Let’s take a look at how some former Red Sox are doing this season
COMMENTARY
We know that current Red Sox players are not doing particularly well this season, but what has become of the exes?
Let’s look at some 2014 ex-Sox
Last July, the Sox traded John Lackey to the Cardinals for two current PawSox: Allen Craig and Joe Kelly (who may not win the Cy Young Award this year). Yes, this current iteration of the Sox has one of the weakest rotations in baseball and yes, John Lackey is playing for the Major League minimum this season in St. Louis. Through 15 games, Lackey has a 3.35 ERA and a 1.241 WHIP. That would make him the No. 1 starter for the Red Sox this season.
Jon Lester was traded by the Sox last July 31 to Oakland, along with Jonny Gomes and cash, in exchange for Yoenis Cespedes. Lester finished strong for Oakland, but has gotten off to a rocky start with the Cubs who outbid Boston this offseason for his services. Lester has a 4.03 ERA, a 1.366 WHIP and a .271 batting average against over 15 starts. His FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching, which measures a pitcher’s effectiveness to prevent homers, walks and HBP and causing strikeouts) is 3.58. Even with his struggles, Lester’s numbers this season would put him just behind Clay Buchholz for second-best marks on the Sox staff.
What about Cespedes?
Free agent to-be Cespedes was a reluctant Sox left fielder (not to be confused with the current reluctant left fielder Hanley Ramirez) and was dealt to Detroit with Alex Wilson for no-longer free-agent to be Rick Porcello. Cespedes is having a better season than any Boston outfielder, hitting .305 with 10 homers, 41 RBI, and an .842 OPS entering the weekend. His Rtot, the fielding metric which measures the number of runs saved or lost, is +5. Hanley’s Rtot is -10.
And don’t minimize Alex Wilson, who has been outstanding out of the Detroit bullpen. He has a 1.70 ERA and a 0.892 WHIP through 24 games.
As Bob Lobel was fond of saying, “Why can’t we get players like that?’’
Jonny Gomes went with Lester to Oakland and has landed in Atlanta where his attitude contributes more than his at bats. The young Braves appreciate his presence and hustle but Gomes is just hitting .197 with three homers and 11 RBI through 50 games and defensively he is at -5 in left field.
Will Middlebrooks reached his expiration point in Boston and when the Sox signed Pedro Sandoval this offseason, he was a goner. Middlebrooks was sent to San Diego in exchange for catcher Ryan Hanigan, whose injury this season has put a significant hurt on the team. Middlebrooks hit .191 with the Sox last season and he’s at .224 this season through 72 games this season, but he has hit nine homers and driven in 28 in those appearances. His Rtot this season at third is -3. In comparison, Sandoval has hit .273 with six homers and 24 RBI, and is slugging .403 through 65 games. His Rtot this season thus far at third is -8.
Catcher David Ross, like Gomes, is another one of those great clubhouse guys who helps teams win with his head and heart. Ross is hitting .200 for the Cubs this season over 36 games, which is .016 better than he hit for Boston last year. His 26 percent caught stealing rate in 2015 matches Blake Swihart’s 26 percent, but Ross also catches a lot of Lester’s starts and baserunners are 20-24 against him and his well-documented problem with baserunners. But there is more to catching than baserunners. Ross’ pitchers had a .241 BAA entering the weekend while Swihart’s had a .281. And when Swihart has been behind the plate entering the Sox series against the Rays, pitchers had a 5.02 ERA compared with Ross’ 2.78.
Speaking of catchers, there were not a lot regrets in the Sox organization when A.J. Pierzynski was jettisoned last season. Pierzynski is hitting .263 with four homers and 24 RBI for Atlanta this season and his pitchers have a 3.80.
Before we look at a few more pitchers, let take a moment to resolve that there will be no more members of the Drew family in Boston. After dealing with “Day-to-Day’’ J.D. Drew for too many years, the Sox last season brought back Stephen Drew so that he could hit all of .176 before he was shipped to the Yankees. Stephen is hitting .185 in the Bronx through 67 games.
Back to the mound…
Here’s a ‘back’’ story: Jake Peavy was 1-9 for Boston before he went to San Francisco to earn back-to-back World Series rings (2013 with Boston). Jake was 0-2 for the Giants before heading to the DL with a balky back and he’s expected back soon.
Here’s a “Burke’’ story: Burke Badenhop was brilliant coming out of the Boston pen last season only allowing one home run in 70.2 IP. In his first 25 games this season, for the Reds, he’s allowed two dingers in 27.1 innings, but his ERA has jumped from 2.29 last year to 5.60 this year.
Chris Capuano, of Springfield Mass., had a 4.55 ERA in 28 games for Boston last year and has a 5.19 ERA in 10 games for the Yankees this year.
Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster went to Arizona during the offseason for Wade Miley. Rubby is 6-3 despite his 4.69 ERA, 1.240 WHIP, and a 4.17 FIP, while Webster has a 6.46 ERA in three starts for the D-backs. Right now at least, the trade looks a wash of mediocrity.
Speaking of which, Edward Mujica was Edward Mediocre during his season-plus with Boston recording a 4.03 ERA and a 1.371 WHIP. But in his first eight games out of the Oakland bullpen, Mujica has a 1.23 ERA and a WHIP of 0.818.
Here’s the interesting ex…
Last July, Boston traded Andrew Miller to Baltimore. Miller was outstanding helping the Orioles reach the postseason with 23 great regular season appearances with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 0.600. He followed it up with five postseason appearances in which he allowed one hit and one walk. This season, he became the Yankees closer and before a forearm strain sidelined him, he was 17-17 in save opportunities and had a 1.03 ERA and 0.684 WHIP.
In return for Miller, the Red Sox got Eduardo Rodriguez from the Orioles and Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe aptly refers to him as “The Hope.’’ The Orioles knew they were trading a prospect that might pan out when they acquired Miller, but they felt it was worth it to see how deep in the postseason Miller could lead them.
The O’s took a risk in trading E-Rod. The Sox took a risk in 2010 when they traded a prospect to San Diego to get Adrian Gonzalez who will be an NL All-Star. The Padres took another risk when they traded that prospect to the Cubs for Andrew Cashner, who is tied for the MLB lead in losses this season with nine. That two-time traded prospect is Anthony Rizzo, who will also be an NL All-Star this season. Rizzo is hitting .307, leads the league in doubles, has hit 15 homers and has driven home 43 in 72 games. He has an OPS of .994, the fourth best in baseball.
Rizzo is only 25. Of all the ex-Sox, he’s the one who’s missed the most.
Now we wait and see who the future Red Sox exes will be.
What if the Red Sox were all from New England?
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