I think you said something about that right before spring training. If that's true his shoulder must be altering his mechanics to the point where where he can't keep them consistent. He can be a "key reliever" but we need to find someone else to be able to work the 8th alongside him enable to get him the rest he needs. The pen was money the first what couple months of the season, but as soon as Dotel started to loose it, so did Linebrink. It might be coincidence, but maybe he was feeling to much pressure to preform perfectly with our "7th inning" guy stinking up the joint.

Welcome aboard as well

 

I think Linebrink should be counted on to be a solid arm for the bullpen--esp. for the 1st half. It's the 2nd half that the sox need to have someon else ready to take his place.

Welcome aboard as well

 

I think Linebrink should be counted on to be a solid arm for the bullpen--esp. for the 1st half. It's the 2nd half that the sox need to have someon else ready to take his place.

 

 

The problem with that is chances are we don't have the "budget" flexibility to get really revamp the pen. We can either spend it all on one good 7th/8th inning pitcher or go out and get 2/3 good complimentary pitchers to round out the pen. As of right now we need another lefty and someone to take over that 7th/8th inning roll that Dotel had. Is Jimmy Williams good enough to be the second lefty, I know he was good when we first called him up but then went through a rough patch. Is Pena going to take over for Dotel? What about DJ do we move him out of long relief to help out in the later inning. If we do that then do Torres & Hudson fill the long relief roll? In my opinon our pen is the biggest concern this off season.

The problem with that is chances are we don't have the "budget" flexibility to get really revamp the pen. We can either spend it all on one good 7th/8th inning pitcher or go out and get 2/3 good complimentary pitchers to round out the pen. As of right now we need another lefty and someone to take over that 7th/8th inning roll that Dotel had. Is Jimmy Williams good enough to be the second lefty, I know he was good when we first called him up but then went through a rough patch. Is Pena going to take over for Dotel? What about DJ do we move him out of long relief to help out in the later inning. If we do that then do Torres & Hudson fill the long relief roll? In my opinon our pen is the biggest concern this off season.

 

Randy Williams?

We are at $90 million essentially without adding a single free agent. Keep in mind that we went from 2,500,648 to 2,284,163 in total attendance, and we are publicly worried as an organization about losing major sponsors this year. If we add a 10 million dollar player that puts us at one hundred million dollars, which is a bit more than 2009, with all of those negative factors? Yeah, that isn't going to happen.

I'm pretty sure I agree that $10 mil-ish for Abreu would be a bad move with any sort of salary constraints...but I have to wonder, if we're already at $90 million, and we still have at least 3 spots on the field that I think we need to fill (Corner OF, DH, LOOGY), then I kind of have to wonder whether the Peavy/Rios moves adding salary didn't really hurt us more than I thought. Filling 3 roles with less than $10 mil to play with might be a serious challenge if that's all that we have to work with.

Well, if nothing else, thank Scott for giving Peavy the good word to come to the Southside.

Randy Williams?

Jimmy Williams = Randy Williams + Jimmy Gobble?

Jimmy Williams = Randy Williams + Jimmy Gobble?

 

My bad I meant Randy (he isn't anywhere as horrible as Gobble is)

My bad I meant Randy (he isn't anywhere as horrible as Gobble is)

WE SHOULD RESIGN Jimmy Gobble he was lights out .

The problem with that is chances are we don't have the "budget" flexibility to get really revamp the pen. We can either spend it all on one good 7th/8th inning pitcher or go out and get 2/3 good complimentary pitchers to round out the pen. As of right now we need another lefty and someone to take over that 7th/8th inning roll that Dotel had. Is Jimmy Williams good enough to be the second lefty, I know he was good when we first called him up but then went through a rough patch. Is Pena going to take over for Dotel? What about DJ do we move him out of long relief to help out in the later inning. If we do that then do Torres & Hudson fill the long relief roll? In my opinon our pen is the biggest concern this off season.

I think Hudson is going to be in the bullpen and should be every bit as solid as Dotel in the late innings. Pena should be OK as well. I don't think the sox are going to spend big money on a bullpen guy--mostly because there are few guys worth it. I could see the sox take on a "risk" like a guy coming back from injury, ala Kelvim Escobar.

 

Looking back at Linebrink's stats over the years, he's put up solid numbers in the 1st half. If he's healthy as he's stated in the papers, Scott should be OK for the first few months. I just wouldn't count on him for much after the All Star Break. Internal options from guys in the minors seems like the best way to go for the sox, whether it's SP's turned relievers or guys like Nunez

I'm not quite sure yet, other then Thornton, Carrasco, Linebrink, and Pena, who is going to be in next years bullpen. Even those four guys are not locks either with Kenny wheeling and dealing this winter (hopefully). If our starting rotation performs anywhere near as good as they are on paper the bullpen shouldn't get used too much early and get overexposed, and in the case of Linebrink worn down. If the starters are performing then really all of our other guys in the bullpen; Hudson, Torres, ?. ?, or whoever kenny picks up just need to concentrate on throwing strikes and this should build some confidence in them for later in the season.

Maybe the Sox can trade Peavy and Rios for prospects and build the bullpen back up.