He’s said he’s not at 100%. He says he doesn’t deserve to be in the rotation.

We need someone who can pitch. Smoltz is here in 6 days.

“Involving or fraught with danger or risk”

At least he’s living up to his name.

I think a DL stint is what the not-really-a-doctor ordered. My theory being that the WBC’s impact on his spring training (including throwing literally 98 pitches in a game situation in mid-March) plus psychological concerns are the root causes of this. He needs go through the ramp-up that pitchers go through in the spring, and he needs to regain his confidence – both of which require time away from the game which the bullpen will not provide. Of course, this also benefits the Sox by subtracting the Dice-K starts and continuing to showcase Penny (for trade or F/A) while giving Smoltz or Buchholz playing time. After all, Dice’s WAR was 0.2 before today’s crumbly turd sandwich, so it literally almost cannot get any worse. Just, for god’s sake, let’s not DL him with “anxiety disorder” like Greene or Willis. It’s the worst disabling malady to ascribe to a player with confidence problems this side of small-dick-itis. I wonder, can one catch channelopathy? (j/k)

That said, I fully expect him to return later this year and make Tito’s post-season roster selection difficult. I’m not so sure I see him in the ‘pen in the regular season though. Dice-K is not someone who starts strong and fades, he starts jittery and settles down. Sounds like a bad option to send in against Cap’n. Tange or Eva Longoria Parker, Jr. with the tying run on second.

smoltz is going to be good?
maybe a little off topic, but why are we in such a rush to trade penny and send dice away for smoltz who may not be as good as either of them?

…but the Sox had a reliever a few years back that had been really good, then fell apart. I think he flipped some fans off, and then it was discovered he had a ‘mysterious muscle imbalance’, and he needed to be treated with a long rehab with his personal doctor back in Asia. Could this be something that Theo needs to look at? Hey, if David Ortiz can get an eye exam, why can’t Dice-K be ‘out of balance’ for a while? I mean really, he’s wobbly enough in the rotation, just like an out-of-balance tire, it’s possible. Right? Isn’t it? (!) By the way, please go easy on me for not remembering the reliever’s name, but I am just not that good with names…

That performance last night was NOT the performance of a winning, championship-like team. NOT NOT NOT. Dice-K must be dealt with and now, but what about Mr. Washed-up, Jason Varitek?? Can anyone tell me that they were not embarrassed for the Sox watching him trying to get around on those pitches. Pitiful. He is no longer a major league caliber hitter, and he must be dealt with along with Dice-K to get any chance for this team to not go into a big skid. I sense that skid potential is very very real if action is not taken soon!

Dice-K would be a HORRIBLE pitcher out of the pen. He’s a walk machine and has people on base constantly. Even when he was winning games, he was still constantly in trouble and then somehow dancing out of it with minimal damage. Bringing him into a game when your starter gets in trouble and you need outs? Yikes.

Well,
Dice K’s performance shows how important pitching depth is. The Sox are committed to Dice K and they probably shut him down for awhile. I do not think he will go to the bulpen. He is a team player and competitive – I think he will do what is best for the club. Once healthy he will be fine. I imagine in the future clubs will write NO WBC into their players’ contracts. I like Dice K and I look forward to seeing him return to form – even if it is not until next year.

I do not think Theo will trade Penny or Smoltz or any pitcher for that matter until late July if at all. The only exception being a BLOCKBUSTER trade for a young SS and catcher that would define the future of the club for years to come. Texas Rangers anyone???

Hey – the Sox won’t know if Smoltz is ok until several starts- he is still a question mark at this point. I also imagine Bucholtz will get some starts down the stretch too. And, assuming Dice K is shut down and Smoltz does not produce then Penny and Bucholtz would round out the rotation. Also, Wakefield has a damaged shoulder (for like the past five seasons) that he strengthens regularly to avoid surgery and he tends to tire out in August so there will be limited spot starts for pitching prospects to get some starts. Not to mention resting Beckett and Lester to make a playoff run. Should be an interesting summer!!

outside of the way Dice-K is pitching. He will go on the DL, Smoltz will be moved into the rotation and that is that.

Buchholz is not a problem, he is in AAA and will eventually get a chance to pitch as a spot starter or if Saito gets traded, which seems like it could happen.

As for the WBC ban, that will not happen. MLB is the organization behind the WBC and other teams like Japan, Korea and the Caribbean teams will participate. An anti-WBC clause would go against Bud Selig’s desire to expand and promote the WBC even more.

I am still not willing to blame this entirely on the WBC, other pitchers who participated are having fine seasons. Felix Hernandez, Oswalt, Javier Vasquez, Guthrie (well he is not injured), Joel Hanrahan, Heath Bell, John Grabow, Yu Darvish is dominating in the NPB. Right now there are only 3 pitchers having major trouble: Dice-K, Armando Galaraga and Oliver Perez. To make the WBC the scapegoat seems unfair.

but whatever happened to saturday day games? Perfect day to lay on the ouch on watch basebal, and they go schedule the game for 7:05.

He walker Jeff Francoeur. Do not trade Penny, see if Smoltz is any good before. Then if Buch keep that up, trade Penny. But DL Dice-K.

Gammo believes:

unless someone comes up with a Justin Smoak, Matt LaPorta or Brett Wallace — which isn’t going to happen — they are going to hold onto Penny, who is two years removed from finishing third in the NL Cy Young race.

Short of putting Dice-K on the DL, the Sox really have few options—despite their depth.

Tim Wakefield and Smoltz are 42 years old. Matsuzaka hasn’t been the same since he prioritized the World Baseball Classic exhibitions over the Red Sox regular season. Things happen. Wakefield isn’t working out of the ‘pen; Jason Varitek isn’t going to the bench to bring him in. It is doubtful Smoltz — who pitched brilliantly last weekend for Pawtucket but topped out at 91 mph and averaged 85-88 — could get ready quickly out of the bullpen.

In a real world Matsuzaka would be sent to Pawtucket with his 8.23 ERA. But this is not a real world, either the $100M paid for him or the commissioner trying to keep teams from protecting their investments in a meaningless showcase exhibition. Matsuzaka could be disabled, but he won’t be able to do the physical rehab work and pitch in the minors, where he belongs.

One general manager says the Red Sox are “the only contending team shopping pitching,” but right now Takashi Saito is the most likely to be traded. Boston has to pick up most of the pro-rated salary, and probably would pick up more, to get a prospect, and there have been several inquiries. Two weeks ago, they discussed a Saito-Hank Blalock deal, but Red Sox’s GM Theo Epstein felt the club owed David Ortiz more time. Meanwhile, Chris Davis’ struggles and Smoak’s oblique injury in Triple-A may necessitate Blalock playing first base for the Rangers. The Red Sox have engaged the Angels about Maicer Izturis, but that hasn’t gone anywhere.

I think the Sox have no choice other than putting Matsuzaka on the shelf. The team simply can’t afford a guaranteed loss every 5 days. Last year, they had to stick with a struggling Clay Buchholz until they acquired a better option: Paul Byrd., a league average pitcher This year, the Sox have at least four better options than Dice-K: Smoltz, Buchholz, Bowden, and Masterson.

Here’s a comparison of Dice-K in 2009 v. Buchholz in 2008:

Dice-K: 8 GS 35 IP (4.1 IP/GS) 8.23 ERA 5.72 FIP 26.8 LD% 8.74 K/9 5.05 BB/9
Buchholz: 15 GS 75 IP (5 IP/GS) 6.72 ERA 4.82 FIP 20.9 LD% 8.53 K/9 4.86 BB/9

When you look at the numbers, Buchholz was better in 2008 than Dice-K has been so far this year. I think it would be better to DL Matsuzaka rather than bury him in the bullpen (which is what they’d have to do). As a reliever, Dice-K would have to be relegated to garbage-time situations because his lack of control would make him a poor option in most situations. If Matsuzaka stays with the club as a reliever, Saito or Bard would have to go. Both of those pitchers are better than Dice-K.

Dice-K would probably have a better chance of straightening himself out with rest and rehab. That said, I don’t think the Sox will get much from Dice-K this year. But, unlike last year, they have options. They don’t have to trot out a stinker every five days.

According to the globe’s Amalie Benjamin:

Daisuke out of the rotation. To be looked at by Dr. Gill after physical issues came up, Francona says.