The latest on the Red Sox as John Boggs, the agent for Adrian Gonzalez, visits camp…
- Boggs said he would be "unpleasantly surprised" if Gonzalez doesn't sign a long-term deal with the Red Sox sometime in April, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (Twitter link).
- Boggs told the Boston Herald that he had a good meeting with execs Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington to try to rebuild the momentum the sides had in December, right after Boston traded for the first baseman. “Everything’s gone according to plan,’’ in terms of Gonzalez's recovery from right shoulder surgery, Boggs said.
- Like the Yankees, the Red Sox are itching to rotate players in and out of the DH spot, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That means the Red Sox could get unsentimental with David Ortiz when he hits free agency after the season and let him walk. Rosenthal suggests the Red Sox aren't going to hand Tim Wakefield a roster spot just because of his legacy, either.
Red Sox better keep Wakefield, at any cost. It would be devastating to Red Sox Nation if he leaves
I think everyone would get over it if the Red Sox won another title (I certainly would). I know knuckle ballers are a strange breed, but getting old is a fact of life. It happens to everyone, including knuckle ballers.
Maniacal laughter!!!!!
If Wakefield isn’t given a roster spot, I’d be heated. That being said, if he does not perform well during the regular season, then I’d be okay with the cut. But he has earned that spot WITH his legacy. It’s very rare that I’ll say that, too.
Wake’s a below average player at this point. Would you rather have a championship or have Wake on the team?
Like I said, if he does not perform well during the regular season then DFA him.
Wake’s problem–and god bless the dude, I love him–is that he still thinks he’s a starter when he’s clearly not. He has no self awareness at all — the problem many past-their-prime veterans have.
Are you saying every player on the team has to be average or above to win a championship?
What I’m saying is that every time you replace a player with a better one you help your chances. Wakefield isn’t as good as several of the alternatives in camp and sentimental value isn’t a good reason to field a worse team than you otherwise could have if you want to win.
But how long of a leash do you give him? Given the strength of the division i dont see the sox giving him more than a month if he continues being lit up. With Hill and Albers pitching well this spring training the heats on him.
Next year, the DH slot gets shared between Pujols and Adrian Gonzales.
Out-Yankee the Yankees!
Pulling for Prince here, slap a 34 on his back and no one will notice.
Yeah everyone would notice if you did that with Prince. An extra 70 pounds at least people wold notice.
Prince is over 300 pounds at least
There is no way he has 70lbs on Ortiz…his name is BIG Papi for a reason.
Was Big Papi, that guy is shrinking, I remember when Big Papi had to have facial hair to show where his neck was, now he almost looks like Ellsbury, guy is off the juice and won’t ever come close to 40 home runs again and this will be his swan song year.
He is well over 300 pounds though. And as Big Papi is shrinking it seems like he is giving the weight he has lost to Fielder.
Neither of those two will be playing for the Red Sox next year. It wouldn’t make sense, especially Pujols. Why take two Gold Glove 1B and split them at 1B and DH?
How about this, let’s compile a list of players who are past their prime and close to the end (as in could easily be cut, so not players like Manny) or past their prime and well overpaid:
Chipper Jones
Tim Wakefield
Derek Jeter
etc…
I like how you add Chipper Jones to that list when in 2088 he hit .364 for the year. He’s dealt with injuries that last two years as well. Being a Sox fan, as much as I dislike Jeter and his horrible fielding, he is still very important to their team. I don’t think either he or Chipper could “easily be cut”.
Chipper Jones is going to be hitting over .300 until 2088?!??? Where’s Theo, someone let him know pronto! Thanks for the heads up!
Very obvious typo, *2008
You need to take a reading comprehension class.
And 2008 was 3 years ago.
Isn’t Wakefield approaching Moyer age? He won’t be able to stay healthy and if he does the performance won’t be there!
OK, enough over reacting. I don’t think you have to choose between cutting Wake and winning a championship. I’m not saying ‘give him a rotation spot,’ but are any of you willing to bet that Becett and Dice-K are going to each have 32 starts?
I think the Red Sox used 8 different starting pitchers last year and will probably need 8-9 different starting pitchers this year. Because of that, Wakefield will not be cut, plus he can eat innings as a reliever.
he will hurt himself in the next 10 days ,and go on the DL .
Time and tide wait for no man, Tim….
It is time to go home, get out the old fishing rod, and let the world go by…
Wakefield then Bard, Jenks or Papelbon. That would be tough to hit.
Wakefield has a pitch that a 70 year old man can throw, this isn’t a pitcher who used to throw 95 and now sits at 80 and has a flat fastball….he throws a pitch at tops 65 mph, Jamie Moyer could throw 80 at 44, so could Randy Johnson, only thing here is Wake is offering you a chance to hit a butterfly with a bat, he has a lot of swings and misses, this is spring training, we don’t know what Wake was working on, location perhaps? you guys are acting like its the beginning of the season and he just served up the game winning hits back to back.