A Visit From The Future

Shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez was in the Sox clubhouse last night, checking out his future place of employment. "I want to stay here right now, I don't want to go back [to Portland]."

Renteria told the Globe that he'd change positions to accommodate Ramirez. "I don't mind that he plays my position. He has the talent to play, if there are ways for him to make it -- for him to move to another position or me to move to another position. ... I don't know another position. But if I have to, I'll do it."

Interesting. There has been talk of moving Hanley to center, but the front office seems content to keep him at shortstop. Renteria could play second perhaps, but Dustin Pedroia could be starting at second next spring. If Edgar moves to third, Kevin Youkilis might be moved to first.

I believe the contracts of Mueller, Bellhorn and Millar are all up at the end of this season. It seems unlikely that they will be back in 2006. For all the talk of how 2004 was the last hurrah for a large group of Sox, there was very little turnover on the roster from last year (though Pedro and Lowe were high profile departures). There will be a much bigger change in personnel from 2005 to 2006.