The Battle For Santana

Reminder: Trade rumors continuing in comments.

Buster Olney, ESPN:

The Red Sox and Twins are discussing the framework of a Johan Santana deal that would have Boston sending four players to Minnesota in return for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, including center fielder Coco Crisp, pitcher Jon Lester and minor-league shortstop Jed Lowrie, the trio that would to anchor the deal.

Red Sox pitcher Michael Bowden has been discussed as a possible fourth player, sources say, but the identity of the fourth player is in flux.

Bowden's a bigger chip than Masterson, but if we can get (and obviously extend) Johan and still keep Buchholz and Ellsbury ... do that deal! And don't make any plans for next late October.

Olney says that Buchholz and Ellsbury "are considered untouchables" in the negotiations, as are Cano and Joba on the MFY side. Does that mean that New York has tossed Hughes into the pot with Milk Dud (and Kennedy?)?

If the Yankees up their offer, Theo can switch Ellsbury for Crisp, but then both Bowden and Masterson would likely be pulled off the table.

Hitler Hated VORP

Philadelphia Daily News sportswriter Bill Conlin believes that Jimmy Rollins was the National League's Most Valuable Player.

Rollins was decidedly not the MVP (as FJM points out), but that's not important.

A Phillies fan who writes the Crashburn Alley blog emailed Conlin and made the case for David Wright of the Mets. Conlin was not very polite in his responses. Indeed, during the discussion, Conlin wrote:

The only positive thing I can think of about Hitler's time on earth – I'm sure he would have eliminated all bloggers. In Colonial times, bloggers were called "Pamphleteers." They hung on street corners handing them out to passersby. Now, they hang out on electronic street corners, hoping somebody mouses on to their pretentious sites. Different medium, same MO.

A commenter asks:

By the way, does Conlin realize that the "Colonial pamphleteers" he's comparing to bloggers were the ones who instigated and led the American Revolution? So he's placing bloggers in the company of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and Alexander Hamilton ... and siding with Hitler and King George III.

And while we're chatting about the Third Reich, remember when Michael Kay compared the idea of an announcer "jinxing" a no-hitter with the Nazis marching people into ovens?

(Audio? You better believe there's audio.)

Mark Your Calendars

Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers for spring training on February 14. Happy Valentine's Day!!

Position players are due on February 20, with the first full-squad workout on the 22nd.

Theo, on who the Sox might part with for Johan Santana: "There are no untouchables. If there's an opportunity to get better, we'll do it."

On dealing Manny Ramirez: "There's nothing happening with him at all, because he's happy in Boston."

Beckett To Ellsbury: "Don't Screw It Up"

The Red Sox have sent a bunch of stuff to the Hall of Fame, but a bag of Mike Lowell's eyebrow trimmings is not among the items.

(Note to Gordon Edes (who wrote the above story): the 1998 Yankees did not go 11-0 in the post-season. They lost two ALCS games. No team has gone 3-0, 4-0 and 4-0 since the three-round format began in 1995, though the 1999 Yankees and 2005 White Sox both went 11-1.)

General manager Theo Epstein says the team is set with the regular lineup and starting pitchers and will turn its attention to the bullpen and bench.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: "As a team, [winning the World Series] was the best. But as for personal accomplishment, it was not up to my standards. I feel that my command was something I need to improve."

2008 is the final year on Terry Francona's contract and the team hopes to sign him to an extension before spring training.

This is why bloggers like myself and Jere will never clutter our sites with ads for ticket brokers. Since this is specifically against Red Sox policy, the front office should make a serious effort to permanently revoke the season tickets of anyone found selling tickets this way.

The small town of Madras, Oregon held a parade for Jacoby Ellsbury.

When he spoke in the gym at Madras, Ellsbury referred to his big-league debut [June 30], how he was so nervous he almost threw up ("by far the most nervous I've ever been in my life for anything") and how Josh Beckett, who was pitching that night, approached him with a message: "Don't screw it up."

Later, he was asked if Beckett was just kidding with him.

"I didn't get any joke out of it," Ellsbury said, unsmiling. "Maybe if you ask him, maybe he'll say, 'Yeah, I was just joking,' but he didn't give me a wink or a smile or something. It was, 'Don't screw it up.'

"He came up to me and said, 'Is this your first game?'

"'Yeah.'

"'Is this your debut?'

"'Yeah.'

"'Don't screw it up.' That's what he told me, right before the game."

Reading Level

Since I did not go to college, does this mean I may not understand my own writing?

Back Home

It looks like it was pretty quiet on the Red Sox front.

From the papers:

Mike Lowell seems like a pretty cool guy, even if he refuses to hate the Yankees.

Lowell Resigns With Red Sox

Mike Lowell has resigned with the Red Sox for 3/37.5.

The Globe says there were reports that the Phillies offered him 4/50, but Lowell chose to stay in Boston.

Also: In the AL MVP voting, David Ortiz finished 4th and Lowell was 5th. Full voting here.

Thanksgiving Break

From Monday to Saturday, L and I will be in New Jersey for Thanksgiving.

My access to a computer will be limited -- probably mornings and evenings. So things will be quiet around here for a few more days.

Some Thanksgiving music:

(Links to The Last Waltz: broken and removed)

This may be a Red Sox blog, but you won't be seeing Mr. Dry Your Eyes here. That is the movie's built-in bathroom break. (Thanks, Martin!)

After Diamond walked off stage, he (allegedly) said to Dylan, "Beat that!" Dylan looked at him and said, "What do you want me to do, fall asleep?"

Gammons: Yankees Withdraw Lowell Offer

Newsday:

With A-Rod back, the Yankees don't have any interest in signing Mike Lowell as a first baseman.

Why should that matter? Slappy wasn't going to play 1B. And wasn't it thought that Dumbo might be moved to first for the final year or two of his contract? Why would NY sign Lowell to a mega-deal also?

Ahhhhh, whatever. The Red Sox front office can't possibly be fooled by this silliness.

As of about 11:30 PM, this was posted on SoSH:

WBZ: Gammons reporting Yanks yank their offer.
WHDH: Lowell still weighing offers from the Sox and other teams.
WCVB: Yankees have 4 years 60 million deal on the table. (??)

The Chokers are apparently willing go with a Shelley Duncan/Jason Giambi platoon at 1B.

Lowell's Choice: Good Or Evil?

It looks like Mike Lowell has two contract offers to choose from: the Red Sox or the Yankees. Boston has offered 3/45. WBZ-TV reports the Yankees have offered 4/56-60, as long as Lowell moves to first base.

Curt Schilling:

If it's three years and $45 million here and three years and $49 million or $50 million somewhere ... he's staying here. I would bet my bottom dollar he's staying here, just in knowing the man. But if someone offers him four at $58, or four at $60 and he's at $40, do you blame him? No, you don't, and you can't.

G38 is right. I would not blame him. In fact, I would encourage him to take it and wish him well.

Boston's offer is too high for me, both in years and $. Was Lowell's 2007 season worth $15 million? I say no. But if you think it was, then the Sox are willing to paying him that amount to have a 2007esque season in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Getting that kind of value for their money is highly unlikely.

Rob Bradford reports that "Lowell said earlier this year that he wouldn't be adverse to making the move to first and has no problem joining the Yankees, who drafted him."

If the Chokers sign Lowell, he would not play third, because Alex Rodriguez has signed a 10/275 deal to remain in Gotham. Fruitbat, looking at Slappy's deal and Dumbo's recent 4/56 payday, wants a fourth guaranteed year added to the team's 3/45 offer, which would pay him about $15 million at age 42. CI may have some tax problems (SoSHer Mike in CT has dubbed him "Captain Untaxables"). Shemp had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but should be fine by camp.

Here's the tentative 2008 schedule. The Red Sox play their first five games in three different countries. They end the regular season at home against the Yankees.

NYY: A-Rod at 3B, Lowell At 1B?

Fox/MSN:

In a startling turn of events, Alex Rodriguez spoke with the Steinbrenner family and New York Yankees officials Wednesday and told them he wants to stay in pinstripes.

The two sides are currently working toward a 10-year, $275 million contract, a source with knowledge of the talks told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal. The deal also would include incentives that could push the total value higher. ...

Recently, however, the Yankees have been talking to [Mike] Lowell not just about replacing Rodriguez at third base, but also about playing first, major-league sources tell Rosenthal.

WTF?

In case you are wondering, Lowell has played more than 10,000 innings in 1,262 games and has spent not even one minute at first base.

I have no idea what this is about. Isn't a lot of Lowell's value tied up in his glove at third? Can he learn a new position at age 34? And are the Chokers serious about playing him $14 per for three or four years to do so? Does Lowell even want to play first?

Bizarre. One thing is for sure: the "Hank and Hal" era is off to an entertaining start.

Other reports have the Yankees and Angels interested in Lowell, but neither team really wants to offer Lowell a four-year deal (this early in negotiations).

Who Omitted Beckett?

Josh Beckett was not named on two AL Cy Young Award ballots.

Paul at YFSF passes on the info that Mark Feinsand (New York Daily News) and Jorge Ortiz (USA) each listed C.C. Sabathia, John Lackey and Fausto Carmona on their Cy Young ballots.

Kevin Sherrington (Dallas Morning News) was the one writer who did not include Sabathia, putting Beckett, Carmona, and Johan Santana on his ballot.

***

AL MoY: Eric Wedge, followed by Mike Scioscia, Joe Torre and Terry Francona (3 votes for 2nd place and 4 votes for 3rd place).

Red Sox Open 2008 In Japan

The defending World Series champion Red Sox will begin the 2008 regular season with two games against the Oakland A's in Tokyo on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 25-26.

The regular season will continue, after five days off, on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1-2 with two games in Oakland. The A's will be the home team for all four games.

The Sox and A's will also play two exhibition games -- on March 23-24 -- against Japanese teams.

Also: Yook with a clean chin. "I'll start it up again, because a lot of people seem to like it."

Sabathia Wins AL Cy Young Award

                          1st 2nd 3rd  Pts
C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland   19   8   —  119
Josh Beckett, Red Sox       8  14   4   86
John Lackey, Angels         1   5  16   36
Fausto Carmona, Cleveland   —   1   4    7
Eric Bedard, Orioles        —   —   1    1
Roy Halladay, Blue Jays     —   —   1    1
Johan Santana, Twins        —   —   1    1
Justin Verlander, Tigers    —   —   1    1

MLB story.

Not that it mattered, but Beckett was left off two ballots and Sabathia was left off one. (I'll bet one of the non-Beckett ballots belongs to George King of the Post.)

In ERA and WHIP, Sabathia (3.21, 1.14) and Beckett (3.27, 1.14) were just about identical, and CC held that impressive (and slightly-lower) ERA while pitching an additional 40.1 innings.

That is very significant and likely made the difference. Plus, those extra innings may have contributed to his downfall in the ALCS (in which Beckett won the MVP).

Yook To Lose Goatee

Kevin Youkilis will have his goatee shaved off at 5 PM this evening at the Cask 'n Flagon near Fenway Park. The event is free and open to the public.

Gillette is donating $5,000 to Yook's Hits for Kids organization.

Lowell On The Open Market

Mike Lowell can now hear offers from any of the other 29 teams.

That the midnight deadline of Red Sox exclusivity passed last night should not be read as a sign that Lowell is leaving. The chances that Lowell would not even see what the open market could offer him for the next four years -- the last big contract he will sign as a major league player -- were very, very low.

In his mind, he may like what the "very strong" three-year deal the Red Sox offered him, but I can't blame him for being curious about what is out there.

The Herald says the Sox originally did not want to guarantee a third year, but they agreed to do so -- at $12 million a year. The Journal says the contract was approximately 3/40. So the deal was at least 3/36.

It sure sounds like the Sox are dead set against a fourth year, which I agree with. There are players you overpay for -- but Mike Lowell, who will be 34 years old on Opening Day 2008, is not one of them.

If another team (MFY?) offers Lowell a four-year deal than ends up being a good $20 million more than Boston's -- 14 per for 4/56? -- I won't blame him one bit for taking it.

Lowell has made comments about how wonderful it is to pay in Boston -- after toiling for several years in 1/3-filled parks with the Marlins. Whether he believes that is worth leaving several million dollars on the table remains to be seen.

AL Rookie of the Year

Yes!

                           1st  2nd  3rd  Total
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox     24    4    —   132
Delmon Young, Devil Rays     3   12    5    56
Brian Bannister, Royals      1    8    7    36
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Red Sox   —    2    6    12
Reggie Willits, Angels       —    2    5    11
Hideki Okajima, Red Sox      —    —    3     3
Josh Fields, White Sox       —    —    1     1
Joakim Soria, Royals         —    —    1     1

NL RoY is Ryan Braun.

                           1st  2nd  3rd  Total
Ryan Braun, Brewers         17   14    1   128
Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies    15   17    —   126
Hunter Pence, Astros         —    —   15    15
Chris Young, Diamondbacks    —    —   10    10
Kyle Kendrick, Phillies      —    1    4     7
Yunel Escobar, Atlanta       —    —    1     1
James Loney, Dodgers         —    —    1     1

***

Will be announced at 2 PM.

MLB has a look at the favourites.

If Dustin Pedroia is the winner, he will hold his press conference at Arizona State University, where he played before the Red Sox drafted him in 2004.

Awards Are Coming

Beginning on Monday:

November 12: Rookies of the Year
November 13: AL Cy Young
November 14: Managers of the Year
November 15: NL Cy Young

Then next week:

November 19: AL MVP
November 20: NL MVP

Clay Buchholz Has A Blog

... yeah, but who doesn't these days?

Buch Wild -- Clay has not posted anything since October 2, but someone named The Baseball Insider has posted a video interview with Buchholz answering questions submitted by blog readers.

Pedroia Played Last Two Months With Broken Hamate Bone

Dustin Pedroia tells the Herald's Rob Bradford that he played the final two months of the season with a cracked hamate bone in his left hand.

The injury was first discovered during an MRI/bone scan on September 10. DP underwent surgery last Tuesday and is now wearing a soft cast. Herald:

"Some days I would wake up and it would be hard to grip a bat. I changed my grip a little bit on the bat and went from there. It was just one of those things you know you have to take care of after the season, but you have to play through. A lot of guys have done that." ...

The surgery was performed by Dr. Donald Sheridan in Scottsdale, Ariz. According to Pedroia, when Sheridan went in to remove the bone it crumbled, suggesting more activity might have led to further complications.