Tim Wakefield Rumors

Red Sox, Wakefield Finalize Two-Year Contract

6:23pm: Full details of Wakefield's contract are here, courtesy of Alex Speier of WEEI.com. 4:29pm: The team has confirmed the signing, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi. Bradford, meanwhile, has some quotes from Wakefield, who admitted to being a little disappointed that they wanted to cut his guarantee, "but in the long run they’re at least guaranteeing me another year.” 1:48pm: Bradford confirmed in an email that the deal has been finalized. 1:28pm: WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says the new deal will guarantee Wakefield $5MM ($3.5MM in 2010, $1.5MM in 2011), with incentives that could push the total...   Continue Reading

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Red Sox To Meet With Beckett

According to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, Josh Beckett plans to meet with the Red Sox in the coming weeks to discuss a contract extension. Beckett's 2010 option for $12.1MM vested when he made 28 starts for Boston in 2009. However, without a new contract, Beckett would be a free agent following the 2010 season. Alex Speier of WEEI.com had Theo Epstein's take on Beckett. epstein also stressed the importance of bringing back free agent Jason Bay. “It’s been really fun for us to watch him mature on and off the field during his time in Boston,” Epstein said of Beckett. “He’s...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Reds, White Sox, Shimizu

More Thursday linkage... MLB.com's Mark Sheldon guesses the Reds will buy out Ramon Hernandez's option for $1MM, but then try to re-sign him. Sheldon also runs through the upcoming important hot stove dates. White Sox GM Ken Williams wouldn't reveal much about his offseason plans, talking to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "I'm always looking at all the possibilities," said Williams. WEEI's Rob Bradford talked to Tim Wakefield, who is aiming for 200 victories. He's 11 shy, so he could pull it off in 2010. The Sox figure to exercise his $4MM option once again. Ryo Shinkawa of NPB Tracker says 33-year-old...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Pujols, Cubs, Strasburg, Wagner

Another round of links for the afternoon... The Cards were surprised to hear that Albert Pujols isn't thinking about a contract extension, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Cubs have now asked the Rangers for permission to speak with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. First overall pick Stephen Strasburg makes his AFL debut tonight, according to the AP (via ESPN). Earlier in the week, the New York Post reported that Billy Wagner was leaning towards retirement. Wagner's agent, Bean Stringfellow, told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports this week that Wagner plans on...   Continue Reading

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Wakefield Era Set To Continue In Boston

Good news, knuckleball fans! WEEI's Rob Bradford reports that Tim Wakefield is set to have surgery on the herniated disc in his back next week, likely on Wednesday. Why is this good news? Not only have the doctors told Wakefield that the surgery won't hinder his ability to get ready for next season, but Boston GM Theo Epstein indicated that, assuming all goes well, Boston will likely exercise the $4MM team option they hold on Wakefield. “Wake is someone that is in our plans and we hope makes starts for us next year and is a member of the rotation,”...   Continue Reading

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Theo Epstein Talks 2010

4:21pm: MLB.com's Ian Browne has more from Epstein and Bay. Epstein noted that discussions to date have been "under the radar screen and underreported even after the fact," and he hopes to keep them that way. Bay continued to speak highly of the Red Sox while adding the caveat that he'll test the market. 3:30pm: Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe was one of many reporters at today's press conference with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona. Let's take a look at a few hot stove highlights: The Red Sox are penciling in Clay Buchholz for the...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Vazquez, Millwood, Red Sox

Some more links to check out as you wait for America's other pastime to kick off it's season... Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Braves may be forced to trade Javier Vazquez this offseason because it might not make sense financially to keep him and Tim Hudson around next year. T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports that the Rangers will not sit starter Kevin Millwood just to keep his 2010 option from vesting. Texas GM Jon Daniels said "We don't let clauses in contracts determine who is in the starting lineup or in the rotation." Millwood needs to...   Continue Reading

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Odds & Ends: Kazmir, Rays, Hoffman, Byrd

We can link to it, we have the technology... ESPN's Keith Law feels the Rays received "a tremendous return for a pitcher whose value had really nose-dived over the past 10 months" when they dealt Scott Kazmir to the Angels late Friday evening. Manager Joe Maddon says that the team feels they have the depth to cover the loss of Kazmir, and that it won't hurt their chances of getting back to playoffs this year. The depth Maddon speaks of comes in the form of Andy Sonnanstine and prospect Wade Davis, though Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times says...   Continue Reading

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Odds And Ends: Sano, Gonzalez, Royals

Here's some more reading material for the afternoon... ESPN.com's Buster Olney runs through his first half surprises, including Ben Zobrist and the Tigers. He also says Roy Halladay and the Phillies are a perfect fit. As Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Miguel Angel Sano's future is still up in the air. The Orioles and Pirates and the favorites to sign the Dominican shortstop, but the Twins, Rangers and a couple other teams could still be interested. Adrian Gonzalez told WEEI.com's Alex Speier that winning matters most of all to him. Gonzalez is one of the players Speier looks...   Continue Reading

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Taking Stock Of The Pirates

John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus catalogues a decade and a half of poor decisions by the Pirates in his latest column, up at ESPN.com. Some of the team's more memorable gaffes: Releasing Tim Wakefield. Signing Pat Meares to a four year $15MM deal that surprised even Meares. Commiting nearly $10MM to Derek Bell, then claiming the deal sent "shock waves through baseball" during the same offseason that Alex Rodriguez signed for $252MM. Giving Bronson Arroyo up on waivers only to have him return to Pittsburgh as an All-Star for the Reds and call the Pirates the "most inept organization in...   Continue Reading

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