Have a story on reliever Bryce Cox going in tomorrow's Press Herald (got to keep the plugs coming). In it is a reference to Craig Hansen.

It is obvious with Hansen's latest struggles, that he is not ready for the major leagues, and that Boston likely caused more harm by rushing him (ala Cla Meredith).

Hansen is also a product (I don't dare use the term victim) of agent Scott Boras hype. It's true that when you have Boras as an agent, you will get top dollar, but you will be expected to deliver the goods. Boston thought Hansen could deliver too early.

I spoke with Hansen last week, before his demotion. He sounded okay, but not terribly confident.

"I feel better than I did last year," he said. "I'm not getting the results I want, but I'm able to work on my secondary pitches, which I need.

"That's what spring training is for. I'd rather work on stuff now than when I get into a game when it counts. When you got to throw a 2-0 slider, that you didn't work on in spring training, and that's when you get hurt."

What about the slider?

"It's coming along real well. It's back."

Where did it go?

"I don't know what happened."

It seems like a slow process. Can you be patient?

"I'm patient because I know what I'm working on. I know what I have to do when I get out there. I know what my weaknesses are and I have to fix that."

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