Boston Takes The Ace
About an hour ago, midway through Derrick Loop's fourth straight effective start to begin the year before he was lifted by Macalutas for a reliever, word broke at Nettleton Stadium that the Boston Red Sox signed him to a minor league contract.
Watching Loop go initially will please plenty of his teammates, many of whom were around last year when the Cal State Los Angeles product was named a middle-rotation starter mainly because he was the only dependable lefty at spring training. Figuring out how to replace him, however, will be especially tough, and not because of what side of the mound he throws from.
Other than Loop, Greg Bicknell is the only starter with a win to his name. Without Loop's team-best 3-0 record and 1.55 earned-run average, the current rotation has a combined 8.75 ERA and 1-10 record.