Delcarmen promoted to Boston

by whonichol on Jul 26, 2005 7:57 AM EDT

Pitched 2/3 of an inning striking out two, is now expected to be available in Tampa for tonight's game.

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=95283

Bullpen help or showcase?

My guess is that they're shopping him because the rumor out there is that the Marlins inquired about Anibal Sanchez (the next Roy Oswalt) in trading Burnett. I don't think that the Sox braintrust has much of an interest in trading him, and they may be seeking to capitalize on Delcarmen's latest streak of dominance. Personally, I think he could be of some use for the Sox this year - Gammo reported that he's throws in the mid to high 90s with (get this) a breaking ball like Francisco Rodriguez'. Now, he may have just gotten carried away there, but a guy like that can cure the Sox' ills pretty darn fast.

Thoughts on whether this is a showcase or a move to help this team now...

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Thoughts

Delcarmen is a Boston kid. He was born in Boston and grew up in West Roxbury, a section of Boston.

Even given that, I think he is being showcased. They also have Hanley playing 2B and 3B; down on the farm.

So, it looks like the braintrust is busy pondering how best to make a big splash before Sunday.

Lastly, Anibal Sanchez has been one of Theo's favorite propsects for two years now. So, I don't think he's going anywhere.

by Goodfella on Jul 26, 2005 8:48 AM EDT reply actions

More thoughts

Hard to figure what's going to happen with Ramirez. I think that the front office wants to keep their options open, so they are seeing who can do what in a utility role. Youkilis playing second base, for example. I expect one of those two guys to be moved. Hanley's a terrific ballplayer. His numbers are down a bit this year, but he seems to rise to a challenge and I think he could handle AAA pitching today. If I were to guess, I would say that either Ramirez or Youkilis will be traded, though I like them both. I think Pedroia is the second baseman in Boston next year, and Youkilis is the obvious heir to third base, so Hanley could be swapped for a top-notch player (i.e. not Larry Anderson).

The Sox actually have a lot of young pitching to deal with. Nobody's talking about Alvarez any more, but here's a 22-year old with a 4.60 ERA at AAA, which is so-so, but with pretty good peripherals; 1.18 WHIP, 2.9 K/BB ratio. I think he's a Bill Lee-type, who will be a decent #3 starter in a couple of years. Papelbon is close to major league ready right now. I could see either of those guys being involved in a deal. If I were Theo, I'd hold on to Lester and Sanchez. I think Lester is better than Papelbon right now, and he's three years younger, and I think Sanchez has better "stuff' than Paps. Another guy who could be a throw in, or involved in a deal for bullpen help, is David Pauley, who is having a good season in Portland and who I expect to be a #3/4-type starter in the majors.

Joe's SeaBlog

by Roadduck99 on Jul 26, 2005 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions

ramirez

They've also played Machado in center once or twice.

If I had to pick, I'd hope that they'd trade Ramirez over Youkilis. I think Ramirez could get more and I'm still not convinced that he's going to be as good as everyone thinks he's going to be. Besides that, the Sox have enough at short with Renteria locked up for 4 years and Pedroia able to step in if Renteria goes down. At third they have Bill Mueller and not much else. I don't want to see the Sox have to start Dave Berg if Bill Mueller goes down with a knee injury.

Over the Monster for my Red Sox minor league updates

by Brian38 @ Minor League Ball on Jul 26, 2005 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Not really carried away

I've seen Delcarmen pitch a few times, and Gammons' evaluation is pretty close. He throws hard - the highest I saw on the Portland gun was 97 mph, though he's usually in the 93-95 range. He has a changeup and a knee-buckling curve ball. When he's throwing strikes, he's practically unhittable. Delcarmen's biggest problem is his control. Early this season he really struggled with it and got into a lot of trouble. He's controlling the strike zone a lot better these days, and very effective when he does. If he doesn't suffer the same nervous condition that Cla Meredith did, he'll be a help. He should certainly do better than Matt Mantei was doing, and he's got more upside than a Scott Cassidy/Blaine Neal type.

Joe's SeaBlog

by Roadduck99 on Jul 26, 2005 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

Debut

Watching Delcarmen's debut last night, he looked pretty darn good. Aside from that one breaking ball that looped up over the batter's head, he had pretty decent control. The fastball was lively, and looked to have some movement to it. To be honest, I'm not sure if he's being showcased or not, but if he continues to pitch well in Boston, he may find himself part of the bullpen. Why trade for help when you can promote it from within?

As for trades, I don't think you'll see Papelbon or Lester going anywhere (I think it's safe to call them untouchable right now). Sanchez would be a possibility if the Sox get in on Burnett again, though I hope it doesn't happen. I could actually see Theo sit back and NOT trade for a starter at the deadline if for no other reason than the capital they earned by winning last year. But if anyone is traded, I would be betting on Delcarmen.

by RVachon on Jul 27, 2005 10:19 AM EDT reply actions