I still think he eats innings, he just isn't effective anymore.  He came in handy this year because of the devasting losses to our front line starters.  Let's say we didn't lose Buchholtz and DiceK.  He wouldn't have pitched.  I think, sadly, this is it.  Heck if we can spend $$$ on Crawford when we already have Ellsbury, I wouldn't put it past them to seek out another FA pitcher this offseason.  They WILL hold onto Lackey and try to fix him.  Beckett and Lester are returning.  I don't know of Dice-K's contract status, but it takes starters two years to bounce back from TJ surgery.  Sure he will pitch somewhere next year, beit Japan or in MLB, but he'll be less than 100%.  So I think he's out.  They may take a page out of the Yankees book ..... look how they pieced together a staff this year.  Maybe they got luckey, but it worked.
Posted by schwank

In Response to Re: Do you Extend Wakefield to 2012? : If they do the NYY thing, bringing Wake back would likely be part of that patchwork and let it sort on in the sprong. But I doubt the FA market will have any front line - big splash answers. Get by the guys with options and this isn't any more impressive a list than the onbe was that headlined Lackey in 2010: Starting Pitchers Mark Buehrle CWS Chris Carpenter STL * Bruce Chen KC Aaron Cook COL * Kyle Davies KC Ryan Dempster CHC * Justin Duchscherer OAK Zach Duke ARI * Jeff Francis KC Freddy Garcia NYY Jon Garland LAD * Aaron Harang SD Rich Harden OAK Livan Hernandez WAS Edwin Jackson CWS Kenshin Kawakami ATL Scott Kazmir LAA Hiroki Kuroda LAD Rodrigo Lopez CHC Paul Maholm PIT John Maine COL Jason Marquis WAS Kevin Millwood NYY Scott Olsen PIT * Roy Oswalt PHI * Brad Penny DET Oliver Perez NYM Joel Pineiro LAA CC Sabathia NYY (may opt out) Carlos Silva NYY Javier Vazquez FLA Adam Wainwright STL * Tim Wakefield BOS Chien-Ming Wang WAS Brandon Webb ARI C.J. Wilson TEX Chris Young NYM
Posted by fivekatz

im going to actually say yes...why not use him as a spot starter? OR LONG RELIEF...THAT's what his role was supposed to be before every pitcher went down for the count...i have no problem with a wake start every ten-twelve games
Posted by georom4

In Response to Re: Do you Extend Wakefield to 2012? : Cos he hasnt been able to pitch for two years and can hardlyy wealk maybe. 
Posted by jamesey271975

In Response to Re: Do you Extend Wakefield to 2012? : What part of your body do you use to type?
Posted by slomag

In Response to Do you Extend Wakefield to 2012? : I'm hoping Wake makes the decision to retire but when you look at Lackey, Miller, Tazawa, Weiland, Dice and probably replacing Bedard.  Wakes stats don't look so bad at number 6 or 7 for the price.  It all depends on where Wake may be standing when Theo decides to bring that "big broom" in to sweep up the mess.
Posted by craze4sox

Do you extend Wakefield to 2012?
Posted by 1958lesspaul

But I doubt the FA market will have any front line - big splash answers. Get by the guys with options and this isn't any more impressive a list than the onbe was that headlined Lackey in 2010: Starting Pitchers   Mark Buehrle CWS  Chris Carpenter STL *  Bruce Chen KC  Aaron Cook COL *  Kyle Davies KC  Ryan Dempster CHC *  Justin Duchscherer OAK  Zach Duke ARI *  Jeff Francis KC  Freddy Garcia NYY  Jon Garland LAD *  Aaron Harang SD  Rich Harden OAK  Livan Hernandez WAS  Edwin Jackson CWS  Kenshin Kawakami ATL  Scott Kazmir LAA  Hiroki Kuroda LAD  Rodrigo Lopez CHC  Paul Maholm PIT  John Maine COL  Jason Marquis WAS  Kevin Millwood NYY  Scott Olsen PIT *  Roy Oswalt PHI *  Brad Penny DET  Oliver Perez NYM  Joel Pineiro LAA  CC Sabathia NYY (may opt out)  Carlos Silva NYY  Javier Vazquez FLA  Adam Wainwright STL *  Tim Wakefield BOS  Chien-Ming Wang WAS  Brandon Webb ARI  C.J. Wilson TEX  Chris Young NYM  If we keep Papi and paps, we'll be lucky to get one good guy off this list. If we let one go, we may get 2. If both go, we may be able to get 3, and not 3 top ones either... so again, someone tell me how we keep the budget about the same and get 3 of these starters, so we can cut Wake loose... Crickets (Also, if we let Paplebon walk, we'll need to spend on the pen anyways... we might need to even if we keep him. We can't use his money on a starter.) We have 3 near sure bets next year: Beckett, Lester, and Buchholtz. As most years have shown us, we will need 7-9 starters, of which after those bis 3, 2 more should be quality #4 type starters at worst.  Someone come up with a plan with a detailed budget breakdown, where we can stay at about the same budget we are now, and can have a better #6-7 guy than Wake. (BTW, there are no better #6/7 starters in MLB for $1-2M, unless it's a freaky find.)
Posted by moonslav59

How about going all out for Yu Darvish?  I don't think the Sox would mind a high posting fee - it's the luxury tax they despise, because it puts money in the pockets of other owners.  But his salary would probably be about what Cameron's was, and it would probably surprise most teams who might think the Sox are gun-shy after the soap opera that was Dice-K.  It might help keep Tazawa in a Sox uni, too, and I could see that as a better option than Wake in 2012.  And Dice-K himself could be back by the end of the year.  I'd also like to bring back Miller, and sign Webb to a minor-league contract.   Thanks for trying. Even if you don't count the posting fee, the salary differential would be at least $5M more if he gets "Cam" money. If we sign Papi and Paps, let Scutaro go, and don't upgrade SS, RF, or the pen, we could afford your plan. I'm not sure I'd trust Tazawa, although I like him, as a better option than Wake. I'd prefer to have both in the 6-8 starter slot.  I don't think we can stay at about the same budget by letting everyone go except Miller, Papi and Paps and signing Webb and Darvish, but even so, I'd still want Wake behind them.
Posted by moonslav59

Move on to what? Dice-K? Lackey? Miller? Weiland? Our budget is crippled by the CC and lackey signings. We can't afford 2-3 better starters via Free agency, unless we open holes at DH, Closer, SS, and elsewhere. Next year, we can only hope Lester, Beckett and Buch stay healthy. Without anyone better within the system, keeping Wake for about $1M to be an insurance policy is the right thing to do. The 200 win fiasco is past. Next year, we should know to use Wake for only 15 starts or so.
Posted by moonslav59