The Red Sox's bullpen scares me. Is there any chance they will be able to pick up an effective relief pitcher for the stretch run?
-- Jeff T., Delmar, N.Y.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has a little more than two weeks left to find another reliever who can slip through waivers. Given the record the Red Sox have, every other American League team can place a waiver claim before Boston has a chance. This makes it difficult, but not impossible. It is probably more realistic for the Red Sox to shore up the bullpen they have, and adding a starter or two to that mix come playoff time could help also.
If Nathan Eovaldi continue to show power stuff like Josh Beckett did in 2007, don't you think he should be a starter in the postseason? As we know, everyone concentrates on each at-bat, so starters need to have power stuff to overcome that in the postseason.
-- Kwang Soon P., Seoul, South Korea
Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Beckett had a Cy Young-caliber season in 2007. Eovaldi has definitely shown flashes of brilliance, but I don't think you can compare his body of work this season to what Beckett did in '07. I do think it will be fascinating to see how manager Alex Cora divides the rotation and the bullpen in the playoffs. Much of that will be based on performance over the next month.
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After Eovaldi's first start, I thought that Dombrowski should think about signing him to an extension. Do you think moving on Eovaldi early is smart? Do you think signing him to an extension like Rick Porcello (four years, or maybe even five or six) is too risky?
-- Shane A., Hartford, Conn.
I think the Red Sox are still evaluating what they have in Eovaldi, and the right-hander is still gaining comfort in Boston. He is going to be a free agent for the first time in his career, and he most likely will want to see what kind of offers are out there.
Why does Sandy Leon call for so many curveballs from Craig Kimbrel? Yes, the curve is breaking too early, but his rising heat got him to be among the game's top five closers.
-- Stan T., Springfield, Mass.
Kimbrel would be the first to admit he isn't commanding either pitch as well as he needs to lately. If Leon is calling for a lot of curveballs, it is probably because Kimbrel doesn't have the bite or location on his fastball he is looking for. Leon is generally regarded as one of the best game-callers in baseball. Kimbrel has plenty of time to get himself back in peak form before the postseason starts.
What is the status on Dustin Pedroia? Do you think he will get the starting nod over Ian Kinsler?
-- Trevor H., Kennewick, Wash.
Pedroia is working hard with his rehab in Arizona. Given where we're at on the calendar, I don't think it's realistic for Pedroia to play a major role on the team this season. I think Kinsler -- once he gets back from the disabled list from a left hamstring strain -- will be the starting second baseman the rest of the way. If Pedroia can get back at some point in September and prove to himself that he's healthy going into next season, I think that would be a victory right there.
If the Yankees and Red Sox were to end the regular season with identical records, similar to 1978, would there be a one-game tiebreaker to determine the AL East winner before the AL Wild Card Game? That would be very difficult for the loser of Game 163.
-- Wade, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Yes, the situation would play out exactly as you said. The Red Sox and Yankees would have a one-game tiebreaker to determine the AL East; the loser would likely play in the AL Wild Card Game. Up by 9 1/2 games with 42 games to go, Boston is hoping it never comes to that. If it does, something will have to go very wrong.
What's the latest on Steven Wright?
-- Dan A., Sister Bay, Wis.
Much like with Pedroia, Wright has had a lot of ups and downs in his attempted recovery from the cartilage restoration procedure on his left knee. It sounds like there have been more ups than downs lately. Wright could be a real nice piece to have in the bullpen in October. The past two years, Wright wasn't healthy enough to be on the postseason roster. He would definitely give the team a different look. The way hitters are geared up to hit fastballs in October, Wright could surely throw some hitters off.
I heard on "Inside Pitch" on SiriusXM the other day from host Tyler Kepner that there is an annual home-and-away game between the New York and Boston media. Kepner, who pitches, mentioned that he owned you for years, but over the past six to seven years, he can't get you out. What's the difference?
-- Mark V., Syracuse, N.Y.
Yes, playing in the annual media games is one of the great perks of a great job. Tyler is very kind. He did have a lot of success against me from about 2004-11. I've come on strong the past few years. Honestly, the biggest difference is when I started coaching my own kids and taking them to hitting lessons. When I was a kid, nobody ever really taught me how to hit. I kind of just saw the ball and hit it. I've learned some simple but effective techniques while coaching my own kids. Also, my wife, Amy, happens to be a great hitting coach. I wish I could go back and play Little League and Babe Ruth again knowing what I know now.