Red Sox News: Aceves, Bard, Hanrahan and Middlebrooks

Entering the 2013 season, many of the so-called baseball experts projected the Boston Red Sox to finish in the American League East basement for the second consecutive year. So far, the club has exceeded expectations with a 14-7 record and a perch atop the division. Though the Red Sox are demonstrating that they are a legitimate contender for a post-season berth, they have question marks that will need addressed to remain in the division lead.

The most critical question marks include:

What to do with Alfredo Aceves?

The Red Sox finally answered this on Wednesday when they optioned the cantankerous 30-year-old right-hander to Triple-A Pawtucket. Media reports indicate they will try to trade the veteran, who was 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA for the Red Sox in 2011. Since then, he has been a liability toting an 8-plus ERA and causing disruptions in the dugout and clubhouse, and on the mound.

Aceves’ departure was hastened in Boston’s 13-0 loss to Oakland on Tuesday. He was the starter and served up eight runs, seven hits, four walks and two balks in 3.1 innings. He owns a 8.66 ERA and a  2.09 WHIP in five games (including three starts), which is troublesome enough for the club. After Tuesday night’s drubbing, Aceves caused another disturbance during a post-game interview that saw him blame his atrocious outing on the home plate umpire, the condition of the mound and his teammates’ lack of hitting against A’s starter Bartolo Colon.

John Lackey is expected to rejoin the Red Sox rotation on Sunday, which means Aceves would have been bumped back to the bullpen. Since the club has Clayton Mortensen, who can serve as a long reliever and is out of options, he was more appealing.

Red Sox manager John Farrell grew tired of Aceves’ antics. The club will likely get little in return for Aceves, but Red Sox officials would agree that parting ways with him is addition by subtraction because of his disruptions.

Will Daniel Bard rediscover his fastball command?

After Tuesday night’s game, the Red Sox called up Daniel Bard from Double-A Portland, where he had a not-so-impressive 4.00 ERA but had not allowed a run in five straight outings. Scouts indicate that the 27-year-old right-hander’s fast ball command has improved, and his velocity is ranging from 93-96.

Bard was one of the most dominant late-inning relievers in baseball from 2009-2011, but last season he made an unsuccessful move into the rotation, lost his mechanics and his confidence, and posted a 6.22 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP in 17 games (including 10 starts) for Boston. His performance was worse at Triple-A Pawtucket, where his ERA was 7.03 and his WHIP was 1.88 in 31 appearances.

Andrew Bailey (who has five saves since taking over for the injured Joel Hanrahan), Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa have anchored an effective Red Sox bullpen. Bard is expected to be called upon in earlier innings as he continues his attempt to re-emerge as a dominant set-up man.

Who will close when Joel Hanrahan returns from the DL?

After the 2011 season, Boston acquired Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s with the intention that he would replace Jonathan Papelbon as the closer. A thumb injury in late March kept him on the DL for much of the year, though, and he logged a 7.04 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP in 19 games when he returned.

Last offseason, the Red Sox landed Joel Hanrahan from the Pittsburgh Pirates. In spring training, Farrell named Hanrahan the closer and Bailey as a set-up man. Then Hanrahan with hamstring soreness and was placed on the DL with a 11.57 ERA and a 2.36 WHIP in six games.

Bailey has looked like the closer they brought in from Oakland. After earning his fifth save by striking out the side on Wednesday, Bailey has a 1.59 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, a .128 opponent’s batting average and 20 strikeouts in 11.1 innings and 12 games.

Hanrahan is set to begin a rehab assignment later this week. If he recovers from the hamstring issue and is activated from the DL, Farrell must decide whether Bailey will remain the ninth inning option, or if Hanrahan will get his Opening Day job back.

Will the Red Sox hit enough to win?

So far, the Red Sox are winning with superb starting pitching and a reliable bullpen. The lineup has several bats that are not producing. Jonny Gomes, Will Middlebrooks and Stephen Drew are all hitting under .200. So is David Ross, who is splitting time with Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate.  Saltalamacchia has a .218 average and has three home runs but also 23 strikeouts in 55 at-bats.

The 23-year-old Middlebrooks is showing signs of escaping his slump. He belted a three-run home run in Boston’s 9-6 win over the A’s on Monday. Yet Gomes and Drew are not contributing, and Ross and Saltalamacchia are giving the club little at the plate.

The Red Sox appear to be taking a patient approach with the aforementioned hitters. with Saltalamacchia’s potential to hit 25-30 home runs, the club will likely tolerate his high strikeout totals. Gomes’ struggles have not hampered the Red Sox because Daniel Nava is batting .327 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a 1.008 OPS.

Drew, who ripped a two-run triple against the A’s on Wednesday, is still working his his timing after missing much of spring training with concussion symptoms. He was activated from the DL and inserted into the starting shortstop role even though 23-year-old Jose Iglesias was 9-for-20 and providing exceptional defense.