FanPost

Pointless speculation for when the injured return

The fact is that some people have to go when the MASH unit that is the Red Sox DL starts sending our troops back to the front line at Fenway. So lets commence with the pointless speculation.


Here are our current 25:

Lester
Lackey
Dice-K
Wakefield
Papelbon
Bard
MDC
Ramirez
Oki
Richardson
Atchison
Bowden
Ortiz
Cash
Brown
Youklis
Shealy
Hall
Patterson
Scutaro
Beltre
Nava
Cameron
McDonald
Drew


So here's where the fun part begins.


Let's say they come back in this order - Buchholz, Hermida, Beckett, Martinez, Lowell (maybe?), Pedroia, Varitek, and Ellsbury, and we make no moves at the trading deadline. That may be wildly wrong, but just suppose.

In comes Buchholz, out goes??? I'm guessing Richardson. Too bad because he's been a decent LOOGY. The first one should be Oki in a trade to the NL whose hitters aren't familiar with his funky delivery.


In comes Hermida, out goes??? I'm guessing either Nava or D-Mac. Nava is clearly the better hitter, D-Mac clearly the better fielder.  Given his youth, Nava will probably go back to AAA. It SHOULD be Patterson, even though that would leave us with only Hall at 2B.

 

In comes Beckett, out goes??? As crazy as it sounds, I don't think it will be Oki, Ramirez or Atchison. I think this is when we say goodbye to Wake by way of the DL for his sore back, which will heal quickly if any of the starters get injured. This is also assuming Bowden pitches well out of the pen.


In comes V-Mart, out goes Brown. Easy one there. Cash has the better defensive arm although he won't be needed to catch Wake anymore.


In comes Lowell (if he doesn't stay on the DL until an injury to Youk, Beltre, or Ortiz), out goes??? Goodbye Shealy.


In comes Pedroia, out goes ??? The one left of either Patterson or Nava says goodbye.


In comes Varitek, out goes??? There goes Cash, and there goes our late inning defensive replacement at C.


In comes Ellsbury, out goes??? If not Cameron to the DL, then either Hermida or D-Mac has to pack their bags - likely D-Mac.


OK, let me have it. Where did I totally miss the boat on this?