the last pitch of his career.

To me, anything he contributed this year would have been gravy. When he got here in ’04 he was a power pitcher with pin point control and a devastating splitter, by the end of ’07 his only elite skill was control. The velocity was gone, the pitches weren’t as sharp, but Curt’s game was never predicated solely on velocity. His control and ability to execute a game plan seamlessly aided a relatively smooth transformation from fire-baller to finesse pitcher – save one trip to the DL. Even though his style changed, when it mattered most, in October, the results were there. The guy’s a warrior, and last year – probably the most challenging year of his career on the field - was no different. He was a different pitcher, sure, but that didn’t change the results. Whether he was throwing 96 or 86, the post season was his where he always made his presence known. Going 3-0 in October, including seven strong innings in Game 6 of the ALCS in which he rendered only two earned runs to a powerful Indians lineup, he solidified his status as one of the best big game pitchers of all-time. The stage was set perfectly for a curtain call, and he delivered going five and a third gutsy innings giving up only one earned run in Game 2 of the World Series, all the while his right arm hanging on by a thread. Holding the cap up high, choking back tears – that’s the goodbye I want to remember. Selfish, maybe, but watching one of my baseball heroes struggle to be league average would have hurt.

With further arm issues, the chances of him rebounding even to his 2007 form are slim. With surgery on the horizon, it’s looking more like Schilling’s shoulder is forcing the issue and closing the book on his career, and it made me realize how fortunate I was to be a fan of this team at this time. We are all fortunate to have caught some of the greatest moments of one of the greatest big game pitchers of all time. This has been a great decade to be a Boston sports fan, thanks in large part to the Red Sox, and there is no player who is more responsible for their recent success than Curt Schilling. Go ahead, call me on it. It’s true.

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