Here's a list of what's left out there. I didn't include any relief pitchers that could be turned into starters, but there don't seem to be any worth mentioning anyhow. If any of these guys have already signed, my apologies. But this list certainly makes signing Edwin Jackson or trading for Gavin Floyd seem much more important now.

Javier Vazquez - Pitched 32 games with the team formerly known as Florida last year. Finished 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA. Played for the Yankees the year before, posted a 5.32 ERA. He's turning 36 in July. I'd keep going, but i'm sure you guys moved on after the words Javier Vazquez appeared.

Rich Harden - Hasn't had an ERA under 5 since 2009. Great strikeout numbers, 51 away from 1,000 career. Over a 2:1 k:bb ratio. Turned 30 in November. Pitched 15 games last year, 20 the year before. Can't prove he can pitch against the big boys. Probably the most pros out of any free agent remaining, but a long list of cons as well.

Ben Sheets - No one knows what to make of this guy. Nasty stuff when he's healthy. Pretty sure he came out of the womb injured though. 2010 only season he pitched in since 2008. Finished 4-9 with a 4.53 ERA and 2:1 K:BB ratio. Sure he might be worth a minor league contract, but I have no idea where this guy stands health-wise.

Chris Young - Read above. 6 games pitched in last 2 seasons.

Jon Garland - Pitched decently while healthy for the Dodgers last year, including a dominating complete game effort. However again, health is the main issue here. Good be the best option out of the "if he stays healthy" category though.

Brad Penny - We've already seen him once. Felt like 12 years ago. He actually finished an entire season last year with Detroit, posting an impressive...5.30 ERA. The 2007 16-4, 3.03 ERA Penny is long gone, and he's looking like he has not very much left to offer. Especially in the AL East.

[Ed. note -- Edited and Front Page'd]

Boston College men's basketball came to an unfortunate end on Saturday morning by getting annihilated by Northwestern on our own court. While this may leave a bitter taste in our mouth, remember that this was supposed to a season of rebuilding with very low expectations. With that said, let's take a look at this season's roster and assess how this season went as a whole.

Head of the Class

John Cahill

What a story. A walk-on turned into a starter by the end of the season. In far less attempts than his teammates, he did manage to lead the team in 3 point percentage at 52.0, and a very memorable 12 points in a win against Virginia Tech. I'm torn between an actual grade and giving him an incomplete. However, since this is his last chance to get a grade, and considering he had no expectations since no one knew who he was at the beginning of the season, I have to give him my highest grade. Overall grade: A

Reggie Jackson

Our leader, and hopefully our leader again next season. Maybe if I write a rave review about him, he will return next season. There are not many negatives to say about Jackson, besides disappearing in the three biggest games of the season (3 for 11 shooting, seven points against Duke, 2-for-10 shooting, six points against UNC, 2-for-8 shooting, 8 points against Northwestern). However, he carried this team to countless wins throughout the season, and we can easily say we would not be as good of a team without him. This season's MVP, with stress on the valuable. You have a whole extra year to play in this new offense built for you to score and score and score, so please come back next year. Overall grade: A-

Danny Rubin

Very similar to Moton's situation (see below), except Rubin contributed a little more statistically (14 points against Holy Cross with 4 three pointers, 3 three pointers against Cal, Indiana, South Carolina and Maryland) and finished shooting 42 percent on the season. A few impressive performances, as well as taking up quality minutes throughout the season boost Rubin's grade above Moton's. Overall grade: A-

'B' Students

Joe Trapani

A lot of hope and pressure was put on Trapani's shoulders to be the second most productive player on this squad. Trapani pulled through, leading our team in rebounds (7.0 RPG) and blocks (0.8 BPG), and finishing second in scoring (14.8 PPG). He also finished with double digits in points in all but four games, and added four double-doubles on the year. The statistics were there -- except for the drastic drop off in free throw percentage -- and the presence on both the perimeter and under the basket were there. When dealing with intangibles, Trapani's senior leadership was constantly present, especially when the Eagles were trailing. Unless you were expecting 20 point, 10 rebound games every night, Trapani had a very solid senior season. Overall grade: B+

Gabriel Moton

Moton wasn't meant to play a lot of minutes as a freshman, but ended up seeing plenty of time as the season progressed. He never put up impressive stats in any game, but took up quality minutes without being detrimental to the team. That is all you can really ask for out of a freshman like Moton. I'm looking forward to see where he can go. Overall grade: B

Corey Raji

I was hoping Raji would come in here and make me completely forget about Rakim Sanders transferring. Occasionally, Raji did just that. Big double-doubles against Virginia Tech and South Carolina, and 18 points at Duke stand out as eye poppers on paper. As does his 12.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG. However, Raji completely disappeared some nights and really hampered how this team played. Everyone remembers his NCAA tournament numbers where he shot a combined 3 for 20 with 7 points. However, I can't let that miserable performance drag him down too much, as he still put up impressive performances earlier in the season. Overall grade: B-

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[Ed. Note: Bumped from FanPosts.]

Probably won't be much surprise or upsetting during the tournament, with two teams clearly ahead of the rest...but lets give this a shot and see how close I can get.

ACC Tournament First Round

(8) Virginia vs. (9) Miami - March 10th, noon

Two mediocre teams that I can't really figure out this season. It's easy to lean towards picking Miami considering we lost to them twice, but their schedule shows how soft this team is. Two points away from being swept by Georgia Tech, and only a one point win over Wake Forest. A soft out-of-conference schedule gives them a deceiving 18-13 overall mark, and shouldn't favor them over a scrappy Virginia squad. Miami may look better at a quick glance, but I'm giving this one to Virginia.

Prediction - Virginia 63, Miami 60

(5) Boston College vs (12) Wake Forest - March 10th, 2 pm

I'm worried BC may be already looking at the Clemson game on Friday. Wake Forest obviously isn't a real threat, considering they've lost 19 of their last 22 games. But they'll be hungry, and wanting to upset somebody's dance hopes, so BC better not overlook them. Look for this one to be a little too close for comfort.

Prediction - Boston College 74, Wake Forest 65

(7) Maryland vs (10) North Carolina State - March 10th, 7 pm

Maryland was supposed to be the real deal this year, but failed to keep up with those expectations. Although they have losses to 6 ranked opponents, Maryland still finished with 13 losses, and with a less than stellar 7-9 conference record. However, they should have enough firepower to avoid an upset at the hands of NC State. Look for Maryland to pull away at the end for a convincing win.

Prediction - Maryland 80, NC State 63

(6) Virginia Tech vs (11) Georgia Tech - March 10th, 9 pm

Although they are the second worst team in the ACC, Georgia Tech is a scrappy team that already beat Virginia Tech once this season. Pretty badly too. I'm completely rooting for Georgia Tech in this game to pull off the upset, but unfortunately I just don't think it's possible. Virginia Tech is not comfortable with their chances of dancing, and needs this win badly. Look for a closer than expected game.

Prediction - Virginia Tech 77, Georgia Tech 70

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This is the second round of my 7 round mock draft. After ironing out a few discrepancies in the first round, this round should look a little smoother. A lot of talent is available in the second round, and its arguable that many of these players have first round talent. I did go heavy on quarterbacks and cornerbacks in the first round, and that trend still continues in the second. Please feel free to argue and critique this round, as I work towards what the third round may look like.

I'm eager to hear what you have to say about pick 60, which I don't think many will agree with. Lets find out.

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Update: Michael Floyd and Justin Blackmon have been replaced by Titus Young and Torrey Smith. Crick has been replaced by Aldon Smith, and Cameron Jordan has been moved up to replace Stephen Paea's spot.

This is the beginning of my second annual mock draft, and like most people, I was way off last year. This is somewhat rough, but this is my opinion of the first round talent and which teams have what needs. No trading was added, just straight up pick by pick. I've started the second round, and will post that in a few days. Feel free to comment, and especially criticize. And please let me know if there are any picks your definitely agree with, any team.

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[Ed. note -- Bumped]

This is my first attempt at predicting the bowl season. Here's my scores for the first week of games, with a bit of a write-up about each game. I'm eager for some input/criticism, and if you have any questions about why I picked what I did, I'd be happy to elaborate.

New Mexico Bowl
Saturday, December 18th   2:00 PM
BYU Cougars vs. UTEP Miners

This matchup pits two 6-6 teams with BYU and UTEP. These two teams come into this game with complete opposite stories during the regular season, with BYU starting 2-5 then winning 4 straight and nearly upsetting Utah in a 17-16 defeat. UTEP, on the other hand, began the season 5-1, but limped into the bowl season. The crowd will definitely be in favor of UTEP with a short travel for the Miners fans. However, BYU’s momentum and defense should win this game pretty handedly.

Prediction: BYU 24-13

Humanitarian Bowl
Saturday, December 18th  5:30 PM
Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Fresno St. Bulldogs

Two potent offenses collide in the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise. Expect a shootout here on the blue turf as Northern Illinois running game (265 yards per game) against the Bulldogs balanced offense. However, Fresno State may be slightly outmatched against the Huskies offense. The Huskies put up 60 TDs this year, which expected to carry over in their matchup against Miami of Ohio last week, but were surprisingly upset. Expect a bounce back win.

Prediction: Northern Illinois 48-35

New Orleans Bowl
Saturday, December 18th 9:00 PM
Ohio Bobcats vs. Troy Trojans

The New Orleans Bowl brings a classic matchup of an offense-minded team vs. defense-minded team. Troy’s offense put them on top of the Sun Belt standings, average 441 yards per game, while Ohio’s defense made them one of the better teams in the Mid-American conference. Expect the only close matchup on Saturday, with defense winning the big game.

Prediction: Ohio 28-27

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl
Tuesday, December 21st  8:00 PM
Southern Miss. Golden Eagles vs. Louisville Cardinals

Somewhat of a rivalry game here, with Southern Miss and Louisville meeting for the 29th time. Southern Miss owns an 18-9-1 record in the series. A huge win at Rutgers made Louisville bowl eligible in its last game, after a struggling season for the Cardinals. Southern Miss on the other hand finished 8-4, and was a 1 point loss to ECU and a 1 point loss to UAB away from a 10-2 season and a possible conference champion title. Southern Miss should be pretty heavily favored in this game, and the offense should put on a show.

Prediction: Southern Miss 41-24

MAACO Bowl
Wednesday, December 22nd  8:00 PM
(21) Utah Utes vs. (10) Boise St. Broncos

In the first bowl game between ranked teams, Boise State looks to reclaim its title as a serious BCS team against a Utes team that struggled at the end of the season. Boise State has the motivation and the offense to do some serious damage in this game, and is looking to prove it belongs at the top of the polls. Utah also has a lot to prove, but seems to still be recovering from back to back losses to TCU and Notre Dame. Utah barely defeated San Diego State (by 4) and BYU (by 1). Expect Utah to come out fighting, but the Broncos are just too much for the declining Utes.

Prediction: Boise St. 42-31

Poinsettia Bowl
Thursday, December 23rd  8:00 PM

Navy Midshipmen vs. San Diego St. Aztecs

For the first time in the history of the bowl series, all three military FBS teams are bowl eligible. Navy is the first team to prove its worth, with a matchup against the high-scoring Aztecs. Expect both teams to be relentless in this, with both teams having quality games throughout the season. Navy destroyed Notre Dame and East Carolina, and also beat teams such as Central Michigan and Southern Methodist. San Diego State played a much more difficult schedule, beating Air Force when they were ranked 23rd, and only losing by 5 to 3rd ranked TCU and by 4 to 25th ranked Utah. Another close game with 2 great offenses, but look for a close victory by San Diego State here.

Prediction: San Diego State 31-28

Hawaii Bowl
Friday, December 24th  8:00 PM
(25) Hawaii Warriors vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Two red-hot teams meet in Hawaii’s home turf for the Hawaii Bowl. Tulsa comes in winning 6 straight, including a victory over Notre Dame, while Hawaii comes in ranked 25th, winning 9 of their last 10. This Hawaii offense hasn’t been this potent since the Colt Brennan era, putting up 62 touchdowns this season. Tulsa has also stepped up its offense, putting up over 500 yards a game and 58 touchdowns. Expect another early bowl game shootout, with Hawaii winning its first bowl game since 2006.

Prediction: Hawaii 45-42

So it's been a little while since i've blogged on here, so I figured I'd step back into the scene with an article about a player i'm heavily in favor of.

As a few people who looked up the history of Stephane Lasme know, this guy was a beast in college. Playing with UMass and graduating in 2007, Lasme broke both Marcus Camby's single season and career blocked shots numbers (finished senior season averaging 5 blocks per game), and is also tied with Michael Anderson and Jason Kidd as the only players to record 4 triple doubles in one season. All of this was accomplished during his senior season, where he was accredited with Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and Atlantic-10 Defensive Player of the Year.

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Everyone else seems to be putting theirs out there, so I figured I would give one a shot. This works on the Trade Machine as well.

In a 3-team trade between Boston, Golden State and Milwaukee...Milwaukee would receive Vladimir Radmanovic and Reggie Williams from the Warriors, the Warriors would receive Rasheed Wallace's contract and Carlos Delfino from Milwaukee, and the Celtics would receive Ersan Ilyasova from Milwaukee and Brandon Wright from Golden State.

Why would anyone do this you may ask? Well by receiving Rasheed's contract then having him retire, Golden State would go back under the salary cap. They'd also receive Carlos Delfino, giving them a true Small Forward. Milwaukee would be receiving the big man they need to play with Andrew Bogut, and they'd also receive the young up and comer Reggie Williams, who quietly put up over 15 points per game for the Warriors last season.

The Celtics get two bigger bodies out of this trade, and quality on their bench. Ersan Ilyasova put up 10.1 ppg and over 6 rebounds per game while playing about 23 minutes per game last season. He's lengthy at 6'10" and is only 23 years old. Brandon Wright is another young player with playing experience. Another 6'10" player, Wright put up 8 points and 4 rebounds a game last season while averaging 17 minutes per game...the Warriors would also be willing to move Wright for the right price with the concerns about his shoulder. However, he'd only be filling a Sheldon Williams role for us anyhow...while Ilyasova could come in and back up Jermaine O'Neil.

We don't gather any stars out of this deal, but I believe both these guys could be two good pieces on our bench.

Ideas? Complaints?

I have absolutely no clue if Doc Rivers is going to come back or not...but I feel very confident in saying that he is a primary reason why we even made it to where we did. Honestly, all the power to him if he takes a few years off for his family, he deserves it. Doc outcoached Phil Jackson throughout the series and coached magnificently throughout the playoffs. That being said, here's how our offseason plays out...

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I'm taking the word of most Celtics fans here when I say congratulations guys. There isn't another team I would've wanted to play against in the finals, and i'm pretty sure its safe to assume you guys feel the same way. We couldn't have asked for a closer, harder fought game 7 then this...and you guys pulled it out in the clutch. It truly pains me to say this, but you guys hit the clutch shots to win the game and take home the title. We brought in Rasheed Wallace to beat you guys, and you guys brought in Ron Artest to beat us. Rasheed played a hell of a game, but I have to give a lot of credit to Artest for basically giving the finger to anyone who doubted him this series and showing up to play.

The fact that you guys pulled this off with Kobe shooting so poorly tonight shows a lot about your team's courage and persistence to win games when they need to. I was never a big Pau Gasol fan, but he showed he has got what it takes to play against the big boys in this league. His HUGE double-double performance tonight was key.

I was confident my boys had this game locked up. 12 point lead in the second half, the Celtics finally managed to contain the Lakers potent offense...everything seemed to line up perfect. However, your key players showed up...your bench outplayed us...and the NBA champion Lakers came out on top.

This was a soid game tonight. The refs let both teams play. No one seemed to be favored at any point tonight. Both teams played physical, and there wasnt 1,000 free throws like the first two games. Congratulations Los Angeles...this is a well deserved trophy...and I hope you guys hope to see us in the finals next year as bad as we want a rematch with you. Congratulations.

Not exactly what I had in mind to fix our pass rush, but it is a good start...i'm glad we didn't go after Peppers, he is declining year after year and I feel as if he wouldn't have made much of an impact.

Banta-Cain deal via WEEI

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/217159/pats-banta-cain-agree-extension

Peppers deal via Yahoo, no link yet but will post asap.

The 27 player list for Team USA in the summer Olympics has came out, and does feature one Celtic. To my surprise, and most likely many of yours, the Celtic is Kendrick Perkins. You know what? No complaints from me, good for him.

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A weak passing defense exploited our weak secondary this season. On top of that, we will most likely lose our best cornerback Leigh Bodden, along with the possible cutting of Shawn Springs (I hope) and the loss of either Terrence Wheatley or Jonathan Wilhite. So where do we go from here? We are probably better off in the draft this year secondary-wise, but let's take a look at what is out there.

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The biggest need for the Patriots hands down has to be the need for a pass rush. Never getting to the quarterback (besides Tully Banta-Cain's impressive sack record...but that happens when you are the only one sacking) made the secondary look even more horrid than it may have been...let's see if there are any options out there.

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With the Patriots in an obvious hole for a number 2 starter next season (especially with Welker most likely to miss the whole season), let's take a look at who may be available.

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While placing Wes Welker on Injured Reserve, the Patriots have made a few moves, including adding the 6'1" 237 lb Linebacker Thomas Williams to the 53 man squad. According to Patriots.com, they have also added two WRs to the practice squad, Robert Ortiz and Nick Moore.

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With the trading of Casey Kotchman, the Sox have received a utility infielder...who does not play first. Maybe the Mike Lowell trade will bring in a new first baseman? Are the sox comfortable with Aaron Bates?...I certainly know Lars Anderson isn't ready for the jump...

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According to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel (and Ken Rosenthal has confirmed) that the Red Sox have traded minor league pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez for Florida Marlins OF Jeremy Hermida.

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What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to be a Boston fan...

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What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day to be a Boston fan...

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It seems as if Tim Wakefield may not be ready for September call-ups...and the pessimistic side of me believes we may not see him again this season. With a nerve (and/or disk) injury now affecting his lower back and his legs, this may be quite the obstacle for the 43 year old knuckleballer to overcome. With Wakefield's future in the hands of Epstein and the club (with these ridiculous 4 million dollar club options year after year, constantly leaving the fans in limbo), is it time for him to hang it up? The beginning of this season would lead us to say otherwise, but for the sake of argument, lets agree to disagree and say he hangs it up. Well, Mr Wakefield, here's an honorary article thanking you for all you have done for this franchise.

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Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Dispatch reports the Cardinals have traded Chris Duncan for Julio Lugo. The Boston Herald is also apparently confirming the deal.

http://news.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/red_sox/?p=2615

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   The Patriots continue to be relentless against letting another weak Wide Receiving corp be part of this franchise's opening day roster.

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   As you may have heard, Manny Fernandez's agent has stated that he will not return to the Bruins for the '09-'10 season. Not too surprising of a move on either part.

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