Mr. Tim Wakefield.
who at best is erratic but has the benefit of being able to pitch almost everyday due to the almost total lack of wear and tear on his arm from throwing the floater.
You have no idea what you're talking about. Wakefield was down for more than a few weeks last year due to shoulder and back problems.
After that it gets a bit dicey for the sox as far as starters.
I guess you've never heard of John Lester or Clay Buccholtz . . . or Johan Santana, when we get him.
In the bull pen they have Papelbon, who was supposed to be a starter but developed arm trouble and was made a closer and a sparsely used one at that due to concerns about how he will hold up under extreme use say like NYY closer Mariano Riviera has.
Again, you have no idea what you're talking about. Papelbon started his major league career with the Red Sox in the pen, came in as a closer when Foulke couldn't get the job done, and did so well he took the job from Foulke for the rest of the year. He was shut down late in the season when he developed arm problems due to over-use; at the beginning of this season, he projected as a starter in order to put less stress on his arm, but his arm became a non-issue, and he returned to his role as a lights-out closer.
The word is he is a pitch away from mediocrity.
Your most fervent wish.
Here's the problem. It's no secret Manny wants out of Boston
This hasn't been an issue for nearly two years now. Try and keep up.
LOL, Manny is on the record as talking to NYY players about his desire to play with the Yankees. He’s from the Bronx and wants to return. Personally I wouldn’t take him anyway. The Yankees have the best offense in baseball as it is.
Wakefield, aside from last year hasn’t had an injury ‘problem’ at all and that’s what I was referring to. And wasn’t he out in 2006 not 07. I recall a back and rib cage thing that year.
Bucholtz has a total of 21 innings in the bigs and is already an injury problem as of Sept last year. It is far to early to call him a sure thing’
Lester is the kid who came back from cancer. God bless him for that. He has parts of 2 seasons with the sox and has an era in the mid to high 4’s, not overly impressive and he is erratic at times and according to the book on him he can be surprisingly easy for left handers to hit. Not a good thing if you are a left handed pitcher yourself. With this young man the future is unknown due to his illness.
Papelbon is a strange case. He was recently resigned in, I think, March of 07 to a 1 year contract at about $450,000. This “phenom” is just 27 years old and they offer him a ONE YEAR contract at a lousy $450,000? Geez, there are guys who make that in a week. Mariano Rivera is 38 years old and the NYY resigned him for 3 years. Somethings going on here and it doesn’t bode well for the SAWX. If Papelbon was ok as you seem to think they would have locked him up for at least 7 years. The fact they did not indicates they believe he has a limited future.
Ramirez’s HR and RBI production is in steady decline since 2005 with each of the past three seasons showing him being less productive in all areas.
For what you will have to give up to get him, I hope the SAWX are dumb enough to do the deal. Frankly though I think he will go to either the Mets or if they really want him the Yankees will get him. But with their current staff of young firebrands waiting to step up, they don’t need him.