Machado hopes to stay at highest level

03/12/2006
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alejandro Machado's first taste of the big leagues taught him one thing -- that he wants more.
Machado has 32 days of Major League service on his resume, after being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket on Sept. 1. He played three games at second base, one at shortstop and six in the outfield for the Red Sox.
Where he plays in the field is not important to Machado. Getting the opportunity to play with the Red Sox is what matters. After signing with the Braves as a 16-year-old free agent in 1998, Machado also spent time with the Royals, Brewers and Expos, before being acquired by the Sox in February 2005. He'd like to be around for a while.
"I hope so," said Machado, a native of Venezuela. "I feel really comfortable here. They've treated me really good since last year. I feel like I'm home over here."
Machado has seen time in both the infield and outfield this spring, which is fine with him.
"I think it's more mental," he said. "Your mentality is the key when you are [playing both the infield and outfield]. I'm trying to work on everything in Spring Training. I try to work on the infield and outfield, my hitting and timing. That is the key for Spring Training."
Manager Terry Francona would like to see more of Machado in the outfield.
"We do want to get him in the outfield at some point," Francona said. "That might be part of his job. We know he can do it."
And when the season begins, where would Machado like to be?
"I don't know -- I hope here [with the Major League team]," he said. "I'll do everything I can to start here. Once you are here, you want to be here for your whole life."
Rough weekend: Two of the Sox's most highly-regarded young pitchers, left-hander Jon Lester and righty Jonathan Papelbon, had rough outings over the weekend.
Against the Pirates on Saturday, Lester entered the game in the sixth inning with a two-run lead, but he was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on three hits, two walks, a wild pitch and a home run in two innings. Lester regrouped to strike out two of the last three batters he faced.
Papelbon, starting against the Twins on Sunday, also took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out two, in 3 1/3 innings.
Pressley impressions: Francona on non-roster invitee Josh Pressley, the 6-foot-6 left-handed hitter who is batting .154 (2-for-13) in eight Spring Training games: "He had kind of a breakout year in Double-A [Portland]. I don't think he's trying to make the team. He's trying to make a good first impression. Defensively, he's doing a good job. Offensively, I think he has some work to do. He's got to make his swing a little more compact. It's kind of long at times, as you see with kids that are that big. He's got a lot of power. He's got to find a way to not harness it, [but] just to get his swing a little shorter."
Pedroia on the pine: Infielder Dustin Pedroia is still sidelined with a strain of his left (non-throwing) shoulder, which he injured while taking an awkward swing during a strikeout in the eighth inning against the Twins on March 2.
What they're saying: "How he's used is still to be determined. You want to prepare him for the Major Leagues. The other thing is you want him to pitch enough where he doesn't have five-pitch innings and he can use all his pitches, so when he gets here, he's not handcuffed. ... That's such a fine line to walk between not overusing a kid and getting him ready for the Major Leagues. Once you get here, the development's over almost. You got to win. So it's a fine line. You just got to do the best you can and hope for the best." -- Francona, on pitcher Craig Hansen

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/