Less than a week into camp, the pitcher is already causing distractions.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – In spring training last year, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was praising Alfredo Aceves as a "pitching savant,'' but by August, he was suspending him for bad behavior.
Less than a week into his first spring training as Boston manager, John Farrell has already seen what a handful Aceves can be, after a bizarre performance in batting practice caused the manager to deal with his mercurial pitcher.
"He didn't go through the drill as intended. It's been addressed,'' Farrell said Sunday at JetBlue Park.
"He's healthy. It's been discussed. We're OK.''
Are they? Farrell continues to promise Aceves and all of his players a clean slate this spring, but this episode will tempt questions of whether Aceves, whose pitching skill is not questioned, is worth the maintenance.
Throwing batting practice is a semi-serious endeavor that requires decent velocity at the very least. Aceves instead lobbed in pitches without even using a windup, causing Farrell at one point to ask if he was OK.
"His last few pitches were better,'' said Farrell, who is inheriting a remade team that expects to be better than analysts predict, and is preaching harmony to do it.
That Aceves would even be back this year seemed unlikely after he clashed with Valentine, who demoted him from closer to setup man upon Andrew Bailey's return from injury in August.
Valentine's firing and Farrell's hiring gave Aceves a new chance. Farrell believes he can communicate with Aceves well enough to allow the Red Sox to benefit from the pitcher's unusual set of talents.
Farrell spoke in the offseason with Aceves, who is No. 6 on the starting-pitching chart at the moment.
"He's come into camp with the plan of being stretched out as a starter, but if our other five starters project as we hope, he would go back to the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever,'' Farrell said.
Aceves is fully aware of this plan, according to Farrell. When the pitcher misbehaved last year, his few defenders said Valentine had not been clear about his role in spring training, and did not tell him about losing the closer's job until calling for Bailey one night in the ninth inning.
If Aceves' behavior can be harnessed, his rare ability to handle almost any pitching role could help the team a lot. He does not want to be stuck in a low-profile one, and Farrell understands.
"He wants to be in a role of responsibility. He wants to be counted on, and part of (finding a suitable role) is my responsibility to be consistent with him.''
By that, he means Aceves can either start or pitch any form of relief. That makes it tempting to keep plugging him into different needs of the moment, rather than settling on a single role he can develop.
In spring training last year, Aceves believed he was auditioning as a starter. He pitched brilliantly, only to be told he was needed in the bullpen.
When Bailey needed thumb surgery in March, Aceves became the closer. He did fairly well until faltering after the All-Star break.
This year, he is not assured a spot on the roster, even if he stays out of trouble. Five starters are ahead of him, and a seven-man bullpen of Joel Hanrahan, Bailey, Koji Uehara, Daniel Bard, Franklin Morales, Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa is possible.
If Aceves avoids controversy, though, it's hard to see him being left out. Farrell is staking his leadership on an ability to communicate with players, but Aceves' behavior Sunday is an early indication his unpredictable pitcher poses his biggest test.
"I can't speak to what happened last year. Everybody starts fresh,'' said Farrell, who managed in Toronto last season.
"If someone strays outside our expectations, though, it's my job to address it.''