Bard is not a starter and MUST prove himself to be worthy of even an important role in the pen. Spring has not been good for him and he has a very unsuccessful Sept. behind him, he was not dependable. If the Sox had a 3rd baseman with any decent range Availes would be a good fit bc of his hitting but the Sox NEED serious D at SS bc of poor range at 3rd and bc the Sox pitching is just average. What the heck difference does it make whether Jose learns to hit in the minors or majors. At least in the majors he can be watched and tutored.

Cherington is in a tough situation. He was given the GM job to be Lucchino's puppet. Lucchino brought in Valentine to right the ship. With Cherington sharing the same baseball philosophy as Theo who's side is Lucchino going to take when there's a dispute between Cherington and Valentine? Siding with Cherington will be like siding with Theo, hence business as usual. Personally I like Valentine's more aggressive, less coddling style. The over coddling of the players led to their unprofessional approach which led to their demise last year. Theo, with his relationship with Henry, was able to push his agenda through, but Cherington has no chance. In typical Red Sox fashion they've once again constructed a dysfunctional management structure. Should make for great theater!