Pitcher aiming for spot

"Coming into the spring, it made me feel like, all right, I've just got to stay in shape, throw well, and I'll be part of the bullpen," Delcarmen said. "They went off and go get, like, [J.C.] Romero and [Joel] Pineiro and all these guys -- they're awesome guys -- and they're going to do that. Whatever's going to make the team better.

"But, I mean, I came into the spring thinking I'm part of the bullpen and it's going to be up to me to hold a spot in there.

"For the most part, I think I've been doing it. It made me feel real good when Theo's like, 'We're not letting go of Delcarmen, he's part of our plans.' It just pushes me more to want to be part of that bullpen."

With general manager Theo Epstein's seeming reluctance to part with him in a trade and his lengthy history in the minor leagues -- unlike Craig Hansen, whose name is often paired with Delcarmen's -- Delcarmen didn't expect such uncertainty about his plans for the near future.

But that's what he's found in Fort Myers, Fla., this spring. With essentially one remaining spot in the bullpen -- six should be going to Julian Tavarez, Brendan Donnelly, Hideki Okajima, Mike Timlin, Romero, and Pineiro, though Timlin might begin the season on the disabled list -- Delcarmen could claim it as spring training winds down. So could Kyle Snyder, who, unlike Delcarmen, no longer can be sent down to the minors. So could Devern Hansack, whose stuff intrigues the Sox.

Delcarmen remains unsure what he can gain from another stint in Pawtucket. And pitching coach John Farrell acknowledged that with 53 1/3 innings in a Red Sox uniform last summer, Delcarmen already has gone through the transition from minor leaguer to major leaguer.

"His delivery work is much less at this point, it's more maintenance than Craig's would be," Farrell said. "Craig, there's still some specific things that we're working on.