Bo Sox Ridiculous Pen

In Robothal's latest, he mentions the strength of the Red Sox Bullpen:

One American League executive views the Red Sox's bullpen as especially formidable because each reliever is capable of producing a strikeout in a key situation.

The eventual promotion of right-hander Daniel Bard from Class AAA could make the 'pen even more dominant.

In his first 10 2/3 innings, Bard struck out 18 and walked only three. The only two hits he allowed were homers. Last Wednesday, he struck out the side on just nine pitches, and only one hitter even managed a foul ball.

"He looks like a big leaguer," Sox manager Terry Francona says.

Sox right-hander Michael Bowden, 22, made his 2009 debut with two scoreless innings of relief Sunday, but his future is in the rotation.

The Sox envision him as a potential No. 3, a Joe Blanton type, only with more fastball.

This is just laughably good. To recap their pen: they have a current 3 starter (Masterson) spot starting/relieving, a future 2-3 starter relieving (Bowden) a former allstar closer (Saito) pitching in the 7th, an allstar lefty not needed to set up (Okajima), a top closer (Papelbon), a future closer setting up (Delcarmen 12 scoreless inning this year), a great pickup for Coco Crisp (Ramon Ramirez 11 scoreless innings this year) and another future closer in AAA (Bard). And just for shits and gigs they have a 2nd lefty in Javier Lopez, and a young pitcher Hunter Jones who came up and threw 1.2 scoreless inning. Tough to beat, that's like Rivera and Wettland in '96, if the Yankees had another Mo and another Wettland.

This doesn't mean the Sox have the best team, and doesn't even necessarily mean they have the best pitching, but they certainly have the best bullpen and the best pitching depth. Sabathia, Burnett, Wang, Pettitte, Joba was the best rotation in the league in March, but we see what happens when just one or two of those doesn't work out, the Yankees have statistically the worst pitching in the league so far. The Red Sox however can just plug in Masterson when DiceK goes on the DL. Beckett can go down in July and Smoltz can come in, Lester can get tired in August and Bowden can come in.

Wang could get this sorted out, Hughes could be brilliant tonight, and Joba could find his groove, but the Yankees may need those things to happen. It's not even May and the Yankees have been playing without their best player, so you can't just count em out, but no team ever goes without problems and the Red Sox look like the team best built to play through those problems. Oh, and let's not forget about those Rays...