Key word is “prospect”. Some make it, some don’t. He does have a higher ceiling but he’s got work to do. It’ll be interesting to watch and see if he does develop…and if he does, it’ll be gravy on top of that deal…just getting rid of those crybabies to LA was a gift from above.

Another “prospect” that will die on the vine…

De La Rosa and Lackey have Tommy John surgery about a month apart and the guy with the $80+ million contract is the one NOT on a guarded pitching plan?!  I love it!

If Lackey blows his arm out are the Sox in any type of position to recoup some of the contract $$?  Just curious.

If he blows his arm out AGAIN I meant to say.

You will note the article also mentioned previous workload. Lackey has pitched 200+ innings a number of times. He knows what to expect and how to prepare. Ruby has never been close. They have to build him up, in addition to recovery. That is a significant difference. Another significant difference is that Lackey is here for the short-term. They hope Ruby is here, and dominating, long term.

Injury recovery or not, we all know how the Sox let their prospect sit in purgatory far to long. The Dodgers brought up Clayton Kershaw when he was 19 and he is now the best pitcher in baseball. Welcome to the Red Sox Farm system Rubby. Can’t wait to see you in the Bigs when you are 30.

The sox brought up Craig Hansen as soon as he was drafted and look how that turned out. Kershaw is a special case, it doesn’t work for everyone

When you read comment sections like this you start to wonder who is the bigger jerks. The players the media labelled at fat and lazy or the jags that fire negotive comments on any Sox related story.The fans in this town are an embarassment.

I get what you’re saying but I can’t put “previous workload” in the equation when both guys just had RECONSTRUCTIVE surgery on their pitching arms (elbows).  To me, that kind of procedure makes any previous achievements a moot point.  I just think it’s a little odd that the guy making next to nothing is the one they are being overly cautious with.  They don’t have big $$ tied up in De La Rosa so isn’t this the time to see if he’s the power arm they HOPE he is??

You trying to type your thoughts is the only embarrassment I see.

Dominican pitchers don’t do it for me I’m sorry.  They all throw gas, but have no control.  Johnny Cueto is the one exception in the Majors currently. 

I love the comments about prospects from people who’ve never seen them play and have no idea about scouting or player development.  Reminding people that prospects sometimes bust isn’t an original thought or useful in any way.  Sometimes great players turn into bad ones, even in the middle of their careers, so of course prospects can disappoint.  Adrian Gonzalez was one of the best hitters in baseball coming here and he disappointed.

I think Rubby could be the real deal, yes you have to baby him for awhile, understood, but the main objective is to have him pitch in the show ASAP, whether it be in 1 or 2 inning stints, then gradually stretch him out, Hopefully he’ll be stretched out at Pawtucket, and maybe by late May he will be strong enough to come up to the Red Sox and really ply his trade, spot starter?  Whatever fits!

Only some, the real embarassments are the so called writers, the pulp fiction gang, the ones that should all be in Fox.  This town represents the Yellow Press of Journalism, there are 4-5 decent writers out of how many?

Your comments are born from idiocracy, wake up, smell the coffee!  you going to roll around in the bed of ignorance all your life?

Wrong, he’ll turn into a Nolan Ryan type, it’s just that you take the easy road of bus throwing, do some reading and find out what you’re talking about. 

Well stated, we got rid of some big time expensive Cancers’, in return we got what might turn into a Nolan Ryan type pitcher, also I haven’t heard much in anyting about Webster, wonder what he’ll do this season AA or Pawtucket?  Yeah undloading that bunch was considered the Brinks Robbery, yet everyone trashes that move!  I see ignorance is not just based in N.Y. & Philly, we have a lynch mob mentality with the so called Nation!

for every Kershaw, there’s 10 Andrew Millers…he spent 18 days in the minors before being called up….

The cautious approach with Rubby is appropriate and reminiscent of the one the Nats’ docs forced on Stephen Strasburg, even though it meant missing the playoffs and half the sports media goobers in the country went batcrazy.   Speier makes the workload point clearly:  ”…the Sox will move deliberately with him this year… not simply in deference to the… Tommy John surgery, but also to the fact that he’s never had the sort of workload as a professional that would allow the team to turn him loose.”   That component of gradual workload was behind team’s innings cap for Felix Doubront’s last year, and behind their reluctance to give Frankie Morales too many starter innings (even though he was way more effective that Aaron Cook and some other fill ins).  Studies show young starters who jump quickly to a heavy innings load, more often than not, tend to regress badly the year or two afterward.  And that is without any ulnar ligament injury or Tommy John procedure. That doesn’t mean babying these young ‘uns.  It just means going with the data.  

That said, DZ has a great point that the team should follow the data on what works best to get stable, high performance from VETERAN starters a year out from a TJ procedure.  He’s a $10M per year pitcher now, prorated over the three years left on his contract, including the added year at league minimum salary that the contract called for if he missed a year to elbow surgery.  What is best for John Lackey is also best for the team in that regard.  I just hope they include a full set of BoTox treatments for the Lackster, so he keeps his frustration to himself this year and shows only a good stone face on the mound (LOL).

Johns Hopkins Hospital has a terrific set of sports medicine Patient Guides.  Intended for players and families, they are written in clear English, and they contain straightforward line drawings showing the various bones, ligs and other joint parts.  The one on TJ surgery is coauthored by several orthopedic surgeons and a college pitcher (and pre-med student) who had undergone the procedure: http://www.hopkinsortho.org/ucl.html 
 

Lackey is also a veteran pitcher who has thrown over 1800 MLB innings which includes five seasons of over 200 innings.  De La Rosa has far less mileage on his arm and has never thrown over 110 as the story indicates.  You don’t use the kid gloves with a veteran pitcher, even Lackey.  A guy like him should know his arm a lot better and be smarter with his rehab.  Key word: should be lol

Absolutely…we live in a market that craves “star power” …while stars are good to have, it has to be balanced…2011 speaks for itself. I will enjoy the drama unfold this season…to those who who cannot enjoy the game for what it is, I am sad…because it rmeains just that, a game…

“I get what you’re saying but I can’t put “previous workload” in the equation when both guys just had RECONSTRUCTIVE surgery on their pitching arms (elbows). ”

Yeah well every MLB organization does put it in the equation, so just shut up.  You have no experience or knowledge about managing a pitcher’s workload, so your opinion is ignorant and useless.  

Remember”Mike Vrable”6’5 255

it was sarcasm…

it was sarcasm….

Wasn’t McGinest at hybrid, of sorts?

Mike Vrabel was the exact prototype for an OLB in a 3-4 system, how is he a hybrid in any way shape or form?

Same with Willie Mcginest, exact same size and played OLB not DE. He was not a hybrid, he was a OLB Pass rusher plain and simple.

Hybrids I can think of that Patriots have drafted in the front 7 are only the following in the past like 6 seasons, not one of them made an impact: Jermaine Cunningham, Markell Carter, maybe Justin Rogers.

You are making my point, Ninkovich is undersized as a DE and too slow to be an OLB on the strong side to create a consistent pass rush against RT’s. Sure he has filled in nicely and does a really solid job of sealing his side of the line against the rush and covering short passes. However, this season Tommy Kelly will be the starting LE most likely, and Collins who is a faster and better pass rusher will most likely get the snaps at LOLB. Meaning Ninkovich is most likely going to struggle to find playing time, he is not going to play over Hightower, Mayo, Spikes, Jones, Collins (most likely), Kelly or Wilfork, that’s 7 guys ahead of him. So how is Ninkovich a starter in the front 7 anymore?

I would argue last season one of the weakest points on the defense was the LE position occupied by none other than Ninkovich. He just isn’t big enough versus RG’s and RT’s and he has not been able to put up the sacks coming off the edge.

Simple a hybrid is a guy who can do both . He played both DE and OLB at Illinois, He’s comparative to a McGinnest type body wise. 6’5 255 is exactly what McGinnest came into the league at.

Do you remember a player named Teddy Bruschi? He was widely thought to be a hybrid or tweener player when drafted, and there was alot of concern that he was too small to be a lineman and too slow to be a linebacker. He turned out OK…

Thank you for the answer – Deano42 is a moron

Hoodie is always on the hunt for the “Elephant”