104 replies to this topic

[Div School Sox Fan]

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Every comment they are making seems to set up the idea that the elbow isn't where it should be.

Could you cite, please? I get the sense that Matsuzaka is still rehabbing from major surgery, and that it's rare for pitchers to be 100% effective less than a year removed from TJS, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that the surgery didn't take.

To be clear, I haven't read everything or heard every interview, so I'm asking which comments the Sox made that suggest Matsuzaka is damaged goods.

Edited by Div School Sox Fan, 14 May 2012 - 04:55 PM.

[smastroyin]

Things like this:

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Overall, my body feels good, so that’s fine,” Matsuzaka said through interpreter Jeff Cutler, “but my elbow, depending on the day — some days it feels better than others. Right now, I’m hoping when I start, it hits the day I’m feeling good.”

Also, earlier in this very thread Bobby V is talking about his mechanics being wacky. If a guy is coming off of major arm surgery, I think you are set up pretty well to say that he still needs some rehab if his mechanics are not where they should be. And, if he continues to give up a run per inning, they will have pretty good evidence that he isn't ready in terms of the results. It's not a matter of damaged goods, it's a matter of he needs more time to build up the strength fully and not feel soreness, etc.

Now, implicit with my earlier post is the idea that Dice-K will not force their hand by stating that he is healthy and not accepting the optional assignment. My point though is that if he is amenable to some more starts in the minors, the paperwork side of things is not going to be a problem. If he is not amenable to that, then it's an entirely different story.

[Harry Hooper]

Speier:

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The 31-year-old is slated to make two more rehab starts, one on Thursday and another on May 22. Technically, that will be the last time he can make a start under the 30-day window of his current assignment. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the pitcher will be done pitching in the minors at that point.

With Matsuzaka returning from Tommy John surgery, if there is some kind of physical setback — whether inadequate arm strength or some physical malady with either his elbow or something else — then if the Sox shut down the right-hander for at least seven days, they can restart his rehab clock, thus permitting them to commence a new 30-day rehab assignment. While Major League Baseball has to approve the renewal of the rehab clock, it is typically either rubber-stamped or — so long as the issue is legitimate — approved after a brief phone call to clarify the need for the renewal of the rehab clock.

[MikeM]

smastroyin, on 14 May 2012 - 12:56 PM, said:

If they have to waive him on the 23rd because he needs more time in the minors, what are the chances, really, that he gets claimed? And furthermore, what are the chances that the Sox would be happy to let someone claim him and pay him?

0% on the first, 100% on the latter.

The financial commitment there has been driving this "potential 2012 savior" bus since day 1 of this off season (or at least until it became rather clear we wouldn't be bringing in any legitimate/outside help). Pull back that obligatory curtain of optimism and what you have there is a bunch of wishful thinking/speculation imo, fueled heavily on an arguable need to glaze over those 2009-11 seasons. Combine that with actual player in question, and the whole rather unfriendly time frame squeeze that's in play here (ithe chances of a resign being nill, imo), and i'm personally not seeing a winning ticket in all this. Heck, if given the actual pre-season option, i doubt we'd have seen Ben take an outside flyer on this lottery ticket at even 1/5 of the current cost.

For me, Dice-K's value in the 2012 equation was situational at the start, with a stronger flip side potential that he'd play out to be a hindrance. For all the talk about him replacing Clay in the rotation, i don't see that happening. So if he ends up coming in, essentially at the expense of taking sample size starts away from the 24 year old we plan to simply hand the job back over to next winter (Doubront), i'm left projecting the latter atm.

Edited by MikeM, Yesterday, 02:02 PM.

[trekfan55]

From PeteAbe, but several others have it too

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Bobby Valentine said several times in several ways that he doesn't think Daisuke Matsuzaka is close to being ready ... http://www.sulia.com/c/boston-red-sox/f/4085ce07-9a65-4494-82bb-11e53593ff16/?source=twitter

He still has two starts to make though, but this is very interesting to read.

More detail here:

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  #RedSox mgr Bobby Valentine said he has spoken to Matsuzaka and believes he is still searching for a proper delivery following his Tommy John surgery. "That's why I don't think he's close," Valentine said. "I'm not sure he's put his elbow situation behind him yet. I don't think he totally understands where he is with his elbow, which is very important."

Edited by trekfan55, Today, 04:50 PM.