After all the drama that surrounded the Red Sox' acquisition of Adrian Gonzalez, it's easy to forget that the slugger, who underwent shoulder surgery in October, has been rehabbing all winter. While the team hopes Gonzalez will be good to go on Opening Day, "it seems silly to rush him if he isn’t ready," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. According to Cafardo, Boston's contingency plan could involve playing Lars Anderson for a couple weeks or even pursuing a free agent first baseman. Let's check out the other items of interest from the Globe's Sunday Baseball Notes….
- There's a belief that Pedro Martinez could pitch the final months of the season if, as one American League GM says, he finds "the right fit." Cafardo speculates that the Phillies could be an interesting option if they end up trading Joe Blanton.
- A National League scout says he liked the way Jeremy Bonderman was pitching toward the end of 2010. "I’m really surprised a team hasn’t jumped at him," said the scout. "But some of that is up to the player and the agent, too. If he’s asking for too much, nobody’s going to do it no matter how desperate teams are for pitching."
- There's still a chance that Jarrod Washburn, who sat out the 2010 season, could sign somewhere. However, GMs who spoke to Cafardo are under the impression that the lefty wouldn't return unless he could land a "fairly sizable" Major League contract, which seems unlikely.
