Last season was screwed up for Dice-K by the stupid World Baseball Classic as the Japanese team overworked him. He only started 12 games for the Red Sox last year and he was 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. He looked like he was pitching batting practice last year. This season though the old Dice-K is back for the BoSox. He has started 16 games for the Red Sox this year and he is 8-3 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Matsuzaka has only given up 83 hits in 97 2/3 innings for the Red Sox this year and they need him to keep up the good work if they are going to catch the Rays or Yankees and make it back to the playoffs.

The Boston Red Sox are 49-36 on the season which has them in third place in the A.L. East, 5 games behind the Red Sox. They are also three games behind the Rays for the Wild Card in the A.L. If the Red Sox continue to fade they could entertain trade offers for 29-year old righty closer Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon has pitched in 34 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox this year and he is 3-4 with 19 saves, a 3.60 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Papelbon has now pitched in 302 games (3 starts) in his six years with the Red Sox and he is 17-15 with 170 saves, a 2.03 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. The two reasons to consider trading Papelbon if the Red Sox fall out of contention is because they should get a nice return for him and they have a replacement already in the pen in hard throwing righty Daniel Bard. Bard has pitched in 40 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox this year and he is 1-2 with 3 saves, a 1.99 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He has only given up 22 hits in 40 2/3 innings this season while whiffing 44 batters as he has been amazing. Bard also has solid control as he has only walked 12 batters this season. If the Red Sox get hot though they shouldn’t even consider trading Papelbon who makes a pretty nasty tandem with Bard at the end of games.

The Boston Red Sox have an amazing six All-Stars despite having no starters. Victor Martinez and Dustin Pedroia both got selected for the team but will miss it due to injury. Martinez has played in 66 games for the Red Sox this season and he is 71 of 246 (.289 avg, .824 OPS) with 36 runs scored, 9 homers and 38 RBIs. He will miss the game with a fractured left thumb. Dustin Pedroia has played in 73 games for the Red Sox this season and he is 86 of 295 (.292 avg, .871 OPS) with 52 runs scored, 12 homers, 41 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. Pedroia will miss the big game with a fractured foot. 25-year old righty starting pitcher Clay Buchholz will also likely miss the game due to a hamstring issue. Buchholz has started 15 games this season for the Red Sox and he is 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. 26-year old lefty Jon Lester won’t be missing his first appearance at the All-Star Game. He has started 17 games this season for the Red Sox and he is 10-3 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP as he has been outstanding this season. 3B Adrian Beltre has been the Red Sox best hitter this season so he definitely deserves his first All-Star Game appearance. Beltre has played in 78 games this season for the Red Sox and he is 102 of 299 (.341 avg, .922 OPS) with 40 runs scored, 12 homers and 53 RBIs. David Ortiz had a horrible April but he has been smoking the last two months with the bat earning his fifth All-Star appearance. Ortiz has played in 67 games this season for the Red Sox and he is 60 of 228 (.263 avg, .935 OPS) with 43 runs scored, 17 homers and 54 RBIs.

The Red Sox resisted trading 25-year old righty reliever Daniel Bard last summer and over the winter as almost any time some team called Theo Epstein his name came up. Bard has pitched in 21 games (0 starts) for the Red Sox this year and he is 1-1 with 1 save, a 2.45 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He has only given up 14 hits in 22 innings while whiffing 26 batters this year showing just how nasty he is. But he has walked 9 batters this season and it’s too many for a relief pitcher who works late in ball games. If the Red Sox trade Jonathan Papelbon in the future it will be with the mindset that Bard would take over as the closer.

25-year old righty starting pitcher Clay Buchholz has been solid this season for the Red Sox. He has started 6 games for the Red Sox this season and he is 3-3 with a 3.82 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. But not all is good as he has walked 17 batters in 35 1/3 innings for the Red Sox this season so he needs to tighten up his control a bit. Red Sox’ GM Theo Epstein always declined to trade Buchholz so he has a lot riding on his success. Buchholz has pitched in 42 games (40 starts) in his four years with the Red Sox and he is 15-17 with a 4.74 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP.