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Rocket Not Happening

tjlamro — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 04:33:38 +0000

First off as most of you know I would be all for bringing back Roger Clemens to Boston. There wouldn’t be a better baseball story around then his return, but its not going to happen. The media likes to talk it up like its a possibility, but right now the Red Sox are probably a 4th or 5th option for Clemens. First he would go back to Houston and start pitching in May, 2nd would be just to retire and call it quits, 3rd go to Texas and stay near his family, then 4th and 5th would be Yankees then Red Sox or Red Sox then Yankees. We are still going to make him some offers probably and at least talk to his agent, but the talks won’t go far enough. I was getting tired of the Clemens talk and just thought I would quickly get my opinion out there. Hey, maybe I will be wrong and Roger will make a comeback, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Then and Now

tjlamro — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 04:22:30 +0000

It has been a crazy offseason for the Red Sox, no one will disagree with that. People paniced when GM Theo Epstein left and most thought our team was going straight down the drain. Sure I was a little scared, but I knew the Red Sox could bounce back. In my opinion they did just that and more. Boston ended up making a few big moves that completely changed the look of their team. We do not have the World Series team of 2004 anymore, but as you can read below there are still good players here. I wanted to break down position by position who we had and who we have now. Can we win two championships in three years or will this team fall behind the Yankees and maybe even Blue Jays in the east?

Catcher
Same: Jason Varitek
The captain will come back again and lead this team for another year. One of the most valuable players on this team, Varitek is a dirt dog. Losing guys like Mueller and Damon, it just cuts down the list of guys who are not afraid to but life and limb out on the field to make a play. Varitek is one of them and will have to step up this year.

First Base
Then: Kevin Millar
Now: Kevin Youkilis/J.T. Snow
The match up here is a loss in offense because when Millar is hot he is a tough hitter, but an obvious gain in defense. Youkilis is no gold glover, but has more range and a better glove then Millar did. Snow is known for his defense and unless Youkilis loses the starting job, will just be a guy to come in late in games for defense. I don’t expect the Sox to just hand the job to Youkilis, but Snow will have to work very hard for it. There probably won’t be much power coming from this position, but Millar didn’t give us much last year anyways, so it is not a huge difference.

Second Base
Then: Tony Graffanino
Now:Mark Lorreta
Graffanino is still with the team, so he will most likely be getting some playing time in the infield unless he is dealt. For the most part Tony was dependable and got the job done. While with the Red Sox he was considered a .300 hitter and someone that would not hurt you near the bottom of the lineup. With that said, Loretta is an overall better hitter. A career .301 batter, he also has some pop for a second baseman. He didn’t show much last year, but we know he is capable. As far as defense Graffanino seemed to lose some range as time went on and Mark should be a solid upgrade in that aspect.

Shortstop
Then: Edgar Renteria
Now: Alex Gonzalez
Renta-Wreck is a term some media members used to describe Edgar Renteria’s defensive seasons. Leading the league in errors, it seemed like a struggle every night for Edgar. Besides defense he didn’t really live up to his normal stats at the plate, but did come through with some clutch hits and was an overall average hitter while here. He will now be replaced by one of the best defensive shortstops around, Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez is known as a smooth defender with a solid arm. He has shown good power in recent years of his career, but had a steady decline last year. Looking at stats he is no upgrade for hitting over Edgar, but has the potential to be. I think it is safe to say he will make fewer errors and save more runs.

Third Base
Then: Bill Mueller
Now: Mike Lowell
Other then Damon, Bill will be one of the most missed guys in Boston this season. For the three years he was here everyone seemed to love Mueller and his hard work ethic. He never complained once about where he played and always did what the coaches asked. To top it all off he even won the batting championship in 2003, surpassing a lot of people’s expectations. In the end he was not part of the future plans here for the Red Sox and will be playing in Dodger blue next season. As for Mike Lowell there are nothing but question marks about his game. The Red Sox are just waiting to see if they will get the 2005 Lowell or 32 homers, 105 RBI Lowell. He has supposedly fix the problems he had last year so many good things could come out of the third baseman.

Left Field
Same: Manny Ramirez
After demanding his 25th trade since being here, Manny should be in left field when the Red Sox start spring training. Boston, as we all know, made many efforts to grant Manny’s wishes, but could not find the right price to send him away. I read today he was offered to the Angels for a huge package of Chone Figgens and top prospects, but LA rejected. With that said there is still a chance of a trade, but it is still not likely because of the price tag. Hopefully if he does stay here he is no distraction and can just play baseball for once.

Centerfield
Then: Johnny Damon
Now: Coco Crisp
The position most fans will be looking at this year is centerfield, as a favorite Johnny Damon leaves and a new guy comes in. The new guy is none other then Coco Crisp, who has so far in the league proved he can play. He has steadily increased his hitting stats every season, while playing solid defense. The comparisons will run wild all year as Sox fans will need Coco to live up to what Damon did. The fact is he is not Johnny Damon, he’s Coco Crisp. In my opinion he could be just as good, maybe better then Damon was. He has a new ballpark and a new lineup to hit in front of, all things that could lead to continuous success as a member of the Red Sox.

Right Field
Same: Trot Nixon
Trot, entering his 10th season with the team, had his name come up in a few trade talks this off-season. Most players on the Red Sox did, so it is not like he was special. Trot is a gamer and while he will never hit you 30 homers, he does have some pop in his bat and hits righties very well. His weakness would be facing lefties, that is why Boston usually has someone to platoon with Trot and bat against lefty starting pitchers. Some say Nixon has lost a step in recent years, but if he can avoid injury is a solid choice for right field.

Designated Hitter
Same: David Ortiz
MVP! A lot of people say Ortiz should of won the award last season, but came in second to Yankee third-baseman Alex Rodriguez. There is no more clutch hitter in the league and Big Papi has become a fan favorite. Probably the most feared hitter in the lineup, Ortiz should be set for another big season. His buddy Manny is still here to protect him in the lineup, keeping the duo alive for another year. If Manny does get traded before the season, you would hope that Ortiz would still be able to contribute like he has. The Sox would still need a big bat to protect him, but Ortiz would still see enough pitches to do some damage.

Starting Pitching
Then: Curt Schilling, Matt Clement, David Wells, Tim Wakefield, Bronson Arroyo, Wade Miller
Now: Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Matt Clement, Tim Wakefield, Jon Papelbon? Bronson Arroyo? Free Agent?
It is easy to look and see that our starting pitching and see it has improved. The two big questions will be Josh Beckett’s health and Jon Papelbon’s effectiveness. Beckett, when healthy, is an all-star pitcher. Still young, he has a lot of good years ahead of him and the Sox saw that when trading top prospects to Florida for Beckett. Only an injury could stop this kid from blowing up in Boston. Papelbon showed flashes of greatness last year in his rookie season. They have not decided yet whether he will be in the rotation or in relief, but they do know he can help. It will all depend on if they make any deals or sign a free agent pitcher. Chances are by mid season Jon will be a full-time starter.

Relief Pitching
Then: Matt Mantei, Alan Embree, Mike Myers, Chad Bradford
Now: Julian Tavarez, David Riske, Jermaine Van Buren, Manny Delcarmen
The bullpen is an important position, but almost never stays the same all season. If things are going wrong in the pen, it is usually not very hard to find a good free agent reliever or make a small trade for one. The Red Sox lost a lot last year for relievers, but they still have there key members. If Foulke can get back to regular form that would obviously be the biggest help. Guys like Tavarez and Riske will help Mike Timlin set up Foulke to end ball games. Right now I would say our bullpen is about the same as last year, maybe a little better. Again it all depends on how guys bounce back from last year.

Holes Filled… Sox Sign Shortstop

tjlamro — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 03:00:39 +0000

Today the Red Sox made it official that their two main concerns, centerfield and shortstop, where finally addressed. Former Florida Marlin shortstop Alex Gonzalez will replace Edgar Renteria as the new guy up the middle for Boston. Gonzalez was reportedly looking for a 2 year deal around 5 million per year, but settled for a one year, 3 million dollar contract with the Sox. A 2003 World Series hero, Gonzalez is also known as one of the best defensive shortstops around. He is described as a very smooth player that will save pitchers more then he gets credit for. The big question will be is how his bat will help the Red Sox. He is going to make some great plays on defense, but can he help us otherwise? Last year wasn’t what you would call a good hitting season for Alex, batting .264, with 5 homers, and 45 RBI’s. The good news is he has power potential considering he hit 23 in 2004 and 18 in 2003. With all that said there will not be a lot of pressure on him considering he is will most likely be batting 9th in a very solid lineup. Another positive note is A-Gone will be playing next to former teammate and third baseman Mike Lowell. He will also be backing up pitcher Josh Beckett, which I am sure makes Josh very happy. Like Lowell, if he can hit to his potential and get back on track, this could be a great hitting and defensive team come next year.

Done Deal… Welcome Coco!

tjlamro — Sat, 28 Jan 2006 02:18:57 +0000

As I am writing this some player is probably failing their physical to make the deal last a little longer, but oh well. The deal is finally done according to many reports. No it is not 100% official, but good enough for me at this point. Earlier in the day the Indians traded set up man Arthur Rhodes to the Phillies for leftfielder Jason Michaels. Basically that left the deal in Rhodes’ hands as all he had to do was pass the physical to open the doors for the Coco deal. Thankfully he did pass the test and now we can finally put the wraps on this whole thing. The full deal is pretty much what is was before sending Andy Marte, Guillermo Mota, and Kelly Shoppach to Cleveland for Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard. The only difference is Boston will now add some cash and a possible player to be named later. All and all it was the same deal, we just had to sweeten it a tiny bit to make those Cleveland people happy. I will have more info as the deal gets more official, but I can finally rest as the Red Sox got the guy I wanted. Next move will probably be signing shortstop Alex Gonzalez like mentioned before.

Hold the Coco?

tjlamro — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 02:52:37 +0000

Is the Coco Crisp deal all but dead? The latest is with each hour the Coco to Boston transaction is diminishing to almost nothing. The biggest reason of course is Mota failing his physical and the Indians demand for more in the trade. From what I hear Mota didn’t technically fail the physical, but just was not healthy enough for Cleveland’s standards. With that said I feel what the Indians are doing is milking Boston for every penny. They know we are somewhat desperate and need a centerfielder so they are making excuses to make us add more and more to the deal. Basically they want 3 of our top prospects for Crisp and a few throw-ins. Marte, Delcarmen, and Shoppach are all solid young players that could have productive futures in the league. As much as I want Coco, that is just to high or a price tag.

I cannot begin to describe how mad I really am with this deal not looking good anymore. I had high hopes on Coco being our next centerfielder and now that it might not happen I am just bummed. I am not ready to throw in the towel just yet though. There are still rumors flying about a 3-way with the Reds that would bring Crisp here and satisfy the Indians. Most likely if a deal is made it will be with only the Sox and Indians, but I hope they keep their options open.

In other news the Red Sox did get one outfielder today, just not the guy we all hoped. They signed former Colorado Rockie Dustan Mohr to a minor league contract and hopefully just see him as a backup to the guys we have now. I don’t think he was signed to start in center if the Crisp deal never happens. He did have 17 homers last year, but that was in Coors Field so it is not that impressive. Before that in his career he has done nothing. Like I said if he is just a backup guy next year I do not mind the move, but if he is the next guy in line to start in center we have some serious problems.

Crisp Deal May Be On Hold

tjlamro — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:11:24 +0000

Coco Crisp should be still coming to Boston, but it may take more then expected. The latest is the deal is on hold because Red Sox reliever Guillermo Mota has failed his physical. The whole trade may have been completed today had Mota just passed. The full deal has grown a little from Marte and Mota for Crisp. It is now Coco Crisp, Josh Bard, and David Riske for Andy Marte, Guillermo Mota, and Kelly Shoppach. Josh Bard is a young catcher, much like Shoppach who would be going to the Indians. Also to many Sox fans, Riske is an upgrade over Mota. Now that Mota has failed his physical none of that may matter. There is a good chance youngster Manny Delcarmen would be put in the deal in Mota’s place, but it is known that Theo likes his farm system and doesn’t like trading too many young guys at once. So after all the excitement of us finally finding our centerfielder could the deal be dead? I really hope not and if I had to guess I would say this deal will still happen. I read a few days ago the Red Sox and Indians spent many hours and phone calls getting this one done and would not let a reliever or two get in the way of it happening. Basically what I would hope is we can take Mota out and let them keep Riske. They keep their reliever and we don’t have to give up Manny Delcarmern. Whether that happens or not will be remain to be seen, but I know one thing, this Red Sox fan will be very unhappy if Coco doesn’t find his way to Boston in the end.

Sox Go Coo Coo for Coco!

tjlamro — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 18:38:58 +0000

According to the Boston Herald the Red Sox and Indians have agreed on a deal that would send outfielder Coco Crisp to Boston for top prospect Andy Marte and reliever Guillermo Mota. This coming just days after former GM Theo Epstein came back to the team after being gone over two months. Crisp, who will fill the hole left in Johnny Damon’s departure, has a lot of upside to him. As I have said in my earlier blogs he is the guy I wanted and thought the Red Sox should go after. Well they did and overall I am very happy with the trade. The only bad part is giving up our top prospect Andy Marte. He was of course acquired for Edgar Renteria from the Braves and will never get a chance to even put on a Boston baseball cap. He has potential through the roof, but to fill our needs you have to give up something and the Red Sox decided on him rather then dealing a top-pitching prospect like Jon Lester.

The Red Sox must of read my blog on “3 Moves to Success” because they are supposedly very close on completing the first two. Not only are they getting Coco, but also reports say they are very close to signing free agent shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Sure he’s not the greatest guy around, but he can play defense and is still an upgrade over Cora. I am very happy with the move because it is the best one we could of made at this point and we did it. So now the last step would be signing Roger Clemens right? Well people I may have got the first two things right, but Roger is another story. I’ll keep my eye on things, but I am not about to get my hopes up for the Rocket’s return. If that does indeed happen, I should get a job at the Boston Globe or something for predicting the moves.

All right so now that we got two possible moves in place to fill the two needs we have to look at the possible lineup.
1. Coco Crisp CF
2. Mark Loretta 2B
3. David Ortiz DH
4. Manny Ramirez LF
5. Jason Varitek C
6. Trot Nixon RF
7. Mike Lowell 3B
8. Kevin Youkilis 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez SS
Well I for one am happy with that lineup and think it is just as good as last years. A lot will depend on of Mike Lowell can be the hitter he was a few years ago or the one last year. He has the potential and skills to be a solid number 5 or 6 hitter, but only time will tell. Also a good question that will surface is how Kevin Youkilis will deal with an everyday job in the lineup. If he can’t handle it we do have J.T. Snow to back him up, but Youkilis will be given the chance to play everyday.

To end the blog, I don’t have to say again that I am happy to have Coco, but I will. I guess you can say I am Coo Coo for Coco. I think we will here that punch line a lot around Boston when people realize this guy is the real deal. He has improved every year of his career and I am hoping that trend won’t stop. In the end Coco is going to be a fan favorite and have people saying “Johnny Who?”

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He’s Baaaaack

tjlamro — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 15:00:46 +0000

Two and a half months later, a trade of the starting shortstop, the loss of our leadoff man to the rivals, an acquisition of one of the best young pitchers around, and finally Theo Epstein is set to return to the Red Sox. A lot has happened since he left and that list is just the beginning. His role is not yet known, but who cares because he is back. All that has been said so far to describe is job is ‘‘full-time baseball operations capacity, details of which will be announced next week.” Right now that is definitely good enough for me because I feel assured that the guy who brought us the World Series in 04 is back to stay. We need him now more then ever and I am very confident he will find a way to patch up the bumps and bruises this team currently has. I can’t say I trusted in the Co-GMs we have now as much as I do with Theo back in the picture. There is still a lot of time to fix this team and Epstein is the man for the job. To update the rumor section since Theo has been back according to major league sources the Sox and Indians have been in talks all week about a deal sending centerfielder Coco Crisp to Boston. It is thought that it would cost the Red Sox top prospect Andy Marte and more players would be involved. On the other hand the Griffey rumors I mentioned yesterday have been shot down and said not to be true.

Arroyo Signed to Stay?

tjlamro — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:06:30 +0000

The Red Sox and pitcher Bronson Arroyo agreed on a deal today for 3 years figuring to be right around 12 million. The real question that has surfaced is was the deal just made to make him look more appetizing to trade partners? That is obviously something Arroyo’s agents where concerned about considering the advised him not to sign the deal. In the end Bronson said he did it for a hometown discount and because he wants to stay here the rest of his career.

Two rumors that have came up since he signed were possibly dealing Bronson to Tampa Bay for shortstop for Julio Lugo or trading him to the Reds in a deal for none other then Ken Griffey Jr. We all know the Sox have always had interest in Julio Lugo so that is not surprise, but Griffey’s name is somewhat new. Personally I have always been a Griffey fan, but like others know chances are this guy is going to get hurt during a 162-game season. With that said if Cincinnati offered me that deal straight up tonight, I would probably take it.

I love Bronson and think he brings a lot to the team. He seems very loyal and has always said the right things while being here. The fact is he is not one of our better pitchers and we have to many right now. To fill our needs we have to give something that’s expendable and right now one of our starters seems like the best option. Arroyo does not expect to be traded, but has said nothing is guaranteed. His agents are not sure the Red Sox will stay loyal and keep him here in Boston, but in the end it is a business and what needs to be done will be.

Dead………

tjlamro — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 01:59:48 +0000

Besides a few little news flashes here and there the Red Sox have been extremely quiet in the last week. You would think for at team that has so many holes to fill that news would not be a hard thing to come by. It makes me wonder is the front office just keeping talks to themselves or are they sitting back and waiting patiently for it all to fall in place. In my opinion option #2 is not what this team needs. We can’t just sit around and hope things go our way, it is time to do something about the team.

As far as the centerfield position goes the two biggest names that seem to come up the most are still Jeremy Reed and Coco Crisp. Reed is still atop Boston’s wish list if the Mariners asking price is right and Coco would be even more depending on how available he really is. As I have said before Reed is decent, but if we can get Crisp I would go for it in a second.

The shortstop news has been non-existent. There are really no rumors of trades for a guy up the middle or a possible free agent signing. With that said the latest news has the Red Sox possibly just sticking with Alex Cora at the position. Maybe I have just been spoiled with guys like Nomar, Cabrera, and Renteria, but Alex Cora? I don’t want to be all negative towards the guy because he is a solid player. Let me rephrase that, a solid “utility” player. Shortstop is a very important position and I can’t see myself being happy with a guy like Cora there for my team. Of course I have heard the argument well guys like Alex Gonzalez aren’t much better. Well maybe the stats do not jump out at you, but Gonzalez has proven to me he is an everyday shortstop. Cora did well when he was in there, but it is my feeling that head to head he wouldn’t match up with what A-Gone could bring to our team. Sorry Cora!

The small moves that have been made lately basically all deal with arbitration and contracts. Relief pitcher Guillermo Mota avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract. Guys like Bronson Arroyo and Josh Beckett are still in talks with the team about avoiding arbitration, but those deals are expected to get done very soon.