Wakefield To Undergo Surgery, Likely to Return for 2010

by Ben Buchanan on Oct 16, 2009 3:56 PM EDT

Tim Wakefield is set to undergo surgery Wednesday to fix the herniated disk in his back, a procedure which shouldn't stop him from coming back next season. Assuming all goes well, Theo seems happy to have him back.

"Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein during his Monday press conference. "We haven’t sat down and finalized anything. Obviously we want to see how the surgery goes and then both sides will sit down and talk."

Wake was, as usual, worth more than his $4 million option last year. So long as the Sox can keep getting the same level of production out of him, it makes sense to have him back. Given his age and fragility, though, expect the Sox to either have a backup for Wakefield, or to use the Knuckleballer in a back-up role himself.

The Sox will likely fill the 5th/6th starter position with another low risk, high reward candidate. While the strategy proved unsuccessful last year, with both Brad Penny and John Smoltz proving to be of little help, Theo Epstein recently stood by his decision, and suggested the team would try it again. Certainly, though, this year's crop of names is rather more impressive, with Erik Bedard, Justin Duchsherer, Rich Harden, and Ben Sheets highliting the list.

Poll

What should Tim Wakefield's role be with the 2010 Red Sox?

5th starter.

147 votes

6th starter/long relief. Sign a low-risk, high-reward free agent.

68 votes

6th starter/long relief. John Lackey is worth top dollar!

31 votes

None. Decline his option.

25 votes

Other (Comment away!)

2 votes

273 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I really hope he'll be back

The guy is a class act and a very solid 5th starter: Get well Wake (that’s the most important thing)

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Oct 16, 2009 4:03 PM EDT reply actions

+1

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 16, 2009 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

+2

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 16, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions

+3

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Oct 16, 2009 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

If healthy, picking up his option is a no brainer to me. He’s been good for a mid 4 ERA and threw 370 innings in the previous two years. It would be great to have Lackey but not at the price he is likely to command as the top FA pitcher this off season. I’ll take one of the many reclamation projects listed as the #5. Wakefield would still get plenty of starts as other members of the rotation go on and off the DL.

by mg050369 on Oct 16, 2009 6:08 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I’d like to see the Sox pick up another starter after they pick up Wake’s option. Looking at the starters we have now, you have to like their upside, but you also have to admit that at least one will probably miss a significant amount of time due to injury or ineffectiveness. As USG points out, there are some very legitimate options out there through FA, and I bet we can work out an affordable deal with one of them.

by Schulz on Oct 17, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions