Could Terry Francona lose his bench coach?

Brad Mills is one of the four finalists to become manager in Houston. The others are current interim manager Dave Clark, former Nationals manager Manny Acta and former Astros manager Phil Garner.

Houston officials said they were very impressed with Mills and like the idea of his bringing an AL East mentality to their organization.

Mills very much in mix for Astros - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

It looks like another disciple of Theo Epstein is jumping ship.

Jed Hoyer, one of Epstein's assistant general managers, is expected to be the new general manager of the San Diego Padres next week:

The Padres' job will be Hoyer's first as the man in charge (though he did serve a 44-day stint as Boston's "co-GM" in '05 when Epstein briefly left the organization.

Hoyer was hired by the Red Sox in 2003, when he was just 28, and has since become one of Epstein's most trusted assistants. A native of Plymouth, N.H., and a 1996 graduate of Wesleyan University, Hoyer has aided Epstein in all aspects of Boston's baseball operations department including player acquisitions and evaluations and contract negotiations.

I like Hoyer especially because he's a New Hampshire man -- just like yours truly. But other than that, Hoyer has done solid work with the Sox and there's no reason to not expect the same with the Padres. Hoyer is another GM that will be considered "new blood," as he's just 35. I wish him the best of luck.

It's Mole Day!!! /chemistry nerd who wishes he could have set this to publish at 6:02

Wakefield upbeat after good news - Clubhouse Insider

Wakefield looking for 200 wins - Extra Bases

Hope he can get a lot closer after next season - would be nice if he's healthy for the entire year and gets within single digits. As stupid a stat as WINZ is, it still carries a lot value among the media, meaning most fans as well.

Theo: Big Papi Will be Ready for 2010 - Fenway West

Full Count " How a Hitting Coach and Little League Saved Ortiz’ Season

"I said, ‘[Expletive] it – I’m going to play like it’s Little League." I’m serious about this. One day, I woke up and I went, ‘Okay, I guess I’ve got nothing to lose anymore. I’m way behind what I’m normally used to. I’ll go to the field today, and not do [expletive]. I’m just going to act like I’m in Little League,’" Ortiz said late in the regular season.

This explains so much - it probably came naturally to him, being the big kid that he is.

Pros & Cons: Rich Harden - The Bottom Line

He's got pretty good mechanics, so he shouldn't be having any more issues. If he's not getting much interest, he'd be a great option to look into - 28 years old (NG-approved age), good pitches, wouldn't be asked to be a front-line starter.

After the jump, it's one of our fellow SB Nation bloggers vs. a famous former Sox employee (hint: stats), and we continue the theme of the offseason, looking back and forward at the same time.

Jason Bay vs. Matt Holliday, Bill James vs. devil_fingers: Free Agent Projection Showdown - Driveline Mechanics

Who is the better free agent in the hot stove season, Matt Holliday or Jason Bay? And what do the Bill James projecions have to say about it?

Double connection to the Sox here: the decision between Bay and Holliday, and a look at how well one of the biggest names in sabermetrics is keeping up with the rest of his field.

The 2009 Red Sox Minor League System - Sox Tea Party

Boston is fed through their farm system and the 2009 season proved to be successful for the organization, but how does the system look going forward?

Hope the minor league coverage that USG and others have provided will help y'all recognize at least a few names.

Theo speaks on offseason, Drew, and philosophies - Full Count

Full transcript, for your critical analyzing pleasure. Any hidden messages?

Padres general manager decision may impact Red Sox trade options - Red Sox Monster

In baseball's personnel market, relationships are also important. Be it because of personal comfort, previous success or shared values, certain teams seem to make trades with the Red Sox more frequently, while others are more likely to leave a flaming bag of poo on Theo Epstein's door step (I'm looking at you, Colorado).

Pretty funny look at Hoyer's departure to San Diego and its impacts.

An MLB Infield's Greatest Offensive Season - Bleacher Report

Cool little history lesson - it'd be interesting to see if anyone can disprove the claim that this is the best though.

Odds & Ends: Parker, Okajima, Kikuchi, La Russa - MLBTradeRumors.com

• Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima has dismissed agent Peter Greenberg in favor of Boston-based Joe Rosen, according to a Japanese report passed along by NPB Tracker's Ryo Shinkawa. Shinkawa takes this as a sign Okajima wants to stay with the Red Sox. He is already under team control through 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player.
• Yusei Kikuchi's NPB-vs.-MLB decision seems to be coming within a few days, says Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker.

So my interpretation of the translation wasn't horribly wrong. Anxious about Kikuchi's decision, too - could be a good indicator of how the Dice-K effect has trickled down.

Zach Daeges looks to resume promising career following ankle surgery - projo.com

BOSTON –– Red Sox outfield prospect Zach Daeges is recovering well following ankle surgery to remove an extra bone in his foot last month, and expects that the problem that caused him to miss the entire season is behind him.

"It’s going good. I just got out of the boot the other day, so it’s going good," Daeges said from his Iowa home.

Based on Jed's situation, this means that Daeges will never amount to anything right? We should be surprised that he was even able to remove the boot without snapping his ankle?

Boston Red Sox Fans Fear a New York Yankees World Series - The Faster Times

I asked some Red Sox bloggers about how they were holding up over the possibility of the Yankees winning a World Championhip. Guess what? They're not happy.

Again, Go Phils!

I want to see Avogadro's number of comments on this post - links, comments, homework problems will all be addressed if left here.

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

This guy has a lot of work to do. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola; caption by E.coli)

Browse more photos »

Whew, I just got back from an abortive effort climbing Mt. Everest?* So... how are the Sox doing? ...

...

They WHAT?????!!!!!!!

 

To be serious for just a moment, yes I saw the ALDS, and the ignominious end to the Red Sox season. I imagine my reaction to that series mirrored that of many Red Sox fans: shock, horror, disgust, anger, revulsion, anger, humiliation, anger, horror, anger and anger. After watching, it was difficult to write about the Sox again, to express anything about a team that had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a return to the bad old days, where the team teases you all season only to rip out your heart at the end.

Sadly, there's not too much that can be done about a sudden offensive drought, which was the deciding factor in the series. And as much fun as it might be to trade Papelbon to team suiting his competitive spirit (Pittsburgh, Florida, Kansas City), he should not be traded under vindictive, disadvantageous terms. I'd rather see Paps moved for real value in a trade like the one that netted Matt Holliday for the Oakland Athletics (reliever Huston Street was the centerpiece of that deal). If that happens to be for Hanley Ramirez, then so be it.

But Papelbon doesn't need to be dealt any time soon. And Boston's offense, while unimpressive in October, was still good for 3rd best in the league. Accordingly, this offseason Theo should make the following items priorities:

1) Improve Defense.

Boston ended the year with the 28th worst Defensive Efficiency in all of baseball (second worst in the league). By UZR they  were ahead of 13 teams, but still bad overall (-17 runs). The left side of the field was largely a disaster, a putrescent cesspool anchored by Mike Lowell and Jason Bay, with a generous slopping of Julio Lugo on the side. No more. Efforts should be made to improve defense on the left: put Matt Holliday out there in Bay's spot, move Youk to 3rd. Some of the bad D was due to Ellsbury's crappy year, and Lugo's gone, but Lowell is still a worry and there's a hole in left field where Matt Holliday should be. [CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR 2 - 7]

2) Scout and make great draft picks.

Saito and Wagner should net some nice ones. Hopefully the farm gurus can grow us something better than a Jason Place or a Will Middlebrooks, because at the moment the farm system doesn't have too many players ready to help in the majors. I only hope that Mr. Anderson can overcome whatever is holding him back and become the All-Star we need. We need more excuses for Matrix quotes here...

3) Don't sign Johnny Damon.

This is less about pissing off the entire fanbase (and taking Judas away from his beloved Big Apple) and more about playing style. In Boston, Damon might knock mothers off stepladders or bring about the Apocalypse, but he won't hit +20 cheap, wind-tunnel-aided home runs to the right field stands. Further, if Johnny is signed to play left, that means the team missed out on both Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, both of whom would be better choices.

4) Don't count on Jed Lowrie.

Either Gonzo or Nick Green (or Hanley Ramirez) should be retained to back him up, for the 90% of games he misses with a strained cranial flexor.

5) Do something big.

This isn't strictly necessary from a strategicy standpoint, but it's much more fun to write about signing Matt Holliday or a trade for Adrian Gonzalez, than about more low-risk, moderate reward signings. In addition, if you get a great player, the likelihood of him imploding on you is reduced than if you get someone coming off a down year / injury-plagued season. We saw what players like that can do in 2009, and it wasn't inspiring. Brad Penny gave us some good starts before he started sucking, but John Smoltz was monumentally bad from the getgo. Theo doesn't have a great record rehabbing pitchers (Wade Miller comes to mind), so he should either avoid free agency altogether this season, or go for something resembling a known quantity. I am willing to make an exception for Rich Harden, because he is very good when healthy.

6) Fix Daisuke.

On the subject of injured players, we need Daisuke to pitch well, if only to avoid a third appearance by Paul Byrd. I still think he can put it together and become a #2 or #1 starter, although I'd settle for a luck-aided season like 2008.

7) Get a catcher who can throw out runners.

VMart only gets runners when they're following his throws into centerfield. Varitek is dead, long live the corpse. Get someone who can actually play the position to backup the starter.

_________________

Anyway, enough of my thoughts. What do you guys think should be the Red Sox offseason priorities? And how much improvement, if any, do they need?

* I canceled the trip after learning that I would not be the first or coolest Sox fan to do so. I just hope nobody complains about how much of OTM's bailout money was used to fund the junket.

Poll How much improvement do the Sox need to compete next year?

• A lot. Theo needs to significantly improve the team and sign / trade for one or more marquis players.
• A little. Getting backups for SS / C, a few relievers, and resigning Jason Bay should be enough.
• None. Boston has the players it needs to win next year.
• We can't compete next year. Trade off veterans and shoot for 2011.
• TEHY SHOUD SIGN EVREY FREE ANGENT AND WIN THE WS!!! O WAIT TAHT'S TEH YANKEEZ, NEVERMIND!!!!

  307 votes | Results

First, before we get into the executive news, some good news for the most loyal player in baseball:

Surgery on Wakefield's back successful - MLB.com

Knuckleballer to be fully recovered long before Spring Training

Silence the doubters, Timmeh, silence'em. Here's hoping Wake outperforms his option yet again next year.

Padres set to hire Red Sox executive Jed Hoyer - MLB Daily Dish

Congrats to Mr. Hoyer - he didn't get the Nationals job earlier this year, but I'd think he's probably going to have a better time in California with one of the biggest trade chips in baseball.

Red Sox likely to meet with Cuban LHP - Extra Bases

Unless he really develops into a pitcher, Chapman's going to be a risk, considering his less than perfect mechanics, the cost, and the extreme rawness of his ability. Being a lefty that can throw 100 miles per hour is great, but it helps if you can actually pitch with it - not sure I want the Sox to get involved in a such an expensive project, especially with the amount of resources invested in other projects.

Options Abound for the Red Sox - Full Count

Any options that should be declined? Aside from Wake, NG.

Trades Of The Decade [Runner-Ups] - MLBTradeRumors.com

Okay, so the Beckett-Lowell/Hanley deal is one of the biggest, based on it's absence from this list. Any other obvious ones?

After the jump, we continue to look into who's going to play LF next season, and Fenway continues its domination of the entertainment industry.

Jason Bay Remains Best Option in Left Field for Red Sox - NESN.com

This is going to be a daily thing, isn't it? How about we come up with a definitive strategy, make a nice flowchart, and then follow it like a cult whenever a new user starts suggesting we bring back Damon or something?

Fenway Park Could Turn Badminton Into Masterpiece Theatre - NESN.com

Is there anything Fenway CAN'T do? Seriously, I think I'd attend a showing of paint drying in Fenway.

Comments, links, declarations of alliance with the Phightin' Phils, you know the drill.

Yet another anniversary: 34 years ago, Carlton Fisk pushed one fair and pushed the Sox to Game 7. So very close to breaking the Curse, and against one of the best teams in history too.

Yet another anniversary: 24 years ago, Carlton Fisk pushed one fair and pushed the Sox to Game 7. So very close to breaking the Curse, and against one of the best teams in history too.

Ted Williams Halloween Costume: Proof That His Legacy Has Been Destroyed - Masshole Sports

So... very... wrong.

Soccer at Fenway? - Extra Bases

Wakefield surgery [today] - Clubhouse Insider

Good luck, Timmeh. Hope everything goes well, so you can continue to disrupt lineups for days after your start.

?????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Or,

It is secure the [re] troop who has the possession right of 6 years to come and, to present seasonal re-contract.When concluding new contract, the Oka island determined."With thing of contract, me and there was the crossing each other of understanding with the representatives.There is no explanation securely concerning that, suffered hardship".Representative contract with Peter [gurinbagu] was cancelled.

So, in translation of the translation, it sounds like Oki wants to come back. EDIT: Or he fired his agent - more likely. Thanks, USG. If anyone can read Japanese and provide a better translation, please inform us of anything interesting that assorted online translators (AKA: The Sandy Method) missed.

Jason Bay or Matt Holliday on the Red Sox? It may be neither of the above - Red Sox Monster

Ooh. Best to cover every avenue, I guess.

After the jump, I try to avoid butchering any more translations and we will look at the future, from a programming note to a revolution within the game.

Chat with Red Sox Hitting Coach Dave Magadan - Full Count

Where'd that guy that wanted Magadan fired go? I bet he'd love to get his chance to speak his mind to the man himself. Open the time slot in your calendars anyways.

Japanese prep LHP still considering Sox - Extra Bases

Hurray for no new.... news.

Separating the Sox - BaseballAmerica.com

Iglesias, Kelly share position, organization, but little else

Thanks to Hix for the link. Some comments have already been made on this in yesterday's Filter, but it never hurts to make sure people see the good stuff.

Inside Baseball - Technology Review

As assistant GM of the St. Louis Cardinals, John Abbamondi '93 revels in the data analysis that goes into fielding a winning team.

Hurrah for MIT - blackjack training, sabermetric revolutions, and temporary tattoos in an attempt to lure potential students.

Comments, links, insomnia-defeating techniques - anything you think is relevant.

ANAHEIM - Former San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he'll take a couple of months off and enjoy some of the time (2010 season) remaining on his Padres contract before deciding his next step in baseball.

Towers could easily land a scouting gig or special assistant job with Boston or New York (Yankees) where he has good friends in Theo Epstein and Brian Cashman who would love to have Towers evaluate players. The Red Sox have told him he can work for them if he wants to. With Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer a frontrunner to land Towers' old job in San Diego, that job could be open for Towers as well.

Towers has standing offer from Sox - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

In news that first broke from our friend Rev at Halos Heaven, it seems as if future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera used a new pitch last night: a spitball.

Here's the video:

EDIT: Video was taken off the Inter-Web. Dang.

Judge for yourself, Red Sox fans. In my opinion, just by judging how he handles himself (looking around, down at the ball, etc.), I think he spit on the ball. And the question isn't, "so what? Nothing happened in that inning anyway." It is, "how long has the greatest closer in baseball history been throwing a spitball?"

(Oh, and if you didn't already know, the spitball was banned by MLB in the 1920s.)

Poll Is Mariano Rivera a cheater-pants?!

• Yes! Dude's a spitter!
• No! He totally missed the ball!
• Let's go Angels! Woo!

  627 votes | Results

Report: Takashi Saito Clears Outright Waivers, Open to Returning to Red Sox - NESN.com

Cool to see a player understanding that his contract wasn't going to work for the team.

Healthy or Not, Mike Lowell's Role Won't Be Defined For 2010 - NESN.com

As this offseason gets underway, one has to wonder whether Lowell's days in Boston -- as an everyday starter at least -- are numbered.

Red Sox Throwdown: 2010 Edition, Part One - Surviving Grady

I REALLY hope they weren't being serious with 90% of what they suggested. I mean, based on the general joking nature of the site, I want to assume they are, but it's going to nag me.

Big T's Blazin' Sports Thoughts - Trade Papelbon? - SawxBlog

You wanna know what’s really odd about what happened at Fenway Park last Sunday afternoon? No one really wants to talk about it. The Red Sox just gashed our hearts with two dreadful games out west and the definitive gut punch game, and people are ready to move on. Well, most people away.

Okay, so this guy's a little late to the party. Nice attempt to spin it differently though.

Who is the Sox shortstop of the future? - ESPN Boston

At least Jed's getting some respect; if he is overtaken by a matured Iglesias, he'd still be a pretty damn good utility player, and he could step in whenever the phenom is having issues with the bat.

Agent Scott Boras compares Matt Holliday to Yankees' Mark Teixeira -- latimes.com

Teixeira signed with the New York Yankees last winter, for $180 million. Boras would not say what his asking price would be for Holliday, but he made clear he considered Holliday's abilities in getting on base, hitting for power and playing superior defense similar to those of Teixeira.

*sigh* Here we go again.

The iPhone app is out: 2nd Guesser - U.S.S. Mariner

WANT. Just have to get past the whole too-cheap-to-buy-the-hardware thing first.\

Comments (see yesterday's Filter for awesome discussion) and links (which may or may not be stolen for later use) are appreciated.

Guess what happened five years ago? Yeah, I know, a LITTLE late.

Debuting the header today, folks - still a work in progress, probably always will be. Any suggestions would be great.

Well, since that's the balloon boy of the post, let's move on to ACTUAL news.

Miguel Tejada Is Right Answer, But Not to Biggest Question - NESN.com

Put down the bottle, Mr. Beattie. Seriously, Tejada is probably plan G for Theo at the SS position, right before a 4 man outfield.

Big-Name Free Agents on Menu for Red Sox This Offseason - NESN.com

So many issues with this link - a few big ones:

Marco Scutaro: Along with Figgins, he's one of the best possible solutions to the Red Sox' shortstop dilemma. No one's paying attention, but Scutaro had a season to remember in 2009 -- with 35 doubles, 90 walks and an OBP of .379, he quickly vaulted to the top of the heap among the AL's best offensive shortstops. If the Red Sox can get Scutaro to scoot into Boston this winter, he'd be a huge boost to their offense.

1) They never mentioned Figgins helping the SS situation at all in his little blurb, most likely because he doesn't. 2) He's not one of the best possible solutions - he had a huge outlier of a career year, is getting close to NG's age cut-off, and he's not going to be cheap either. 3) I love when the Mainstream Media accuses us of ignorance, when they're the ones who decide what the majority of people hear and see. Besides, Scutaro's gotten quite a bit of recognition around the blogosphere.

Continuing the breakdown after the break, along with some more links.

Orlando Cabrera: If nothing else, there's sentimental value.

Johnny Damon: Perhaps he's Cabrera's opposite sentimentally, but the 24 homers and 36 doubles in 2009 are hard to ignore. If Jason Bay doesn't end up back in Boston, maybe Damon should.

Matt Holliday, Vladimir Guerrero, Carl Crawford, Magglio Ordonez, Jermaine Dye, Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu: All of a sudden, heavy-hitting corner outfielders are a dime a dozen. The Sox would love to have Bay back in Boston, but if they can't get a deal done, there are many contingency plans in the works. Any one of these guys would be a serviceable, if not ideal, replacement for Bay next season.

OCab - no "if."

Damon - get off the bottle.

Holliday - sure, if he's cheaper than Bay.

Vlad - MAYBE.

Crawford - if the Rays let him go, sign him immediately and then call up Friedman and laugh your asses off.

Maggs - hell no, we weren't going to take him in exchange for getting rid of Lugo, fool.

Dye - again, MAYBE, but only if there's no one else decent left.

Godzilla - short LF =/= no need for knees.

Abreu - sure, if he's WAY cheaper than Bay or Holliday and they're both gone.

NESN's reporters are really disappointing me of late - let's see if the independent press is less dumb.

The Blue Sox: Why Boston's Boys Are the Democrats Of Baseball Bleacher Report
Oh...kay... Umm... I'm going to move on, because I'd really rather not start up a flame war (although, I will say that it is weird to be a conservative* and like the Sox). The article is well-written, and describes the parallel better than most could. It also shows the weird connection that baseball and politics has always had.

*Yes, conservative. Not Republican. Right now, I need that difference to exist, because the GOP is being way too stupid for me to support them.

Looking back, looking forward - Chad Finn's Touching All The Bases

Mattingly may be ready to step up to the plate in managerial position - The Boston Globe

2. Stephen Drew, SS, Diamondbacks - He is expected to be shopped by the Diamondbacks, and there should be discussions with the Red Sox. Stephen is not the OPS machine that big brother J.D. is (.748 this season) but his other numbers weren’t bad for a shortstop: .261, 12 homers, 65 RBIs (only three fewer than J.D.). He also made only 11 errors. Who knows if hitting in a more patient lineup will help his OPS?

3. Victor Martinez, C, Red Sox - If he is the full-time, 100- to 110-game catcher next season, scouts believe he needs to shorten his release to be better at throwing out runners. Martinez, according to one scout, "long-arms his throws. It just takes him too long to get the ball down to second base. In order to combat that, you either have to have pitchers who can hold runners on base, which the Red Sox don’t, or have them do slide-steps and things of that nature, which they don’t like to do, either.’’ Gary Tuck supposedly is one of the best catching instructors in the game, so one would think he’d improve this with Martinez.

5. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres - This is the fellow I suspect the Sox will go after. They would then move Kevin Youkilis to third, with Ortiz and Mike Lowell sharing DH duties. Gonzalez came very close to getting traded to the Mariners at the deadline in a five-for-one (Seattle wouldn’t give up a certain fifth minor leaguer). Only question is, do the Sox have enough players to give San Diego?

6. Ron Mahay, LHP, Twins - He would love to re-sign with the Twins but wouldn’t rule out a return to Boston, where he was a replacement outfielder in 1995 (.200 AB in 20 at-bats) and a pitcher in the late ’90s. "It was a long time ago, but I loved that place,’’ said Mahay. "I’ve played a lot of places in my career and lasted a long time, but I’ll never forget Boston.’’ Mahay appeared in 16 games for the Twins after being released by the Royals and had a 2.00 ERA. Among the hitters he dominates: Eric Chavez (0 for 17), Raul Ibanez (3 for 18, 9 K’s), Ichiro Suzuki (3 for 13), Joe Mauer (2 for 13), Justin Morneau (2 for 12), Alex Rodriguez (1 for 7), Jorge Posada (1 for 8), Ramirez (0 for 6).

Too tired to give this link the same service as the NESN one. Anyone else want to give it a shot?

From Surviving Grady. The early hours of this morning marked the five year anniversary of these events. In other words: HOLY CRAP, that feels like just yesterday!

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->

I swear I had found a good picture of Jose Iglesias somewhere recently. But today all I could find was this, and I'm sure not putting that up on the front page.

 

Fall & Winter Leagues Underway

Four of the six winter leagues are now underway, with the Sox sending players to three of them. The Arizona Fall League is by far the most impressive group—as it does tend to be the premiere league—including names like Ryan Kalish, Casey Kelly (SS), Jose Iglesias, Luis Exposito, and Dustin Richardson.

 

The Venezuelan Winter League team is headlined by Felix Doubront, who is joined by a number of young pitchers all bearing huge "work in progress" stickers.

 

The Dominican Winter League Sox contingent is small, but with some good talent, as Stolmy Pimentel, Mark Wagner, Yamaico Navarro, and Oscar Tejeda are all set to play. They are joined by Jose Capellan, who has been on a long downward trend with the Sox since coming out strong in his trip from the DSL to Lowell.

 

 

 

Early Returns

The Sox' Arizona Fall League team, the Mesa Solar Sox (which they share with the Angels, Cubs, Marlins, and Twins) is off to a rocky start, going 2-3 in their first 5 games. Let's start with the bad for the Sox Prospects on the team: Kalish and Exposito are not exactly lighting the world on fire, going 2-10 and 1-7 respectively, each with a walk and 4 strikeouts.

 

Now for the good. The pitching has been pretty impressive. Two Sox starters-turned-relievers, Chris Province and Dustin Richardson, had seemingly turned around their careers with the transition last year, putting up ERAs of 2.60 and 2.71 respectively. Richardson even managed to see some time with the major league team, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings. Their success has carried over to the first few games, with Province throwing 2 hitless innings giving up only a walk while striking out 2. Richardson has been equally if not more impressive, with 3.1 scoreless innings giving up a hit and a walk while striking out 5. Richie Lentz has been slightly less impressive, giving up 1 run in 4 innings on 3 hits, but hasn't walked anyone and has recorded 5 strikeouts.

 

While one of the Sox' top offensive prospects in Ryan Kalish hasn't been hitting, the team is getting some offense from unusual places. Most remarkable has been Jose Iglesias' first few plate appearances, during which he's gone 3-5 with 2 walks, a double, and a home run. He's even hit the ball fairly hard in making his outs. For a guy who's not supposed to have any bat, this is an encouraging, if small, start. Casey Kelly, much to everyone's chagrin, has also not failed in the one game he's seen action in, going 1-2 with 2 walks and a strikeout.

 

In the Venezeulan league, Felix Doubront gave up 4 hits in 2 innings, allowing 1 run to score while striking out 2. Jose Alvarez, a lefty reliever who has struggled at higher levels, has pitched 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 3.

 

Little to report in the Dominican Winter League. Yamaico Navarro is 2-7 with a strikeout and a stolen base, while Mark Wagner is 1-5 with a strikeout.

 

Sox Sign Top Independent Prospect

Reynaldo Rodriguez, the Rookie of the Year in the Golden Baseball League and Baseball America's #1 Independent League prospect, was signed by the Sox on Wednesday to a minor league deal. After struggling in the Yankees' system at the GCL level and missing the 2008 season due to injury, Rodriguez was released and, after earning MVP honors in the Colombian Winter League (.378/.468/.558 in 172 ABs), Rodriguez earned rookie of the year honors in the Golden Baseball League by putting up a line of .335/.380/.486.

 

The 23-year-old is a great defensive first baseman with limited home run pop, but with a large frame that projects to add more. He has a bit of speed—especially for a first baseman—and doesn't strike out much. Rodriguez will hope to follow in the footsteps of 26-year-old Daniel Nava, who has been tearing his way through the Sox system since being signed by the Sox out of the Golden League, where he put up an OPS of 1.100 in 256 at bats.

 

Sox to Meet with Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Kikuchi, 18 years old, is fresh out of high school and faces the tough decision of whether to stay in Japan and enter the draft, or go to America and enter a MLB system. It's quite likely that, were he to come to America, the Sox would hold a distinct advantage over the other major league teams given the presence of Daisuke Matsuzaka—though that's not to say the other teams are devoid of certain influential talent.

Kikuchi's fastball sits around 90, topping out at 95, and he has a good looking slider. Throws—believe it or not—an Eephus pitch—and is developing a curveball. At 18, Kikuchi can be expected to add some velocity as he progresses.

 

The Chunichi Dragons have announced their intentions to draft Kikuchi regardless of whether or not he has decided to leave Japan.

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

He didn't fail!

Browse more photos »

Apparently, the world has moved on from the Red Sox. Here's all I could find today:

Eric Walker And "Moneyball" - The Joy of Sox

Moneyball is supposed to be running baseball like a business, or so I thought. The goal of business isn't to win some award at whatever cost, it's to make the largest profit.

Looking Back: Marlins and Red Sox Trade, Was It Worth It? - Bleacher Report

YES. For both sides. Not that difficult to decide either. We got one of the best pitchers in baseball, a surprisingly solid player, and some non-important reliever that tested positive for PEDs for a few years, they got a great young star, a flash in the pan, and some minor pieces. Neither team NEEDS what they gave up, and both would likely be in worse situations without what they received in making this trade.

The lack of material means... I get to do some focus group stuff!

Concept for Title Heading:

What do y'all think? Too busy? Fonts hard to read?

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

The expression "crapped the bed" finally makes sense now.

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Time to Roll Out Red Carpet for Johnny Damon in Boston? - Eric Ortiz - NESN.com

Last but not least, he’s an Idiot. Damon might be 35, but he still acts like a rookie when it comes to having fun on the diamond. Besides the on-field contributions, his carefree attitude could be the most important intangible Damon brings to the Red Sox, who displayed all the personality of a cantaloupe this season.

The part where Mr. Ortiz discusses Damon's skill is lacking, so I thought I'd share his "humor."

Projected projects for Theo Epstein - BostonHerald.com

Theo Epstein’s attempted reclamation projects with John Smoltz and Brad Penny were not what the Sox general manager had hoped for. Still, the idea of dipping into the free-agent well for similar low-cost, incentive-based deals for pitchers coming back from injuries or with long histories of injuries is still a possibility this offseason.

Red Sox Could Target More Low-Risk, High-Reward Pitchers - NESN.com
Process, not results, people.

Theo Will Continue to Look at High Risk-High Reward Pitchers - Fenway West

Theo Epstein sees value in patch jobs - BostonHerald.com

"There’s a tendency on the heels of some of those buy-low, one-year deals not working out to go in the other direction, and say we’re not going to do that, we’re going to avoid anyone who’s coming off a bad season or anyone who’s got health concerns," Sox general manager Theo Epstein said earlier this week.

Means to Improve May Be Limited - Bleacher Report

Despite scoring the third most runs in baseball this season, the Red Sox offense couldn't rise to the occasion in their brief post-season. That's because two of those three games were played away from Fenway Park.

Or, you know, we faced some really good pitching and the offense happened to be going through one of their collective slumps again? A park isn't going to make or break a team.

More links after the jump, ranging from the young to the old.

Red Sox Acquire Top Indy League Prospect Rodriguez - Full Count

Cool - now we just need to figure out where we want him to play defensively.

Lowrie: ‘The Prognosis Is Good’ - Full Count

"The prognosis is good," Lowrie wrote in an e-mail. "With rest, strength and conditioning it should be 100 percent."

Easy joke opportunity here - go ahead. Seriously, being able to talk to players whenever has to be the best part of being a reporter.

Theo Epstein has to figure out his plan of attack soon - BostonHerald.com
Jed V. Gonzo V. Scutaro V. Tejada V. Cabrera V. Everett V. Ramirez. Yes, I ordered them in level of insanity; you get to figure out which way is increasing.

Sox farm system not at level best - The Boston Globe

No players expected to make major jump

It'll happen - someone will get injured, or not perform at a proficient level, and we'll have to call on the kids. Wagner possibly? Or maybe Reddick?

Dustin Pedroia: 'Our infield (stinks)' - Bleacher Report

Pretty sure that Dusty wasn't coming up with a random excuse here; the infield has caused bad hops for a while. Everyone remembers Youk's shiner from a throw by Lowell that bounced weird?

Case closed - Boston.com

With regard to Jonathan Papelbon, the ultimate question is this: after three years of absolute dominance, was the 2009 season at all a warning of things to come?

"Absolutely not,’’ Red Sox pitching John Farrell said yesterday. "He set a standard for himself."

But is he the same pitcher? There's been a lot of work done on his delivery, and I don't think he has the same stuff anymore. Keep the case open, Mazz.

Note To Red Sox Nation: Everything Will Be Alright - Bleacher Report

The Bob Marley song should already be playing in your head, so I don't need to embed it, right? Speaking of crazy dreadlocked dudes:

Manny Ramirez on the Red Sox: 'I picked them to win' - Red Sox Monster

Thanks?

If Jason Varitek Won't Retire, Then It's Time to Retire the Boston Red Sox's "C" - Bleacher Report

Loyal Red Sox fan thrown a cruel curve - The Boston Globe

Never really thought about it like that - although Schilling's Twitter is Gehrig38, which caused me to glance twice.

I am going to tell you why managers like Francona do dumb things like IBB Hunter… - Inside the Book

Gotta love MGL, providing a better link to replace the one I referenced a few days ago when talking about Tito's stubbornness. Although, this sounds a bit far-fetched...

Enjoy the weekend - baseball season's not completely over (sure wish we had that All Star Game or WBC coming up in a few days or something), there's some good football to be played, and the other major sports are just starting up.

by Charles Krupa - AP

The expression "crapped the bed" finally makes sense.

View full size photo uploaded October 17, 2009

Time to Roll Out Red Carpet for Johnny Damon in Boston? - Eric Ortiz - NESN.com

Last but not least, he’s an Idiot. Damon might be 35, but he still acts like a rookie when it comes to having fun on the diamond. Besides the on-field contributions, his carefree attitude could be the most important intangible Damon brings to the Red Sox, who displayed all the personality of a cantaloupe this season.

The part where Mr. Ortiz discusses Damon's skill is lacking, so I thought I'd share his "humor."

Projected projects for Theo Epstein - BostonHerald.com

Theo Epstein’s attempted reclamation projects with John Smoltz and Brad Penny were not what the Sox general manager had hoped for. Still, the idea of dipping into the free-agent well for similar low-cost, incentive-based deals for pitchers coming back from injuries or with long histories of injuries is still a possibility this offseason.

Red Sox Could Target More Low-Risk, High-Reward Pitchers - NESN.com
Process, not results, people.

Theo Will Continue to Look at High Risk-High Reward Pitchers - Fenway West

Theo Epstein sees value in patch jobs - BostonHerald.com

"There’s a tendency on the heels of some of those buy-low, one-year deals not working out to go in the other direction, and say we’re not going to do that, we’re going to avoid anyone who’s coming off a bad season or anyone who’s got health concerns," Sox general manager Theo Epstein said earlier this week.

Means to Improve May Be Limited - Bleacher Report

Despite scoring the third most runs in baseball this season, the Red Sox offense couldn't rise to the occasion in their brief post-season. That's because two of those three games were played away from Fenway Park.

Or, you know, we faced some really good pitching and the offense happened to be going through one of their collective slumps again? A park isn't going to make or break a team.

More links after the jump, ranging from the young to the old.

Red Sox Acquire Top Indy League Prospect Rodriguez - Full Count

Cool - now we just need to figure out where we want him to play defensively.

Lowrie: ‘The Prognosis Is Good’ - Full Count

"The prognosis is good," Lowrie wrote in an e-mail. "With rest, strength and conditioning it should be 100 percent."

Easy joke opportunity here - go ahead. Seriously, being able to talk to players whenever has to be the best part of being a reporter.

Theo Epstein has to figure out his plan of attack soon - BostonHerald.com
Jed V. Gonzo V. Scutaro V. Tejada V. Cabrera V. Everett V. Ramirez. Yes, I ordered them in level of insanity; you get to figure out which way is increasing.

Sox farm system not at level best - The Boston Globe

No players expected to make major jump

It'll happen - someone will get injured, or not perform at a proficient level, and we'll have to call on the kids. Wagner possibly? Or maybe Reddick?

Dustin Pedroia: 'Our infield (stinks)' - Bleacher Report

Pretty sure that Dusty wasn't coming up with a random excuse here; the infield has caused bad hops for a while. Everyone remembers Youk's shiner from a throw by Lowell that bounced weird?

Case closed - Boston.com

With regard to Jonathan Papelbon, the ultimate question is this: after three years of absolute dominance, was the 2009 season at all a warning of things to come?

"Absolutely not,’’ Red Sox pitching John Farrell said yesterday. "He set a standard for himself."

But is he the same pitcher? There's been a lot of work done on his delivery, and I don't think he has the same stuff anymore. Keep the case open, Mazz.

Note To Red Sox Nation: Everything Will Be Alright - Bleacher Report

The Bob Marley song should already be playing in your head, so I don't need to embed it, right? Speaking of crazy dreadlocked dudes:

Manny Ramirez on the Red Sox: 'I picked them to win' - Red Sox Monster

Thanks?

If Jason Varitek Won't Retire, Then It's Time to Retire the Boston Red Sox's "C" - Bleacher Report

Loyal Red Sox fan thrown a cruel curve - The Boston Globe

Never really thought about it like that - although Schilling's Twitter is Gehrig38, which caused me to glance twice.

I am going to tell you why managers like Francona do dumb things like IBB Hunter… - Inside the Book

Gotta love MGL, providing a better link to replace the one I referenced a few days ago when talking about Tito's stubbornness. Although, this sounds a bit far-fetched...

Enjoy the weekend - baseball season's not completely over (sure wish we had that All Star Game or WBC coming up in a few days or something), there's some good football to be played, and the other major sports are just starting up.

More photos » by Eric Shelton - ASSOCIATED PRESS

3 months ago: Boston Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield delivers to the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of their baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, July 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Eric Shelton)

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Tim Wakefield is set to undergo surgery Wednesday to fix the herniated disk in his back, a procedure which shouldn't stop him from coming back next season. Assuming all goes well, Theo seems happy to have him back.

"Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein during his Monday press conference. "We haven’t sat down and finalized anything. Obviously we want to see how the surgery goes and then both sides will sit down and talk."

Wake was, as usual, worth more than his $4 million option last year. So long as the Sox can keep getting the same level of production out of him, it makes sense to have him back. Given his age and fragility, though, expect the Sox to either have a backup for Wakefield, or to use the Knuckleballer in a back-up role himself.

The Sox will likely fill the 5th/6th starter position with another low risk, high reward candidate. While the strategy proved unsuccessful last year, with both Brad Penny and John Smoltz proving to be of little help, Theo Epstein recently stood by his decision, and suggested the team would try it again. Certainly, though, this year's crop of names is rather more impressive, with Erik Bedard, Justin Duchsherer, Rich Harden, and Ben Sheets highliting the list.

Poll What should Tim Wakefield's role be with the 2010 Red Sox?

• 5th starter.
• 6th starter/long relief. Sign a low-risk, high-reward free agent.
• 6th starter/long relief. John Lackey is worth top dollar!
• None. Decline his option.
• Other (Comment away!)

  272 votes | Results

The Yankees are in the ALCS for the first time since — ahem — 2004. But Yankee Stadium may not be sold out tonight for Game 1 against the Angels. That would be embarrassing for the business side of the organization.

Whether it's the economy or the outrageous ticket prices, there were still 6,000 seats available as of last night through the team. Just a few minutes ago, to see what was out there, I pulled up four tickets on Yankees.com for section 221. OK, so they were $431 each. But they were there.

Good seats still available - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog

Never would have happened in Fenway. Good fans, bad team (OK, so not bad, just not good enough).