Red Sox Will Go After Beltran

So according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Red Sox are expeced to go after free agent right fielder Carlos Beltran. Oh God. They better not. Beltran had a good year last year but he's going to be looking for a multi-year deal and unless the Sox plan on trading both Reddick and Kalish, that would be an extremely stupid move. I'd rather them see go after a short term stopgap until Kalish is ready, because I fully expect them to throw Reddick into a package to score some pitching help. Now, Kalish won't be ready for at least another year, because he was hurt pretty much all year and that's basically a year of development just gone down the tubes. Maybe Beltran would be cool with a two year deal, who knows? But keep in mind, he's a Scott "I'm the biggest prick in all of baseball" Boras client, so whoever signs him is going to overpay massively as most teams do for his clients.

On another note, it sounds like the Blue Jays are going to go after David Ortiz according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. Hey, if Alex Anthopolous wants him he can have him. Ortiz has been a whiny bitch the past couple years, and this winter hasn't changed that after he made comments saying he wasn't sure he wanted to be part of the drama in Boston. He recently backed off and new GM Ben Cherington has had some preliminary talks with Ortiz and his agent, but I really hope he splits, especially because he's looking for more money than this past season's $12.5M salary. I wonder if he realizes that the market for DH's has gone down considerably and he's already making twice what the average DH does.

What The Hell Is Going On With The Bruins?

After last night's 2-1 loss to the Scabs, the Bruins now sit in dead last in the Eastern Conference. It's become ridiculous at this point. usually I'd blame Coach Potato Head but he's done just about everything you could possibly think of. He's changed the lines, benched guys, given them mental health days off, changing the lines up again, and everything else in between. The dude's frustrated, and it shows. His quote after the game last night ("I might have nightmares tonight about the way we're playing right now.") may become a bit famous. If this is Cup Hangover, I think the Bruins have taken to a new level.

The god news is, Chiarelli isn't just sitting around. According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Chiarelli is working the phones a little more dilligently to explore trade opportunities to jump start the struggling Bruins. Hopefully he's looking to snag a forward that can score, because the problem sure as hell isn't defense or goaltending. The offense so far looks like the '09-'10 team all us true fans despised oh so much. They have 0 spark and it's costing them games. The tricky thing is, who the hell is even available at this point in the year? The only names I've heard that could possibly be available are Rene Bourque of the Flames and maybe (still a big maybe) Daniel Alfreddson of the Senators. Perhaps if the B's wait a couple weeks there will be a few other teams that realize they aren't going to contend and there will be a few more guys on the market, but right now it sounds like the trade market is pretty barren. But hell, who knows. No one realized David Booth was available until Vancouver traded for him, so I guess you never know.

Basically what I'm saying is it's getting close to panic time. This is an extremely good team with a lot of talent in the back end and a good combination of talent up front, and they should not be playing this horribly. Get ready to hit the big red button Bruins fans, this season may be going down the tubes faster than anyone realizes.

Ben Cherington is Already 10 Times Better Than Theo

Ben Cherington at his introductory press conference yesterday afternoon. Cherington was promoted to Executive Vice President/General Manager of the Red Sox.

Yesterday, Ben Cherington was officially introduced as the Red Sox new Executive Vice President/General Manager. Not only does he sound exactly like Theo (thank you Toucher and Rich), but he's already ten times the GM Theo ever was. Why is that? Well, that's because he announced about 45 minutes that John Lackey will undergo Tommy John surgery this winter. GET THE DUCK BOATS READY!!!!!! I was really hoping they could trade the fat lard, but hey, not having him for an entire season is just as good. Plus, who knows, maybe he comes back half decent and they can trade him. In any case though, here's the important stuff you need to know:

• Cherington wants "a new manager with a strong voice who cares about players and can collaborate with the front office." He says the team (aka Cherington and Hazen) will start interviewing candidates soon. They have several candidates in mind for first round interviews, but they haven't asked permission to interview any of them yet. Previous managerial experience would be a plus, but it's not a necessity.
• The team's success with free agent signings has "not been good enough," according to Cherington.
• The Red Sox would like to have Fat Papi (really? They actually want him back?) and Jonathan Papelbon (Yes!!) back, according to Cherington. They've talked a little bit with both guys and expect discussions to continue. Really, the only guy that matters there is Papelbon. He's got the balls to play in Boston, so why not just keep him instead of taking a chance that say Heath Bell will crack under the pressure?
• Cherington says the team will likely pick up the $6M option on shortstop Marco Scutaro. Thank god. It's gonna be another year at least until Iglesias is ready to take over full time (fielding skills are out of this world, but his hitting blows)
• Boston's farm system is "stronger and deeper than ever" at Double-A and below, Cherington said. Shocking....

One last note, where the hell were John Henry and Tom Werner at this presser? Supposedly "travelling". I bet they're flying out to see the chick Gronkowski posed with. Which leads to to another final point. I give mad props to Gronk for getting a picture with that chick. Talk about a bombshell.

The Ellsbury Predicament

So Jacoby Ellsbury is up for arbitration for the second time in his career. Assuming the Sox don't suddenly extend him, he'll get a boatload of money 'cause he just had a monster year. But, I do believe that at some point this season the Red Sox should sign Ellsbury to an extension in order to avoid the usual inevitability that comes with any Scott Boras client, which for all you idiots out there who are reading this trying to learn the first thing about this part of baseball, that means free agency and letting teams bid against each other until he gets himself, erm, I mean his client top dollar, whether it be with the same team or a different team. Typically with a Boras client, a long term deal before free agency doesn't happen except for a few rare cases. But, I personally am hoping that Ellsbury is one of those rare cases. So, without any further useless rambling, I will propose my plan:

• First off, avoid arbitration. Sign Ellsbury to a 1 year contract, worth somewhere in the area of $7-9M. It's the right amount of money, and probably right around what he'd get in arbitration.
• Then, right around the middle of the year, sit down with Ellsbury and Boras and talk about a long term extension. He could be worth some big money assuming he continues to play at this level or an even higher level, and buying out an arbitration year would be huge for the team.
• Now, Boras is a stubborn piece of shit, so convincing him to negotiate a long term deal pre-free agency will be a pain in the ass. Hopefully Cherington has someone on his staff that has some sort of ability to manipulate/convince boras to negotiate.

So, in my first attempt at being an armchair GM, I suggest a 5 year, $67.5M contract extension. Criticize all you want people, but it is a fair deal. I suggest this based on 1) his level of play from when he played his first full year up until 2011 (I give him a mulligan on 2010, broken ribs blow). 2) I base it on his level of play in 2011, his breakout year, in which he absolutely killed the ball and was a master fielder (unlike the highly paid man to his right in left field...) and fully deserves a hefty raise. And 3) I base it on my prediction for his level of play in the years to come, which, based on the past two factors, I believe will be at an all-star level.

So while it may seem highly unlikely that they do hammer out an extension pre-free agency, I believe that to be a very fair deal if they do manage to sign one.

Selig Sets Deadline for Sox, Cubs Compensation Talks

According to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com, Bud Selig told reporters at the World Series that he has told the Red Sox and the Cubs that they have until November 1st to work out a compensation package for Theo before he intervenes and acts as mediator. It's also been reported that the Sox and Cubs have agreed to discontinue compensation talks until after tomorrow's press conference, when the Cubs introduce their new Baseball Operations Regime of Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, and Jason McLeod, and the Red Sox introduce Ben Cherington as General Manager. It's also expected that, after everything is done and over with, the Red Sox will promote current Director of Player Development Mike Hazen to Assistant GM.

Also, MLB's VP of Baseball Operations Joe Torre has said that he will investigate the reports of Red Sox players drinking in the clubhouse and will take appropriate action based on his findings. Hopefully he punishes Lackey by allowing the Red ox to release the fat shit without having to pay the rest of his salary. That'll never happen, but a guy can dream can't he?

Should the Red Sox Trade Beckett?

Could Sox Pitcher Josh Beckett be traded this winter?

Soon to be Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has a lot of work to do this winter. There's improvements that need to be made in the medical staff, coaching staff, he needs to find a manager, and he needs to trade the dead weight (I'm looking at you Lackey). But, here's a trivial question that, if I were Ben Cherington, would consider. Should the Sox trade Josh Beckett? Personally, I think so. Yes, when he's healthy he's one of the best in the game. But, he's hardly ever healthy. I mean, he's "healthy", but to him I guess a blister on his finger means he has to go on the DL. I really think this could be beneficial to the team, assuming they get rid of Lackey too. When Jon Lester came up for his first full season with the pro squad, the Sox basically said to him, "See that guy right there? That's Josh Beckett. Follow him around and do everything he does." It's quite possible that Beckett still has that hold on Lester. He's a terrible influence (come on, drinking beer and ordering Popeye's in the clubhouse was his idea) and, as I already said, he's not usually healthy. now, if the Sox were to trade him, the question becomes "What would he get?" Two words people. A lot. There are many, many teams around the league that would be salivating at the opportunity to acquire Beckett, and it'd be pretty easy to get someone to overpay for him. I say trade him for no less than: a right fielder who hits right handed (and actually CAN hit), a top 10 minor league pitcher from the AA-AAA level, and a top 20 minor league position player from the SL-AA level (for all you people who don't know what SL is, it's Summer League. MLB teams have affiliations with Summer League teams in both the US and the Dominican Republic). And if you can get a team to overpay, that's great.

Now, give me a chance to explain the package. We need a new right fielder, 'cause Nancy Drew is out of here. The lineup is far too left handed, and they need a guy who can produce from that position. The minor league pitcher from the AA-AAA level should be included because the Sox have very little depth in the upper levels of the farm system, and pitching depth was the team's number one weakness last season. Having a guy from the PawSox or even the Sea Dogs who can come up in case of injury and give the team a couple of solid outings before being sent back down would be huge, 'cause Kyle Weiland just ain't cutting it. The prospect from the lower levels should be obvious to most of you legitimate fans out there, whether you're a fan of the Sox or not. The Sox are pretty deep in their lower levels, and 3-5 years from now they will have a pretty good farm system again, as those guys will be playing in Portland or Pawtucket and Cherington, who actually played a major role in the amature drafts, will have re-stocked through the draft. Adding to that depth would be very beneficial to future Sox teams and will most likely be a factor in any and all future success.

Theo Resigns and Takes Over Position With Cubs

Now Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein resigned from his position with the Red Sox last night and was named the Cubs' new President of Baseball Operations.

The Red Sox and Cubs officially announced last night in a joint press release by the two teams. The move is effective immediately. Both organizations declined to comment any further until they make announcements and introductions on Tuesday. It's also being reported that the Cubs will hire former Red Sox Assistant GM and soon to be former Padres GM Jed Hoyer to assume the same title under Epstein's Baseball Ops regime, along with former Red Sox Director of Amature Scouting and soon to be former Padres Assistant GM Jason McLeod to assume the same title he had in San Diego under Epstein and Hoyer.

First off, the Theo announcement is not a surprise. This just makes it easier for the clubs to work out compensation (Theo and Cherington will do the talking). I am surprised to see Hoyer and McLeod leave San Diego so soon, especially just to assume the same titles they had with the Padres. Probably 'cause Hoyer is Theo's boyfriend and McLeod is that little geeky kid who follows people wherever they go (I can't those people). Second, I really hope this doesn't drag out any longer, because it was beyond ridiculous for it to take 10 days for an official announcement (or in this case press release). It's also been reported by Peter Gammons on NESN.com that the two sides had agreed to deals multiple times but John Henry nixed every single one of them. I'm hoping that's because he didn't consider it good enough, 'cause if he's just getting involved to get involved he's an asshole. Also, if the two sides can't reach a deal soon then MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to step in and act as arbitrator of negotiations.

Anyways, it's expected that on Tuesday the Cubs will introduce Theo as President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer as General Manager, and Jason McLeod as Assistant General Manager, and the Red Sox are expected to introduce Ben Cherington as General Manager. Now us Sox fans can finally move on and think about who they're going to trade (please trade Lackey, please trade Youkilis, please trade Beckett) and who they're going to hire as the new Manager and who will be the new Assistant GM.

Frustration Sets in For Bruins

My God, last night's Bruins game was bad. They showed a lot of effort, but this "Cup Hangover" thing is getting frigging ridiculous now. A few thoughts:

• Lucic seems like he's starting to pick it up a little bit. He played with some more speed and clearly was shooting (he didn't get many on net though) and working his ass off, but the physicality just wasn't there.
• Nathan Horton. Love the guy and love the way he plays, and I give him all the credit in the world for trying to spark something in his team by fighting Gleason. There's just one problem. If the guy doesn't want to fight, you don't drop the gloves and start beating the shit out of him anyways, 'cause all that's gonna get you is an instigator call and most likely a 10 minute misconduct, as proven by the fact he got sent down the tunnel.
• Jeff Skinner is an amazing player and will be for a long time. With that said, he's a sly little piece of shit. Chara stepped out of the box and Skinner flails his head back like he's been shot and the refs nail Chara for high sticking. Are you fucking kidding me? Chara is like 6'9 and Skinner a teeny little shit at 5'8 or something. Z could hold his stick at his waist and nail Skinner in the nose.
• I'm still unsure of why Marchand got a misconduct for getting a little wrapped up with Skinner. Shit like that happens all the time. And even still, if you're going to give Marchand a misconduct for that you better damn well be giving SKinner one too, 'cause that just shows blatant bias towards Carolina and/or Skinner.
• Julien got a misconduct for shaking his head. Really? You see a coach shaking his head as a ref and what do you do? Any ref in their right mind would just keep on skating. But apparently they took offense to that and tossed him. Good news is off ice officials revoked the misconduct given to Julien, proving that it was complete bullshit.
• Tuukka looked a little bit off. The Pitkanen goal was soft. But nevertheless, one goal for Rask isn't going to win the game, especially when you rack up 50+ penalty minutes. The theme continues for Tuukka, the team just doesn't play that well when he's in net for some reason.

On another note, this team needs to have their lines shaken up. It's great that Julien did it towards the end last night, but the chances that sticks are slim. I seriously want to see Seguin playing with Krejci and Lucic. My God that would be scary. Drop Horton down to play with Kelly and drop Peverley down there too. That way you have a second line of Marchand - Bergeron - Caron, which could be pretty good, as Caron is the get in front of net and score those garbage goals player

John Henry and Co. Are Just Making Things Worse

John Henry was adamant that he wasn't the source for the Bob Holler article, and was also adamant that Lucchino and Werner had nothing to do with it either

As I posted before, John Henry stormed into the Sports Hub Studios on Friday and demanded to be heard on the air. When Mike Felger (ahem, douchebag) asked John Henry straight up if he was Bob Holler's source, Henry came right out and said no. But, there's been a new twist. He also said on the air that Holler had come out publicly and said that Henry, Lucchino, and Werner weren't the sources, but as it turns out, he was either knowingly lying or was telling what he believed to be the truth based on false information, as Bob Holler told Rich Shertenlieb in an email that he has not said anything publicly since the article was published. Meanwhile, Curt Schilling called into Felger and Mazz yesterday (they have all the best guests) and told the guys straight up that when John Henry says he wasn't the source, he's "full of shit".

This is really turning into a mess. The Front Office needs to just shut up for now or just step up take be accountable for what happened in September. The team has become the laughing stock of the MLB and everyone knows it. they just need to get the compensation for Theo and let Cherington finally start interviewing managers and start looking forward to next season.

Red Sox Focusing on Trey McNutt as Compensation

Pitcher Trey McNutt is apparently the focus of Epstein compensation talks

According to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago, the Red Sox have begun to focus on right hander Trey McNutt as compensation from the Cubs. It's still unclear whether the Sox are asking for more or not, but according to Mooney, outfielder Brett Jackson has been deemed untouchable while players such as Josh Vitters (didn't want him anyways) and Matt Sczur (damn it) are considered unlikely. Also, according to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, the Sox have been asking for "ridiculous combinations", which is a good thing considering the fact that Chicago just wants to fork over some cash. Depending on how many people Theo takes with him though, the Sox could get more than expected, and I personally think if Theo takes a bunch of his guys with him, they deserve to get Brett Jackson included in the talks, even if he's considered unlikely.

On another note, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com, the Sox originally asked for right hander Matt Garza as compensation. Obviously the Cubs said no, 'cause he's their best pitcher, but I credit the Sox front office for having the balls to ask for him. They didn't have any chance of getting him in return, but asking for him shows the Cubs that you mean business and aren't just going to sit back and settle for less.

Let's Hear What John Henry Has to Say

Red Sox Owner John Henry stopped by the Sports Hub and demanded to be heard

So Sox Owner John Henry was cruising around in his car listening to the Sports Hub (seriously?) and got pretty pissed off at what he was hearing. So he decided to stop by and demand to be heard. Felger and Mazz were on the air at the time and obviously they let him on the air, 'cause if they said no they'd be the biggest idiots in the history of talk radio. So, here are the highlights of what he said:

• Henry says he opposed the Crawford signing but "deferred to Theo Epstein and the rest of baseball operations". I'm calling bullshit. Let's put it this way. If you have $120M and someone offers you a $120M car that you don't like, why in hell would you buy it? Exactly, you wouldn't. That was such a stupid thing to say. And even if he did oppose the Crawford signing, why would you make that public when Crawford's confidence is extremely low? That's gonna make his feel great. "Wow. The fans hate me and now the owner hates me." That's gonna do wonders for him next season. Then again, who am I to speak? He could be at the bank hearing that and thinking "Ha ha ha" as he cahses his $20M check.
• The Crawford signing and the Gonzalez trade were not moves made to boost NESN ratings. I think it's pretty obvious the Gonzalez trade was one made because Theo wanted him (he's wanted him for years). But the Crawford signing, assuming Henry did oppose it, was one that was made because A) Theo wanted him and B) Henry knew it would boost NESN ratings, 'cause last year everything was about the business, not the team.
• Old Man Lucchino is expected to sign a multiyear deal this winter. Son of a bitch....
• Henry denied that it was any one of him, Lucchino, or Werner that gave Bob Hohler the information for the Francona smear campaign story he wrote. He said that he was investigating who gave the information and he would get to the bottom of it.

I think the best thing we can take out of this is that Henry showed that he does truly care about this team. Lately it's seemed like making money was more important to him (Rousch-Fenway Racing, Liverpool, LeBron Fucking James). But if he didn't care he wouldn't have driven down to frigging Brighton to get on the air and defend him and the rest of ownership. So overall, this was a good sign.

What Will be the Compensation for Epstein?

Ok, so here's what I know. Theo has agreed to a 5 year contract worth $18.5M and he and the Red Sox Front Office have told him he can't take any staff with him to Chicago. The only issue right now is compensation and that is supposedly being handled directly by John Henry and Tom Ricketts, Owner of the Cubs. I'm guessing the conversations go something like:

John Henry: "Alright Tom, here's a list of your top 10 prospects. If you're taking Theo I want at least 2 of them."
Tom Ricketts: "Come on John, can't I just give you a couple million bucks and call it a deal? ..Hello? ...John?"

Seriously, the Sox have all the leverage, despite what people think. If Henry and Ricketts can't agree on compensation and the deal falls through, the Sox can just take him back. Cherington hasn't been officially promoted and Theo is still the GM of the Red Sox. Epstein was #1 on the Cubs' wish list of GM's and they have an agreement with him in place. Cubbies fans won't be too happy if they don't end up with Theo, despite what they say.

My guess on compensation is that it will be pretty steep. Hopefully one top guy from the High A-Level and one from the Rookie Leagues with high upside. Just to give you an example, the Salem Red Sox are a High-A team and the Gulf Coast Red Sox and the DSL (Dominican Summer League) Red Sox are rookie league teams. So, my hope is for Matt Sczur and Jeimer Candelario. The Sox don't need guys that will step in and help the big club right away, they need to re-stock the farm. Matt Sczur can go into Salem and be their everyday catcher and Jeimer Candelario could step into either the Gulf Coast Red Sox or the Spinners and make his way through the system.

I see the Sox continuing to play hardball with the Cubs because, again, the Sox have all the leverage, and the Cubs will eventually cave and give the Sox what they want.

Ben Cherington Will Be New GM

Ben Cherington has been informed that he will take over as General Manager when Theo officially leaves

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, the Red Sox have informed Assistant General Manager Ben Cherington that he will be promoted to General Manager when Theo Epstein's transfer to the Cubs is official. Cherington has been with the team for something like 14 years. The Sox originally hired him as an intern back in 1997 and he worked his way up the ranks to become Dan Duquette's most trusted scout. Before Jed Hoyer left to become the GM of the San Diego Padres, Cherington served as the Senior Vice President and Co-Assistant GM. He also served as Co-GM alongside Jed Hoyer in 2005 during Theo's little hiatus (better known as "pony up the damn money or I'm out of here"). Benny Boy is gonna have a hell of a lot of work to do. He has a manager to find, order to restore in the clubhouse, trades to be made, and some staff to replace (Theo's most likely taking some guys with him to Chicago, most likely some of the medical staff). If I were him, the first thing I'd do is trade Beckett and Youkilis. Two guys who can play but are clubhouse cancers. Trade Beckett for a right handed bat to take over right field duties and a prospect (that's not a reach either, there's teams that would drool over Beckett being shopped) and trade Youkilis for some pitching prospects. I would love to see them sign a guy like Mark Beurhle or Doug Fister, someone that can be relied on to take the ball every 5 days and pitch a good game and pitch at least into the 7th inning. Get some bullpen help too, 'cause Jenks and Albers were brutal and Dan Wheeler was just OK. Try like hell to dump Lackey (sounds like old friend Jed Hoyer would like him) and find a right handed DH and put Ryan Lavarnway on the 25-man to back up Saltalamacchia. Hopefully they can snag Dave Martinez who can bring some Joe Maddon philosophy into the clubhouse and get the Halo playing, KFC eating, and Natty drinking out of the clubhouse. And did I mention that Martinez could help straighten out Crawford? Someone the guy knows and is comfortable with could do wonders for his performance next year.

Ortiz Wants to Play for the Yankees?

Pending Red Sox Free Agent David Ortiz is considering playing for the Yankees next year

Apparently Big Papi is sick of all the drama with the Red Sox and wants to sign with the Yankees next year. You know what I think? I think Papi is a whiny little bitch who has overstayed his welcome. Sayonara David, it was a great run. Seriously, I hope he goes to the Yankees so they can deal with his whining and bitching. Plus he's a perfect fit. The Yankees have a storied history of taking on juicers. Plus, it'll be nice to hear him get booed so he can cry about it afterwards.

Epstein Agrees to Deal With Cubs



Now Former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has agreed to a deal with the Chicago Cubs

 It's official. Theo Epstein has left the Red Sox organization and is now the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager of the Chicago Cubs. News came last night that the Cubs were on the cusp of a deal with Epstein and now the only thing keeping it from being official is compensation. It appears the two sides are determining whether the compensation will be Minor Leaguers or cash compensation, and according to SI's Jon Heyman (Twitter link) the Sox prefer cash. The likely scenario is that after the deal and the compensation are finalized, the Red Sox will promote Assistant GM Ben Cherington to take Theo's place. The proposed contract for Theo is 5 years and around $20M.

Theo Epstein is "On Cusp" of Deal with Chicago

GM Theo Epstein may in fact be leaving the Red Sox for a position wth the Chicago Cubs

According to Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is "on the cusp" of a deal with the Cubs. The Sox still hope to retain Theo, but there apparently is already an agreement for Theo to leave his position with Boston for one in Chicago that includes "greater powers than he has in Boston". If Epstein does in fact leave, the Sox will demand "something real" as compensation. An announcement is expected within the next 24 to 48 hours. Updates will be forthcoming as I find them.

Bruins Extend Peverley

Bruins Winger Rich Peverley (left) signed a 3 year extension with the team today



Today the Bruins signed winger Rich Peverley to a 3 year contract extension. Hopefully, Peverley will earn, not receive, $9.75M over the span of the contract, with a cap hit of $3.25M. Peverley had a major role in the Bruins' playoff success last season, potting 4 goals and notching 8 assists on top of that. I wish I could make that kind of money playing hockey, even though I suck. But hey, Blake Wheeler makes $2.55M so I guess there's some hope for me there. Seriously though, Peverley is a beast. The guy came in here and just tore it up in the playoffs. I guess the scouts were right when they called him a poor man's Marc Savard. Except for the fact that he scores more than Savard did. The second line of Marchand - Bergeron - Peverley has been absolute frigging dynamite so far this season and it isn't like Peverley has just been along for the ride, he's played his ass off. This is good for the B's. They have their core in place and they're working on getting the right supporting cast, and extending Peverley may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Varitek and Wakefield Want to Play Next Season

Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield have indicated they want to play for the Sox next year



So today it sounds like veteran Captain Jason Vartiek and  veteran Tim Wakefield have both stated that they want to play for the Sox again next year. This is bad news, because Wakefield pretty much sucks and is 45 years old. Yes, he does eat up innings, albeit not very effectively, but at this point in his career other teams are just mashing him. Not to mention the fact that you have to give him a spot in the rotation or he'll whine like a little bitch. And Varitek, as much as I like the guy, needs to go as well. He's a backup catcher at best at this point,and is completely blocking Ryan Lavarnway who, let's face it, is a much better option to backup Salty next year.
Theo/Cherington/whoever the hell is GM by the end of October is gonna have to make some tough decisions with these guys. Both have cards to play in their negotiations. Varitek, as always, would just say "You're just gonna release your Captain? Just like that?" (Seriously, putting the C on his jersey was a huge mistake) and Wakefield is the longest tenured Red Sox player on the active roster and he'll most likely play that card in negotiations. Personally, I wouldn't even talk to either of them, just let them walk. Sign either C.J. Wilson from Texas, pray that if Theo goes to Chicago the Sox make them take Lackey and his full salary as compensation, and then go bargain hunting (i.e. Freddy Garcia, Doug Fister) to replace Dice-K because he's most likely going to miss next season after getting Tommy John surgery. Assuming they don't continue to booze it up in the clubhouse next year, a rotation of Lester - Wilson - Beckett - Buccholz - Fister looks pretty deadly on paper. (Key words: on paper)

Weekend Roundup

After a long weekend and really not much news other than the Pats and Bruins games, I went around and dug up some news worthy things and a couple not-so news worthy things that I could shit on. First, the Bruins:

• The game against Tampa was awesome. It was exactly how you want to see them play. They were aggressive, they created opportunities, they were physical, Timmy was once again stellar between the pipes, and Seguin had some dirty tape to tape passes. But, today's game against Colorado was painstaking to watch. Very little effort from anyone not named Bergeron, Marchand, Peverley, Seguin, and hell I'd even throw Pouliot in there.
• Tyler Seguin looks like a completely different player from the kid who was consistently benched and relegated to fourth line duties last year. His vision has gotten 10 times better, which is really just a result of being more comfortable in the league this year, because his vision while playing for Plymouth in the OHL was God-like. The 150 footer he made to Peverley this afternoon was something very few guys in the league can do. The kid gets the puck and instead of looking east to west like pretty much every other guy in the league, he looks south to north and that's exactly why he was able to spot Peverley streaking up the ice. But seriously, how in hell does Peverley miss the net on an opportunity like that?
• Tuukka was his usual self in net. Which is a good thing, because when he's his usual self, the other team is gonna have some problems scoring. Nothing was getting past him, and the team should be bowing down to him in the locker room right now because he's the only reason it wasn't a frigging blowout. The only reason Hejduk scored was because someone else got a piece of it, because once Tuukka is locked into that butterfly position you aren't gonna beat him unless you get a stupid bounce like that.
• Pouliot looked pretty good against Colorado. For those of you expecting him to come in and start scoring goals, you're an idiot. He was brought in here for a second chance and right now he's just trying to play a complete game and help the team in any way he can, which he's definitely doing. Whenever he's out there he's all over the puck. He hits, he fights in the corners, and brings energy with him every time he steps on the ice, which is something this team needs. Someone who can go out and bring energy is going to help the Bruins immensely, since Marchand can't do it all himself.

The Patriots:

• The Jets really are not a very good team. They are so overrated right now it isn't even funny. Unless Revis and Sanchez have perfect games, they're screwed. So don't let this Pats win fool you too much.
• On the same note, don't let the fact that the Jets really suck take away from the win. The team played an awesome game. Brady was sharp all day, and that one interception to Hernandez is one that he really should've caught.
• The defense finally had a good game and showed that they have the ability to play at an elite level. No, I didn't just say they're elite. I said they showed they CAN BE elite. I mean hell, it's the first game where they've actually come up with stops at the end of the game instead of shitting the bed and forcing Brady and the offense to do all the dirty work.
• Ochocinco caught two passes! Yay! Oh wait, he should be doing better? That's right, I forgot, he should be doing better. Come on Ocho, get with the program already would you?

Not much news on the baseball front. Here's what I managed to dig up:

• Some dude out in Illinois is "99.9% sure" he saw Theo Epstein getting a coffee or something at a Lincoln Park Starbucks, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. What do I think? Whoopdee freaking doo. I'm pretty sure I saw that Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish getting something to eat in Boston. Holy crap, that must mean the Sox are going to sign him!!! Come on, seriously? The idiot editor who actually thought that was newsworthy should be fired, because even if it was Theo that the guy saw, it really doesn't mean anything. It could just mean he was in the area for a getaway from the managerial search while Cherington took charge for a bit.
• Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal thinks the Sox might be using prospect Lars Anderson as trade bait this winter. If you're wondering who the hell that is, click on the link. And if you're wondering what he'll get you in a trade? Well let's put it this way. Billy Beane out in Oakland wouldn't do Anderson for Rich Harden straight up, he needed to have a PTBNL (Player to be Named Later) included, which gave the Sox an excuse to back out and get Erik Bedard. So, in terms that most of you would understand, he won't get very much unless he's the throw in of a major package for some big name player, which really isn't going to happen since the farm is basically wiped out from the Adrian Gonzalez trade.

One last note, the NBA and the NBA Players' Union met for a few hours today. The deal was if they couldn't get the framework for a new CBA in place at the meeting, the first two weeks of the season will be cancelled. So it's pretty safe to assume the first two weeks of the season are going to be cancelled, 'cause these two sides are just that far apart and that pissed at each other right now.

Fuck You CBS

So today the Bruins were honored in a pregame ceremony at Gillette Stadium today. Not surprisingly, I was really looking forward to it. But when I turn the TV on to CBS at 4, the previous game was still on. Are you fucking for real? Damn it network television, now I see why people hate you so much. The video above is the best I could find, direct from Boston.com. I don't know much about what went down at the celebration except for the few minor details given to us by Globe Writer Zuri Berry. The B's ran out in their standard home unis but soon after dropped them in favor of Patriot Blue. Classy, I must say. Z and Timmy were the honorary captains, Horton brought his Cup Magic with him to Gillette and poured some melted Gahden ice at midfield, which clearly worked since the Pats pretty much raped the Jets, and Bellichick and Chara shook hands. I would love to delve into more detail, but frigging network television decided not to show the ceremony. I think this calls for a hashtag, even though this isn't Twitter. How about #bullshit? Works for me.

The Bruins So Far

Players from the 1972 Stanley Cup Team helped current players raise the Championship Banner Thursday Night

Where to begin? The banner raising ceremony was beautiful. It literally gave me chills and brought a tear to my eye, and that's not easy to do. No other professional sports team could pull off something like that, it is an ability truly unique to Boston sports. Things looked pretty good for the first 15 minutes. Brad "The Rat" Marchand had scored and put the B's on top and the momentum was completely in the Bruins' favor. Then, the adrenaline wore off. Yikes. The second half of the first all the way through the second period was an ugly thing to watch. Watching it on DVR, it reminded me of the 2009-2010 Bruins team that we all despised so very much. Old Man Czech scored his 1,600th point and newbie Jakub Voracek, who I have to admit has a crap load of skill, scored with like 2 seconds left in the first and the Flyers were up 2-1 just like that. The third period looked great for the Bruins though. They played great, were skating well, were making plays and creating opportunities, but they just couldn't put anything behind Bryzgalov, who looked pretty damn good all night. After some thinking, I've come up with a small summary and a couple ideas that could be beneficial to the team moving forward:

• Tyler Seguin looked awesome. The third line of Seguin - Kelly - Caron had a great game. They cycled the puck well and created a lot of opportunities and were probably the Bruins' best line of the night. But, I think Seguin should be playing with more skilled players, like Bergeron and Marchand.
• KHL needs to be broken up. Like immediately. I've seen how they operate during the regular season. They have one stellar game then about 3-5 games where you wonder if they're even on the roster. Which brings me back to Tyler Seguin. As much as the team's success is the #1 priority, his development is a very close #2. Break up the top line and play Seguin with the likes of Horton/Lucic/Marchand and Krejci/Bergeron will create some serious scoring threats. Not to mention the fact that opposing defenders will be shitting their pants watching the kid fly up the ice off a pass from one of the best playmakers on the team (both Krejci and Bergy). Of course, once the playoffs roll around KHL will need to be reassembled because we all saw the kind of damage they do in the postseason, but keep Seguin with Bergy and Marchand and the other teams will be scared. Literally.
• Tim Thomas looked stellar between the pipes despite giving up two goals in the first, but what are you gonna do when you have one of the best players to ever play the game bearing down on you (Jaromir Jagr) and one of the most underrated young players in the league (Jakub Voracek) sitting right in front of the net? But, Timmy is getting old and at his age playing him too much will only hurt the team, so expect Tuukka Rask to get plenty of starts this season. I'm expecting a great year out of Tuukka. He was hurt last year and is in a contract year, not to mention he's gonna want to prove to the league that he can be a stellar #1 netminder in the league for years to come and that he wasn't just a flash in the pan in '09.

This will be an interesting year for the Bruins, and I for one am really looking forward to it. Here's to another great year of hockey!

Is Theo Leaving?

GM Theo Epstein may be Chicago bound

Right now, the biggest question on most Red Sox fans' minds is, "Is Theo going to Chicago or is he staying here?". There's a lot of speculation surrounding this matter, and while a lot of reports seem to imply that Theo is on his way out the door, SI's Jon Heyman says that, unless something changes, Theo is staying in Boston. I personally would like to see the Sox give Old Man Lucchino the boot and promotote Theo to co-CEO along with Sam Kennedy and make Ben Cherington, currently Theo's right hand man, the GM. This has also been speculated in a tweet from NESN and MLB's Peter Gammons. I wouldn't mind seeing this, especially when Cherington has been working under Theo for quite a while now. But, if Theo were to go to the Cubs, the Sox would most definitely ask for heavy compensation. Probably two of their top-tier pitching prospects. Makes sense too, especially since the Marlins gave up two for their top 5 prospects for Ozzie Guillen. And let's face it, Ozzie is the managerial version of Carlos Zambrano. He's not a very good manager, but the White Sox were still very heavily compensated. Imagine the Cubs hiring Theo, who is a great GM, and the compensation the Sox would get. Pretty freakin' steep. So, while it looks like Theo is staying right now, things could change any day and he could be on a plane to Chicago before we know it.

Red Sox Manager Opening

Ok, so everyone around Boston has their own thoughts about what the Sox should do now that Tito is gone. Most of them are idiotic, especially because the tendency of the standard pink hat is "Oh Bobby Valentine? I want him next because I heard his name first". However, if you stick with me and read what I have to say, you might actually learn something if you;re a pink hat. And if you're a legitimate fan as I am, you can sit there and think about it and possibly debate me. So, without further ado, here's my take on the names that have been floating around and what the team should be looking for.

Bobby Valentine - Absolutely not. The guy's name creeps up whenever there's a managerial opening, no matter where it is. Yet, he's still jobless. And didn't he get fired twice in Japan?

Joe Torre - A good idea if you're trying to stick it to the Yankees. But think about this. Didn't Torre and the Yankees basically do the same thing? He lost the clubhouse and management brought in no nonsense Joe Girardi who, as much as I think he's a total douche, has gotten the job done in New York. Plus, Torre is 71, he'd be here for 3 years, 4 at the very most. I personally would like to see a little more stability than that.

Tony Pena - No way. Yeah, he managed a mediocre at best Royals team to a plus .500 record, but how many Crawfords or Lackeys are there in Kansas City? What's to say he won't be able to handle the job here in Boston?

Dennis Eckersley - Sounds like a good idea, but think about it. Do you really want to see a rookie manager thrown into this kind of fire? Either take him on as pitching coach or have him manage down on the farm for a couple years and then promote him.

Rhyne Sandberg - Sorry, I'm a kid and I've never heard of him. No comment.

Joe Maddon - Do you really think that Tampa is going to just give a rival team their manager? As much as I'd love to see Maddon on the bench for the Sox next year, he's gonna be in Tampa for a while.

Jason Varitek - Assuming he doesn't come back and play for one, why would you hire him as manager? I'm pretty sure he was part of that little buddy-buddy group of Lackey, Beckett, Lester. Tek is a great guy and will make a great manager one day, but he is not what the team should be looking for.

What the team needs is someone who isn't gonna put up with all the bullshit that went on this year and someone who will unify the clubhouse. I won't name names, because I'm not gonna sit here and play armchair GM and say "Hey let's sign this guy!" I'm gonna give the facts. When you have a stupid ass high school-esque clique of Beckett, Lester, Lackey, and Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury only being able to confide in Jed Lowrie because there is no team feel or, hell, even a family feel like there should be in a clubhouse, there's a major problem. The team can't have situations like Youkilis who spent the entire year ripping on Ellsbury for "not toughing out" his broken ribs last year, and you can't have cliques. And you sure as hell can't have guys loafing around boozing it up in the clubhouse during the game because they aren't going to pitch that day. When you have a NESN analyst saying that the players treated the clubhouse like a spa, there's a big problem. They need a manager who is going to do all those things and, most importantly, make them utilize the great strength and conditioning coach they have. The amount of injuries was absurd, and most of them were ones that could easily be avoided if the players had actually taken care of themselves. If they can find a manager like that, they might actually have a good season next year.