Buchholz to Double-A

[Redz]

Ouch.  The kid needs something fixed.  It's definitely the right move.  They can't afford a guaranteed loss every 5 days.

Is Alex Cora the answer

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2008/08/21/sox_demote_buchholz_after_another_pummeling/

[Roy Hobbs]

Yeah, this is overdue.  Great prospect, but he was having an atrocious year.

[nickagneta]

If not for the injury to Wakefield and the continuing saga that is Bartolo Colon, this very well could have happened and should have happened weeks ago. The kid seems to be falling hard left upon his release and appears unbalanced. His control is gone and his mechanics are way off.

Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Wakefield and that this kid doesn't pull a Rick Ankiel, that would be quite disheartening.I only hope he can come back next year straightened out and with a clean slate and confidence. When Payton hit that slow roller to his right and Clay couldn't convert the final out, you could see the panic in his body language and just knew more runs were coming that inning.

Be nice to see if they decide to fill the position with a Bowden or if they'll reward David Pauley with a start or two until Wakefield is 100% again for having such a nice season in AAA.

[libermaniac]

Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Wakefield and that this kid doesn't pull a Rick Ankiel, that would be quite disheartening.

I don't know ... if he came back as an outfielder who could hit 37 Hrs in 641 career MLB ABs, that wouldn't be too disheartening to me. 

[Chris]

Let's hope for a speedy recovery for Wakefield and that this kid doesn't pull a Rick Ankiel, that would be quite disheartening.

I don't know ... if he came back as an outfielder who could hit 37 Hrs in 641 career MLB ABs, that wouldn't be too disheartening to me. 

Or steal 75 bases....I have heard that along with Ellsbury, he is the fastest player on the team.  The only problem is the coaches refuse to let him race Ellsbury.

I think this is a no brainer sending him down.  I think they waited a little too long for my taste, but I don't think it did any damage.  He is still tremendously talented, and I don't think he has really had a "Rick Ankiel moment".  Ankiel fell under the pressure of the playoffs, and never returned mentally.  Bucholtz on the other hand seems to more a case of a guy who needs to work out his mechanics, and learn how to pitch a bit more.  He just wasn't ready physically.

I would love to see them bring up Bowden now, who seems to be the type of guy who could come up and have early success in the Majors.  He doesn't have quite as good stuff as Bucholtz, but he seems to have great control.  More likely though, I think they will bring up someone like Pauley.

[Finkelskyhook]

Ankiel became dangerous.  Buchholz looks like he's lacking confidence.   Big difference.  If Buchholz can hit like Ankiel, it wouldn't be disheartening at all.  Hopefully he gets his mechanics and his confidence fixed at the minor league level.

Francona's best trait, his allegiance to his players, failed him this time.  Buchholz would have been better served staying at Pawtucket for the rest of the season after the first time he went down.  Buchholz was a victim of his crazy early success.

[Chris]

Francona's best trait, his allegiance to his players, failed him this time.  Buchholz would have been better served staying at Pawtucket for the rest of the season after the first time he went down.  Buchholz was a victim of his crazy early success.

Decisions like this are ussually made by baseball opps (Theo and company), rather than Francona.  I am sure Tito was in on the conversation, but I would put this more on Theo.  I think they just thought they could get away with trying to work through the mechanics up here, until Wakefield came back...but they just underestimated it.

[Finkelskyhook]

Francona's best trait, his allegiance to his players, failed him this time.  Buchholz would have been better served staying at Pawtucket for the rest of the season after the first time he went down.  Buchholz was a victim of his crazy early success.

Decisions like this are ussually made by baseball opps (Theo and company), rather than Francona.  I am sure Tito was in on the conversation, but I would put this more on Theo.  I think they just thought they could get away with trying to work through the mechanics up here, until Wakefield came back...but they just underestimated it.

You're probably right.
I based my assumption on Tito's allegiance to players like Drew, Crisp, Lugo, and Buchholz.  He gives his players every possible opportunity to play through slumps and sticks with them.  Hard to argue with the results.
I assume that Theo meddles more than a lot of GMs.  But I believe he ultimately lets Tito manage the team.

[Chris]

Francona's best trait, his allegiance to his players, failed him this time.  Buchholz would have been better served staying at Pawtucket for the rest of the season after the first time he went down.  Buchholz was a victim of his crazy early success.

Decisions like this are ussually made by baseball opps (Theo and company), rather than Francona.  I am sure Tito was in on the conversation, but I would put this more on Theo.  I think they just thought they could get away with trying to work through the mechanics up here, until Wakefield came back...but they just underestimated it.

You're probably right.
I based my assumption on Tito's allegiance to players like Drew, Crisp, Lugo, and Buchholz.  He gives his players every possible opportunity to play through slumps and sticks with them.  Hard to argue with the results.
I assume that Theo meddles more than a lot of GMs.  But I believe he ultimately lets Tito manage the team.

What I meant is that Tito has control over the guys on his team...but it is a baseball ops decision of who is on the team. 

It has also been documented pretty well that Theo has been much more involved when dealing with the younger players, because the development is his responsibility (or one of his lackeys), rather than Tito's.

[Atzar]

I would love to see them bring up Bowden now, who seems to be the type of guy who could come up and have early success in the Majors.  He doesn't have quite as good stuff as Bucholtz, but he seems to have great control.  More likely though, I think they will bring up someone like Pauley.

I would be ticked off if they brought up Bowden at any time this year. 

Michael Bowden has a very bright future.  He has above average stuff, and it's only gotten better this year.  Better yet, he's known as a pitcher who has great control.  That said, he's 21.  I truly believe that he has it in him to be an ace-level pitcher when he's done developing if everything goes perfectly, but there's absolutely no acceptable reason that he should be tossed to the wolves this early. 

Buchholz's problems are due, in large part, to the fact that he's been asked to contribute before he was ready.  I sincerely hope that he recovers and becomes the ace of this team for the next ten years, but there's a very real possibility that the damage to his confidence is such that he never becomes a fraction of what he has the talent to be.

I would be seriously disappointed in Epstein and Francona if they turned and did the same thing with Bowden.  He's good, he could be great, but not yet.  I really hope they realize that.