Beat it Penny

There is nothing like flying home from your honeymoon and having the captain come over the PA to give us the awful score of the Sox/Yankee game.....did he want me to get arrested on the plane for threatening people's lives? Not only was the flight delayed forever, Brad Penny continued to showcase his inability to keep the Sox in a baseball game.

To say he's been bad would be an understatement...it looks like the Sox dropped the ball in early July when he was one of the most coveted pitchers within a thin market.

But don't worry Sox fans, Tim Wakefield has just replaced Penny in the rotation. After throwing a gem in Pawtucket and reportedly feeling fine, Wake will start on Weds. As for Penny, who really cares, all he's been good for over the last 12 starts has been crocked numbers and 97 mph fastballs high and outside of the zone.

This afternoon's game is significant in many ways, perhaps the least of which being the team they're playing however. Get this team's pitching healthy and into the playoffs and I'm optimistic regardless.

Go Sox.

PS: this post came from my bberry, so it's quite possible it reads like a 7 year old wrote it. Nothing beats blogging about the Sox in the Trader Joes parking lot.

Deep Thoughts Aboard Boston's Subway

Once again I find myself stuck on Boston's subway coming home from work, and I'm worried about the Sox. You would think that with my wedding coming up on Saturday my mind would be elsewhere, but it's not, it's focused squarely on Brad Penny and Boston's bullpen.

As soon as the Sox went into extras last night the worrying started,not only in regards to the game at hand, but to the repercussions it could have on the bullpen during the most important stretch of the year thus far. Not only did the Sox use up their bullpen arms last night with stressful innings,but Brad Penny takes the mound against a scrappy Rays team that seems to raise their collective games against Boston (see Evan Longoria...he's a great talent and hard to dislike,damn that guy).

I don't think I've ever wanted to see Tim Wakefield take the mound more than tonight. Ol' reliable would go out there and eat innings all night long, Penny on the other hand, while also a veteran, has yet to show the ability to go deep into games. He tends to suffer from the John Smoltz syndrome of one bad inning. Usually it's in the 4th or5th, and that's something Boston's current record and bullpen simply cannot afford. They'll have to bring up an arm from Pawtucket, most likely Hunter Jones (they may have done so already, but I'm underground with no signal to check). Jones may have a great baseball name, but he's not exactly the best person to be sending onto the bump during such a pivotal stretch.

So let's collectively pray Penny gives the Sox what they need tonight;a significant amount of quality innings to keep them in the game and save the bullpen to fight another day. God willing.

Go Sox

Is Dice-K Secretly Pulling for Florida Tonight?

(ITM note: this was drafted on a blackberry while stuck on a subway crowd of suburban pink hats who can't find their way to Fenway Park)...

I wonder if somewhere in the Sox dugout, Dice-k is secretly praying for a rough outing from Brad Penny tonight.

The Sox are clicking in a number of areas of late, and as a result, are winning a lot of games. Save of course for Dice-K. I understand the Dice man must agree to any demotion or movement, but tonight's start may be just as important to him as it is to Penny.

Penny is certainly in the know, he comprehends how important this start against the Marlins is in determining his 2009 future. One thing is for sure, he's not holding back. From a verbal assault on Joe Girardi's recent whining to blasting 98 mph fast balls by hitters,Penny has a veteran edge to him that I enjoy.

The Sox have been considering a 6 man rotation of late, something most of us here at ITM dislike, but ultimately Brad Penny's value over the next few weeks may make that decision for Theo and company.

In what is nothing more than a "what have you done for me lately" comment, something about me wants to keep Penny around...Dice-K can't seem to get out of his own way, and as good as Smoltz has looked in his rehab, he's still unproven in the bigs this year while being much more likely to suffer a setback or injury.

So as much as I've built up Penny's performance tonight in my head, I end this post having convinced myself that Dice-K's next start is of even greater importance, possibly the biggest of the year.

Now if only everyone on this train could finally learn Boston's subway system.....

Pitching Pitching Everywhere

As John Smoltz prepares to make his debut with the Boston Red Sox the question on every one's mind is; what are the Sox going to do with all their starting pitching? Upon Smotlz return the Sox have 6 starting pitchers, 7 if you count Buchholz, and only 5 spots in the rotation. Smotlz was quoted this morning saying he thinks he'll start next Tuesday or Wednesday which gives the Sox a few more days to work something out.

Truthfully, we'll have to see how it plays out because no one knows what Theo and company are going to do, however here are my slightly less then educated opinions.

The Sox will not be going to a 6 man rotation, that takes starts away from Lester and Beckett. Although it would allow everyone an extra days rest, baseball players are said to be creatures of habit and messing with the pitching rotation is not something that's going to happen in June. Besides, does anyone really want to take starts away from Lester right now, he's in a groove.

There's been a lot of talk of kicking Dice K to the DL again, or possibly extended. That's the easy answer, but what hasn't been talked about is the fact that Dice K has to sign off on either of those plans. Certainly the Dice Man is pitching the worst of the 5 starters right now, but to write him off the DL skips a few steps, we'll have to see how Theo plays this scenario out.

Brad Penny looks like a different animal in his last few starts, particularly against the Yankees. It seems he's taken exception to everyone wanting to trade him when Smoltz was/is ready to pitch, and I love the fire he's pitching with. Penny was hitting 98 against the Yankees and he had a big enough pair to drill Arod. I was growing very tired of the Yanks pitchers buzzing and hitting Bay and Youk, good for Penny for standing up and telling Girardi to shut his mouth.

That said, depending on what the Sox get out of Smoltz, I wouldn't be opposed to trading high on Brad Penny. I think before July 31st if the Sox can get a bat and either Smoltz is putting up numbers roughly equivalent to Penny's and the right deal is out there, Theo pulls the trigger. Don't ask me what that deal is, but Penny is signed for a year and I think the lineup will probably need another bat before all is said and done.

Tony Mazz wrote about the possibility of moving Wake to the bullpen, he didn't take to that idea and neither am I. First of all, Wake is 54 years old, better that he's not throwing every day, even if it is a knuckle ball. More importantly, I'm not wild about messing with the bullpen right now, Tito seems to have an order worked out depending on the game of who he's going to use, throwing Wake in the mix mucks everything up.

Down on the farm you have Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowdin pitching out of their minds. I wouldn't rule out Bowdin being traded in the right deal, again we'll let Theo be judge and jury on that one and treat him with kid gloves if the deal is a disaster or revere him if he pulls another Bay deal off.

The other day Buchholz was asked point blank about how he feels about not pitching for the big club, rightfully so Clay was frustrated. His response received a little press because it wasn't the standard "whats good for the club is good for me". I do not think Buchholz was pushing for a trade or trying to stir up trouble, he was just being honest. After last year he has to be patient and continue to pitch well in Pawtucket, at some point his time will come.

One thing I do know is not everyone is going to remain healthy for the rest of year, as I said Wakefield is 54 years old, okay 42. Count on a starter going down with an injury at some point this season, and we'll all be happy when Smoltz or Buchholz can make a spot start or 2 at the time, it's a long season

As the old adage goes, you can never have too much pitching. Anyone who is complaining about the current situation should remember back to 2005 when David Wells was our number 1 starter. This is not a bad problem to have.

Might the Sox get some Brotherly Love?

Word is that the Phillies are lighting up the switchboards and looking to make a move to shore up their rotation. Brett Myers, the Phillies 28 year old righty, was placed on the 15 day DL this weekend, but is expected to be out something along the lines of 4 to 5 months. The Phillies, with their stacked lineup, know that the principal obstacle to a repeat is their starting pitching, and they're not happy just to plug up the holes with a AAA prospect. They're on the market.



Their reported wish-list, depending on availability and price, is Peavey, Oswalt, Lee, and Bedard, with Peavey likely their number one choice, though it's unknown (he has that no-trade clause, as Chicago will tell you) how he'd feel about a trade to Philadelphia. If they can't get one of those four, they reportedly will focus their efforts on getting an experienced righty to play foil to Hammels.




When you mention sub-elite, high-performing, experienced righties, one name in particular springs to mind: Brad Penny. Despite not really looking all that great, the man is in the top 10 in the AL in wins and winning percentage (the mark of a crafty veteran, the ability to do just enough?) with a 5-1 record. He's been one of the steadier presences for the Sox, and of late has looked particularly effective and comfortable on the mound. But with Smoltz going 7 in AAA and Buchholz pushing perfect games into the 9th, he also looks expendible (knock on wood), as we all know.



The Phillies have some prospects that might interest the Sox, too. Namely 23 year old catching prospect Lou Marson, who projects as an everyday catcher in the big leagues and is an OBP-centric hitter, just the Sox style. The name might sound somewhat familiar because when Buchholz's stock was low this past offseason, there was some talk of a Sox-Phillies trade with those two at the center of some package. Marson's 2009 numbers are down a bit following his 2008 demolition of the Eastern League, but by all accounts, he's got a lot of talent and would fit nicely into the Sox system.



Best guess is that the Phillies make a move for Bedard. They're squawking about his attitude, but likely that's just a negotiating ploy. Bedard has come on strong of late, and no one is denying his stuff. Maybe Peavy is the top of the list, but I'll bet they think Bedard is their most realistic bet.



Here's hoping, though, that realism sinks the Phillies a bit further, and maybe, just maybe, the Sox find that perfect match, that NL hitter-heavy organization in need of a righty. It could be in the stars.

Now What?

(is he back? I doubt it.....but maybe, just maybe)

A direct quote from late yesterday afternoon:

Tim: What are the chances Ortiz hits a tater tonight?

Me: I actually give him negative chances, we've got a better chance of finding Bin Laden (and I hope by saying this he finally hits one tonight).

Turns out it worked. We've all seen it, Ortiz went deep last night. It required 149 at bats, insane amounts of frustration, and a meatball high fastball that I could have put in Ted William's red seat to get it done, but it happened.

The real question is, now what? Sure Ortiz hit a double in the 8th as well, but what are the real chances he'll snap right back into the Ortiz of 2007? Unlikely. The past struggles remain as facts, he continues to hint at personal issues with his old man, and I'm not going to lie, after his first two at bats last night, I was ready to draft a post calling for him to be sent down I95 to the lovely state of Rhode Island. Maybe (and hopefully) I'm wrong, and one tater is all he needs for the stress to be lifted, mechanics fixed, and revert back to his tater-hitting ways, but I'm just not ready to say all is well. Perhaps now we'll all start obsessing in his Balldelli-like OBP, or his inability to hit anything on the inner half of the plate....I'm sure we'll find something.

What is well is that the Sox are showing the Jays what it'll take to truly compete in the AL East. Sure Ortiz hit his first homer and that is getting all the ink today, but let's not forget that Penny threw his 5th quality start (just as many as our "ace" Beckett), Tek somehow has 7 homeruns, and Youk came back and ho-hum continues the multi-hit game barrage.

The Sox go for the sweep tonight with Lester on the mound. A quality start from Lester and a sweep of the Jays will go a long way for this team, and my mental stability.

And oh yeah, some pitcher named Peavy looks to be headed to the WhiteSox....the AL domination will only continue over the junior circuit.

All Hands on Deck

Clay Buchholz threw another gem down in AAA this morning, going 8, giving up 0, and striking out 10. Over his last 35 innings, he's given up only 4 runs, struck out 37, and walked 10. He is, in short, dominating. And Mike Hazen hasn't minced words on what he's seeing: "He's upholding his end of the deal. He's putting the pressure on and forcing his way. It's a long baseball season. Something's going to happen."



Which raises the question. What, exactly, is going to happen, and when? This week, the hot stove has suddenly warmed a bit, and rumors have been whispered around the league that the Sox might soon consider shopping an arm or two. Which means it's our duty as Sox fans to begin the debate early, and flog this dead horse until he's really dead.



The proposition isn't ridiculous, even this early. The Sox have the worst starting rotation ERA in all of baseball (yes, in all of baseball), yet are considered to have a glut of arms. And the thing is, the worst of the bad numbers have come from what we would generally consider the surest things, and the least touchable players: Beckett, Lester, and Daisuke. Penny has been average, Masterson has been better than average, and Wakefield has been outright good.



This puts the Sox in an unusual position, but not a completely unfavorable one. No one in the organization thinks that the dry spell for the 1-2-3 arms will last all season, meaning no one would likely be quaking at the thought of relying on Beckett, Lester, and Daisuke for their wins. Meaning that the Sox best performers are relatively expendible at precisely the time when their trade value is on the rise. Add into that counterintuition that John Smoltz is due to be back in June (but is a highly unlikely trade chip) and Daisuke will soon be off the DL (as early as next week).



So, the situation comes down to this: is there any combination of Buchholz, Masterson, Bowden, Bard, and Penney that you wouldn't mind trading right now? At what price? How many arms do we give up? Just one? Two?



To my mind, the rumors starting to turn up are just that: rumors. The Sox have learnt their lesson well on starting pitching, and are more likely to live with overkill than risk a shortage. But what about Brad Penny. That's the one that gets me. Might there be any takers out there? A relatively cheap, veteran arm? He's shown that the injuries are no longer hampering him. Even if he's not going to be the ace he once was, he could be a solid middle of the rotation guy for some NL contender, and at the right price. Might the Sox be willing to move him even if just for some more outfield backup? That would still leave them with Beckett, Lester, Daisuke, Wakefield, as well as Masterson, Buchholz, and Smoltz. A backup plan, but not a glut.



So keep in mind the rumors have already started swirling, and that was before Buchholz's last two starts. And like our personnel guru said, the kid is forcing his way. "It's a long baseball season. Something's going to happen."

Sox, Penny Drop the Ball

The Red Sox had no real reason to win the game anyways....but it still sucks to lose a tie game in the bottom of the 9th without your closer on the mound. Tito decided to go with Lopez in the 9th inning of a tie game, and stuck with him after a lead off hit by Mark DeRosa. His decision would have (and should have) worked, if it wasn't for Lopez fumbling away the chance for the Sox to make it 12 straight by forcing the game into extras.


The reality is the game was lost well before that play. The Sox had two separate four run leads that Brad Penny couldn't hold and made as many errors in the field as they had committed all season. It's a wonder they were even in the game at all.


So while many have seen the highlights of Lopez dropping the third out of the bottom of the 9th, the greater blame should be put on Penny. I'll be honest, I was a fan of the Penny signing before the year, and I haven't given up hope in the low risk, high potential reward he offers quite yet....but how many more chances do we give the guy to get his stuff right? On this team, with its depth and talent in the pitching position, it can't be much longer. With Dice-K on the DL but feeling better, Masterson showing he can be a more than dependable starter, Buchholz starting to pitch better in the minors, and Smoltz coming into the picture sooner than later....what are the chances Penny sticks around (as a starter at least) much longer?


Sure the defense didn't do him any favors last night (looking at you Lugo), but nonetheless, his ERA stands at 8.66, and when you consider the talent of arms this team has, that should cause the team to reconsider its number 5 starter.

Sox Big Bats (save for Ortiz) Bail Out Penny

It wasn't exactly the Mother's day Miracle, but last night's Sox/O's game at Fenway was far from normal. The Sox bats broke out again last night, the second consecutive game putting up 8 or more runs, pulling off a come from behind victory after trailing 7-0 in the early going.

From a fan perspective, the emotional roller coaster that was last night's game ran wild, from texting my brother that I wasn't going to watch anymore in the 2nd inning, to screaming at my TV when JD legged out a triple without pulling anything, it was a wild game.

So the Sox got the win, but let's be honest, they had no business winning that game. Here is a summary of the good and the bad from last night, feel free to chime in with additions/thoughts/opinions:

The Good:

The Offense: Back to back games of crooked numbers on the scoreboard is a welcome sign for a lineup struggling to find its stroke. This lineup can go from mediocre to amazingly deep if they can find some consistency. Right now, it's Jay Bay and JD as the glue holding it together, that can last for some time, but not forever (see Ortiz comment below).

Dusty: I don't think anyone is sincerely concerned about the little man, we all know he'll hit, it's just a matter of when. Well last night may have been his break out game. It's no coincidence that he gets on base and the lineup produces behind him.

The Pen: We all knew this was going to one of the team's strongest assets, but thus far, did anyone think it would be this good? After spotting mopping up Dice-k's mess to throw 10 scoreless innings on Tuesday, they did a fantastic job of keeping the Sox in the game last night with six more scoreless frames.....and it's not just one or two guys shouldering the load, it's everyone...from Delcarmen to Ramirez to Lopez to Pap....more than solid.

The Real Bad:

Ortiz: In ITM's world, David Ortiz has officially lost the nickname "Big Sexy" (don't ask). Regardless, he has been neither big, nor sexy thus far. Safe to say we're all extra worried after he left 5 men on base last night and could not catch up with a plus fast ball. With each passing game the thought that Ortiz could have really "lost it" grows stronger. Also, the thought that he could really be 38 years old and not 33 continues to pop in my head..not good.

The Bad, but not too concerning:

Brad Penny: WTF was that?? After a productive outing in his first start as a Red Sox, he turns into a drunk Derek Lowe on the mound? The good news is, everything about this start seemed like an abnormality. An inability to throw strikes (even his fastball) and continuing to leave balls up in the zone are the direct opposite of trademark Penny. Let's hope that it was an one-off outing which Boston was lucky enough to win.

Starting Pitching: With last night’s performance, the Sox rotation now boasts a whopping 6.79 ERA, good enough for second worst in the American League. On average, the team has gotten 5.1 innings from its starters, and just two outings of more than six innings. These arms are better than this, and you got to believe numbers will begin to even out in time.

Next up on the mound, a pissed off Josh Beckett. Let's roll.

I am the Resurrection and the Life

That's not a melodramatic headline, right? What? A guy can't merge the symbolism of Easter and baseball once in a while?


A few impressions following a nail-biting, desperately needed (to the extent we can throw that term around in what is admittedly the first week of the season), 5-4 Sox victory over the Angels:


---Anyone else surprised to learn that Brad Penny has the best April record of any active pitcher in the big leagues? After today's outing, he's a regular spring nymph at 21-7. The Sox have got to be pleased with that outing.


---Reassuring to see that Penny's velocity is there, but when he got up to 95, 96, it didn't look like he could hit 'Tek's targets. Still, that he was in the mid-90's at all is encouraging.


---That goomba Mike Napoli had this look on his face the whole game like he knew something we didn't. It was pretty impressive. Not just the hitting, but the fact that he was not at all surprised by it. The Angels apparently expect to get an awful lot of production from behind the plate this season.


---Speaking of catching production, way to be, 'Tek. I'm gonna try to be cool about it and not say anymore than that. Just, you know, way to be.


---I know this is strange, but Jacoby looks younger to me every time he doesn't get a hit. I'm not saying that at all as a slight, just as a real, physical observation. When he crosses the base path toward the dugout, it's like Field of Dreams and he seems to be a teenager all of a sudden. It's freaking me out a little.


---Reggie Willits is back with the Angels. You'll remember he was one of the goats of the 2008 ALDS. Terrible circumstances (I can't even begin to get into how terrible), but glad Willits is getting another shot with the club.


---Holy crap was that a good (stressful) last at-bat of the game.


---Chone Figgins has really got to work on the throw across the diamond. I've seen him lift Morales up off the bag three times this series already. You know that one where Figgins made a diving stab and a surprisingly good throw from his knees, but Morales just sort of watched it sail by his glove like he was seeing double for a moment? I'm thinking that was just revenge for making Kedrick work. Nobody makes Kendrick work. Got it, Chone?


---Please, please everyone: start calling Jason Bay the 'Ragin' Canadgin'. It would mean a lot to me if that caught on.

Pregame: Rocco In, Drew Out. Penny's Turn

Tito has replaced J.D. Drew with Rocco Baldelli for this evening's game against the Halos. Apparently, Tito decided to keep Jacoby in the lineup because he "likes the way he's been swinging the bat lately."

According to Tito: "You gotta pick one or the other,".... "It certainly won't be a platoon situation." Looking ahead, the Sox will see three straight lefties against the Oakland A's, so Tito will surely be mixing and matching Jacoby, Rocco, and JD. The attempt to keep everyone happy and healthy is just beginning....

Here is today's lineup:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis,1B
5. Rocco Baldelli, RF
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. Mike Lowell, 3B
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. Jason Varitek, C

SP- Brad Penny

As you all know by now, this is Brad Penny's first start of the season for Boston, a start we're all looking forward to. The season has started with inconsistent pitching for Boston, so a solid start from Penny would go a long way to cooling the current fears of Red Sox Nation.

According to multiple reports, Penny will be kept on a pitch count of about 85-90 pitches. Let's hope he gets through 5+ innings.

Let's go Sox.

Going Around the Horn....

There has been a flurry of Sox-related news of late...so here's ITM's attempt at addressing a few of the larger items....

- Daniel Bard has been sent down, (most likely to Triple A) but I don't think many of us are expecting him to stay down there too long. ITM was extremely impressed with the 6'4" 23 year old while spending time in Ft. Myers a few weeks ago, and we weren't the only ones. The Red Sox staff openly admits Bard was among the best pitchers in the entire Sox camp, blowing his 100 mph fastball by hitters that ranged from chumps to studs (multiple sources confirm he can touch 101 with regularity, but can't control it as well when he reaches that far back)....who is this guy? Nolan Ryan?...let's hope for that and not Joel Zumaya. Bard struck out 11 while completing 9 1/3rd innings without surrendering a run this spring. Studly stuff from anyone, yet alone a 23 year old with no major league experience. The debate is already raging on whether to keep him in a bullpen role, or stretch him out to be a starter...either way, he's showing some of the best upside in a Sox system full of young pitchers. Man-crushes aside, the kid can bring it and provided he doesn't drop a table on his foot, he'll likely be up with the big league club at some point this year, September at the latest.

- Brad Penny went three scoreless innings in his first spring training start of the year against the Tigers today. Penny looked sharp and only allowed one base runner on a walk in the first inning. The best news here is that he felt no pain during or after the game. Everything looks to be on track for him to start the year as Boston's 5th starter. After the game Penny said: “It was nice, I felt good. It has been a while since I’ve got out there and felt good, you know. Last year, I went out. I was pitching, but I didn’t really feel like I had a lot behind it. Another stepping stone. I felt pretty good.” Red Sox Nation's collective tail is wagging after reading that.....If this guy stays healthy and reverts back to the 07' Brad Penny....lights out.

- Curt Schilling officially retired today. We've all seen it coming over the past week, but today he made it official via his 38 pitches blog. This topic probably deserves its own post, perhaps we'll get to that down the road....but say what you want about Schilling, his political beliefs, and his uncanny ability to stick his foot in his mouth at times, the man brought 2 championships to a city in desperate need of them. He stated his intentions when coming here in 2004 and sacrificed everything (including his 2005 season) to make them whole. The HOF debate is starting, and while his numbers alone may not get him there, I think he'll get in after a few years....the bloody sock will turn into the bloody pant leg, and did you know he had to walk up hill to Fenway both ways in the snow?

- ......anyways, the Sox hit back to back to back to back taters today off of Brandon Lyon (remember him?). Not big news considering it's spring training and all, but one of those 4 jacks came from Mike Lowell, who has now homered in back to back games and has 3 taters for the spring. Also, just hearing about the string of 4 homeruns brings me back to a very happy place.... April 22, 2007, at Fenway Park, against the Yanks, 4 tall jacks in a row off of Chase Wright....effectively ruining that kid's chances at a successful professional career. See how much the Sox poured??

Pitching and More Pitching

Down in Fort Myers the topic of conversation today was pitching. Terry Francona spoke with the media for a few minutes this morning and Jonathan Papelbon, Brad Penny, and others threw live batting practice.

In Penny's words, "I felt great. Today, for me, answered a lot of questions, mentally and physically. I didn't know what to expect the first time going out there to face hitters, but everything felt great."

Penny is line to be the team's 5th starter when the season begins; Buchholz projects to start the year down on the farm in Pawtucket and Smotlz is being held out on the DL until June whether he likes it or not. Although he only threw BP today it's encouraging that he was pain free and felt good, clearing this first hurdle is a good first step. Penny added that he's 100% healthy.

Papelbon is also on a throwing regiment that will ease him into the season. When the dog days of August and September arrive Pap's health and durability is always a concern, as it if for all pitchers. Last year in the playoffs Pap said his arm was tired, definitely the affects from a long season and playoff run.

Francona and pitching coach John Farrell are acclaimed for their ability to work with the pitching staff and not run a reliever out there 5 days a week risking injury, looking at you Joe Torre.

Fracona added "With Paps, being a long spring, I don't know that we need to speed him up that much," said Francona. "With Penny, it's a little slower progression. I think the destination is the same, but we're getting there a little different"

Other pitchers throwing BP today were new comer Ramon Ramirez and Hideki Okajima. Papelbon will pitch in a spring training game March 3rd and Penny to start March 5th, however that time table could change.

A few other observations:

From photos I've seen Julio Lugo does look like he's put on a few pounds of muscle.

Mike Lowell is taking live batting practice, a good sign if he's to be ready for opening day.

Thanks to boston.com for the photo above.

Shifting Boston's focus from the Pats to baseball, Sox sign Penny, Bard.

With the Patriots officially out of the playoff hunt, and the Celtics and Bruins essentially on cruise control until the playoffs, the Boston sports scene can officially turn back to the Sox. Conveniently enough for New England, shortly after Brett Favre threw about 18 interceptions to make sure the Pats didn't make the playoffs, word came out that the Sox have agreed on deals with both Brad Penny and Josh Bard for the 2009 season.

Penny's one-year deal will have a base salary of $5 million but is laced with incentives and performance bonuses that can increase the total amount of the deal to $8 million. Part of the incentive is if Penny pitches more than 160 innings, which will require a healthy year, a chief concern for the Sox. Penny, 29, struggled last year with the Dodgers going 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts, he finished the season on the 60-day disabled list with a sore right shoulder. It is widely assumed he was suffering from a shoulder injury all season but did not mention it to Dodger management until later in the year (stubborn like Beckett?).

Most who like this deal point to 06' and 07' where Penny went 32-13. He has a career record of 94-75 with a 4.06 ERA. Personally I think this is a good deal for the Sox who have been looking to solidify their starting rotation. There is limited risk with a high ceiling of upside (see Bartolo Colon except with more success potential....and less fat). If Penny can return to form, the Sox would boast one of, if not the best rotation in baseball. The move will also allow for Justin Masterson to stay in the bullpen as the bridge to Pap.

Josh Bard was also signed by the Sox in a move that will get much less ink. Bard will likely serve as the back up (again), but his ultimate amount of playing time will depend on who the Sox have as a starting catcher on opening day. Bard hit .202 in 57 games for the San Diego Padres last season. In 2006, Bard served as a backup catcher for the Sox before being shipped to San Diego in favor of bringing back Doug "Dougie's going deep" Mirabelli.