Sox Brass Must Snap out of Denial & Make Moves

OK. Will someone please explain the logic behind the Red Sox continuing to start John Smoltz when he's demonstrated he cannot pitch well this season?
Today, it was painful to watch John Smoltz, in his 6th start, again pitch so poorly and display the same vulnerabilities. I just watched Oriole slugger Nick Markakis, for the second time, take advantage of a very poorly-placed Smoltz fastball (It was more like a beachball!) and belt it for a home-run. I couldn't believe Smoltz left two fastballs up in the zone to Markakis. That takes some BAD pitching. I've heard pitchers talk endlessly about the importance of "fastball command." Well, Smoltz's fastball now lacks velocity, movement and location. It's terrible. In addition, his breaking pitches quite often have "hung" in the zone and been hit hard.
This is certainly not what Theo Epstein and company hoped for in signing Smoltz, but, that brings me to the main point.
Why are Epstein and the Red Sox so hung up on "giving Smoltz a chance"? Listen, I completely respect Smoltz. I recall him shutting down the Sox with his slider a couple of seasons ago. However, the Sox' apparent decision to keep putting him out there with the blind hope (or, fantasy) that somehow, he'll magically recapture his skills seems not only misguided, but outright damaging to the team's chances to make the playoffs. In fact, it's indisputable that Smoltz has already hurt the team in his starts. The team has lost five of the six games Smoltz started and he has worn out the bullpen.
So, what is it going to take, Theo? I'm afraid the Sox are being stubborn on this one. Terry Francona, before today's game, was urging everyone to be patient with Smoltz. One of this Red Sox team's few weaknesses in recent years has been to stay too long with a non-performing player. Remember Francona repeatedly bringing Eric Gagne in? How about Javier Lopez or Alan Embree, when he got bad a few years back? Tim Wakefield at various times?
Yet, at the same time, the team - along with baseball writers and fans - have shown much more tolerance with Smoltz than with Daisuke Matsuzaka, who, despite his 18 - 3 record last year, was dealt with quickly when he didn't perform this year and reassigned to strengthen his shoulder in Florida most of the summer.
I fear this Smoltz "experiment" has become some strange "personal" matter for Epstein, Francona or other Sox officials. Smoltz, after all, is 42 and coming back from surgery. They want him to succeed so badly, it seems, that they're willing to assume the risk of hurting the team quite badly to prove they're right.
It's time to replace Smoltz in the rotation and move on.
Of course, the largest area I feel the Red Sox must face reality with is their lack of hitting. I think sportswriters and fans are in the same denial as the team about just how weak this team's offense is. I ask you: Who is a consistent hitter who can "carry" this team for a spell? Who is a consistent power hitter? A consistent "contact hitter"? The team has a lot of fastball hitters, but, who can hit breaking stuff? It's not a coincidence that SO MANY young pitchers, who have never faced the Sox before, have shut them down easily.
I feel the argument to land a high-calibre player like Victor Martinez or Adrian Gonzalez has become very hard to refute. Opponents of a major move express worry about who such a new star player might replace in the line-up, but, I think one has to face this line-up is a losing one.
I realize, as I write this, the Sox are right behind the Yankees, but, they're getting worse while the Yanks and other teams are getting better. Plus, isn't it hard to imagine this lineup making it into the playoffs and World Series?
I know it's oversimplifying, but, the Sox have not come close to filling the tremendous void left by the absence of Manny Ramirez!! If this team still had Manny, I'd feel better about its offense, wouldn't you?