Yo-Yoing the Rotation

As the Sox straggle back from a 3-4 trip out West after losing two of a three game set against the dreaded Pinstriped-ones, despite a large lead in the standings, doom hovers over Boston. To tell the truth, it has been so long since the Celtics glory days that the fandom of New England is just so hesitant and unable to comprehend the role of favorite. Even the model franchise, the Patriots, are constantly playing the underdog. Even winning 20 in a row, the team and fans had a chip on their collective shoulder due to the Colts whiz-bang offense serving as media darlings while the defense-heavy/short passing Patriots got props but always were treated as a second-act to the Peyton Manning Show.

What the heck does this have to do with Julian Yo-Yo Tavarez? Well, just about everything. In a matter of days, the Red Sox NEED to bring Jon Lester back to the major leagues. (Collective snort upcoming from Yankeedom) Jon Lester is the Red Sox what Roger Clemens is to the Yankees (Let it out, Bronxites. Get it out of your systems). Lester is the shot-in-the-arm, the feel-good-story, the talented half-season wonder. New York has gotten their Rocket Boost (as Matt Damon said to David Letterman: ten more of those and you will be in second place): Lester can be that boost to Boston with his nasty repertoire of pitches, veteran demeanor on the mound, bulldog mentality, and overcoming cancer and spreading joy and fastballs boost to team morale. Remember ye of little faith and memory: Lester was the number one prospect, not Papelbon. The kid so not just some Craig Breslow, he is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation stud.

Finally, I get to the good soldier, Yo-Yo Tavarez. Tavarez is a mediocre number five starter, but he has a rubber arm, will not complain about going to the pen, and is well-liked by all accounts. Therefore, his trade value will never be higher. Yo-Yo is in no way a long-term solution for the Sox pitching staff. In fact, I continue to question the particulars about the fact that he is in the rotation and Kyle Snyder is in the bullpen. So we need to send Yo-Yo somewhere desperate for pitching (OK, that is every team except Oakland and Anaheim), somewhere they know what they are getting (ahh, do you know where I am going with this?), and somewhere they are capital D DESPERATE for any pitcher capable of bouncing the ball to the plate: the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Yes, Yo-Yo is the perfect fit in the baseball paradise under the arch. The Cardinals are so desperate for pitching that they will want to deal sooner rather than later. Yo-Yo is cheap, and is well known in St. Louis. Heck, it is one of the few locations they may even welcome him back. Tavarez is a known quantity to GM Walt Jocketty and Manager Tony LaRussa. OK, now the bad news. The Cardinals have few prospects under their crimson wings.

Of course, I have taken the liberty of perusing the barren farm system of the Cardinals and have a few names to toss into the mix if the Sox can wrangle a deal (mucho shout-outs to baseball prospectus for their wonderful features on all MLB farm systems):

Bryan Anderson: Single A catching prospect. Hey, we need ANY catching prospect. Varitek is not getting any younger.

Chris Perez: Fast-track bullpen boy from the U (Miami of Florida) who has potential closer written all over him.

Mark McCormick: Single-A PROSPECT. Needs a lot of work but has a triple-digit fastball.

Any of the three work for me. Heck, throw in some middling prospect and finagle another of them. Yo-Yo, thanks for the effort, now get the hell out of the rotation!!!

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