Shutting the Door and Getting the Save for 2009...

2009

2009 has been a crazy year in the world of baseball. Let's do one last quick ITM around the horn to close the door on the decade....


J-Bay: We all know by now that J-Bay will be a Met next year. It's going to be really difficult to see....both because the Mets franchise is run by a 4th grader and because he won't be playing in front of the green monster at Fenway. At least he is out of the AL and Boston pitchers won't have to strike him out too often. Obviously, as an obsessed baseball fan I've had a lot of J-Bay related discussions....here are some takeaways:

• "he's going to lead the league in sacrifice flies" - T Muph


• "Over/Under on J-Bay hitting 30 taters? - I've got the WAY UNDER" - Joe Murph


• "I think it's a definite upgrade for this year, but who knows 3-4 years down the line. As of right now Bay, Beltran, Francoeur is our outfield and that looks pretty sick, probably one of the best outfields in baseball. Too bad our pitching staff looks like AAA Buffalo, save for Santana. " - A Met's fan that will remain nameless in order to keep him safe

-Matt Holliday: News broke today that he's close to resigning with St. Louis for 8 years, 140 million. Wait...WHAT? I'm I the only one that thinks this offer is absolutely ridiculous and Bud Selieg should intervene to rid the game of such stupidity? 8 years? Really, 8 years?!? Is this the friggin NHL or something? 140 million guaranteed over 8 years?...something has to be wrong, I honestly thought I was reading the articles wrong, or there had to be typos..... He can't possibly getting twice the length and dollars that J-Bay is (that's what she said)...can he? Only in the NL...and the American League East....

-If Mike Lowell has surgery...but no one actually reads the column...does it actually happen? I feel like we read about a Mike Lowell surgery story every 6 weeks. Nothing against the guy, but still.


-Does anyone else remember Gary Sheffield hitting his 500th home run earlier this year? It was a question at trivia last night, and it had the entire bar pretty much stumped (we don't go on our blackberries or iPhones and cheat like the rest of you). Anyways, I thought Sheff was dead.


Alright, 2009 is fading out and beverages are to be had. Happy New Years to all, and let's all pray for a 2010 that includes Adrian Gonzalez playing first base for the Sox...at some point at least.

Go Sox.

Help Needed....Ft. Myers or Bust?

The ITM staff members have been spending the holidays eating and drinking way too much, arguing with family members over Boston's off season moves, and conjuring up dates and times that a bunch of us grown adults can go sledding like the good ol' days.

While the holidays are often a time for rest and relaxation, the three of us will be meeting in a few days to discuss a very serious topic...... Are we going to Ft. Myers in March to continue our obsession with Heidi Watney....I mean, the Red Sox?....

Prior to the John Lackey trade, we had blown up the idea of sinking a fair amount of money for a trip to the land of old people....but when we solidified the best pitching rotation in the big leagues (as currently constituted), some interest has returned. Granted, even if we purchase tickets, we reserve the right to be irrationally pissed off about any future off season move and cancel the entire trip out of spite.

This is where we need your help. Should we collectively man up and go to Ft Myers to spend some time (and money) in the sun watching a Red Sox team that we're not entirely sold on, and sink beers with the thousands of old time Irishmen transplanted from Boston? Or should we boycott Spring Training as a result of our general dislike of the Red Sox moves and decide to be fiscally responsible for once in our lives? Vote on the poll above to help us out.

Happy Holidays.... Go Sox

Merloni: Lowell's Cupcake Surgery No Issue

("Thanks, Beautiful")

Is it just me, or is Lou Merloni's mug everywhere these days? From WEEI radio and blogging, to the Baseball Show on Saturdays, to Comcast Sportsnet, you can't go to bathroom in Boston without seeing or hearing from Framingham Lou.

Now, Lou is dropping knowledge as doctor Merloni. On Comcast Sportsnet last night, he was explaining the cup cake of a surgery Lowell is likely to have next week on his thumb. According to Lou, (who has had the same exact surgery), the problem is on the outside of his thumb and Lowell will be back to 100percent in 4 weeks.

Anyway Lou could put that in writing and sing off on the guarantee for Texas???


Either way, it's good news for everyone. Including those who want Lowell out of Boston in 2010. If the Sox expect to have any chance of dealing the third basemen for more than a bag of baseballs, he's going to have to show up to spring training completely healthy, in shape, and absolutely rake for the entire month of March.


Let's face it, the Sox have made no secret about their desire to deal Lowell, they've been making failed attempts to do so since Nam'. Luckily, Mike Lowell is the epitome of class and continues to sacrifice life and limb (literally) for the Sox.

(ITM sidenote, the man does gets paid a ridiculous salary of 12 million a year....pay me that and I'll do anything you ask me to...seriously, anything).

Unfortunately for everyone involved, there is unlikely to be an easy solution and/or deal for Lowell prior to the Ft Myers truck day....even if Lou Merloni says this injury is no worse than stubbing your little toe.

In my mind, the damage is done, there is no chance Lowell comes back to play for the Red Sox....at least in years past they tried to deal him in order to get superstar players in return (Todd Helton and Teixeira)...but now they're looking to dump him for a catcher who can hit but can't catch (...just like Lowell's situation at third), and pay the Rangers 9 million dollars for taking him. Did Mike Lowell kick someone in management's dog or something?

Between his bad luck at staying healthy and Boston's constant desire to move him, Mike Lowell has every right to be pissed....but he won't show it on the field. And he won't show it in a Boston uniform in 2010.

Mike Lowell is falling apart, deal is off...

Taking a quick break from waiting to be douched on with snow to write in that.....the Mike Lowell deal is dead. According to the Herald:

"The Red Sox third baseman was expected to be dealt to the Rangers as soon as tomorrow, but an exam on his right thumb revealed a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb which will require surgery, according to a major league source."

"He will have the surgery sometime after Christmas and will be sidelined six to eight weeks, though he’s expected to be ready for spring training."

So as Mikey Lowell continues to tear muscles and break bones as I type, it appears he'll be staying with the Sox. I do however, wonder why it took this long to diagnose that he needed the surgery. Certainly, no other team is likely to take a flier on an aging third basemen coming off major hip surgery and now a new procedure to put his thumb back together.

The implications of the new found injury will be interesting to watch unfold. Many believed Max Ramirez was likely to be included in a bigger, more significant deal for a power bat. In addition, given how poorly they've treated their thirdbasemen over the past few off seasons, is it even possible to bring him back in a Red Sox uniform in 2010?

Mikey Lowell is a great guy....someone who brings the clubhouse together in a number of different ways....but counting on Lowell to produce in 2010 would be a mistake. There is an undeniable need for a power bat in Boston's lineup....which may be more difficult as a result of Lowell's upcoming surgery. This guy deserves a continuously reserved room at MGH...he's earned it.

Revert to plan B Theo....or by now, that may be plan G.

Let it snow.

Good Timing, Jacoby

The trade rumors have been swirling for days....scuffles have broken out between best friends (including ITM writers) over whether or not to move Jacoby Ellsbury in a trade for Adrian Gonzalez.... as the days are going by, we're starting to question Jacoby's ultimate ceiling, his arm, and his ability to get on base as a leadoff hitter....

...and then he goes out and gets voted major league baseball's defensive player of the year (according to a vote put together by MLB.com). While I'd never say Jacoby isn't a great defensive player, I tend to think Red Sox Nation must have been out in full force in regards to the award. Jacoby committed just two errors in 2009, the first of his career. He has safely put away his other 772 chances in the big leagues for a fielding percentage of .997. Ells makes an amazing catch every other week and covers the gaps well with his speed....especially since, more often than not, JD Drew is pulling up with a twinge in his hammy as he runs to right center to field a gapper.

That said, Jacoby's arm continues to remind me of Johnny Damon's...although he has a slightly less girly motion to it, the ball itself doesn't travel any faster. Roger Dorn could score from first on a grounder up the middle.

So Jacoby goes out there and gets himself some more ink....maybe this is enough for Jed Hoyer to pull the trigger on a deal that only includes Jacoby and others instead of both he and Buchholz for Adrian....

...in all reality this award means absolutely nothing, and won't have any influence on ultimate decision making, but it's nice to think about....


PS: Somehow, when I clicked on the link and I almost expected to see Derek Jeter's name as the defensive player of the year. That's how brainwashed I believe this country is about that guy. Dumb.

Adrian Gonzalez.....Yes?...No?...Maybe?

Days like today take years off my life. Really, the same can be said for everyday since the winter meetings got cranking.

Anyways, first, studly first basemen Adrian Gonzalez was "being targeted" by the Red Sox, in a matter of hours, miraculously, multiple sources were reporting that a deal of Gonzalez for Buchholz and Ellsbury would be finished before Christmas, still later, media outlets stated there was no chance in hell the Sox would package both of their young studs in a deal together....and now, WEEI is reporting:

"Multiple major league sources suggest that rumors of progress in talks between the Red Sox and Padres about a deal involving San Diego slugger Adrian Gonzalez have been dramatically overstated. One source said that there was nothing to the idea that trade talks are heating up."

All this, in one day? Give a fan a break for God's sake. Talk about a roller coaster of emotion....I'm sure people walking by my desk today saw me doing cartwheels, followed by biting my nails, and then crying.

Just think about what this man could do in Fenway Park. Honestly, 50 taters wouldn't be realm of possibility. Between A-Gon actually having lineup protection, seeing some good pitches to hit, and the friendly dimensions of Fenway....this guy would absolutely rake in Boston. Plus, have you ever seen anyone look more Mexican than Adrian Gonzalez?? Honestly, I'm not even kidding, it's amazing. I know he's from Cali, but he should win an award, it's impressive...

All that said, A-Gon for both Buchholz and Jacoby? I'm not 100 percent sold on that idea...talk about completely reshaping the franchise....thoughts?

What We Know and What We Think We Know

These are exciting times indeed. I just joined twitter (@t12murphy), Guns N' Roses is back on tour bringing Chinese Democracy to the Asian continent, and the boy genius Theo Epstein is making moves.

Allow me to be the last person to report today that the Red Sox have signed pitcher John Lackey to a 5 year 85 million dollar deal. My initial reaction this afternoon was not one I can share here as we are a PG-13 blog at best. On its surface I'm not a huge fan of signing Lackey; he's 31, has had some elbow problems in the past, and you're paying your #3 starter way more then your #1 starter (if Beckett is still your number 1). I'm not nearly as worried about Beckett's emotional state assuming he didn't become a woman this off season, it's a contract year he needs to bone up. However simple math tells me Lackey will be 36 in the final year of his deal, isn't that the same reason we don't want to give Bay a guaranteed 5th year?

Lackey is a good pitcher, I expect good things, but I also expect awful things. In reality he's the perfect signing for Boston fans.

My second reaction was, "well they must be trading Buchholz." Hardly a ground breaking thought at 11:30pm, however, I had thought of this before tuning into Felger and Massarotti this afternoon. (98.5 the Sports Hub!!!)

So we know they signed Lackey, and are working on trading hot corner heart throb Mike Lowell to Texas for Willy Mo Pena, I mean Max Ramirez. Ramirez can rake but apparently is the real life version of Rub Baker from Major League 2 behind home plate, you know before he read the articles in play boy (PG-13).

Here is what we think we know; signing John Lackey to a terrible contract was step 2 in a 3 step plan to bring a huge bat to Boston. The smart money seems to be on Adrian Gonzalez, I'm still not ruling on Miguel Cabrera for the fact that when you buy a large cheese pizza in Detroit you get a free house.

That line about "Theo's 3 step plan to bring Adrian Gonzalez to Boston" was floated to me by my buddy Chris, who would rather send me viable free agents and potential trade scenarios the Sox could make then he would teach his class. Full credit to him for that, I have gchat history to prove he was ahead of everyone on this one. Chris also told me Gonzalez will win the American League MVP next year, since he hasn't been traded yet that was a fairly bold statement.

What else do we know: The Boston Herald has a sale at your local Toyota dealer, also the Sox have agreed in principle to a 2 year 15-16 million dollar deal with outfield Mike Cameron. Ok, so we don't actually know that for a fact yet but I assume it's true if the Herald is reporting it...

What else we assume we know based on the above being true: Jason Bay is gone. Which is actually good because since we signed Lackey we lose our 1st round draft pick, but since Bay will sign elsewhere (the Mets, just do it, we're all waiting for you to) we'll pick up a sandwich pick between the 1st and second rounds of next year's draft. I believe the Mets 1st round draft pick is protected because they were that bad last year, so we won't score that pick, but the Mets need it, they had a hysterical parody of Monopoly created on their 2009 season.

So let's review, we know the Sox just gave Lackey a god awful deal, but we can hope (we think) they make a trade for Adrian Gonzalez, allowing Youk to move to third base. We pretty much think we know Jason Bay is going to sign else where (the Mets), and we're relatively sure that we think Mike Cameron will be playing left field platooning with Jeremy Hermida.

If all this is true Sox fans have come a long way since we were all talking ourselves into Jeremy Hermida being a great low risk high value pick up.

Couple this with the Yankees not getting Roy Halladay and the Halos signing Hideki Matsui, and both me and Pedro Martinez are sleeping a lot better tonight.

Friday Evening Ramble

For as much bitching and moaning I did all week about Boston's moves (or lack there of) throughout the Winter Meetings, I woke up this morning with a void in my daily activity. There was no ESPN Boston real time blog to follow, no obsessive and witty banter back and forth with my buddies about the latest rumor. Heck, even the Boof Bonser jokes are already dying out.

My frustrations with this time will likely continue, however, without the Winter Meetings, I have less of a sounding board.


The Winter Meetings are over.....and for many, it really doesn't matter...but for me, I'd much rather hear about trade rumors and Adrian Beltre's home/away splits after his "interesting" 2004 season than the alternative. Tiger is a scum bag who cheated on his supermodel wife with diner waitress in Alabama and 78 other women...I get it.....I just can't wait to get back to baseball.

One must believe the Sox will stay active through the holidays, but they have a long way to go in order to get me on a plane bound for Ft Myers in March.

Also, is it a coincidence that the Winter Meetings end and the temperature suddenly goes down to 7 degrees? Someone doesn't like me up there..... At least it's Friday.

Go Sox.

Don't Trust the Mets to be Rational

Quick post here to note news is breaking that the Mets are sending Jason Bay an offer. My initial reaction was...."no worries, it's the Mets, they'll manage to screw something up." But just as I settled back into some work I realized....that's exactly why I should be concerned.

You see, the Mets have an uncanny ability to overpay individuals who inevitably either get hurt, get caught with illegal fireworks (or firearms), abuse their wives, or just plain suck. While I'm not saying J-Bay fits into any of those categories, I remain concerned that the Mets will come in with an irrational offer of 5 years and 100 million dollars just to get some ink. Think about it, would that really surprise you? The answer is no, because they're just that dumb.

With the goal of the off season changing before our eyes this week....from landing multiple big name talents....to merely signing Jason Bay and holding on for dear life....the inability of the Mets to judge, value, and build talent concerns me here.

ITM side note: How many Ramirez' is one major league team allowed to have? If this BS Mike Lowell trade goes through, we may be approaching ITM's internal assumption limit of 7.

Fingers remain crossed.

Day Two....I'm Inching Closer to Insanity

Theo is trying to get me to jump out of my window at work, I'm sure of it.

The "little progress" statement he made tonight does little to calm my nerves....All while the Yanks continue to make moves and get better.

It's day two, and we all know it's a long off season, however, being a member of Red Sox Nation allows me to overreact. The members of the ITM staff have already begun trying to convince ourselves that simply signing J-Bay may be enough to keep us thoroughly in the mix and a World Series contender in 2010.

The problem is, J-Bay may very well be playing on the West coast in 5 months, and this team needs more than its returning squad + Scutaro in order to contend with the Yanks (which for all intents and purposes, for 2010, that's all that matters).

Apparently, ITM'ers need to take a note from Tito...who somehow, has learned to take all the questions and stress of an off season in Boston lightly:

"I'm sure when we head down to Fort Myers we'll have a left fielder. We always do. They're really good about that."

Oh Tito, you're getting good at this....but that doesn't help me any....

The good news? According to Jerry Crasnick: The Darren Oliver market is starting to pick up. Among the interested teams: Boston, Tampa Bay, Texas, the Mets and his old club, the Angels.

Awesome, just awesome....gotta love the idea of 48 year-old Darren Oliver returning to Boston to lead us to the promise land.

So sleep tight, continue to search the websites for countless rumors,and hope Theo has a better end to the week than beginning.

I'll be the guy who can't sit still in the office tomorrow....I'm not freaking out yet, I swear.

11:15pm Update: Yes I'm still checking for trade rumors while I should be doing grad school work...or sleeping...so what? Anyways, the real kicker in all this mess is how relaxed J-Bay is....ITM just learned he's currently vacationing in Hawaii with not a worry in the world. Must be nice. Meanwhile I'll be in Boston's financial district talking to anyone who will listen to me about BS trade rumors.

Hoyer: "Adrian is Staying Put"

Today was a stressful day for the ITM writers....the number of random chats, emails, and links sent between the three of us on day one of the winter meeting can't be quantified....borderline obsessive to say the least.

That said, apparently, Jed Hoyer is out to sink our battleships. As the new Padres GM, news is just coming out that Hoyer has stated: "it makes no sense to deal Gonzalez now."

Gonzalez is due to make $4.75 million in 2010 and has a club option for $5.5 million in 2011....both of which are complete bargains in the grand scheme of things. The Padres ability to hang onto Gonzo on a long term basis is considered slim at best.

Is it possible that Hoyer is already trying to drive up the price for Gonzalez? Surely, Hoyer must have concerns about making his first big deal as a GM with his old buddy in Boston. At the same time, he likely has the best true valuation of Boston's organizational talent and resources...so he may have the best information to make an educated trade.

Certainly, time will tell. There were no lack of rumors being thrown around today...too many to document here on ITM so we'll try to stick with some of the bigger items and address the smaller ones later.

I'm pretty sure my fingers hurt from hitting the refresh button. You can't beat the Winter Meetings.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Sure, you probably have a case of the Mondays right now.... but one of the most exciting weeks of the baseball offseason is upon us. The Winter Meetings.

General Managers, their crew of nerd analysts, and super agents all converge on a Marriott in Indy to truly get the off season moving. Why they chose Indy in December as a location is beyond me (outside of its central geographic location). Anyways, the Winter Meetings are like the Comic-Con Festival for normal people, an exciting four days of trade rumors, contract talks, and straight up lying. I love it all.

Inevitably, the majority of the talk we hear of is just that, talk. That said, it would still surprise me if the Sox don't, at the very least, make a few additions to their roster this week. The new-found but expected holes in the bullpen provide Theo with some low level deals to pursue. The general consensus is that those holes could be filled quickly given the thin market for bullpen help.

We don't have to go into all of Boston's needs, that wouldn't be considered good for our collective health on a Monday morning. However, the Sox have started out active this offseason, whether you like it or not, and have provided us with every indication they'll remain so this week. Keep your fingers crossed that we address so of our organizational needs appropriately.

So be ready, put your mouse on the refresh button, freak out over every trade rumor which was likely completely made up by either an agent, or the guy in the cube next to you, and hope Theo provides us with an early Christmas present.....or at least a news story to get our minds off of the Patriots. Awful.


Go Sox.

Ricciardi Tries to Make Me Feel Better

(thanks to NECN.com for the video)

The dust has somewhat settled, and many are starting to turn on their initial gut reaction which opposed the Scutaro deal. Cafardo ball-washed Scutaro in the globe this morning, and slowly but surely, other blogs and red sox fans are starting to substantiate in their own minds, a false level of optimism for Scutaro.

J.P Ricciardi, the Worcester native, provided some inside perspective on the Scutaro deal in an attempt to make me feel better....

"He's one of the best shortstops, period," Ricciardi said. "He's a guy that's going to be able to play at this level until he's 37 or 38. He works at it. Look, this is a great signing. He's a really smart player. He's a great base runner. He keeps improving (his on base percentage has risen from .332 to .341 to .379 the last three seasons). He grinds at-bats (he led all shortstops in pitches per at-bat). He could bat leadoff and they could let Dustin Pedoria bat third. He can do a lot of things." ..

I'm sure Marco Scutaro is a great guy and works hard, but as T Murph put it during a morning conversation... "players don't get better when they get old, unless they're juicing" (keep in mind, Scutaro was an utility player throughout his prime years)... and in true fashion, T Murph even snuck in a zinger...."if Ricciardi really wanted to make us feel better, he would have traded us Halladay."

Now we're not giving him Julio Lugo money, but the contract structure does bother me a bit as well. The addition of a team, player, and buyout option for a third year will inevitably end up costing the Red Sox money on a 37 year old short stop with diminished range and limited offensive abilities. Talk OBP all you want to get on Theo's good side Ricciardi, but that's not enough to convince me this is anything more than a more risky short term fix, more so than resigning a younger Gonzo at lower dollars.

Now the real risk shifts to Iglesias, a 19 year old kid who now has the weight of the Red Sox future success on his shoulders. We all saw what that did to Lars Anderson this past year. If he Iglesias turns bust, we'll all be complaining about an aging short stop with potential solutions on the horizon in just a year or two.

In addition, Theo chimed in yesterday with: "We still have a lot to do".

Damn straight Theo, damn straight. I think part of the public's problem with the Scutaro deal is we're all expecting a big splash during the offseason, and as much as they tried to make a big deal out of the Marco Scutaro press conference, it's simply plugging Boston's constant hole at shortstop yet again.....and as of right now, I'm convinced it's a more expensive plug than Gonzo without additional benefits.

Let's all pray Scutaro starts fast out of the gate, or else he'll turn into Rent-A-Wreck fairly quickly in this town.

By Far the Worst News of My Day....

According to Boston.com...

Marco Scutaro, a free-agent shortstop who could potentially fill Boston's void at the position next season, worked out for the Red Sox earlier this week, sources told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Scutaro worked out for Allard Baird this week near Scutaro's home in Florida, according to the report. Baird is an assistant to Sox GM Theo Epstein. The workout was reportedly held to help alleviate concerns the Red Sox had over a heel injury that sidelined Scutaro for the final two weeks of 2009.


According to another report, Scutaro told Augusto Cardenas, a reporter for the Venezualan newspaper Diario Panorama, that the Red Sox have asked for Scutaro's medical records.
"The people of Boston called again and asked for my medical report, and [we] are working on it," Scutaro told Diario Panorama. "I have to go to a doctor to confirm that I am OK about the injury I had at the end of the season."


Scutaro hit .284 with 12 home runs and 60 RBIs for the Blue Jays last season. He was offered salary arbitration by the Blue Jays this week, meaning Toronto will receive draft picks if another team signs the shortstop.


The Sox, of course, are in need of a shortstop following the departure of Alex Gonzalez. While Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has said he'd be open to switching positions, allowing the Sox flexibility to go after either a shortstop or a second baseman this offseason, Pedroia's position switch is likely not the team's first option."



And down goes Theo!...let's face it, the man can draft players, but when it comes to staffing a shortstop, you might as well have the bearded guy from The Hangover running the team. Talk about being over leveraged. on a 19 year old Cuban ballplayer who has yet to play single A ball. Terrible.

Before you go to bed tonight, say a prayer that this isn't true....because awesome name or not, we'll be overpaying for a class A free agent past his prime and career .265 hitter. But I'm sure Theo will be quick to tell us his OBP was 3rd among AL shortstops last year on cloudy days with an above average temperature against AL West opponents. Yes, you read that right.

12/4 Update: I was hoping I would wake up this morning and it would all have been a bad dream. At last it isn't....it's true, Theo pulled the trigger and now I've been spending my morning thinking of an annoying nickname I can call him from the bleachers. I hope to Christ he proves me, and every other angry Bostonian I've talked to today, tremendously wrong.

Sayounara Saito

First Wagner, now Saito.

Boston's 2009 bullpen continues to head south to that dump of a city called Atlanta. If a report from CBSSportsline is to believed, Takashi Saito is prepared to sign a one-year, $3 million deal with the Braves. That after I just learned how to spell and pronounce the guy's name....figures.

Saito stayed healthy and pitched well for the Sox in 09', registering a 2.43 ERA as a middle-innings guy. As a result, he was able to reach many of his performance-related contract incentives.

According to the report, "the Red Sox were interested in bringing Saito back to Boston, and the pitcher (who will turn 40 on Valentine's Day) was interested in remaining with the Sox. However, it appears that the Braves were able to make a more attractive offer." When have we heard that before??

The GM meetings are coming, time to get ready to be all over the refresh button as we freak out over deals completely fabricated by agents, players, the media, and even the GM's themselves. In Theo we trust??

Adam Everett? Why Not Just Bring Back 49 Year Old John Valentin?

The possibility of Dusty moving to the shortstop position is worth a post of its own....and to be honest, that was my plan for tonight. However, I stumbled upon a story that the Red Sox have reached out to Adam Everett in their search for a new "fix" in the six hole.

Adam Everett? ....

Really? ...

This is the plan? Are we skipping over the dollars to pick up the pennies? Can I be the first to suggest to bring back John Valentin instead of signing this guy??? (PS: Valentin is actually only 42, but I called him 49 to reinforce my point in the headline, you understand)

I can't help but get a little frustrated when I read stories like these. We pass up on Gonzo (see below), and instead of pushing for a sincere upgrade to address Boston's black hole, Theo wows us with this guy? He's basically a white Alex Gonzalez but hits even less. Are reports like this aimed at lulling Red Sox Nation into believing that picking up Marco Scutaro is the answer?

Well it's not changing my frame of mind. A 34 year old, one year wonder, type A free agent in Scutaro (who will cost us draft picks), is certainly not the answer. Moreover, putting all your eggs in the collective basket of a 19 year old who just swam away from Cuba isn't the absolute answer either.

Call me overly optimistic, but I'm still holding out hope for Han-Ram..... Or at lest, if you're going to try to fix something that isn't broken, and move Dusty to short, bring in Dan Uggla or Brandon Phillips to make the change absolutely worth it.

In Theo we trust???