2010 April | Boston Red Sox Fan Blog

When Do The Red Sox Start To Panic?

As the Boston Red Sox continue to struggle early in the season, one has to wonder, when does the front office begin to panic? The most publicized issue that the team faces is what to do with designated hitter David Ortiz, who has been awful in the first month of the season. Ortiz is hitting just .158 with no homeruns and 2 RBI while striking out in 40% of his at bats. If Ortiz continues to struggle, the Red Sox will be forced to sit him down and go out and somehow acquire a bat. There were rumors all winter that the club was trying to trade for Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez who would provide a much needed boost to the middle of the Red Sox lineup.

While Ortiz’s struggles were somewhat expected, the Red Sox did not anticipate that their starting rotation would have issues as well. Josh Beckett has recovered from a tough first outing against the Yankees, but Jon Lester and prized free agent acquisition John Lackey have struggled. Entering the season, many experts pegged the Red Sox starting rotation to be the deepest and best in baseball, but they have not come through for the team in the early goings. In order for the Red Sox to stay in contention in the toughest division in baseball, their starting pitching must carry the team until the front office goes out and upgrades the lineup.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network

April 20, 2010 Posted by jmw24 | Beckett Lester, Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Josh Weiner, Original Content | | 1 Comment

Red Sox Give Josh Beckett A Four-Year Contract Extension

For most teams, starting pitching is the top item on the shopping list every winter. The Red Sox hope to be stocked for years to come.

“You can’t have an elite organization without starting pitching,” general manager Theo Epstein said after signing Josh Beckett to a four-year, $68 million contract extension Monday. “And for us, there’s the added expectation of having starting pitchers who can succeed in the AL East. It’s hard to acquire. It’s hard to draft and develop.”

Now that Beckett, who turns 30 on May 15, is signed through 2014, the Red Sox have signed or control their top four starting pitchers, including John Lackey, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, through 2014.

“I guess I look at things differently that most people,” said Beckett, who made the deal possible by not insisting on a fifth year. “A lot of people look at what they lost, or what they didn’t get. I’m looking at what I gained here — four more years of stability, four more years with an organization that you know is going to put a competitive team on the field. That can’t be underestimated. A season gets long when you’re losing 90 games.”

Click here to read the full article – By DOM AMORE of Hartford Courant

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