New Podcast Up

Thanks to Dave, our latest podcast has been uploaded to the blog. Please take a listen. If you have any thoughts, pro or con, just hit the comment button at the end of this article to leave your impressions. Thanks again for your support of the blog in 2014. Have a happy & healthy 2015!

Ndamukong Suh Suspended

What a low life! Ndamukong Suh, the poster boy for dirty play in the NFL, finally got suspended for intentionally stepping on Aaron Rodgers ankle during yesterday's game. This thug needs to be suspended for more than one game as this is not his first offense. Just like Chris Davis bombed out on his Orioles teammates when they needed him most, Suh will not be on the field when his Lion teammates take on the Colts in the playoffs. Maybe Detroit is growing tired of his antics too. The NFL doesn't need out of control 300 pound linemen pulling cheap shots on the field. Suh may be wearing out his welcome in Detroit & in the NFL.

Quiet Christmas for Ben

Not a trade or signing was stirring, not even a mouse. It was a quiet holiday season for Ben Cherington. Rest assured, though, that his wheels are turning on every possible trade to get a #1 starter & another bullpen arm or two. Hamels, Cueto, Zimmermann, Shields are still out there. Someone is going to sign Shields, but it won't be the Red Sox at 5 years & $110 million. A trade makes more sense if the Sox are willing to part with a key prospect or two. Or maybe Ben stands pat for now until the trade deadline in July. The Sox offense should hit & score more in 2015, so maybe we go without a #1 & we hope that Kelly or Porcello or Miley can become a good #2. I'd like to keep Betts & Holt as valuable back-up pieces. Given the surplus of outfielders & young arms, though, you would think that there are more players to be added by trade. Time will tell.

Pats Finish 12-4 With First Seed in AFC

It was meaningless. No talk of focusing on the Bills this week could produce better than a lackluster performance in the season finale where there was nothing to gain for the Pats. Several starters were kept out. Several backups got real game experience. The regular season is over & the Pats are in the playoffs. Once you are in, anything can happen. Like baseball, playoffs are different than the regular season. You can hit your way into the playoffs, but to win you need pitching. In football you can get to the playoffs with offense, but to win you need defense. And that's where the Patriots are different this year. Defense & special teams are the standouts this year. A Brady-led offense that only needs 20 points to win is much different than in prior years. We have as good a chance to go to the Super Bowl as any other AFC team. It's the Pats championship to lose.

Rusney Castillo Finishes PR Winter League

It's officially over. The 2014 tour of teams is finally over for Cuban OF Rusney Castillo. WEEI reports that Castillo played his final game for Alex Cora's team in Puerto Rico this week & now he gets some rest until spring training begins. After signing with the Red Sox in the late summer Castillo played throughout the Red Sox organization with several different teams, from A, AA & AAA ball right through to the big club in Boston. From there he went to the Arizona Fall League where his playing time was cut short due to a minor thumb injury. After his thumb healed Castillo joined Cora's team in PR for 10 more games before calling it quits. Cora believes that Castillo is major league ready. However, it remains to be seen whether Castillo or rookie sensation Mookie Betts will be the starting CF on opening day in Philadelphia. Watch for a new podcast this week to discuss that topic & others. I like the signing of Rusney Castillo since it just cost money, no prospects. And this guy will be motivated to make his mark like other Cuban players that have come to the US. Can't have enough good players!

Merry Christmas to All!

Going off script. We hear & see the news stories of the day & they are typically about bad things that have happened in our world. Ferguson. North Korea. NYPD. ISIS. Someone once told me that there had to be more good people than bad in the world or there would just be chaos. I had a chance to see the other side of this equation first hand during this Christmas season. An anonymous man dropped off 70 hams to a food pantry so all client families could enjoy a Christmas meal with ham. A woman of limited resources contributes to the Salvation Army kettle drive, even though it looked like she could use the help of the Army. One news story showed a secret Santa in Missouri that used the local police to stop cars & hand out $100 bills to the needy. Good news is not sexy & it doesn't sell, so we don't see or hear enough of it. But rest assured that there are a number of good people out there that balance the equation between good & bad. Many, many Americans are very generous with their time & resources. Let's not forget that at this time of year. If you can, go do something nice today. Sometimes all it takes is a smile. Merry Christmas to all!

Knuckleballer Steven Wright

I was looking around a few websites to get a story for the blog today & I came across Steven Wright on the Red Sox website. Wright, 30, is an interesting story & with all the changes to the rotation he has a chance to be the swing guy between the bullpen & as an occasional starter. In limited big league action Wright has a 3.67 ERA. I saw the knuckleballer pitch for the Sea Dogs & it was a typical knuckleballer's game - several innings of 1,2,3 then a long home run. He is deja vu Tim Wakefield all over again. But if Wright can eat innings & maintain an ERA around 3.50 he could be a very valuable & underrated piece of the pitching staff for Ben & company. At $500,000 this year & under team control for several more Steven Wright may be ready to have a breakout 2015.

AFC Goes Through Gillette Stadium

On Sunday the Pats barely played well enough to scrape by the NY Jets 17-16. On Monday night the Denver Broncos lost to Cincinnati. Thus, the Patriots earn the #1 seed in the AFC & they will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Manning looked old & pressured last night, throwing several INT's. Brady looked the same against the Jets. But the Pats found a way to win, thanks to the big paw of Vince Wilfork who blocked a field goal attempt late in the game. Instead of a liability as in past years, the defense has been a bright spot along with the play of special teams. The Pats offense no longer has to score 30+ points to win a game. Maybe this is the year for another Super Bowl ring.

How About Yu Darvish?

Yu Darvish has made a major impact in his 3 years in the big leagues for the Texas Rangers. At 28 he has a lifetime ERA of 3.27. He is 6'5" & easily rings up 200K's per year. He is a swing & miss pitcher who can give you quality innings. Texas is going nowhere. It would take a lot to get him away from the Rangers, but we have a lot to give. Other than Big Papi, Pedroia, Panda & Ramirez I think everyone else is available. Darvish is under control through 2017 at about $10 million per year. He would be in a class with Jordan Zimmermann & Chris Sale. Kick the tires on this guy, Ben.

Shields Looking for Big Payday

According to my local paper James Shields is looking to sign a deal worth $110 million over 5 years. Supposedly, the Red Sox, Giants & Yankees are interested. Too rich for my blood! The 33-year old has several years of 200+ innings under his belt & he ran out of gas in the 2014 playoffs for the KC Royals. Big Game James is a thing of the past. I'd rather go for Cole Hamels at 31 & trade a few good prospects along with some surplus pieces. You have to think that Shields best years are behind him. Anything more than 3 years for a #2 starter at more than $20 mil per year is too much. Let the Yankees or Giants overpay.

Breslow Back In Pen

Veteran lefty Craig Breslow is back in the Sox pen for another season. The Sox brought Breslow back on a 1-year deal for $2 million versus the $4 million option that the team decided not to pick-up earlier in the off-season. Breslow had a down year in 2014, but he has been very steady in the past. He can help Layne & Britton adjust to life in the pen. Plus it's always nice to have a 3rd left-hander for the Yankees lineup with Ellsbury, Gardner & McCann. Good job, Ben!

Middlebrooks & Rondo Gone

Like Rajon Rondo who is headed out of town to big "D", Will Middlebrooks is also headed out of town. Middlebrooks was traded to the San Diego Padres today in exchange for C Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan will be the backup to Cristian Vazquez. At 34 Hanigan has 8 major league seasons under his belt. He brings a consistent .256 BA, .353 OBP & .694 OPS. Most fans will remember Hanigan as the catcher for Tampa Bay last year, so he also knows the AL East hitters. The trade for Hanigan means that older David Ross is gone. Eventually, Ross will probably sign with the Cubs. Good trade for all concerned. Maybe Middlebrooks can re-establish himself on the left coast with a Padres team that has been very active. Hanigan is another item for Ben to check off his list.

Fire Sale in Oakland Continues

Billy Beane is putting coal in the stockings of A's fans this Christmas. He has sold off just about every valuable player that helped the A's to win the wild card last year & to make the playoffs 3 years in a row. The latest is a deal to send C Derek Norris to the Padres for 2 minor league pitchers. Norris, Moss, Donaldson & Smardzija have all been traded away for peanuts. Lester & Lowrie were not re-signed & both have moved on. Billy has a bunch of prospects to fill-out positions around a very good pitching staff, Coco Crisp, Josh Reddick & new signee Billy Butler. A far cry from their roster for the past 3 seasons. Time will tell if Billy sold at the right time.

Bullpen Needs Work

Ben needs to address a couple of arms in the bullpen, unless a few young ones from last year are placed there to start the season. A typical bullpen has 8 or 9 relievers. As of today, we have lefties Tommy Layne & Drake Britton; righties Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa, Edward Mujica, Anthony Varvaro, Matt Barnes & Brandon Workman. Barnes & Workman have also started games, so Ben may want to get more established relievers before opening day. Anthony Ranaudo could be a swing guy to either start or relieve. Steven Wright is another in-house option. Ben certainly has a number of arms that he can tap into without going outside the organization. But another established bullpen arm couldn't hurt. Workman, Renaudo & Barnes may be required to jump into the rotation during the season if Buchholz &/or Masterson can't get the job done. It's nice to have plenty of arms. Ben just needs to find a few quality ones out of the quantity.

New Guys Added

Anthony Varvaro, 30, was traded to Boston for a minor leaguer. Varvaro is a bullpen arm that threw 56 innings for the Braves last year with an ERA under 3.00. Most people see him as a replacement for Burke Badenhop. Marco Hernandez, 21, is the player from the Cubs to finalize the Felix Doubront trade. Hernandez sounds like a Deven Marrero type, good defensive SS still learning how to hit major league pitching. Both guys bring depth to the roster. Varvaro is expected to see time with the big team while Hernandez will need time in the minors. Small moves, but good ones.

Jed Lowrie - $30 Million Man

I'm not sure why, but it struck me that the Houston Astros paid a lot of money to get back Jed Lowrie who was a free agent. A little digging resulted in the following numbers. Lowrie has a career (7 years) .261 batting average & .330 on-base percentage. Average offense. As a shortstop, he is average defensively. From age 24 to 27 with the Red Sox Lowrie made $1,298,000 or $325,000 a year. At age 28 he joined the Houston Astros for one year & made $1,150,000, a 350% raise. From ages 29 & 30 with the Oakland A's Lowrie made $7,650,000 or $3,825,000 a year, another increase of 330%. From ages 31 to 33 Lowrie just re-signed with the Astros for $22,000,000 or $7,300,000 a year, another increase of 190%. He also has a club option at age 34 for $6,000,000. So in the last 10 years, an average player like Lowrie will make $32,000,000 or $3,200,000 per year average. It just shows you the money within the game & how it has risen over the past few years, even for average guys.

A-Rod

Get ready for more & more chatter to heat up on A-Rod as Spring Training approaches. The Yankees signed 3B Chase Headley to a 4-year deal this week, basically relegating A-Rod to a DH who will be making $25 million a year. I bet Big Papi likes that! Brian Cashman spoke on the MLB Network yesterday that he feels Headley will be the everyday 3B & A-Rod will be the everyday DH, if he can hold up physically after not playing for a full season. But more than positions on the field & in the batting order, the Yankees must now begin to deal with a divisive personality of A-Rod who sued both MLB & his own Players Association. Neither management nor players want him around. A-Rod will be a distraction on & off the field for the Yankees for the entire season. Good luck Yankees in dealing with one of the most hated players in the game. And you have 2 more years to go after this season.

Good Job, Bad Job

I'm taking a segment out of High Heat on MLB Network with this "good job, bad job" report from the winter meetings. Good job - Chicago White Sox for adding David Robertson, Zake Duke, Adam LaRoche, Jeff Samardzija & now Melky Cabrera. A great job adding important pieces to their lineup. They will be a team to contensd with in the AL Central as Detroit continues to age & the Royals lose Billy Butler & possibly James Shields. Bad job - Oakland A's for selling off Samardzija, Josh Donalson & Brandon Moss for peanuts. Billy Beane is having a fire sale of his best players, all the while signing Billy Butler to a 3 year deal. Mixed signals from Oakland for sure.

Can't Win

One TV channel likes the moves the Red Sox made to add to their rotation. Another wants the Boston brass blindfolded & shot. I honestly don't believe that any move would have been praised 100%, even bringing Jon Lester back at any cost. These same reporters would say the Sox spent too much. Let's just all take a deep breath. You know Ben is not done yet. If he keeps the same theme of young, 20-somethings, big league tested pitchers for 2015, I think that Jordan Zimmermann may be the next addition. Unlike Lou Merloni, I am not ready to give up Joe Kelly for Zimmermann as Kelly has a lot of upside. But I would give up Clay Buchholz though. Finish this rotation makeover by trading a guy with #1 stuff who is sitting at the back end of the rotation because you can't count on him. Buchholz & any other Red Sox prospect or big league extra for Zimmermann works for me. A rotation of Zimmermann, Miley, Porcello, Masterson & Kelly works for me.

Ben Is Not Done

Still on Ben Cherington's shopping list. 1 ace pitcher to add to a new rotation. My suggestion is to package Buchholz in a trade to get Hamels or Zimmermann. 1 backup catcher. Get Ross back or let Swihart have a shot at the big team. We are talking 60 games or 3 out of every 10 games to backup Vazquez. Add 2 bullpen pieces. Sergio Romo could be a good addition. A lefty would help as well. Otherwise, use in-house options with Workman & Barnes, even Ranaudo if he stays with the big club. Tazawa & Uehara are due for bounce back years. Mujica seems like he figured things out late last year too. It's a short list, but you need 25 guys to make a run at the playoffs. Let's keep the makeover rolling, Ben!

New Red Sox Pitchers

Wade Miley. Rick Porcello. Justin Masterson. Not exactly Maddox, Smoltz & Glavine. Not even Lester & Lackey. However, Ben did trade potential big league arms in Webster & De La Rosa for proven big league arms. All 3 new additions to the rotation have thrown 200 innings a combined 5 times. You also have 3 ground ball pitchers who can keep the bullpen from being overexposed throughout the year. If you had to rate them, let's say that they are #3 & #4 starters in your rotation. Porcello & Miley have enough upside to become a #2. Now Ben needs to finish his remake with a #1 - Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann or Johnny Cueto. James Shields would be more of a #2, but we could live with that for now & look for a deal at the trade deadline. I think Hamels is more intriguing since he is under control for several years at a known cost. Hamels would cost the Red Sox at least one top prospect like Betts or Bogaerts or Owens or Swihart, along with a few spare parts from the current roster, but I would give the Phillies any one of those guys to get a legit top of the rotation guy. With Castillo, Sandoval, Ramirez, Miley, Porcello & Masterson the Red Sox have added valuable pieces for 2015. Pedroia, Napoli & Victorino are all coming off injuries & they should rebound. As currently constructed, one MLB Network reporter said the Red Sox are a contending playoff team. Adding an ace would allow the Sox to make a deeper run into the postseason.

A Postscript on Jon Lester

Yes, the Red Sox totally blew it in Spring Training with an offer to Jon Lester of 4 years & $70 million. In the end on Tuesday night it was what it is always about - money. The high bid wins. Don't blame the players. If Theo & the Cubs want to front $30 million, give Lester $26 mil a year & add an option for a 7th year, more power to them. I guess you have to overpay when you're the Cubs with 100+ years of no World Series win. Time will tell if this turns out to be a good deal. Most long term, extended contracts are 50% good years, 50% bad years. But Lester is as good a person as a pitcher & he may move the culture of the Cubs to a winning one. If you are going to take a chance on a guy, he's the one. So good luck to Lester! At least he moved out of the AL & he didn't sign with the Yankees.

A Closer Look At Porcello & Masterson

Two big guys - Porcello 6'5" & Masterson 6'6". Two guys who eat up innings - Porcello averaging 30 starts & 180 innings, Masterson from 2010 to 2013 averaged 30 starts & 199 innings. Also, 2 pitchers who pitch in the AL with a DH in the order. Porcello is 25 & Masterson is 29. Both guys throw ground balls when their good sinker is working. If the Red Sox revamped offense of Victorino - Pedroia - Ortiz - Ramirez - Sandoval - Napoli - Castillo - Bogaerts - Vazquez can deliver an average of 5 runs per game, these pitchers are going to win a lot of games.

Porcello & Masterson Join Rotation

Rick Porcello for Yoenis Cespedes. I like that trade instead of Cespedes for Ian Kennedy. Porcello has pitched in the AL, he has had success, he is an innings guy & his best days should be ahead of him. Justin Masterson returns home on a short-term deal to reestablish his value after an injury in 2014 kept him for performing better. Porcello & Masterson will be trying their best to impress with good years as both could become free agents in 2016 if the Sox don't lock them up. MLB Network stated that the pitchers that Ben has acquired are mostly ground ball guys which plays well at Fenway. So, today's rotation is Porcello, Buchholz, Miley, Kelly & Masterson. I'm sure Ben is still looking for a #1, but a good day today so far.

Ben Starts Rebuild With Wade Miley

Wade Miley is not Jon Lester. However, the 28 year old lefty is an innings-eater, averaging 199 innings pitched in his past 3 seasons. Miley will also cost the Red Sox less than $1 million & he is under control for 3 more years. To get Miley the Sox give up Allen Webster & Rubby De La Rosa. Both pitchers got time with the big club last year, but neither is the proven starter that Miley is. And the Sox need proven starters. Miley & possibly Justin Masterson give the Sox 2 more arms that can give you innings & save the bullpen. Miley's ERA of 3.79 is good enough to win a lot of games with the revamped Sox offense. I would look for him to contribute like another D-backs pitcher who was traded last year, Brandon McCarthy. So the back of the rotation is Buchholz, Miley & Kelly with possibly Masterson waiting as a 6th starter or reliever. Now it's onto Hamels, Zimmermann or Cueto.

Winter Meeting Thoughts

First, what is Billy Beane doing dismantling his team by trading his best players for spare parts? No one gets what he is doing with his Marlins-like fire sale. Second, I'm disappointed that waiting for Lester's decision made the Red Sox lose out on getting Jeff Samardzija. Billy sold the Shark for 4 bit players which the Sox could have easily ponied up. Third, nice job White Sox adding several pieces to their everyday lineup. The White Sox also got David Robertson away from the Yankees. Lastly, no moves by the Orioles is surprising since they lost Miller, Cruz & Markakis. It's been a weird winter meetings so far & there are still 2 days left.

It's Over, Lester to Cubs

Theo wins. 6 years, $155 million. If history is any indication, Jon Lester will have 3 good years & 3 bad years. Example - Josh Beckett. Example - CC Sabathia. I guess you really can't go home again. Did the Red Sox bungle this situation in Spring Training? Yes. Will the talk shows be all over the Red Sox brass? Yes. But now it's time for Plan B which should include a full court press for Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmermann, David Price & Doug Fister. Of that group I would go for Hamels or Zimmermann. Some of the better prospects may have to go because of the failure on Lester. That includes guys like Bogaerts, Betts, Owens & Swihart. Second tier pitchers like Brandon McCarthy, Ian Kennedy & Ervin Santana may now be in the mix as well. Given that the Red Sox should hit better this year, do you need a #1? Lots of decisions for Ben Cherington's team to make on the fly now. Time to move on.

Cespedes for Kennedy

NESN had a story last night that there was interest by the San Diego Padres in a trade of P Ian Kennedy for Yoenis Cespedes. Kennedy was with the Yankees in his younger years. Now 29 Kennedy is a work horse who had thrown 200+ innings 3 times in his career. Last year he was 13-13 for a bad Padres team, 201 innings & a 3.63 ERA. Given the DH, you would think that he would be under a 4.00 ERA in the American League. I guess I'm OK with that, but I was hoping that Cespedes could be packaged with other players to get a Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto or Jordan Zimmermann. Kennedy is more of a #3 or #4 starter who will give you innings - something every staff needs. As a compliment to Jon Lester, I like it. Without Lester I'd hold Cespedes for a bigger arm.

Big Patriots Win

Pats 23, Chargers 14. A good win on the road & a good win after a Miami loss to Baltimore. With the score 16-14 Brady to Edelman sealed the game on a 69-yard TD catch & run in the 4th quarter to open up a very tight game. The Pats defense was stellar in the 2nd half & Brandon Bolden on special teams had a big blocked punt. This was a good team win. Even Belichick had high praise of his team grinding out a tough win against a very good opponent. Brandon Browner - I can't decide if he is an asset or a liability. He continually gets called for penalties on 3rd downs that keep the Pats defense on the field. His final penalty, ruled a hit on defenseless receiver, was questionable. I thought there was a late hit on Gronk after he scored, but that was never called. In the end the Pats will take this win in game 13 & improve to 10-3.

John Henry Visits Jon Lester

I like it! Nothing like a personal visit from the boss. John Henry flew to Atlanta to have a one-on-one meeting with Jon Lester. Henry was conveying the Sox interest in resigning the big lefty. In my book that can't hurt anything, even though reporters describe the situation as "fluid" with several teams like the Cubs, Dodgers & Giants. Personally, I just want Lester to make up his mind before any other big name pitchers are taken off the board. If he's not returning to Boston, let's move on to Plan B. But I applaud Henry for making the extra effort.

Pats Need This Road Win

3-3 record on the road suggested that the Patriots have a 50-50 chance of winning on Sunday night. And this game is a toss-up as the 9-3 Pats travel to play the 8-4 Chargers. The cold hard fact is that the Patriots do not play as well on the road as they do at home. If the Green Bay game was at Gillette, don't you think Brady would have led the offense to the go-ahead TD in the 4th quarter? The magic can be hard to come by one the road. And the Chargers are coming off a road win in Baltimore with a successful 4th quarter drive for the win. I think the Pats need to score first & often to get the Chargers out of their game plan. This game is hinges on the defense to make stops & get off the field.

Miller to Yankees

Andrew Miller - I'm not a believer. 4 years at $36 million for a guy who can be dominant & then just as easily wild. No doubt Miller's stats prove that he had a solid year in 2014 for Boston & Baltimore. But I'm still remembering a guy that was so wild that he walked the park on several occasions in the past. The Yankees need bullpen help, so let them float $8 million a year to a 7th & 8th inning reliever. In 4 years we will know if Miller lived up to the hype of his 2014 season.

Plan B

Still no word from Lester. Now the Dodgers are rumored to be interested in the former Red Sox lefty. I still say pull your offer on Friday, Ben, & move on to Plan B. Plan B could be Jeff Samardzija & James Shields. It could be Johnny Cueto & Jordan Zimmermann. It could be Cole Hamels & Brandon McCarthy. I'd hate to see the Sox wait for Lester too long, not get him & then miss out on signing a couple of these other better arms. Scherzer will be as expensive as Lester, so he could be considered a target of the Red Sox as well. I'd give it one more day, then move on.

Time for Lester to Decide

What's the hold-up? It's a guy named Jon Lester. Lester has completed his tour of interested teams & it's now time to pick one. The latest Sox offer is about the same as the Cubs, 6 years & $130 million. Given the narrow gap in money, Lester now has the choice of returning to Boston with John Farrell or moving to the Windy City with Theo. You would think that the Red Sox have a better chance of making the playoffs annually, so I think the Sox have a slight edge. But now we get to see if the Lester rhetoric about not taking the highest offer is true. If I were the Sox, I would take their offer off the table by Friday. The Lester bottleneck is preventing them from bidding on Scherzer or Shields. Also, the Sox make have trades ready to go as a back-up plan to acquire a #1 like Hamels or Zimmerman or Sale. If Lester signs, they can offer a lesser package via trade to get a #2 or #3 to compliment Buchholz & Kelly. So make a decision, Jon!

Nelson Cruz to Mariners

MLB Network is reporting that Nelson Cruz has signed a 4-year deal with the Seattle Mariners. There goes Baltimore's thumper! This signing may have impact on the Red Sox as Seattle was a team interested in Yoenis Cespedes. Now Ben may need to deal Cespedes to the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies or New York Mets to get a quality pitcher back. I was not that impressed with Iwakuma, a guy the M's would have given up to get a big bat. Let's shoot higher - Hamels, Cueto, Sale. Cruz is one more chip off the table.

Will the Sox Find Pitchers This Week?

Yes, expect the Sox to get a yay or nay on Jon Lester this week. I would expect that to happen before the winter meetings start later this weekend. Then Scherzer will get his deal & other trades will go down. If necessary, the Sox can clean house of 7 to 10 prospects & a few roster players to address their pitching needs all by trade. Plan A - I hope that Lester returns. If not, the Sox can move onto Cole Hamels or Johnny Cueto or both. These guys can be legit #1 starters. Chris Sale would be another guy that I would trade several prospects & players for. Maybe they take a chance with more friendly trades for Fister & Zimmermann - neither will command as many key players as Hamels or Cueto. Then the Sox could make smaller deals - a Brandon McCarthy, a Zake Wheeler, etc. Lots & lots of scenarios to go through. But it all starts when Jon Lester makes his decision.

Packers 26, Patriots 21

An entertaining & exciting game. 2 good teams for sure. Pats D missed their opportunity to win by committing too many key penalties, particularly by Browner, & by putting no pass rush on Rodgers which allowed him to wait an eternity until receivers were open. Pats O had a chance to score a go-ahead TD in the 4th, but they allowed a sack on a key 3rd down & then missed a field goal. No question that the Pats do not play well on the road. But I think the Packers & their fans were pretty nervous right up until the end of the game. They know the Pats will not be a pushover next time around if they meet in Arizona for the Super Bowl as some predict. Pats are 9-3 & tied for best record in the AFC with Denver. No time to lick your wounds as the Pats play the Chargers in San Diego next weekend. The Chargers are coming off a big win on Sunday against Baltimore. It should be an interesting December of football.

Power Back On

Well, it was quite a storm here in New England, in particular New Hampshire. I was 1 of 200,000 people that lost power for 3 days due to the pre-Thanksgiving storm. We had to go to Plan B, like many others, in order to get a turkey dinner cooked for our guests on Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, we had a daughter whose house had power & we moved in. My nephew ended up cooking his turkey on a gas grill outside! Some friends & family roughed it out in cold homes where fingers were crossed that no pipes would burst. Walking through your house with flashlights & candles reminds you of how dependent we are on power & how we should conserve more. The outage made me think of the homeless who have no place to stay. It was terrible to throw away good food that had gone bad in the fridge & freezer. Now with power back on for most folks today we really do have something to be thankful for. More articles will be written by me on the Sox this week as things return to normal. But I'm taking Sunday off as a day of rest & to be thankful for all of my blessings. I will thoroughly enjoy having TV again & watching the Patriots. This will be a Thanksgiving not soon forgotten.

Buchholz & Owens for Fister & Zimmerman

Since money is no object this year I have a trade for Ben to consider. Let's ship off Clay Buchholz with Henry Owens to the Nats & get Doug Fister & Jordan Zimmerman in return. Throw in Middlebrooks &/or Cespedes for good measure. 2 proven starters for 1 sometimes starter, a top prospect, a big bat & a maybe bat. Here's what Zimmermann & Fister did last year. Zimmermann - 32 starts / 199 innings / 2.66 ERA. Fister - 25 starts / 164 innings / 2.41 ERA. Last year Buck was 28 starts / 170 innings / 5.34 ERA. Even adjusting for the DH in the AL Zimmerman & Fister project into the low 3.00 ERA's & both are durable innings eaters. Instead of counting on Buck to be a major cog in the rotation & being disappointed more years than not, let's ship him off & let another team gamble with him. Lester, Fister, Zimmermann, Kelly & De La Rosa sounds good to me.

Who Gets the Boot?

The Red Sox are like Amazon, a wholesale warehouse of players waiting to claimed by other teams. You need position players, we have them. You need pitching, we have lots of young arms. Perhaps the Red Sox will make 1 more free agent acquisition using John Henry's check book. But at least 1 additional, if not 2 additional pitchers, will come to the team via trade. So who stays & who goes? In my opinion the Sox will make an either/or choice between keeping players as follows: Cespedes or Victorino; Bogaerts or Betts; Betts or Holt; Nava or Craig; Ranaudo or Owens; Swihart or Vazquez. A few top tier prospects may need to go with a Cespedes, for instance, to get a Johnny Cueto or Jordan Zimmerman or Cole Hamels. As we have seen, prospects are just prospects. I think anyone is available for a major league pitcher who has had success. Then maybe a Brandon McCarthy can come in on a shorter contract & give the team innings out of the 3rd or 4th spot in the rotation. Trust in Ben. The plan is coming together.

Ben's Second Act - Pitching

Upgrade the offense - check. The Red Sox lineup with Sandoval & Ramirez will allow the mediocre offense of 2014 to be much improved next year. What's next for Ben? Pitching. Re-sign Jon Lester by getting your offer up to 6 years & $140 million, $23 million a year. It would be horrible PR for Lester to sign with another team. Get pitcher #2 via trade & cast off several of your extra pieces. Hamels, Cueto, Sale, Zimmermann, Fister & others are out there. For trade bait I would dangle Cespedes or Victorino, Henry Owens, Betts or Holt, obviously Middlebrooks, maybe Allen Craig. The Sox need to thin out their herd of outfielders & pitchers. How about trading Buchholz & Owens to the Nats for Fister & Zimmerman? They get 1 starting pitcher & a high prospect while we get 2 proven starters to back-up Lester. I'm sure that Ben has the skinny on every deal possible. A rotation of Lester, Zimmermann, Fister, Kelly & De La Rosa would look pretty good. The winter meetings start late next week, so expect Ben to be very active. Other than pitching, I would let Blake Swihart be the 2nd catcher this year, play about 60 games as the backup to Vazquez, & see what his switch-hitting bat could add to the lineup.

Damned If You Do!

Well, that didn't take long. Felger & Mazz are already bashing the Sox for signing Pablo Sandoval & Hanley Ramirez. Damned if you do & then reporters like this would be the very first to say that the damn Red Sox didn't do enough in the off season. You can't have it both ways, fellas. For me I didn't see the attraction of Sandoval over Headley. And the Ramirez deal came out of nowhere. But there is a lot of info we fans are missing on both guys. Have a little trust, have a little faith. The Red Sox brass may have had discussions with Cespedes about his intentions after 2015. It would seem like Victorino or Cespedes or Castillo will be used for trade bait in return for a starting pitcher or two. Any team needing to win now could opt for one or more of these guys. News is also breaking that the Sox are the front runner to sign Jon Lester. Let's give Ben & Larry & John more time to finish the team makeover before passing judgment. Just keep that check book out, John! Steve & Gaff were right.

Report: Sox Acquire Sandoval & Ramirez

CBS Sports & MLB Network say the Sox have reached deals with Pablo Sandoval & Hanley Ramirez. If so, the Sox middle of the order would be formidable - Ortiz, Ramirez, Sandoval, Napoli. Sandoval would play 3B while Ramirez would most likely move to LF. The Sox would trade excess outfielders, including Cespedes or Victorino, to bring back a starting pitcher. Who thought that the Sox would strike first for offense instead of pitching?

Pats 34, Lions 9

As some commentators alluded to, not a great effort by the Detroit Lions team or coaching staff yesterday in the Patriots runaway win at Foxborough. 53 passes by Tom Brady kept the Lions defense off balance all day long. A few tough runs by LeGarrett Blount yielded 2 running TD's. And the Patriots defense, usually a weak point every year, blanketed the Detroit receivers, including Megatron, to allow only 3 field goals. Add an 80 yard punt return by Danny Amendola & a second long punt return for TD called back on a penalty by Julian Edelman that showed special teams were on their game as well. Pats dominate in all 3 phases for another great win. This sets up next week's challenge of the Pats playing in Lambreau Field against the surging Packers.

Why Sign Hanley?

It's confusing to say the least. Reports are out there that the Red Sox have signed Hanley Ramirez to a 5 year, $90 million deal. Ramirez will be in Boston on Monday. Hanley was a young star with the Red Sox back in 2000 & it was obvious that the teenager had issues with maturity. His time with the Marlins & Dodgers have done nothing to make you think that he has matured over the years. And if the Red Sox sign him, where does he play? It's not SS as he has one of the worst fielding records. It's not 3B if the Sox sign Sandoval. And it's not LF if the Sox keep Cespedes. Add the injury bug to the young 30-something's resume & what are you really getting? Another right-handed bat that can be very productive. Offense sells which is the case here. So this move by the Red Sox has everyone scratching their heads. Maybe Sandoval's deal is falling through. Maybe Cespedes gets moved in a trade for a pitcher. Hanley is the back-up plan that perhaps has become Ben's plan A.

In Ben We Must Trust

Jon Lester. Max Scherzer. James Shields. Pablo Sandoval. Chase Headley. Chris Sale. Johnny Cueto. Yasmany Tomas. Hanley Ramirez. Jordan Zimmermann. Brandon McCarthy. Justin Masterson. Mat Latos. Zack Wheeler. Lonnie Chisenhall. Miguel Montero. Carlos Gonzalez. And on & on goes the list of free agents & possible trade names. You can assume that the Red Sox have a pecking order of new players to fill the holes of their 2015 roster. You can also assume that they are a potential suitor for any & all of these players. And you can assume that Ben Cherington & his staff have done their due diligence on each & every one. I don't get the Sox interest in Sandoval (5 years, $95 million) over a cheaper Headley, but I'm going to trust in Ben. Once Jon Lester & Pablo Sandoval find homes for 2015 the remaining free agents will topple like dominos.

Billy Butler to A's

Nice pick-up by Mr. Moneyball. Billy Butler brings his right-handed bat to Oakland for 3 years & $30 million. The A's never got their offense back on track after trading away Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox. So Billy Beane made the move to the former KC Royal Butler to bolster his offense for the next 3 years. Tough blow to Kansas City to lose an 8 year vet who helped them to the World Series.

Go After Jordan Zimmermann

MLB Network reported that Jordan Zimmermann of the Nationals is being made available for trade by Washington. Salary dump by the Nats. Hello, Red Sox! Go jump on this opportunity & get this guy! Zimmermann was 19-9 in 2013, 213 innings, 161 k's to 40 walks, 3.25 ERA. In 2014 he was 14-5, 199 innings, 182 k's to only 19 walks, 2.66 ERA. He makes $16.5 million next year which is much more do-able financially for the Sox than a Scherzer or a Hamels. At 28 years old this kid is coming into his own. Zimmerman is a free agent in 2016, but you get a chance to sign him long term &/or you get another year for your young pitchers to mature. He & Lester could be your Pedro & Schilling. your Lester & Lackey for the next 5 years. Go get him now, Ben!

Sandoval Offer Coming

After the Panda's visit to Fenway & his meeting with the Red Sox brass, reports are that the Red Sox will be making Sandoval an offer. The Sox will be bidding against the Giants & Blue Jays. I guess $100 million doesn't buy you what it use to & I would rate Pablo as an above-average player, but not a superstar. Then there's the weight thing. However, the Sox need a left-handed bat & Sandoval fits that need. Right place, right time type of thing. I hope that the other teams don't overreach & offer him $100 mil or more. If the Sox can land him at $80 to $90 million, I guess that's a good deal in today's market. The money is ridiculous.

Red Sox Make Offer to Jon Lester

OK, now we're talkin.' Let's get this team makeover going. Instead of $130 to $140 million, the Sox offered 6 years to Jon Lester at $110 to $120 million. Larry Lucchino is like a used car salesman. He likes to dicker which is probably a good & necessary trait in his job. Personally, I hate dickering. Give me your best offer up front. If Lester's agent comes back & says he's your at $130 million, maybe Larry says deal. How could he not? But perhaps Lester will get the $130 mil or more from the Cubs or Braves or Cardinals. It depends upon Lester's willingness to stay in familiar surrounding, stay with a team where he will break all the records for a left-handed pitcher & stay with a team that wants to win now. The Cubs & Braves are building for the future. I think Boston has a lot of offer, but it will take more dickering. And just maybe Lester & his rep aren't the dickering type. I sure hope that you didn't blow it, Larry.

Talk Is All About Sandoval Visit, Lester

Latest sports talk is focused on the visit to Boston by Pablo Sandoval. The Panda is getting the grand tour of Fenway Park & the Boston area. He is meeting with Sox management today. Supposedly, he is looking for 5 years & $80 to $90 million. Russell Martin signing for 5 years & $82 million may have set the bar for above-average, but not superstar players. As Ortiz said, the Panda has never been a 30 HR/100 RBI guy. But Sandoval is only 28 & coming into his prime. Christopher Russo on MLB Network said that perhaps the Panda will replace Ortiz once Big Papi retires. Too bad Will Middlebrooks couldn't have been more productive & couldn't have locked down 3B last year. In addition, Peter Gammons said Cubs sources think Jon Lester will re-sign with the Red Sox. Lester is scheduled to visit Atlanta, a team close to his home, & the Cardinals are also interested in the big lefty. I am hopeful that the Red Sox will get him back. Once Lester or Scherzer signs, the other dominos will fall. Something will happen as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

Heyward to Cards, Martin to Blue Jays

Jason Heyward gets a change of scenery as he moves from Atlanta to St. Louis in a trade for 2 pitchers. Russell Martin, reportedly being wooed by the Cubs, instead accepts a 5-year deal from the Toronto Blue Jays. Heyward was traded by the Braves to the Cards as he was in the last year of his current deal & the Braves outfield was crowded. Martin is a native of Montreal & he returns to Canada for a $52 million free agent deal. Not bad for a guy who hit .211 for the Yankees a few years ago. I like the Cards deal better. Martin may be overhyped.

Marlins Lock-Up Stanton

13 years, $325 million, no-trade clause, opt out after 6 years. Quite a player friendly deal that Giancarlo Stanton signed yesterday with the Miami Marlins. The 25-year old will potentially be a South Florida player until he is 38. No one really believed the Marlins when they said Stanton wasn't for sale. How could anyone based upon the Marlins past actions which included fire sales at various times. But they did break the bank for Stanton at a young age to keep him in Miami. Funny how fickle people can be. I heard many reporters say the Marlins needed to sign Stanton long-term to show that they are real. Now those same reporters say maybe the Marlins went too long at 13 years, maybe they should have waited to see how Stanton reacts to balls inside since he got hit in the face. Can't win. Most longer term deals - A-Rod, Pujols, et al - don't pan out, particularly in the later years. Time will tell on this one.

2015 Red Sox Roster - Gaff

Like Steve, Gaff has sent a message to John Henry to open his checkbook. Gaff has the Red Sox adding 3 free agents & adding 2 more players via trade. Here's his roster. Starting Pitchers - Jon Lester, free agent signing; Cole Hamels, acquire by trade; Clay Buchholz; Joe Kelly; Brandon Workman. Bullpen - Andrew Miller, free agent signing; Rubby De La Rosa; Allen Webster; Matt Barnes; Edward Mujica; Junichi Tazawa; Koji Uehara. Catchers - Alex Avila, acquire by trade; Cristian Vazquez. Infield -- Chase Headley, free agent signing; Dustin Pedroia; Jemile Weeks; Mike Napoli; Xander Bogaerts. Outfield - Rusney Castillo; Yoenis Cespedes; Daniel Nava; Shane Victorino. IF/OF - Allen Craig, Mookie Betts. There you have the 25 man roster as put together by Gaff. It will be most interesting to see where the chips fall.

Pats Put Away Colts in 2nd Half

From 14-10 at halftime turns into 42-20 after 4 quarters. Jonas Gray scores 4 running TD's. Tom Brady rebounds after a very poor first half. A very mad & angry Gronk ran over 4 Colts on his way into the end zone. The New England Patriots sit atop the AFC with an 8-2 record after an unexpected loss by Denver to St. Louis. Only the Arizona Cardinals have a better NFL record at 9-1. The Pats have found a way to shake off a 2-2 start by way of improved line play from the offensive line & better overall play from a blitzing defense. What looked to be a long year trending at 8-8 may just turn into a magical one. We'll see if the Pats can handle the Detroit defense & Megatron next week in Foxborough.

A Few Signings

The hot stove has been lukewarm so far. Just a few signings to date. Victor Martinez re-signs with the Detroit Tigers for 4 more years. V-Mart was rumored to be in talks with Seattle, but the Mariners may now turn their attention to Hanley Ramirez. Michael Cuddyear signed a 2-year deal with the New York Mets. The Mets are trying to get into the NL East race after many years of sub-.500 performances. And AJ Burnett goes back to Pittsburgh on a 1-year deal. The sullen Burnett gets out of Philly, a team going nowhere. That's it so far.

Pedro Alvarez or Lonnie Chisenhall?

The Boston Herald had an article that mentioned the Sox could fix their 3B problems with 2 other lefty bats who are younger & would cost the team less money via trades. Pedro Alvarez is a Pirate, 27, 6'3", 235 lbs. Lonnie Chisenhall is an Indian, 26, 6'2", 190 lbs. Alvarez would concern me due to his strikeout ratio of 25%- 113 k's in 445 plate appearances last year. Yet Alvarez seems to have a better power bat. Chisenhall hit for average & really came into his own last year, contributing several key hits for Francona's team. Both are good defensively. The appeal of Sandoval & Headley is the fact that they are switch hitters, something the Red Sox have been missing since Shane Victorino decided to hit exclusively from the right side. But the Herald article cites Alvarez & Chisenhall as options to consider should the Sox swing & miss on Sandoval & Headley. Good thoughts. It's sad that Will Middlebrooks will either be traded or land in Pawtucket until he gets his power swing back.

Yes & No

I thought that we would help Ben with a few yes & no answers as to signings & trades. Hanley Ramirez - no. Too often injured. Too temperamental. We've been down this road before when he was a young Red Sox prospect. He's a west coast, National League kind of player. Leave him there. Pablo Sandoval - yes & no. I'm moderating my original no. If the Sox can put weight restrictions on his salary & get him for 3 years or less, good. Ultimately, the Panda probably stays in San Fran for sentimental reasons where they put up with his bulging belly. Chase Headley - yes. If Ben is only going after 2 starting pitchers, then money is available to sign Headley who I think is a better alternative than Sandoval & you can sign Headley for less money & years. Lou Merloni & I agree on this one. Jon Lester - yes. Lester can pitch in Boston & in the playoffs. I'm all for signing Lester at any cost. Andrew Miller - no. He hasn't proven to me that his wildness is cured. No doubt he has had a good run for 2 years, but you still see signs of wildness that make me not trust him as an 8th or 9th inning arm. Chris Sale - yes. Sale came in 3rd in the Cy Young voting. Since Stanton of the Marlins seems to be going nowhere I'd empty the prospect bin & get Sale who could be the Jon Lester of the future. His salary is only $6 million & he is under control for several years. James Shields - yes, but at the right price & years. 3 years would be max for me. If Shields gets 5 years from a team, let him go. As shown in this year's playoffs, his 200+ innings every year finally caught up to him. Max Scherzer - yes, but only if the Lester deal falls through. Scherzer turned down big money earlier this year & he may not get as good a deal now after a somewhat down year. Other NL pitchers like Johnny Cueto & Cole Hammels are options as well, but you wonder about no DH in the NL skewing their numbers, not to mention the prospects & money needed to get them. C Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks is being floated out there as trade bait. If the D-backs picked up some of his salary, he could offer more pop behind the plate & he would be cheaper than Russell Martin. Lots of options out there. You can assume that Ben laid the ground work for several further discussions this week. It seems like we are all waiting for the 1st deal to go down, then the rest follow.

What Is Ben Thinking?

Articles on WEEI & the Red Sox website indicate that Ben Cherington has no plans to move Yoenis Cespedes. Yes, the Cuban outfielder has only 1 year left under his current contract. Yes, Cespedes has never played RF as expected. However, Ben says that there is a limited amount of legit power hitters in baseball & Cespedes is one of these few. In his mind power trumps everything else. I can't disagree. On starting pitching Ben expects that market to move slowly done this week & he expects deals to be done at the winter meetings. He expects to be in on conversations on all relevant starters - Lester, Shields, Scherzer, Cueto, et. al. Ben did confirm that just about every team has inquired about the Sox surplus of outfielders. Along with a surplus of pitching, Ben has several chips to use in any trade.

2015 Red Sox Roster - Steve

My podcast partner Steve completed his Ben Cherington scenario for this off-season. Steve has a couple of assumptions. First, the Red Sox management will be in panic mode to put a competitive team on the field. Second, money is not an object. With those assumptions here is Steve's 25-man roster. Starting pitchers - Max Scherzer signs as free agent; Cole Hamels acquired via trade; Clay Buchholz; Rubby De La Rosa; Allen Webster. Bullpen - Koji Uehara; Junichi Tazawa; Burke Badenhop gets re-signed; Matt Barnes; Brandon Workman. Outfield - Yasmany Tomas gets signed as free agent; Yoenis Cespedes; Rusney Castillo; Daniel Nava; Mookie Betts. Infield - Pablo Sandoval gets signed as free agent; Dustin Pedroia; Xander Bogaerts; Mike Napoli; Will Middlebrooks; Brock Holt. IF / OF - Allen Craig. C - Cristian Vazquez; Ryan Lavarnway. DH - David Ortiz. When you try to put together a roster you see it's not as easy as you think. Let us know your thoughts on Steve's roster & mine as we play Ben Cherington. Gaff's list to follow.

Chase Headley Versus Pablo Sandoval

IF & I say IF the Red Sox are in the market for a free agent 3B, I think Chase Headley is a better deal than Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval is coming off of a good playoff run & he will command 6 years & $100 million. Headley, on the other hand, is coming off a down year & he can probably be signed to a shorter term deal for much less money. Both are switch hitters. Headley is 30 while Sandoval is 28. The Panda looks about 48 though & his size is concerning - like a Prince Fielder. Personally, I think the Red Sox should use all of their resources to bring in 3 starting pitchers, not 2. I stated before that Chris Sale & Johnny Cueto wouldn't break the bank & the big money should go to re-signing Jon Lester. But let's see what Ben thinks. Managers meeting starts on Tuesday.

Lance Armstrong & Alex Rodriguez

I happened to be channel surfing on the TV when I came across a documentary on Lance Armstrong - his lies, his chronic doping, his sociopathic denials of any wrongdoing, his misleading of the public, his Live Strong cancer foundation fraud, his ruining of lives like Floyd Landis & several others people who dare to speak the truth. Then I thought of Alex Rodriguez. Is A-Rod the baseball version of cyclist Lance Armstrong? They are cut from the same cloth. Liars. Frauds. Deceivers of the public trust. Ruiners of the joy of sport. The Yankees have to deal with A-Rod & somehow get him off of their team or get out from under the $61 million contract over the next 3 years. At least Armstrong was banned from cycling for life. We still have to hear & see A-Rod at least for the start of spring training.

Pedroia Healthy

What would it be like to have a healthy Dustin Pedroia for a full season? We haven't seen the 4-time Gold Glove winner at full speed for the past few years. A healthy Pedroia drives the offense into another gear, setting the table for Ortiz, Cespedes & Napoli. The little guy is a difference maker. Pedrois recently told a radio show that his hand is fully healed & he is performing his off-season program at full speed. Let's hope that the Sox 2B stays healthy & that he is a major contributor in 2015.

My 2015 Roster

Here's my assumptions. The Red Sox will go all out to win another World Series in 2015 while David Ortiz is still a productive force at the plate. I keep Yoenis Cespedes to play out his contract & see if we can extend him during the year. I give the big money to bring back Jon Lester. Tough decisions, but I give up on Will Middlebrooks, Allen Craig, Daniel Nava & Jackie Bradley, Jr. & use them as chips in a trade. I have only 2 free agent signings & I use our surplus of pitchers & outfielders to effect 2 big trades. My free agent signings & trades amount to about $45 million which the Red Sox can handle. Starting Pitchers (5) - Jon Lester, free agent signing for 5 years & $125 million; Chris Sale, trade with White Sox, $6 million & under control until 2018; Johnny Cueto, trade with Cincinnati, $10 million next year & free agent in 2016; Clay Buccholtz & Joe Kelly return from last year. I keep Steven Wright & Rubby De La Rosa as extra starters in Pawtucket. Bullpen (9) - Koji Uehara, re-signed for 2 years; Junichi Tazawa, Edward Mujica, Alex Wilson, Drake Britton, Brandon Workman, Tommy Layne, Matt Barnes & Heather Embree all returning. Catchers (2) - Javier Vazquez, returning; free agent signing of Geovani Soto or David Ross, 1-year $3.5 to $4 million. Outfielders (4) - Rusney Castillo, signed; Yoenis Cespedes, Shane Victorino & Mookie Betts returning. Infielders (4) - Mike Napoli, Dustin Pedroia, Xanders Bogaerts, Brock Holt all returning. Keep Garin Cecchini &/or Deven Marrero at Pawtucket for insurance. Betts can move to the infield if needed in case of injury. DH (1) - David Ortiz, returning. Players available in trades for Sale & Cueto - Will Middlebrooks, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Allen Craig, Daniel Nava, Henry Owens, Anthony Ranaudo, Allen Webster, Dan Butler, Ryan Lavarnway, Travis Shaw, Bryce Brentz & others. Some tough decisions to be made for sure. But that's my 25 man roster for the 2015 Red Sox.

Red Sox 25-Man Roster

I have a challenge for Gaff, Steve & all you viewers from Colorado Springs & parts unknown. I'd like everyone to put on their thinking caps & help Ben Cherington field a competitive team in 2015. Give me your best guess as to the Red Sox 25-man roster on opening day 2015. It will be a fun exercise to see what we come up with versus what the team actually looks like. I'll have my picks by the end of the week. Give it some thought.

Francona Gets 2 Year Extension

Tito will call Cleveland home for the next 4 years. His original deal would expire after the 2016 season & the Indians management extended him 2 more years through 2018 with options for 2 more until 2020. Francona has had 2 winning seasons in Cleveland, something the team hadn't done since 2007. Tito is a winner. Good for the Indians to keep him around longer.

Maddon Introduced As Cubs Manager

Joe Maddon will try to be the manager to reverse the curse for the Cubs. Personally, I'm just glad to have him out of the AL East. Maddon inherits a team that lacks pitching - something that he was never short on in Tampa Bay. For Theo & the Cubs I hope this signing works out for them.

Notable Free Agents

WEEI listed all 121 free agents on their blog the other day. Here's the names of 10 notable ones that I think the Red Sox may kick the tires on. OF/DH Nelson Cruz. P Andrew Miller. P James Shields. 3B/1B Chase Headley. P Brandon McCarthy. P Jon Lester. P Francisco Liriano. P Edinson Volquez. 3B Pablo Sandoval. P Justin Masterson. Because of the glut of pitchers & outfielders in the Red Sox system the Sox may do most of their remodeling for 2015 through trades. Guys like Cole Hamels, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardja & the big guy from the Marlins Giancarlo Stanton may be available. I expect Ben to address the starting rotation next.

Ross Goes Free Agency, Breslow Contract Bought Out

For a guy who was all over the Red Sox championship DVD in 2013 & for a guy singing the praises of Boston, I was surprised that David Ross filed for free agency. Maybe the Sox told him what they were willing to offer for a 60-game back-up catcher now that Vazquez is moving to everyday status. But I was surprised. In a non-surprise move the Red Sox declined a $4 million option on Craig Breslow, instead buying him out for $100,000. Breslow had an off year & he may very well rebound for another team in 2015 - just not at a $4 mil price tag. Lefties are always in demand, so I'm sure he will find a job. I expect the Sox to keep up a busy pace as free agent signings can start on Tuesday.

Rusney Shut Down With Thumb Injury

Rusney Castillo may or may not continue to get at-bats this winter, depending upon how a recent thumb injury responds to rest. Playing in the Arizona Fall League Castillo sustained a minor injury that should respond well to rest - per Ben Cherington. Assuming he recovers after a period of rest, Rusney may continue to get at-bats in Puerto Rico in November. No alarm for Red Sox fans. Just a wait & see period of a week to 10 days.

Closer - Check!

One day after the end of the World Series the Red Sox began the work of assembling their team for 2015. First job - get a closer. And they stayed with a familiar face in Koji Uehara. Koji keeps his job for 2 more years on an $18 million deal. Not Jonathan Papelbon money, but close enough. It will be nearly impossible for Koji to duplicate his stats from 2013, but you can expect an 85%-90% success ratio in closing games from this ageless wonder. With Edward Mujica turning things around in the 2nd half of last season he may take some work off of Koji so as not to wear him out during the regular season. Koji was a big part of the 2013 chanpionship season, a guy the Red Sox couldn't have won without. He deserves this last contract before he retires. Now onto building a starting rotation.

Last 10 World Series Winners

The most successful MLB franchises - measured by World Series wins - over the past 10 years are the Giants, Red Sox & Cardinals who collectively have 7 out of the last 10 championship rings. 2005 - Chicago White Sox. 2006 - St. Louis Cardinals. 2007 - Boston Red Sox. 2008 - Philadelphia Phillies. 2009 - New York Yankees. 2010 - San Drancisco Giants. 2011 - St. Louis Cardinals. 2012 - San Francisco Giants. 2013 - Boston Red Sox. 2014 - San Francisco Giants. Throw in 2004 for good measure & the Giants, Sox & Cardinals have 8 out of 11 or 73%. Only the White Sox, Phillies & Yankees have managed to snag 1 championship in this decade. I guess the Steinbrenner's money in New York can't buy what it once did!

Dynasty 3, Destiny 2

The magical season of 2014 for the Kansas City Royals came to an end last night with a 3-2 loss in game 7 of the World Series. All-world Madison Baumgarner shut down the Royals offense with 5 scoreless innings of relief. Baumgarner was an easy MVP choice. The Giants become the 1st team since the 1940's to win 3 series rings over a 5 year span. The cut the Red Sox 3 rings in 10 years time by half. Neither the Royals nor Giants were expected to be 1 of the last 2 teams standing. So good seasons in 2014 for both franchises. 2015 starts today.

2014 Almost Over

OK Red Sox fans - 2014 is almost over. We finished last in the AL East. We jettisoned players to get Yoenis Cespedes, Joe Kelly & Allen Craig. We signed Rusney Castillo. The offense looked better in September. Starting pitchers were given tryouts over the final 2 months. Maybe Rubby De La Rosa gets a rotation spot. Maybe Matt Barnes gets a bullpen spot. Maybe Brandon Workman fits better in the pen. Will Middlebrooks & JBJ either get another year to show what they can do or they become trade bait. Mookie & Bogaerts showed promise in September. The Sox will fill their wish list for Christmas by finding 2 starting pitchers first, then decide about the left side of the infield & another catcher if David Ross is done. Lots of players available for trade deals. Lots of money available to sign any free agent they choose to. It should all start happening before Thanksgiving. Get ready for November.

Game 7 Tonight

A lot of reporters thought that this World Series would go 7. I thought so too. Each team has won 2 & lost 1 at home. Jake Peavy couldn't answer the bell again for the Giants. Royals stomp Giants 10-0 in game 6 setting up an interesting game 7. Will Bochy go with Hudson or try Baumgarner on short rest? Give the edge tonight to Guthrie who beat Hudson in game 3, although neither pitcher went too long. The KC bullpen is rested & ready to go which is bad news for Giants fans. It will be a good game to watch as is any game 7. Giants need to get an early lead in order to pull off their 3rd World Series win in 5 years. Royals need to keep moving runners, create havoc on the bases & get timely hitting. Enjoy the last game of the year.

Pats Crush Bears

The Chicago Bears are not a good football team. And the Patriots exploited the Bears defense who had no answer for their offense & especially no answer for Gronk. Brady looked like Brady. A bunch of different contributors on both sides of the ball. A good win. A needed win as Buffalo kept pace by beating the J-E-T-S. Can't wait to see Sexy Rexy get fired. Now the tough part of the season begins with games against better teams. Let's see how the Pats fare in the 2nd half.

Where Will Joe Maddon Go?

Some say he should take a year off. Some say Professor Joe is heading to Theo & the Cubs. The guy known for having themes for players on road trips - western wear, pajamas, etc. - is looking for bigger bucks than he could ever get in Tampa Bay. Maddon wants his piece of the pie - which is his right. I think he really wants to go to a bigger name team with bigger players so he can make his mark in a World Series victory. Personally, I think Maddon overthinks the game too much. He overuses his bullpen. He overuses the shift. He substitutes at times for the sake of substituting. Given what he has had to work with in Tampa Bay, he has done a good job. But let's not put him in the Hall of Fame. He's a good manager, but not as fantastic as some would lead you to believe.

Sox Hire Chili Davis As Hitting Coach

Evey 3 to 4 years you need to change your coaching staff as players get tired of hearing the same things over & over again. So the Sox hired Chili Davis, the former A's hitting coach, for the next 3 years. Davis is a former player & he has worked with Yoenis Cespedes in the past. Time for a new philosophy, a new way of teaching players to see the ball, hit the ball. Can't hurt.

Baumgarner the Real Deal

Don't you think that Clayton Kershaw is wishing that he could perform in the post-season like Madison Baumgarner? The Giants ace has been the Jon Lester of this year's playoffs with dominating performances. After the Giants came back from a 4-run deficit to win game 4 & tie up the series Baumgarner outpitched James Shields again to give the Giants a 5-0 victory. When you do it on the big stage, that says something. The giants have their answer to Kershaw for the next several years. Baumgarner had secured his future for a long, long time.

What Have We Learned?

In 2014 the "experts" expected to see the LA Dodgers win the World Series. Vegas odds were 4-1 at the start of the season. The Toronto Blue Jays looked unbeatable in April & May. By late August my buddy Mad Dog Russo wrote off the KC Royals & Pittsburgh Pirates from making the playoffs. As September started, everyone thought that Baltimore & Anaheim would meet in the ALCS to fight for the right to play the Dodgers in the World Series. All of these assumptions were dead wrong. Baseball has a stat for everything, but stats count for nothing in the long run. Stats give sabermetric folks something to scientifically predict results. But baseball isn't all science. Players slump & get hot throughout the course of a 6-month season. All that matters is getting hot at the right time of the year, a/k/a getting hot in October. We have 2 wild card teams as the last 2 franchises out of 30 still standing. So what do we know about baseball? First, teams win games, not stats. Second, it doesn't matter how you get into the playoffs, just get in. Then anything can happen.

Royals 3, Giants 2

Game 3 was more like a playoff game as opposed to the first two. Good pitching. Good defense. Timely hitting. A recipe that the Royals have used to get them a 2-1 lead in the world Series. The Giants know that they need to get a lead before the 7th inning because the KC bullpen is tough to score on. Last year we had Tzawa & Koji to close games out. This year KC has Herrera, Davis & Holland. I'm thinking this will be a 7 game series. If not, I'm glad that the Royals get to go home to KC to play again if the Giants win one of the next two. And finally, goofy guy wearing the Marlins jersey was off to the side of home plate last night & his shirt blended in better with Giants fans in their team orange.

Royals, Giants Split First 2 Games

Each team won a game by 5 or more runs, odd by World Series standards where you expect low scoring games. James Shields has been horrible throughout the playoffs &, if this were the regular season, he could use a stint on the DL for a tired arm. You can only throw 200 innings a year for so many years. It looks like Shields has hit the wall & his playoff performance may de-value his marketability in free agency. Jake Peavy just can't win a World Series game. He was horrible for the Sox last year & he was horrible last night for the Giants. I give the edge to KC for better starting pitching & a better bullpen. Finally, have you noticed the goofy guy behind home plate in the orange Marlins jersey with the crooked hat? What planet is he from? And how did he get that seat in Kansas City? It5 takes all kinds I guess.

A-Rod Messing With Yankee Plans

My podcast buddy Steve sent me an article written by Joel Sherman on Alex Rodriguez & his effect on the composition of the Yankees in 2015. A-Rod will be 40 years old. He has 3 years & $61 million left on his contract. What can the Yankees expect from him? Can he play? Will he be healthy? Can he be productive after missing a full year? A-Rod & his contract is an albatross around the Yankees neck, hampering them from composing a team that can compete in a much tougher AL East. The Red Sox, Rays & O's will all be contenders next year. Jays not so much. The Yankees had major injuries to Sabathia & Tanaka. Beltran was off the field more than on down the stretch. No Jeter. Teixeira is another year older. It's going to be awhile before the Yankees figure this whole thing out. Couldn't be happier!!

"The Panda"

As the World Series begins tonight, there has been talk about free agent to be Pablo Sandoval coming to Boston & playing 3B next year. Like Russell Martin, I don't see Sandoval being a good fit. His cost will outweigh (no pun intended about his weight) his production. No question he would be a nice switch hitter to have in your lineup. But if we have $50-$55 million to spend on free agents I would rather spend the money on Lester, Shields & resigning Koji. Pitching is where the biggest need is.

Patriots Escape With Win 27-25

Thank you, Chris Jones, for blocking a last second field goal attempt. It was a game saver for the Pats. Count on this being a long year for the Pats any time the offense scores less than 30 points because the defense is giving up so many yards. If not for the floundering Jets offense in the red zone, the score would have reflected a lopsided win for Rexy's crew. Better to be lucky than good last night, but that philosophy won't hold every week.

Surprise Saguaros - AFL

I had a chance to drive to Surprize, AZ yesterday & see the fall league game between the Surprise Saguaros & Scottsdale Scorpions (lots of S's). The Surprise team includes players from the Red Sox system. While I was hoping to see Rusney Castillo play, unfortunately all I saw was him in the dugout sporting a very cool looking mohawk. He was out of the lineup. I did see Sean Coyle & Deven Marrero in action. Coyle is a small 2B, but he shot a double down LF line & played flawless in the field. Marrero was the DH & he had a rough day, no balls out of the infield. A couple of Sox relievers, Robby Scott & Madison Younginer, got an inning each as the Saguaros won 7-3. I may try to catch Rusney again before he goes to play in Puerto Rico in November.

Giants Win!

The San Francisco Giants become the second wild card team to make it through to the 2014 World Series. They will play the surprising KC Royals next week in the fall classic. Old friend Jake Peavy gets a chance to win a 2nd ring in as many years. And as much as the Red Sox have won 3 championships in 10 years, the Giants can make it 3 wins in 5 years. You could say that the Sox & Giants have dominated for the past 10 post-seasons. The sentimental favorite of this series has to be the Royals, but you have to respect the Giants pulling things together enough at the end to make the playoffs. They are the last west coast team standing. No Dodgers. No Angels. No A's. No Mariners. And certainly no Padres. It will be the west versus the mid-west. Fox will not be happy with no east coast fans looking in. O well, Joe Buck. Good job, Giants!

Kansas City Sweeps Baltimore

The 2 best AL teams, measured by number of regular season wins, have now been swept by the Kansas City Royals. Since their comeback win in the AL wild card game over Oakland the Royals have seized the moment to play their best ball on a national stage to decimate the Angels & now the O's in 4 straight. MLB Network showed that several of these Royals players were #1 picks back in 2007 & 2008. It took 6 & 7 years for Hosmer, Moustakis & others to reach their potential. (Think about Bogaerts & Betts & Middlebrooks & JBJ in Boston! I can't imagine our fan base being that patient.) But patience has paid off in 2014 for KC in a big way. Get the BBQ ready to go for tailgating in KC! You are hosting the first 2 games of the World Series next week.

Russell Martin - Not A Fit

WEEI had a piece yesterday on Russell Martin, saying that the Sox make kick the tires on the 31 year old catcher free agent who hit .290 last year with 11 homers. I say no. If the Sox keep Cespedes & Castillo, if Pedroia is healthy, if Ortiz can be Ortiz for 1 more year, then we don't need a better hitting catcher that will take $10 million plus to sign. Use the money on pitching. As we are seeing this month, pitching wins playoffs. Keep Ross for 1 more year as a backup to Vazquez, then Swihart should be ready to jump in. I'd rather see the Sox kick the tires on Sandoval or Headley at 3B. We have plenty of outfielders & infielders. Let's take care of starting pitching & the bullpen before anything else. Plus Martin is an ex-Yankee.

Royals Do It Again!

The KC Royals are 1 win away from a berth in the 2014 World Series. Their 2-1 win over Baltimore yesterday means that the O's will need to pull a 2004 Red Sox comeback & win 4 straight. Hard to believe that 2004 was 10 years ago now. What a year! Anyways, time & time again the playoffs are proving that good pitching beats good hitting. The KC starters are going 5 or 6 innings & then their shutdown bullpen takes them home. Good for the fans in Kansas City that they have something to cheer about. Good for KC management for sticking with a group of guys that they believe in. This has to be the best story of the playoffs.

October - Long Month

It's a long month for Red Sox fans. No playoffs. Then teams get a period of exclusive negotiations with free agents. It will be around Thanksgiving before we hear about possible signings or trades. Remember the Schilling signing at Thanksgiving? So we have another month before the 2014 post-season concludes & the signing period for free agents begins. Hang in there as it should be a very active off-season. Turkey Day is coming.

Pats Need A Win in Buffalo

The Pats team that showed up last week needs to show up again today in Buffalo. Back to back solid performances & back to back wins would do a lot to calm nerves in Patriot nation. Brady has an ankle injury, but you know that he will play. Gronk needs to be a weapon in the red zone. And the defense needs to limit the number of 20+ yard plays it gives up. Sounds easy, but the Bills are actually playing well this year & they will give the Pats all they can handle at home. I say a Gostkowski field goal wins it in the 4th 24-21. Let's see if my powers of prediction come true.

Wild Cards Keep Winning

The AL wild card winner - Kansas City Royals - are now up 2-0 on the most consistent team in MLB this year - Baltimore Orioles. And the NL wild card winner - San Francisco Giants - went up 1-0 on the consistent & dependable St. Louis Cardinals. It's great to know that no one can predict hustle, momentum & heart. Big name players & big team payroll really have no bearing in this year's playoff race. Just ask the LA Dodgers, Anaheim Angels & Detroit Tigers who are watching from home. Many of these playoff games have been decided by one run & many have gone to extra innings. In a lot of cases I think you are seeing stars feel the effects of a 7th month added to their season. Wainwright has not been pitching well. Shields has not been pitching well. Kershaw can't win in the post-season. Tillman & norris have been ineffective. 200+ innings adds up over time. So it's bullpens & bit players that usually come up with big outs & big hits. The Royals, for example, went from lowest HR's in regular season to most in the playoffs so far. Go figure! That's why you play the games. Anything can happen. Too bad we are not in it, but the playoffs have been exciting & unpredictable this year.

Is Baltimore Doomed Like Detroit Last Year?

In 2013 the unlikely Boston Red Sox came from nowhere to win the World Series after their city experienced a terrorist bombing earlier in the year. Some say it was fate. Some say players were playing for more than themselves. Perhaps the Kansas City Royals are the new team of destiny in 2014. They beat the Orioles 8-6 last night in Baltimore in extra innings. On paper the Orioles are the better, more consistent, more complete team. But you don't win games on paper (as the Yankees know). Baltimore may fall prey to a team of few players who's names most people don't know. It reminds me of the Detroit Tigers last year in the ALCS. No way the Red Sox should have eliminated that Motown team, but they did. It's not always about stats. And the Royals are reminding us of that.

Josh Becket Retires

He should have been the 2007 Cy Young Award winner. He led the Boston Red Sox to a 2nd World Series win in 3 years after an 86 year drought. He should have been named the World Series MVP. That was Josh Becket then. Unfortunately, Becket will be remembered for 2012, the beer & chicken, golfing on an off day while he was injured & the trade to the LA Dodgers. Boston fans forgive as they have with Rocket Man & Nomar. Maybe somewhere down the road Sox fans will clap for Becket when he returns to be honored at Fenway with the 2007 team.

Hit And Run

I was watching one of the playoffs games last week. A runner from 1st broke for 2nd & the batter fouled the pitch off. Announcer says that the hit & run was on. Next pitch the runner from 1st goes again & this time the batter lines out to short who then turned it into an easy double play. That hit & run brought me back in time to when Gaff & I would coach together. Gaff was one for trying everything - hit & run, squeeze, safety squeeze, delayed steal. Several times our hit & run attempts turned into double plays at the youth level. But I will say that one girl was the best hit & run batter that we ever coached. Her name was Allie Joseph. Allie hit 2nd in our college lineup & she had tremendous concentration & bat control. You could count on Allie to hit the ball on the ground to advance the runner, while many times picking up a hit herself. The hit & run is a double edged sword - great when it works (the coach is a genius) to horrible when it doesn't (the coach is a bum). You coaches out there have to be willing to live with both results.

Dodgers - Big Loser

Clayton Kershaw can't beat the Cardinals. It's happened 2 years in a row now. The big money Dodgers will be watching the World Series from home. Adrian Gonzalez has never led his team to a playoff series victory. Maybe any team he plays for has a curse. And the Giants knocked off the top-seeded Nationals in 4 games as well. That decision not to pitch Strasburgh in 2012 still haunts Washington, their own curse. No LA. No Anaheim. No Detroit. No New York. No Boston. That equals small World Series ratings for Fox. Take that, Joe Buck! Let's get this month over so we can get to the wheeling & dealing of the off-season.

Lackey Beats Dodgers

John Lackey was solid in a big playoff game against the Dodgers last night. He put his Cardinals team up 2-1 in the NLDS. Lackey was never going to resign with the Sox for $500,000 in 2015. Just too many things happened in 2012 before his renaissance in 2013. At least he left Boston on a positive note. Joe Kelly will certainly get a spot in the rotation for Boston next year. And maybe Allen Craig can get his health back & get back to being a professional hitter. Good trade for both teams. I hope the Cards light up Kershaw again in game 4.

Baltimore O's Versus Kansas City Royals

A consistent team versus a Cinderella team. Baltimore sent the Tigers home for the year with another win yesterday. Detroit has their tiger tail between their legs as the Motown men let another year slip away with no World Series ring. Dan Dumbrowski will have to answer lots of questions this off-season with free agents like Victor Martinez & Max Scherzer. And the high-priced Angels were grounded by a determined Royals team that ran off 3 straight wins. Good for the Royals! If the Dodgers get eliminated, Fox will have a small TV audience for the World Series with no New York, no Boston & no LA.

Brady Strikes Back

No doubt about this one. Like a pitcher who has a bad game, you work hard before your next start to correct things. Brady & company sure did they as the offense dismantled the previously unbeaten Bengals by scoring 40+ points. Now who's wearing the dunce hat, Cincinnati? The critics should be off Brady - at least this week.

Can Pats Rebound?

After being embarassed on Monday night the Patriots have a tough Sunday night opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals. Can they rebound? Sure. Look at Green Bay coming back after a slow start. New Orleans in 1-3. Giants are 2-2. No one is setting the football world on fire in September. But the Pats need this win badly to stay away from a 2-3 record. 3-2 keeps them in the hunt. Remember the old saying - you are never as good as you think or never as bad as you think. Let's hope the latter is true!

Go Royals!

The lowly, small payroll Kansas City Royals are on the verge of eliminating the high-priced Anaheim Angels - who by the way are not from Los Angeles. What a stupid name! David & Goliath of sorts. Eric Hosmer & Mike Moustakis versus Albert Pujols, Mike Trout & Josh Hamilton. As my nephew told me yesterday, this year's playoffs have been great games to watch. For all the prognosticators who wrote off the Royals, just remember it's the team with the hot hand that wins in the playoffs. And, after beating Oakland in the wild card game, the Royals are hot! Go Royals!

Kershaw Can't Beat Cards

Clayton Kershaw amassed a hugely impression record during the regular season. No doubt he will win another Cy Young Award in 2014. But, just like last year, the young & talented lefty cannot beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the playoffs. Kershaw & the Dodgers lost game 1 10-9 yesterday. Give the Cards credit for making it back to the playoffs again - something the Red Sox couldn't do. I don't want to hear any more comparisons between Kershaw & Koufax. Koufax got it done in the playoffs. Until Kershaw can do that, I don't want to hear it.

Billy Beane on Hot Seat

Here we go. Monday morning quarterbacks are at it with Billy Beane over the Lester/Cespedes trade. If you win, you're a genius. If you lose, you're a goat. The trade didn't work for Oakland, but it did for Boston as Ortiz/Cespedes proved to be a nice 3-4 combination in the lineup. Get Mike Napoli & Dustin Pedroia healthy, get Rusney Castillo going, get Allen Craig back into form & you have a very nice long lineup from top to bottom. In my opinion you can't mess with team chemistry. And the A's had chemistry when they were the best team in the AL before the trade. I wouldn't have given up a middle-of-the-order bat. As it turns out, the A's could have used more bullpen help as we saw in the wild card game. But it's hard to fault a GM for doing what he thinks is best for the team at the time. It's going to be a long off-season for Billy Beane, especially when Lester signs with another team.

Better AL Bullpens Win Game 1's

The Kansas City Royals just find a way to scratch out 1 more run than their opponent. The Royals outlasted the Angels 3-2 in 11 innings. 6 shutout innings tossed by the KC bullpen. Eric Hosmer's homer was the difference in Anaheim. And in Baltimore the Achilles heal of the Detroit Tigers showed up in the 8th inning with the O's scoring 8 times off of several ineffective relievers out of the Tigers bullpen. A tight 4-3 game became a blowout 12-3 game before the inning was over. Max Scherzer deserved better, but the O's bullpen was very effective over the final 4 innings, giving up just 1 homer to Miguel Cabrera. Wouldn't the Angels & Tigers have some explaining to do if they don't make it to the ALCS!

Giants 7, Pirates 0

Clint Hurdle will be answering questions all off-season about his decision to pitch Gerritt Cole in game 162 instead of saving him for the wild card game. Edison Volquez was not up to the task against the Giants. His demeanor does not exude confidence & Volquez gave up a bases loaded bomb to Brandon Crawford early. Game over. Baumgartner was lights out. I'm glad to see the Giants advance since I got to see a game at AT&T Park, aka Pac Bell in the old days. The Giants remind me of the Red Sox - feast of famine. World Series wins in 2010 & 2012 & not much in-between. Since 2014 is an even number year, maybe the Giants can pull off another ring. I think that they will give the Nats a run for their money.

A's and Royals In A Duzzie!

Just when you thought Jon Lester & the A's had the game won in the 8th, the Royals come back to within one run & they come back again in the 9th to tie it & then they come back in the 12th to win it. What a "wild" wild card game! I'm glad that Lester is done for the year, having thrown 220+ innings. Save a few bullets for next year in a Red Sox uniform. Shields was not on his best game last night either, but he would look good in a Red Sox uniform next year as well. Good for the Royals moving on into the ALDS for the 1st time since George Brett in 1985. I hope they give the Angels all they can handle.

Chiefs 41, Pats 14

Total embarassment to players, coaches & organization as a whole. Nowhere to go but up.

Jose Altuve - I'm A Fan

Remember a few years ago when Jose Reyes sat out the last game of the year for the Mets so he could win the NL batting title? Jose Altuve had the same opportunity for the Houston Astros yesterday, but Altuve told his manager that he wanted to play. The little second-baseman went 2-4 & he did win the AL batting title. Good for him! I'm impressed. Hard to find guys that are not so self-centrered these days, especially pro athletes. You're the man, Jose! Well done!

AL Wild Card: Shields Versus Lester

Isn't this an interesting matchup of starting pitchers! James Shields for the KC Royals. Jon Lester for the Oakland A's. Shields & Lester could be the #1 & #2 starters for the Boston Red Sox next year if a few things go right in the off-season. No doubt this game will come down to the bullpens & KC seems to have an edge there. The A's want to go further in the playoffs this year than just their usual one series & out. And the Royals are back in the playoffs for the first time in 29 years. If you had to pick one team, I guess I would root for the Royals as an underdog.

Jeter Done

In a few words - Jeter, well done. Career over. He finishes in Fenway Park & goes out with a win. I admire Jeter for his hustle & his will to win. Our version of Jeter is Dustin Pedroia. He is a throw-back of sorts. It's sad to think that a guy who goes out there & wants to win & gives 100% is an oddity today. But that was Derek Jeter. Maybe he played SS a little too long. Maybe he hit at the top of the order a little too long. All in all, however, Jeter was the embodiment of the Yankees & he was treated with the respect he deserved by Joe Girardi & the Yankees brass. No Posada. No Rivera. No Jeter now. The Yankees will face an identity crisis in 2015.

Sox Lose Finale 9-5 to Close 2014 Season

Probably fitting that the Red Sox lost game #162 to the Yankees 9-5. The 2014 season comes to an end at 71-91. Most years you would think the Sox would amass a mirror image of 91-71, but not this year. It was obvious from the start that heroes from 2013 couldn't duplicate the same results in 2014. The season ends with Pedroia, Ortiz & Napoli nursing injuries. The final 2 months gave Sox management & fans a look at potential players for the 2015 roster. Ben Cherington can now begin his search for 2 front-line starting pitchers to join Joe Kelly & Clay Buchholz. Ben can also lay the ground work for trade talks as a way to fill one, if not both, pitching needs. The rumors of Giancarlo Stanton will continue throughout the fall & winter. Will Middlebrooks & Nava be back? How about the glut of young pitchers? Is Bogaerts your SS next Year? What to do with Mookie? Lots & lots of questions to be answered before the team arrives in Fort Myers in mid-February. I expect Ben to make a lot of moves & it should be fun to watch over the next 3 months. Good night 2014.

Sox, Yankees Split First 2 Games

On Friday Rusney Castillo cracked his 2nd home run to prove that his homer on Thursday night was no fluke. Steven Wright pitched well enough to win, but he ended up on the short end of a 3-2 loss. Today, the Sox hammered Tanaka & the Yanks in a laugher 10-4. Yoenis Cespedes reached the 100 RBI mark for the first time in his career. Jeter played long enough to get a hit before being taken out of the game. Joe Kelly was in control throughout this one & he has certainly solidified a spot in next year's rotation for himself. I'd take Kelly over Buchholz right now just on dependability. One more game left on Sunday & then it's on to 2015!

Sox 11, Rays 1

Rusney Castillo & Cristian Vazquez both hit their first Fenway homers last night as the Sox stomped on Joe Maddon's boys 11-1. Nice effort by Allen Webster who may be getting comfortable - finally - at the big league level. 3 more against the Yankees & it's over. The Red Sox & Yankees rivalry has not been the same with both teams out of the playoffs. But it's still fun to beat the pinstripers anytime. Another year that the yankees get older without making the playoffs & with aging stars like Teixeira & Beltran & A-Rod who can't stay on the field. It may be awhile after Jeter's departure before the Bronx bombers come alive again in the AL East.

Grading Sox Young Pitchers

De La Rosa. Workman. Webster. Ranaudo. Do you throw a blanket over these 4 & pick one to be the 5th starter next year. All have been good at times. All have been bad at times. ERA's are around 4.50, but that's not uncommon for young arms finding their way. De La Rosa & Webster have swing & miss stuff. Ranaudo & Workman pitch to contact. Early returns is that Workman may be better suited to the bullpen, like Matt Barnes. Ranaudo pitched a good game last night in an 11-3 win. But De La Rosa & Webster have had some success as well. It may come down to what other teams think about these 4 pitchers & whoever doesn't get moved in a trade. To me the 5th spot is between De La Rosa, Webster & Ranaudo. What do you think?

Yankees Become Faceless

The New York Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs last night. This is 2 years in a row that the team with the biggest payroll in baseball does not make the post-season. Derek Jeter plays his last game at Yankee Stadium tonight, followed by 3 final games at Fenway. Once Jeter retires the identity or face of the Yankees is gone. I always considered Jeter, Mariano & Posada the "real" Yankees, guys that were not bought & paid for to come to New York. Who is the face of the Yankees in 2015? Not Ellsbury. Not McCann. Not Teixeira. Not Tanaka. The Yankees will lack that superstar power to draw fans into their big & expensive ballpark for some time. And they will have to deal with the A-Rod situation once again. Things in Gotham are bleak.

Give Francona Credit

Terry Francona led the Cleveland Indians to a post-season wild card berth last year. First playoff game in October for the Indians in a long, long time. This year his Tribe is still barely in the wild card race, but probably out. He will finish this season with a record over .500 again. Think about the players that he lost. Ubaldo Jimenez to Baltimore. Justin Masterson to St. Louis. Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington. A closer in John Axford who was horrible. Yet, he integrated younger players slowly into the lineup & once again has done a credible job with the players & talent level at his disposal. When Gaff & I were coaching there were years where our teams should have finished last & we finished as high as 3rd. We considered that a great year, a year where you got the most out of your players. Even though pro sports is about winning at all cost, let's give Tito credit for getting the most out of his Cleveland ballclub this year.

King Felix - Not

Felix Hernandez needed to give his team a chance to win in Toronto in order to keep the Mariners playoff hopes alive. Instead, the King was very pedestrian, non-royalty in his 4 2/3rds innings, giving up 8 runs to the Blue Jays. For an ace Hernandez does not seem to pitch like one in big, pressure games. Of course, Seattle hasn't played in many pressure games since they are usually out of the playoff race by the all-star break. By playing for a non-contender King Felix never gets into many pressure-packed games. I'd rather have a Jon Lester, James Shields or Max Scherzer in a one-game-take-all than the King. No question that he puts up good stats every year. But you know the old knock or the old saying about stats. Stats are for teams that lose.

Cespedes & the Green Monsta'

Yoenis Cespedes made a big error in last night's 6-2 loss to the Rays. He is definitely not comfortable with the left field wall at Fenway. As the WEEI blog says, can Cespedes be switched to RF next year where he can use more of his athleticism to track down balls & show off his arm? Add Rusney Castillo, Craig, Victorino & maybe Nava & Betts to the mix & you have a crowded outfield. Nava & Betts have been consistent at the plate this 2nd half, but it's hard to see where they fit. More likely, the Sox will move Nava, maybe Craig & keep Betts. Or Mookie could go back to Pawtucket & wait for an injury to occur. Or Mookie could learn another position - 3B. Lots of moving pieces to be decided after this season is over.

Last Week of Baseball About Wild Cards

The NL is pretty set. Dodgers, Cardinals, Nationals win their divisions. Giants & Pirates are the wild cards. Giants still have a small chance to overtake the Dodgers. Same for the Pirates trying to overtake the Cards. Milwaukee is out - which as you know is fine with me. The AL is a lot more interesting. Angels & Orioles win their divisions. Tigers & Royals are still battling for the AL Central crown with Detroit on top right now. The wild cards are very interesting. Detroit, Kansas City, Oakland & Seattle are vying for the final 3 playoff spots. Any one team could be in, but a bad last week of the season & any one of these 4 cities could be out. Again, my preference is for the Mariners to be the odd team out. Good news - no Yankees in the playoffs after spending a ton of money in the off season. I think you have to root for a newcomer to the playoffs like the KC Royals or Washington Nats. But I would be OK with any team other than the Dodgers winning the whole thing. You have to give the Cardinals a lot of credit for making the playoffs again this year after a slow start or World Series hangover. The Sox never got the same kind of above-average seasons out of several players from the 2013 roster. Go KC!

Pats, Red Sox Win

The New England Patriots outlasted the Oakland Raiders 16-9 in their home opener at Gillette. Brady & the offense did just enough. Big Vince pounced on a tipped ball in the 4th to seal the win. No shock & awe, but a win put the Pats in the tie for first in the AFC East with a 2-1 record. Meanwhile, the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 behind the pitching of Joe Kelly. Mookie Betts had a leadoff homer & he looks comfortable in the leadoff spot. Both Betts & Holt give the Sox options at the top of the order for next year. Rusney contributed a hit to keep his solid debut going, along with stealing his first base. A good day all around New England.

Ortiz Goes Off in Baltimore

Dvid Ortiz, the ageless slugger, passes Ted Williams for the most seasons with 30 HR's & 100 RBI with his 2 homers & 3 RBI last night at Camden Yards. Sox win in 10 innings with Big Papi delivering the winning 2-run blast in the 10th. Nice to see Rusney throw out a runner at the plate as well. Back to Ortiz. How long can he defy time? Hopefully, one more year in 2015. But Ben is building a team with sluggers to replace the Sox fixture at DH at some point in the future. I'm sure Ortiz would like to be part of one more championship team before he calls it quits, but you can't argue with 3 rings & 1 MVP award. That's a lifetime of winning for most other players. No doubt the whispers of steroid use will continue. Only Ortiz knows for sure & he has passed every PED test this year thus far. Too bad that we fans are all jaded by the A-Rod's & Ryan Braun's of the game.

2 Pitchers the Sox Could Trade For

At some point the Red Sox will unload a number of existing players & prospects as one way to address their starting pitching needs. Here's a couple of guys in the top 20 for ERA this year that are flying under the radar as the play for smaller market teams. First, Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians. Kluber is 28 years old, 6'4", 215 pounds. He has come into his own this year for Francona's tribe with 244 strikeouts in 219 innings. He does not become a free agent until 2019 at age 32, so 4 years of control. Next is Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros. Kuechel is 26 years old, 6'3", 210 pounds & a lefty. His WHIP is 1.182 in 193 innings this year & he too is not a free agent until 2019, another 4 years of control. Why would Cleveland or Houston listen to offers on these young pitchers? Because we can offer them a 4-to-1 or 5-to-1 deal in return. Take your pick - Ranaudo, Barnes, Workman, Webster, Escobar, JBJ, Nava, Holt, Middlebrooks, Cecchini, Brentz, Lavarnway, Butler, even a Mookie Betts. We have plenty of spare parts to trade away. Even one of these guys would be a good pick-up as a 3rd pitcher to be added to the staff by way of trade if the free agency route doesn't pan out. A pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 next year should be able to win a lot of games for a 2015 Red Sox team, assuming a much-improved offense which should average 5 runs per game.

Bradford: Is Yasmani Tomas the Next Cuban Slugger for Sox?

Rob Bradford has a nice piece on WEEI about Yasmani Tomas. Another Cuban power hitter. 6'1", 230 pounds, 23 years old. Tomas will be in a baseball showcase this weekend in the Dominican. Lots & lots of teams will be there. He has the physical build of a Jose Abreu. Bradford goes on to say that the Sox could actually let him perculate in AAA for a half season to get his feet wet while the Sox brass juggle their crowded outfield situation. In my mind there is always room for a power hitter. Don't forget that the ageless David Ortiz will retire some year & someone else has to fill those shoes. Again, it's just money & the Cubans are a steal on multi-year deals at $7-$8 million a year versus the $20+ million a year to extend a guy like Stanton. Think about this. Cespedes, Castillo, Victorino start the year in the Sox outfield. Victorino likely gets hurt & up comes Tomas from Pawtucket after experiencing some triple A competition. We could have a whole Cuban outfield for years with one of them rotating at DH. Then, all of the prospects being showcased by the Sox can be used to get proven major-league pitching - a Chris Sale, a Johnny Cueto, a Cole Hammels. C'mon, John Henry, open that checkbook again.

No Offense Again

9-1. 3-2. 3 runs in their last 2 games means no wins for the struggling Red Sox & a sweep by the Pirates. X-man hit a sac fly for 1 run. Mookie drove in the 2nd run with a single. The "B" boys - Bogaerts & Betts - are probably the most consistent guys in the lineup offensively, along with Daniel Nava. The Sox really miss the enthusiasm of Dustin Pedroia. Also, no Castillo or Cespedes in the lineup last night. The tryout for 2015 continues for the next week & a half, then mercifully it will be "ova."

Pictures of Giancarlo Stanton Surface

On the internet today I found a picture of Giancarlo Stanton's face after being hit with a pitch by a Milwaukee pitcher last week. Ugly, real ugly looking. Nose & lips are a mess. Dental issues making his mouth look crooked. Black eyes. What a nasty way to end an MVP year! Now you have to wonder if the young slugger will have a lingering PTSD effect for next year when he steps into the batter's box. Most players can overcome it & I'm sure that Stanton will too. This will in no way limit the number of teams looking to send prospects & major leaguers to Miami in return for Stanton. Red Sox included.

Brewers, Mariners On Outside Looking In

Just because of cheating Ryan Braun & the childish Carlos Gomez I hope that the Brewers don't get into the playoffs. The Brewers led the AL Central for the bulk of the year, but are now collapsing during the final 6 weeks. They are 2 games out of the wild card, chasing the Giants & Pirates, with just 8 or 9 left. Same with the Mariners. Robinson Cano & Felix Hernandez, a pitcher who never pitches in big games, just don't do it for me. The Mariners are also 2 games behind Kansas City & Oakland in the AL wild card race. I'm hoping Milwaukee & Seattle go home at the end of September.

Pirates 9, Red Sox 1

Clay Buchholz proved again that you can't trust him with the keys to trhe kingdom. Coming off 3 good starts in a row, Buck gave up 5 runs in 4 innings as the Sox lose 9-1. Steven Wright was even worse, giving up 4 more runs in just 1 inning. Good news - Rusney Castillo got his 1st big league hit, an infield single. Bryce Brentz got a ringing double as well. Brentz & Garin Cecchini got to play in last night's game as a way for the Sox to show off more & more prospects to other teams before the end of the season. Middlebrooks was moved to 1B for a few innings - just in case a potential suitor needs a first-baseman. And the showcase goes on for the remainder of the season. Last year was a high. This year is a low. 2015 will be ____. You fill it in.

Rusney Joins Big Club Tonight

Fresh off his first HR for Pawtucket Rusney Castillo joins the big club in Pittsburgh tonight & he will start in CF. What a whirlwind this guy has been on! And Rusney has been productive & contributing at every level of play. Regardless of results with the big league, Castillo has certainly showed enough to get to spring training with confidence under his belt. Good pick-up, Ben!

Pap Versus Joe West

Two wrongs don't make anyone right. John Papelbon was wrong for grabbing his crotch after blowing a save in Philadelphia. Joe West was wrong for ejecting him & for grabbing his shirt. I am no fan of Joe West. I think he is bad for the game & should have retired years ago. But in this instance both were wrong. Pap got his 7 game suspension. Let's see what Cowboy Joe gets.

Sox Hit Big Flies in 8-4 Win

Daniel Nava - grand slam. Don't you have to root for a guy like Nava who came out of nowhere? Xander Bogaerts - 3-run homer. Mookie Betts & Xander Bogaerts - 5 for 9 in the leadoff & #2 spots. As the season winds down through the final 2 weeks, several players are jockeying for roster spots in 2015. With Brock Holt & Dustin Pedroia out guys like Betts & Nava are sharing the spotlight, along with a revitalized Xander Bogaerts. Will all 3 be on the roster next year? Probably not, especially if the Sox trade for a frontline pitcher & maybe trade for that big guy in Miami. Right now infielders include Middlebrooks, Bogaerts, Pedroia, Napoli, Craig, Holt. Outfielders include Cespedes, Betts, Bradley, Nava, Victorino & Craig again. Add Ortiz as DH. Add Rusney Castillo. Add 2 catchers in Vazquez & Ross or a Ross-type. Add 5 starting pitchers & 7 for the bullpen. That's 27 before any other gyrations to the roster. Some guys have to go. As I've said several times before, the months of November, December & January will be quite interesting for the Red Sox brass as they put a team together to compete in 2015.