Today I was very surprised to learn that the Boston Red Sox have penciled in Bartolo Colon and Justin Masterson to pitch next Tuesday and Wednesday.
I can understand the promotion of Colon because it is necessary for the Sox to get him active before June first (not to mention his recent performance in AAA), but I am confused as to why Masterson is getting the nod on Tuesday.
The last time I checked (which was earlier today), Masterson has been struggling a good deal lately, and is doing poorly in AA Portland. He is averaging under five innings per start, has an ERA over 4.00, and gives up as many hits as innings that he pitches in. Is this really the best option that Terry Francona has at the present moment to give his team a chance to succeed?
I think not, and simply fail to understand why Masterson is being given the spot start at this point in the season. He will obviously be important in Boston's future, but I think the Red Sox need to give more consideration to other options at this point in time.
For example, when you look at the pitching stats for Sox minor league players this year, it becomes obvious that the best candidate for this spot start is Charlie Zink.
He has the most innings pitched of the established starters on the AAA Pawtucket team, carries a sparkling 2.77 ERA (which would be far lower if not for his first start), and has walked LESS batters then Masterson despite pitching far more innings and throwing a knuckleball. He has proven himself over and over again throughout the course of this year, and I find it disappointing that the Red Sox are going to let him get away.
Why do I say this? Simple.
At the end of this season Zink will become a minor league free agent. He has already expressed an opinion that he would have a better shot at the major leagues in another organization and that he may leave the system if nothing happens this year.
Maybe the Red Sox should pay more attention and take his words into consideration.
After all, if you're Boston and you've just spent six patient years transforming Zink into an excellent knuckleball pitcher, why would you take any chances on losing him at this point in time?
He's supposed to replace Tim Wakefield within the next couple of years, so why not give him a brief shot now to give him something to look forward to?
Think about it; why not bring up Zink for a day and give him a taste of the bigs? Not only would this show commitment by the Boston brass, but it would give the young man incentive to stay within the organization and continue to be patient and wait for his chance to pitch at a major league level.
I assume that part of the reason Boston is hesitant to bring him up is because he is a knuckleballer and they already have one on the staff in Wakefield. Although I fail to see how this reasoning holds up, it is almost surely contributing to Zink's inability to move up within the ranks of the organization at this point in time.
So Theo, if you happen to be reading this, then I would ask you to reconsider your recent decision. Zink is too good a player to let slip away, and it's about time that this 29 year old kid gets at least one chance to shine against Major League hitters.
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4 months ago
Nate, did you notice what Masterson did in his first major league start?
Wakefield is still around and two knuckleball pitchers in a rotation, even for one cycle is not going to happen. If the Sox feel Zink is really Wakefield's heir in the rotation, they will make it worth his while to stay. Masterson will at some point this season be added to the major league roster. His less than stellar efforts in Portland can be attributed to let down after his superb major league start a few weeks ago.
4 months ago
I am well aware of what Masterson did in his first big league appearance. This was at a time when he was locating his sinker down in the zone and had excellent control of all his pitches. You seem to be implying that a big league call-up will solve all of Materson's recent struggles, and I for one think that this in an incorrect assumption. As I stated earlier, anybody who averages under 5 innings per start and walks loads of hitters has work to do in the minor leagues. In my article, I was simply stating the fact that the Red Sox have much better options at this particular point in time. I have no doubt (again, as I stated earlier) that Masterson will eventually join up with Boston, but I fail to see the rush to get him up so quickly. As to your comment about having two knuckleballers in a rotation; I am well aware that this is very unlikely. I alluded to this in my article, but also question the logic behind this way of thinking. Pitching rotations from years past have featured multiple knuckleball pitchers, and they seemed to do quite well. The best example is that of the 1945 Washinton Senators who had 4 knuckleballers on the staff. They pitched a combined 60 complete games and helped the team into second place.
4 months ago
Zink's not on the 40-man roster, while Masterson is. For the sake of what is clearly one spot start, it's not worth the hassle.
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