Playoff Rotation Analysis

Terry Francona announced the playoff rotation for the ALDS after today's final regular season game. As expected, Jon Lester gets the ball in game one followed by Josh Beckett in game two. There was some discussion over who would be the game three starter. Clay Buchholz gets the nod over Dice-K. What does this all mean?

Starting Lester in game one allows the team the option of bringing him back on short rest to start game four and throwing Beckett on regular rest in game five. What does this mean?

Dice-K is a near certainty to make the roster. He will serve as the long man out of the bull pen and the insurance policy for games four and five. What does this mean?

Paul Byrd will not make the roster for this round. Like Tim Wakefield and Michael Bowden, he will continue to throw just in case he gets the call in the ALCS.

Other playoff news:

• The Yankees, based on having the best regular season record in the AL, will decide whether or not to start their series on Wednesday or Thursday. With the Tigers and Twins playing at 5PM Tuesday night, the Yankees have to select the Wednesday option. If they went with Thursday, they would have to face Justin Verlander (he pitched today) in game one.
• The Sox playoff roster should include Joey Gaithwright as a pinch runner. There are some questions however. Who will be the back up infielder? Nick Green has not played in weeks. Jed Lowrie has improved physically over the past two weeks. Chris Woodward left the team recently to be with his wife for the birth of their son. I'd prefer a healthy Lowrie. Will Rocco Baldelli (if he makes the roster he starts one of the games versus lefties Joe Saunders and Scott Kazmir) be healthy enough to make it? It looks like Brian Anderson gets the back up outfielder spot if Baldelli can't go
• The roster could include Anderson, Gaithwright, Byrd, Woodward, along with definites Alex Gonzalez, Billy Wagner, Dice-K, Casey Kotchman and Victor Martinez. That would be nine spots out of twenty-five afforded to players who were not with the big league club on July 30th.
• The National League playoff participants do not measure up to the Yankees, Angels and Red Sox.
• It looks like the Yankees are going with CC Sabbathia, Andy Pettite, and AJ Burnett in that order. That leaves Joba Chamberlain in the Dice-K role. I doubt they give him any eighth inning opportunities. Phil Hughes, Phil Coke and Robertson have been too good.