Archive for the ‘Red Sox’ Category

« Older Entries

Red Sox reach deal with Penny and Bard

Monday, December 29th, 2008

The Boston Red Sox and pitcher Brad Penny reached a preliminary agreement on a $5 million, one-year contract, according to several reports Monday. The team also struck a tentative agreement with catcher Josh Bard and both deals are pending physicals, the reports said.

A two-time All-Star, the 30-year-old Penny struggled with injuries to his shoulder and side last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances.

Penny pitched well in that series against the New York Yankees, going 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in two starts. He was the NL starter in the 2006 All-Star game and finished that year 16-9 with a 4.33 ERA. The following season, Penny went 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 33 starts covering 208 innings and placed third in NL Cy Young Award voting.

According to the reports, Penny could earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses with the Red Sox. He is 94-75 with a 4.06 ERA in nine big league seasons.

Bard played seven games for Boston in 2006 but struggled to catch Wakefield’s knuckler and was traded to San Diego. He batted .202 with a homer and 16 RBIs in 178 at-bats for the Padres last season.

The Red Sox need depth behind the plate becase captain Jason Varitek is a free agent.

Posted in Red Sox | No Comments »

Red Sox getting closer to Teixeira deal

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

The Red Sox are making progress in their quest to sign free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, according to a major-league source. A rival general manager whose plans could be affected by the Red Sox’s addition of Teixeira also indicated that a deal was getting closer.

Teixeira is the Red Sox’s No. 1 offseason target. They view him as the perfect fit for the middle of their order.

Teixeira is seeking a 10-year contract for at least $20 million per season. The Red Sox preference would be to sign him to a deal between six and eight years. He hit 33 home runs and had 121 RBIs as a member of the Braves and Angels last season. Teixeira has never hit less than 26 homers in his six major-league seasons.

Posted in Red Sox | No Comments »

Smoltz Rumors

Monday, December 8th, 2008

If healthy, right-hander John Smoltz could emerge as a prize on the open market, becoming an intriguing one-year option for any number of clubs.

Smoltz, who turns 42 in May, still figures to stay with the Braves, for whom he has pitched exclusively for the past 20 seasons.

But the Braves are waiting to determine if Smoltz is sufficiently recovered from shoulder surgery before offering him a contract, creating the opportunity for other teams to bid.

The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers are among the teams that likely would be interested in Smoltz on a one-year deal. The Rangers and Brewers also could pursue him. And don’t forget Smoltz’s hometown Tigers, who traded him to the Braves for Doyle Alexander in Aug. 1987.

Smoltz, who holds the major-league records for postseason wins and strikeouts, surely would prefer to pitch for a contender. And the Braves easily could re-emerge as such a team — they’ve traded for right-hander Javier Vazquez and are trying to add free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett and another hitter.

Smoltz threw off a mound for the first time last Friday since undergoing surgery last June. He threw all of his pitches and greatly impressed Braves manager Bobby Cox, who was in attendance.

Tags:
Posted in Red Sox | No Comments »

Red Sox sign MVP Pedroia to $40M deal

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Dustin Pedroia has a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger and, of course, a World Series ring. And now he’s got the big-bucks contract befitting one of the most decorated young players in baseball. The Red Sox second baseman, who earned $457,000 last season while winning the AL Most Valuable Player award, agreed Wednesday to a $40.5 million, six-year contract that could keep in Boston through at least 2014.

The deal was first reported by FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal.

Heading into his third year in the majors, the 5-foot-9 second baseman has already joined Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard as the only players in baseball history to follow a rookie award with an MVP. Pedroia led the AL with 213 hits, 118 runs and 54 doubles while batting .326 with 17 home runs, 83 RBIs 20 stolen bases.

He is the first AL second baseman to win the MVP award since Nellie Fox in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox. And the Red Sox have reached the postseason in both of his years with the club.

The club effectively bought out Pedroia’s arbitration years and his first two years of free agency (2013-14); there is also a club option for 2015 that is voided if he’s traded. Although negotiations began during the summer, the Red Sox expected Pedroia to be in contention for the MVP award and made their offer knowing that arbitration awards for MVP winners can be expensive.

At 25, Pedroia postponed the chance for a free agent jackpot for an average annual salary of around $7 million and the chance to stay with the organization that picked him in the second round of the 2004 draft. He would be 32 when the contract expires, if the Red Sox pick up the option.

The second baseman earns a signing bonus of $1.5 million and a salary of $1.5 million in 2009, followed by salaries of $3.5 million, $5.5 million and $8 million in what would have been his three years of arbitration eligibility. He would earn $10 million each in 2013 and 2014.

The deal negotiated by agents Sam and Seth Levinson also includes a team option to pay him $11 million in 2015 or buy him out for $500,000. And it has a $100,000 bonus if he wins another MVP, something he didn’t have in his previous contract.

If he wins another MVP, his 2014 salary and 2015 option would increase by $2 million each. If he finishes second or third, they would go up by $1 million each, and he can accomplish that escalator twice.

Tags:
Posted in Red Sox | No Comments »

Red Sox send Coco Crisp to Royals

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

The Kansas City Royals picked up the leadoff hitter they had been seeking, acquiring center fielder Coco Crisp from the Boston Red Sox for reliever Ramon Ramirez on Wednesday.

Kansas City was 12th among 14 AL teams in runs last season and added power last month, obtaining first baseman Mike Jacobs from Florida. The switch-hitting Crisp gives the Royals speed at the top of the lineup and a superb defender in center field who has World Series experience.

The 29-year-old was the subject of trade rumors for much of last season following the emergence of rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. The two split time in center, with Crisp hitting .283 with seven homers and 41 RBIs in 98 games. He also stole 20 bases in 27 attempts, the third straight season he’s reached the 20-steal mark. Ellsbury hit .280 with nine homers and 47 RBIs last season, proving to the Red Sox that he’s ready to be an everyday player. Boston also gains financial savings by trading Crisp, who’s due to make $5.75 million next season in a deal that includes an $8 million club option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout.

The Royals got Ramirez, a 27-year-old righty, in a trade with Colorado before last season. They were so impressed with his stuff that they projected him to be their closer. With a fastball that reaches the mid-90s mph, Ramirez is a power pitcher who seems suited for the late innings. He was one of the primary setup men for closer Joakim Soria and flourished in that spot, going 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings.

Ramirez figures to play a setup role for closer Jonathan Papelbon and could send Justin Masterson back to the rotation, where he feels more comfortable.

Boston traded for Crisp after his breakout season — .333, 15 homers, 69 RBIs — with Cleveland in 2005. But a broken finger derailed Crisp’s first year in Boston and Epstein said his offense never fully recovered.

Crisp has always been a superb fielder and picked up his offense the last half of 2008, hitting .315. He also hit .417 (10-for-24) in the playoffs, driving in the tying run in the eighth inning to complete Boston’s comeback from a 7-0 deficit in Game 5 of the AL championship series against Tampa Bay.

Epstein said the Red Sox hope to replace Crisp with a right-handed fourth outfielder who can play center. He probably will look outside the organization.

Crisp is expected to be the starter in center and Jose Guillen, the highest-paid player in franchise history, is locked in at right. That means Kansas City will have to find a way to get enough playing time for David DeJesus and Mark Teahen.

The loss of Ramirez also creates a hole in the middle of the bullpen that will likely need to be filled from outside the organization.

Tags:
Posted in Red Sox, Royals | No Comments »

Red Sox get Kotsay from Braves

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

In what might be the biggest name traded before Sunday’s deadline for setting postseason rosters, Braves center fielder Mark Kotsay is headed to Boston. The Red Sox have acquired Kotsay for a mid-level prospect, according to major-league sources. The player headed to Atlanta hasn’t been identified yet. To complete the deal, Kotsay waived his no-trade clause for the Red Sox, one of eight teams on his no-trade list according to his contract.

Kotsay was drawing interest from the Phillies, too, according to major-league sources.
Both teams are dealing with injuries to left-handed hitting outfielders. The Red Sox on Tuesday placed right fielder J.D. Drew on the disabled list. Drew, suffering from a back problem, had missed Boston’s previous six games.

The Red Sox’s attempt to acquire the Padres’ Brian Giles, another left-handed hitting outfielder, collapsed earlier this month when Giles invoked his no-trade clause to Boston.

Kotsay, who turns 33 on Dec. 2, has been hot in August, posting an .856 on-base/slugging percentage, his highest of any month this season.

Boston assumes the balance of his $8 million salary, which would amount to slightly more than $1.5 million.

The Braves did not plan to offer salary arbitration to Kotsay, who is a free agent at the end of the season.

Kotsay missed all of June due to a lower back strain, but since then has appeared in 40 of the Braves’ 48 games.

For the season, he is batting .289 with a .338 on-base percentage, six home runs and 37 RBIs in 344 plate appearances.

Tags:
Posted in Braves, Red Sox | No Comments »

Red Sox acquire righty Byrd from Indians

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

The Boston Red Sox have acquired pitcher Paul Byrd in a trade with Cleveland. The Red Sox will send either a player to be named or cash to the Indians.

The 37-year-old Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA this season. But the right-hander has won all four of his starts since the All-Star break.

Boston leads the AL wild-card race. The Red Sox are minus starter Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballer is out with a stiff right shoulder.

Tags:
Posted in Indians, Red Sox | No Comments »

Manny Delt to Dodgers in 3 way trade, Red Sox get Bay

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Manny Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers in a three-team deadline-beating blockbuster Thursday, sending the disgruntled future Hall-of-Famer out of Boston right as the pennant race starts to heat up.

The Red Sox will receive Pirates outfielder Jason Bay in the deal, while Pittsburgh gets third baseman Andy LaRoche and Class-A right-hander Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and reliever Craig Hansen from the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will pay all of the approximately $7 million remaining on Ramirez’s contract.

Ramirez should provide a major boost to the Dodgers’ offense, but his arrival will add to the crowd in the Dodgers’ outfield, which already includes Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones.

Moss, Hansen and LaRoche all have played in the majors. Morris, 21, was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2006.

The deal could significantly tilt the balance of power toward the Dodgers in the hotly contested NL West race. The Dodgers began the day one game behind the Diamondbacks, whose only pre-deadline addition was reliever Jon Rauch.

For the Red Sox, meanwhile, the addition of Bay amounts to a coup, considering their need to replace Ramirez’s offense. Bay, who turns 30 on Sept. 20, is six years younger than Ramirez, and his .894 on-base/slugging percentage is nearly as high as Ramirez’s .927 mark this season.

The Red Sox also will retain Bay through next season at an affordable salary of $7.5 million. After that, Bay becomes eligible for free agency.

Ramirez will be a free agent at the end of this season. He waived his no-trade clause in exchange for the elimination of the two $20 million club options in his contract.

The Red Sox were fiercely determined to trade Ramirez, whose behavior on and off the field had become a significant distraction in recent weeks. After a proposed three-way trade involving the Marlins collapsed on Thursday, the Dodgers quickly emerged as the leading suitor for Ramirez.

Ramirez paved his way out of town, perhaps intentionally, by a recent series of actions unprecedented even in his checkered history.

Ultimately, the Red Sox decided that wasn’t worth the power Ramirez brought to the lineup — a .299 batting average with a team-high 20 homers and 68 RBIs this season. For his career in Boston, he was fifth in team history with 274 homers, sixth with 868 RBIs and ninth with a .312 average.

Tags: ,
Posted in Dodgers, Pirates, Red Sox | No Comments »

Manny trade talks are “dead”

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

As of 1:30 p.m. ET, the Manny Ramirez trade was “dead,” according to an executive with one of the three teams involved in the discussions.

However, the deal has taken numerous twists and turns over the past 24 hours, and the Red Sox can continue attempting to trade Ramirez until the non-waiver deadline at 4 p.m. ET.

The Red Sox, Marlins and Pirates have been talking seriously for the past 24 to 36 hours about a deal involving Ramirez.

The collapse of the talks will spur further discussions between the Pirates and Rays over a deal involving Pirates left fielder Jason Bay.

In the proposed Manny blockbuster, the Marlins were to trade outfielder Jeremy Hermida and a prospect for Ramirez, and the Red Sox would then flip Hermida and prospects to the Pirates for Bay.

The Pirates’ return for Bay, sources say, was the apparent holdup in the deal. The Pirates are seeking an “appropriate return for an All-Star caliber left fielder” — and one who is affordable at $5.75 million this season and $7.5 million in 2009.

The Red Sox sought additional prospects from the Marlins in their attempt to satisfy the Pirates, sources say, but the Marlins would not budge from their initial offer.

Tags:
Posted in Red Sox | No Comments »

Marlins in Serious Talks with Red Sox about Manny

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

With less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, the Red Sox are engaged in serious conversations with the Marlins and other teams to trade Manny Ramirez. If the Red Sox were to make a deal with the Marlins, they likely would kick in money to offset Ramirez’s salary, and they would look for three young players in return — perhaps outfielder Jeremy Hermida or outfielder Josh Willingham, plus pitchers.

The Red Sox have gone down this road many times before with Ramirez, seriously discussing a deal before pulling back. But what might be different this time is that Ramirez apparently has just a few months remaining with the Red Sox, and Boston could be asking itself how invested Ramirez will be in the last days of the season

Tags:
Posted in Marlins, Red Sox | No Comments »

« Older Entries