He signed a $4M minor league deal that becomes active as long as he's called up by July 1. He could hit $5M with all of the incentives reached based on the number of starts. The Red Sox were not mentioned as being involved in negotiating for him. I guess Texas is THE team to beat in the AL once again. Link here.

I suppose we're in it for the long haul with Bard as a starter unless Cook can show some good stuff when he returns from the DL. At least Buchholz is looking strong again. I wonder if we'll ever see Dice-K in a Red Sox uniform on the mound again.

Do you think this could happen?

1B - Gonzales

2B - Pedroia

SS - Iglesias

3B - Youk

LF - Crawford

CF - Ells

RF - Ross

C - Salty

DH - Papi

OF4 - Sweeney

OF5 - McDonald

C2 - Shoppach

UT - Aviles

SP1 - Beckett

SP2 - Lester

SP3 - Buchholz

SP4 - Bard

SP5 - Aceves

Long Relief 1 - Doubront

Long Relief 2 - Padilla

Long Relief 3 - Miller

RP - Albers

RP - Morales

SU - Melancon

Closer - Bailey

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Peter Abraham writes that the B game against the Twins on Thursday "is not an official game."

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He says the Oswalt offer is about 5M, but Karl Ravitch has reported Oswalt is deciding between Texas and St. Louis. The Cards had offered a little less than 5M previously. As for Jackson, he thinks the offer is around 7M or 8M, but that both pitchers may be afraid of the AL East. He also indicated Cherington is willing to negotiate in a patient and conservative style.

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She's leaving to go to the LA Lakers for the 2012-13 season (if there's still an NBA, that is).

So are you thinking what I'm thinking? Of course you are.

It's time to start the "Hire Marisa Ingemi" campaign!!!!!!

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This was on the Chicago Tribune blog today. Theo in Chicago link

A Cubs fan spotted him in Starbucks, spoke to him, and he drove off in the direction of Wrigley Field.

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They Sox are reportedly thinking about starting Lester on short rest. He hasn't been wonderful lately on regular rest, and he's never tried to go on short rest before. Maybe there's an alternative we haven't thought of.

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They lost 5 current players - 2 P, 2 OF and their starting C. Anthony Renaudo, of course, was the Red Sox' contribution to that number. But check out the lost signees they were counting on...

Delino DeShields, Jr. - 2B - 1st round signed with Astros

Zach Lee - P - 1st round signed with Dodgers (penciled in as #2 SP AND he was the backup QB on the football team)

Cameron Bedrosian - P - 1st round signed with Angels (likely RP)

Garin Cecchini - SS - 4th round signed with Red Sox (penciled in as starting 3B or 1B)

Lucas LeBlanc - OF - 11th round signed with Red Sox (penciled in as starter in OF)

That means they lost their 3 SPs, their 3 starting OFs, the 3B (or 1B), and the C. TOTAL LOSS - their starting rotation and 5 of the 8 position players. Oh, and a RP and a backup 2B who, at the very least, come from major league heritage. Ouch.

The New Orleans Times Picayune reports today that Red Sox 1st round draft choice and 39th overall pick Anthony Renaudo has been working out at LSU and that no negotiations have begun with the Red Sox to date.

Renaudo, who would enter LSU as a Senior this year, pitched 29 2/3 innings in the Cape Cod league giving up only 7 hits and 0 earned runs. Apparently, teams often wait until the deadline approaches to discuss signing bonus money so talks aren't protracted. Unfortunately, top college teams are on the hook having to wait for word from their returning and, especially, incoming players on whether or not they'll have a full team come the Spring.

Incoming SS Garin Cecchini and OF Lucas LeBlanc for LSU were also drafted by the Red Sox in the 4th and 11th rounds respectively and have not yet begun negotiating with the team.

Ken Rosenthal is reporting the Sox asked about Trevor Hoffman - he of the 6.82 ERA and fastball in the low-80s. Fortunately, it won't happen as the Red Sox are one of five teams on his no-trade list (strange considering he and Theo go back to their Padre days together). He has turned it around of late, but I can't imagine Hoffman, who is known for his exceptional changeup, would want to be a 7th inning guy for the Sox. It doesn't look like it will happen, in any case.

The fact is that some people have to go when the MASH unit that is the Red Sox DL starts sending our troops back to the front line at Fenway. So lets commence with the pointless speculation.


Here are our current 25:

Lester
Lackey
Dice-K
Wakefield
Papelbon
Bard
MDC
Ramirez
Oki
Richardson
Atchison
Bowden
Ortiz
Cash
Brown
Youklis
Shealy
Hall
Patterson
Scutaro
Beltre
Nava
Cameron
McDonald
Drew

So here's where the fun part begins.

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Only Red Sox fans (OK, maybe Cubs fans, too)  can understand growing up and following a team forever and ever only to be disappointed time and time again. Finally, my NFL team, the New Orleans Saints, is finally good enough to play for the championship. How about a little Red Sox love for my Saints heading to the SUPER BOWL!

43 years - 0 Super Bowl appearances

Under Jim Mora - 4 playoff appearances (0 - 4 record)

Under Jim Haslett - 1 playoff win.

Under Sean Payton - First ever franchise NFC Championship game appearance in his first year (lost to Bears in Chicago)

- First ever #1 seed in the playoffs.

- First ever NFC Championship game at home.

- First ever NFC Champion team for its first Super Bowl appearance.

43 years and they're finally getting a shot at the title. It's like the Red Sox in '67, which just also happened to be the Saints' first year.

I know the Patriots aren't there, so how about sending a little mojo our way down here?

Putsy Caballero played 3B at the age of 16 and still wears his World Series ring from the 1950 Phillies! He came to the office where I work and they introduced him to me because they know I'm a baseball history nut. Putsy wasn't much of a major leaguer, but he had some stories to tell.

Comments on some of his contemporary players:

Jackie Robinson - "The toughest player I ever played against." Some of the unfriendlier pitchers used to wait until they got ahead of him when he had two strikes then try to drill him in the ribs. Some would swipe tag him at 2B trying to hit him hard on purpose. He showed me a picture of him tagging him out Robinson on a SB attempt (unknown if 2B or 3B). He said, "Do you know what the umpire yelled when I tagged him? 'The jig is out.' " He really admired Robinson's toughness.

Willie Mays - "The best OF I ever saw." Better than Mantle or Snider in CF during the 50s.

Best Pitching Staff of the era - Cleveland Indians with Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Early Wynn (all HOFers).

Teammate Richie Ashburn - "Said I was the best card player in baseball."

Babe Ruth - Long since retired, but "visited the Phillies clubhouse in '48 during Spring Training and signed baseballs for Curt Simmons, Richie Ashburn, and me. I lost that baseball in Hurricane Katrina."

Caballero's first salary? $12,500.

I wish I'd had more time to talk with him before he had to leave.

Putsy Caballero played 3B at the age of 16 and still wears his World Series ring from the 1950 Phillies - the "Whiz Kids"! He came to the office where I work and they introduced him to me because they know I'm a baseball history nut. Putsy wasn't much of a major leaguer, but he had some stories to tell.

Comments on some of his contemporary players:

Jackie Robinson - "The toughest player I ever played against." Some of the unfriendlier pitchers used to wait until they got ahead of him when he had two strikes then try to drill him in the ribs. Some would swipe tag him at 2B trying to hit him hard on purpose. He showed me a picture of him tagging him out Robinson on a SB attempt (unknown if 2B or 3B). He said, "Do you know what the umpire yelled when I tagged him? 'The jig is out.' " He really admired Robinson's toughness.

Willie Mays - "The best OF I ever saw." Better than Mantle or Snider in CF during the 50s.

Best Pitching Staff of the era - Cleveland Indians with Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, and Early Wynn (all HOFers).

Teammate Richie Ashburn - "Said I was the best card player in baseball."

Babe Ruth - Long since retired, but "visited the Phillies clubhouse in '48 during Spring Training and signed baseballs for Curt Simmons, Richie Ashburn, and me. I lost that baseball in Hurricane Katrina."

Caballero's first salary? $12,500.

I wish I'd had more time to talk with him.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune is throwing out the possibility of a deal that would send Ellsbury to the Cubs who REALLY want him, while the Sox get A-Gonz, and the Padres get prospects from the Sox and the Cubs if the Sox can get Bay signed. link

It would be a way to keep Buchholz because Jed would get prime prospects from the Cubs, too. Of course, it all hinges on us getting creative financially to bring in Bay - maybe a low base salary and ridiculously achievable incentives for the season that would trigger a lucrative 2011+ contract?