With his opt-out clause set for tomorrow, veteran right-hander Aaron Cook will likely be added to the Red Sox active roster. Chances are, it will be in a relief role, though the sinkerballer has posted a 1.89 ERA in five starts, allowing 11 walks and 26 hits in 33.1 innings and holding hitters to a [...]

Anthony Ranaudo and Matt Barnes are considered the top starting pitching prospects in the Red Sox organization. While Ranaudo awaits his 2012 regular season debut, Barnes has already earned a promotion. The 21-year-old Barnes, who was selected in the first round (19th overall)  last year out of the University of Connecticut, was summoned to advanced [...]

Josh Beckett gave the Red Sox a prime opportunity to finish off a seven-game road trip sweep. Instead, Boston wasted a solid start from the right-hander as Chicago’s Gavin Floyd took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and limited the Red Sox to one run and three hits in a 4-1 White Sox victory. Though [...]

On Saturday night, one run and four hits was enough offense for the Red Sox to register their sixth consecutive win. The reason for the victory was even more impressive than the previous two 10-3 slugfests against the White Sox. Jon Lester tossed seven shutout innings while Franklin Morales (two-thirds of an inning), Vicente Padilla [...]

The state of the Red Sox bullpen is getting better. Over the last two nights, the Sox have seen Junichi Tazawa follow Felix Doubront’s solid start with three scoreless frames on Thursday and Matt Albers log two scoreless innings in relief of Daniel Bard’s impressive outing on Friday. Left-hander Justin Thomas, who was the culprit [...]

Since early in spring training, the Red Sox have been impressed with Daisuke Matsuzaka’s rehab from Tommy John surgery. His recovery ahead of schedule, the 31-year-old right-hander made another rehab start on Saturday for Double-A Portland and was effective, allowing one run and three hits with seven strikeouts over 4.2 innings. Matsuzaka retired the first [...]

That the Red Sox offense has continued to produce in a pair of 10-3 wins against the White Sox in Chicago is good news, but not overly surprising. After all, Boston now leads the majors with 114 runs scored in 19 games. What is especially encouraging in the two victories is that Felix Doubront and [...]

Clay Buchholz delivered another forgettable start, Bobby Valentine made more puzzling decisions, Justin Thomas continued to show that he is one of the worst Red Sox relievers in recent history, the bullpen squandered another big lead and Alfredo Aceves nearly blew a save. Simply put, it was just another night on Wednesday for the Red [...]

Though it appears that Alfredo Aceves is better suited in a set-up role than serving as the closer, it appears that the Red Sox are choosing to keep in-house remedy Daniel Bard in the starting rotation. At Pawtucket, Aaron Cook is posting impressive numbers (1.33 ERA in four starts), has  May 1 opt-out clause in [...]

After all the turmoil caused by a shoddy bullpen, starting pitchers not delivering quality starts, manager Bobby Valentine making questionable decisions and creating tension with his comments and the lineup lacking pop without Jacoby Ellsbury, the Red Sox needed a laugher. That is exactly what they delivered on Tuesday night at Target Field. Fueled by [...]