Muck Finnesota... Again

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I actually wrote this yesterday, but the way the Sox blew it again last night, it still all holds up. Is it fantasy football season yet?

Same tune, different day. The Sox pull a mega choke job against the Twins. I don't know if last night's back-and-forth heartbreaker at the hands of a former Sox hero was worse than the two losses at home last week. Each sucked in their own way, that's for sure. Losing back at home after a bad series in Baltimore really took the wind out of the sails, really started to set in a reality that we might be back out of this as quickly as we got into it.

Losing last night was almost predictable - hell, I did call it. My buddy was up in Minnesota for the game and texted after Paulie chocked, again, with the bases loaded in a key situation (he had done the same thing last week). I told him that the good news was that he would see a walk off. Even after we pushed a run across, a large part of me still could see the inevitable coming.

So what now? Well, first off, I freakin hate Minnesota. I respect the hell out of what they do, but I freakin hate them. Every single year we jostle for division superiority, every single year they somehow end up on top despite losing a boatload of talent from a seemingly already thinned out roster. Most infuriatingly, they often gain the edge by beating the crap out of us head-to-head.

We've got just three things to hang our hats on. 2005. 2008. And 2008 again. 2005 is obvious - while the Twins have been beating in our heads for a decade, they don't even have a World Series appearance to show for it, let alone the title we claimed in 2005. 2008 is also obvious - the one time it came down to a single head-to-head match-up to decide who goes on, the Sox prevailed in dramatic fashion. While the Twins have been victorious in a ton of long, slow, drawn out battles, we won the only time we met on the field in a win-or-go-home situation.

And 2008 again - this is where our lone hope lies now. Don't forget that in the final week of 2008, we went up to Minnesota needing to win a game or two to give ourselves a shot at the post-season. Instead we choked, losing all three in some sort of heartbreaking fashion. The division was gift-wrapped for the Twins - all they needed to do was win a home series against the lowly Royals.

Instead, despite the invincible way they often appear to us Sox fans, the Twins showed that they are human. That they do lose. That they can blow it... and will. They showed us something that we should remember from my note on 2005 - the Twins (of recent vintage) have never won it all. These Twins squad of this era, seemingly always the victor over the Sox and in the Central, have actually done a whole lot of falling on their own faces. That includes in the final series of 2008. And it includes a whole lot of post-season series.

So that's the hope. Sure we'll lose another game, maybe both, up in Minnesota. Things will look bleak. But remember that the Twins started the season red hot... only to fall back behind us. Sure we were playing incredible baseball, but if they had remained hot, we never would have made up that ground.

The Twins most definitely can lose. Like they did in 2008. I've been watching them closely of late, not just against the Sox but in their series against Oakland. They've been getting by with the smallest of margins. Sneaking out of jams, making great defensive plays, getting that one hit at the right time.

Sure, there's no question that's the sign of a winning team. But it's also the sign of a team catching all the breaks. And while that can last you a good while, it doesn't last forever. Ask the 2005 Sox - the caught every break in site from Opening Day until August 1st. You would have argued that such long success meant this team was making their own breaks, not catching them.

The reality is that it's always a combination of both, and when you start getting a little less lucky, often times that also leads you to start playing a little worse. The 2005 team saw a few things start to go wrong and before they knew it, an insurmountable 15-game lead required a nasty, nasty play by Juan Uribe to nail Coco Crisp to hold up.

So yeah, sitting 4 back of the Twins, staring at two more games in Minnesota against the hottest team in baseball... not my favorite place to be.

But this season is far from over. There's still six and a half weeks of baseball. 43 games - a whole QUARTER OF THE SEASON LEFT! The Twins are good, but they've got holes. Their offense, as always, is scratching and grinding to get by. But they are profiting from a high batting average from a team not made up of renowned hitters. That leads me to believe that an offensive correction is in order.

Like in 2008, when the Twins hit the mid-season point with a .300+ average with runners in scoring position. They stumbled a bit down the stretch because that level of clutch success is nearly impossible to replicate.

I also remember in 2008 that their bullpen blew a ton of games - something we have grown to assume doesn't happen with the Twins. Their pen has been strong, but as the Sox are learning, past performance doesn't guarantee future success. The best pen in the game can quickly become a liability with no warning. And as the pen goes, so does the team. Hell, the Sox got to Capps last night, a guy brought in to replace the struggling Rauch.

If the 2010 Sox have taught us anything, it's that few things dictate a team like it's pen. When Bobby was locking down games as quickly as the rest of the pen was setting em up, the Sox were literally unbeatable. But then Bobby started to show some cracks... and just like that everything has gone to hell. Putz failed in his efforts to move from set-up to closing and then last night Thornton, called on to do too much with Putz and Jenks out of the mix, became the goat.

Starting pitching is also a major part of the equation, one the Twins always seem to make work. But you can't help but notice that they don't have a single reliable arm in the group. They've got a rook (Duensing), a former wash-out (Pavano), a picture of inconsistency (Liriano), and two middling start-to-start types (Baker and Slowey). All of them (except Duensing) have a significant injury history. Can they keep it together for another 40+ games?


Why can't all or any of this happen to Minnesota? The offense slows just a bit? That'd mean a lot fewer Ws, as the Twins have been winning a lot of close games of late. The rotation loses a guy or two? Say hello to Blackburn's 6. ERA or AAA superstar Glen Perkins. Capps can't adjust to the AL, Crain or Guerrier hits a wall? Suddenly those tight games are being blown, quickly taking every bit of momentum with them.

On the flip side, why can't the Sox get hot again? Yes, the pen is a bit of a mess, but as quickly as it goes wrong it can be settled again. Putz can bounce back, Jenks could get healthy, Sale or Threets could step up to a bigger role. If there's anything I can predict in baseball, it's that pens are always unpredictable... for better or worse.

If the pen gets good again, the Sox will be locking down plenty of great starts by the rotation. Ed Jackson has looked like a godsend, while the other four, despite a few blips here and there, are still as tough as any group in baseball. Over the next 43 starts, I expect them to make a game out of at least 35 of them. That's a lot of games we'll have a chance to win.

Then it'll just take the offense doing the job. While they've had a few frustrating stretches (that Baltimore series, most notably), this offense has actually been scoring respectably of late. They've come from behind in a number of games and done enough to win games had our starters and pen been up to the task.


Plus, I've got faith that Kenny is gonna bring us another bat. Personally, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the biggie - Manny. Sounds a bit insane, but the Sox did kick the tires right before the trade deadline. They weren't very serious - only offering a garbage prospect and a hint of salary relief. Supposedly the Dodgers had little interest.

But since then the Dodgers have fallen farther out of the playoff race, arguably in an impossible position, being 6 games back of the wild card with four different teams to catch. On top of that, they added Scotty Pods, who's played well for them and fills a big hole at the top of their order. Ethier and Kemp sure aren't gonna sit, so where does Manny play?

The answer should be the Southside. Reinsdorf should OK Kenny taking on a significant portion of the salary. It makes good baseball sense and good financial sense. From a baseball perspective, righty or lefty, there's no bigger bat the Sox could get in a waiver deal than Ramirez.

The guy remains a beast and there's every reason to believe he'd respond to being dealt to a contender the same way he did a few years ago, when he hit almost .400 down the stretch to carry LA into the NLCS. Throw a motivated Manny (remember, he's playing for a contract now) into the middle of an order that already features Konerko, Quentin, and Rios, and you've got yourself as formidable of a lineup as any in baseball.

That's the kind of move that can spark the Sox back out of the doldrums and into the playoffs. The post-season windfall alone would make it a smart financial move, but even in the short term, getting Manny would do wonders for the Sox walk-up attendance, such a huge part of their financial outlook. There are few names in baseball as big as this guy, few people you'd actually want to see put on your teams uniform.

Now don't get me wrong, I hate Manny for being a cheating roider and hope he gets shunned from the Hall like all the other roiders have so far. And it would pain me to win a division or even a Series title with a cheater like that as part of the team. But damnit, I'm a Chicago baseball fan - I don't get to question the nature of any of the very, very rare success that comes my way. And cheater or not, right or wrong, Manny is fun as balls to watch, especially when he's carrying your team to the promised land.


So yeah, I've still got hope. But there's no question I'm gonna take a step back from the Sox for a bit, see if they can't right the ship again. One win in Minnesota and a pair of series wins over KC and Baltimore. Then we're hosting the Yanks in a series that while certainly tough on paper, also offers an opportunity to get some real momentum going again.

Could we be back in it before August is up? Hell, even if we're not, I'm gonna keep hope. The starting pitching is there, the pen can come back, and the hitting might just be getting better. Minnesota has a lot of room to fall and there's SO much baseball left. This team still has at least 3 more weeks before we can say anything with any confidence. Until Minnesota leaves town on Thursday, September 16th, we've still got a chance.

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Muck Finnesota!

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So today I'm wearing one of my favorite t-shirts - the one I bought from a street vendor a few years back. It says, as you can guess from the post title, "Muck Finnesota." I remember the first time I saw one of these types of shirts, at Wrigley actually, I think degrading the Packers, and thought it was freakin hilarious and clever. Years and years later, I finally found a team I hate enough to warrant such a shirt and just happened to find a vendor dealing one. Happy times.

Look, I actually respect the living balls out of Minnesota. The way they teach baseball, develop talent, and run their organization is the way I wish the Sox would. The dream? Take everything the Twins do organizationally, from their perfect philosophy on what dictates success in baseball to their immense skill judging talent, and pair it with the Sox mostly brilliant use of their good (but not silly) resource level as well as their aggressiveness and creativity in building a winner, and you'd have a team that could challenge for a title every year (like the Yanks and the BoSox do... except replace all that skill and stuff with throwing boatloads of money at everything).

Instead, the Sox frustratingly trail the Twins in consistency of success and still repeatedly fail to commit to the top-to-bottom organizational belief in fundamentals. Oh, Ozzie and Kenny give it lip service, but the reality is that the Sox don't bunt, run bases, play defense, or approach the game anywhere near as good as the Twins do. And the simple reason is that the Sox organization just doesn't think it's as important as the Twins organization does.

Fortunately, the Sox have some other advantages, mainly their resources, but also their own skill in judging talent, in building the right sort of teams (pitching, pitching, and more pitching), and in demanding a winning team every year (the single most important trait of any organization... just ask Cubs fans).

The result - the Sox and Twins have done battle for a decade now, starting with the Sox emergence as a legit power in 2000 and the Twins following suit in 2001. Since the Twins have earned more playoff appearances and have a much better head-to-head record (especially in Minnesota), but the Sox have a World Series title and the 163rd game victory in 2008.


Once again, 2010 has these two teams epically battling for the Central division (with a very quiet possibility of a wild card to the vanquished... these are the two hottest teams in baseball, so the 5 game deficit they have to make up is very doable). And starting today, with the two teams locked into an absolute tie in the AL Central (same overall, home, and road records), we get ourselves a three-game series that will give the edge to one of the teams with under 7 weeks to play.

This 3-game set at the Cell this week will then be repeated at Target Field, the Twins new outdoor digs, next week. With those six games finished, the Sox and Twins will meet head-to-head only once more, in mid-September at The Cell. And then maybe again in Game 163.

In fact, the possibility of Game 163 adds yet another level of importance to the games the Sox and Twins are playing now. Unlike in the past, the site of the 163rd game isn't decided by a coin flip. Instead, the team with the better head-to-head record earns the right to host. Now this is total BS, given that often times teams don't play an equal number of home and road games in their season series.

Personally I think that should be the host-site determination - which team has hosted the fewest head-to-head games amongst the two teams. If the Twins have hosted 10 of the 19 games, then it only seems fair that #20 should come at The Cell, correct? If they've played an equal number, then you defer to head-to-head standings. And if that's equal, then you defer to divisional record, then league record, then a coin flip.


But I digress. The point is that these games are huge. This first series especially, because the Sox need to take advantage of home field to give themselves back a division lead. Ideally they take advantage of superior starting pitching (they don't face surprising Minnesota Ace Pavano and the Twins scheduled starter for Wednesday - Slowey - has been ruled out) for the sweep, propelling the Sox to bit of breathing room we haven't yet seen in 2010.

Personally, I think the Sox are in a good place to do so. Yes, the Twins have been wicked hot of late. But the Sox have played the Twins well all year, including what should have been a split of the first six games in Minnesota, had Jenks not crapped the bed like always. And the Sox are fierce at home, mainly because their pitching remains as good as ever but now it has a boatload of offense supporting it.

As for the recent road trip - I know it doesn't seem that way after losing 3 of 4 to the lowly Os, but I'm telling you, it was a good one. 4-4 on the road is always a positive, but especially when four of those games are against one of the best home teams in baseball, the Tigers. Sure, you can argue that the Tigers are a shell of a team that posted their stellar home record to date, but then you've got to give the Os their full credit for finally harnessing the young talent (especially pitching) they've assembled after years and years of losing. There's no question Buck Showalter has tapped into something. It probably won't last, but over the last week, the Os have played as tough as anyone.

So yeah, 5-3 would have been better, had we been able to win either of those extra inning games with the Os. But if things went as expected, the Sox would have taken a 1-3 series against a powerhouse home team in the Tigers and then a 3-1 romp through the lowly Os, so why care about the details if the end result was the 4-4 we probably would have hoped for?


Moving forward, I'm looking to see a whole lot more of these good things out of Ed Jackson. Don't know if they figured out a flaw, if he just looked good against a pair of iffy offenses, if he's just an AL-only pitcher, or if he was rejuvenated and re-focused pitching for a contender that is red hot. Whatever it is, I really like the look of this kid. Especially because it does seem like Ed picked up the disease that's infected the rest of the staff - the "I ain't gonna be the only starting pitcher to let this team down" syndrome that's had me so excited of late.

I'm hoping that these offensive struggles in Baltimore make Kenny aware of the joke that is Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay at DH. These guys are good role players, so put them back into the role that suits them - 4th OF and lefty bench bat. Bring in a legit hitter - even if it's a righty - and show what this team can do with a complete 1-9 of dangerous bats. Give yourself some depth in case an injury strikes down the stretch.

And in the meantime, quit giving so many starts to Druw and Kotsay. I don't care if they are proven vets... Ozzie needs to get over the security blanket of that and show a bit of sack. He needs to ride the hot bats that are Lillibridge and Viciedo, even against righties (most righties do just fine against other righties, by the way - they have to, as most pitchers are right-handed).

These guys can provide a spark down the stretch, Lillibridge with his surprisingly good hitting (especially in the clutch) and great speed, Viciedo with his dangerous power and ability to destroy the baseball. Get them in the lineup and let Jones and Kotsay help this club in the late-innings, when so many key games will be won and lost.


Well, six big games against Minnesota, intermixed with three very winnable series (hosting the slumping Detroit this weekend, heading to the weakened KC next weekend, and then hosting the currently hot but not likely to last O's two weeks from today). Then things get real, as the Yanks come to down, we travel to the resurgent Cleveland before a weekend series in Boston and a four game set in Detroit.

From there it's a nice 9-game homestand (including our final three with the Twins), a very scary west coast trip (tho winnable against an iffy Oakland team and a most likely walking dead Halos team), and then one last 7-game homestand (including what could be a huge 4-game set with the BoSox, if that team can find the juice to stay alive in the AL East).

So still a ton of baseball left. And it all starts tonight, on the Southside, with the Sox showing the Twinkies how it's done. Let's hope the Sox faithful come out in full force as we Muck the crap out of Finnesota for three days.

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That Boy Good

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First off, I've already touched on it here, and was even pleased when Ozzie had a quick trigger finger and temporarily took the closer job from Jenks after the Mariners meltdown. But then he too quickly let Jenks have the job back and the results were almost disastrous yesterday.

The Twins are playing incredible baseball (helped, I'm sure, by the momentum of that 9th inning comeback freakin Jenks gift-wrapped for them in the series finale). The Sox have no room for error, so losing yet another hard-fought road game against a tough opponent would have been brutal.

Fortunately Kotsay bailed out Jenks, first by giving him two more insurance runs to keep that HR from being a walk-off, and then by breaking the tie in extras to give the Sox back the W. Still, the numbers couldn't be more plain - Jenks has a 5.13 ERA. The three other late inning options - Thornton, Putz, and Santos - all have ERAs less than HALF of that.

Aside Bobby, the Sox pen couldn't be in better shape. Thornton and Putz are as good of a lefty-righty set-up tandem in baseball. Especially because both have shown they can close. Santos is a great righty 7th or 8th inning option. This young kid Chris Sales, a 6-6 beanpole, has been unhittable in the minors, flying up to the bigs. There's huge potential there. And if he can't keep it up, Threets has been a revelation as a lefty option. Finally, Pena is a very respectable garbageman.

So Ozzie, move Bobby back to a spot righty role and give him a few tight 7th innings to show he can once again contribute. But let Putz, Thornton, and Santos do the heavy lifting, maybe with help from Sales if he lives up to the hype. And don't be so damn quick to go back to Jenks. If Bobby is going to retake that job, let him earn it with a long string of successes that shows he's over his troubles of the last two seasons.


And now to the actual point of my post - the look of this club down the stretch. First off, Edwin Jackson is a stupid name. It's bad enough to name your kid Edwin, but at some point he's got to just go by Ed. Ed Jackson - now that I dig. Sounds like the bassist from Sexual Chocolate (hence today's post title). I like it, so that's what I'm going with. I hope it sticks.

Name aside, I've actually come around on the Ed Jackson acquisition. First off, as I've posted (I think) - I'm no Daniel Hudson fan. He seemed like a puss to me. Incapable of throwing strikes. Not so much that he was worthless, but enough that he was going to have troubles being effective in the AL and pitching out of the Cell.

Hudson was fine in the minors, fine in a spot relief role, but look at every one of his starts with the Sox. Two last year? 5 walks and 4 walks. Three this year? 3 walks, 4 walks, and 4 walks. 5 starts, 26.2 IP, 20 walks. Is it too early and too small a sample size to be convinced Hudson couldn't ever turn it around? Absolutely.

However, I'm glad the Sox got out from under him before he lost all value. Just ask the Cubs how much fun it is to sit on prospects and watch them destroy their value (and your team) with mediocre play. Corey Patterson, Felix Pie, Rich Hill - these guys could have secured the Cubs just about anyone in a trade. Instead Hendry clung to all of them, saw them tank his club, and then ultimately being em given up for peanuts.

Kenny may do a lot of things, but he rarely hangs on to a prospect too long. And another thing he rarely does - give up on a prospect who's shown to be a real gem. Of all the trades he's made, none have clearly yet come back to haunt Kenny. The closest was Chris Young, but the Sox not only got four solid(ish) years of Vazquez out of it, but they turned Vazquez into Flowers. Young for Flowers straight up? Yeah, I'd probably do that... or at least it's close enough not to feel any huge regret.

Sure, Kenny has given up arms to the Dodgers (Ely) and Padres (Richard) who've shown solid things this year. But those guys are pitching out of big parks in a soft-hitting division in the NL. I'm not buying that they could have had the same success on the South Side. And I'm way more happy to have proven vets like Juan Pierre (Ely) and Peavy (Richard) to help this club win for a few years.

So yeah, I'm fine with giving up on Hudson. I wish him the best (it can only help the Sox for their prospects to prove capable in the bigs) but I think we got the better end with Jackson. He showed for both Tampa and Detroit that he can pitch in the AL in pressure-packed races. In 2008 he was a key contributor to a Rays team that went all the way to the World Series, winning 14 games and posting a respectable 4.42 ERA.

Last year he took another step forward, helping the Tigers get to a 163rd game with a 13-9 record and a pretty 3.62 ERA. From 2007 to 2009, Jackson saw his walk rate plummet and his innings per start rate skyrocket. Nothing could be more evident of a talented young pitcher starting to get it. At 26 and moving to the NL, Jackson seemed primed for stardom.

But it didn't work out that way. Sure he had a no-no, but that stellar outing only brought his ERA down to a pedestrian 4.63. And following that, EJ reeled off five straight starts of 4 ER or more. While he clearly had some value (his name was bandied about in Dunn talks), Ed had lost a bit of his luster.

In steps the "Arm Whisperer" - none other than pitching project savant Don Cooper. Supposedly they detected a few flaws that felt they could correct, so Kenny sends Hudson packing. That's also telling - if Coop isn't high on Hudson after working with him for parts of last year and this year, then I'm fine parting with the kid.

Jackson's first game in the pinstripes? Sure looks like Coop figured something out. 7 IP, scatters 9 hits, only walk is to the best hitter in the AL, Miguel Cabrera, as EJ is running out of gas in the 8th. It was a gutsy outing. Not pretty, but effective. And against a team that is short-handed, sure, but still remains one of the best home teams in baseball.

By all accounts, EJ has great stuff. And like I said - each of the past two seasons he's greatly improved his command which has allowed him to pitch way deeper into games. All while pitching effectively for contending teams in the AL. The more I look into it, the more I'm pumped. This kid, at 26, could definitely have his best years ahead of him.

Starting now, he could be a nice spark down the stretch. As I said, the Twins are making every game matter for the Sox, so throwing a strong arm out every 5th day (instead of the oft-wild and seemingly mentally soft Hudson) is a big plus. And longterm, Jackson is signed very reasonably for next year and might just be a crucial piece for years beyond.


Of course, the main complaint most people have with EJ is that the Sox needed a bat more than an arm. Not only do I disagree (you can never have enough arms), but I also don't think it was an either/or situation. I have faith that Kenny will add another bat. It just might not be the big bat like Dunn or Fielder that everyone always salivates for.

But it could be another nice piece to a deep, balanced, dynamic lineup. A piece that can play a few positions, provide a bit more pop from the left side, and allow Kotsay and Jones to move back to roles they are more suited for.

Look, I dug the open DH thing. Sure, I didn't like how Ozzie handled it. If he was gonna use Kotsay there, he needed to use him as a veteran #2 hitter doing the little things behind Juan. Instead he miscast Beckham there, which lead to a disastrous start for both the team and the Sox' most valuable young player. In the meantime, Kotsay struggled trying to hit in the middle of the order.

Everything Ozzie touched turned to gold in 2005, but that was because, as he said himself, he put his players in a position to succeed. He didn't ask too much of them and tried to play to their various strengths. But this year, Ozzie forgot his own smart strategy and Beckham, Kotsay, and the entire team suffered because of it.

However, even having mishandled it, Ozzie ultimately got what he wanted - this is NOT a lineup that waits around for the big homer. This team is running a lot, it's looking for production from top to bottom, and it's not giving pitchers any breaks. That's why I'm a fan of the decision to avoid getting a slugging DH and think it's been a key to our success this year.

This lineup, built to get production from everyone, does two things that are necessary to winning, one of which is under-valued and the other isn't really appreciated for what it's accomplishing. The under-valued aspect is providing a consistent attack day-in and day-out. Big slugging teams get a lot of runs one day and then none the next, based strictly on whether the top guys are getting on and the sluggers driving them in.

But the Sox are attacking you 1-9, meaning that everyday somebody is doing something to put runs across the board. If the middle of the lineup slumps, the back and front can carry the load. If the top isn't setting the table, the middle and back can still create rallies themselves.

It's vogue today to tire out pitchers by working deep into counts, slowing taking away the starters effectiveness and getting into oft-suspect bullpens. But what isn't as appreciated is the way a balanced lineup can do the same thing. Everyone wants a big bat or guys who can take walks. People don't get excited enough about a lineup that has respectable threats from top to bottom.

If every hitter is dangerous - as the they are in the Sox lineup - then a starter never gets any in-game rest. He never has any cruise control innings, where he can put down a couple of iffy bats with less than his best stuff. The Sox have shown how effective this can be this season, scoring runs all game long against starters and relievers alike.

And I think they're gonna show people how valuable it is in the playoffs. Good pitchers can get past even the most patient hitters by simply attacking with good stuff. But there's no easy way to deal with a lineup that's strong one through nine. The only way is to bring it every inning, every batter, and hope. It's a lot of what lead the 2005 Sox to the promised land - while the lineup was far from imposing, there wasn't a spot in it that wasn't dangerous. That couldn't get hot and hurt a pitcher real bad.

This year's lineup? It has the exact same look to it. I mean freakin Beckham and Alexei are often hitting 8-9. Are you kidding me - those guys could end up hitting .300 with 20 HR power for the next decade. Worst case, we're talking .280 with 15. Throw in some speed and that's a tough couple of outs to get after you've already worked through the top and middle of the order.


And yet, as pumped as I am about the lineup, yesterday's heroics aside, Kotsay should not be getting five starts a week. Combined with Jones and Teahen, they're gonna get about 8 or 10 as the roster is presently assembled. These guys should maybe get a start or two a week each.

Me? I'm finding myself some sort of lefty - doesn't have to be an all-star, but someone who can justify 5 starts a week. Ideally he can play a few positions in the field and/or bring some speed or patience, both of which the lineup could profit from.

Does someone like this exist? Possibly - it's hard to tell who will be available on waivers. It has to be someone with enough of a contract to not get claimed, which limits the pool. But because another few weeks of the season will have passed, a few more teams might have gone from buyers to sellers. So maybe Kenny can find someone to upgrade the lefty DH slot without screwing up the great dynamic this lineup has established.

Even if the Sox don't add someone, I'm definitely giving Lillibridge and Viciedo a few more starts against righties and all of them against lefties. Sure, both have hit lefties better, but both also have been solid against righties. In Viciedo, you get a much more lively bat in the lineup than Kotsay or Teahen can provide. And in Lillibridge, you get much more speed and positional flexibility. Ozzie needs to not be so wed to righty-lefty, not when your lefties are both slugging under .400 like Kotsay and Teahen are.

To me, Kotsay is best served as a DH and 1B replacement late, and a pinch-hitting machine (he's one of the statistically best pinch-hitters in all of baseball). Getting Kotsay out of the regular DH role will upgrade this team by adding a great pinch hitter to the bench. Andruw Jones should never get starts - why should a .200 hitter play over the red hot Lillibridge and Viciedo? But he can be valuable as a defensive OF sub and pinch-runner. Teahen's 1B-3B-LF-RF versatility would allow me to keep my corner guys fresh and Kotsay in a pinch-hit, Konerko pinch-run/D replacement late option.

Of course, all of this ignores the pending roster crunch. With Teahen coming back, someone's got to go. It's not for long - come September 1st we can expand the roster to include everybody. But for 3 weeks, the Sox need to move out someone on this roster and that's even before they make any possible acquisitions.

I see two choices. Most likely they send down Viciedo to get him regular at-bats ahead of a September call-up, when maybe they slot him back into a few starts a week. That wouldn't be terrible, just in that a young kid like this can profit from as many ABs as possible (the guy still doesn't have a walk, which suggests he's got to learn a bit more patience and selectivity to have longterm success).

Another angle is to farm out Linebrink - hopefully he's classy enough to see he hasn't lived up to his contract and that he owes the club the roster flexibility to keep the extra hitters around. The challenge there is that Linebrink has to agree (or force the Sox to eat his entire contract in a buy-out, which won't happen) and that it leaves the bullpen without another arm to take some garbage innings.

However, the Sox are carrying 7 relievers and they can probably get by with only 6, at least for a few weeks. It's not ideal and could tax the pen, which could be terrible down the stretch and into the post-season. But the way I see it, the extra garbage work in those three weeks would probably be best utilized on getting Sales some low-pressure big league experience. Pena remains a good mop-up option and the Sox have plenty of legit back-end arms.

Throw in the fact that you've got 5 SPs who should get fairly late into games, and 6 guys should cut it, right? Worst case, say the Sox starters have a short outing or two? Farm out Viciedo then and bring up some relief arm to spell the pen for a few days or even until rosters expand.

Come the playoffs, I can't see Linebrink making the roster anyway. We're already gonna have an extra arm because of the need for only 4 SPs. So you have to figure Ozzie is gonna want an extra pinch hitter/runner/defensive replacement to work with rather than a mop-up pitcher. So why not start handling your roster that way right now?


Well, whatever the Sox do, they are in a pretty good place to survive this stretch run and go deep into the playoffs. They have a lineup that produces consistently from top to bottom, even without adding another lefty bat. They have a dynamic and productive bench. They've got five different SPs who can give you strong outings every time out. And they've got a pen deep enough to have no problem working over the struggles of the closer.

Minnesota definitely scares me, but if the Sox keep playing like they have since June 9th (especially when facing the Twinkies), they will make the playoffs. And they will be a force in those playoffs.

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