Red Sox Thoughts (August 24, 2009)

After getting pounded by the Yankees for eight runs in eight innings (including five homeruns) last night, Josh Beckett is officially in a mini-slump. Going back to his subpar start against the Blue Jays last Tuesday, Beckett has given up 15 runs on 18 hits over 13.1 innings. With the Rangers and Rays right behind the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card chase, this is obviously the worst possible time for Beckett to hit a bump in the road. If the Sox expect to make the playoffs and contend for the World Series, they need Beckett to be the Cy Young candidate he has been for the majority of the summer. His next start will be Friday, against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park... Tim Wakefield will return to the Red Sox starting rotation on Wednesday against the White Sox. Wake's return comes not a moment too soon. He will replace the struggling Brad Penny in the rotation. At this point, I would take a 43-year-old who can barely feel his legs over the ineffective Penny... It looks like the Red Sox will acquire hard-throwing Billy Wagner from the Mets, most likely for a low-level prospect. Wagner is coming off Tommy John surgery but the lefty did hit 96 mph in his first appearance on Thursday. He would give the Sox another lefty in the bullpen as well as an alternate closer if Jonathan Papelbon is unavailable. Papelbon is on record as not wanting the team to acquire Wagner because he doesn't want the bullpen roles to be changed but the Sox could use an arm like Wagner's as they try and hold off Texas and Tampa Bay for the Wild Card. As much as I love Papelbon, his job is to pitch. Let's hope Theo Epstein finds a way to add Wagner... After another three-game series between the Red Sox and Yankees lasted for 86-hours, this proposal makes a lot of sense... Enjoy Clay Buchholz tonight...