Bradford...

What exactly is Tavarez worth? As a middle reliever his value is relatively low, but as a starting pitcher for a national league team his value should be fairly high because he is relatively dirt cheap and has shown some effectiveness.

Rockies Top 11 Propsects according to BP



https://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=7069

Ian Stewart's star has fallen a great deal but he might be a good AAA shuttle/depth guy at 3B allow Lowrie to be more 2B/SS.

Morillo sounds like he has great FB and potential high upside as a reliever, but he has struggled horribly in AAA so far this year.

I would be surprised if it was on their top 10 prospects. I dont think his trade value is that much, even as a starting pitcher.

I dont follow the Rockies religiously, by any means, but I think they found themselves short on starting pitching recently and are looking for an innings eater that can be acquired relatively cheaply.

They are a pretty poorly run team, though, so who knows...

top 10 prospect for Julian Tavarez?

they'd have to be the most poorly-run team in the history of professional sports to do THAT.

I don't think you'd be able to get a top-ten prospect, but I'd bet you'd be able to get a guy who had a decent chance to contribute at the major league level. Tavarez is pretty cheap, versatile, and wasn't terrible in starts for us. Since you're going to most likely be trading a major leaguer for a minor leaguer, the guy coming back to the Sox should have a higher upside than what Tavarez is, since otherwise it's not worth it.

Not necessarily true.

Right now, we have a full bullpen with no options to burn, Bartolo Colon itching to join the big club, Craig Hansen hoping to earn the right to stay here for more than an emergency 2 inning outing at a time, Kyle Snyder is in Pawtucket, and we have other guys in the system who don't project to much (Pauley, Hansack), but can't be a whole lot worse than Julian has been so far.

If someone wants to take his $3.5 million off our hands so we don't have to keep him or eat the salary, that at least clears up our logjam of mediocrity. A bucket of balls for Tavarez is not a worst case scenario.

I could see some organizational filler being worth it, too, considering his contract.

We have a good amount of catchers around the org this year... but if we could pick up a half decent back up catcher to stash at Pawtucket last year... that would have worked. If they hadnt traded Jamey Carroll to the Tribe in the offseason he could be nice Lugo insurance right now. Barmes? Might be a little much for Tavarez, and the Rox have SS problems of their own with Tulo down. You can see how some low upside guys could certainly fit the bill, though.

Rockies owner Dick Monfort was in a rush to catch an elevator Thursday morning at Coors Field but not to dramatically alter his ballclub. Despite the team's poor start, he said the Rockies have no plans to acquire a frontline starting pitcher or even a fifth starter such as Cincinnati's Josh Fogg. Monfort is comfortable giving prized pitching prospect Greg Reynolds a shot starting Sunday in San Diego. "We will put him out there and see what he can do. He would have been up here last year if not for the shoulder injury," Monfort said. "In a perfect world, we would rather have him stay in Triple-A. But we aren't living in a perfect world. We have some issues." -- Denver Post
Denver Post says
Rockies are not making any move but it could be a smoke screen.

lets just give him to some team

Tavarez for Hanley Ramirez seems like and even trade, we'll pick up the contract

I remember an Independent league player getting traded for a used Muddy Waters album several years ago.
I'd take that for Tavarez, right now.

Cafardo says the Sox and Rox are still working on Tavarez; my guess is he goes tomorrow when they activate Casey, so they can keep Hansen as a permanent member of the pen.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...as/extra_bases/ (scroll down a bit)

Well if they are activating Casey tomorrow it sounds like they must be close to a deal to get rid of Tavarez (or some other pitcher), otherwise why didn't they pitch Hansen? It seems like if they are waiting a day to activate a position player so that they have more bullpen help, whatever bullpen person is leaving should pitch on a night like tonight.

I just cant imagine why this would take such a negotiation....here's a list of 4-5 prospects, pick one. What is their to haggle about?

I can't believe he HAS any trade value. If there's somebody willing to give us something for him...take it!

Tavarez DFA per Herald:

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/r...2/tavarez-dfad/

Finally Theo seems to be listening to Manny's input:

'Manny Ramírez, meanwhile, spent a couple of minutes in the clubhouse trying to convince reporters the Sox should trade Tavarez for one of Milwaukee's sausages, the stars of the race that occurs prior to every seventh inning in Miller Park. That was after he announced that Tavarez should be traded to Tampa Bay.'

From Boston.com (link)

It's the right decision, of course, but it's kind of sad to see him go. The guy made me laugh a lot, and I like laughing.

I am assuming this is your attempt at sarcastic humor. Gotta love the one line wastes of a post. Anyhow, I don't see why the Sox wouldn't just do something similar to the Corey trade where they agreed to a PTBNL or Cash considerations. Considering the log jam referenced earlier with arms in the minors and in the majors at this time, along with the same jam in positional players, they really do not need someone back right now. Rather, they could send him over, see how he performs and evaluate things later on based on performance. Granted the Rox may just bring up a young gun like they've stated and say they don't need Tavarez, but the negotiations seem serious enough, so I wouldn't think they would just drop everything like that. He is by far one of the most entertaining pitchers to watch. There aren't enough guys in the league anymore that take such a laid back fun approach to the game as Tavarez. I love the Tiant move he does from time to time when a guy is on second base. It actually works a lot of the time as the runners will retreat as if he is going to turn and throw to the base.

This just buys them 10 days to work out a deal with Colorado or whomever. This was a step in the right direction of putting the best players on the field and keeping Hansen.

I believe when Colon is ready, Buchholz occupies the long slot in the pen to limit his innings and will do spot starts for doubleheaders, etc....Julian's 2007 role.

When Colon is ready, our pen looks like:

Papelbon
Okajima
Hansen
Delcarmen
Aardsma
Timlin
Lopez
Buchholz

Obviously, one of Timlin, Aardsma or Lopez goes away when this happens.

There are 3.85 million reasons why it's much harder to trade Jools. I didn't see it happening, not with how he's performed.

Thanks for the help in 2007, mostly, and the wacky good times.

Do you have insider info that Buchholz would go to the pen?

and thanks for giving new meaning to "a grounder to first base"

This thread may not be necessary, discussed in the other Tavarez thread.

I honestly wish he wasn't so awful, he's been fun to watch.

However, performance-wise I won't miss the guy. He just doesn't have it. Maybe he can take Timlin with him.

I wish him the best of luck wherever he goes, be it Colorado or whatever and I hope he does well.

Can we throw in the corpse of Mike Timlin and call it a day?

It would be addition by subtraction.

Strictly on the merits, it seems that Timlin would have been a better choice to DFA. He and Tavarez are equally ineffective but the Wacko can at least pitch multiple innings. As tonight showed, we're a bit short when the starter gets knocked out early. I don't think the second lefty in the pen should be the long man.

I suspect that Timlin has between now and Colon's return to get his act together. Tavarez has a longer track record of ineffectiveness, going back to around the same time last season when Timlin started to step it up. Once Colon is ready, though, unless somebody gets injured, there is no pitcher in the bullpen with a longer stretch of ineffectiveness and lower upside than Mike Timlin. Timlin's only hope between now and then is that Aardsma throws 50 straight balls over his next 3 appearances, I think. Even if Lopez sucks, he'll be replaced by another lefty, I suspect, so it's Timlin and Aardsma fighting for the #4 bullpen spot before Colon forces the decision. That assumes, of course, that Hansen continues to show good stuff and pressure Delcarmen for the #3 spot on the bullpen depth chart. Hansen might get sent down if there's no obvious choice between DFAing Timlin or Aardsma.

I am pretty sure Clay Buchholz is going down when Bartolo Colon comes up, I really dont know who the long man will be. Maybe they demote Hansen for Snyder? Tavarez's role might be filled by someone on the roster, but I am not really sure who right now

I think Buchholz moves to the bullpen and becomes the long man, as that saves him more IP than starting in AAA would. That means either Hansen gets optioned, or one of Timlin or Aardsma gets DFAed.

Denver Post story about the Rox continuing interest in Julian.



Not a ton of upside with Sullivan, although he can play CF if the Sox can find somewhere to send Coco.

I don't understand the logic behind moving Buchholz to the pen vs. sending him down as a way to save his arm.

Why wouldn't they just put inning & pitch count restrictions on him while in Pawtucket & allow him to continue to start vs. putting him in the pen where he'll be working on a sporadic pitch schedule that's based upon game situations?

I'd also think that the Sox would want to keep his arm stretched out so when he does return to the starting 5 (after Beckett gets a blister or Colon pulls something), he'll at least have the potential to give you more than 5 innings in a start.

edit: Also, Pawtucket would give him a chance to work things out (like his command) without impacting the outcome of meaningful games with the parent club.

We could also do a six man rotation as well for a couple of weeks(turns) when Colon is ready.I do feel it is in Clay's best interest to pitch every 5th day. And AAA would be better after Colon eases in to the rotation with a pitch count as mention. I would also love to see us get mid infielder prospect like Jonathan Herrera, SS for Tavarez since we are paying most of his salary.

A week and a half ago, when his last 3 starts were 6 IP/0 ER, 8 IP/2 ER (or as I like to call it, 7 2/3 IP/0 ER), and 5 1/3 IP/1 ER the logic would be that you're only moving him out of the rotation because of a pair of numbers games – the number of available roster spots, and the number of innings you want him throwing this year. He was pitching well enough to help the MLB club at least as much as Timlin or Aardsma or (at the time) Tavarez.

Now, he's had two straight starts of less than 5 IP and 5 or more ER. He hasn't been able to get his change up down in the zone. He's thrown a handful of devastating curves, but he's thrown as many spinners that do nothing. And amidst the struggles with those pitches, he seems to have gotten less aggressive, not moreso, with the fastball. He looks like he needs some AAA time to work on his pitches and his approach, not just to conserve innings.

But he'll probably be making another two starts (or at least one) before Colon enters the discussion, so who knows? If he gets back to where he was two weeks ago, and in the meantime Timlin is giving up bombs to every third AAAA hitter that he faces, maybe the bullpen makes sense.

http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/playerpag...MLB&id=1872

Nice of JT to help us get something for him.
I hope he does well for his new team.

Sean McAdam, ProJo - Tavarez balks on PawSox and becomes free agent

OAKLAND, Calif. — Julian Tavarez, who only a few days ago elected to accept an assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket, has had a change of heart and has instead elected free agency.

...

Tavarez initially accepted the assignment with the hope that he could be recalled by the Sox during the course of the season. The Red Sox had informed Tavarez that, even if he accepted the minor-league assignment, they wouldn’t stand in the way if a team expressed an interest in him for a major-league spot.

He was expected to report to McCoy Thursday, but called and told the team that he had changed his mind and would become a free agent.

Wow, I am surpised , does this means RS are official off hook for paying him? or they still owe the remainding balance of 3.85M to Freddy Kruger?

According to the story I posted, the Sox would be responsible only for a pro-rated portion of the Major League minimum if he signs with someone else.

Looks like he may be going to the Brewers


WASHINGTON (AP)—Eager to add depth to an overtaxed bullpen, the Milwaukee Brewers are close to signing veteran right-hander Julian Tavarez.

General manager Doug Melvin said the 35-year-old Tavarez, cut loose by Boston two weeks ago after going 0-1 with a 6.39 ERA in nine relief appearances, worked out for Brewers staff in Washington on Sunday. Tavarez will accompany the team back to Milwaukee after Monday’s game and take a physical.

Assuming Tavarez passes the physical, he could be added to the roster as soon as Tuesday, when Milwaukee hosts Atlanta after returning from a 10-game, 11-day road trip. The Brewers have called up three minor leaguers to the bullpen during the trek.

“He hasn’t pitched since May 11 but he has been throwing,” Melvin said. “We’ve had to bring up the younger, inexperienced guys. They’ve done a good job, but this adds depth.”

Best wishes to JT. Glad The Sox only owe a little money now. Maybe it the savings will be well spent.
Hope to see him make a few starts as well. He has to be better than waste of talent Dave Bush.

Julian Tavarez on June 24th declined to take an assignment to the Brewers Triple A Afflliate so he could pitch himself into shape as a starter. The Brewers wanted him, but Julian declined to report and has been released. I gues he'll be on extended vacation. His Agent and Julian decided it was better to get paid by the Red Sox and not pitch, rather than ready himself to pitch for the Brewers at the Red Sox expense. Maybe Julian and his Agent Scott Boras figure as the season goes along, some other team will be more needy for a pitcher and willing to pay Julian over and above what the Red Sox will have to pay him regardless.

Signed by the Braves...



David O'Brien - Braves sign right-hander Tavarez

Three baseball teams already [this season]," said Tavarez, who began the season with Boston and was released by the Red Sox. "Hopefully this is it. I don't want to jump around anymore."

Tavarez allowed 13 hits, 10 runs (seven earned) and five walks with 10 strikeouts in 7-1/3 innings for the Brewers, who released him June 25. For the Red Sox, he gave up 18 hits, nine earned runs and nine walks in 12-2/3 innings. They released him May 22.

Maybe the only Taveras game the Braves remember from last year was when he shut out the Braves as a starter. And what is it with the Brewers picking up old Red Sox relievers. First Gagne and then Taveras. Next they can sign Calvin Scharldi.