Franklin Morales - stud?

[silverZ]

I've watched all 3 of his starts and have come away very impressed. Last night he finally threw 100 pitches. It's looking like the BoSox will need to find a way to keep him in the rotation unless he completely implodes. First 3 starts since joining the rotation.

IP HA ER BB K
5.0 4 2 0 9 - @CHC
6.0 7 2 1 8 - v.ATL
7.0 3 0 2 7 - @SEA

24:3 K/BB ratio is downright ace like. He's been very impressive from an eyeball test as well. Shown semi-consistent fastball control, sitting at 94-95 with a little tail and an explosive delivery. His stuff is good enough to get away with the occasional meatball. His 75 MPH curveball has been a plus pitch against righties and lefites. When he breaks off a good one it's almost unhittable. His changeup has even shown flashes of being an above average pitch. At age 26 maybe he's finally harnessing his stuff? I'm holding on to him tightly in my AL-only keeper league. If he can keep up the control he's shown and stay healthy he is good enough to survive in the AL east. His next start comes against the A's.

[Skin Blues]

I'm considering adding him in this morning's FAAB auction. I've lost three of my better pitchers over the past week (Beachy, Hanson, Pettitte) so I need somebody semi-reliable in the long term. I worry that he'll only have one or two more starts before getting bumped to the bullpen by Buchholz and Beckett.

[silverZ]

That worries me too. It looks like they are going to get with a 6 man rotation until the allstar break though. A lot can happen in two weeks.

SEATTLE -- It seems as if Boston manager Bobby Valentine is ready to go with a six-man rotation from now through the All-Star break, which will be upon the Red Sox in just over two weeks.

The wild card in all this is the reintroduction of Josh Beckett, who hasn't started a game since June 11 while spending a stint on the disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder.

He'll go on Saturday in the wake of Thursday starter Franklin Morales and Friday's arm Aaron Cook. Felix Doubront, who would otherwise have pitched Saturday, gets pushed back to Sunday.

That leaves Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester to take the first two games in Oakland Monday and Tuesday before Morales closes out the road trip against the A's.

"I think you really need 10 starters coming out of spring training," Valentine said. In addition to the five in the rotation, he'd like to have two or three potential starters in the bullpen and three or two more available at Triple-A.

"We haven't built that to the full 10 yet, but we're close."

And they are likely to get closer when Clay Buchholz, on the disabled list with a stomach illness, returns.

Buchholz, who spent part of Wednesday at a charity event without drawing the consternation of the Red Sox, is eligible to come off the DL the last day the team is in Oakland, but isn't likely to be activated until the team returns home next weekend.

[daullaz]

Completely buying on him, he looks like he's taken a big step forward and is ready to be a solid rotation guy for the next several years. Unfortunately, I just don't know how he fits into the big-money rotation long-term, especially when Lackey comes back eventually. Seems there's just one spot up for grabs between Morales and Doubront.

Nevertheless, he's shown enough that I picked him up in my dynasty league, dropping Samardzija in the process. Let's see what happens.

[footballisbetter.com]

Nevertheless, he's shown enough that I picked him up in my dynasty league, dropping Samardzija in the process. Let's see what happens.

I put in for the same move which processes on Sundays. Let see