Paul Byrd -- he of the HGH-tainted past, the momentous victory over the Sox in last year's ALCS and the Frasier-esque face -- traded in his Indians cap for a Red Sox cap today. This gave me the perfect opportunity to use that "Byrdie Putt" pun I've been holding onto for so long. It also means that the Red Sox might just have found the patch to plug the hole left by Wake's DL stint (and Clay's continued mediocre outings).
The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has completed a trade with the Boston Red Sox, sending RHP PAUL BYRD to Boston in exchange for a player to be named or cash. The player to be named must be agreed upon on or before January 15, 2009.
Byrd made 22 starts with the Indians this year going 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA (131.0IP, 146H, 70R/66ER, 24BB, 56K, 23HR).
Boston is getting Byrd at his best. After a rough first half in which he seemingly couldn't keep the ball in the park, Byrd changed his windup, rediscovered his curveball, curtailed the home runs and gone 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break. He is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA in 22 starts overall.
Who Is Charlie Zink?
Charlie Zink is a lot more than just the "Hey! How hilarious! Another knuckleballer to replace knuckleballer Tim Wakefield while he's on the DL!" headlines he's getting lately. The 28 year-old (almost 29- his birthday is in a couple of weeks) will be making his first major league start against the Rangers, and seems just about as excited as you think he'd be:
This is everything I have ever dreamed of. It has come true now and I'm going to the major leagues. It's ridiculous. I'm at a loss for words. I really don't know what to say about it. I'll be smiling forever now. This is just awesome. Awesome.
So who is Charlie Zink? I've got 10 random bits of trivia about the newest member of the Red Sox 25-man roster:
1. Charlie's the son of two Folsom State Prison employees. Cue the Johnny Cash theme music. Actually if Charlie used Folsom Prison Blues as his warm-up music at Fenway, his cool factor would automatically go up by a factor of 100.
2. He only ended up playing baseball because his tae kwon do progress was stymied by his young age. Charlie was a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do (and teaching classes) by the age of 12-- but when he learned he couldn't progress to a third-degree until the age of 16, he started playing baseball instead.
3. Charlie thinks baseball is "a little boring" to watch and he doesn't "really keep up with all the baseball numbers". He prefers to watch football, his favorite sport. His team? The 49ers, of course... like every good kid from Northern California.
Manny's long gone out of town, living it up way on the other side of the country... and CHB is feeling the pangs of loneliness. Who will he write his inflammatory columns about? Who will he vilify? This is all a very confusing time for him.
So it's no surprise that this little hidden explosive gem showed up in his column today:
The commissioner's office is investigating the circumstances of Manny's final hours with the Red Sox. The Globe has learned (from a source with direct knowledge of the inquiry) that Bud Selig directed Major League Baseball executive vice president Rob Manfred to contact all parties for an explanation of how things unfolded around last week's trading deadline. According to the source, Manfred has yet to report back to the commissioner.
Here's why Selig's office is looking into the matter:
The Red Sox had an option to retain Ramirez in 2009 for $20 million. They had the same option for 2010. Ramirez, who will turn 37 next season, wanted to be a free agent at the end of this season. His agent wanted the same thing. Boras inherited Ramirez's old contract and stood to earn nothing until Manny signed a new one. It was in the interest of the player and the agent to have the options dropped.
Manny's only leverage was withholding services and playing at half speed. So that's what he did. Sitting out games against Seattle and the Yankees, jogging down the first base line (and maybe even looking at those three strikes against Mariano Rivera), he sent the message that he wanted out. He made sure the Sox knew he could not be trusted to play hard if they kept him until the end of the season with the options intact.
A few things strike me: (1) since when did CHB's conjecture about Manny's behavior go from opinion to accepted fact? and (2) if CHB was so confident that his source was rock-solid, why did he bury this allegation halfway down his column, and fall back on the old "the Globe has learned" schtick (rather than claiming ownership of his source)?
In the Manny Being Manny circus, nothing is too crazy or too far-fetched for me to believe. I wouldn't bat an eye if it was revealed that Manny went into Theo's office and demanded that Jed Lowrie act as his personal manservant, and follow him around at all times with a selection of sparkling waters and snacks. I'm also not a naive wide-eyed innocent who thinks every player who dons the Boston home whites is automatically a saint who can do no wrong. So while the sour turn of the Manny story in Boston is entirely plausible, I still object to the sordid need of certain people to continually shit-stir. (Or the equivalently reprehensible method of sitting on a story until the player in question is shipped out of town and therefore can't confront you -- so you can keep getting soundbites from him.)
And this sight? Yeah, still weird.
Bucco Thoughts On Beaker
The final guest post installment in today's Jason Bay Day extravaganza comes from Don Spagnolo of the center of the Pittsburgh sports blogosphere, Mondesi's House. Don also brings with him a pretty fantastic nickname for Jason.
How do I describe Jason Bay in just a few short paragraphs? Well, there's times when you love him, and times when you love him just a little less. He's not the kind of guy that ever would inspire any of the hatred directed at, let's say, the player who he was traded for.
5. Jason Bay is not happy
Jason Bay usually makes about as much noise as your average mime. Never before have I seen a player so inappropriately thrust into a leadership role. So you can imagine my surprise when the muted one finally opened his mouth to reveal that he was disappointed with the Pirates' offseason inactivity.
Fantastic. I'm glad that Bay feels comfortable enough to speak his mind. Unfortunately, the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year chose a time when he's coming off his most disappointing year as a Pirate, as his numbers fell from 35/109/.286 in 2006 to 21/84/.247 in 2007. As previously mentioned, he's turned the called strike three into an art form, which the city has dually noted.
His impeccable timing has already irked the new front office, who preferred that Bay aired his grievances with them rather than through the media. It's good to see that one of our star players is starting off on such a good foot with his new bosses.
He's obviously bitter over the dead-end trade with Cleveland, but that's for two obvious reasons:
1. All he was worth was Cliff Lee, which is a major shot to anyone's ego, and
2. He's still stuck in Pittsburgh, at least until he pulls a Raul Mondesi and concocts an extortion plot to get his release.
Looking back on it, I guess Cliff Lee wouldn't have been such a bad return on that proposed deal, considering he's 14-2 with a 2.58 ERA on a 47-60 team. Of course, when the deal was proposed, Lee was coming off of a 2007 in which he went 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA, and I'm guessing that wouldn't have gone over with us long-suffering Pirate fans.
As I alluded to earlier, Bay never came across to fans as a vocal leader-type. He was more of a laid-back personality, which can be good at times and bad at times. He developed quite a rep in these parts for a sphincter that seemed to tighten in the rare clutch situation, so I hope he can hold up to the microscope of Boston (much like the microscope that Pittsburgh puts their football players under). The difference is that he's not the #1 guy in Boston with the weight of the franchise on his shoulders. I always thought that Bay would be best-suited as a 2nd or 3rd offensive option, and I think he can thrive in this role with the Sox.
What I'll most miss about Bay, however, is his presence in my annual Pittsburgh Pirates: The Movie posts. After three editions, Beaker is going to be out of work!
Bucco Farewell... Now With Mini Pony!
Continuing on with our Jason Bay Day festivities, Tecmo from the awesome Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies (where you get sports news AND mini ponies every day!) checks in with his thoughts on Jason Bay and yesterday's trade. Also, he has a very special mini pony for us.
What can I say about Jason Bay? A Pirate for parts of six seasons, Bay gave us fans every emotion one could hope for when one becomes baseball fan. Franchise records as a rookie, power to all fields despite looking like a third line hockey winger, unrealized potential, "is-he-clutch?" worries, nasty injuries and at times, All-Star caliber play. As a Pirates fan, I get to see Bay's tenure in the Burgh within the greater context and how he has shaped the future of the Pirates. Yeah, we suck now, but just you wait.
The Sox were probably impressed with his 26 dingers as a rookie. If Boston has done their collective homework, they'll be more than happy with Bay's current .985+ fielding percentage, or the little nugget that the guy counted on to be the Buccos' primary source or power actually tied a MLB record in 2005 for most steals in a season without getting caught (before getting thrown out at the very end of the year, dammit). Boston fans, you're getting a guy who might worry you, or might blow your..ahem...Sox off (sorry). Baseball-Reference says you're getting either Kevin Mench or Grady Sizemore. Seems about right.
I thank Bay for all he gave to the team. Brian Giles was a hero in Pittsburgh, and Bay had the responsibility of replacing Giles when he was traded to the San Diego Daddies. Bay's name seemed to be in constant trade rumors since his arrival, but his career year in '06 allowed the other guy acquired from San Diego, Ollie Perez, to be dealt to New York for Xavier Nady instead. Nady's recent trade then brought us prime prospect Jose Tabata. Now Bay's trade brings us Andy LaRoche and Craig Hansen. By most accounts, Bay allowed the team to segue between Brian Giles and a first round pitcher, a legit third base prospect and a stud like Tabata. Take that however you want, but you can't ask for much more when you trade a guy who was as respected in Pittsburgh as Giles was in '03.
A little part of me is sad to see Bay go, mostly because I'll miss his opposite-field homers over the Clemente wall. If Bay continues his trend of hot hitting against AL East pitching, that short porch near Pesky's Pole might get lit up.
Pittsburgh wins, getting top prospects that we desperately need, and Boston makes out by getting a guy 7 years younger than Manny who can still be counted on for 28-30 homers and 100 RBIs when playing to potential. Not a bad trade by anyone's count.
Bucco State of Mind
As part of the Jason Bay Day festivities, I've asked die-hard Pittsburgh fan TheStarterWife to tell us a little more about our newest addition. You can find her as part of the Playing The Field team, and at her own black-and-gold blog, appropriately called Black and Gold Tchotchkes.
Last week, my first thought after the Nady-Marte trade to the Yankees was, "We could have done better." Four prospects - the brightest being 19 year-old Tabata - for a solid hitter and proven pitcher.
My second thought was, "We still have Bay."
My third thought was, "We have to trade Bay. I cannot believe I am thinking this, but we should just go for it. See what we can get for Bay. Balls out."
To any other team, this wouldn't be that big of a deal. Sure good players - even All-Stars- get traded all the time. But do you realize how terrifying a notion this is when your team wants to trade a two-time All-Star from a clubhouse that has produced only four All-Stars in the past four years? No matter how bad the team was, Bay was out there shining so fans had at least something to say in defense of still following the Pirates.
"The Pirates suck." Yeah, but Jason Bay, Rookie of the Year. We're rebuilding for the future!
"When was the last time the Pirates had a winning season?" Bush Sr. was in office, but hey! Bay hit ten homers in ten games! The man's a powerhouse!
"It's time for training camp. You know, the players who win for Pittsburgh." Bay actually likes Pittsburgh! He said he would like to keep playing here! What type of deranged fan turns away a player who likes playing in Pittsburgh? Who is active in the community! And he's Canadian! He has to be affable to everyone around him! Which makes him a great leader! Lord knows we don't need that around town.
But it was time for Bay to go. Watching the Sox and the Rays go after him, you knew his value was never going to be any higher - at least while he was still in a Pirates uniform. Besides, we were lucky to have him in the first place. And in a move that proved the old adage "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while", Dave Littlefield trading Brian Giles for Bay (and Oliver Perez) would be the highlight of his tenure with the Pirates. (Aside of the time he walked off with one of the bases.)
Tonight after I had a few hours to think about the trade, it hit me; I was really happy for Bay to be going to the Sox. Bay came into the majors in a club where the team leader greeted new players with, "Welcome to hell" and still thrived. And as a fan of baseball and as fan of Jason Bay, you knew he deserved better.
But today's a new day. In fact, it's a JASON BAY DAY. That means all day long, I'll be celebrating our newest LF overlord, Boston-style. I've also got some guest posts coming your way, from some black-and-gold folks who knew him way back when.
So get ready - today, we're drinkin' the Jason Bay Kool-Aid. Mmmmmm - tastes like Pittsburgh!
Don't Look Back In Anger
Tomorrow night, Manny will be in Dodger blue.
Just think about that for a moment.
I know this is not news to anyone, the fact of the trade -- but the reality of actually seeing it for the first time... frankly, it's all still kind of unbelievable.
The perennial manchild and fixture of two Sox championship teams, the ballplayer who was both astronomically gifted and maddeningly blasé, the man who was universally beloved and caused universal bemusement. Homerun admirer. Head petter. Media shunner. Lackadaisical fielder. Otherworldly batter. He wears blue now.
The clubhouse has been in shambles lately while the media rained down a Manny-sized firestorm. Manny certainly didn't help matters, choosing to come out of his shell just in time to tell reporters things that have made some very important people very unhappy. But despite every single bit of the hoopla, every bit of the drama, every bit of the teeth gnashing and head-pounding moments he's induced... that doesn't make saying goodbye any easier, really.
He's one of the finest hitters of his generation, a savant with a nearly unparalleled eye at the plate, and a ballplayer who got more joy out of the game than just about anyone. He's a guy who made a lot of missteps and mistakes, some big and some small, but he's also unquestionably a character who was as much a part of the Red Sox ethos as any other.
For better or worse, Manny is larger-than-life, and a one-of-a-kind. His bad behavior is not excused or excusable, but it's part of the crazy jumbled package -- with Manny, you get the brilliance and the insanity. The childlike devotion to the game and the petulant teenager tantrums. The trips to the Monster for a pee-break and the walk-off homerun sailing into the Fenway night sky last October. And any Sox fan who says they're glad to see the back of him? Is either lying or kidding themself.
Tomorrow night, Manny will be in Dodger blue.
But he'll always wear Red Sox.
We Welcome Our New LF Overlord
Welcome to Boston, Jason.
Manny Being Traded
Despite premature reports that the trading deadline had come and gone without any movement from the Sox, Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers, in a three-way deal (sounds a lot dirtier than it is) with the Pirates that brings Jason Bay to the Fens, and sends Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to the Pirates.
The Manny Being Manny era in Boston is over.
Trade Deadline: Open Thread
The trade deadline is now officially upon us. There are less than 24 hours left on the clock for MLB teams to make their moves and shuffle their rosters.
Today figures to be busy as always- but especially so for Sox fans, with the rumors swirling around Manny Ramirez. Let this post serve as your open thread to post new rumors, talk about the rumors, and generally go stir crazy waiting for the final bell to sound. Throughout the day, I'll try and update this post with the latest news and rumors. So I have one request: if you post a rumor, please also post a link to where you read it.
The Los Angels Dodgers have re-entered the Manny Ramirez Sweepstakes, SI.com has learned.
The Marlins deal may not be dead. But the Dodgers could become a real player here and knock out Florida at the last minute. According to people familiar with the talks, the Dodgers have offered young outfielder Andre Ethier, but Boston is believed to prefer the ultra-talented Matt Kemp.
It won't be easy to put together a deal with a different team on such short notice. But the Dodgers were talking a few days ago to the Red Sox, before it became apparent that Boston's focus was on the Marlins.
The Red Sox, who appear motivated to trade Ramirez, have spent most of their time on the Marlins over the past 24 hours. But sources say the Dodgers have always remained interested.
Ramirez has approved a trade to go to Florida, Philadelphia, Los Angels [sic] or anywhere else, SI.com has learned. In return for Ramirez signing off on a deal, the acquiring team will agree to drop the two club options for $20-million apiece for 2009 and '10 in his current deal.
There was quite some optimism about an hour ago, quite some pessimism now. Sure sounds on this end as if the Pirates were ready to go, but the Marlins' demands - including the extra cash - blew this out. But this obviously will take a while to flesh out. Still have not heard anyone say it is outright dead, either.
Just spoke to someone in Tampa, and the Rays are not necessarily out of this, contrary to much else that is being said.
One Casey just wasn't good enough for the Red Sox. On Thursday, with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft, the Sox selected 18 year-old shortstop/pitcher dual threat Casey Kelly out of Sarasota, Florida. And with a name like Casey Patrick Kelly, I have a feeliing he'll fit in just fine in Boston.
Casey comes from a baseball-crazy family. Casey's dad Pat Kelly was drafted by the Angels to play catcher, and got a cup of coffee playing for the Blue Jays for three games in 1980 (funnily enough, all 2 of his dad's major league hits came off of Bob Stanley against the Sox at Fenway Park). His dad also took over as bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds last season after managing the Reds' GCL team. Contrary to what some (erroneous) reports have stated, Casey's dad is NOT the Pat Kelly who played for the Yankees. Casey's brother Chris Kelly plays for the Rays organization, his uncle Mike Kelly played for the Blue Jays organization, and his cousin Dustin Kelly played for the Red Sox organization.
The Sox are banking that all those baseball ties will propel Casey to sign on the dotted line... because there is another suitor for his athletic affections. Casey also signed a Letter of Intent to play football (QB) for the University of Tennessee earlier this year -- and now he has a big decision to make. But it sounds like he's leaning towards the Sox. Per MLB:
We spent some time talking to the kid," said general manager Theo Epstein. "First of all, he's a great kid, from a great baseball family. You could hear the passion in his voice when he talks about baseball, and we wouldn't have taken him if we didn't feel in our hearts that he wanted to go out and play professional ball."
There is still a contract to be worked out. But all things being equal, Kelly sounded like a man who was ready to start a baseball career.
"It's definitely a tough decision," said Kelly. "I haven't talked to anybody at Tennessee yet. Out of respect to them, we'll just have to see how the summer goes and see how everything plays out with this."
Kelly was then asked if he saw his future in professional baseball or pro football.
"Right now, I'd have to say baseball," he said. "It's kind of up for grabs. I don't really know the answer to that yet. We'll see how the summer plays out."
And an even more encouraging quote from here, albeit hinging on the Sox' decision to play him at SS or P:
"They picked me in the first round so I'll probably be wearing a Red Sox uniform," the Sarasota (Fla.) High School star said just minutes after the pick was announced.
Kelly said Boston has already told his family that it is comfortable with a set of financial parameters that was floated to baseball executives before the draft.
"They knew the price was going to be a little higher because of football," the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kelly said.
Kelly signed with Tennessee to play quarterback in February. Barring an unforeseen snag in the negotiations, his arrival in Knoxville seems very unlikely.
A possible snag could arise from Kelly's future position, claimed Pat Kelly, Casey's father and a minor league manager.
"They (the Red Sox) like him better as a pitcher but they want to give him a chance to play shortstop," Pat Kelly said. "He doesn't want to pitch. I think that's going to be a big part of the negotiations."
One thing's for sure - his family was excited enough about the draft to celebrate in that time-honored baseball tradition... a pie to the face. And they videotaped it. And posted the video to the internet. Awesome.
The first clip is the video of Casey watching when his selection was announced (cover your ears- there's a woman on the clip with a high-pitched squeal-scream), and the clip of the pie job is after the jump.
MLB's First-Year Player Draft starts today at 2pm, and finishes up tomorrow. Even if the process isn't all flash and craziness like the NFL Draft (or even the NBA Draft), the results of the draft are always interesting to pick through.
Courtesy of the club's World Championship, the Sox will pick 30th out of 30 in the first round. Courtesy of Eric Gagne, the Sox will then get a sandwich round pick (#45 overall). The Sox also pick at #77 (second round), #85 (third round), #108 (third round), and then last in each of rounds 4-50. Yes, FIFTY.
The Rays have already announced they will take Tim Beckham, a high school shortstop out of Georgia, with their #1 overall pick. Most commentators project that when the draft reaches Boston at #30, they'll select Lance Lynn (right-handed pitcher) from the University of Mississippi. Which would make for some epic rivalry contests with Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon.
The most productive draft for the Red Sox in recent history was, of course, the 2005 draft- which yielded Jacoby Ellsbury, Craig Hansen, Clay Buchholz, Jed Lowrie and Michael Bowden. The Red Sox director of Amateur Scouting spoke with NESN earlier this week about how things went down that year- and the inner workings of that draft are interesting to look back on.
video courtesy of NESN
If anyone wants to discuss the draft as it goes on today and tomorrow, you can feel free to use this as a kind of open thread.
YoYo Gots To GoGo
The lights went dark on Elm Street today, when it was announced that the Red Sox DFA'edJulian Tavarez to make room for Sean Casey on the roster. That gives the Sox 10 days to trade him or place him on waivers -- and given the interest the Rox have expressed recently, he could well be headed to the Mile High City. Farewell, Julian the Jukin' Jackrabbit.
My only question is: what are the Red Sox trainers supposed to do with these extra pieces of Tavarez-specific equipment?
Of course, we'll always have the memories...
video courtesy of Comcast
video courtesy of NESN
Farewell, Colgate
So long, farewell and Auf Wiedersehen to Bryan Corey - who is headed to the Padres of San Diego for that always in-demand utility fielder/pitcher, "Player TBN" (or cash- not the Kevin kind). It should work out well for all parties- the Sox didn't have room for him, and the Pads are desperate for some pitching, so Bryan should get some playing time fairly quick.
The Sox were also busy making other kinds of roster and lineup moves today- pulling Alex Cora off the DL and plonking him down into the starting shortstop position for tonight's game (while Julio Lugo is still out). Jed Lowrie was optioned back to Pawtucket to make room for Alex's return. Hasta luego, Jeddie Boy (or is that "hasta Lugo"?) - I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon.
Sean Casey is also ready, willing and able to come off the DL - look for him to be activated as soon as tomorrow, once the Sox make it through tonight and the likely bullpen deficiencies resulting from Papelbon and Okajima's recent use.
Your Newest Starting Pitcher
Say hi, hello and howdy to your newest Sox team member:
Justin Masterson is movin' on up from AA-Portland to make his debut in The Show, and will start today against the Angels. After Beckett's flu scratch (and David Pauley's callup and sendback), and Dice-K's flu scratch (and Jon Lester's emergency start last night), the Sox are desperate to plug the holes in the rotation-- and Masterson may be just the ticket.
Things you may or may not know about Justin:
1. He was born in Jamaica.
2. He was supposed to attend Notre Dame, but got sick on the day he was scheduled to visit... and the Irish never rescheduled. So he attended Bethel College in (very) nearby Mishawaka, Indiana instead.
3. He grew up a Cubs and Reds fan.
4. He has what may be the most misleadingly hideous official photo ever:
So Long! Farewell!
The forecast for chicken parm sales in the greater Boston area just took a nosedive... Doug Mirabelli was released by the Red Sox today.
It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his return. Now all we're left with is the memories.
We Need To Talk.
You know I adore you. Really, truly I do. The crazy antics, the dancing, the Bud Light case on your head, the bullpen band, the Scrabble, the goggles, the arguments over spelling, the Friendly's Scoop segments, the absolute lack of any kind of real filter on what comes out of your mouth and the great sense of clubhouse camaraderie you help engender. And obviously, most of all, the phenomenal lights-out pitching you deliver (especially during last season, and most especially during last year's postseason). I can't imagine the Sox bullpen without you- and I am quite serious about that.
But we need to talk.
As much as your lack of a verbal filter entertains me, this is one situation in which you really, really need to just bite your tongue. I have no doubt that you are just venting some frustration, and that most (if not all) ballplayers feel like you do during their contract negotiations.... but: talking about all this money that you "deserve", and comparing yourself to veteran Mariano Rivera (who is hands-down the best closer to ever play the game), and generally being petulant and whiny? You've got to stop.
I'm not saying you're not worth more than they're paying you. I'm not even saying you're wrong for feeling that way. But you have just two years service time - two years! - and that means, unfortunately, that what you are "worth" and what you "deserve" are two very different things.
Fair or not, the major league baseball system basically results in underpaying rookies and new guys for their first two or three years of service... and then basically overpays them from there on out. Yes, that means you have to "suffer" through a couple of years at $400-500K a year, but you'll be making seven figures from year 4 on forward.
Also, I know you'd like to make the $900,000 Ryan Howard did after his second year - but (a) he won NL Rookie of the Year his first year, (b) he won the National League MVP award in his second year, and (c) he racked up 31 win shares that same second year. You were phenomenal, no doubt about it - but you had 12 win shares to his 31. Your value as a closer who saw 58.3 innings of work is just flat not the same as that of an everyday player and league MVP. You and Ryan Howard are not equivalent for salary purposes-- it's apples and oranges.
One player who is comparable to you: Bobby Jenks. He is a closer at very nearly the same service level, with 65 innings of work last year and 14 win shares. Your ERA and WHIP lines beat him out, but his overall value to his club is higher than yours by about the same margin. He made $450,000 last year, and is quite contented with his raise to $550,000. That's who you need to be making comparisons to, not Ryan Howard.
And I wouldn't argue at all if you felt you deserved to make even a little more than Jenks -- baseball has (ridiculously) started tying "respect" to salary, and I get that. You're the reigning World champ, I'd support a $575,000 payday. But you've got to stop with the thinking that you're somehow entitled to a near $1 million dollar paycheck after just two years (one of which saw you shut down with an injury). It's unrealistic, and if it leads to you getting offended by a half million dollar offer from the club... it could be potentially toxic to your working relationship in the future.
The Red Sox adore you, Boston adores you, the fans adore you - and everyone will totally back your giant payday that will most certainly be your due. But only after you finish up your third year and maintain your health and value. Even though you're priceless to the fans, that doesn't mean you "deserve" a million dollar salary at this moment.
And I say that with nothing but love.
Farewell
The Red Sox added Sean Casey, David Aardsma and reacquired Bobby Kielty, and "lost" Eric Gagne (good riddance!) and Matt Clement. Now it's time to also officially say farewell to Eric Hinske and Brendan Donnelly.
Eric signed a minor league contract with the Devil Rays, which will get him an invite to spring training. The contract will pay him a base of $800,000 if he makes the major league roster, with up to $250,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. Poor guy doesn't sound exactly thrilled with the move from the World Champions to the bottom-dwelling Devil Rays... but grateful that he at least has employment.
"I'm excited to join the Rays," said Hinske in a telephone interview. "After talking to [Andrew Friedman, Rays executive vice president of baseball operations], I thought it was the best fit for me. Obviously I wanted a Major League contract, but I didn't have any offers. So I'm excited to be a Ray."
Our own World Series Game 4 homerun-hitting, outfield wall-hitting, troll doll lookalike (and I mean that with nothing but affection) will be back in the outfield for the Sox in 2008.
Bobby Kielty and the Red Sox have agreed to a (nonguaranteed) one-year contract for 2008, to the tune of $800,000 if he makes the Sox roster with up to $300,000 in incentives based on games played and at-bats. Bobby had similar offers from other (unnamed) clubs - but he wanted back on the defending World Champion roster.
Throughout the offseason I received a couple of similar offers but I really wanted to get back to the Red Sox. I enjoyed my time there. They like me hitting from the right side and I should see a lot of at-bats from there. (Manager Terry Francona) wants me to hit against some left-handed pitching.
The contract's not guaranteed, so that means he's not assured of making the 25-man-- but signing a fifth outfielder also likely means there's a trade for Coco Crisp in the works.
"I think their focus now is that Coco and Jacoby will compete for a job," [Bobby] said from his California home. "I don't think they'd tell me anything of their plans but I think even with Coco there, I'd still get right-handed at-bats against left-handed pitching."
Total wishful thinking - but a Crisp for Taylor Teagarden trade would be great. I'd love to get Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but that ain't happening - and Teagarden would fulfill the catching prospect role we need badly. I don't think the Rangers are necessarily in the market for a CF, though - so it would take some serious wheeling and dealing.
The Sky Is Falling!
Since the Super Bowl passed us by yesterday (I know certain fans are trying to avoid mention of that event right now), we've officially entered The Lull- the period when there is next-to-nothing going on in the sports world except random basketball games and fake sports like "soccer" and "hockey".* *Kidding!**
** Sort of.
I guess that also means it's time for everyone to start dreaming up stuff to freak out over, since there's no actual baseball news and P&C is still 10 days away. Things like a tiny little tidbit in Peter Gammons' latest article, which has apparently caused several writers to start wringing their hands with worry:
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.
Why? Why wouldn't we be able to sign him? I can think of three reasons:
1. He is injured or sucks - in which case, why would the Sox want him?
2. He develops a hatred for Boston - in which case, why would the Sox want him?
3. The Sox can't afford him - which is a preposterous load of bull.
The Sox are not poor orphans in rags with no money to spend. They operate under the second-highest payroll in baseball, and have demonstrated that when there's a player they want (Manny, Dice-K), they are more than willing to pony up the cash. If this is Gammons trying to dredge up the old "POOR SOX!" routine, it makes no sense-- and no one can seriously work themselves up into a tizzy worrying that the Red Sox can't afford to bring Beckett back (especially considering Manny's salary will be off the books by then). I find it extremely hard to believe anyone in the front office is operating under this kind of thinking, either; it's a holdover woe-is-me attitude that is neither accurate nor becoming on the new era Sox. This is not the Way Of The Theo.
This is what we've come to? People are going to go all Chicken Little on Josh Beckett THREE YEARS in advance? Perhaps a giant pill of chill is in order.
Also, I wish Gammons would let go of this ridiculous notion that Josh is bitter about his contract, and looking to get out at any available opportunity. Josh is not an idiot- coming off of a rather mediocre year for him, he got an extension that offered him security and a very nice paycheck, and he signed the deal with eyes wide open. Josh has also never demonstrated himself to be some kind of greed-filled person, and has specifically refuted any notion of being unsatisfied with his place or with his contract. Josh and the rest of these guys want to get paid, no doubt-- but he's not sitting around in a dark room plotting how to escape the clutches of the Sox.
So as a matter of fact I will enjoy Josh Beckett the next three years. I will enjoy having a killer ace on the staff during the prime of his career, and at a price that is FAR under his market value. If he gets hurt or starts to suck or becomes a clubhouse cancer, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But any goofball who is going to run around screaming that the sky is going to fall on our heads in three years is (1) a masochist, (2) an idiot, (3) wrong.
Casey At The Bat
Detroit had a great commercial campaign in 2005 that asked fans "Who's Your Tiger?"
Now I finally can answer that question. Who's my Tiger? One Mr. Sean Casey. The Globe and Herald are both reporting Sean has agreed to a one-year contract with the Sox for $800,000, which will be officially announced once he passes a physical. That means Youk and Lowell will have a solid backup when they need to take a day off (Sean will always play 1st, and Youk could switch to 3rd to cover Mike)-- and he can even step in for Big Papi on occasion as well.
Sean is a gamer- and is known for being one of the classiest guys in the game and a great clubhouse asset. Just last year he was voted the friendliest guy in baseball by major league baseball players by a staggering margin, the vote wasn't even close. It sounds sort of hokey, except the ballplayers took their vote very seriously-- and no one was allowed to vote for a teammate (so that means everyone respects him, not just his fellow Tigers). He also gives a ton of his time and money to charity, and he and Sox fan Conan O'Brien even co-founded a charity together based out of Lawrence, MA.
Also, this guy below? Will fit in perfectly with our team.
Papelbon can always use some assistance with clubhouse celebrations.
EDIT: To add a link and quotes from a Jayson Stark story about various unemployed ballplayers who have had a hard time this offseason trying to get placed:
We've often observed that it's amazing how far away spring training seems on Dec. 31 -- and how close it seems on Jan. 1. But when you flip that calendar to February and you still don't have a job, let's just say the old nervous system can tend to act up.
Consider the example of another fellow who didn't have a team to call his own until Friday -- The Mayor himself, Sean Casey. On Friday morning, Casey agreed to a one-year, $700,000 deal with the Red Sox. But as late as Thursday afternoon, he was as frazzled as a relentlessly upbeat guy like him ever gets.
"In December, when I didn't have a job, I thought, 'Hey, that's all right. It's December,'" Casey said. "I figured by the beginning of January, we'd get something done. But then you look up and it's almost February. I talked to my agent the other day. He said, 'Just be patient.' I said, 'How much more patience do I need to have?'"
and:
Why, for instance, would a 33-year-old, .301 lifetime hitter like Casey have found himself jobless all the way into February? True, he only hit 4 home runs last year. But after a slow start, he did basically what he always has done for a decade-- get his hits.
After May 1, Casey's stat line looked like this: .317 avg./.372 on-base/.424 slugging. Compare that to, say, J.D. Drew in the same period (.269/.373/.429). Or Jeff Francoeur (.290/.332/.426). Or Delmon Young (.294/.323/.410).
All those guys managed to stay employed. But of course, they were younger. Or under contract already. But Casey picked a rough winter to be a free agent- a winter full of suggestions like, "If you played another position besides just first base..."
"If I played some outfield or a little third base, I'd have signed two months ago," the Mayor told Rumblings the other day.
"Here's an idea," we told him. "Do you have a catcher's mask?"
"I could do that," he said. "I could catch. But my career would be over in about four innings."
Luckily for him, it never came to that. Luckily for him, the Red Sox finally figured out he was exactly the kind of supplemental left-handed bat they needed.
Trade Bait Weighs In On Santana Deal
Now that that's over, let's hear from some of the Red Sox players that have occupied the precarious and unenviable position of trade bait for the past 3 months. I imagine there there are five guys (Lowrie, Masterson, Bowden, Ellsbury and Lester) sleeping more soundly tonight.
I think when you have a pitcher of Johan's caliber, pretty much every prospect is going to be mentioned in a trade at some point in the talks. It was pretty flattering to be even considered in the trade, but I'm happy with what happened. I'm happy to be a Red Sock. I'm happy that I wasn't traded at his expense, and it's nice to know where I'm going heading into the season.
I talked to [manager] Terry Francona. He basically knew I was working hard in the offseason and he knew I wasn't really letting it get to me. I'm just going out and getting ready for Spring Training. I knew wherever I was going to end up, I'd give them 100 percent, but definitely I'm happy to be with the Boston Red Sox.
I think everybody is going to be happy all the way across. I think the Yankees are happy with what they have, with their young pitching, and we are as well. I think the Mets will be very happy with Johan.
I can't say I put serious thought into [the possibility of being traded]. But as soon as I heard my name being tossed around I thought about playing for the Twins. That's not a bad thing and I'm not saying I didn't want to be with the Red Sox, I'm just saying that was a distinct possibility and it was something I had to keep in mind. I'm glad to be with the Sox and obviously it's a first-class organization.
Plus thoughts from Dustin Pedroia:
I was working out, and I said to a bunch of the guys I was working out with, 'I'm glad that guy is out of the American League.' And everyone started laughing except for the guys that are in the National League. That's definitely my first thought. That's great. Get him out of the American League. Obviously he's one of the best in the game.
We have everybody back. That's a great sign. I know we would have had to give up a ton to get [Santana] and plus trying to sign him to a long-term deal. Obviously that would have been a tough challenge. We have everybody back. Obviously, everybody is excited and ready to go. We're all familiar with each other and hopefully we can repeat the same thing we did last year. It's going to be a tough challenge but it's going to be exciting for us.
You build a strong relationship with your teammates. And it's not just those guys, if anybody else would have gone ... you build a bond with them, you trust them and it kind of brings home the point that the game is a business, and when you see guys get traded, you wish them the best except for when you play against them. But for this situation, for our case, I'm kind of happy that we have all of our guys and we're going to move forward.
So Close...
Is our long national nightmare finally over? Bob Nightengale of USA Today thinks so- he's reporting that Johan Santana is on his way to the Mets, in exchange for outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey. His sources are "two high-ranking Twins officials with knowledge of the talks and a person close to Santana".
Santana needs to pass a physical, and then come to terms on a contract extension with the Mets, and the deal will (reportedly) be done. The Mets have 48-72 hours to get this all wrapped up, and then we can FINALLY quit talking about this after 3 solid months of "will they or won't they?" Thank goodness - as you can tell, I quit posting about the daily nonsense rumor mill around Santana back in December because it was reaching unequaled levels of ridiculousness.
Obviously, as a Phillies follower, I'm shitting my pants right now. As a Sox fan, I just say, "Whew."
Aalright! Sox Laand Aardsma
The Sox acquired 26 year-old RHP David Aardsma from the Chicago White Sox, in return for RHPs Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich (both were A-prospects in the Sox farm system). Aardsma split his time last year between the White Sox and AAA - after roaring out of the gate at the beginning of the season (he was 2-0, 1.31 with 26 strikeouts in 20.2 innings in his first 14 appearances through May 12), he hit a wall, and had a handful of really bad outings. He finished up the year fairly strong in AAA- but was DFA'ed when the White Sox acquired Octavio Dotel, to free up a roster slot on the 40-man.
The tricky thing with Aardsma is that he is out of options. So he'll need to make the Red Sox 40-man roster-- or he'll be DFA'ed by the Red Sox in order to be assigned to the minor leagues (and every club would have a chance to claim him). Then again, he was DFA'ed by the White Sox, and fell all the way down to the Red Sox, so chances are he wouldn't be claimed the second time around, either. Word on the street from my White Sox buds is that his fall off this past year was mostly due to a confidence problem - not a stuff problem. Which gives me some hope that Farrell and co. might be able to fix him back up. He'd likely be competing Bryan Corey and Kyle Snyder for the final bullpen roster spot.
Fun fact: Look at the alphabetical listing of all baseball players in the major leagues (see: Baseball Almanac or Baseball Reference, for example)... David Aardsma is number one. When he broke into the show in 2004, he displaced Hank Aaron off the top of the list.
The Hoss Is Back
Kyle "The Hoss" Snyder will once again be a member of the bullpen band next year. After filing for arbitration earlier in the month and exchanging arbitration figures, Hoss and the Sox came to terms before the arbitration hearings period starts in February. His new one-year contract will be for $835,000- which is a $300,000 increase over his paycheck from last year. He'll also make an additional $5,000 if he makes 50 appearances and $10,000 more for 60 games.
Hoss asked for $1,025,000 when the parties exchanged arbitration figures last week, and the club offered $725,000-- so this is a nice compromise between the two, which avoids the headache of an arbitration hearing. Now that Snyder and Lopez are signed up, Kevin Youkilis is the only remaining Sox player scheduled for arbitration.
I'm glad to see him back in home whites next year, if for no other reason than giving us the possibility of more pictures like this one:
A study in height differentials
What's 1.2 Million Between Friends?
The Sox were able to come to terms with Javier Lopez on his contract for 2008 ($840,000 - nice payday), but failed to hammer out terms with Kevin Youkilis and Kyle Snyder in time to avoid exchanging arbitration figures yesterday.
So what's it gonna cost to bring Youk back in '08? According to Youk and his team, $3.7 million - almost nine times what his salary was in 2007 ($424,500). The Sox offered $2.525 million, which would be almost six times what he made last year. No small potatoes, either way-- but that's a difference of about $1.2 million between the two offers.
I know Youk is saving the big weapon in his arsenal for the arbitration panel:
How can they deny that sweet lil' face?
Kyle Snyder has requested $1.025 million; the Sox offered $725,000. As always, everything you wanted to know about arbitration but were afraid to ask: Arbitration Primer.
Arbitration Deadline
Today is the deadline for eligible players to file for salary arbitration. There are three arbitration-eligible players on the Red Sox this year, each of whom has completed three or more years of major league service: Javier Lopez (3.065), Kyle Snyder (4.026) and Kevin Youkilis (3.093). Brendan Donnelly would also have been eligible, had he remained on the Sox roster. I have not seen official confirmation yet whether all of these guys have filed for arbitration, but I would expect that each of them will.
Under the current CBA, the team can continue to negotiate with players who have filed for arbitration -- and the Red Sox have always tended to finalize contracts and get their arbitration-eligibles signed up without having to actually go through the entire arbitration process. In fact, no Sox player has ever gone to arbitration during Theo Epstein's tenure as general manager. Players and clubs exchange figures on January 18th, and then arbitration hearings are conducted (if need be) in the month of February, from the 1st through the 21st.
For everything you wanted to know about arbitration, but were afraid to ask, here's the Arbitration Primer I put together back in November.
Mirabelli Deal In The Works
Break out the chicken parm, because it sounds like Doug Mirabelli may be headed back to don the Boston home whites again in 2008.
Per the Boston Herald's sources, Dougie Fresh and the Sox have come to agreement on terms that would bring Doug back under a one-year contract worth $550,000, with incentives that will take it up to $1 million. Both the Sox and Dougie had to give in the negotiations - the Sox wanted a non-guaranteed deal, but Doug's guaranteed portion is down from the $750,000 he made last year.
In celebration of the Stud Who Hits Bombs, I thought this would be an excellent time to revisit the classic "Day In the Life of Doug Mirabelli" -- which is uncredited, but if anyone knows who wrote this originally, I'd love to know...
A Day In The Life of Doug Mirabelli
9:00 Shakes off the cobwebs and gets out of bed.
9:01 Lets out a blistering fart and takes 60 second piss on his hands, farts 5 more times.
9:03 Drinks 3 raw eggs Rocky Balboa style and opens the fridge.
9:05 Take out leftovers from the Kowloon pupu platter for 3 he picked up last night.
9:15 Grunts at his wife and gives his kids 20 bucks each to leave him alone.
9:17 Takes a dump.
9:22 Sings Van Halen in the shower.
9:25 Shaves and leaves his goatee.
9:30 Takes 35 vicious cuts with his bat naked in front of the mirror, screams out loud "DOUGIE'S GOING DEEP TONIGHT!"
9:45 Puts on his cowboy boots and tight jeans and tank-top and gets ready to leave.
9:50 Grunts at his wife and kids and tells them he'll see them tomorrow.
9:57 Pulls onto Rt-1 with Led Zeppelin blaring, cuts three people off, gives the finger to all three people.
Matt Clement is heading back to the National League from whence he came: the St. Louis Cardinals signed him today to a one-year deal for an undisclosed amount, with a club option for 2009. So he'll again be wearing red this season... just of a different variety.
Clement had surgery in the fall of 2006 that kept him off the mound for the Red Sox for the entirety of 2007. The last time Matt pitched? June of '06. This offseason, the club declined to offer him arbitration, so the Sox and Clement officially parted ways.
As a Sox fan, I wish Clement luck in his new home- but as a Cubs fan, I hope he rides the pine again.
Hello.
Welcome back, Mike. Now that you've finally (FINALLY!) signed on the dotted line, I can officially celebrate your return to the fold. First Wake, then Schill, then Lowell- and now the final puzzle piece is in place. (and the extraneous Canadian piece that never fit to begin with is gone)
Goodbye.
Adios.
Sayonara.
拜拜.
Auf wiedersehen.
Arrivaderci.
مع السلامة.
Aloha.
Do svidanija.
Steinbrenner's huffy ultimatum he spoke about to the media yesterday reportedly raised the hackles of the Twins' front office, prompting thoughts about filing a complaint alleging tampering and most assuredly pissing off Twins' personnel. Cashman took a much wiser route by refusing to go on record and give his thoughts. The Yankees' offer "deadline" passed at midnight, so presumably that means they are done with negotiating for Santana, right? Just like they said they wouldn't negotiate with A-Rod, or that they wouldn't give Posada more than four years, or that they wouldn't offer Phil Hughes in trade- I'm sure this "deadline" is not just ill-advised and hollow blustering. Everyone who believes Steinbrenner when he sets a "deadline" like that, raise your hands. Anyone? I suspect we'll see the Yankees back in this again.
Whether he meant it or not, it may be too late either way-- SI reported that the Twins and Yankees reached what one person called an "impasse'' shortly before midnight. As talks with the Yankees broke down, the Globe reported that talks between the Sox and the Twins intensified, going until the wee hours of the morning. Even more telling: the Sox and Twins have exchanged medical information on Jon Lester and Johan Santana... indicating that a deal may already be in place. No official announcement yet, but the reported first line package for the Twins is: Jon Lester, Coco Crisp, Justin Masterson and Jed Lowrie. If the Twins like what they see in Lester's medical records, reportedly they will take that 4-man trade. If not, or if they change their minds, Jayson Stark indicated it would turn into a 3-man trade for Jacoby Ellsbury, Masterson and Lowrie.
One source who spoke with the Red Sox delegation told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the Red Sox group was just sitting around their suite Monday night, watching the Patriots-Ravens game, when Smith called and asked to see Lester's medicals.
That got those teams' wheels turning again -- and did so, coincidentally, at the same time the Yankees were almost simultaneously beginning to talk themselves out of this trade.
Per Tim Brown, "a Red Sox official said he was "cautiously optimistic" the club could complete the deal for Santana".
Other Hot Stove happenings:
Great news: after the contract offer last week, and the arbitration offer backup on Saturday, it's now being reported that Mike Timlin's one-year deal will be announced as soon as he passes his physical.
Jacoby Ellsbury has reportedly dropped his agent Joe Urbon-- and has hired mega-agent/Satan's spawn Scott Boras. Unbelievable that this guy is still getting new clients after farking up the A-Rod trade, and getting shoved out of negotiations by Kenny Rogers. Jacoby, dear, I cannot support this decision.
The Sox have received inquiries on Julian Tavarez from at least two teams- no word on who those two teams might be. Any guesses as to who could use a Freddy Krueger lookalike?
There's also interest from the Sox in Rockies relief pitcher Brian Fuentes- and Colorado would reportedly be interested in Jed Lowrie in return. Obviously that possibility cannot play out unless and until it's sorted whether Lowrie is headed to Minnesota.
Curt Schilling also weighed in on the Santana sweepstakes:
A rotation featuring Beckett, Santana as the top two is pretty much as good as it can get. The thought of pitching behind these guys has to fire ya up. That being said I look at it like this.
If we make the move we'll have done so with Theo knowing whatever he had to trade to acquire him he can restock those spots either from within, or via trade. How much is too much when you're talking about trading for the best left handed pitcher in the game? How much is too much when you consider what he and Josh could do over the next 5-6 years.
Whatever is too much I am more than confident that we won't get there. Based on the offers I know are out there I can't see anyone out bidding us talent wise. The second part of this deal is the one that really narrows this down to a few suitors at most. Whatever contract Johan negotiates God Bless Him. If you were going to set a record for a contract with a starting pitcher this guy and about 3-4 others in the game would be the best bets.
I don't see any of the other players holding this deal up from either NY or Boston. Neither team will let him slip through their hands because they want to hold onto a AA or AAA potential star. I think it's going to come down to the value
