Mike Aviles has been one of the best defensive shortstops in the majors this year. (AP)

All spring, the clamor for Jose Iglesias was driven by a chief force, namely, the idea that his spectacular defense would outweigh any offensive deficiencies he might have. That assessment was a direct reflection upon the sense that Mike Aviles was not an adequate defender at the position. He was expected to be a downgrade from Marco Scutaro, let alone a Gold Glove-caliber defender in Iglesias.

With 35 games now in the books, something unexpected has happened. Foremost, Aviles has been among the best defensive shortstops in the majors.

The small sample disclaimer is necessary. Typically, defense is best evaluated — at least from a statistical standpoint — over multiple seasons. A couple of months thus can be deceiving. Nonetheless, the initial returns on what Aviles has done at the position are eye-opening.

The John Dewan Plus/Minus evaluation system (which examines every ball hit into a player’s defensive zone and compares the number of plays made by a single player to the average number of plays made on such balls) suggests that Aviles has made 13 more plays than the average shortstop on the balls hit in his direction this season. He’s made five more plays than the average shortstop on balls hit to his right, three more than average to his left (where his positioning, range and strong arm has allowed him to make a number of plays behind the second base bag) and four more than average on pop-ups. In Dewan’s system, that defensive wizardry has translated to 10 runs saved, the second highest total among all big league shortstops. Fangraphs.com’s UZR statistic pegs Aviles as the fourth best shortstop in the majors, 2.5 runs better than the average shortstop.

With Aviles performing as an above-average defender on the left side and reigning Gold Glovers Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez on the right side, infield defense has been a strength of the Red Sox in the early going.

“I think we’re playing pretty good defense, especially on the infield,” said manager Bobby Valentine. “[Aviles has been] huge. I don’t want to jinx him, but he’s made all the progressions. He’s learning to move with hitters and position himself properly. He always knows the speed of the runner. He’s been huge. The stability of him has been huge for our defense.”

That said, while the infield defense has been solid, the Sox’ defensive efficiency rating (meaning the number of balls in play turned into outs) is 23rd in the majors. That, however, reflects primarily on a makeshift outfield that is without Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford.

OTHER NOTES Read the rest of this entry »

Felix Doubront set career highs in strikeouts (8) and earned runs allowed (5). (AP)

It is, at times, the nature of the beast with young starters who are getting their footing in the big leagues. While a young pitcher may feature a dominant arsenal, it can be difficult to harness it on a consistent basis. Such was the case for left-hander Felix Doubront, who once again showed stuff that ranked with anyone on the Red Sox staff but nonetheless could not locate his fastball en route to a 5-3 loss to the A’s.

Doubront ended up highlighting both his talent — striking out a career-high eight — and his inconsistent ability to translate that into dominance, as he permitted a career-high five earned runs.

Doubront left the game with the Sox in a 5-0 hole, and that proved insurmountable even as the Sox spent the later innings trying to rally back. The Sox pushed a pair of runs across in the ninth, but with the tying runs on base, Lars Anderson struck out against left-hander Jordan Norberto and Dustin Pedroia grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE RED SOX

– On the one hand, Felix Doubront continued to show swing-and-miss stuff that rates with anyone on the staff, in particular, demonstrating a devastating changeup that was responsible for five strikeouts. The left-hander struck out a career-high eight, and he’s now struck out 30 in 26 innings. He has punched out 25.6 percent of all batters he’s faced, a mark that ranks third in the American League behind only Jered Weaver and CC Sabathia, and on Tuesday, he became just the eighth Sox pitcher to record as many as eight strikeouts in an outing of four or fewer innings, and the first since Tim Wakefield did so on June 1, 2003.

All of that said, he lasted just four innings and the Athletics tagged him for five runs on six hits while walking twice. Doubront struggled with both the command and control of his fastball, working behind in the count for much of his outing while tossing just 58 of his 94 pitches for strikes. Of the six hits he allowed, five came on fastballs and one on a cutter.

While Doubront has shown tremendous stuff, he is still struggling with his pitch efficiency and with working deep into games. His four-inning outing was his shortest of the year, but the 24-year-old is now averaging just over five innings an outing in his five starts. The five earned runs and three wild pitches he uncorked were also new career highs, and the southpaw now has a 5.19 ERA for the year. He also allowed three steals of third base. Read the rest of this entry »

Ryan Sweeney. (AP)

Bobby Valentine had all of spring training to concoct the Red Sox lineup. But never did he conjure anything along the lines of the batting order that he printed out on Friday for the contest against the Yankees.

Valentine inserted Ryan Sweeney in the second spot in the lineup, between leadoff man Mike Aviles and second baseman Dustin Pedroia. That approach reflects the fact that Sweeney is off to a spectacular start (he’s hitting .424, second in the American League) and the fact that he represents a good counterpart for Aviles.

Aviles (hitting .268 with a .318 OBP and .463 slugging mark this year) is typically an aggressive hitter, averaging 3.48 pitches per plate appearance in his career (below the major league average of 3.81 during that span) and 3.67 this year. The Sox want him to continue to approach his craft thusly while batting.

Sweeney (.424/.476/.624), meanwhile, embraces the virtues of patience by nature. He is averaging 4.11 pitches per plate appearance this year, a slight tick up from his above-average 3.95 for his career. Given the likelihood that Sweeney will work deep into the count (he has put a first pitch in play just 104 times in his career; he has never put a 3-0 pitch in play; and he rarely swings at 1-0 or 2-0 pitches), Valentine liked putting him next to Aviles in the lineup.

Doing so, the manager believes, will also benefit Pedroia. Pedroia (.271/.340/.521) is averaging 4.09 pitches per plate appearance, but while unquestionably become a more selective hitter, he still benefits from having the freedom to attack a first pitch in his wheelhouse. And so, in a way, the insertion of Sweeney into the second spot could allow both Aviles and Pedroia to feel comfortable with their natural approaches.

“Obviously Ryan’s been hitting the ball and being on base as much as anyone,” said Valentine. “The pitches it seems have been working for him, he might be in a more favorable position to get them. Mike’s an aggressive hitter. At times, he’s had very good at-bats where he’s extended the at-bat. I don’t want to take the aggressiveness away from him. Sweeney is a very patient guy so there’s not a problem with Mike having a quick at-bat with Sweeney coming up and taking a pitch and not having Dustin sitting there thinking he might be the guy to do that so that kind of grouping works a little, I hope.”

While the arrangement makes sense to Valentine, he admitted that it reflects the need to adapt on the fly to the realities now confronting the Red Sox, chiefly the fact that Jacoby Ellsbury is out.

“It wasn’t one of the ones I was planning in spring training, believe me,” said Valentine. “I had 33 games in spring training and this wasn’t one of the groupings I had thought about.”

Jose Iglesias was deemed major league ready by manager Bobby Valentine. (AP)

BRADENTON, Fla. — Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine talked at some length about shortstop Jose Iglesias, proclaiming the 22-year-old “pretty close” to big league ready. That said, Valentine would neither commit to nor dismiss the idea of carrying the prospect on his Opening Day roster.

“Readiness for the big leagues? Pretty close,” Valentine said of Iglesias. “I think we’ve seen a lot. Now it will just be a determination of whether it’s his time. I think he’s played pretty well. He’s showed really good progress. We have to decide if he has enough undergraduate credentials in order to take the next step forward.”

Valentine made clear that he thinks that Iglesias has major league abilities as both a hitter and fielder. However, he noted that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the right fit for the 2012 Red Sox at the start of the season.

“I think his ability is good enough,” said Valentine. “Whether it’s his time is the question, with all the other contributing factors. Mike Aviles is doing great. There’s been a lot of guys who have been somewhere else waiting for their opportunities.

“Or, if there’s, again, some formula that says he needs another something. His ability is all I’m saying. I haven’t taken into consideration whatever that other stuff is, time in the classroom.” Read the rest of this entry »

Jose iglesias will likely miss three days of games due to an injury. (AP)

SARASOTA, Fla. — The spring sensation will be on hiatus.

Jose Iglesias, whose defensive dynamism has made him perhaps the most intriguing Red Sox player to watch this spring, is expected to be out of games through Wednesday’s off-day. The 22-year-old was supposed to make the trip to Sarasota on Sunday morning to play a “B” game against the Orioles, but instead he was scratched and skipped the trip while dealing with what manager Bobby Valentine described as “a little stiff groin.”

“I believe it’s his left, and if it’s not, it’s his right,” said Valentine. “Call it a hunch.”

Valentine said that Iglesias incurred the injury last Monday, but only mentioned it to team trainers on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, the Sox plan to take a conservative approach to his return.

“I’m going to see how it is when he comes tomorrow. I have the inclination to not play him through the off day, unless he’s perfect,” said Valentine. “He’s a kid who has great desire, and right now I’m not going to let it get any worse. That’s for sure.”

Iglesias is 3-for-10 with a triple and walk in Grapefruit League play.

OTHER NOTES Read the rest of this entry »

The 2011 Cardinals offer an image of hope to the Red Sox (among other teams). (AP)

JUPITER, Fla. — The 2011 Cardinals represented one of the more improbable champions in World Series history. The team went through a staggering degree of change en route to a title.

There was turnover at the shortstop position from Ryan Theriot to the trade deadline acquisition of Rafael Furcal, something that manager Bobby Valentine has referenced in discussing the Sox’ willingness to trade Marco Scutaro and commit to Mike Aviles and Nick Punto. There was the rotation, which lost co-ace Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery last spring but managed to fill in, in part, with a trade deadline acquisition of Edwin Jackson. There was the bullpen, in which Ryan Franklin opened the year as the closer only to lose his job in the early days of the season, with Jason Motte emerging as the closer in October.

For a Red Sox team that does have some questions as it faces a period of uncertainty and/or transition in its rotation, bullpen and shortstop situation, there is some reassurance to be drawn from last year’s Cardinals, even if the model of massive in-season changes isn’t exactly a blueprint that a team tries to follow.

“[The 2011 Cardinals are] a little bit of an outlier,” Valentine said on Thursday morning from Roger Dean Stadium, where his team is getting ready to play an exhibition game against the Cardinals. “I don’t think that formula can repeat itself continuously, but it’s out there that it can be replicated every once in a while.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dustin Pedroia has his sights on 'the moon' in 2012. (AP)

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Dustin Pedroia is ready.

The second baseman in his sixth year with the Red Sox is ready for a new outlook, new manager and new feel in 2012.

And he’s come up with a new catch-phase.

On his way out Wednesday, Pedroia, who spent seven hours shooting a Sullivan Tire commercial Tuesday, said he was on a mission.

“Heading out to hit cage bombs, going to the moon,” Pedroia said.

What was his offseason training like?

“I was trying to straight body build, man,” he said without cracking a smile. “That’s basically it, and hit cage bombs.”

Before that, he spent several minutes talking about why he feels good coming into this season.

“We’re going to play good baseball,” Pedroia said of the fundamental approach of new skipper Bobby Valentine. “I’m excited, I’m excited to go play. Last year, the end was tough but we have to regroup together, come out and play good baseball and do it all year long.”

As for Valentine, Pedroia knows he must get accustomed to a new message coming from the manager’s office. He’s ready to start getting a feel for the specifics.

“I’ve been here a day and a half and met him a couple of times but we’ll find out more once camp goes,” Pedroia said. “From what I hear, he’s thinking about baseball non-stop and thinking about fundamentals and trying to get this team where this team needs to be.

“Play the game the right way. That’s basically it. I don’t have answers for what went on last year. Last year is over. It was tough. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think about it. You have to try and turn the page and come out and play well and play for your teammates. That’s what I’m going to try and do.”

Pedroia knows Valentine will have a different approach than Terry Francona, the manager he would play cribbage and cards with before games.

“It’s different,” Pedroia said. “That’s the only thing I’ve kind of known. Things change. It’s tough to see [Francona] go, especially the way that it ended for us last year. He’ll always be a close friend of mine. Whatever he chooses to do going forward, I’m pulling for him.” Read the rest of this entry »