All Red Sox players are expected to be in training camp today, reports are that Mike Lowell and Mark Kotsay have not been seen yet. Lowell of course is coming off hip surgery and Kotsay (my boy) had back surgery not to long ago and according to Francona is expected to be in camp tomorrow.
Julio Lugo has arrived in great shape if the media is to be believed. Lugo and Jed Lowrie will battle each other for the starting short stop job this season. Lugo has another 2 years left on his contract and said that he will wait until the end of spring training before he decides if he's going to ask for a trade or not. Thanks Lugo, we all appreciate you waiting to decided if you'd like to request a trade, Theo's phone hasn't stopped ringing for a short stop for 2 years at $18 million with the range of 3 legged dog.
In all seriousness, I do hope Lugo rebounds this season, at least defensively. If you look back at the Sox World Series teams in 2004 and 2007 they have great role players coming off the bench. If Lugo doesn't rebound he'll be impossible to trade, there's no market for a short stop who bats .250 and is due $18 million more, the Sox would be eating a healthy chunk of that contract. Did someone say Rent-a-Wreck? (Edgar Renteria)
If Lugo can come off the bench and provide what Alex Cora did I guess we won't be able to complain. Of course he'll be doing if for about $16 million more, I still can't believe Theo signed this guy.
Takashi Saito was given number 24, Man-Rams old number. Personally I believe that Ramon Ramirez should have be given number 24, it would save Sox fans the money and pain of having to buy a new Rex Sox jersey this season. If they give Ramirez number 24 I'm pretty sure Ramirez would have the most jerseys at a ball game for a relief pitcher who's not a closer in the history of baseball, sadly we'll never know.
Tony Mazz is reporting that despite the fact Jason Varitek couldn't hit a beach ball from the left side of the plate he still plans to switch hit this season. "Oh my goodness. Hell no", was Tek's response when asked he was going to give up switch hitting; coincidentally that's the same thing I yelled every time Tek came to the plate in the late innings with runners in scoring position.
Tek then referenced his home run in game 6 of the ALCS of James Shields, "It’s too much of an asset." Last year Tek batted .284 from the right side of the plate and .201 from the left, perhaps he means he's an asset in regard to keeping the flow of the game going, nothing like an automatic out.
There must be a reason why he feels the need to switch hit... I don't even have a joke here.
David Ortiz is scheduled to talk to the media today, we'll have that interview later this afternoon.
