Red Sox Plan to Pick Up Tim Wakefield's Option Pending Surgery Results

Knuckleballer and longtime Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is set to undergo surgery on his back Wednesday to relieve pressure on the nerves in a herniated disc that is pressing against in his lower back. The disc caused Wakefield to feel weakness in his right leg, and limited him to only four starts following the All-Star break and kept him off the team's ALDS roster.

It could turn out to be an expensive operation for Wakefield, and not because he has a bad health care plan. No, the reason is that if the surgery turns out to be successful, which it's expected to, then the Red Sox have said they plan on picking up his $4 million option to return next season.

It is expected if the surgery goes as planned that the Red Sox will pick up the pitcher's $4 million team option. "Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein during his Monday press conference. "We haven't sat down and finalized anything. Obviously we want to see how the surgery goes and then both sides will sit down and talk."

The 43-year-old veteran has been very useful for the Red Sox during his time there, as both a starter and a reliever, and was having one of the best seasons of his career before the back problems sidelined him. He was named to his first All-Star team after going 11-3 before the break.

If he does return to Boston next season it will be his 16th year in a Red Sox uniform.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-16-2009 @ 2:02PM

Roger Mitchell said...

The Red Sox desperately need to fire their manager. Terry Fracola. He does not inspire or motivate the team to win. He gets the credit for winning 2 world series but he was not the leader. Schilling was in the first one and Beckett was the leader in the second series win. it's just too bad the executives do not see this.

10-17-2009 @ 3:15PM

jackssox said...

I agree with Roger Mitchell
Francona should be fired
He hung out Smoltz and Penny to dry (under the instructions of Epstein I'm sure)
He handles pitchers about as well as Grady Little.
If Farrell agrees with his PITCHING philosophy send him on his way too. He juggles the line up so much , he appears know nothing about his own players. Pedroia is the lead off man , Youk bats second , Martinez 3rd, Bay 4th,Lowell 5th, Drew 6th, Ellsbury 7th, Gonzalez 8th, DH 9th .
Notice Ortiz not there - Inspite of 28 homers and 99 rbi's not redeemable.

10-16-2009 @ 2:03PM

FIRE THAT RED SOX MANAGER TERRY FRANCOLA

10-16-2009 @ 2:05PM

DOES ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE AGREE WITH ME THAT THE RED SOX SHOULD FIRE THEIR MANAGER TERRY FRANCOLA?

10-16-2009 @ 4:18PM

flexxxdaddy said...

He's the best manager they ever had..

10-16-2009 @ 9:34PM

Goldie said...

Mr. Mitchell, I hardly think this matter is any of your business if you don't even know the correct name of the Red Sox manager !

10-20-2009 @ 9:40AM

lbshokie said...

Are you guys nuts??? He took a team that lost (arguably) the best right-handed power hitter of his generation to the ALCS last year. This year he dealt with the loss of the #2 and #5 pitchers for much of the season (Dice K and Wakefield), had to over manage an injury-prone 3B and a DH who was in a horrendous slump until mid-June and STILL got the team to the post-season. Oh - and the guy that replaced Manny hit approx .250 for the year and he dealt with a catcher (who needs to give up the "C" on his chest) who would struggle in t-ball. All things considered, he did pretty well even if Dustin calls the year a failure. Fire Farrell if you're upset about Penny and Smoltz (which I am as well) - but Tito is a top manager right now. He's not Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa or Joe Torre, but he's better than any other option.

10-16-2009 @ 4:52PM

forrestfreedman said...

Hey, Are you fan's on steroids, have your mind's or balls shrunk to the size of walnuts! 5 playoff appearances and two world series rings are alot more than Tom Yawkey, Dick Williams, Eddie Kasko, Don Zimmer or Darrell Johnson ever brought to Beantown.

Yeah a Pall has fallen over Boston and damened my enthusiasm too, but just cause Pap couldn't get the 3rd out is no reason to thrpw the baby out with the bathwater! Red Sox Win!! and I'm not a fairweather fan!! Hey Terry, next year don't chew on as many sunflower seeds when the game is on the line as that's has fans thinking you don't care when just the opposite is true!!

10-16-2009 @ 10:18PM

Yep, just like I thought the people fans just don't get it with this Terry Francola. A fan said he the best manager they ever had. The reason is simple. It is because the Red Sox have the best team by far in their lifetime. Because Terry F. is not the best player on the team he drags them down. How can you not see this? Let me give you an example of an best player. Look at Joe Torres. Do I have to tell you what he did with the Yanks and then proves it all over again with the Dodgers? Watch those Dodgers win the world Series this year and they really don't have such a great team. Ramiez seems to be getting along just fine with LA but Terry F. couldn't stand him being the star over himself in Boston. Don't you all remember how Terry F. handled Pedro Martinez in a world series game? Look at Pedro go now? By the way I am first a Red Sox fan not a yank one. I just like to see the Sox yank Terry F. before they beat the Yankees.

10-16-2009 @ 10:30PM

A cola drink is supposed to keep you up but in baseball there is a cola at the Red Sox which keeps them down. This is their paper tiger of a manager, Terry Francola. He is not a leader and does not know how to inspire and light a fire under the bellies of his players from time to time. He didn't lead the team to World Series victories. Becket was the last leader to do it. The players followed his leadership. The true genius of the Red Sox starts at the top executive level.

10-16-2009 @ 10:36PM

Have you noticed the managers in the big cities are of Italian descent? I am not saying these Managers have ties with the Mob influence but the mob operates in the big cities not the small ones (as much). They want soneone of their own kind in a manager's position for various reasons. You figure it out! What nationality do you think Terry Francola is?

10-16-2009 @ 10:38PM

FIRE THAT RED SOX MANAGER, TERRY FRANCOLA!

10-17-2009 @ 9:08PM

waaaaazuuuuup said...

lololol these are the same fans that say the redsox will bring home the ws..praising redsox players and francona... now they want to hang him??? you boston fans are terrible... remember on thing the redsox won 2 ws with francona. before that the redsox had nothing... there is no dynasty in boston...

10-18-2009 @ 3:20AM

Mr. uuuuup if you you notice the above comments 6 of them are made by the same 'guy' who claims he is a Sox fan but I really think he's a Yanks fan trying to stir up trouble (or he is a very lonely sad person who's searching for some friends). Either way after reading the third comment from him I, like most people just said "WTF' and thereafter ignored him. Please don't generalize his six comments as the collective voice of 'the nation'.

P.S. GO HALO'S !!!!!

10-19-2009 @ 1:26PM

papam11 said...

I'm not thrilled with Francona's decisions this part year and it cost the Sox some games. Lowrie the answer at short? Now way. The kid can't hit and there's a very easy way to keep your fielding average up and make yourself look good. And that's to not take chances going after balls that aren't a "sure thing." I don't think I've ever seen him make any spectacular plays. As for Bay? He "wants to come back?" It's BS. Why didn't he sign a contract during the season. If he wants to test the market, fine----but don't give me that "I want to come back" crap. He's not that good. He's a below to average fielder and strikes out way too much. He's not worth anywhere near $15 mil.

10-20-2009 @ 9:46AM

Roger - take some ginko to restore your memory. It was Grady Little who mismanaged Pedro and left him give up the homerun to Aaron Boone after EVERYONE knew his max pitch count was 85 pitches. As far as Tito letting Pedro come out of the bullpen, he was coming off injury then and mostly ineffective. He's good now because he's not trying to throw gas down the middle anymore AND has had a year off to recover and rebuild his strength. He didn't pitch much this year so he's naturally more fresh than he has ever been in the post-season. Also, lights are getting dim on the LAD - and their team is not so bad. Kemp, Ramirez, Ethier and Loney is a very good middle of the lineup.

10-20-2009 @ 10:08AM

They say the smeller is the feller. Goldie herself must be the loney one. This is not the lonely hearts column here. We are talking about baseball. Everyone has an opinion and entitled to it. I still say if T. Francola was not at the helm the Red sox would win over 100 games. Look at how they handled the yanks at the beginning of the season. Then they get blown out in the playoffs just as I predicted. An excellent manager knows how to motivate every player on the team. Every one is different. You can't have t. Francola just saying "go get them boys" This is motivation? He is the greatest pretender now taking credit for those WS wins when it was the players who did the inspiration.

10-20-2009 @ 10:11AM

Goldie you are the joke! you think you are 14 caret when you are nothing but fool's gold. I would be surprised if you knew the difference between a baseball and a ping pong ball. you should be called gallde

10-20-2009 @ 10:13AM

same story next year and the next and the next as it was last year and this year with the Red Sox with Terry Francola. fire that joke

10-20-2009 @ 10:26PM

I LOVE TO SEE REDSOX FANS RIPPING INTO EACH OTHER... YOU FINNALLY GOT A REALITY CHECK BIG TIME...SINCE THE REDSOX WERE SWEPT IVE BEEN IN EVERY MLB ROOM AND I WAS SHOCKED:: I DIDNT SEE ONE NEGATIVE COMMENT ABOUT OTHER TEAMS... MOSTLY I SEE THEM DISSING EACHOTHER... SCREAMING FIRE FRANCONA???? THE ONLY MANEGER IN 86 YEARS THAT TOOK THEM TO THE WS TWICE>>>>