Lowell Bites the Bullet

Yesterday, Mike Lowell did what was expected of him, he took surgery to heal a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb. Lowell's trade to Texas was called off earlier this month because of this surgery. This year, Lowell had a very good offensive year as he batted at a .290 clip, 3rd on the team, along with 17 bombs and 75 RBIs in 119 games. He has been plagued by a nagging injury after the Red Sox went on to win the World Series in 2007. Lowell had a sparkling year that year as he had an MVP-caliber line of .324, 21, 120 as he did better than many of the Red Sox stars, leading the team in RBIs and batting for a higher average than the Red Sox' current star, Manny Ramirez. If this surgery works out for Lowell, and he is healthy in 2010 he could be a very productive batter and he could be the big bat they need after Bay's departure. Happy New Year to all!!!! I have loved blogging this year to all of you. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!

New York is a Rich City

You all have probably heard by now- Jason Bay (2009 Sox.Rox Player of the Year) signed with the New York Mets. For quite a while, the Mets were the only New York team that I liked (I disliked the Yankees, Giants, Jets, and Knicks) and it's not like I dislike them now, but I... like them less. Bay signed a 4 year, $66 million deal with an option to make it a 5 year, $80 million if he wants to stay for less. They outbid the Red Sox for the greatest peice of their 2009 Wild Card team although they are still a great team. Now- as I have said in a previous post, "Maybe it's time for the Holliday season." Personally, I think the Red Sox did the smart thing, however, Bay is not a great player; sure, he can hit for power, a respectable average, and a respectable fielder and runner, but he is not great. I'm going to tell everyone one thing right now- DO NOT HATE THE METS. This is just the baseball business, everyone tries to outbid everyone and the Sox didn't budge, it looks like we're going to see Cameron in left next year. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!

Red Sox Add Conditional Option to Lackey

For the past two seasons ('08-'09), John Lackey has been bothered by a nagging elbow injury. He has made 27 starts this last year, and 24 in '08 after making 33 starts from 2003-2007. Now the Red Sox have taken awareness about this and have set up a conditional offer. This offer states that if Lackey gets injured for "a significant amount of time" the Red Sox can pay him the MLB minimum of $400,000 a year. This option also holds Lackey through 2015, if he gets injured. The normal deal gives Lackey $18 million in 2010, but slacks off to $15.5 million for 2011-2014. It may be kind of a risk, but I am personally thrilled at having Lackey on the Sox. Happy Holidays! Go Sox, all the way!!!!!

Bay Rejects Sox

The Red Sox have been sticking beside their 4 year, $60 million offer to Jason Bay. Apparently, other teams have been making better offers (or it could be the old Scott Boras trick where he makes the fake offer). The Mets, on one hand, gave Bay a 4 year, $65 million offer, but Bay wants a 5 year deal, reportedly. Bay has insinuated that he does not want to play for the Mets, in their cavernous Citi Field. A mystery team, however, has given Bay a five-year contract, this could be the Boras trick, however. The other suitors for Bay have been the Angels and Mariners, but I haven't heard too much about them. The Angels definitely have the salary room, as they lost expensive free agents John Lackey and Chone Figgins. The Mariners are trying to build on a team that has been working hard to get their team better with several powerhouse acquisitions over the offseason. Bay has apparently rejected the Red Sox' offer. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!

(At Least) One More Year of Mike Lowell

You may have heard of a highly publicized deal of sending Mike Lowell down to Texas for minor league catcher, Max Ramirez. This trade would have sent Lowell and $9 million to Texas for Max Ramirez (I guess they think Ramirez is pretty good). This trade has been called off because Lowell is going to need thumb surgery over the offseason because of a nagging injury that gave him some bench time at the end of last season. Lowell flew down to Texas yesterday so the Rangers' doctors could look to see if the injury was still bothering him; they decided it was, so Lowell is back through 2011, unless they trade him before that. Last year, Lowell had a very good year, hitting at a nice .290 clip (fourth on the team) along with 17 homers and 75 RBIs, even though it was a far cry away from his 2007 stat line, it was better than his '08 one. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!!

Maybe It's Time for the Holliday Season

It looks like the Red Sox' hopes on re-acquiring Jason Bay are close to dead, but it is time to move on. According to some reports, the Red Sox have made a contract offer to free agent left fielder, Matt Holliday. Holliday is probably the #1 free agent this year as he split the season between the Oakland A's and St. Louis Cardinals, going for a great line of .313, 24, 109 as he was great after moving to St. Louis after a disappointing stint in the AL. In 2007, Holliday led the NL in average, going for an MVP-caliber line of .340, 36, 137. Accordingly, the Red Sox' contract offer to Holliday was for $82.5 million over 5 years, the same contract they gave to John Lackey. This contract averages out to around $16.5 million a year. I would personally love to see Holliday with the Sox, but I doubt it will happen. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!!

Hello Cameron and Lackey, Welcome to Boston

Today the Red Sox welcomed fellow free agents John Lackey (top) and Mike Cameron (bottom) to the Sox for good. The Red Sox signed John lackey to a contract worth $82.5 million over 5 years, plus a signing bonus of $3.5 million, so the 31 year old will be with the Sox for quite a while, through 2014! Lackey went 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 2009; a respectable year, but he has had much better years. Lackey may not be with us if not for his wife; who grew up in New Hampshire and had been a lifelong Red Sox fan. Cameron signed a 2-year deal worth $15.5 million for the 36-year old outfielder. Cameron batted .250 last year, along with 24 home runs and 70 RBIs for the aging outfielder. Cameron's fielding, however, has not diminished with age; he is still a Gold Glove bet in center field. His last Gold Glove came with the Padres in 2006. Unfortunately, what Cameron's stay in Boston could mean is that, this, plain and simple: Bay is probably not coming back. On a brighter note; Go Sox, all the way!!!!!!!!

Boston's New Ace Comes Around

Sometimes, it's kind of nice to be wannabe Yankees, and that's what the Red Sox were when they signed John Lackey to a 5-year deal. John Lackey, who the Red Sox had been pursuing free agent pitcher, the Red Sox are on the verge of signing to a 5-year, $85 million deal. This is (I think) the Red Sox' highest contract on their current roster, as it averages $17 million a year. I really like Lackey, as he is a very good pitcher who dominated the Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS this year with 7.2 shutout innings. Lackey did not have his best year in '09, as he went 11-8 with a respectable 3.83 ERA. This was not his best season, however, 2007 was, when Lackey went 19-9 with an AL leading 3.01 ERA. This news is bittersweet however (I mean, it's really not, but its side effects are) because the Angels were pursuing Jason Bay, but they said Lackey was their top priority. Now that the Sox have Lackey, it should be open season on Bay. I hope lackey pulls a 2007 on us! Go Sox, all the way!!!!!

Sox Make Use of Non-Tender Deadline

Last night was the Non-Tender deadline and if you're like me (who ust figured out what that was this morning) than it is basically offering longer contracts to the players who do not have them, or offering contracts period. The Red Sox "offered contracts period" to Casey Kotchman (right), Jeremy Hermida, and Boof Bonser. They offered longer contracts to Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Ramon Ramirez (senior). The Red Sox did, in fact, pass by on signing Brian Anderson who we will not see in 2010. Arbitration can happen between January 5-15 so some of these players still may not be with the team in 2010 (Kotchman, Hermida, and Bonser) but the rest will. I think they are going to sign Kotchman, Bonser, and Hermida because of the roles they stand for. Kotchman and Hermida will be important bench players while Bonser may be useful if a starter gets injured. Go Sox, all the way!!!!!!!!!

Red Sox Make Another Low-Risk High-Reward Deal

The Red Sox continued thier cautious ways by signing yet another player who can be good and bad at times. They acquired right handed starter Boof Bonser (right) from the Minnesota Twins for a player to be named later. Bonser missed the 2009 season after having arthroscopic surgery in February to deal with tears in his labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Bonser pitched for the Twins in 2006-2008 after being drafted in the first round by the Giants in 2000. Bonser had a good rookie season in '06, going 7-6 with a 4.22 ERA. Then in '07 and '08, his career went in rapid decline. In '07, he went 8-12 with a 5.10 ERA and in '08 he went 3-7 with a 5.93 ERA. His surgery may have helped this strugling pitcher, as the Red Sox boosted their farm system as they have been doing over this offseason. Today was also the last day of the Baseball Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.

Double Vision

Today the Red Sox claimed righty reliever, Ramon Ramirez (right) off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. There is an interesting twist to this however, the Red Sox already have a right-handed reliever named Ramon Ramirez. Therefore I am calling the new Ramon Ramirez, Ramon Ramirez Jr. and the old one, Ramon Ramirez Sr. Ramon Ramirez Jr. was acquired by the Rays after the seasons end after going 0-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 11 games with the Cincinatti Reds. The Red Sox also claimed lefty Fabio Castro who pitched in Toronto's AA and AAA systems in '09. Castro last pitched in the majors in '07, when he went 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA as he probably needs a little bit of seasoning in the minor leagues before he comes back to the bigs. I think this is crazy though, two Ramon Ramirezes on the Red Sox, are you kidding?

The Red Sox Use Day 1 Wisely

Today was Day 1 of the Winter Meetings that are being held from December 7-10 in Indianapolis. Today the Red Sox used their time to ink a short, 1-year minor league contract with releiver Scott Atchison. Atchison's best season came in '04, when he went 2-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 25 relief appearances in his rookie year with Seattle. Atchison pitched 6 more games in '05, also with Seattle, going 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA as he was not nearly as good. Then, in '07, he pitched for the Giants and went 0-0 with a 4.11 ERA in 22 relief appearances. Atchison then went to Japan, where with the Hanshin Tigers, he went (over two years) for a much improved 2.77 ERA so he may be better. We might see Atchison in 2010, but I doubt that we will see much of him.

Nomar--Your Curse is Satisfied

Ever since 2004, when the Red Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra on July 31st, the Red Sox have not had a solid shortstop. They have gone through Edgar Renteria, Alex Gonzalez, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, and Nick Green. Alex Gonzalez and Jed Lowrie (in '08) were probably the most solid of these because of their defense. Now the Red Sox may have killed this curse in one felled swoop, by signing Marco Scutaro. Now it looks like Pedroia isn't going to have to move to shortstop. For all people who do not think that this is a good move I would like to tell you the trades I did approve: Manny Ramirez for Jason Bay, prospects for Jeremy Hermida, Justin Masterson for Victor Martinez; which have all been great for the Sox. Scutaro batted .282 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs this year, which, it is true, was his only good season, but now he's playing for a contender, so he may pick his game up a notch.

It is One Solution for Shortstop

If nothin else, the Red Sox have one plan for shortstop next year which they will not need to make a blockbuster trade to get. The Red Sox have asked star second baseman Dustin Pedroia to play shortstop for them in 2010. Pedroia responded, "They've asked me if I can play shortstop. They've put it out there, and I've told them I'm all for it. I can do it." Pedroia won a Gold Glove at second base along with an MVP and Silver Sluger in 2008 in easily the best season of his career. This season may have been not quite up there with his hihg standards, but he was still a consistent performer with a line of .296, 15, 72 but he did lead the league in runs scored for the second straight year. Pedroia could move to shortstop, the only question is, who would play second in that situation. The Red Sox may try to acquire (if Pedroia did switch) throuh trades Dan Uggla and Brandon Phillips, two free agent second basemen are Orlando Hudson and ('09 Gold Glove winner) Placido Polanco.