Alfredo

Aceves

On merit, Aceves deserves a crack at the fifth spot in Boston’s rotation. Still, the Red Sox might be better off using him out of the pen initially and then moving him into the rotation later if the alternatives don’t work out. It’s not as though he’s likely to throw 200 innings as a starter anyway.

Not great, but certainly not bad. Bard allowed four hits, with only Justin Morneau’s double going for extra bases, and walked three. The Red Sox will probably announce their decision on their two rotation openings within the next couple of days. It’s probably going to come down to Bard and Alfredo Aceves for one spot. Felix Doubront isn’t necessarily the better option, but the pen would look quite a bit better with either Bard or Aceves in it.

It was mostly against backups and minor leaguers, so Aceves should have had a good day. He’s struggled just once this spring, though that was a nine-run outing and it’s still taking a heavy toll on his 5.50 ERA. It remains unclear whether he or Daniel Bard will end up in the pen to start the year.

It was assumed that Bard would be given every chance to win the No. 4 spot in the rotation this spring, but the tide seems to be turning in the other direction after he has walked seven batters and allowed 10 hits across 7 2/3 innings over his past two starts. The Red Sox have yet to make an official announcement on their rotation, but manager Bobby Valentine wondered out loud following Tuesday’s game whether Bard has what it takes to stick as a starter. Stay tuned.

And it appears that Bobby V has settled on a replacement for Andrew Bailey, who is expected to miss the entire first half of the season following thumb surgery. It’s a bit of a swerve, as many expected Mark Melancon to get the nod, but Aceves should be plenty effective. He’s officially worth adding in all formats.

Tasked with closing out a 7-6 victory and three-game sweep, Aceves walked Trevor Plouffe, served up a single to Ryan Doumit and plunked Alexi Casilla in between recording his three outs. Needless to say, he and his 14.40 ERA and 2.60 WHIP are still on thin ice as the Red Sox closer. Keep one eye on Daniel Bard if you are an owner.

After struggling mightily to start the year, Aceves has now converted five consecutive save chances. His ERA is still inflated at 6.14, but it looks like he’s becoming more and more comfortable handling ninth inning duties.

An earlier report suggested both pitchers would be late arrivals, but obviously that’s not the case. They’ll both be competing this spring for a spot in the Red Sox rotation.

Bailey had his thumb examined in Boston on Monday and Abraham hears that the news “was not good.” He is scheduled to get a second opinion on Tuesday in Cleveland from Dr. Thomas Graham, a hand specialist and surgeon. It’s not clear how long he would miss if surgery is needed, but both Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves are worth speculative adds at the moment.

This seems to jibe with everything we’ve been hearing recently. Surgery was recommended when Bailey was examined Monday in Boston and he’s scheduled to get a second opinion from Dr. Thomas Graham on Tuesday in Cleveland. The Red Sox would reportedly prefer to use one pitcher in the closer role, but it’s not known who will get the nod. Mark Melancon and Alfredo Aceves are the favorites and should be stashed away in most fantasy leagues.