Everyday Eddie to the Red Sox?

The Guild of Red Sox Nation e-mailed me today with a rumor today that stated that the Red Sox would trade 1B Kevin Millar, 2B Mark Bellhorn, and a minor leaguer to the Seattle Mariners for 2B Bret Boone and RP Eddie Guardado. I can’t quite fathom why the Mariners would want Millar because they have Ibanez, Sexson, and Spiezio all alternating at 1B and DH with Ibanez foraying into LF as well. They could play Millar at 1B, LF, and DH (and third, but that’s pushing it) but maybe they have something else in mind.
As for Boone and Bellhorn, Bellhorn is the obvious choice because of statistics and price (perhaps they’d take Millar because they’d get Bellhorn?).
Mark Bellhorn is at .230/.339/.381 (went 0-2 with 2 BB in the game last night to drop his average to .228) and Bret Boone is at .231/.299/.385, virtually the same except Bellhorn has a better OBP and is a good double play partner for Renteria and has average defense. On the flip side, Bret Boone said he needs new surroundings, and the Red Sox could help him (and Fenway too) reclaim some offensive output. However, you have to remember that he currently has a .385 SLG (better than Jason Giambi, though). While we’re on the topic of Giambi, let me relate a funny story. After the Yankees had their outburst against BJ Ryan today, I heard from a Yankee “friend” who said that 1) BJ Ryan was terrible and should not be in the All-Star game and 2) The fans and players really messed up not having Giambi be an All-Star.
I laughed for ten minutes straight.
Anyways… the downgrade from Bellhorn to Boone (who reportedly does not have good defense either) would work because we would get Everyday Eddie, the man who currently sports a 1.55 ERA with 20 saves. However, he wouldn’t come to close. That’s still Foulke’s domain. But now we have a lethal weapon that can do a variety of things.
1) Instantly become our best option out of the bullpen, and a lefty to boot
2) Create an option instead of Foulke, as Tito prefers (and should) to use Timlin as a set-up man
3) Put pressure on Foulke and hopefully “wake him up” and
4) Creates a domino effect in the bullpen, slotting everyone else one slot lower, which is good.
This could even lead to a DL stint for Foulke who could rest his arm (dead arm?) and sort out his personal issues (so admitted by Foulke). Getting Guardado is a clear upgrade, and honestly, if we eat Boone’s contract and give them Bellhorn, we should lay off trading Millar and trade either Alan Embree or John Halama instead. As for the minor leaguer, it should be Kelly Shoppach. As much as I am a Shoppach-booster, the bottom line is he doesn’t have a place in Boston for at least one and a half more years, and only a backup at that, while the Mariners have some serious issues at catcher.
If this is a framework of a trade that’s really happening, then I say go for it.
The game today:
Foulke. He didn’t have it, then he had it for a stretch, now he’s back to not having it. He’s gotta get his velocity up. He’s said quite a bit this season, making me lose respect for him, but I have a feeling most of it is fustration. Hopefully he can work it out.
Wade Miller got jobbed today. Five singles against the Rangers? Striking out 8? I’m happy with that. As for the three runs they scored in the first, I have to say the Rangers got really lucky with bloop hits and dinky singles. VERY lucky, and Wade settled down for the rest of the outing. Jeremi Gonzalez looked fine tonight, and Halama and Embree got the outs they needed to get. I’m really not taking much away from this game. We had the offense there, the pitching there, it’s just Foulke couldn’t close the door, something that I’m still not quite used to. I am very hopeful he comes back with a vengeance after the break, but it is more than obvious that we need some help to help him come back.
By the way, I’m only theorizing on this, but…

Is it possible that if you don’t factor in Foulke’s previous woes this year and also his Cleveland implosion (the horizontal oval in the picture above), we’re taking this so seriously? Or even including the Cleveland game? In seven of his last ten games, blanks have been put up. In only one can you see warning signs, and he pitched 1.2 innings in that, not one. In the others, well, most good closers end up with an ERA in the 2.00s. Which means they ARE, on occasion, scored upon.
Overreacting? Maybe.