Deal Done

According to the Boston Herald:

Varitek, who turns 37 in April, will receive $5 million in 2009. The club holds a $5 million option for 2010 and if it declines, Varitek can exercise a $3 million option of his own or become a free agent. The presence of the player option technically makes the contract a two-year deal in the eyes of the union.

Varitek also has $2 million in performance bonuses that he can earn in 2010 if he catches 120 games, but they are only attached to his player option.

This sounds like what has reportedly been on the table, so I’m not sure what took so long. It’s possible that the two sides were quibbling over the little extras that get thrown into a contract, such as travel perks and other seemingly inconsequential details.

Paps Inked for 1-Year Deal

Alerted by a WEEI Flash text message I just read, I am somewhat happy to pass along an Associated Press story that the Red Sox and closer Jonathan Papelbon have agreed to a one-year contract for $6,250,000 to avoid salary arbitration.

On the up side, the news renders obsolete a report filed less than an hour ago by the Boston Herald‘s Sean McAdam saying that arbitration may be imminent.

The negative is that the deal signals something of an impasse between the two parties, who had reportedly been working on a long-term deal to lock in Papelbon in similar fashion as they have sewn up Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis this off-season. One wonders what Papelbon is looking for, and if it’s more than the relatively modest (for pro ballplayers, that is) numbers last year’s MVP and second runner-up got.

Papelbon sometimes gives me the impression that he is a little too big for his britches, that his ego may get in the way of his making a reasonable business decision such as negotiation of a long-term contract. How much of his reluctance is a function of his agent is unclear, but ultimately the agent works for the player and not the other way around. In other words, if Papelbon wants a deal to get done, he has the power to instruct the agent to get it done.

New Year, New Post: Baldelli and Smoltz

Today seems like a good day to resurrect this blog, considering the stories out about the Red Sox’ acquiring a fourth outfielder and a veteran pitcher.

ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons reported last night that the Sox were "close to signing free-agent outfielder Rocco Baldelli" and that the announcement would be made at tonight’s Boston Baseball Writers dinner. But apparently it’s already announced, or so WEEI.com‘s "This Just In" box currently states:

The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with outfielder Rocco Baldelli on a one-year contract through the 2009 season. No further terms were disclosed. To make room for Baldelli on the 40-man roster, righthanded pitcher Charlie Zink was designated for assignment.In five seasons of major league action, Baldelli has compiled a .281 average, 94 doubles, 52 homers and 234 RBI in 447 games, all with Tampa Bay. He was 4-for-20 with two home runs and six RBI in his post-season debut this past fall. — (Jan. 8, 12:49pm)

‘EEI’s is also carrying a Paul Newberry Associated Press story saying that Boston has "reached preliminary agreement" with versatile 41-year-old pitcher John Smoltz, a one-year deal for $5 million plus another $5 million in performance incentives. It sounds like a typical low-risk Theo Epstein deal for a player who was out last season with shoulder surgery but should be able to contribute on some level in 2009. Depending on his health, Smoltz could relieve and spot start, or be the fifth man in the rotation now consisting of Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, and Tim Wakefield.

No word yet on a catcher…

Why This Was a Good Trade

I had an interesting experience on the Dodgers message board yesterday after the Manny Ramirez trade was announced. Besides discovering that moronic posters inhabit that board too, I had a productive exchange with one person. (Alas, only one. The others were, well, re-read the beginning of the last sentence.)

A board member calling him/herself "tennismenace" wrote, "I think your team will come in 3rd place. Drew is choking and you have two stiffs at the end of your lineup. You lose arguable your best hitter now. Good luck, but expect to see the NYY pass you."

Of course, I love a good baseball discussion and the chance to Here is my response to tennismenace about why I disagreed with his/her assessment:

1. You are making the mistake with Drew of assuming that the current trend (i.e. this July) is the trend that will continue. To make a more valid prediction, you should look at historical performance. For example, in the last couple years, he’s been lousy in July, but much bettter in August and September. That’s why we aren’t particularly worried about him right now.

2. Manny, on the other hand, has a habit of missing games in September, when his at-bats plummet because that’s when he is most likely to take himself out of games. We have already gotten from him what are typically his most productive months (excluding, of course, the postseason).

3. The other factor to consider is that Manny’s production has begun to decline, as one would expect to happen with age. He is still a formidable hitter, better than many players several years younger than he is, but chances are he isn’t trending upward overall. His batting average/homers/RBI in his eight seasons with the Red Sox have been (in chronological order from 2001 to 2008) .306/41/125, .349/33/107, .325/37/104, .308/43/130, .292/45/144, .321/35/102, .296/20/88, and this year projecting to (presuming games played in the last two seasons) .299/27/90. What we have now that we didn’t have in Manny’s best years are two younger players whose offense is on the uptick: Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. Obviously, neither has the power Manny has, but they are more than making up for his average. And Jason Bay is on pace with Manny this season with homers and RBI, so that’s a better fit than one might expect.

4. Even with their weak bottom of the order, the Red Sox have the third most runs scored in the American League, the third best team batting average, the fifth most home runs, and the best on-base percentage. They can afford weaker hitters down the lineup because others are so productive.

5. The Yankees, though improving, still lag significantly behind the Sox in those offensive categories, as well as pitching categories like batting average against and, to a lesser extent, earned run average. Two of their historically most consistent players, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada, are lost for the season. Furthermore, the Yankees are usually strong this time of year, when the Red Sox typically slump. Frankly, my bigger concern is not the Yankees but the Rays.

Whether I am correct remains to be seen. But his is hardly the gloom-and-doom situation many removed from the recent happenings here seem to think it is. And this information, looked at rationally, makes bloviators like Michael Felger, who has been foaming at the mouth on WEEI all morning, seem a bit unhinged.

Ding, Dong, the Twit Is Gone!

Details are few and far between, but here it is, from two different media outlets so far.

From the Sports Illustrated web site:

The Red Sox traded embattled slugger Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers late Thursday afternoon, SI.com has learned.

Jason Bay is headed to Boston as part of the deal, SI.com has learned. The Pirates will get four minor leaguers in the three-way trade.

[ . . . ]

The Red Sox approached Ramirez in advance of their negotiations, and got the OK from Ramirez. He signed off on the paperwork, contingent upon the two $20-million team options for 2009 and ’10 being dropped. The move will set the stage for Ramirez to become a free agent this winter.

Pittsburgh gets Craign Hansen and Brandon Moss, both from Boston, as well as third baseman Andy LaRoche from the Dodgers and a fourth minor leaguer who has yet to be confirmed.

The Red Sox are paying the $7 million remaining on Ramirez’s $20 million salary for this year.

From Boston.com:

Manny Ramirez’s stormy relationship with the Boston Red Sox appears to be over.

A baseball source has confirmed Ramirez has been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN.com has learned.

Jason Bay is going to Boston as part of the deal, Jayson Stark reported. And the Pittsburgh Pirates get four minor leaguers as part of the three-way deal.

Third baseman Andy LaRoche and right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris will go to the Pirates from the Dodgers. Outfielder Brandon Moss and right-handed pitcher Craig Hansen will leave the Red Sox orgianization for Pittsburgh, ESPN.com has learned.

No, Manny, the Red Sox Don't Deserve You

Man-child, idiot savant, multiple personality Manny Ramirez made a proclamation yesterday that perfectly sums up where his relationship with the Boston Red Sox has ended up.

"Boston no me ha dicho nada, no me han pedido que firme ningún papel o algo parecido", dijo Ramírez a ESPNdeportes.com desde el estadio Fenway Park antes del inicio del partido del miércoles contra los Angelinos de Los Angeles.

[ . . . ]

"Los Medias Rojas no merecen un pelotero como yo", dijo.

In English, as far as I can figure out :

“Boston has not told me nothing, has not asked me to sign no paper or anything like that,” Ramirez said to ESPNdeportes.com [from] Fenway Park before the start of Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Angels.

[ . . . ]

"The Boston Red Sox do not deserve a player like me," he said.

You know what? He’s right. The Red Sox don’t deserve what he has dished out over the years. They don’t deserve a $20 million player who won’t run out a ground ball, who takes himself out of the lineup for the kinds of aches and pains that every other major leaguer plays with on a regular basis, who makes inappropriate jokes at inappropriate times about the prospect of a trade necessitated by his temper tantrums, etc. Having paid him a lot of money over the years, they certainly deserve the production they got from him, but they don’t deserve the horse manure he has been shovelling for far too long.

So will they Sox cast off Ramirez in a deal at the trade deadline? That is the burning question. This morning, the reports were that he would end up with the Marlins in a three-way deal that would net the Sox Jason Bay from Pittsburgh. That deal now appears dead, due to either (depending on whose "sources" you believe) the Marlins’ insistence on extra cash from the Sox in addition to their paying the rest of Ramirez’ salary, or the Pirates’ insistence on too many prospects.

On the other hand, WEEI is just now commenting on a Sports Illustrated report of a possible deal with the Dodgers. Let’s hope.

End of an Era

My spring training reminiscences will appear sporadically between now and the beginning of the season, but for now, there is news.

The Doug Mirabelli era appears to be over.

The Red Sox have just made Doug Mirabelli’s release official. He was placed on unconditional release waivers.

[ . . . ]

[Kevin] Cash is a non-roster player, but he had not yet been upgraded to the roster. [H]e appears to be a likely choice to be added, however.

The Sox replaced Mirabelli in [today’s] lineup with Pawtucket catcher Dusty Brown, who is also considered a possible candidate for the major league club.

38 Pitches…Again

From ESPN.com less than an hour ago:

Curt Schilling and the Boston Red Sox have reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth about $8 million in base salary and another $2 million in potential incentives, ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney reports.

The agreement is pending Schilling, 40, passing a physical exam.

Next step: Mike Lowell. (And check back later today for The Official Re-Sign Mike Lowell Blog Post.)

UPDATE 13:34 EST: According to the Red Sox page at Boston.com, the deal is actually for $8 million plus a potential $5 million in incentives, "$3m in performance bonuses based on innings pitched and $2m based on weight clauses" — although at the moment, the article that link goes to mentions nothing about the weight incentives. Here’s a screen grab of the page currently (click for larger version):

UPDATE 14:06 EST: Curt breaks down the incentive arrangement on his blog:

The deal looks like this.

$8 million in guaranteed base salary

$2 million in bonuses for 6 seperate weigh ins.

I inserted the weigh in clause in the 2nd round of offers, counter offers. Given the mistakes I made last winter and into Spring Training I needed to show them I recognized that, and understood the importance of it. Being overweight and out of shape are two different things. I also was completely broad sided by the fact that your body doesn’t act/react the same way as you get older. Even after being told that for the first 39 years of my life. Now I can’t get on Dougie anymore, which sucks, and I am sure the clause will add 15-100 more jokes to Tito’s Schilling joke book.

$3 million in IP incentives based on IP totals.

$1 million for receiving a Cy Young vote, any vote.

Keep in mind that Curt doesn’t have an agent, so this is something he didn’t have to get talked into.

More about Those Eight Days without a Post

Now, where were we before I so rudely interrupted myself to witness this debacle? Ah yes, I was recapping my long blogless stretch and was just getting around to…

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Thursday, August 16, 2007 — It was a day off for our boys, but that doesn’t mean there was nothing going on. The WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund radio/telethon (how’s that for a long name?) got underway, to continue into Friday. The Red Sox, as major supporters of the Jimmy Fund, were front and center, with executives, players, and fans participating. I hope you found a few minutes and a few dollars to make a donation.

I am like many Jimmy Fund contributors in that I am motivated by the death of my brother to continue to support the work they do. That might seem counter-intuitive, that I would be so grateful to a place that couldn’t save him, but the fact is they gave him the best chance available at the time. So I donate in his memory. The irony is that the money raised today will be used to develop not only treatment and cures for people who haven’t even been diagnosed yet, but perhaps also to research how cancer might be prevented in the future. Given that reality, it would be appropriate for people whose siblings (or children or parents or friends) are healthy to pony up some cash, as the chances are it will help someone you know someday. Maybe even you. So if you didn’t donate, that’s OK—the Jimmy Fund will happily take your money any time. Go here to give something now.

Now, back to baseball.

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Friday, August 17, 2007 — One day, two games with the Angels of Wherever-they’re-from-this-season. Remember that rain-out back in April? They made it up Friday afternoon as part of a day-night doubleheader. And a fine make-up it was, with the Red Sox knocking around Los Angeles starter John Lackey in the first inning. It was also the major league debut of top pitching prospect Clay Buchholz (I’ve been misspelling it "Buckholz" with a "k"), who earned rave reviews in allowing three earned runs in six innings pitched before being sent back to Pawtucket immediately after he stepped out of his post-game shower. (Photo by Sitting Still.)

Game two wasn’t so hot, with Eric Gagné blowing a save opportunity and taking the loss. To be fair, Manny Delcarmen didn’t do his team any favors, allowing a 2-1 deficit to become a 4-1 deficit before the hitters drew a couple walks and whacked a couple hits and took advantage of a wild pitch to take a 5-4 lead into the ninth. It was a short-lived lead. The fans did not take it well, and mere days after he was cheered trotting out to the bullpen between innings, Gagné was besieged by boos.

Then there were the roster moves. Wily Mo Peña was traded to the Washington Nationals for cash consideration and a player to be named (announced just today to be Chris Carter), thus opening up the roster spot occupied for a few hours by Buchholz and later that evening by Jacoby Ellsbury. A game one calf injury to Doug Mirabelli also necessitated putting him on the disabled list and bringing in AAA catcher Kevin Cash as backup for the 15 days Mirabelli is unavailable.

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Saturday, August 18, 2007 — It was a pleasant August afternoon, just the right weather for a ball game. But we didn’t have a ballgame Saturday afternoon because #&*!% Fox Sports gets all the Saturday afternoon games, so the Sox weren’t on until 7:00. That was the bad news. The good news was that the Triumphant Mama and I were there. And it was Tony Conigliaro night, in honor of the 40th anniversary of that errant Jack Hamilton pitch that caught the young star in the face, forever changing the course of his career. (Hamilton is now a popular and successful restauranteur in Branson, Missouri, but to Boston fans, he unfortunately remains the guy who beaned Tony C.)

The game itself felt as if we got two games for the price of one. There was the game that sucked, which was the first four and a half innings when Curt Schilling gave up five runs. My running pitch count showed Curt at about 75% strikes, which didn’t seem quite right until I considered that every pitch the bat makes contact with is counted as a strike for pitch-count purposes. The Angels were putting the bat on everything and they were hitting it hard.

Then there was the game that rocked, which began at the bottom of the fifth when the Sox scored six runs, including a David Ortiz grand slam, to take the lead. Curt’s 1-2-3 sixth inning, followed by perfect relief by Mike Timlin, Hideki Okajima, and Jonathan Papelbon, preserved the Sox advantage, to which they added four more runs in the eighth for the 10-5 final.

Oh, and Ellsbury was sent back to Pawtucket to make room for Bobby Kielty, who was signed to a minor league contract back on August 7.

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Sunday, August 19 — The glee over Saturday night lasted for 16 hours, around which time the Angels started the weekend’s final game with two first inning runs. It was all they would need to beat the Sox, who scored a lone run and lost 3-1. Julian Tavarez, tagged to make a spot start, pitched well enough to win, any of the three previous games but not this one. Thus the four-game series ended with a split.

Which brings us to the question of why we began and ended the series with spot starters who weren’t replacing anyone in the rotation. None of the regular starting pitchers were injured, and the scheduling didn’t require anyone to work on short rest, Friday’s doubleheader coming after a day off. It seems that what Francona did when no one was paying attention is bump his rotation two days out, thus setting up a rotation in next week’s series against the Yankees of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, and Curt Schilling. Were it not for the insertion of Buchholz and Tavarez, we’d have gone into New York with Schilling, Wakefield, and Lester, which isn’t bad but isn’t the best we can do either.

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And there you have it, the Reader’s Digest version of what happened in the Land of Sox during the week I was lounging in the pool, er, working hard to keep my brother’s home secure in his absence. It was a rough job, but I was willing to make the sacrifice.

Why Gagne?

At home last night and at work this morning, I have been besieged by questions about just why the Red Sox felt the need to acquire Eric Gagné before yesterday’s non-waiver trade deadline. Those who are somewhat uncomfortable make one or more of the following points:

• He’s a rent-a-player, unlikely to stay with the team after he becomes a free agent this November.
• We already have a lights-out closer (Jonathan Papelbon) and a lights-out set-up man (Hideki Okajima), so Gagné isn’t needed for either role.
• Two young players with major league experience (Kason Gabbard and David Murphy) are too high a price to pay.
• Gabbard has shown his value as a solid major league-ready starter.
• The team already has the best bullpen in baseball. Why didn’t they deal for a power hitting outfielder instead?

Let’s address the last point first. Which power hitting outfielders were available? The (Red) Sox tried to get Jermaine Dye from the (White) Sox, but his offense hasn’t exactly been impressive this season. Ultimately, he just wasn’t worth what Chicago wanted for him, which reportedly included a top pitching prospect. So in the absence of acquiring an outfielder, should Theo have refrained from making any other trades? Of course not.

As for the value of the players we sent to Texas, they are arguably worth more to the Rangers than they are to us. Why? Simply because the Red Sox have a plethora of young pitchers who are considered better prospects than Gabbard, and Murphy is in line behind two outfielders already locked in to long contracts (Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew) and a more highly rated outfielder of the future (Jacoby Ellsbury). Both those players, however, can make a greater impact in Texas for the kind of money a struggling team can afford.

Then there’s the question of the need (or alleged lack thereof) for another arm in the bullpen. The adage that you can’t have too much good pitching is always true, but the fact is that the Red Sox don’t have too much solid bullpen help right now. Mike Timlin’s balky shoulder is a problem again. Brendan Donnelly will undergo Tommy John surgery this week or next, thus ending his season and probably washing out next season as well. Okajima, who has had no health problems so far, is projected to pitch 76 innings this season, a lot for a set-up guy. And don’t forget what happened to Papelbon last last year, when he was shut down after September 1 with a fatigued shoulder. Gagné addresses all these concerns: he can spell either Okajima and Papelbon when needed, can provide an extra sure inning toward the end of a game, and will reduce the usage of the rest of the bullpen. Would you want to be an opposing team down by a run or two after six innings, knowing you have to face Okajima in the seventh, Gagné in the eighth, and Papelbon in the ninth? Neither would I.

Which leaves the concern about just how long Gagné will stay here. Frankly, that’s the last thing I’m worried about. This deal was designed to make the team stronger down the stretch, in the playoffs, and hopefully to a World Series victory. If he decides he likes it here and the team wants to pursue keeping him around, a deal will get done. But make no mistake: this trade was designed to benefit the team in 2007. Anything beyond that is gravy. And please, don’t even think Larry Andersen for Jeff Bagwell. Gagné is a well-known player with a track record of success. End of discussion.