Manny Ramirez needs to go. Sure, the Red Sox won’t get what he’s worth because he’s expensive, lazy and goofy. But, the man can still hit the baseball and I will never dispute that. Ramirez has played in 98 games this season for the Red Sox and he is 109 for 359 (.304 avg, .938 OPS) with 66 runs scored, 20 homers and 68 RBIs. The Red Sox need to make a move because Manny is starting to splinter the locker room and the fan base.

The Red Sox have placed righty reliever David Aardsma on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right groin. Aardsma has pitched in 38 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox this season and he is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. The Red Sox have recalled righty Justin Masterson to work out of the bullpen this time around. Masterson has started 9 games for the Red Sox so far this season and he is 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Masterson was sent to the minors to adjust to relieving and he appeared to pick it up quickly. Masterson pitched in 4 games (1 start) in AAA ball after his demotion and he was 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP.

Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima are still pretty much lights out in the 8th and 9th innings but the Red Sox need help in front of them to bridge the gap from the starter to Okajima. Lefty Javier Lopez has done a solid job as he is 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP so far this season. But, David Aardsma, Mike Timlin, Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen have all underachieved so far this season for the Red Sox. Aardsma is effective when throwing strikes and Delcarmen pitched pretty well last season for the Red Sox so at least there is hope with those two guys. Hansen often looks like a deer in headlights on the pitching mound as he is 1-3 with 1 save, a 5.47 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP this season. The Red Sox might be looking to move Hansen at the trade deadline if some other team wants him. Mike Timlin is starting to look his age this season but that was bound to happen at some point. He is 3-3 with 1 save, a 6.31 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP this season. Still, the Red Sox are in first place this season despite the bullpen woes which is pretty impressive.

The Red Sox will likely give veteran catcher Jason Varitek more time off this season as he appears semi-worn out. He is only hitting .220 with 20 runs scored, 7 homers and 28 RBIs so far this season. The problem for the Red Sox is that Kevin Cash (Varitek’s backup) has never been much of a hitter in the majors. He is hitting .242 with 7 runs scored, 2 homers and 11 RBIs this season which is like a career year for him. Still, Cash is a good defender and he has done a good job handling Tim Wakefield this season so the pitching staff might benefit with him behind the plate more. But, Varitek still has a reputation for being clutch so he will play in most of the important games the rest of the way.

The Red Sox won 7 of their last 10 games before the All-Star Break to finish with a 57-40 record which has them 1/2 a game ahead of the surprising Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox have overcome an injury that has kept David Ortiz out of action for a while because of guys like J.D. Drew, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis who have all risen to the challenge. Pedroia has been outstanding at the top of the batting order. He is 124 for 395 (.314 avg) with 67 runs scored, 9 homers, 47 RBIs and 9 stolen bases often setting up the table for the big bats behind him. J.D. Drew has stayed pretty healthy and effective so far this season. Drew is 84 for 278 (.302 avg) with 63 runs scored, 17 homers and 55 RBIs so far this season and the Red Sox need him to stay productive and healthy to keep the offense purring. Kevin Youkilis is also having an outstanding season as he has amped up his swing to include added power. He is 103 for 328 (.314 avg) with 56 runs scored, 15 homers and 63 RBIs so far this season. The Red Sox need Youkilis to maintain his power swing. The Red Sox are hitting .282 as a team which has them #2 in the American League. They are also #2 in runs scored in the American League with 495. If the Red Sox keep swinging the bats like they are so far this season they will be hard to keep out of the playoffs.