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Inside Info On J.D. Drew

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Just got off the phone with an informed baseball guy, and we spoke on the topic of J.D. Drew.

He tells me that Drew has seen two surgeons for his shoulder, one requested by Scott Boras and the other by the Red Sox.  It appears that one of the surgeons may have been Dr. James Andrews.

The likely result?  A one-year clause similar to the one the Tigers gave Magglio Ordonez.  The Red Sox would be able to opt out after the first season if Drew goes on the DL because of the shoulder.  In the case of Maggs, Detroit could’ve voided the contract after ’05 if he spent 25 days on the DL for his formerly troublesome left knee.  There is no sign that Drew will end up anywhere other than Boston.

J.D. Drew – Major Shoulder Damage?

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Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald reported yesterday that J.D. Drew appeared to have a problem with his physical.  He indicated that an Ivan Rodriguez-like injury clause would be included.  He didn’t expect the deal to be killed altogether.

Additionally, Will Carroll chimes in with speculation that Drew’s shoulder could be damaged to the level of Scott Rolen in 2005.  That year, Rolen slugged just .383 in a lost season.

Whatever the problem, Drew will seek a second medical opinion on Monday.

Relief Moves

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The Red Sox picked up 35 year-old right-handed reliever Brendan Donnelly from the Angels for Phil Seibel.  Donnelly’s control slipped significantly last season, but he’s had an excellent career despite a late start.  He can help.  Seibel, a southpaw, turns 28 in January.  He was unhittable across three minor league levels for the Red Sox this year.  The Red Sox also added J.C. Romero as a LOOGY option.

The D-Rays signed Al Reyes to a one-year deal.  You may recall he was a fantastic reliever for the Cards in ’05 before succumbing to TJ surgery.  He already threw a few Triple A innings in August so he should be 100% for spring training.  I could see him as the closer at some point.

The Mets probably won’t land Akinori Otsuka, but the Diamondbacks could trade for him.  On one hand, it’s scary to rely on Eric Gagne for anything.  On the other hand, Otsuka’s value will never be higher.  I agree with RotoWorld that Scott Hairston could be a huge sleeper in Texas.  More on Hairston here.

Chan Ho Park A Closer Candidate?

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Interesting note from the Boston Globe:

"A source told the Globe’s Nick Cafardo that during the Matsuzaka negotiations, Boras was trying to sell the Red Sox on signing Chan Ho Park to be the team’s closer."

It’s a smart idea, grabbing a failed starter and converting him to relief.  Park currently posts mediocre strikeout rates, but it stands to reason that he could bump that up if used in one-inning bursts.  Other starters who could excel in relief: Renyel Pinto, Oliver Perez, Angel Guzman, Jorge de la Rosa, Ian Snell, or Mark Prior.

Red Sox Sign Matsuzaka

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According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Red Sox have signed Daisuke Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52MM deal with an additional $8MM in incentives.  That makes him an $18.5MM player, if you are to include the posting fee.  If you’re so inclined.  Boston now boasts the following starting rotation:

Daisuke Matsuzaka
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Jon Papelbon
Tim Wakefield

I would assume Jon Lester is the sixth man, ready to step in when needed or when he proves he’s better than Wakefield.

Yanks, Red Sox After Mike Gonzalez

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Dave Littlefield should be able to extract a solid young player or two if he wants to trade the Pirates’ closer, Mike Gonzalez.  George King of the New York Post writes that both the Yankees and Red Sox are interested.

King believes Littlefield might ask for Scott Proctor and Melky Cabrera from the Yankees, while the Red Sox have dangled Coco Crisp.  Imagine Gonzalez as the lefty out of the Detroit pen.  Gonzo would also be a big help to the Indians, Rangers, Phillies, Cubs, or Giants.

Gonzalez, who turns 29 in May, was told by Pirates doctors just before Thanksgiving that he is completely healthy.  In 155 career innings, he has a 2.37 ERA, 6.7 H/9, 0.52 HR/9, 4.28 BB/9, and 10.58 K/9.  His control has been very shaky in recent years but his unhittable nature has compensated.

Red Sox To Make Record Offer To Matsuzaka

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The Red Sox plan on making a record offer to Daisuke Matsuzaka, at least for a player who’s never pitched in the Majors. 

Based on this info from Gordon Edes, I wonder if it’s a six-year, $100MM offer.  It’s tough to picture the Red Sox going far beyond that dollar amount, though Scott Boras might want that amount for five seasons.  Or perhaps he’s angling for $60MM over three seasons instead.  We should have an idea soon.  Baseball Prospectus’s Nate Silver has a system that says Matsuzaka is worth roughly $80MM over six seasons.

Matsuzaka Talks Breaking Down

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The outlook is not so good for the Red Sox to sign Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka.  Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes that talks are "breaking down."  Silverman’s source places to blame on agent Scott Boras, who apparently doesn’t feel like making a deal.  As Buster Olney notes, that certainly sounds like it originates from the Red Sox. 

Olney also notes that the Sox will probably provide what amounts to a blank check to Roger Clemens should they fail to sign Matsuzaka.  While there has been some talk of Clemens pitching for all of 2007, his agent is pushing for another shortened season.

To me that makes the Yanks more likely to be players, as by June one of Wang, Johnson, Mussina, Pettitte, or Igawa could certainly be injured.  If someone had to be bumped to accomodate Clemens for one year, who would it be? 

Carroll On Matsuzaka

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Will Carroll has spoken to several Boston sources on the topic of signing Daisuke Matsuzaka.  Those sources are said to be pessimistic about Boston’s chances at signing him.  I have read the same in various Boston newspapers.

Carroll also adds that Matsuzaka will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2008 season, should he return to Japan.  The bold letters are from Carroll, to help correct the misinformation that Matsuzaka would only owe the Lions one more season. 

Eric Gagne To Sign Today?

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Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe reports that Eric Gagne should decide whether to become a Red Sox, Indian, or Ranger today.

Edes says the odds favor the Indians and Rangers, who seem more willing to guarantee Gagne $5MM.  Balking at such a request is understandable given how little Gagne pitched during the 2005-06 seasons.  The Dodgers paid him $18MM for 15.1 Major League innings over that period.

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