Terry Francona addressed the media the other day, and while he said he’d love to have Jon Papelbon as his closer, he’s going to put the ROY of the year runner up in the rotation in 2007. He’s doing it not because he thinks it’s best, but because the doctors think having a regular pitching schedule would be better for his injured shoulder.
I’m actually happy about the decision. 75 innings of Papelbon isn’t nearly as good as 180-200 innings. I know the Red Sox still need a closer but I’d like to see Mike Timlin start there with a transition to Craig Hansen.
Also, Clay Buchholz was interviewed by David Laurila at Baseball Prospectus. He talks about everything from his pitches to his confidence on the mound. Good stuff here.
