Breslow's back, Workman to PawSox rotation

mabrowndog

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Alex Speier
 
No surprises here, as Breslow's got a "mild" shoulder strain, and Wright's recovering from sports hernia surgery. Both transactions are retroactive to March 21, meaning that while Wright's rehab is much longer-term, Breslow would be eligible to return April 5 while missing just 4 regular season games. Wright is a candidate for the 60-day DL should they need to open up a 40-man slot to add another reliever -- say lefty Tommy Layne or, less likely, Francisco Cordero -- but I doubt the Sox would take that step as it appears Breslow won't miss enough time to make it worthwhile. More likely they'd just go with Drake Britton and option him when the time comes.
 
 
[Breslow] has pitched in two minor league spring training games, tossing 15 pitches (10 strikes) in an inning of work with a fastball at about 87 mph and a swing-and-miss changeup on Thursday. Breslow felt like the DL stint was unnecessary and told the Sox as much, but the team feels that he will benefit from building arm strength with perhaps two or three minor league outings before he joins the roster.
 
“[Breslow] felt like with three appearances that were outlined [during spring training], he felt like he’d be ready for the start of the season. We just felt like similar to last year, with a couple extra outings in that first week of the season just to continue to build his foundation,” said manager John Farrell, alluding to the fact that Breslow spent the initial weeks of last year on the DL. “I thought today, watching him in the minor league game, there was a clear step-up in stuff without overexerting. We expect this stay to be minimal.”
 
The moves leave the Sox with 33 players in camp.
 

mabrowndog

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Breslow will be activated tomorrow, with Workman getting optioned to the PawSox.
 

Scott Lauber ‏@ScottLauber  4m
#RedSox have informed Workman that he's going to Triple-A to get stretched back out as a starter
 

normstalls

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Any chance they are kicking around the idea of Workman to the rotation and Doubront to the pen?  Could be reactionary after yesterday's clunker, but Doubront did look good there last post season.  Though, Workman sure did too.  That would be 4 lefties as the pen is currently constructed which seems way excessive.  Or is stretching Workman out more for insurance purposes so he is ready to step in once he is needed in the rotation?
 
I like Workman and he seems to be a decent, useful pitcher.  I guess the tricky question is where is he most valuable and best utilized?
 
Dec 10, 2012
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teddywingman said:
Yeah. That's the question. I think this move shows that the team values Workman as the next starter in the rotation, should the need arise.
Or maybe they want to get his stock up and trade/package him for a 3B/OF?  Team could use a legit bat behind Nap.
 
Then again, you can't have enough P.
 

KillerBs

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I would not be interested in dealing Workman now. Buchholz and Doubront's early performance suggests the need for starting pitch depth may be more immediate than we thought/hoped. I like Workman slotted in for now as the #6 starter ahead of Capuano or anyone else at PAW now, agree with the idea that he should be stretched out in AAA for the time being.  
 

reggiecleveland

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Dan to Theo to Ben said:
Or maybe they want to get his stock up and trade/package him for a 3B/OF?  Team could use a legit bat behind Nap.
 
Then again, you can't have enough P.
They already have a problem with an OF too many. As poorly as they have hit Dubront and Clay getting lit up is a bigger concern. Workman is probably gping down to get ready to take over if Clay goes to the DL or Dubront keeps sucking.
 

joe dokes

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KillerBs said:
I would not be interested in dealing Workman now. Buchholz and Doubront's early performance suggests the need for starting pitch depth may be more immediate than we thought/hoped. I like Workman slotted in for now as the #6 starter ahead of Capuano or anyone else at PAW now, agree with the idea that he should be stretched out in AAA for the time being.  
 
Buchholz has made 1 start; Doubront 2.  Those starts don't suggest that the team needs starting pitching depth any more than normal prudence dictates. (The likelihood is that *every* team will need an extra 2-3 starters over the course of the year).  Those 3 starts suggest nothing. 
 

threecy

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joe dokes said:
 
Buchholz has made 1 start; Doubront 2.  Those starts don't suggest that the team needs starting pitching depth any more than normal prudence dictates. (The likelihood is that *every* team will need an extra 2-3 starters over the course of the year).  Those 3 starts suggest nothing. 
 
Buchholz's start suggests his velocity is still way down and that there may be a bigger injury at play.
 

SouthernBoSox

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joe dokes said:
Buchholz has made 1 start; Doubront 2.  Those starts don't suggest that the team needs starting pitching depth any more than normal prudence dictates. (The likelihood is that *every* team will need an extra 2-3 starters over the course of the year).  Those 3 starts suggest nothing.
Clay was injured to finish the 2013 season. When he wasn't injured he was a dominant starter. When he tried to come back his stuff was a shell of his non injured self.

The Clay we saw in his first start looked more like the injured version than the non injured version. Beyond the fact that it was statistically one of the worst starts of his professional career, his stuff just wasn't there.

You can act like it means nothing, but that's pretty wishful. I'm not talking about results, even if he threw up a zero with the same stuff, I'd still be worried.
 

Saints Rest

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I think the Sox need to determine if Workman's stuff will work as a starter (multiple trips thru a lineup, stamina over longer stretches, etc).  I don't see any downside to his pitching multiple starts over the next few weeks -- if the Sox need a spot starter, maybe it's him; if the Sox need him back in the pen, it's an easy transition.  
 

KillerBs

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And it suggests he is now more like the pitcher who took the mound in the WS then the guy who was one of the best pitchers in the league for the first 2 months of 2013. 
 

Lose Remerswaal

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The plan out of ST was to put Workman in the bullpen up here and then stretch him out in AAA after Breslow came back, so no, the results of Doubront and Buchholz have nothing to do with him going into the Pawsox rotation, but perhaps the EXPECTATION of the results of Doubront and Buchholz do have something to do with it.