No Movement on Varitek

Supposedly, the Red Sox made a 1-year offer to Jason Varitek. According to Scott Boras, there was no offer and no talks have started yet with the Red Sox.

It will be interesting to see how this situation works out. On redsox.com Boras is saying that many teams would like a catcher with a .600 winning percentage behind the plate. I can't see the Sox offering #33 anything near the crazy deal that the Yankees are now locked into with Posada.

As long as we're not talking offense, I think Kevin Cash is a good receiver with a good arm. He seems to mix-up pitches pretty well, maybe not quite as well as Varitek. But Cash is someone who could be more than just Tim Wakefield's catcher every 5th day.

Let's see if money wins out or if Varitek will take less to retire as captain of the Red Sox.

Give Thanks, Fans

It's that time of year when we give thanks for all we have. As we apply this sentiment to the Red Sox, here's what I'm thankful for.

1) Thanks for a great 2008. With so many injuries to key players, I never thought that we would get to within one win from returning to the World Series.

2) Thanks for Jon Lester, Kevin Youkilis & Dustin Pedroia. All 3 had breakout years & are now entrenched as the backbone of this team.

3) Thanks for getting rid of Manny Ramirez. I hope he & Scott Boras find no suitors for the "Manny being Manny" act.

4) Thanks for Curt Schilling. He ended the 86 year curse with a bloody sock & will never be forgotten for the magic of 2004. Winning another World Series in 2007 was just icing on the cake. Too bad his arm surgery didn't get done in Spring Training. We could have used him against Tampa Bay.

5) Finally, thanks to the new ownership of John Henry & Co. We made the playoffs in 4 out of 5 years since you bought the team. Improvements at Fenway Park, particularly the monster seats, make it a unique place to watch a game. The community involvement of the team make the Red Sox a true blessing to many beneficiaries of their generosity.

We have much to be thankful for this 2008. I hope you & your family enjoy the holiday.

Coco Off to KC

The Red Sox get a proven bullpen arm in Ramon Ramirez from the KC Royals in a trade for Coco Crisp. This leave the door open for Justin Masterson to return to starting games, if needed.

I give Coco a lot of credit for his performance last year amidst rumors of a trade right from the start of Spring Training. His bat got hot in the 2nd half of the season & his defense was solid all year long. Coco performed like a true professional & will get a chance to play everyday for the Royals.

The Red Sox are banking on Jacoby Ellsbury to figure out his swing & become an everyday player next year. Obviously, Theo & Co. feel he is up to the task.

Good luck, Coco.

Pedroia Is AL MVP

Congrats to Dustin Pedroia for his MVP season in 2008. He deserves this award for his "take no prisoners" style of play.

A Rookie of the Year & an AL MVP for his first two seasons in the bigs is not bad for the little guy from Arizona. Size doesn't matter. Heart & hussle do.

Don't you wonder what the follow-up act will be for next year?

E - I - E - I - O

In my last posting about Mark Teixeira I knew something looked off. In checking I see that I spelled his name wrong. I used "Tiexiera" instead of the correct spelling of "Teixeira." You have to admit - it's a tough name to spell.

Just in case Mark somehow becomes a Red Sox I committed the spelling of his last name to memory by reciting the song "Old McDonald Had a Farm." Remember what comes next - E -I - E - I - O! His last name has 2 "E -I" letters in it.

I can't be the only one having trouble with his name, so all you others can use my memory device too. "Old McDonald had a farm. E - I - E - I - O." Teixeira - Teixeira - Teixeira. Write it on the blackboard 10 times like in grade school.

That's my tip for today.

Tiexiera Rumors Continue

Can Mark Tiexiera find a new home in Boston? Possible from my standpoint. Here's how.

1) It comes down to finding 3 spots for 4 players -- Tiexiera, Lowell, Youk & Big Papi. Lowell, Youk & Tiexiera can spell each other at first & third. Youk can also move to the outfield on occasion to keep all 3 in the lineup.

2) All 3 can also spell Big Papi at DH once in awhile. It wouldn't hurt to let Ortiz sit against tough lefties every now & again.

3) Both Lowell & Ortiz are coming off of injury-plagued seasons. Regular rest might make everyone more healthy come playoff time.

4) While not in this equation (sort of) let's not forget J.D. Drew's problems of staying on the field. Again, Youk could play outfield like he did 3B this season. Late innings he can move back to 1B.

I know I'm dreaming because of the salaries involved with 4 everyday players. I wouldn't be so quick to move a player like Mike Lowell to make room for Tiexiera. Lowell is playoff tested & an MVP of the 2007 World Series.

I'd like to see a way to add Tiexiera without subtracting. Let's see if Theo can take care of this for me.

Is Julio Headed to the Tigers?

Julio Lugo for Dontrelle Willis or Nate Robertson? Maybe.

All 3 players are coming off horrible years. With Cora as an able back-up for Lowrie it may make sense to take a shot on another lefty in the rotation to join Jon Lester. Even with Buchholz on the horizon, you can never have too much starting pitching.

Of the 2 arms I think Robertson is younger & I would take him. Willis never made the transition from the NL to the AL.

Yankees Buy Pitching

C.C. Sabathia - Derek Lowe - A.J. Burnett.

The Yankees are expected to make offers to all 3 free agent pitchers. Since the pin-stripe offense was down last year maybe better pitching is the way Hank Steinbrenner sees his team with a new stadium get back into the playoffs.

Sabathia is a horse in the regular season, but never seems to have his best stuff in the playoffs. Lowe is playoff tested with the Red Sox in 2004, but was unable to come through for the Dodgers in 2008. Burnett has been injury-plagued while in Toronto, but did have a solid 2008 season. I guess the youth movement in New York was a bust, so it's back to Daddy's old way for Hank of buying veterans to win a championship.

The Red Sox and Rays continue to win with kids from the farm system. Seems like Hank is under the gun to put fans in his new stadium - now. In a down economy I'd hate to see Goldman Sachs foreclose on Hank & the Yankees. Wouldn't that be something!

Free Agency Starts Friday

Are the Red Sox going to pull the trigger on a major deal? Probably not.

Big names in the free agent class of 2008 include Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Jason Giambi, Jake Peavy &, of course, Manny. The only one of that group that may make sense is Teixeira, but he will have an expensive pricetag.

In recent years the youth movement has been a blessing for the Red Sox. Seeing how the Tampa Bay management got Longoria & other young guns to sign multi-years deals, maybe it would be better for Theo & Co. to lock-up Pedroia, Youk, Bay & Papelbon for the next several years.

I still think that the best help for the Sox in 2009 will come in the form of healthy players. A healthy Mike Lowell. A healthy J.D. Drew. A healthy David Ortiz. If we can keep those 3 guys on the field, our starting nine is as imposing as any in baseball.

Pedroia Earns First Gold Glove

Dustin Pedroia received his first Gold Glove for his defensive work at 2B this year. That goes along with his Rookie of the Year & World Series ring from 2007. Not a bad first two seasons in bigs for the little guy. There is still the possibility of an MVP Award as well.

Youk got snubbed for a Gold Glove at 1B this year because of all the games he needed to play at 3B while Mike Lowell was out with injuries. Another MVP candidate, Youk did great work on offense & defense this year. His flexibility allowed the Sox to keep winning when the line-up card looked like a MASH unit. Youk received the Henry Aaron Award in October.

Pedroia & Youkilis are now the heart & soul of the Red Sox team. They deserve any & all awards coming their way.

Is There a Spot for Ex-Yankees?

The Yankees let Jason Giambi & Carl Pavano go the way of free agency. Mike Mussina filed for free agency today. Should the Red Sox try to sign any of these guys??

My thoughts are:

Giambi - no. He is either a DH or 1B from a position standpoint & we have guys there now. I think he would be too expensive as well.

Pavano - maybe. If he would take a Colon type of deal with incentives, both sides may have nothing to lose. He might be a low-cost additional starter. The Sox would need to make sure his arm is healthy.

Mussina - no. He is too old & probably looking for too much money coming off his best year in the last ten.

I think that the Sox will look for improvement without spending a fortune in a 2009 year which is forecasting less revenue because of the economy. Maybe getting the current players healthy is the best off-season activity right now.

Voting Day: MVP

Since we are choosing a new President today I thought that it might be appropriate to vote for the Red Sox MVP as well.

We have many deserving candidates. The two major parties would be represented by Dustin Pedroia & Kevin Youkilis. The Independent & Libertarian parties might best be represented by Jon Lester & Jonathan Papelbon. Maybe Papelbon is more aligned with of the Out-in-Space party.

Most sportswriters put Pedroia & Youk as 2 of the top 3 candidates in the race for AL MVP. You couldn't go wrong by selecting either one. They both had great years.

If I was to pick one, I would vote for Youk due to his versatility. The Red Sox would not have weathered the injuries to Mike Lowell & the loss of Manny without the contributions of Youk. It's great to have two young players around with this type of MVP caliber.

Schilling Files for Free Agency

It's time to say good-bye to Curt Schilling. With his filing for free agency & his intent to pitch a half season in 2009 the Red Sox will let him go.

Many, many critics of Schilling do not like his outspokenness on topics within & outside of his sport. I never minded whatever he had to say since he is entitled to his opinion like everyone else. But I did like his bulldog approach to pitching & you can't argue with the results of 2 World Series rings.

Curt will always be remembered for the bloody sock in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. I saw a picture of his ankle after his surgery to hold down a tendon. Ugly is a kind word for it. It's amazing he was ever able to pitch again.

Too bad the Sox did not allow Schilling to get his arm surgery earlier in Spring Training. He might have been available by the playoffs. Hindsight is always easy.

I will miss Curt Schilling. I'll remember him as a key player who helped the Sox to their first World Series win in 86 years.