CENTER FIELD :: The Stove Is Warming Up

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The Stove Is Warming Up

It's November, so you know what that means... yes, it's time for the first of what will be many Hot Stove Updates during the offseason. Free agency, arbitration and plain 'ol trades are all heating up as potential moves for the Sox over the next few months.

Before diving into the rumors, speculation and innuendo (Teixeira, anyone?), this first post will focus on the basics of which current Sox players are pieces in the offseason chess match this year.

In what is easily the most no-brainer move the Red Sox will make this offseason, the front office kicked things off right by exercising Tim Wakefield's club option for 2009 on Friday. At the (relatively) paltry price of $4 million, it was a bargain. Per the terms of his contract, it also sets up another club option for 2010 at the same price. Next year will mark Wake's 15th consecutive year pitching in the Boston home whites, a club record.

Next up: free agent extravaganza! So far, seven Red Sox players have filed for free agency: Sean Casey, Bartolo Colon, Alex Cora, Mark Kotsay, Dave Ross, Curt Schilling and Jason Varitek. Paul Byrd and Mike Timlin are also eligible to file for free agency, and it is likely they will file soon as well. The Red Sox have an 15-day window after a player files for free agency during which they are exclusively allowed to negotiate with him. The players (and their agents) are allowed to talk to other teams during that period, but they are not permitted to discuss financial terms.

The Red Sox also have four team members eligible for arbitration this year: Kevin Cash, Javier Lopez, Jonathan Papelbon and Kevin Youkilis. All four players are Third-Year Players; the Red Sox do not have any Super-Twos this year. (Some notable Super Twos this year are Brian Bannister, Melky Cabrera, Cole Hamels, Russell Martin, B.J. Upton and Jared Weaver.)

The Red Sox will also be free to offer arbitration to any of their free agents who do not sign a contract with another ballclub. The Elias Sports Bureau rankings were released to the clubs on Thursday, and Jason Varitek netted a Type A ranking, and Paul Byrd netted a Type B ranking- meaning the Sox would get two and one compensatory draft picks, respectively, if they offered arbitration and Tek/Byrd do not accept. For everything you wanted to know about arbitration but were afraid to ask, see the Arbitration Primer I put together last year.

Now that the basics are out of the way, our next installments will dive into the all the latest news and tidbits about potential moves the Sox might make. Hang on, as always, the hot stove season is gonna be a bumpy ride.

Comments (16)

[ Twinkie ] says:
on November 3, 2008 12:08 PM

This offseason scares me so much...

[ ecl1958 ] says:
on November 3, 2008 1:28 PM

:::clinging to our guys:::

[ Angie ] says:
on November 3, 2008 2:27 PM

Hot stove season is scary. I've gone through the whole roster in my head and I decided who I would get sad about if they were traded. Yeah it's just about everybody except a small handful of guys.

[ Jane ] says:
on November 3, 2008 4:34 PM

I want, now more than ever, to chain myself to Jason Varitek.

[ ecl1958 ] says:
on November 3, 2008 4:41 PM

Jane, could you please hand me some chain? I need to secure Coco. Thanks...

[ Twinkie ] says:
on November 3, 2008 5:05 PM

I have several guys I plan to kidnap and hide in my basement.

[ jules ] says:
on November 3, 2008 5:22 PM

except a small handful of guys.

Lugo???

ecl, I have a feeling he'll be traded. His value is very high right now.

Hot Stove should be interesting.

[ Adam ] says:
on November 3, 2008 6:12 PM

definitely time to sell high on Coco. His value hasn't been this good since he's been with the team. Hopefully Ellsbury thinks about sitting on the bench in the ALCS and will be motivated to do better next season offensively (I'm not sure how much better his defense could be).

[ Adam ] says:
on November 3, 2008 6:26 PM

Sox should bring back Millar for the Casey role.

[ Angie ] says:
on November 3, 2008 6:37 PM

Forget about trade, I would SELL Lugo to anyone who wants him. I wouldn't mind trading Paul Byrd or Kotsay.

And I love Sean Casey, but I would love to have Millar back even more...as long as we can keep Tek. And get back Kapler too. That would be cool.

Seriously though Theo, resign Tek.

[ Meghan ] says:
on November 3, 2008 7:48 PM

"Selling" Lugo would be ideal but they will probably end up having to pay for him to go away. Other teams that have a big salary to get rid of as well might bite, but the return would likely be shit...moving him for a once-good pitcher or two, who could be Farrell-ized to be good again may be interesting though (assuming Farrell is back too of course).

My only plea to Theo is this: keep the cheap homegrown shortstop! I trust Theo to make the right decision about every other position except that.

And as for Tek...offer him arbitration. If he walks, he walks. It is sentimental, but everything time I think of him GIDP or K'ing with men on in a close game, the less I know I will miss him. He ain't a bad guy, but he is becoming a bad baseball player.

[ ecl1958 ] says:
on November 3, 2008 9:56 PM

Jules? You just made me cry. If your prediction holds true, I fear that I have become an automatic jinx for every guy on the roster that I take a shine to....if ECL likes them, they get gone. Bah.

[ jules ] says:
on November 3, 2008 10:22 PM

Oh Faith! Didn't mean to make you cry. I like Coco, too. I think he's a great player--a true gamer. BUT, baseball is a business as well as a great game. I will be very surprised if he's on the team next year.

[ Meghan ] says:
on November 4, 2008 12:59 AM

Looks like Timlin is the first to go...Theo said that, if he still plays next year, it definitely won't be for the Sox. No big surprise there: http://tinyurl.com/6r8hho

If Tek and Schill both leave now, the only remaining guys from '04 will be Papi, Wake and Youk (who didn't actually play in the WS despite being on the roster). That seems weird...not necessarily sad, just strange.

[ Jane ] says:
on November 4, 2008 4:53 PM

*hands extra chain to ECL*

*has a lot since she never intended Tek's leash to be longer than eleven inches*

*he must stay in Boston*

*she'll fight the Tigers to keep him.*

*a la Sigfreid and Roy*

That is all.

[ ecl1958 ] says:
on November 4, 2008 7:53 PM

Thanks, Jane. And Jules, I love the game, and I hate the business part of it. It's so easy for the players we love to be ripped away from us Just.Like.That. :::sigh:::

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