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Clearing the Bases Blog Index
August 31, 2007
Who will get called up?

Major League teams can expand their rosters Saturday and call up anyone on their 40-man roster. Who will the Sox bring up?

Let's start with the obvious: Pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. Lester is scheduled to pitch Sunday.

Here are other candidates: Pitchers Devern Hansack, Craig Hansen and Travis Hughes; catchers George Kottaras and Dusty Brown, infielders Royce Clayton, Chris Carter and Bobby Scales, and outfielder Brandon Moss.

How the Red Sox use Buchholz will be interesting. Boston does not need another starter, but maybe Buchholz can bring some magic to the bullpen.

Hansack seems a logical choice. He's pitched well in Pawtucket (3.63) and can help in the bullpen.

Hansen? A call-up would not be a reward for a good season, but a chance to develop his potential which, so far, has gone to waste.

Kottaras is not having a great year but he's on the 40-man roster and may be needed if Doug Mirabelli is not 100 percent.

Moss is a good fit. His numbers (.284, 16 homers and 78 RBI) are better than another right fielder I can think of.

Hughes, Brown, Carter, Clayton and Parks are not on the 40-man roster yet. Boston currently has room for one (with Matt Clement on the 60-day DL). Two other pitchers could be put on the 60-day (Brendan Donnelly and Kyle Jackson) to make more room.

The top guess is for Clayton and, maybe, Carter. The Red Sox recently signed Clayton to give them depth at middle infield. And Boston got Carter in the Wily Mo Pena deal. He's had two good AAA seasons and maybe its time to see what he can do in the majors.

Hughes has been lights out in Pawtucket (1.82) but there might not be room for him ... Brown is headed back to Portland (hopefully) ... Scales is solid and fast, but Boston has speed (Ellsbury) and there is not room for him.

I left shortstop Jed Lowrie off the list because he is headed to the Arizona Fall League.

One more minor league note: Dustin Richardson, a fifth round draft pick last year out of Texas Tech, is dealing in Lancaster (not an easy thing to do) since his recent promotion. He is 4-0 with a 2.74 ERA (including five no-hit innings last night). Maybe a call to Portland for the playoffs would be in order.

Posted at 10:51 AM

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Kevin covers baseball for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He first reported on spring training games for the St. Petersburg Times in 1978. He wisely moved to Maine in 1994 and now writes about the Portland Sea Dogs and Boston Red Sox—when he's not coaching Little League baseball.

He is married to Nancy, and the couple recently completed their lineup card with the birth of their ninth child.



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