RED SOX SHOULD COMPETE FOR TOP SPOT IN A.L. EAST
BOSTON - DESPITE LOSING A FUTURE HALL-OF-FAMER AND A 15-GAME WINNER FROM 2011, A COUPLE OF SCOUTS SAY THE RED SOX CAN CERTAINLY WIN THEIR DIVISION AND MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.
PERENNIAL ALL-STAR ALEX RODRIGUEZ AND PITCHER JUSTIN DUCHSHERER BOTH RETIRED, BUT THE PAIR OF SCOUTS, ONE FROM EACH LEAGUE, SAY BOSTON HAS TO REMAIN CONSISTENT AND FOCUSED IN A DIVISION THAT SEEMS UP FOR GRABS.
"THEY HAD A STRONG AUGUST (18-11) LAST SEASON TO GET BACK INTO CONTENTION, THE A.L. SCOUT SAID. "THEN THEY GOT A BIT TOO ANXIOUS IN MID-SEPTEMBER, OVERWORKING DUCHSHERER AND TOSSING TOO MANY INEXPERIENCED RELEIVERS INTO THE MIX."
BOSTON FALTERED OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF THE SEASON AND ENDED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DIVISION, WHICH TAMPA BAY CAPTURED WITH A 84-78 MARK.
"THEY WERE AT .500 ALMOST A QUARTER A WAY THROUGH THE SEASON, THEN COULDN'T EVER REALLY NEAR THAT MARK AGAIN UNTIL AUGUST," SAID THE N.L. SCOUT. "BOSTON NEEDS TO PIECE TOGETHER SOME STRETCHES OF THREE- AND FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAKS."
THE SCOUTS BROKE DOWN INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS BY POSITION:
STARTING PITCHING
"NICK VOGEL IS YOUNG (22) AND ONLY GOING TO IMPROVE (9-9, 3.33 ERA LAST SEASON.) HE HAS 'ACE' POTENTIAL. JUSTIN MASTERSON (6-FOOT-6, 250-POUNDS) HAS THE BODY TO BECOME A TOP STARTER"
MASTERSON DROPPED TO 6-12 OVERALL AFTER COMING OVER IN A TRADE, DOWN FROM A 12-9, 3.44 ERA IN 2010, WITH HIS ERA BOUNCING ALMOST A RUN HIGHER.
"I CERTAINLY QUESTIONED THE SIGNING OF JO-JO REYES TO A FIVE-YEAR DEAL, CONSIDERING HIS LAST APPEARANCE IN THE MAJORS WAS IN 2009, BUT HE SHOWED PLENTY OF PROMISE IN THE SPRING AND IS ONLY 27 WITH GOOD SIZE (6-2, 230)."
REYES HAS A CAREER MARK OF 5-15 AND A HEALTHY 6.09 ERA, BUT IS BOSTON'S NO. 3 STARTER.
"THAT JUST SHOWS YOU THE OVERVALUE LEFT-HANDERS ARE GIVEN IN THE A.L."
ANOTHER FREE AGENT SIGNEE, DAVID HERNANDEZ, IS THE FOURTH STARTER.
FINALLY, LEFTY COY BARROW'S EXHIBITION WORK TOOK THE FIFTH-STARTER JOB AWAY FROM FELLOW SOUTHPAW RICH BROCK
BULLPEN
THE STRENGTH OF THE TEAM LAST SEASON, FROM LONG RELIEVER BRYON RAGLAND TO CLOSER BRANDON LYON.
"RAGLAND REALLY WAS THE GLUE THAT HELD BOSTON SO LONG," SAID THE A.L SCOUT. "HE HAS A GREAT MIND-SET: HE BELIEVES IF HE CAN SHUT DOWN THE OPPONENT HIS OFFENSE WILL GET THEM BACK IN THE GAME."
THAT WORKED ENOUGH FOR RAGLAND TO WIN HIS FIRST 10 DECISIONS, WITH HIS ONLY DEFEAT COMING IN SEPTEMBER.
LYON WAS ACQUIRED IN AN EARLY-SEASON TRADE AND SAW HIS ERA TRIPLE WHILE WITH THE RED SOX, BUT STILL SAVED 44 GAMES.
CATCHER
"TO SAY IT'S A JUMBLED POSITION WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT," THE N.L. SAID. "THEY ALL HAVE PLENTY OF STRENGTHS AND PLENTY OF WEAKNESSES."
GARTH THARP AND ENRIQUE BENIQUEZ START THE SEASON WITH MARK KINCAID, JUST 20, WAITING FOR A CHANCE - AT CATCHER OR FIRST BASE.
FIRST BASE
BOTH SCOUTS SAID THE CONSENSUS ON PRINCE FIELDER IS NOT GOOD AFTER A FAIRLY DISMAL EXHIBITION SEASON THAT HAS LED MANAGER DOMINGO GOULD TO DROP FIELDER TO SIXTH IN THE ORDER AGAINST RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES.
"HE SEEMED TO AGE CONSIDERABLY IN THE OFFSEASON, ADDING WEIGHT, LOSING WHAT RUNNING SPEED HE HAD AND HIS BAT HAS SLOWED CONSIDERABLY," THE N.L.SCOUT SAID. "BOSTON MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PEDDLE HIM TWO WEEKS INTO MARCH, BUT NOBODY'S GONNA TOUCH HIM NOW."
FIELDER COMES OFF A 284, 35, 112 SEASON, SO THE A.L. SCOUT SAYS ALL IS NOT LOST.
"PERSONALLY, I THINK HE'LL SNAP OUT OF IT," HE SAID. "HE FACES MOSTLY RIGHTIES IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE, AND WENT TO MORE OF A "CONTROLLED" SWING ABOUT 50 GAMES INTO LAST SEASON. FIELDER JUST NEEDS TO GET THAT WRIST SNAP BACK, AND HE'LL START GETTING THE BALL IN PLAY MORE."
SECOND BASE
INCUMBENT HUNTER QUEEN MOVES TO THIRD TO REPLACE RODRIGUEZ, AFTER PLAYING THE MAJORITY OF HIS GAMES AT SECOND IN 2011.
"HE'S STILL GROWING INTO HIS POWER (JUST THREE HOMERS LAST SEASON)," THE N.L. SCOUT SAID, ADDING SECOND BASEMAN ARIEL CLOUD (,JUST 31 ML AT-BATS IN 2011) HAS THE NECESSARY POWER TO PLAY THE HOT CORNER, BUT HIS GLOVE IS BETTER SUITED TO THE MIDDLE INFIELD.
"IF CLOUD CAN STAY HEALTHY, HE HAS A BREAKOUT SEASON COMING AND QUEEN SHOULD IMPROVE EACH DAY," THE SCOUT SAID. "WHEN HE OPENS HIS HIPS, HE CAN REALLY TURN ON THE BALL AND DRIVE IT PAST THE THIRD BASEMAN."
SHORTSTOP
STEPHEN DREW CAME TO BOSTON IN A MID-SEASON DEAL - AND PERFORMED VERY WELL, THE NL SCOUT SAID.
DREW FINISHED WITH 21 HOMERS, 81 RBIs AND A .287, FLOURISHING IN THE TWO HOLE IN HE BATTING ORDER.
"HIS ABILITY TO POUND THE BALL OFF - AND OVER - THE 'GREEN MONSTER' WILL HAVE A HUGE IMPACT ON THEIR OFFENSE," THE N.L. SCOUT SAID.
SECOND BASE
CLOUD WAS ACQUIRED IN A TRADE AND IMPRESSED BEFORE TEARING UP HIS KNEE AND GOING ON THE DL WITH THE SEASON-ENDING INJURY.
"HE'S A PURE HITTING TALENT," THE A.L. SCOUT SAID. "AND HE'S BEEN HITTING NINTH."
LEFT FIELD
RYAN BRAUN MAN'S THE SPOT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, BOTH SCOUTS AGREED
CENTER FIELD
ANDREW McCUTCHEN WON THE A.L. SILVER SLUGGER AWARD LAST YEAR, AFTER POSTING .323, 25, 83 NUMBERS IN JUST 492 AT-BATS.
"HE HIT ANYWHERE FROM LEADOFF TO FIFTH IN THE LINEUP," THE A.L. SCOUT SAID. "HE'S THE REAL DEAL AND A FIVE-TOOL TALENT."
THE EMERGENCE OF HOSEA SPIVEY IN THE SPRING WILL ALLOW McCUTCHEN SOME REST BY SLOTTING INTO DESIGNATED HITTER.
"SPIVEY WAS HITTING OVER .600 FOR QUITE SOME TIME THIS SPRING," SAID THE N.L. SCOUT. "IF HE SLOWS DOWN, THERE'S STRENGTH ON THE FARM."
RIGHT FIELDER
DARIUS OLIVER CAME UP FROM THE MINORS AND STAYED IN THE LINEUP MOST OF THE REST OF THE SEASON, GETTING 219 ABs WITH SEVEN HRs AND 23 RBIs. HE SIGNED A FOUR-YEAR DEAL IN THE OFFSEASON.
BENCH
ALFONSO DEAL, 20, SPENT MUCH OF THE SEASON IN THE MAJORS AS A BACKUP SS WHO HAS LEARNED ALL THREE OUTFIELD POSITIONS. CF HILARIO CAVAZOS EARNED A SPOT WITH A STRONG SPRING. CHESTER McGILL OFFERS INFIELD COVER.
PREDICTIONS
THE NL SCOUT FORESAW 85-88 WINS WHILE THE AL SCOUT PEGGED BOSTON GOING 91-71.
THE KEY
DARIUS OLIVER
"HE'S NOT THE BIGGEST OF PLAYERS (5-8, 161)," THE A.L. SCOUT SAID. "BUT HE'S GOT AN ABUNDANCE OF STRENGTH AND SPEED."
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