I have said over and over that I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes when any deals are made. I don’t know how you find out which players are available, and which are untouchable. I don’t know how much you believe from past knowledge, and what needs to be up to the minute. But, I still find the Red Sox actions this weekend a little puzzling.
The Red Sox apparently had a deal in place for frustrating starter Rich Harden. Why is he frustrating? Because he has all the talent in the world, but can’t stay on the field long enough to always show it. I know that. You know that. Every baseball fan knows that. Why didn’t Theo? He must have, right? So, he made the deal and then took a look at the medical records. After seeing just how bad it really was, he pulled the plug? I’m not complaining that he did. He shouldn’t trade for a player he’s not sure can help the club. But, how bad could the new information really have been? He put in all that time and effort on a player he knew was a health risk right from the start, and then killed it because he was a health risk. Strange. Like I said, I’m OK with it. Just strange. And, you know Theo is praying for Harden to make a trip to the DL in September.
What’s even stranger is what did end up happening. Erik Bedard is now in Boston. He was a huge acquisition for Seattle, but has been a disappointment mostly due to…wait for it…injuries. In fact, he just came off a lengthy DL stint. And, his triumphant return didn’t exactly exude confidence. So, this health risk was OK, but the other one wasn’t. Fascinating.
In the end, I don’t have a problem with getting Bedard. He’s a quality lefty who can help the club. It will be too bad if this hurts Wakefield and his quest for 200 and 192. But, from the Sox standpoint, a good starting pitcher at the end of the rotation is a great thing. He’s excelled pitching for an AL east team in the past, so that’s always a good sign. It’s not like he’s a product of a weak division. I said last week that the Sox didn’t need to make a major move. This looks like a great way to go.
It’s certainly better than what the Yankees did at the deadline.
I can't really say that Bedard will be the decideing factor for the Sox. I hope for the sake of the fans he can pull it together and do well. He doesn't do well with the media scrutiny, and likes to be left alone. I don't know if that can happen in Boston.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you beat up on the Yankees I will be a happy camper.
Amen to that.
ReplyDeleteIf Bedard is healthy, I'd rather have him on the mound than Andrew Miller right now.
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