Oki Heads To The Bucket

I can't say this was particularly surprising:

This could not have been an easy day for Hideki Okajima. After four seasons as Boston's No. 1 left-handed option out of the bullpen, the one-time "hero in the shadows" was optioned Monday to Triple-A Pawtucket as the Red Sox made their final roster decisions.

The Red Sox announced that Alfredo Aceves also was optioned to Pawtucket, with Dennys Reyes retained as the bullpen's only left-hander and former Orioles reliever Matt Albers kept as a right-handed long man.

Okajima had two things working against him: diminishing performance over the past two seasons and remaining options. Put those together and it was a no-brainer of a move. And, as Gordon Edes points out, it preserves some depth for the season.

On the downside, the Sox now have only one left-hander in the 'pen. Dennys Reyes will be 34 on April 19. He has been a reliable, if not stellar, arm in relief. But is it wise for Boston to have just one lefty? I guess we'll find out if that is actually a requirement. Of course, if Matt Albers continues pitching like he has, then no one will even care about how many lefties are in the pen.