What A Day

The Boston Red Sox have had a day more eventful then a team will usually work through, and Boston's day is only half over. We start with Clay Buchholz making his MLB debut today. He went 6 innings striking out five while allowing four runs (three earned). David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia homered for the Sox as they beat the Angels 8-4 in the first game of a double header. Doug Mirabelli started the game but left after the first with a leg injury. Jason Varitek who was to start the night game came in to catch thus throwing the front office into a frenzy. Needing a catcher to catch the nightcap, Boston got on the phone with the Pawtucket Red Sox to get Kevin Cash on his way to Boston, problem though, the Paw Sox aren't at home today so Cash is beating the clock trying to get to Fenway from Ottawa in time for the game. Mirabelli was placed on the disabled list and the Sox have an open spot on the 25-man roster so there's no problem working Cash in. The problem earlier today involved making room for Clay Buchholz and the Jacoby Ellsbury after Buchholz was sent down after the first game. To make that move Boston dealt Wily Mo Pena to Washington for a player to be named and cash considerations. The deal will likely involve someone on Washington's 40-man roster so the deal can't be finalized until after the season because of trade waivers. Notes: The Red Sox first five batters combined for a cycle in the first inning today... Julian Tavarez will start Sunday and Tim Wakefield is pushed back to Monday at Tampa Bay, he's 18-2 career versus the Rays... Varitek will catch Wakefield Monday... Bobby Kielty will take Ellsbury's roster spot Saturday... Ellsbury and Buchholz are both expected to rejoin the Sox on September 1... Ellsbury is leading off in the night game tonight.

Kids Get The Call

The Boston Red Sox will activate Clay Buchholz tomorrow before the first game of the Sox double header with the Angels. Following the game Boston will option Buchholz back to Pawtucket and activate Jacoby Ellsbury who will be with the team for the weekend and then likely optioned back to Pawtucket until September 1. The only question remaining in this process is who will be the odd man out? The Sox have had some serious discussions with an unnamed National League team about trading Wily Mo Pena though no deal has been finalized. If a deal can't be reached by game time tomorrow Boston would either need to clear a spot elsewhere or designate Pena and lose him for nothing. Another possibility should a deal not get done and Boston is hesitant to just let Pena go is the Sox could designate Julian Tavarez who has less value then Pena. Either way after the weekend Bobby Kielty should be in Boston taking Ellsbury's spot and Ellsbury and Buchholz will be back in Pawtucket counting the days until the September 1 recalls.

Future On Display

Beggining tomorrow and lasting throughout most of the remainder of the season, the future of the Boston Red Sox will be on display at Fenway Park. Portland and Lowell will both play games at Fenway on Saturday while the Sox are playing in Baltimore. Portland will play the Harrisburg Senators (Washington) while Lowell plays the Hudson Valley Renegades (Tampa Bay). The Lowell game is at 12:05 followed by Portland. In just a couple weeks a handful of top prospects could find themeselves with a September callup. Jacoby Ellsbury is one who is very likely to get the call to provide speed off the bench down the stretch. Should he continue his solid play from earlier this year when he was up he could also find himself on the bench in the playoffs. Boston won't discount the importance of a speedster on the bench, its the very reason they won the World Series in 2004. George Kottaras could also find himself in Fenway park in September. He is the only minor league catcher on the Sox 40 man roster and they would love to have a third catcher around to give Varitek added rest, assuming the division race isnt close. There are no infielders on the 40 man roster who aren't already in Boston. The Red Sox do have 2 spots on the 40 man roster open and also can move Brendan Donnelly to the 60-day disabled list if they needed another spot. We know Bobby Kielty likely will be called up sooner then later and that would require a spot, though his arrival would depend on Wily Mo Pena's departure which would clear another spot. Another spot to be taken on the 40 man will be for Clay Buchholz and that could be as soon as next week when the Sox play a double header. Buchholz has been dominant in the minors this year and could join a powerful young rotation next year that will include Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester. Other pitchers who could see time in Fenway in September are Javy Lopez who was recently sent down to make room for Curt Schilling, Craig Hansen who has been very good the past several weeks and Craig Breslow could provide another solid left handed arm from the bullpen. Brandon Moss could join Ellsbury in the outfield mix in September after a recent three day stay with the Sox in California.

Sox Promote Jacoby Ellsbury

The Boston Red Sox today promoted Jacoby Ellsbury from Portland to Pawtucket. The move was expected after Ellsbury tore apart AA pitchers in the first month of the season with a minor league baseball high .452 average. Ellsbury's stop in Pawtucket could be brief or extended til September depending on what the Red Sox do in terms of trades in July. Ellsbury has stolen 8 bases and has a .644 slugging percent despite no HRs yet this season. He has 10 doubles and two triples in 73 at bats. His OBP was .518. More after the jump. Boston could of course revisit the Todd Helton talks as a lot has changed since Spring Training. Craig Hansen signed a major league contract when he was drafted and is now in the third year of the four year deal. Boston has Jonathan Papelbon back in the closers spot and Bryson Cox is performing well in the minors since being drafted last season. This makes Hansen expendable. One deal Boston could look at is unloading Hansen along with Coco Crisp and Mike Lowell for Helton. Crisp comes at a rather good deal and Lowell would come off Colorado's books at seasons end. If Boston pulled this deal off that would open a spot immediately for Ellsbury in Boston.

Down On The Farm: Pawtucket - AAA

As the month of April nears its end lets take a look down on the farm to see how the future stars of Boston are performing. Our first stop is Pawtucket, home of the Red Sox AAA affiliate. The Paw Sox have come out of the gate rather slow with a 9-10 record through Saturday, that places them in fourth place in the International League North Division. The roster is a mix of veteran players who are at the ready if injuries in Boston require there call and young stars on the way up who are within grasp of making the parent club. Some like George Kottaras are looked at as possible future starters in place of hometown heroes like Jason Varitek, while others may find there future in other franchises as Boston tries to solidify there roster for today. Pawtucket is the only stop in the Boston system without a 2006 draftee on its roster, but Bryson Cox hopes to change that very soon. After the jump you will find the statistics through Friday's games.