Red Sox Rumors

Two Carl Crawford Deals That Could Have Been

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 4, 2011 at 1:33pm CDT

Boston offered Victor Martinez to Tampa Bay for Carl Crawford before the 2010 season, according to Tom Verducci of SI.com. Though the Rays were open to the deal, they told the Red Sox they’d have to pursue other trades to make the swap work. Tampa Bay’s secondary moves fell through, so Crawford and Martinez stayed put.

The Red Sox weren't the only AL East team with interest in Crawford, but they showed considerably more interest than the Yankees. Crawford told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he doesn't think the Yankees were seriously interested in his services last winter when he hit free agency. “If the Yankees want somebody they go out and get them, don’t they?,” Crawford asked. Cliff Lee notwithstanding, he has a point.

Papelbon: Future In Boston After 2011 Is “A Tossup”

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 4, 2011 at 11:54am CDT

Jonathan Papelbon says there’s a “50-50” chance that he returns to the Red Sox after the season, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Papelbon, who is set to earn $12MM this year before hitting free agency for the first time in his career, says it’s “a tossup.”

“Whatever happens, happens. I don’t have much control over that,” Papelbon said in reference to the free agent market in general. “I’m worried about putting up numbers and trying to be the best I can be at my craft, be part of the equation for a championship club again.”

Papelbon says the notion that he wants to play elsewhere is a “big misconception” and that he can see himself returning to Boston, where he has spent the first six seasons of his career. The 30-year-old will have competition on the free agent market after the season, when Heath Bell, Jonathan Broxton, Matt Capps, Francisco Cordero, Ryan Franklin, Brad Lidge, Joe Nathan, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Soriano and Jose Valverde could all hit free agency as well.

J.D. Drew Considering Retirement

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 4, 2011 at 8:04am CDT

J.D. Drew doesn't always get credit for it, but he has been an above-average offensive player since arriving in Boston four years ago (120 OPS+). Despite his productivity at the plate, Drew told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that he'll consider retirement after the season, when his five-year contract with Boston expires.

“I don’t really know what I’m going to do, I’m leaning both ways. I guess, I don’t really know,” Drew said. “It depends on how the year goes. I don’t know what I’ll do. There’s benefits to both sides, but I have to think it out, pray about it, talk with my family, see how my body holds up over the year, and go from there.”

Drew, who hinted at retirement last fall, stayed on the field for 139 games last year, though his hamstring bothered him at times. The 35-year-old former first rounder hit 22 homers last year, posting a .255/.341/.452 line in 546 plate appearances.

Red Sox Notes: Ortiz, Gonzalez, Papelbon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 3, 2011 at 3:47pm CDT

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says the Red Sox are the team to beat in 2011 and that's far from the only news out of Boston's Spring Training camp today…

David Ortiz told Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com that he feels good and is open to negotiating an extension during the season if the Red Sox are interested in one (link in Spanish).
Adrian Gonzalez told Rojas that he has no pre-set extension agreement with the Red Sox and that he needs to prove that his shoulder is completely healthy before finalizing a deal with his new team (link in Spanish). Gonzalez denied that the sides are waiting to announce the deal because of baseball’s luxury tax.
Ortiz told Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com that that he would at least consider playing for the Yankees. "Well, if I don't get signed here, I would play somewhere," Ortiz said. "You know what I'm saying? I'm not saying I would play for the Yankees, but I if I don't have a job, I gotta go somewhere else. As long as I play, right?"
But Ortiz tells Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that he is "not even thinking" about his next contract yet.
Jonathan Papelbon says his slider will be a key pitch for him in 2011, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The closer hits free agency for the first time after the season, though he'll have plenty of competition as the relief market figures to be strong again.

AL Notes: Royals, Miller, Chavez, Napoli, Vizquel

By Zachary Links | March 2, 2011 at 2:02pm CDT

Let's take a look at some items related to the Junior Circuit..

A rival executive described the Royals' young talent as "an embarrassment of riches" to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
Speaking of Kansas City, Jonah Keri of Fangraphs examines the one-year, $2.5MM deal given to Jeff Francoeur. Even though the deals given to Francoeur and fellow outfielder Melky Cabrera (one-year, $1.25MM) are puzzling for many reasons, Keri notes that the one-year deals don't block any of the club's prospects.
The Red Sox are hopeful that Andrew Miller will resurrect his career after signing a minor league deal with the club this winter writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal. According to Miller's agent, the lefty recieved big league offers from three other teams but preferred the BoSox.
Two ex-Mariners, Endy Chavez and Brett Tomko, are looking to make it back to the majors with the Rangers, writes Kirby Arnold of The Daily Herald.
Now in Texas, Mike Napoli says that he knew that the Angels would trade one of their talented catchers, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The Halos had a glut at the position with Napoli, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Wilson, and Hank Conger waiting in the wings.
White Sox veteran Omar Vizquel Is a reminder of what might have been for the M's, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
The Pirates are likely still in search of two lefties out of the 'pen, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

East Notes: Joba, Wieters, O’s, Damon, Durbin

By Mark Polishuk | March 1, 2011 at 10:24pm CDT

Some items from the AL and NL East as the eastern clubs dive into Grapefruit League action…

Joba Chamberlain won't be a Yankee by this time in 2012, predicts Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
Matt Wieters is listed as one of "the most disappointing prospects of all time" by Steven Goldman of Baseball Prospectus. "His glove and the dream of what might have been will keep him around for years, but stardom now seems spectacularly unlikely," Goldman writes. Given that Wieters is entering just his third Major League season and hasn't turned 25 yet, this ranking seems awfully premature.
The Orioles' farm system lacks depth, especially in comparison to its AL East rivals, writes FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. "The team’s offseason moves…represent nothing more than a Band-Aid," Rosenthal says, noting that the O's "are practically a zero" when it comes to international scouting. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined these issues in his offseason-in-review piece about Baltimore earlier today.
Johnny Damon tells Ken Davidoff of Newsday that his free agent discussions with the Yankees this past winter involved a scenario that would have seen Damon make three starts per week for New York. Damon turned the deal down since the lack of playing time would have hurt his quest for 3000 hits.
Damon also tells Peter Gammons (Twitter link) that had he known the Tigers weren't going to bring him back, he would have gone to the Red Sox when Boston claimed him on waivers last August.
The Phillies made Chad Durbin a $2MM offer in December, considerably more than the $800K deal Durbin eventually signed with Cleveland, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Once Philadelphia signed Cliff Lee, however, the team pulled back the contract and instead offered just a minor league deal. "When Cliff signed, it took any ability to go back there on a Major League deal off the table," Durbin told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. Durbin doesn't have any hard feelings towards the Phillies over the move: "You know, I'd take Cliff Lee over Chad Durbin."
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com looks at the twists and turns of Tim Byrdak's baseball career. The veteran left-hander is trying to make the Mets' Opening Day roster after signing a minor league deal with the team in January.

Red Sox Notes: Henry, Fenway, Lester

By Mark Polishuk | March 1, 2011 at 5:34pm CDT

Some news from Boston, all courtesy of WEEI.com's Alex Speier…

In a radio interview with WEEI's The Big Show today (Speier has the transcript), Red Sox principal owner John Henry said he was fined $500K by Major League Baseball in 2009 for comments he made to the Boston Globe about baseball's revenue-sharing system. "The large markets are not allowed to give their opinions," Henry said today.
The Sox may be able to afford a new addition at the trade deadline or during the season. "We might have a little space, but we don’t have a lot of space," Henry said. "This is a big payroll."
Henry thinks Terry Francona and Theo Epstein will remain with the team for years to come, but didn't want to commit to exactly how long. "[Francona] has a tough job everyday over those seven months, trying to deal with a lot of pressure," Henry said. "Same issue with our general manager. Will our general manager agree to do this for another five, 10 years? These are tough, tough jobs."
The extensive renovations done on Fenway Park will ensure the stadium can last for another 50 years, Henry predicts.
In a separate piece, Speier looks at how Jon Lester has developed into "arguably the most important player on the team" for Boston.

AL East Links: Okajima, Crawford, Sisco

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 28, 2011 at 2:46pm CDT

On this date last year, the Yankees signed Chan Ho Park. After surrendering seven homers in 35 1/3 innings of 5.60 ERA ball, the Yankees cut Park loose. He joined the Pirates for the rest of 2010 and will spend the 2011 season pitching for the Orix Buffaloes. Here's the latest from the AL East:

The Red Sox can option Hideki Okajima to the minor leagues if they prefer the work of their other lefties this spring, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Southpaws Andrew Miller, Felix Doubront, Rich Hill, Dennys Reyes and Andrew Miller are all vying for roster spots.
Speier also suggests Doubront will "almost surely" open the season at Triple-A.
If you ask Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Carl Crawford has some adjustments to make, even though he's still playing left field for an AL East contender. The Red Sox are always in the spotlight, so playing in Boston will likely present different challenges than the ones Crawford encountered in Tampa Bay.
Did the Yankees release Andy Sisco or not? As Matt Eddy of Baseball America explains, they released and re-signed the left-hander (Twitter link).

Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Gonzalez, Molina, Beltre

By Mike Axisa | February 27, 2011 at 9:18am CDT

In today's notes column for The Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo writes about the Orioles' rebuilding process, which included renovations to the team's Spring Training and minor league facilities. "There was no magic formula," said president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. "We're not doing anything that hasn't been done before. The Orioles I grew up with did it with scouting and player development, and we're doing it the same way now."

Here are the rest of Cafardo's rumors…

Both Yankees and Red Sox executives spoke out against revenue sharing last week, but no one wants a salary cap and the player's union won't allow one anyway.
The early signs are good for Jake Peavy, who is coming back from a detached lat muscle. One scout called Peavy "trade bait for sure" if he's healthy and the White Sox slip out of contention. "Though teams may come after Mark [Buehrle] first."
John Boggs, agent for Adrian Gonzalez, has not talked to the Red Sox about an extension since December, though something may be set up soon. Boggs will not be in Florida until the third week of March.
The Brewers don't want to bring in someone like Bengie Molina in the wake of Jonathan Lucroy's broken finger because they know their young backstop will be back in a few weeks.
When the Red Sox drew the line at four years and $52MM for Adrian Beltre, one of their fears was his potential to get hurt given his all-out approach. Beltre suffered a calf strain recently and may be out for up to a month.

Quick Hits: Royals, Astros, Lee, Reyes, Young, Prior

By Mike Axisa | February 26, 2011 at 10:22pm CDT

Real live baseball was played in Florida and Arizona today, even though it was nothing more than a handful of exhibition games. That's better than nothing in my book. Here's some links for Saturday…

Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star breaks down the Royals' roster issues, explaining why some of their top prospects won't break camp with the team even though they may be MLB ready.
Examiner.com's Stephen Goff hears that the Astros are looking at UConn RHP Matt Barnes, Kentucky RHP Alex Meyer, Hawaii 2B Kolten Wong, and Indiana OF Alex Dickerson for their first round pick in this summer's draft, #11 overall (all Twitter links).
Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who believes that the three prospects the Phillies received for Cliff Lee may never be heard from again. The club recieved J.C. Ramirez, Phillippe Aumont, and Tyson Gillies in the trade that sent Lee to the M's.
The Athletics' bullpen has improved a great deal this winter, writes Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse.
More on Dennys Reyes from Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, who writes that Reyes' deal with the Phillies fell through when the two sides could not agree on "two clauses" in the proposed contract.
Dennys Reyes can opt out of his minor league contract with the Red Sox on March 26th, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford (on Twitter). Reyes is competing with fellow lefties Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, and Randy Williams for a spot in Boston's bullpen.
In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that Michael Young is no longer talking about his trade demand, "but he seemingly hasn't taken it off the table, either." It appears that Young was bothered by the team's pursuit of Jim Thome and acquisition of Mike Napoli after he agreed to a DH/utility role.
Joel Sherman of The New York Post updates everyone on Mark Prior, who he believes was on the path to becoming baseball's first $150MM pitcher. Prior is in camp with the Yankees on a minor league pact and knows he'll have to prove himself against Triple-A competition before returning to the big leagues. "It is not the career path I envisioned, but it is the career path I am on," said Prior. "So be it. No regrets."
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times looks at the Dodgers' economical approach to left-field. Marcus Thames and Jay Gibbons are expected to platoon at the position, and are guaranteed just $1.4MM combined in 2011. Tony Gwynn Jr., Gabe Kapler, and the out-of-options Xavier Paul also figure into that mix.

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