Anxiety in the Nation?

Sox continue to be stagnant after the Beckett deal. The Nation is getting restless as holes in center and short still exist. Although the Sox have been mentioned in deals with Millwood & Glaus of late, they didn't pull the trigger on either deal. The Renteria deal still has many scratching their heads, especially since no backup plan is apparently in place.

Does "new" management know what they are doing? Like last years Martinez deal, the Sox held firm on a pitcher with injury issues (Millwood) and would not guarantee a 4th year. They also refused to overpay for an aging outfielder (Damon), although productive is still on the back 9 of his career. So, it appears the same principles are being applied. It's good for the long term, but causes the Nation to freak out in the short term. We want to see the Spring Training roster before we pass judgement...

On to the latest rumors...

1B - Sox have been close to signing JT Snow as a backup. The 37 yr old has 6 gold gloves to his credit. Last season he played in 117 games, hit .275, with 4HR & 40RBI. He would be a solid backup & late inning defensive replacement for Youkilis. Supposedly a solid clubhouse presence as well.

Mannygate - Latest is that Sox have offered both Manny & Clement to the O's for Tejada. This seems a little to steep a price. It's also been noted that the Sox would have to kick in additional money as well, because the O's would be taking on an additional $13-14M per season over the next 3 seasons. If you were GM, would you pull the trigger on this? O's would have to add something else to the deal for us to buy into it...

Wells - The talks with the Dodgers have been escalating but no deal yet. Sox would be looking for some of their young arms (prospects) as well as some bullpen help. By holding out, it appears they may be getting close to fair value in return. Talks with the Padres have cooled, as the last offer was Dave Roberts & starter Woody Williams (39 yrs old, 9-12, 4.85ERA).

CF & SS - Strongest rumors have been out of Tampa Bay. Sox would get CF Gathright & SS Lugo in a packaged deal, but no mention of what the Sox would need to give up in return. In the past few seasons, the Rays asking prices have been over the top. The Indians recently signed an OF, which may open the door up for trading Coco Crisp. It also appears that the Mariners will hold onto CF Jeremy Reed. Juan Encarnacion (29yrs old .287, 16HR, 76RBI, $4.4M) although not a true CF, remains one of the best remaining free agent options.

Damon chooses the dark side...

That's right Red Sox Nation, he's gone and there's no turning back. On the surface it seems like the Sox let this one slip thru their fingers. This is different than Pedro last year (who is actually injured right now). Hopefully they know something we don't. Time will tell...


Sox had offered a reported 4yr deal @ $10M per, while the Yanks landed him for 4yrs @ $13M. Wouldn't you think the Sox would have been willing to spend the extra money? The biggest concern was thought to be the length of the contract. Just don't get this one. Was the extra $3M really a deal breaker? Let's hope the Yankees get the Dunkin Donuts version of Johnny...

We really thought he would prefer to stay in Boston. Now it's Johnny turned traitor (or Jesus to Judas?). It was all about the money. Don't believe the BS about who was more aggressive going after him. Bottom line is the dollar sign. Do you think he believes they are closer to a World Series than the Sox? It's not like choosing between Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

Yanks lineup just got better. The question is will it be better over the next 4 years. Probably. That puts Damon at 36. The downside for the Yanks is how often he will play hurt now that he is not playing for a contract. He was beat up most of last season and the body can only take so much wear & tear. Odds are he'll be fine and they can always afford the mistake, a la Bernie...

Don't worry too much. Yanks will probably outscore the majors in runs, but that isn't what wins in Oct. Just ask the Sox who have done so the last 3 seasons. It's about pitching, pitching, and more pitching.

Let's just hope the Sox use that savings to acquire more pitching. Kevin Millwood has been rumored to have an east coast suitor. If not the Sox before, odds are they are in it now. They would make room by dealing Clement, Arroyo, or Wells (he had better #'s than all 3 last season). They could also be saving up for an expensive Clemens return (who wouldn't pass on Damon for Clemens?)

What about CF? The Jeremy Reed trade now looks like one of their better if not only options. With all the trade buzz about a plan B before today, you'd have to think the Sox thought they couldn't re-sign Damon. This also opens up the door for a Manny to Mets trade again. They are offering Beltran and a highly touted OF prospect - which would solve CF & LF. This could gain steam in the next few days...

Torii Hunter - .269, 14HR, 56RBI, Gold Glove (for newly acquired 3B Marte?), Preston Wilson - .260, 25HR, 90RBI (free agent @ $12.5M last yr), & Juan Encarnacion - .276, 16HR, 76RBI (free agent @ $4.4M) will be names to surface in the coming days...

Shortstop? With Graffanino accepting arbitration, there's a logjam at 2B with Loretta & Pedroia. All 3 have played short, included highly touted prospect Pedroia who switched to 2B last year. The answer may be a combination at SS & 2B until the trade deadline...

Latest Sox Activity...

Still no movement, but at least more info seems to be surfacing. Not quite a hot stove yet...

Center Field: There seems to be significant activity around backup plans for Damon. In a recent conversation, Damon hinted at Boston in past tense. The Yanks, O's and Dodgers are all rumored to be interested. The Sox are the only team who has made an actual offer. The others are balking at more than 4yrs for a 32 yr old, and the high pricetag. The Yanks are probably the only other viable suitor. Maybe the Sox are leaking activity in order to have more bargaining leverage. Here's a look at the backup plans:

Coco Crisp - Cleveland: Only 26, hit .300, 16HR, 69RBI, and scored 86 runs. Upside - still developing and will get better, inexpensive salary. Downside - Might not be seasoned enough to take over leadoff role, not sure how pressure in Boston will affect him. Sox would have to give up reliever Mota & newly acquired 3B prospect Marte. Not sure they can afford to give up relief with remaining questions in the pen. Pricetag seems a little high, and can't get past having an outfielder named after a cereal...

Jeremy Reed - Seattle: Only 24, rookie last season, hit .254, 3HR, 45RBI, and scored 61 runs. He has tons of upside, but has big shoes to fill. Might be too young to handle a leadoff role and high expectations. Sox would reportedly have to give up Clement or Arroyo. A solid starter for an unproven rookie is not a good tradeoff...

Pitching: ChiSox are reportedly shopping Jon Garland. He's only 26, went 18-10, 3.50 ERA last season. He has only 1 year left on his deal and has turned down extension offers to test the market next year. Sox should take a run at this guy. Chicago is reportedly looking for 2 pitching prospects, but Sox could offer Arroyo or Clement & another minor league pitcher (but not Lester)

Rudy Seanez: Former Sox reliever had solid 2005 but has been inconsistent in the past. The 37 year old has already received an offer from the Sox. There are also a number of NL teams in the mix for his services as well.

Octavio Dotel: Sox are amoung several teams with interest in former A's closer. He had Tommy John surgery last year and probably won't be availble until June.

Wells: Still no activity. Sox would prefer to have him back, but he may retire & they would get nothing in return except salary room.

Manny Gate: Negotiations are said to still be going on with the O's for Tejada, but asking price is still too high. Apparently Big Papi has been in contact trying to persuade him to stay. As more time goes by, this deal is less likely to go thru.

Shortstop: Alex Gonzalez may already have a suitor. Rich Aurilia remains an option - hit .282, 4HR, 68RBI, and only 10 errors. Would much prefer Aurilia...

First: Sox plan is to start Youkilis, who could be a .280, 15HR, 80RBI guy. He hasn't proven that he could do so, but we're not uncomfortable with that. Sox reportedly have had contact with JT Snow who would likely platoon. The 37 yr old hit .275, 4HR, and 40RBI. A full season of Youkie is looking better & better...

Other news: Ortiz has been contacted by the Sox to work on a contract extension, along with Terry Francona. Negotiations will start after Jan 1st...

Stove not as hot as it should be...

Things have cooled considerably since the GM meetings. Although the Sox have finally settled on a GM, or uh, two, with maybe the door open for Theo? Moving on...

Sox sign journeyman backup catcher Ken Huckaby to a minor league deal. He's planning on moving near Wake's home in Florida before spring training to get an early start on his upcoming "every 5th day" of duty. Best known for his collision at 3rd with Jeter. Wouldn't be surprised to see another guy in camp - namely Shoppach if they don't trade him.

Manny - Latest is another 3 team deal including Mets & Rangers. Sox would get Beltran (poor 2005, injury question), reliever Juan Dominguez (just avg), and CF Laynce Nix (.240, 6HR, 32RBI). Not the worst deal, but nothing that gets you too excited. No worries, because the Rangers have apparently stalled this one...

Damon - The Yanks have finally started interest (phone call by Torre), and now he reportedly is meeting with the Dodgers who are said to have a small chance of signing him. Not sure how much of either is strong interest. Sox really need to sign him, especially if they want to resemble anything close to the offense they've had the last 2 seasons. His agent Boras will drag things on - last year Beltran signed on Jan 9th - which may be too late for options if they lose out. Backup plan is Mariners CF Jeremy Reed - .245, 3HR, 45RBI, but Sox will have to sacrifice players (Clement?) in a trade to get him. He is supposedly a rising star only at 24, but straight up for Clement is too steep...

Shortstop - Ideal situation would be Tejada, but in preliminary discussions, the O's were asking for a pitcher & pitching prospect in addition to Manny. Dream on boys. But Sox may be willing to pay cash to get it done. Backup plan looks to be former Marlins SS Alex Gonzalez - .264, 4HR, 45RBI with 16 errors in the field.

Wells - Not a lot of activity as teams are reluctant to give up much in return for a durable 15 game winner. In a time when pitching is so scarce (see Free Agent deals so far) its puzzling that no one has stepped up. Sox are asking for bullpen help in return. In a recent interview, even Francona thinks he will be traded. He also added that if Wells goes, they won't move another starter...

Clemens - Remains a long shot at best. Sox confirmed contact and sources close to Clemens said he was very happy about interest from Boston. Yanks have also jumped in and made contact. Wouldn't be shocked to see him retire, or even return to Houston on may 1st. The extra month of rest may prevent his body breaking down in Sept. You'll probably see more activity in January...

GM Meetings a success?

Sox managed to make 2 deals at the meetings, one minor and one major.

Mirabelli to San Diego for 2B Loretta. Anytime you can get a full time player for a backup, it's a good deal. Sox fill their need at 2B until Pedroia is ready. Wakefield was consulted prior to this deal as well. B+

Renteria to the Braves for 3B prospect Marte. Sox shelled out an additional $11M over 3 years to get this done. Management obviously thought he couldn't get the job done. Maybe they found his "real" birth certificate and think he got old way too fast? They must know something that hasn't been made public. Anyway, Marte is one of baseball's top 5 prospects, rated higher than Hanley Ramirez - who the Sox had traded in the Beckett deal. Should have been able to get more (prospect or bullpen help) especially shelling out that kind of dough. C

Other deals still in process...

Damon: Apparently the market hasn't been too active for Damon, which is good for the Sox. Reportedly the Dodgers are now considering an offer, but rumblings around the Yankees have been surprisingly quiet. Sox have offered 4yrs and $40M+ to this point. This deal could be getting in the way of other deals. Wish they would just fish or cut bait at this point...

David Wells: Most people thought he would be gone already. Apparently the Sox haven't been offered what they are looking for and are sticking to their guns. Dodgers have apparently cooled their interest & San Diego is probably the front runner once again. Giants could be the dark horse. We wish they would package a deal to get Zito from the A's. What's holding up this deal? Sox need to determine what needs they have if they trade Manny & can't re-sign Damon. (Deal believed to be OF Dave Roberts & reliever Otsuka) Roberts would be the 4th OF again, which is why he asked for a trade after 2004.

Blockbuster Manny for Tejada: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. If this swap of superstars happens, the Renteria deal just turned brilliant. Ramirez is a superior hitter, but their numbers aren't that far off. Sox would be getting 90-95% in terms of value - better than any reported deal out there. What they get is the best shortstop in the game, a good clubhouse guy, and a feisty competitor. You'll see a few more all-star appearances as well...

Theo back? Sounds like the Sox are bringing him back in an "advisory or consulting" role. Call it what you like, but he'll be running things again. Smart move, as management can save face and bring back one of the more talented thinkers in the game. Gammons reported on Thursday that Theo had been "in contact" with members of his former staff. Wonder how much input he's been having...

Clemens? This is a long shot. Although if he does return, the Sox and Yanks are possible destinations. Beckett and Schilling might be able to persuade him to return to Boston. His exit from NY to Houston might be a point of contention. With his son in the Houston organization (catcher) most thought he would return until he was major league ready. Will the desire to win another championship bring him back? Or how about another Cy Young - which he would be a favorite for in the AL? He's more than likely retiring, but would put most contending teams over the top as favorites...

Rumors in full force on next to last day of meetings...

No major deals have been pulled off yet this week. Sox management said to have been in "clean up" mode on Tue, with Wed targeted as dealing only with teams that have real interest.

One notably quiet team is the Yankees, who have only signed a reliever to this point. Now that Pierre has gone to the Cubs, you would think they'd step up efforts for Damon. Word is that they would only discuss a 3 or 4 yr deal - at a significant discount to the current asking price of $13M per. Can't believe Georgie Boy has been quiet, and don't believe the BS about the Yanks losing $50-80M last season. Highest revenue in majors by far, so apparently their accountants left out revenues from the YES network on this one...



Congrats to Grady Little, the Dodgers new manager. Things will probably work out a little better for him this time around. He's got Gagne to bring in the 8th now...

Good luck to John Olerud, as he hangs up his cleats. Was looking forward to see him in a Sox uniform once again...

Most likely deals to happen...

Wells wil probably be gone in next couple of days. Apparently his request was "West Coast", which opens the door for more suitors. A's, Dodgers, Giants, and Padres all have interest. A perennial 15 game winner should yield a good return. Best case would be to package him with another pitcher or prospect to get Zito from the A's...

Mirabelli & prospect to yield Padres 2B Loretta. Not sure why deal hasn't been done yet - could be haggling over prospect.

Back burner...

Manny gate continues. Appears that Angels & Mets are cooling on deal. Managment stated that deal is too complex & will not get done this week

Damon - Management met with his agent Boras who said talks are going good. Apparently "good" is not a word he throws around lightly, but it will probably take 4yrs @ $44M plus option for a 5th year.

Renteria to the Braves has apparently lost some steam. Money the Sox would have to pay is reportedly the bottleneck. Hopefully it was more than a tease.

Seattle has been inquiring about Trot, but no reports of what they would give up in return...

Arbitration...

Teams have until midnight tonight to decide to offer their free agents arbitration. If they do not offer it, kiss that player goodbye.

Players can reject it, and then teams have until Jan 8th to sign them. If a player accepts but does not re-sign, their team receives compensation from whoever they sign with next. The downside is that the player is awarded a significant contract. Here's the list for the Sox:


Yes:

Damon - he'll reject it, giving the Sox until Jan 8th to re-sign


Decision time:

Mike Myers - reportedly fielding offers from multiple teams
Matt Mantei - no word on offseason surgery or timetable
Mike Stanton - might be a good idea especially with current reliever's pricetags

Probably a "no":

Bill Mueller - Mike Lowell unless he's traded, then Youkilis?
Kevin Millar - too steep a price for a backup
Gabe Kapler - too severe of injury? Already taken off 40 man roster
Tony Graffanino - looking for a 2 or 3 year deal (might do just to get compensation?)

Stay tuned, we'll be back later tonight or tomorrow the latest. Something is cooking!!!

Hot Stove is on fire...

Finally, something to get excited about.

It's day two of the meetings & not much but a flood of rumors. Why? The free agent market has about 200 players, and only 22 of them are in their 20's. And half of them will be 30 come playoff time. That's what is driving the trade market. Sox picked right time to have farm system start to pay dividends.

Sox have been somewhat busy fielding numerous Manny inquiries. Supposedly they've met with 8 of their scheduled 13 teams so far.

The Theo returning to Boston rumors keep surfacing. We think someone is doing this just to be a pain in the ass. Move on already...


Manny Gate Continues:

Still puzzled as to what is or will happen. So many contradicting rumors floating around:

1) His agents are apparently stating that he will play anywhere & that they are mandated to get a deal done.

2) Sox management stating that it's unlikely they will get what they want in a trade, inferring he will be back (NY paper thinks they are putting that out there to get more value)

3) Angels management privately stating not interested in Manny(so there goes Troy Glaus) & not willing to part with Ervin Santana.

4) His deal could be extended or restructured in order to get a deal done

5) Mets would want to include Kaz Matsui (.255, 3HR, 24RBI - $7M/yr) as part of the deal, and fill 2B void in Boston. Bellhorn had better #'s...

6) To Texas for Soriano? Soriano is the exact opposite of the prototype player the Sox covet. Poor defensive fielder at 2nd, never played in OF. Might make sense for 1 year?



Bobby Abreu - for Clement & Nixon. Philly apparently not high on Clement. Sox should throw in an Abe Alvarez or similar to get this done. Wow.


Julio Lugo - Tampa SS, would play 2nd. Shoppach & Youkilis are the bait.


Wells - Dodgers now in the mix. No mention of players, but likely pitching prospects. At least provides leverage in San Diego talks. San Diego not likely to part with pitching now that Hoffman appears to be headed to Cleveland. The A's have also entered the picture offering relier Justin Ducherererererer. Seems a little light for a 15 game winner in this market. Heck, throw in Clement & go for Zito...


Mark Loretta - San Diego 2B - for Mirabelli. Was rumored to be part of Wells / Mirabelli combo deal last week. Now straight up. Wake might not be pleased with this one.


Mike Lowell - newly acquired 3B inquired by Twins for JC Romero & Lew Ford - meets Sox need for reliever & 4th outfielder.


Aubrey Huff - Tampa 1B - Sox have had interest for a while, no mention of what they would give up

Trot - offered to Pittsburgh for either starting pitcher Mark Redman or Kip Wells. Not sure why the Sox would do this with excess pitching already. Both guys have era around 5. Yikes.

Sean Casey - Cinn 1B - for Arroyo & Youkilis - would work out well for Sox

Lyle Overbay - Milw 1B - for Clement. Price might be a little too steep

Soriano - reports saying that Texas would be interested in Clement or Arroyo...

Edgar Renteria - Apparently the Braves have some interest. Boy does this open the door for a number of possibilities. Getting giddy just thinking about it. This would be a 3 team deal with the Sox acquiring Tampa's SS Lugo, but paying some of $30M left on Renteria's deal.

Stay tuned folks. More updates to come this week. Talks end on Thursday where most wheeling & dealing will take place...