Kielty accepts assignment to Pawtucket

Bobby Kielty accepted his assignment to Pawtucket, rather than enter free agency.

The move isn’t unexpected on the Red Sox’ part. There just isn’t room for Kielty on the current roster, seeing as the outfield is already log jammed with Manny, Ellsbury, Crisp, and Drew all qualified to roam the grass on an everyday basis.

Kielty should be a good call up in the case of injury or a Coco trade.

Sox release Mirabelli

I’m caught a bit off guard by this one, but the Red Sox have released Doug Mirabelli.

I stuck up for Mirabelli the last couple years. Not because he was good, but because he made it seem like anybody could play professional baseball. He can’t run, he can’t hit—in fact, he doesn’t really have any discernable skills aside from being able to catch an obscure pitch.

There was always the idea that you could go out in your back yard, pay some college kid $5 bucks an hour to throw you knuckleballs, and after a few thousand pitches you could show up to the Red Sox camp and not do any worse than a guy on a major league roster.

As long as Mirabelli was playing, we all had a shot.

The Globe thinks the Sox will promote Kevin Cash, but I’m not sold on it. Though Cash did an admirable job catching Wakefield in 2007, he hits even worse than Mirabelli and I don’t really see what the point would be of swapping him out for Belli. 

Kottaras has been pretty impressive this spring, and he has experience catching a knuckleball. I kind of hope the Sox roll the dice and see what he can do.

Coco not going to the Mets

Apparently there was a rumor going around that the Red Sox were going to trade Coco Crisp to the Mets for Angel Pagan.

I hadn’t heard this rumor until just now, probably because I was too busy fixing the site after I borked it last night. Anyway, it turns out that it’s a fabrication. So there you go.

Cubs, Red Sox talking Crisp trade

The Chicago Sun Times reports that the Cubs are interested in Coco Crisp.

The Cubs are rumored to be offering Jason Marquis and Sam Fuld, but the Red Sox aren’t going to give Coco away for a dead weight starter plus a minor league center fielder. Where’s the utility, man? Where’s the sacrifice?

The Globe speculates that the Cubs would need to offer bullpen help or prospects to get anything done.

Josh Donaldson could be a nice pickup if the Cubs package him with someone like Bob Howry or Carmen Pignatiello and a player to be named later.

Papelbon wants a new contract, but he’s willing to wait

Jonathan Papelbon hasn’t been shy about wanting more money from the Red Sox.

He made $425,000 in 2007, and though he understands he doesn’t have a lot of leverage with only two years of service, he feels undervalued given what other third year All-Stars have received. “Ryan Howard got $900,000 in his third year,” said Papelbon. “There it is. It’s staring (the Red Sox) right in the face.”

Though he would like to get a deal done as soon as possible, he isn’t going to sign for less than he’s worth.

“I can’t sell myself short. I know they’re not going to give me what I want, so the question becomes, ‘How close can we get?’ If I can’t get close, they can just renew me.”

I understand that Papelbon is frustrated with the rules that require three years of service time before a player can be arbitration eligible, and six before he can enter free agency. But at this point, there isn’t a whole lot of incentive for the Red Sox to commit to a long-term extension.

Papelbon is under Red Sox control through 2011. He will be eligible for arbitration following the 2008 season, and I expect that Theo will wait until arbitration rolls around before seriously negotiating a new contract.

Remember, Papelbon is only one year removed from a season ending shoulder breakdown, so the Red Sox need to monitor him this season to make sure that he stays healthy. If he does, then maybe something will get done in the offseason. If he breaks down again, he’ll have a tough time making his arbitration case.

Papelbon seems to be approaching that possibility with the same confidence he displays...well...everywhere.

“I have no problem going year to year,” Papelbon said. “I have no doubts whatsoever, no fear, about going year to year. In fact, I’ve worked too hard to sell myself short.”

Theo speaks on Colon signing

Theo described the signing of Bartolo Colon as “a no risk potential high reward signing. He’s on a minor league contract, going to show up here at camp tomorrow and we’ll do an evaluation of how far he is away from helping us. But it takes more than five starting pitchers to get through a season. Obviously he’s an accomplished guy and if we can get him back to a point where he’s throwing well, he can certainly help us at some point this season.”

There is no guaranteed money in the Colon deal.

The Red Sox have set a date on which they’ll measure his effectiveness and decide whether or not to pursue the out clause. However, they’re not going to reveal that date to the media—and rightly so. It would put counterproductive pressure on Colon.

I’m still skeptical that Bartolo will ever pitch a meaningful inning for the Red Sox, but it would be really nice if I’m wrong.

More details on Francona’s extension

Just a few details to add that I didn’t get to yesterday.

Francona’s extension will earn him $12 million over the next three seasons, and he’ll make $250,000 for each/any World Series appearance (I’m trying really hard not to jinx us here, but the wording is tricky).

The contract also includes a two year club option that would raise the total value of the contract to $20 million and keep Francona with the Red Sox through 2013.

If the Red Sox decide not to pick up his option, they can buy out his contract for $750,000.

It’s a well-deserved raise for Francona—his 2008 salary shot up from $1.75 million to $3.5 million. 

Sox to sign Bartolo Colon to minor league deal

An unnamed source told Jerry Crasnik that the Red Sox have reached an agreement with Bartolo Colon on a minor league contract.

I have to admit that I was a bit blindsided by this move. I’d heard some rumors that the Red Sox might be interested, but none of them were terribly credible. I expected him to end up with the White Sox or Astros, who were more vocal in their interest.

Many people are speculating that Colon will be used as a starter to fill the hole left by Schilling. Though that’s certainly possible, I doubt that the Red Sox are expecting him to be reliable in that role given his poor performance in winter ball and his frequent injuries the last couple seasons.

I see him more as an additional arm in the bullpen who can potentially start in a pinch—this is all assuming, of course, that he ever gets called up.

Nice low-risk signing by Theo and friends.

Francona strikes deal, will manage through 2011

Terry Francona has agreed to a three year extension reportedly worth between $3-4 million annually, putting him among the highest paid managers in the game.

His contract will run through the 2011 season.

On Thursday, Francona expressed how much he has enjoyed his stay in Boston.

“It’s hard to explain this place,” Francona said. “This is the best job I’ve ever had. It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had. I don’t know if you can have the passion people have for this team without having the criticism or whatever comes with it. I thought I had an understanding coming in. Until you live it, you don’t know. But I enjoy it. Some nights I go home with a headache, but I can’t imagine being in some other place. That would be tough.”

More details will follow once the club makes an official announcement.

Manny signs with Boras

Manny Ramirez seems to be gearing up for the possibility that the Red Sox won’t exercise their $20 million option at the end of the season.

Manny has switched agents, and is now represented by Scott Boras.

The Red Sox confirmed that they were notified of the decision.

The Boston media will probably freak out over this and declare it a prelude to a trade demand, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Red Sox have control over Manny through 2010 if they want him to stick around.

Plus, Manny seems to be making every effort to be accessible and punctual, which was weird at first, but makes sense now that we know Boras has been pulling the strings.

I don’t think he’ll cause any trouble, and any coaching that Boras provides will likely end up benefiting the club. The only way he can boost Manny’s value is by turning him into a model employee.

Nothing else matters: Crisp just wants to play

It must have been a tough winter for Coco Crisp.

For most of the offseason, he faced the immediate possibility of having to pack up his bags and move to a new city. He saw his skills and personality repeatedly dissected on the national stage during the Santana talks. And once those talks fell apart, he knew that he was probably going to lose his job. Not the best vacation you could ask for.

A lot of people would have spoken up about one, if not all of those issues. But Crisp remained silent, just as he did when he was benched in the World Series.

Instead, he left most of the talking to his agent, who repeatedly maintained that his client just wanted to play. It didn’t matter where.

It sounded like rhetoric when it came from his agent’s mouth.

Moving isn’t fun.

Being a stranger on a new club isn’t fun.

Losing your job to a rookie in the World Series after you worked your ass off all season to get there isn’t fun.

Getting traded and playing on turf in an empty ballpark after experiencing two summers worth of sellouts and a World Series victory isn’t fun.

Playing couldn’t be all that Crisp cares about, right?

Well, after months of uncertainty, Crisp is still on the Red Sox roster—and he’s finally decided to speak for himself. Turns out, just as his agent said all winter, there is only one thing he cares about:

He just wants to play.

“I would honestly rather be somewhere else and play than be on the bench. I’ll take whatever comes and deal with it. It’s no knock against Boston. The fans have treated me well. It’s ultimately for myself.”

I don’t remember the fans ever really treating him very well, but the sentiment is nice. And as a fan, how can you not appreciate a guy who just wants to play? A guy who, by his own account, was “considered no better than a fourth outfielder” when he first came to the big leagues?

A guy who made this play?

If he won’t get to start in Boston, Crisp is still hoping for a trade. He speculates that he might be moved in a trade to fill the hole left by Schilling.

“I know with Schill going through what he’s going through, they might want to fill another spot in the back of the bullpen and bring one of those guys to the front to fill a starting position. I don’t know it’s going to work out, but I could definitely see (a trade) happening.”

The Red Sox have stated that they have not made up their minds as to who will start the season in center, and that it will largely be up to the players to duke it out on the field.

I happen to believe them.

The Herald thinks they’re full of crap.

We’ll see what happens.

Terry Francona negotiating extension

Terry Francona met with the Red Sox last night to discuss his contract extension.

Both parties had been deflecting questions on the subject for awhile now, so it’s good to hear some news of definitive talks. Hopefully the two sides can hammer something out. If they can’t...well...I hear Grady Little is looking for a job…

Francona made $1.65 million in 2007, and he’s expected to receive a significant raise after winning bringing the World Series trophy to Boston for the second time.

Schilling breaks silence: Talks about his shoulder

Curt Schilling spoke to a group of reporters this morning, ending his spring training silence.

He said that he notified the team that something wasn’t right with his arm long before the press caught hold of it, but everyone involved kept quiet with the Santana trade on the table.

“I actually reached out to Theo when the Santana thing came out because I knew I was not in a good situation and I knew if we started to poke around medically word might get out and I didn’t know how much interest there was on our behalf. I didn’t want to put him in a disadvantage, a leverage situation disadvantage. So I reached out to him very quickly to John Farrell and to Tito and told them I was very concerned and didn’t want that to mess up their discussions with the Twins.”

He responded to the fans and members of the media who suggested that he knew he was hurt before he signed the $8 million contract.

“Let’s be clear, if some people want to believe this was me taking advantage of the situation financially I wouldn’t have done it here. I would have done it in at least two other places for $14 million. If I was going to sit my ass on the DL and collect a paycheck. I know that for a fact. People are going to believe what they believe. I was healthy at the time. I didn’t feel great, but I felt like I was 40 or 41.”

Though Schilling clearly sides with Dr. Morgan and disagrees with the team’s rehabilitation plans, he’s promised to dedicate himself to the process.

“If their course of action doesn’t work I don’t pitch this year, and I may never pitch again. I don’t have a choice. I have to mentally get behind it and do everything I can do to make it work. It certainly isn’t the best spot to be in. When you here 5 and 10 percent and never pitch again and those things. I’m disappointed that after 21 years my career might end like this. But it is what it is. And if I never pitch again, as disappointing as it may be, I have no regrets about everything that I’ve been able to experience.”

He said that he was silent for the first part of spring training not because of any problems with the front office, but because he didn’t want to take anything away from the team.

“I don’t want to be a distraction. It’s one of the reasons I put this part of it off because the goal to be defending world champs and win the World Series. I don’t want to screw that up. There are so many great stories, and so many good things going on here. I don’t want this to impede any of that.”

Schilling concedes that he will need to have surgery at some point, whether it comes before or after his baseball career ends.

“I will have to have the biceps procedure at some point in the very near future in my life if I want to live a pain-free, normal life.”

Varitek hoping to sign extension this spring

Jason Varitek is entering the final year of his contract, and he’s hoping to sign an extension before the season officially gets underway.

Theo Epstein has publicly stated that working out a deal with Varitek is a priority, but apparently there haven’t been any serious talks so far.

“There haven’t been steps toward it so far as my knowledge,” Varitek said. “Yes, we’ll be extremely open to seeing what can be done. Once spring training’s over, you want things done with.”

There aren’t a whole lot of good replacement options out there. Internally, George Kottaras is the best catching prospect we have. He looked good in Pawtucket last year, and could be a solid Major League catcher in a couple years if he continues to develop defensively and gets a little more aggressive at the plate.

Barring an unlikely blockbuster trade for Victor Martinez, Joe Mauer or Russell Martin, Varitek looks like he’ll be the best option out there for the Red Sox in 2009.

With that said, I’m skeptical that a deal will get done before the season starts. Given Varitek’s age, the Red Sox will probably want to wait and see if he can stay healthy throughout the 2008 season before throwing money at him. They’ll also continue to monitor Kottaras’ progress, and keep an eye on the trade market.

The club will be likely be expected (and willing) to pay a premium for Varitek in free agency if things get that far, so long as it means they’re putting the best possible player behind the plate in 2009.

Tavarez surprised his option was picked up

Julian Tavarez was surprised that the Red Sox picked up his $3.8 million team option back in November.

“I didn’t think they were going to do it. I was happy they did, but I was surprised. I didn’t think they were going to pick it up.”

He was left off the playoff roster in 2007, but he was a big contributor all year. The Red Sox very well may have missed the postseason without his 23 starts and 134.7 IP.

Tavarez doesn’t read the papers in the offseason, so he didn’t know that Schilling had been injured.

“I come to spring training and I say, ‘Hello. Good morning. How are things going?’ And they said, ‘You have a chance to be No. 5 in the rotation.’ ” “I wasn’t happy Schilling is hurt. Schilling is a good man and I’m sad that Schilling is not healthy. We’re going to hold a spot until he comes back.

“In my mind I will change a little bit about thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to be a starter in spring training.’ I’m not coming to spring training wondering what I’m going to do. Now I know I’m a starter.”

Whether he remains a starter for long will depend on the health of the rotation, and the club’s strategy for Buchholz. 

Coco Crisp should start in center for Red Sox

Terry Francona told reporters today that Coco Crisp will be the incumbant center fielder, meaning that Ellsbury will have to fight for his roster spot.

Seeing how all of New England has a horrible man crush on Ellsbury, this probably won’t be a popular decision. Tito will surely be criticized in the media once the season starts and Coco hits the inevitable slump. But this is the decision I hoped they would make.

Crisp is still on the trading block, and at this point it seems unlikely that he will be traded by the end of spring training. Unless Billy Beane wants to take a gamble now and hope that he can flip Crisp at the trade deadline, there aren’t a lot of potential fits out there at the moment.

In the end, what the Red Sox get from Crisp will depend on how valuable he is to them. When a team trades one player for another, the players that switch hands are essentially compensation to the other team for their loss. If the Red Sox are only giving up a backup outfielder, then they aren’t going to get a whole lot in return.

Keeping Crisp in the starting nine builds his trade value.

As an added bonus to starting Crisp in center, the Red Sox will retain control of Ellsbury for an extra year if he stays in Pawtucket until May 15th.

It’s nice to see the club making another logical decision. It’s a good time to be a Red Sox fan.

Yarr, Mientkiewicz is a Pirate

If you needed any more proof that this was a crappy year to be a veteran first baseman, here you have it:

Thirty one year old first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz--he of the .996 career fielding percentage--has agreed to a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The agreement includes an invitation to spring training, where he’ll battle Chris Gomez for the big league spot.

Minor league deals rarely qualify as big offseason moves, but if you’re a Pirates fan these days, this is about as good as it gets.

Mientkiewicz came to the Red Sox at the trade deadline in 2004. He backed up Kevin Millar for a few months, picked up a ring and swiped his way into New England infamy when he pocketed the World Series ball. 

Red Sox did not insure Schilling’s contract

The Red Sox didn’t insure Curt Schilling’s 2008 contract.

Before a contract was offered to Schilling, the medical staff suspected that his shoulder was in bad enough shape that he wouldn’t be able to pitch a full season.

They “initially proposed that he sign a half-season contract much like the ones Roger Clemens has had the last couple of seasons.” They also “either raised red flags about re-signing him or recommended outright that he not be brought back.”

Clearly the club suspected that they wouldn’t get a whole lot out of Schilling in 2008, and I’m sure they at least explored an insurance policy.

Maybe he isn’t insurable at this point in his career, or maybe the premium wasn’t worth the risk

Regardless, I’m a bit surprised that they didn’t have some kind of protection seeing as they didn’t exactly have high expectations for his health. 50% coverage on a one-year $8 million contract wouldn’t be a huge gamble for an insurance company as far as these things go. I mean, nobody would have expected in November that he wouldn’t pitch at all.

Red Sox, Youkilis reach agreement

The Red Sox and Kevin Youkilis have agreed to the terms of his 2008 contract. He will make $3 million this season.

The contract is a nice compromise between the Red Sox’ $2.525 million offer and the $3.7 million Youkilis asked for.

Theo has yet to have a player go through arbitration under his watch. 

Hinske and Donnelly find new homes

Eric Hinske signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay this week.

The former American League Rookie of the Year will receive $800,000 if he makes the Major League roster, with additional incentives based on plate appearances.

The Rays will like his left handed bat on the bench, but his real value is his defensive versatility. Hinske split his time between first base and the outfield for the Red Sox in 2007, while batting .204 in 186 at bats.

Brendan Donnelly has signed a minor league contract with the Indians.

Donnelly underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2007, and is not expected to pitch until halfway through the 2008 season. He spent most of the offseason rehabbing his arm and defending himself against Radomski’s claims that he used the steroid Anavar.

He pitched in 27 games for the Red Sox in 2007, and was 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA when he was shut down for surgery. 

Kielty re-signs with Red Sox

Bobby Kielty has signed a one-year contract to play for the Red Sox in 2008. He’ll earn $800,000 if he makes the roster, with another $300,000 in performance incentives.

If the rest of the Red Sox’ roster remains as is, Kielty would see very limited playing time as the 5th outfielder. He had previously stated that he wouldn’t accept that role, but the market for bench outfielders has pretty much dried up and he wasn’t left with many (if any) options. Regardless, his acquisition seems like little more than a necessary requisite move the club had to make before trading Coco Crisp.

With the exception of being included in the very public Santana offers, any potential trades involving Crisp have been kept quiet. Theo has stated at times that he would have no qualms about using both Crisp and Ellsbury in the outfield.

“I think we’re very lucky to have two very good center fielders on the roster, and they’re not mutually exclusive,” Epstein said. “There can be roles for both guys on the club, and even a little competition in spring training.”

The Rangers and A’s are rumored to be interested in Crisp, but I haven’t heard anything official.

Stay tuned.

Red Sox won’t re-sign Beckett?

Less than a week after the Mets finalized their record-breaking deal with Johan Santana ($22.92 million a year), at least one Red Sox official’s sticker shock has resigned him to the idea that the club won’t be able to retain Josh Beckett after the 2010 season.

“We’d better enjoy [Josh] Beckett the next three years...Because we won’t be able to sign him after his deal is up after 2010.”

I don’t know exactly what position you have to fill in to be considered an “official” (managment? club house attendant? urinal mint manager?), but this sounds like a hopelessly stupid statement to make at this point in time.

Beckett had a fantastic 2007, and he has as much talent as anyone in baseball. But he’s already 27, and would turn 31 during the spring of 2011. Who signs a thirty-one-year-old pitcher to a 6 year $150 million dollar deal?

Further, Beckett would have to pitch three more equally awesome seasons before he’s in Santana’s class. He certainly has the talent to do it, but talent can only take you as far as your health will allow, and nobody knows how Beckett will hold up as he enters his 30s.

He has already spent a considerable amount of time on the disabled list for a twenty-seven-year-old pitcher. Granted, his injuries have been minor, but do you invest $150 million in a player with a history of finger blisters when each blister dock his annual value by 2-3 starts?

And why couldn’t the Red Sox afford him in 2010? We have very little idea what their roster will look like at that time, or even what the salary market will be. The one thing we do know is that the Sox will continue to play in one of the biggest markets in baseball, and should maintain their status near the top of the MLB payroll chain.

The Beckett/Santana comparison really isn’t valid at this point. Speculating on a 2010 roster move before the 2008 season even starts is just stupid.

5 stupid points are awarded to the Red Sox “official.”

1 stupid point is awarded to Gammons for relaying the quote.

10 stupid points are awarded to me for further speculating about it.

Red Sox sign Casey

Sean Casey has agreed to a one-year deal to play for the Red Sox in 2008. The contract is valued at $800,000, according to the Boston Globe. Like all deals these days, this one won’t be finalized unless Casey passes his physical.

Though he doesn’t provide the versatility of Brad Wilkerson (who signed a deal with the Mariners), Casey is a solid buy for the money. Given the players that are still out there, I think the Red Sox made the right decision by signing Casey.

He will backup Youkilis at first base, and should provide a solid left handed bat off the bench. He batted .296 for the Tigers in 2007, with a .353 OBP and .393 SLG.

By all reports, he’s an excellent teammate, and he should fit in well in Boston. 

Mets, Twins agree to terms for Santana

Finally, the Santana story finally appears to be nearing a resolution.

The Mets and Twins have reached and agreement that will send Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey to the Twins in exchange for Santana.

The Mets have until 5 PM EST Friday to negotiate a 6-7 year deal with Santana, and there’s no question that Santana has the upper hand. If this thing gets done, the contract is going to be huge.

I think Twins fans have to be a disappointed with this outcome. The Red Sox’ and Yankees’ original offers were far superior, and Minaya probably could have been milked for more if this thing hadn’t dragged out for so long. He seems to have been the only serious player at the end.

USA Today reports that the Red Sox scaled back their offer to include lesser minor league prospects once they realized that the Yankees were out of the hunt. This move supports the long-running rumor that Boston wasn’t really wasn’t in it to win, and would have only made a move if it was necessary to keep Santana out of the Bronx.

Theo really played this brilliantly. Hank Steinbrenner should have been taking notes. But he was probably too busy quoting Patton.

Updates: Aardsma, Wilkerson, Lester and Crisp

David Aardsma

The Red Sox traded minor leaguers Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich for right handed reliever David Aardsma. I really like this move. Aardsma appears to have a lot of potential, and there’s a very real possibility that he could pitch for the Sox in 2008. 

In 2006 and 2007, Aardsma averaged a strikeout per inning, but he was killed by his control issues, averaging a walk every 1.58 innings. He had a 6.40 ERA in 2007 before he was sent down to AAA.

Aardsma is only twenty-six, and hopefully he’ll benefit from working with Timlin and Friends in Spring Training. He will likely be competing for the final bullpen spot with Snyder and Corey, depending on whether anything happens with Tavarez.

On to some rumors:

Brad Wilkerson

Wilkerson is reportedly headed to Seattle once the Bedard deal is done. It sounds like he weighed the Red Sox’ offer carefully, but he’d rather play full-time for the Mariners than be a bench player for the Sox. I haven’t heard any salary details yet, but I’d imagine he’ll get more than the $2 million plus incentives the Red Sox offered if he’s going to be a full-time player.

There are still a handful of interesting free agents out there the Sox could potentially pick up. Shawn Green would be the best fit left on the free agent market, as he can still hit well and could play outfield or first base. He’s also left-handed, so that’s perfect for what the club needs off the bench. However, he’s still good enough to play everyday, and I’m assuming that he wouldn’t want to accept a bench role.

At this point, the most likely scenario seems that the Red Sox will end up picking up a strict first baseman, keeping 4 in the outfield (with the 4th man either Crisp or Kielty). In that scenario they have a few good choices for first base, including Doug Mientkiewicz, Ryan Klesko, and Sean Casey.

Coco Crisp

Buster Olney reported that the Red Sox have removed Lester from their Santana offer. If true, it opens up an interesting scenario.

As you’ll recall, the Sox had two offers on the table to the Twins. One included Lester, Crisp, Lowrie and Masterson. The other included Ellsbury, Lowrie and Masterson.

With Lester off the table, that presumably takes Crisp off the table as well. It makes me wonder if there might be a deal for Coco in the works, but at this stage of the game I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Ft. Meyers. 

Snyder agrees to one-year deal

Kyle Snyder has agreed to a one-year $835,000 contract to play with the Red Sox in 2008. The salary is less than his original asking price of $1.025 million, but it’s about what I expected. 

The contract is non-guaranteed, meaning that Snyder would only get paid the full contract amount if he makes the roster out of Spring Training.

Youkilis is Boston’s only remaining arbitration-eligible player. Both sides would like to get a deal done before the arbitration hearings start on February 1st. 

Keith Foulke shows his stuff: May sign with Arizona

Keith Foulke threw an exhibition for 20 MLB representatives last week.  Though his velocity has diminished after a year away from baseball, his stuff was good enough that the Diamondbacks are apparently prepared to make him an offer.

Foulke retired from baseball before Spring Training last year, but it’s hard to stay away from this game.

He played an instrumental role as the Red Sox’ closer during the 2004 World Series run. Foulke pitched in 11 of 14 games that postseason, and gave up only one earned run in 14 innings. He didn’t have a bloody sock, but he put his career on the line for that trophy. Unfortunately, his heroics were ultimately overshadowed by those of Ortiz, Ramirez, Schilling, Damon, Roberts and Lowe, and Red Sox fans had little patience for his later struggles.

While an overweight and largely ineffective Curt Schilling was given a free pass in 2005, Foulke was booed mercilessly at Fenway for his rapid drop in production. He developed mechanical problems from pain in his knee, and ultimately opted to undergo mid-season arthroscopic surgery. He missed more than two months of the season, including the playoffs.

He had hoped to make a comeback in 2006 after strengthening his knee, but he struggled out of the gate and couldn’t find his stride. He quickly lost his closer role to Jonathan Papelbon.

Hopefully Foulke will get signed and have a successful year somewhere. It would be good to see him on the mound again. 

Red Sox make offer to Wilkerson?

Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors has reported that the Red Sox have made a one-year $2 million dollar offer to Brad Wilkerson.  He has until the end of the day to accept.

I know I’ve flip-flopped a bit on the subject of acquiring Wilkerson, but most of my hesitation had to do with his initial salary demands. At $2 million he would be a solid addition.

Red Sox seeking bench help

The Red Sox are in the market for a utility player, and they’re hoping to find one versatile enough to play both outfield and first base.

The Red Sox are rumored to be interested in a number of players, but the most interesting possibilities are Ryan Doumit, Ryan Klesko, Brad Wilkerson, and Tony Clark. Which is the best option?

Here are my rankings:

1. Ryan Doumit

Doumit is a switch-hitter with experience in both the outfield and first base. He swings a good bat from both sides of the plate, though he gets most of his power from the left side, while hitting for contact from the right.

Doumit was originally brought up as a catcher, but given his history of injuries it probably makes sense to keep him out of the squatting position as much as possible. He may be a viable option at catcher if Mirabelli goes down, though I’d imagine the Sox would rather bring up Kevin Cash for that role (he was re-signed to a minor league deal in December), given his proven success at catching Wakefield.

Here are Doumit’s defensive stats by position:

Doumit also made 5 outfield assists in 2007, but the sample size is really too small to draw much value from that stat.

The Pirates really like this kid (he’s only 26), and their new GM (Neal Huntington) hasn’t been making many moves. He’ll be tough to pull away from Pittsburg, as his salary was $390,000 in 2007, and the Pirates understandably won’t want to take a payroll hit in any deal that gets made.

The Red Sox would most likely either have to offer a player plus cash, or trade a top prospect to pull him out of Pittsburg.

2. Brad Wilkerson

Like Doumit, Wilkerson has utility both as an outfielder and a first baseman, and he’s switched between those positions his entire career.

Wilkerson is a left-hander, which is the next best thing to a switch-hitter for a utility guy. His offensive numbers are generally poor compared to Doumit’s, though he does have solid power.

In 2007 he hit 20 homeruns while batting .234 with a .319 OBP and .467 SLG.

Wilkerson is free agent, so the Red Sox wouldn’t have to give up a prospect for him. But he’s reportedly asking for a 3-year $21 million contract, and that’s a bit pricey for what the Red Sox would get out of him.

His contract demands would likely make him better suited to being an everyday player on a lesser team, but could still be a valuable addition to the club.

3. Ryan Klesko

The Red Sox were reportedly interested in Klesko back in December. I haven’t heard any updates since then, and he’s still on the market, so I’m going to assume that they’re still considering him as an option.

In 362 at bats in 2007, Klesko batted a respectable .260 with .344 OBP, .401 SLG and 6 homeruns. He spent virtually all of 2006 on the disabled list, and though he was relatively healthy in 2007, he still had some nagging injuries and his durability will definitely be a concern.

Klesko has experience in the outfield as well as first base, but because of his age (he’ll be 37 in the summer) and injury history, it probably wouldn’t be wise for the Red Sox to stick him in the outfield.

His role on the team would likely be minimal, barring an injury to Lowell or Youkilis. I don’t see a big need for a designated backup first baseman given that the corners are already filled with excellent defenders and strong bats.

Klesko would be a decent left-handed bat off the bench and he could provide some relief for Youkilis and Lowell, but he lacks the versatility of Doumit or Wilkerson. That would be largely negated if the Red Sox re-sign Kielty, however.

Mientkiewicz would probably be a better signing in my mind, though there’s no telling what type of reception he’d receive at Fenway after the 2004 ball fiasco (or if the team would even welcome him back).

I haven’t heard any rumors regarding Mientkiewicz returning to the team, though. I’m a little surprised by that, seeing as he should be pretty affordable.

4. Tony Clark

I was shocked to see this rumor, but apparently the Red Sox have some interest in Tony Clark.

Clark had an abysmal year for the Red Sox in 2002, batting .207 with a .265 OBP and .291 SLG. That's a .556 OPS for those of you scoring at home.

To be fair, 2002 was by far the worst year of his career, and he has improved since then.

He had a career year in 2005, but his production has dropped significantly in recent seasons. In 2007 he batted .249, with a .310 OBP and .511 SLG over 221 at bats.

Like Klesko, Clark would be limited to first base, and he’s getting old (he’ll be 36 in June).

Really, you can flip a coin between Clark and Klesko. Their numbers are very similar, they’re getting old, and they’re lacking defensive versatility.

What the Red Sox will do

I expect the Red Sox to make a run at Doumit, and pursue Wilkerson if things aren’t going anywhere with the Pirates.

As I said the other day, $7 million a year for Wilkerson seems unrealistic for the Red Sox, but I expect that he’ll drop his asking price. Free agents don’t have a whole lot of leverage come the end of January.

Klesko and Clark should be last resorts. There’s always the possibility to bring up Brandon Moss. He wouldn’t be a long-term solution, but he could buy the Red Sox some time to make a trade.

Red Sox express interest in Wilkerson

MLB Trade Rumors has reported that the Red Sox have expressed some level of interest in outfielder/utility man Brad Wilkerson.

Wilkerson would presumably fill the role left by Eric Hinske, switching between the outfield and first base on a utility basis, while providing a much needed left-handed bat off the bench.

He made $4.5 million with the Rangers last year, while batting .234 with a .319 OBP and .467 SLG. The best thing I can say for his 2007 is that he only grounded into 2 double plays--but that isn’t really something you want to put at the top of your resume.

Regardless, Wilkerson apparently feels that his numbers should earn him a raise, as he’s rumored to be asking for $21 million over three years—quite a lot for a utility player with a recent history of injury problems.

If Wilkerson doesn’t get what he’s looking for, I could see him signing a smaller one-year deal just to prove that he’s healthy. If he can have a healthy and productive 2008, he shouldn’t have a problem getting closer to what he wants on the free agent market next year.

Lopez signs one-year deal with Red Sox

Javier Lopez avoided the arbitration process by signing a one-year deal to stay with the Red Sox. The Boston Globe has reported that the contract is worth $840,000, over double what he made in 2007.

Lopez had a respectable (albeit inconsistent) 2007 season, throwing 40.7 innings in 61 games with a 3.10 ERA and 1.328 WHIP. This low-risk move makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox, who are still hoping to strengthen their bullpen in a weak market before the start of the season.

In other contract news, Youkilis and the Sox exchanged their contract figures today. Youkilis is asking for $3.7 million, and the Red Sox offered $2.52 million. $1.25 million is a big gap, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a workable compromise before the arbitration hearings begin.

Snyder is asking for $1.025 million, and the Red Sox are offering $725,000. I expect Snyder’s final number to be closer to Lopez’.

No player has ever gone to arbitration under Theo’s watch, and Lopez represents another notch in his bedpost. Hopefully he can get something done with Snyder and Youkilis before the arbitration hearings begin on February 1st.

Youkilis files for arbitration

Kevin Youkilis has filed for salary arbitration in his first year of eligibility.

He had hoped to receive an offer for a long-term deal this offseason, and the Red Sox seemed as though they were willing to oblige—but only if he gave them a discounted price. In the end, there wasn’t enough incentive for either side to get a deal done this year.

Youkilis made $424,500 in 2007. After being a rock for the Red Sox in 2007 and years past, he is expected to receive a significant raise through the arbitration process. Expect his 2008 salary to come in anywhere between $1.5-4 million.

Javier Lopez and Kyle Snyder are the only other Red Sox players to file for arbitration this year.

Clement signs with St. Louis

Matt Clement has signed a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The former Red Sox pitcher will receive a base salary of $1.25 million in 2008, with the potential to earn another $5.25MM in incentives. There is also a $8.75 million club option for 2009.

Clement was an All-Star for the Red Sox when he first joined the club in 2005, but he was never the same after he took a Carl Crawford line drive off his head on July 27th of that year.

Aside from that game, his most memorable outing was when he got pounded in Game 1 of the 2005 ALDS, giving up 7 runs in three and a third innings.

Clement only made 12 starts in 2006 before shipping out for the season, and he didn’t pitch at all in 2007 while rehabbing from shoulder surgery. The Red Sox declined to offer him arbitration.

The deal makes a lot of sense for the Cardinals. With the low base salary they don’t have much to lose. Once he shakes off the rust, Clement certainly has the potential to be a solid contributor in the NL Central.

Gabe Kapler signs with Brewers

The Brewers have lured Gabe Kapler out of retirement with a one-year, non-guaranteed $800,000 contract. To collect, Kapler must make the roster following spring training.

Kapler played with the Red Sox from 2003-2005, and was a fan favorite in Boston because of his hustle and work ethic. Ironically, it was his hustle that ultimately sent him into an early retirement.

In 2005, Kapler ruptured his Achilles tendon in Toronto while sprinting around second base on a Graffanino home run. 

He spent last year managing the Greenville Drive, the Red Sox Class-A affilliate. Reports on his managing abilities were favorable, and he was well-liked by his players. But it sounds like he’s decided to put his managerial career behind him.

“Managing was an important component of my development, and I am eternally grateful to the Red Sox for having provided me the opportunity to tackle a new challenge.”

He should be a good fit in Milwaukee. 

A’s ship Haren to Diamondbacks

The A’s have shipped Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks for six of their best prospects, killing any rumors that the ace might end up in a Boston uniform next year.

I was hoping that Haren would be on the Red Sox partly because he’s one of the best pitchers in the league, but mostly because his hair would have taken some of the pressure off of Youk’s goatee and Manny’s...whatever it is.

He also would have nicely filled the resident Wookie void that was left when Damon signed with the Yankees two years ago.

Gagne shipping out of Boston

Legions of Red Sox fans were finally able to exhale on Friday when it was announced that Eric Gagne had declined arbitration.

Scott Boras, never one to shy away from mortifying as many people as possible, made me sweat blood when he said that Gagne may accept the Red Sox’ offer.

It was an obvious ploy to drive up the price, and even though I knew Gagne would never accept, just being reminded of the possibility that he could be back in 2008 was enough to make me curl up in a blanket at night and mumble obscenities to myself.

Well, now he’s somebody else’s problem. Gagne has agreed to a one-year $10 million (?!) deal to throw little league fastballs over the fat part of the plate in Milwaukee next year.

Yes, he’s a former Cy Young winner, and for a time he was one of the best closers in the league. But he’s a few years past his prime, and he put up those gaudy numbers in a (then) extremely weak NL West, a division that greatly resembles the current NL Central.

If you’re a fan of any team other than the Red Sox you should be absolutely terrified right now, because you know what’s going to happen.

Gagne will look like a flame-throwing genius in the sad NL Central. After a year of picking on the Cardinals and Astros, some other front office moron will think he’s got his groove back and sign him to a 5-year $70 million contract so he can continue to throw pitches over the fat part of the plate in a league that can hit.

All you can do is pray that his arm rips out of socket and sails to home plate, Pujols bats it over the center field fence, and the fan who catches it won’t give it back because he has a conscience.

Seriously. It’s your only hope. 

All this Santana talk is making my brain hurt

The Santana trade rumors have been building over the last week, but they are now officially out of control. Conflicting reports abound, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get a read on the negotiations. For instance:

According to John Perrotto, it’s unlikely that any deal will be made for Santana during the winter meetings, but he’ll probably be moved before spring training.

However, Peter Gammons thinks the Twins won’t trade Santana at all.

The Boston Globe reports that the Twins aren’t happy with the offers from the Yankees or Red Sox, and are reaching out to other teams including the Mets, Dodgers and Mariners.

The Mets are interested but they don’t want to trade Reyes and may not have enough ammunition without him to make a deal.

And these are just the updates from the last couple hours.

Yesterday saw Jayson Stark report that the Angels were interested.

Shorty after, Tony Reagins said there was no truth to that rumor.

Then the Twins said they wanted to get the deal done with Boston by the end of the day. I woke up this morning fully expecting to find big news.

Trying to keep all this straight is harder than coming up with 10 reasons why Britney Spears is a great human being.

There is only one thing that can be said with absolute certainty:

Theo has really done a great job of putting the Red Sox in the ideal position.

His offer is respectable and firm, but without any sense of desperation, and so far he has refrained from giving the Twins any sort of deadline. He will have to give them one at some point though, since he still needs to move Crisp or Ellsbury. But for now it appears that he’s willing to be patient.

I think the Twins are still hot on the Sox’ offer, but with the Yankees out they need more teams involved to keep the pressure on.

Red Sox are frontrunners in Santana trade

The Red Sox reportedly have two offers on the table for Johan Santana, and it’s up to the Twins to decide which one they prefer. The first offer includes Crisp, Lester, Lowrie and Masterson. The second offer includes Ellsbury, Lowrie and Masterson.

Ellsbury made a ballsy move today when he signed with Scott Boras. He wants to stay in Boston, and possibly figured that the Twins would be less inclined to take him in a trade if they will have to negotiate with Boras somewhere down the line.

The Twins are supposedly more interested in the package that includes Lester, but no word on whether they were influenced by Ellsbury’s decision to go with Boras.

The timeframe given to the Twins by the Yankees has expired, but it’s hard to imagine that they’ll turn down a trade if Minnesota wants to make a deal.

The Twins are expected to make a decision at some point tonight, but who knows. They seem a bit schizophrenic lately.

Red Sox include Ellsbury in offer for Santana

The Red Sox have decided to include Jacoby Ellsbury in their offer to the Twins for Johan Santana.

Interestingly, the Red Sox removed Jon Lester from their offer when they added Ellsbury. If the proposal is accepted and Santana joins the club, Boston would have 7 quality starters slotted in their rotation, providing Theo with plenty of ammo to make another big acquisition.

The current proposal probably looks something like this: Ellsbury/Masterson/Lowrie

If Ellsbury goes to Minnesota, Crisp would likely remain in Boston next season.

The Yankees have reportedly given the Twins until the end of the day tomorrow to make a decision. 

Red Sox offer arbitration to Gagne

Don’t worry:

Even though the Red Sox have offered salary arbitration to Eric Gagne, they have no interest in retaining him.

Gagne’s failures with the Red Sox have been well-documented, and it’s evident that both he and the team are planning to go their separate ways.

The Sox are (safely) assuming that he will decline arbitration, at which point the Sox would receive a draft pick for compensation.

Gagne has until December 7th to make up his mind.

According to the Boston Globe, arbitration will not be offered to Matt Clement, Doug Mirabelli, Royce Clayton, Eric Hinske or Bobby Kielty.

The Red Sox can still sign any of these players as free agents, though.

Timlin to return in 2008

Mike Timlin will return to the Red Sox in 2008, having agreed to a $3 million one-year deal with the team.

Have to say I’m pleased with this one. Getting a decent price on a relief arm to match Timlin’s was going to be a challenge. Sure, he’s 42 now, and he always puts a lot of men on base. But he’ll be a veteran guy in a pretty young pen, and he always seems to find a way out of the sticky situations he makes for himself.

Sox will bring leverage to winter meetings

There has been a lot of speculation that the Red Sox will have a quiet winter seeing as they’re bringing back their entire starting nine and have six quality pitchers to squeeze into a five man rotation. This is a reasonable assumption to make and it may prove true in the end, but a negotiator like Epstein isn’t going to be complacent as he goes into the winter meetings.

When it comes to trade negotiations, there is one thing more important than the players involved or the money changing hands. That thing is leverage.

Leverage is the reason why Torii Hunter signed a $90 million contract. You need a center fielder with quick feet and a good swing? Pay me or someone else will.

Leverage is the reason why the Yankees will probably get A-Rod for less than their original offer. You need a team? Nobody will pay what you’re asking, and nobody will come close to what we offered you before. Here are our terms.

Leverage determines both the players involved and how much you have to pay to get them.

The good news is that the Sox have an absolute crap ton of leverage right now.

Theo can go to the bargaining table with any team in the world for any player he wants and know that they need him more than he needs them. His lineup is set. He has six quality starters and a solid bullpen. He has young/cheap kids with high ceilings that everybody wants.

Though there are areas that could be improved upon(bullpen depth, for instance), the Red Sox are different from every other team in that they’re not trying to rebuild and they don’t have any holes to plug.

So when Theo sits down, it’s not “what can we do for each other.” It’s what can you do for me, and remind me again why haven’t I kicked your face in yet?

Situations like these don’t happen often—most GMs never get the chance to come to the bargaining table with all the marbles. Theo will try to take advantage of the situation, but he has to move slowly and he has to move quietly. He can’t be aggressive out of the gate.

The initial negotiations will probably resemble the old high school dating ritual – let her know that you like her a little bit, but not as much as you really do. Then wait for her current relationship to fall apart and smile to yourself as she comes to you.

So he’ll balk at initial offers and gamble that the other proposals will fall through, waiting for time to run out on the other GMs who desperately need to move the pieces he wants (watch for him to swoop in if the Twins/Yanks Santana talks crumble).

The Sox know that they don’t have to pay anymore than they want to for anybody, and they don’t need to act aggressively—any deal will be on their terms and everyone else knows it.

When you have all the marbles, everyone has to play by your rules.

Wood staying in Chicago for $4.2 million

Kerry Wood has agreed to a one-year $4.2 million deal to stay with the Chicago Cubs, and apparently declined numerous offers to do so.

As a Sox fan, I felt that Wood would be a solid addition to the Red Sox’ bullpen, and I hoped to see him in a Boston uniform come spring. But as a baseball fan, it’s hard to argue with his reasons for staying in Chicago.

“Chicago’s my home,” he said. “Chicago’s been great to me. There’s no better place to play, especially if you’re winning.”

First Lowell stays in Boston and expresses sentimental reasons for doing so. Now Wood does the same when he signs with Chicago. I love the loyalty, but I have to ask: Where have our soulless baseball stars gone?

(Acceptable answers: 1. Playing 3B in the Bronx 2. Defending multiple perjury charges)

Lowell re-signs with Red Sox

Mike Lowell is headed back to Boston after agreeing to a 3 year 37.5 million dollar deal with the team this afternoon.

Apparently the Phillies bluffed their disinterest over the weekend (perhaps to keep the Sox from bumping their offer), and it nearly worked—they had Lowell *this* close to agreeing to a 4-year 50 million dollar offer on Sunday night. But in a move that will forever endear him to Red Sox fans, Lowell decided to take a home town discount and return to Boston in 2008.

This was a great move by the Sox, and it’s one of the rare instances in sports where what the fans want is also what’s best for the club.

The front office stuck to their guns and signed Lowell on their terms, picking up a veteran 3rd baseman without having to surrender the pitching prospects it would have taken to get Cabrera from Florida.

By signing Lowell in free agency, the Red Sox have their young guns available for any other trades they may want to pursue (Bucholz would be a worthy inclusion in a deal for Santana). And that flexibility is worth every penny they paid for Lowell.

Yanks may halt pursuit of Lowell

The Yankees are rumored to be relinquishing their pursuit of Mike Lowell at first base, and will instead go with a combination of Shelly Duncan and Jason Giambi. Even if the Red Sox can’t sign Lowell, I can sleep easy knowing that one of the best defensive third basemen in the league won’t be limited to slapping pick off tags and snagging short hops (no offense, Youk).

The Red Sox are reportedly the only serious suitor at this point in time, with the Cardinals, Phillies and Yankees all denying interest. There must be an offer or two out there that the media hasn’t picked up on yet. Maybe clubs are trying to decide whether they should pursue Cabrera before making a move, or at least waiting until the Sox’s Monday deadline nears to gauge the action before entering heavy negotiations.

We’ll see if anyone is willing to offer that important 4th year, and if the money that comes with that extra year is enough to lure Lowell out of Boston.