What has happened to Clay Bucholz?

[Nerf DPOY]

If you want, you can cheer him up some at his myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=34509635

Wow, this is actually legit. Looks like I know who I'll be stalking for the indefinite future.

Bucholz would need to pitch from the stretch if he has to inherit a runner. But not when he starts a new inning.

Can't agree with you about masterson. You see masterson lately?? he hasn't given up a run in a while and striked out 5 is 2 innings

All the more reason to keep him where he is. As Chris pointed out, he's much more valuable pitching in high leverage situations 3 times a week than as a 5th starter over the likes of Colon or Zink.

Also, his "stuff" is thought to be more effective in small doses, as he can throw harder and batters only get to see him once.

Edit: Chris stole my post. Well, not the MySpace part.

[Big_Matt34]

ITs a young pitcher going through growing pains, look at Phil Hughes, Homer Bailey and there are plenty others. Add in the fact that Clay is relatively new to full time pitching compared to others as he was an OF until his sophmore year in college IIRC.

For him, I really dont know what sending him to AAA will do as he dominated down there and i think its something he needs to figure out in the majors. However he isnt giving the team a chance lately and it may be best for them to send him down but with Wake on the DL that isn't happening.

Its all about adjusting, the league has adjusted to him and its up to him, it may not happen this year but with his stuff i have no doubt that he will.

BTW Triboy, saying Masterson should start and Buchholz go to thep en is a impossible idea. Buchholz in the pen would be a mistake for obvious reason but more important is that Masterson has an inning limit and if he is a starter he'd have to be shut down for the season soonish. Now wouldnt you rather have him in the Pen down the stretch and if we make it in the playoffs than have him make a few starts and get shut down?

[bucknersrevenge]

He is too weak. When he has no one on base and can wind up, his pitches become lethal. But when someone gets on and he tries to pitch on a short wind up, his pitches become hittable.(in turn his confidence gets killed)

Bucholz right now should be a spot reliever and masterson back as a starter

Now that makes no sense.  Relievers work from the stretch all of the time, so he would be even less effective.  He needs to be starting...just not in Boston yet.

And Masterson is much more valuable in the bullpen right now.  The role he could be playing as the bridge to Papelbon is much more valuable to this team than a 5th starter.  They should be concentrating on maintaining leads when Beckett, Lester, Dice-K and Wakefield are starting, rather than using him just for those other games.

well whatever it is its not working. sending clay out there right now every 5th day to get shellacked isnt working. i dont know if he needs to go back down to get some things worked out but hes now given up 4 earned runs or more in 7 of his last 8 starts. his control has been terrible. and this is when we need consistency more than ever from our staff with all the changes our lineup is going through. now wakefield is on the DL. buchholz needs to either get his act in gear or hit the bench for a while.

[Chris]

He is too weak. When he has no one on base and can wind up, his pitches become lethal. But when someone gets on and he tries to pitch on a short wind up, his pitches become hittable.(in turn his confidence gets killed)

Bucholz right now should be a spot reliever and masterson back as a starter

Now that makes no sense.  Relievers work from the stretch all of the time, so he would be even less effective.  He needs to be starting...just not in Boston yet.

And Masterson is much more valuable in the bullpen right now.  The role he could be playing as the bridge to Papelbon is much more valuable to this team than a 5th starter.  They should be concentrating on maintaining leads when Beckett, Lester, Dice-K and Wakefield are starting, rather than using him just for those other games.

well whatever it is its not working. sending clay out there right now every 5th day to get shellacked isnt working. i dont know if he needs to go back down to get some things worked out but hes now given up 4 earned runs or more in 7 of his last 8 starts. his control has been terrible. and this is when we need consistency more than ever from our staff with all the changes our lineup is going through. now wakefield is on the DL. buchholz needs to either get his act in gear or hit the bench for a while.

I agree completely about Bucholtz, I just don't think you can move Masterson out of the Bullpen.  If they can't wait until Colon gets back, they need to bring up someone else like Pauley, or even Bowden to see if they can get someone who can at least give them 6 innings per start. 

The bottom line is that it is much easier to find a passable 5th starter than it is to find a good set up man.

[BillfromBoston]

Masterson was the more game-ready pitcher IMO and should have been slated for the rotation instead of Buchholz...the Sox brass whiffed on this one big-time...Bucholz is a couple  of years away...Masterson showed more early in the season and should be enjoying the thrill of being a starter...

[Triboy16]

another bomber for the kid. He is good as done now. No hitter last year and now this, WOW

The redsox also have a couple of disappointing relieivers in declaremen and aardsman, so what can they do with masterson??(put him back as a starter or leave him as a reliever??)

The redsox don't have many qualified triple a starters and are sort of in trouble for that 5th rotation starter until wake comesback

[crownsy]

another bomber for the kid. He is good as done now. No hitter last year and now this, WOW

The redsox also have a couple of disappointing relieivers in declaremen and aardsman, so what can they do with masterson??(put him back as a starter or leave him as a reliever??)

The redsox don't have many qualified triple a starters and are sort of in trouble for that 5th rotation starter until wake comesback

not really, byrd is a fine 5th starter. if i were terry, id go

becks
lester
dice
masterson
byrd

Till wake gets back, then slide masterson back to the pen

as for clay, i see him much as i saw lester. good start, sophmore year of hard knocks as you adjust to being a full time starter, good third year. its actually how most young pitchers advance.

[Chris]

another bomber for the kid. He is good as done now. No hitter last year and now this, WOW

The redsox also have a couple of disappointing relieivers in declaremen and aardsman, so what can they do with masterson??(put him back as a starter or leave him as a reliever??)

The redsox don't have many qualified triple a starters and are sort of in trouble for that 5th rotation starter until wake comesback

not really, byrd is a fine 5th starter. if i were terry, id go

becks
lester
dice
masterson
byrd

Till wake gets back, then slide masterson back to the pen

as for clay, i see him much as i saw lester. good start, sophmore year of hard knocks as you adjust to being a full time starter, good third year. its actually how most young pitchers advance.

Can't do that.  Masterson would need to be stretched out again to be a starter.  By the time they actually did that, Wake would be back.

More importantly though Masterson has become their most reliable bullpen arm other than Papelbon.  There is no way you take that away.  They should be concentrating on transitioning Masterson into the 8th inning role for the playoffs.

[nickagneta]

another bomber for the kid. He is good as done now. No hitter last year and now this, WOW

The redsox also have a couple of disappointing relieivers in declaremen and aardsman, so what can they do with masterson??(put him back as a starter or leave him as a reliever??)

The redsox don't have many qualified triple a starters and are sort of in trouble for that 5th rotation starter until wake comesback

TP's go out to Chris and Big Matt for bringing the two most relavent points to the discussion about why Masterson is in the bullpen for the duration of the season.

1.) Masterson was put on an innings limit to begin the year and he can only pitch so much. Better to maximize those innings in an area that needs to be fixed and where he is excelling than to get a couple of more starts out of him and make him unavailable in the postseason.

2.) Chris is 100% right. At this point, to get Masterson stretched out to be abale to once again be throwing 90-100 pitches every 5th game would take to long and by the time he was ready other options should already have become available. In the meantime, there would be a glaring weakness in the early bullpen rotation.

The Red Sox are going to have to once again dip into their vaunted minor league pitching talent and hope they can find someone to hold the fort down until Wakefield can come back.
not really, byrd is a fine 5th starter. if i were terry, id go

becks
lester
dice
masterson
byrd

Till wake gets back, then slide masterson back to the pen

as for clay, i see him much as i saw lester. good start, sophmore year of hard knocks as you adjust to being a full time starter, good third year. its actually how most young pitchers advance.

Can't do that.  Masterson would need to be stretched out again to be a starter.  By the time they actually did that, Wake would be back.

More importantly though Masterson has become their most reliable bullpen arm other than Papelbon.  There is no way you take that away.  They should be concentrating on transitioning Masterson into the 8th inning role for the playoffs.