Daily Red Sox Links: Bobby Valentine, Josh Beckett, Yu Darvish

Well, what a weekend this has been for the Red Sox. Every time we think we've seen the lowest point of the season, it just continues to get worse. This weekend's festivities were low-lighted by the 20-2 drubbing at the hand of the Athletics on Friday night. At the time of this writing, they are already down 3-0, and it's looking like they could be on their way to a sixth straight loss. Thinking about this past weekend is depressing me, so let's just move on to the links.

• It's extremely dark times in Red Sox nation nowadays, with the team continuing to reel as this lost season drags on. Dating back to last season's September collapse, this has now been a struggling team for a full calendar year. (Brian MacPherson; Providence Journal)
• As everyone knows, much of the team's struggles can be traced back to poor starting pitching. With Josh Beckett being shipped to L.A., there is a hole in the rotation, and they'll likely have to pick up at least one additional arm this offseason. Evan Brunell profiles a few of their potential options. (Evan Brunell; Fire Brand of the AL)
• Here, Jeff Fletcher takes a look at this road trip through California and the many low points it has brought with it. (Jeff Fletcher; ESPN Boston)
• It's been more than a week since the huge mega-deal went down, and it's still being discussed across the baseball world. Over at Hardball Times, Graham Tyler explains some of the economics behind the trade. (Graham Tyler; Hardball Times)

• He was brought in to change the clubhouse culture, but the first year of the Bobby Valentine era has been a definite failure. Alex Speier thinks it's time for the team to make a decision on his future with the organization. (Alex Speier; WEEI.com)
• This has been a somewhat depressing edition of the Daily Links, so I'll try to lighten the mood with this next entry. Check out some nasty pitches courtesy of Yu Darvish. (Sam Miller; Baseball Prospectus)
• Back in June, the Rockies decided to make an unconventional adjustment to their depth-chart, as they starting going with a four-man rotation. Cee Angi looks at how this move has been, and wonders if they can truly make it work for 2013. (Cee Angi; Platoon Advantage)
• On Saturday night, Oakland's A.J. Griffin had a perfect game heading into the fifth inning, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia broke it up with a bunt single. Whether or not this breaks one of baseball's "unwritten rules" is a fascinating topic for debate. (Al Yellon; Baseball Nation)