A Changing Of The Guard

Bruins fans have seen the last of Tomas Kaberle in Black and Gold. The free agent defenseman left Boston on Tuesday to sign a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

If the Boston Bruins are to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions next season, they'll have to do so without Tomas Kaberle.

In a move widely regarded as inevitable, Kaberle officially left the Bruins on Tuesday, signing a three-year, $12.75 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

If you remember correctly, GM Peter Chiarelli gave up the farm to acquire the veteran defenseman from the Maple Leafs at the deadline last season, surrendering prized prospect Joe Colborne as well as a first round pick in 2011 and a second round pick in 2012.

At the time, Kaberle was viewed as the missing link on an otherwise dominant hockey club with very few flaws.

In theory, he provided the team a dynamic they desperately needed, something made glaringly clear with the offseason dismissal of Dennis Wideman: a puck moving defenseman who could help the team transition the puck and quarterback the power play. 

However, although Kaberle helped the Bruins hoist their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, his overall performance wearing the Black and Gold was uneventful. 

Known for his offensive skills, Kaberle scored just nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 24 regular season games for Boston after being traded from Toronto. He was slightly better in the playoffs (11 points in 25 games), but still not nearly good enough to justify management devoting an excess of four million dollars a year to for multiple years. 

At 33-years-old, Kaberle remains a gifted defenseman. As Bruins fans witnessed firsthand, he was a flawless skater and made excellent break out passes near the neutral zone. 

However, as Bruins fans also learned, Kaberle always seemed hesitant to shoot the puck. Time after time he passed up wide open shots at the net in exchange for more difficult cross-ice feeds or cute touch passes to a teammate.

Simply put, he passed to a fault. 

In the playoffs we even saw teams key on Zdeno Chara's slapper during a power play simply because they knew Kaberle wouldn't pull the trigger. 

Kaberle also played below average defense and shied away from the physical side of the game.  

Wasting little time to find his replacement, Chiarelli acquired 34-year-old Joe Corvo from the Hurricanes later in the day in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2012. 

"This came as a real surprise to me, and a very pleasant surprise," Corvo said. "I'm very happy to be with a team coming off such a successful season and not making many changes at all. At this point in my career, I'm just excited for the opportunity to win and the chance to win, and couldn't be happier."

The move could end up benefiting the Bruins immensely. 

First off, Corvo is a more than adequate replacement along the blue line. 

Like Kaberle, he is an offensive-minded defenseman who skates well, moves the puck and quarterbacks the power play. He tallied 11 goals and 29 assists last season while averaging a whopping 24:46 of ice time.

However, unlike Kaberle, he is a right-handed shot, more of a physical presence, tough (played in all 82 games last season) and has a booming slapshot that he's not afraid to unleash on goaltenders. Last season Corvo landed 191 shots on goal as opposed to 131 by Kaberle. 

"He's someone we've talked about the last little bit as we've progressed on some of these free agent signings," Chiarelli said of Corvo. "You go past the free agency date, the first few days, and you look at possible trades if you're not satisfied with what you've accomplished in free agency."

"Joe became available when we couldn't reach terms with Tomas Kaberle, and we felt strong about Joe as a player."

In addition, Corvo is in the final year of a two-year pact paying him $2.25 million annually, which is nearly half of what the Bruins would have had to pay to keep Kaberle.

The salary cap relief should help aid the process of inking playoff hero Brad Marchand to a long term deal. 

In the end, the Corvo for Kaberle swap represents yet another impressive move by management to remain fiscally flexible and successful on the ice. 

Now let's hope Joe Colborne doesn't turn into the next Cam Neely. 

Enough Already

Once again, John Lackey got pummeled Monday afternoon, giving up seven runs in 2.1 innings against Toronto. With a MLB-worst 7.47 ERA, the question now becomes: how much longer can the Sox stick with Lackey?

When General Manager Theo Epstein lured John Lackey to Boston with a gargantuan five-year, $82.5 million deal in December of 2009, Red Sox Nation couldn't help but rejoice over the possibility of a lights-out starting rotation for years to come.

At the time, Lackey had just capped off another successful season on the mound for the Los Angeles Angels, going 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 2009.

Known as a tough-minded, right-handed ace who never misses a start and eats innings like Pac-Man mowing down on dots, Lackey gained enormous fame in 2002 when, as a 23-year-old rookie, he held Barry Bonds and the Giants to just one run over five innings to win Game 7 of the World Series.

From then on, Lackey became the face of the Angels. From 2003-2009, Lackey won at least 10 games each season. In 2007, he enjoyed a career-year, going 19-9 with a 3.01 ERA. Before signing with Boston, Lackey had compiled an impressive 102-71 overall record with the Angels.

However, in his first season in Beantown, Lackey was mediocre at best. Despite raking in $18 million in 2010, the 6'6'' righthander went 14-11 with a disgusting 4.40 ERA.

Regardless, Lackey got a free pass. Baseball lifers kept telling us that with a year under his belt, Lackey would return to form in 2011. He would adjust to the pressures of playing in Boston. He would pitch like he used to when he was wearing an Angels uniform.

So much for popular opinion.

After getting absolutely shelled by Toronto on Monday afternoon (2.1 innings, 9 hits, 7 earned runs on Independence Day, no less), Lackey's tenure with the Sox may have reached a breaking point.

Simply put, he has become a liability.

Lackey now has a 5-8 record with an absolutely absurd 7.47 ERA, the highest of any starting pitcher in baseball.

To make things worse, Lackey isn't even expected to be an Ace. With Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz entrenched as the top three starters, the pressure is off Lackey to lead the rotation. And, with a potent Red Sox lineup leading the league in runs, he doesn't even have to pitch well to win. He just has to keep the Sox in the game long enough for the offense to explode.

But now, he can't even do that.

As much as we love Theo, even the Brookline wiz kid isn't immune from bad signings. Remember Julio Lugo? Edgar Renteria? And to some extend, J.D. Drew?

Heck, Theo even traded for Byung-Hyun Kim and Eric Gagne.

In the end, Lackey may go down in Sox folklore as the worst free-agent signing in club history, simply because of the exorbitant amount of money owed to him.

So where do we go from here?

Sure, Terry Francona can continue to run Lackey out to the mound every fifth day, but how much longer can this train-wreck of a starting pitcher go on?

Because of his massive contract, Lackey is utterly untradeable. So that leaves either a delegation to the bullpen or a smoke and mirrors trip to the DL.

Either one works for me, as long as Red Sox Nation never has to endure another agonizing John Lackey start again.

Miller Time

After beginning the season in Triple-A, lefthander Andrew Miller has quickly become one of the Red Sox most reliable starters since being summoned to the Big Leagues on June 15. 

When the Red Sox signed underachieving lefthander Andrew Miller to a minor league deal this past offseason, they did so with the intention of adding depth to an otherwise stacked pitching core.

Little did they know that after three starts, the 26-year-old southpaw would become one of the most reliable arms in the rotation.

Continuing to dazzle upon his re-call from Triple-A Pawtucket, Miller led the Sox to a 10-4 victory over the Astros Saturday night before a robust crowd of 39,021 at Minute Maid Park.

He pitched beautifully, scattering seven hits over six strong innings while allowing just two runs. Miller also struck out three and walked two batters, a great sign for a pitcher whose career was derailed due to control issues.

With the victory, Miller improves to 2-0 on the season with an impressive 3.06 ERA.

Not bad for a guy who had become somewhat of an afterthought after failing to make the Sox roster out of Spring Training.

"We're excited," said manager Terry Francona. "I think we've said it a number of different times and a number of different ways. I think he deserves a lot of credit. We talked about it before. Everybody looks at Opening Day as the finish line, and it wasn't."

Following management's plan, Miller began the season with the Paw Sox and re-established his command. In 12 starts, he went 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA, striking out 61 batters over 65.2 innings.

All the while, Miller never lamented his time in Triple-A or worried about whether or not he would ever make it back to the Big Leagues. Instead, he focused on the things he could control, his pitching, and let the other distractions sort themselves out.

"I didn't predict it would happen sooner or later," said Miller of joining the Sox starting rotation. "I was just worried about going down there and putting the work in and doing what I thought would get me to competing back at this level, which was where I wanted to be."

So when a bad back forced Clay Buchholz to the shelf, the Sox decided to promote Miller and give the former 6th overall pick in 2006 a shot at redemption.

After three strong outings, it appears Miller has finally found his groove.

"He was a mature enough kid to go to Triple-A," explained Francona. "I'm the one who gets to sit here and talk about it, but Rich Sauveur [Paw Sox pitching coach] and Ralph Treuel [minor league pitching coordinator] and those guys- and him- they did a great job and now he can help us win games. It's exciting."

After the All-Star break, the Sox will be forced to make some decisions about their pitching staff. With the return of Buchholz, one would assume his spot in the rotation would be guaranteed, alongside Lester and Beckett. Dice-K is out for the year after having Tommy John surgery, so he's out of the picture.

That leaves two open spots, one of which would likely be reserved for Lackey, who despite his infuriating inconsistency and overall lackluster performance, seems to be given a long leash due to his gargantuan contract.

So who gets the 5th and final spot in the rotation?

It would seem to be between Miller and the ageless Tim Wakefield to fight over.

As much as Red Sox Nation loves Wake, his roster spot seems more valuable and best suited as a spot starter/long reliever.

That would pave the way for Miller as the number five. As well as he's been pitching as of late, it's hard to see Francona getting in the way of something special.

Turning the Page

The Bruins were forced to say good-bye to one of their postseason heros Friday afternoon when word surfaced that Michael Ryder had signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the Dallas Stars.

After watching the Boston Bruins complete one of the most exhilarating and fulfilling postseason runs in club history, many die-hard and bandwagon fans alike have been basking in the ultimate glory and unrivaled satisfaction of the B's first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years.

However, supporters of the Black and Gold were served a harsh dose of reality Friday afternoon with the official start of free agency, the NHL's symbolic turning of the page from one season to the next.

With many clubs looking to capitalize on the open market and re-tool their rosters in pursuit of a championship, Bruins fans can't help but find themselves wishing they could pause time and keep their championship winning team together forever.

However, in sports as in life, all good things must come to an end.

The Bruins learned this the hard way Friday afternoon when word surfaced that postseason hero and ultra-talented sniper Michael Ryder had left Boston to sign a two-year, $7 million with the Dallas Stars.

On the surface, the loss of Ryder doesn't seem very devastating. After all, he was a third line winger who never seemed to replicate his impressive first year in Boston.

After signing a three-year, $12 million deal with the Bruins prior to the 2008 season, Ryder scored 27 goals and added 26 assists in his inaugural campaign.

However, in 2009-10, Ryder's production dipped to just 18 goals and 15 assists. Last season, Ryder potted just 18 regular season goals and dished out only 23 assists.

In three years, Ryder scored 63 regular season goals for the Bruins, hardly worthy of his $4 million per year price tag.

However, despite having mediocre regular season stats, Ryder was consistently one of the Bruins best postseason players during his stay.

In the 2008-09 postseason in which the Bruins lost a devastating Game 7 in the second round against Carolina, Ryder recorded 13 points in 11 games.

Then, during last season's championship winning postseason, Ryder scored 8 goals and added 9 assists, good for 17 total points in 25 games.

The 31-year-old winger will always be remembered for his remarkable glove save against Tomas Plekanec in Game 5 of the opening round series vs. Montreal.

"You know what, in the three years we had him, he was really good in the postseason," said GM Peter Chiarelli of Ryder. "So that's going to be an area I hope that the group will, I talked about leadership earlier, the group inheriting some responsibility if we don't bring in someone else. "

While the loss of Ryder will be difficult to make up for, on the ice and in the locker room, Chiarelli went on to sign 25-year-old winger Benoit Pouliot later in the day to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

Formerly of the hated Canadiens, Pouliot scored 13 goals and added 17 assists last season for Montreal.

He is also a 6'3'', big bodied left wing who could end up replacing Ryder. A former 4th overall pick by Minnesota in 2005, Poulliot possesses a wealth of talent but has never seemed to put it together.

The Bruins are hoping that Claude Julien and Co. can develop Pouliot into the impact type-of player he was always thought to be.

"Pouliot is a player that was drafted quite high and this would be his third team," explained Chiarelli. "We like his skill, we like his size, we think he'd fit in with our team. He's got a good shot off the wing, he's still young, we feel he'll develop, and we were happy to get him at that number."

While the exchange of Pouliot for Ryder can hardly be considered an equal trade, the Bruins are banking of the former Canadien to finally reach his potential. If so, he could be a great under the radar pick-up.

However, as this point in time, Bruins fans can't help but shake their heads at the departure of Ryder, a battle-tested warrior whose signature snap shot scored countless pivotal goals in the postseason.

Nothing Doing

Despite a rare solid outing from John Lackey, the Red Sox offense proved listless yet again en route to a 2-1 loss Wednesday night against Vance Worley and the Phillies. 

Getting shut down on the road on consecutive nights against the vaunted Phillies rotation is nothing to be ashamed of.

After all, they possess four legitimate number one starters, two future Hall of Famers and the lowest combined ERA in the Majors.

Except Wednesday night, it wasn't Roy Halladay silencing the once potent Sox bats. Or Cole Hamels. Or Roy Oswalt. Or Cliff Lee for that matter (he was enjoying some much deserved rest after pitching his third consecutive complete game shutout Tuesday night against Boston in a 5-0 Phillies victory).

Instead, before a sell-out crowd of 46,612 at Citizens Bank Park, it was little-known Vance Worley playing the hero.

Scattering five hits and over seven stellar innings, Worley (3-1) allowed just one run to lead Philadelphia to a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox, who have lost six of their last seven games and now trail the hated Yankees by 2.5 games in the AL East.

"Did that guy just come up or something?" asked David Ortiz of Worley after the game. "Man, because he looked pretty good to me. He had decent stuff, and it really looks like he's been around for a long time."

"They've got four big starters here, right? Well, he looked like one of them out there tonight. He really looked comfortable. It's obvious that he's listening to those big starters over there. It's rubbing off on him."

The 23-year-old Worley entered the game having started just eight games in the Big Leagues. However, after joining the rotation on June 18 due to injuries to Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton, the former Long Beach State star had dazzled.

He allowed just one run over five innings in a 5-1 victory over Seattle in his first start. Then, last time out he pitched six shutout innings in a 1-0 win over Oakland.

However, despite the unexpected brilliance of Worley, the Sox bats continued to show no signs of life. In a desperate attempt at kickstarting the pulseless offense, Terry Francona inserted David Ortiz at first base and moved Adrian Gonzalez to right field for just the second time in his career.

In the end, it didn't make a difference as Ortiz went 0-4 and Gonzalez just 1-4.

Raul Ibanez hit a tie-breaking homer in the seventh off Lackey that proved to be the eventual game-winner.

The loss is especially tough to swallow given the fact that the usually horrific John Lackey (5-7) actually pitched well for a change, allowing just two runs over 7.2 strong innings.

He even knocked in the only Sox run of the night with a RBI double in the fifth inning.

"We've got to find a way to score runs when we're not all swinging well," admitted Dustin Pedroia after the game. "Lack pitched great. We didn't give him any support. Worley had great mound presence, and we were all very impressed. He had a great idea how to pitch. For a young guy to have that kind of presence is pretty special."

One of the lone bright spots for Boston was left fielder Josh Reddick, who went 2-3 and scored the lone Boston run.

Things don't get any easier for the Red Sox as they must face Hamels Wednesday afternoon looking to avoid a sweep against Baseball's best team.

Luckily for Boston, the ball will be in the hands of Jon Lester, their ace and certified stopper.

The countdown to the end of Interleague Play continues.