The first rule about fight club?

Well, you know...

The 2006 Sox edition is closing out this spring with a "bang". It's great to see some intensity as the season approaches. A little fire from Beckett & a spark from Clement shows these guys really do care about their performance and the way the game is played. These games don't even count. The downside is that "Ju-lie-an" Tavares has been exposed as the psycho his rep portrayed. As long as he doesn't get suspended, it should work in his favor. How can a hitter get comfortable with someone on the mound who is capable of doing just about anything? This advantage is only negated when he faces another lunatic like a Sheffield or Milton Bradley. Lunatics apparently understand each other. Who knew...


This has been one of the quietest camps in recent memory. Until the recent bench clearings, not much has been going on. Is this the way it should be? Even David Wells was relatively quiet - until provoked by a slimy sportswriter attempting to stir the pot for a story. Scumbag. Maybe he was trying to make Shaunnessy look good. Nope, didn't work.

Amazingly, there's been little or no talk about Trot's contract year. The stigma surrounding Foulke has all but disappeared as his performance has been good - although his velocity has not. Schill's health is still in question, but he "feels good". The only story that has even come close to resonating is the apparent lack of bat speed from Mike Lowell. But then you have Youkie that can move across the diamond, and now Hee-sop Choi in AAA to fill in at first. Even the Arroyo trade has been accepted now that the Nation knows about the "potential" of Wily - "I'd like to buy an L" - Mo Pena. It's a little strange, but good!

The pitching is absolutely better than last season. In the rotation, they essentially upgraded Arroyo to Beckett, and Schilling to a healthy Schilling. That alone should translate to more wins. Clement & Wells are your # 4 & 5 starters. Bet you can't even name most teams # 4 & 5 guys. Only disagreement is that Wake is the #2 guy. We love him, but he's only a potential 12-15 game winner, and the whole knuckler thing between 2 fireballers only really works within a game - not different days.

The pen is also much better than last season - how could it not be. Timlin, Papelbon, Dinardo, and Tavares are all solid. Seanez, Riske, and Foulke are still question marks. But remember, you still have Delcarmen and Hansen in AAA who both had fantastic springs. The Sox were pulling guys off the street last year.

The lineup is very solid. It won't be as prolific as the last few years, but with improved pitching & defense, it doesn't have to be. The falloff in runs won't be as significant as you may think. The Yanks have now turned into the Sox of old & will have to bash their way to wins.

Lowell and Gonzalez are your only weak spots. Crisp looks great at the top of the order and had a great spring. Same for Loretta who has been on fire. Remember that the Sox didn't get much out of Renteria in the 2 spot all season. Manny & Ortiz should continue to be themselves, so the top of the order might actually be better. You'll probably see less of Tek, so he is more fresh in Sept & Oct. Trot's health is always a question. But with the addition of Pena and the fact he is in a contract year, expect a lot. Pena may fan often, but he will probably give you close to 20 HR's in a part time role. The Sox certainly didn't have that last season.

This team is better overall than last year. Pitching and defense win in October and they improved both. Health will be the only major roadblock. Schilling is more healthly but not back to his 2004 form. Wells is another year older, but the Sox are being cautious with him. Remember he didn't want to rehab last year and got shelled the first game. Not so this time. Beckett has had a great spring and shown no sign of issues.

Just have a good feeling about things. We'll see, that's why they play the games. Although Toronto will be better, they still don't match up. The D-Rays games will always be tough with their emerging talent, and the recent history & now spring training. If they get any type of pitching, look out. The Yanks of course should be there at the end. They have an impressive lineup - no rest for a pitcher anywhere in there. The bottom line is they don't have the pitching to get it done - especially in the post season. Big Unit & that cartiledge free knee & back is another year older. Mussina is another year older and wasn't himself LAST season. Pavano (headcase) and Wright are already facing injury issues. Their youngest & brightest pitcher, Wang, was on the DL last season. Are Yanks fans really hanging their hat on Chacon & Small once again to pull them thru? Don't count on it.

The bottom line is that the wildcard is not likely to come out of the AL East. Cleveland will give the White Sox all they can handle, and the A's and Angels will have a dog fight as well. The weaker division is the West, so we're predicting the wildcard emerging from there.

Will the Yanks AL East reign end? We think so. And with the Sox apparent youth movement, it may be a while before the Yanks win it again...

Sox trade Arroyo for Wily Mo...

The Sox move one of their most popular players and cash for a part time outfielder. Our first response was "What?" We've heard the name Wily Mo Pena, but never associated him with the better outfielders in the game. Throw in the emerging Adam Stern, the solid Spring Training by non roster invitee Dustin Mohr (righty bat), and the minor league signing of Juan Gone, and further questions arise.



There were rumors that the Sox were in talks with Cincinnati, but they involved Clement, not Arroyo. He was apparently stunned when he heard the news. After all, he did take a below market 3 year offer to try and stay in Boston. It's really unfortunate that this type of thing happens. Players should be applauded, and rewarded, for this type of loyalty. But reality is that they are commodities. Tell us this situation won't come up in the next contract negotiation with every team. Prices just went up folks, and hometown discounts just became more rare...



Who was the winner in this deal? At first glance, Cincinnati. They get a proven starter with a rubber arm who won 14 games, all at a price of less than $3M per season. They had to give up a part time outfielder to do so. How do you not make this deal if you are Cincinnati coming off the worst ERA in the majors? No brainer. He's probably their #2 starter...



Sox get a 24 yr old outfielder who can play all 3 positions. His power numbers are outstanding - hitting 45 HR in 2 part time seasons, and has an .881 OPS vs lefties (Manny's is .885) - which is when he'll replace Trot . He's very athletic but is still fairly raw. At only 24, he's still learning, and plate discipline will be his biggest lesson. He has plenty of time to rid himself of bad habits, and his best years are still in front of him. Give round 1 to Cincy, but long term goes to the Sox.



Upside

• Pena is only 24, inexpensive, and under control for several years
• His skills should improve
• Still raw, but not too old to change bad habits - plate discipline
• Should hit 20 HR as part time OF (they don't grow on trees)
• Backup for: Trot, Coco, Manny, & Ortiz
• Forces Trot to have a monster contract year
• OF of the future (next to their 26 yr old CF)
• Short term option at 1B if Lowell struggles? (Youkie back to 3rd)

Downside

• Lose a 14 game winner
• Lose 200+ inning pitcher & bullpen flexibility
• Trot to free agency at year end - leadership presence

Overall it looks promising. As much as we hate to see Arroyo go, his 4.51 ERA wasn't exactly stellar. He was 10th in the league in quality starts, and rung up 14 wins. Arguably he was one of the best 5th starters. But with Schill, Beckett, Wake, Wells, Clement, Papelbon, and a rising Lester, he became expendable.



The key measuring stick is: Are the Sox better? The short answer is yes. They have plenty of depth in the OF, also gaining a power right handed bat. With Arroyo slated for the pen anyway, they still have plenty of depth in the rotation. Pena is still somewhat raw, but now has teachers in Papa Jack & Ortiz to bring him along. He also has the benefit of a stronger lineup around him. He is inexpensive and could be the new RF in 2007, decreasing age and payroll significantly. You could easily be looking at a 40HR 100+ RBI guy. He is a project, but if the Sox can teach him to prepare and be more disciplined, look out. There's a new Mo in town...

Spring Training rolling along...

Things have been very quiet across the Florida camp. Amazing how the storm of the offseason is a distant memory now. Good news is the Sox finally rewarded Francona with a 2 year extension. Well deserved & congrats to Terry.
-
For those of you panicking about spring training stats, cool your jets. There isn't a pitcher on the staff who has thrown a TOTAL of 9 innings yet. Keep in mind that they are tinkering with deliveries. Papelbon, for example, threw mostly fastballs to work on something. We also heard that a relief pitcher was booed recently. Are you freakin kidding us? Just stop. This goes for Mike Lowell as well. The talk of his "slow bat" & "slow body" is a load of you know what. Do you really want to take the bat out of his hands before the season starts? Lame.
-
The WBC seems to be a real success at this point. It's actually enjoyable to watch teams & fans from the Carribean & Asia. The only real causalty right now is Damon's shoulder (tendinitis). You know Georgie boy is steaming about this one. The Yanks new CF is only able to pinch run. No batting and no throwing. His doctor stated he'd be ready for the start of the season. Still feel that bad about not signing him?
-
Speaking of signings, Pedro continues to have issues with the toe. He's been very forthcoming about the cortisone injections from all of last season & the playoffs in Boston. Surprisingly, he's thrown out the word "surgery" a little too often. Uh oh. A Clement & Graffanino package might yield the Sox some nice dividends...
-
Pedroia had a disappointing shoulder injury. We would have loved to see him in action to see what he could do. Interestingly, his counterpart a step behind in the minors, SS Lowrie, is having a fantastic spring. Maybe Lowrie to Pedroia will be the double play combo in 2007 and beyond...
-
Sox only have a couple of issues. Wells has yet to throw in a game, but they are being deliberate with him. Great news that he rescinded his trade request - it gives the Sox more options. Apparently the Sox are exploring catcher options. Bard is just OK & they may try to deal with the Rangers. Stay tuned. In the meantime, enjoy the WBC, forget about spring training stats, and get warmed up for April. And good luck with your brackets!!!

"New" Manny lands in camp, WBC kicks off

Don't look now folks, but Manny made it. And he appears to have grown up some. It's on a rare occasion that he handles himself in a professional manner in front of the camera off the field. But he actually made lucid and surprisingly candid statements to the press yesterday. The soon to be 34 year old reflected on his career and noted he didn't want to screw it up. He handled the press like a seasoned vet. Maybe it wasn't Schillingesque, but more so than we've seen out of him in the past.
-
Does he truly get it now? Doubtful, but at least he's taking steps in the right direction. And if actions do in fact speak louder than words, his offseason conditioning should speak volumes. A much trimmer Manny showed up in camp. He hired a new personal trainer in the offseason to help address the hamstring problems he has year after year.
-
Manny also stated he would not participate in the WBC. He didn't want to make a fool out of himself by not being able to play at a high level. He stated he wanted to get ready for the season and that the WBC would hinder his progress. Thats not the statement of a carefree or freespirited flake.
-
We're not naive enough to think that he mysteriously transformed into a Cal Ripken or John Olerud in the offseason. It's only a matter of time before he slips into a "Manny moment". However, we've finally seen flashes of what we hoped was behind the hitting machine. Maybe he's finally seen the light. Well, judging by the new hairdo, he still may have a ways to go. Let's just hope that translates into less Manny being Manny...
-
The WBC is getting under way shortly. We think the overall concept is great, especially since baseball was removed from the Olympics. The timing is what we don't like. This entire tournament will be re-assessed once injuries occur - which they will. If a major star, or stars, go down before the start of the regular season, you can bet money on the fact that this will get scrapped next year.
-
There are too many downsides to this happening in March. Every GM is holding their breath right now. Is there a better timeframe to hold it? Midseason around the all-star break? You would have to decrease the 162 game season, or start it earlier. Great, March in Boston is not too cold. Late October after the World Series? Not much interest from players exhaused from the season. The only viable timeline is to replace winter ball. But, the same issues of injuries exist. It's a fantastic idea conceptually, but its not practical.
-
Players will break down this season. You may hear rumblings in Sept that they peaked too early in March. This will affect pitchers more than position players. You know once they get on the mound to represent their country, adrenaline will kick in. Even if they are on a pitch count, they will probably fire the ball harder because they are only throwing a limited number. As exciting as it may be, lets hope it's not a nightmare.
-
A recent ESPN poll asked users who would win the WBC. Of 50K+ pollers, 49% said the US would win, followed by the Dominican at 38%. The interesting thing is that only the New England states & Maryland had more Dominican votes than US votes. Look out for Venezuela and the winner of the Asia pool. Remember that this is a one game elimination tournament, and anything can happen. Lets just hope it's all good...