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Change in plans

The Sox have scratched Wade Miller from tonight's start, for reasons as yet unannounced. Bronson Arroyo will take his place, with David Wells pitching tomorrow. Sunday, the listing is TBA.

More when we get it . . .

Posted by Art  at 1:22 PM | Permalink

What's the deal?

A year ago today, the assumption was that Nomar Garciaparra would finish the season in Boston and then depart as a free agent. Orlando Cabrera was rumored to be headed to Chicago. All we knew about Doug Mientkiewicz was that his days in Minnesota were numbered. And Dave Roberts? Who's Dave Roberts?

Which is why whatever the landscape is now, as I write this at 10:05 a.m. on Friday morning, may not be remotely close to what the landscape will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, when the trade deadline arrives.

Here's what I know:

I know Theo Epstein and crew are feverishly working the phones. That I know for a fact.

Here's what I don't know:

I don't know who they're talking to, or what they're after, or what their priorities are.

Here's what I think:

I think there's a remote possibility they can find a taker (the Mets?) for Manny Ramirez, which would make this a nuclear weekend. But any trade of Ramirez probably wouldn't, in and of itself, bring in enough to a) replace Manny in the outfield and/or batting order, and b) also satisfy the pitching needs they have. They'd probably have to go elsewhere for that, which means Epstein and Crew need to put together a complex, three- or four-team swap . . . and that's not easy to do. (Remember the pre-deadline deal with San Diego last year that would have netted Brian Lawrence, and how it fell through when the fourth team in the mix -- I believe it was the Marlins -- decided they didn't want to play?)

The other danger with such far-reaching moves is that they tinker with the very core of the roster, and that can have unanticipated far-reaching affects. For whatever weaknesses they have right now, the Red Sox are still in first place and would also be leading the wild-card race if the Yankees were ahead of them. Unless you're almost absolutely certain that the team you wind up with will be better than the team you have now, discretion can be the better part of valor.

Which is why the landscape at 4 p.m. Sunday could be exactly the same, or maybe just a little different, than it is now.

And then again . . .

Fasten your seatbelts. This could be a bumpy three-day ride.

Posted by Art  at 10:00 AM | Permalink