Have I mentioned to this forum yet that I believe that John Henry is Nosferatu?
I mean, it makes sense: he's tall, bony, and a whiter shade of pale; we never see him in the sunlight, only indoors or at night; he made his fortune by seemingly exerting an almost mystical control over the financial markets; and he's an associate of Larry Lucchino, whom we all know to be the spawn of Satan.
And now, it seems that John Henry has used his young apprentice, the oddly-charismatic Theo Epstein, to raise Bryan Corey from the dead.
A few Bryan Corey stats:
PECOTA-projected ERA: 4.64
Actual 2008 ERA: 10.50
Let me use insight I've gleaned from decades of sabermetric analysis to explain the subtleties and ramifications of these numbers:
1) He's not expected to be good.
2) He's doing worse than expected.
It's tough to blame Bryan Corey--heck, he's even starting to look a little bit pale, white, and undead.
It's easy, however, to blame Theo Epstein and the front office. There are choices that might work: they could bring up a hot prospect, gambling development to give them a current chance in the bullpen in low-leverage low-stress situations; they could bring up an older, career minor leaguer of unknown MLB value and see what he could do; they could try to trade with a team already falling from contention for bullpen help. Instead, they're choosing to use Bryan Corey, a guy who clearly demonstrated his mediocrity over a season in Pawtucket last year* and who is showing further decline with age this year.
Boston needs to use one of these other options. Returning a player claimed by nobody as he passed waivers to the MLB roster mere days later is futile--with time, he might "find himself," but he clearly hasn't done that.
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Mike Timlin was on the DL earlier this season. I had thought that he was on the "Disabled List," but his performance since his return has demonstrated that he was probably on the "Dead List" instead.
A few Mike Timlin stats:
PECOTA-projected ERA: 4.36
Actual 2008 ERA: 13.50
Analysis:
1) He's not expected to be very good.
2) He's doing much worse than expected.
He's got to go.
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Options: Lee Gronkiewicz is looking good at Pawtucket, and it's now or never for a pitcher his age; Hansen had moments of brilliance mixed with minutes of frustration in his recent appearance--and that's better than Corey or Timlin can do.
Plus, of course, Theo Epstein has a telephone, and there are already a half-dozen teams who might be looking to ditch reliable, more-or-less average relief pitchers for a "B" grade prospect, salary relief, and a roster spot for their youngsters. The Red Sox are contending, and Spring games count--we need to make a move.
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One last thought...has anybody else noticed that JD Drew is looking pale, thin, and drawn, and that he's been sleeping in this weird chamber? Just sayin...
* If a 33-year-old cannot dominate AAA, where the younger minor leaguers are still learning, he's going to be hit badly in MLB.