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  1. #1
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    BOSTON -- The Red Sox optioned starting pitcher Justin Masterson to Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, with plans to convert him into a relief pitcher.

    Manager Terry Francona said the team is preparing to recall right-hander Clay Buchholz, who will take Masterson's spot as the fifth starter. Buchholz was sent to the minors to work on his fastball command after spending the last two weeks of May on the disabled list.

    "We think getting Justin getting acclimated to the bullpen has a chance to really help our ball club," Francona said. "There's a couple of ways to do it. You could just give him the ball and send him out there. I don't think that's the best way to develop somebody to pitch meaningful innings. So we sat him down and talked about it."

    Buchholz, who threw a no-hitter in his second major league start on Sept. 1, against Baltimore, struggled in his first eight starts this season for Boston. He was 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA before tearing the nail on his right middle finger.

    For now, the Red Sox recalled first baseman Jeff Bailey from Pawtucket to take Masterson's place on the roster.

    "We wanted to, at some point, get Clay back here and get him in the rotation and I think we've been alluding to and talking about that," Francona said. "We'll go from there.

    "There's not a firm timetable but the idea is to get him acclimated to where he can help us. In the meantime, Jeff Bailey will be here until we can activate Clay."

    The team later said Buchholz is expected to start Friday against Baltimore.

    The right-handed Masterson has been impressive as a rookie starter, going 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA in nine starts. He lost his last two starts, including Saturday, when he allowed two runs in six innings at Yankee Stadium.

    With a sinking fastball and slider, Masterson is considered a weapon against right-handed batters, who are batting just .170 against him.

    The Red Sox have been looking for consistency from their middle relief corps as a bridge to closer Jonathan Papelbon. Relievers Mike Timlin, Craig Hansen, Hideki Okajima and Manny Delcarmen have all struggled at times in the seventh and eighth innings.

    Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3477015

    Somebody send a wakeup call to Jocketty and Castellini, for gods sake Walt Jocketty, how long are you going to sit on your glorified past and backside?

    Get up, get moving, the boss is in no mood to continue losing, if you can believe him, I can't.

    Jocketty you have nothing, but relievers outside of Volquez, Cueto and Harang, surely you, with your dyamic history, you could make a deal with Boston for Masterson and more than fulfill their needs for a reliever.

    Send them a compliment a Arroyo, Affeldt and one of your DH's in the form of a Griffey or Dunn (big pappi and Manny occasionally have problems) that are going to be heading off to greener pastures and winning organizations next year anyway. Of course I would not pretend to have your negotiating skills, or eye for talent, I know that you can make a better arrangements here than I could.

    Since when has a Reds organization had enough starting pitching?

    Get up Jocketty, :deadhorse show us some due dilligence and proactive demonstration of your abilities. Money should be no object to an ownership group that is motivated to win. This kid is young and cheap, and would look nice next to Volquez and Cueto next year. The Reds could close the gap on becoming a winning team this year for the first time in many years with the addition of Masterson.

    What? someone is going to tell me that Masterson would not at least be the answer to the Reds problem finding a fifth starter? :ughmamoru I think not.

    Justin Masteron
    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/player...playerId=28977

    What a disgrace he lost his last two games to the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay, 2-1 and 5-4

    http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/player...playerId=28977
    Last edited by Spring~Fields; 07-08-2008 at 05:28 AM.

  2. #2
    Danger is my business! oneupper's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Burton for Masterson?
    "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."

    http://dalmady.blogspot.com

  3. #3
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by oneupper View Post
    Burton for Masterson?
    I would like to see Jocketty unload some salaries off in making a deal here, so bad, hm.

    I think I see your point with Burton, quality for quality etc., makes it kind of ouchy for the Reds bullpen though, doesn't it?

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    Member blumj's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Spring~Fields View Post
    I would like to see Jocketty unload some salaries off in making a deal here, so bad, hm.

    I think I see your point with Burton, quality for quality etc., makes it kind of ouchy for the Reds bullpen though, doesn't it?
    Well, then you could just use Masterson as a reliever for the rest of this season, then convert him back into a starter in spring training. Of course, the Red Sox could just do that themselves instead of trading him for one, too. Seems like a pretty good plan to me.
    "Reality tells us there are no guarantees. Except that some day Jon Lester will be on that list of 100-game winners." - Peter Gammons

  5. #5
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Nice post, Spring, but I think the Sox are just too proud of their young pitching and not desperate enough to gamble away Masterson. They did move Kason Gabbard last year, but that was to win a spirited competition for Eric Gagne who was a legendary closer having a very good year to that point. With Gagne being such a fiasco in Boston, I don't see them throwing away a Masterson for any of the Reds' relievers and Cordero has a no-trade clause for this year.

    As I see it, the Masterson conversion isn't a move of desperation. They simply have starting depth. Making Masterson a reliever is simply using their resources as needed.
    "I am your child from the future. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier." - Dylan Easton

  6. #6
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Spitball View Post
    As I see it, the Masterson conversion isn't a move of desperation. They simply have starting depth. Making Masterson a reliever is simply using their resources as needed.
    There is always something that they want.

    Masterson would be a good pickup for a Reds team.

  7. #7
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Spitball View Post
    I don't see them throwing away a Masterson for any of the Reds' relievers and Cordero has a no-trade clause for this year.

    As I see it, the Masterson conversion isn't a move of desperation. They simply have starting depth. Making Masterson a reliever is simply using their resources as needed.

    Cordero would probably waive that no trade if he had a shot at a ring. That might not be a bad idea to trade Cordero for that kid and maybe more in return. Masterson is not a proven starter in their eyes just yet, and truthfully he can't be in ours either just yet.

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    He has the Evil Eye! flyer85's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    starter in the pen ... blasphemy.

  9. #9
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by flyer85 View Post
    starter in the pen ... blasphemy.
    What a waste of this kid to put him in the bullpen, while he could have spent the rest of this year in Cincy winning ballgames as starter.

  10. #10
    Member Jpup's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Spring~Fields View Post
    What a waste of this kid to put him in the bullpen, while he could have spent the rest of this year in Cincy winning ballgames as starter.
    yeah, there were some that wanted Volquez and Cueto to be put in the pen too. How bad of an idea would that have been?
    "My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it's never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger." -Josh Hamilton

  11. #11
    Member Spring~Fields's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Jpup View Post
    yeah, there were some that wanted Volquez and Cueto to be put in the pen too. How bad of an idea would that have been?
    I don't like the idea, I want Masterson here to go with Cueto and Volquez, there are no guarantees in pitching, what you have this year, may not be what you have next year in guys that pitch. See Harang, See Arroyo See Bailey See Danny Graves
    Last edited by Spring~Fields; 07-08-2008 at 12:14 PM.

  12. #12
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by flyer85 View Post
    starter in the pen ... blasphemy.
    If his ceiling is a bullpen pitcher, the smarter move is to pawn him off on some team that will overvalue him as a starter. Barring that, good move recognizing it this early in his career.

    If his ceiling is a starting pitcher, then they're just wasting a valuable pre-arb year.
    Cincinnati Reds: Farm System Champions 2022

  13. #13
    He has the Evil Eye! flyer85's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor View Post
    If his ceiling is a starting pitcher, then they're just wasting a valuable pre-arb year.
    Red Sox could care less about that ... they are all about repeating as World Champs and Masterson has shown the ability to dominate RHBs.

  14. #14
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    The Red Sox don't need to worry about that as they are looking at their best pitchers in the organization rather than the best starting pitchers. If they need an additional starting pitcher they will just try to convert Masterson back - much like they were contemplating doing with Papelbon over the winter.

  15. #15
    Five Tool Fool jojo's Avatar
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    Re: Red Sox plan to convert Masterson into reliever after Triple-A stint

    Quote Originally Posted by Nugget View Post
    The Red Sox don't need to worry about that as they are looking at their best pitchers in the organization rather than the best starting pitchers. If they need an additional starting pitcher they will just try to convert Masterson back - much like they were contemplating doing with Papelbon over the winter.
    They've pretty much planned on Masterson being a bullpen arm albeit a good one. They fact he gave them some innings from the rotation in a pinch is really more gravy than anything else. They hope he'll be a high leverage pen ace.
    "This isn’t stats vs scouts - this is stats and scouts working together, building an organization that blends the best of both worlds. This is the blueprint for how a baseball organization should be run. And, whether the baseball men of the 20th century like it or not, this is where baseball is going."---Dave Cameron, U.S.S. Mariner


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