Apparently the time is now for Red Sox’ reliever Craig Hansen, whose role in the bullpen will come into greater relief with the ouster of Julian Tavarez, who’s been designated for assignment. So, are we confident about this maneuver? Are we happy to see Tavarez and his 6.39 ERA jettisoned in favor of Hansen and his 6.23 ERA? I guess it all depends on the Hansen we get. After all, he’s only pitched in two games (2 and 2/3 innings of work), while Tavarez spread his demon seed across nine games and 12.7 innings.

In his brief work this season, Hansen has shown flashes of brilliance digestibility, which is more than you could say for Tavarez, who’s pitched admirably in the past but seemed to be throwing batting practice of late. Hansen had ESPN’s Steve Philips and Orel Hershiser drooling on each other during last week’s Detroit series, when his off-speed pitches were snapping across “multiple planes,” a phrase Hershiser mentioned at least 13 times in one inning. Discussed much less was Hansen’s ordeal with sleep apnea, which apparently caused him to snore, toss and turn, and look perpetually stoned. According to reports, that condition has now been rectified, although Hansen still looks like someone who’d bogart the spleef (like he did as Pickford in “Dazed and Confused”). Whether he can bogart big situations remains to be seen.

When Hansen arrived on the scene in late 2005, he endured his fits and starts. His “stuff” was an exciting mix of electricity and unbridled potential. Then came 2006 and 38 games of unbridled badness, with a 6.63 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. Personally, he engendered zero confidence, and even appeared to have been a bust (first-round draft pick out of St. John’s in 2005). He spent last year in Pawtucket, didn’t “grace” the team on its way to the 2007 World Series, and seemed headed for a career at Triple A. But then came word of his apnea, the corrective procedure, and this whole thing about “multiple planes.”

So, is Craig Hansen ready? Is he finally ready to pitch big-boy innings for a first-place team? I’ve seen him pitch two innings this year, so I can’t say for sure. Then again, he’s only pitched 2-plus innings in total, so can Francona and Farrell say either? All we know for certain is that Julian Tavarez will not be pitching in crunch situations anymore. And of that I will say, “All right, all right…”

Cam Martin is a Sox fan who lives in Yankee country (Fairfield County, CT). He also covers baseball for Bugs&Cranks. E-mail: cdavidmartin@yahoo.com

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