Koji Leaves and Rutledge Returns (I Had No Idea He was Gone)

The highest profile free agent Boston had this offseason recently signed a contract to join the Cubs.  Koji was one of the most fun players to watch in recent Red Sox history, due to his excitement after doing something good.  His energy and enthusiasm are infectious.

In a lot of ways, Koji was the player that most represented the Red Sox in 2013.  He was a low-risk, high-reward free agent signing who exceeded expectations.  He started the season as a middle reliever, but due to injuries to closers Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey and ineffectiveness of Junichi Tazawa, Uehara became the closer and had one of the greatest seasons of any Red Sox closer ever.  He ended up 4-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 21 saves.  He struck out 101 and walked just nine batters in 74.1 innings.  He ended up winning the ALCS MVP and was a big part of the World Series Championship, striking out Matt Carpenter to end the Series.

The next season, Uehara declined a little, but still made his first All Star team.  The Red Sox were not nearly as good, but Uehara was 6-5 with a 2.52 ERA and 26 saves.  He struck out 80 while walking eight in 64.1 innings.  2015 saw Koji decline more, but he was still 2-4 with a 2.23 ERA and 25 saves.  He suffered some injuries and was ineffective late in the season.

2016 saw Uehara became a setup man, but he did pick up seven saves.  For his Red Sox career, Koji was 14-13 with a 2.19 ERA and 79 saves.  He struck out 291 batters, while walking a mind-boggling 37 in 226 innings.  Uehara will go down as one of my absolute favorite relief pitchers of all time and one of the most fun pitchers to watch, period.  Good luck, Koji.  Cubs fans, enjoy.

In other news, the Rule 5 Draft occurred today.  While Boston did not pick up Luis Torrens from the Yankees (sorry Zippy Zappy), they did re-acquire utility infielder Josh Rutledge.  Which was weird, because I had no idea he was gone.  Apparently Colorado signed him after the season.  Rutledge is a right-handed hitter (versus the left-handed Brock Holt) who can actually swing a bat (unlike Deven Marrero).  Rutledge has been with Boston for parts of two seasons and has hit .276/.338/.358 with seven doubles and a home run in 123 at-bats.  He stands a decent chance of being a backup infielder for the Red Sox in 2017 along with Holt.  Though he would have to beat out Marco Hernandez for the job.

Boston lost two players in the Draft: Justin Haley and Aneury Tavarez.  Haley stands the best chance of sticking in the Majors as he pitched in 15 games in Pawtucket and looked to be on the verge of making it to the Majors.  I would expect Tavarez to come back.

Boston also added Junior Lake as a minor league free agent.  Lake last played a full season with the Cubs in 2014.  He has bounced between the Majors and Minors ever since, playing for three teams in the last two years.  This is mostly just an outfield depth move.

The Red Sox Were Busy Tuesday

So, we have to say goodbye to a number of players whose cards I have been accumulating in my Red Sox collection.  So that is where we will start.

Only two players with Major League experience were traded:

Travis Shaw has been with the Red Sox for two years.  He came up part way through the season in 2015 and helped solidify first base.  He showed he had some big power as he hit 13 home runs with a .487 slugging percentage in 63 games down the stretch.  In 2016, he was anointed the starting third-baseman and started the year off hot.  But he was freezing cold from June forward and ended the season with 16 home runs and a slash line of .242/.306/.421.  Shaw's hold on third base was somewhat tenuous going into 2017.  Pablo Sandoval is returning from injury and he has gotten into the best shape of his career.  Brock Holt is still out there as well.  So there was some concern about his place.  Well that has been answered.

Yoan Moncada was Boston's top prospect (or #2 depending on which source you check).  He was a huge international signing from Cuba.  He has had some huge numbers in the minors (.287/.395/.480, 23 home runs, 100 RBIs, 94 stolen bases in two seasons in the minors) and has been climbing the ladder to the Majors.  He made a brief appearance in Boston toward the end of the 2016 season, playing in eight games.  He had a double out of four hits, but struck out 12 times in 20 plate appearances.  Moncada was expected to start the 2017 season in Pawtucket and possibly contend for the third base job.  That will not happen now.

There were five other minor leaguers traded Tuesday, three of whom appear in my Red Sox collection:

Dubon had a breakthrough season in 2016.  He hit .323/.379/.461 with six home runs, 69 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases as a middle infielder.  He had an outside shot at making the Majors at some point in 2017, though it was far more likely that he would start at Pawtucket.

Michael Kopech had emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in the game.  He has the ability to hit over 100 mph on the radar gun and has had the stamina to remain a starting pitcher to this point in his career.  Kopech had an abbreviated season and pitched in just 12 games in 2016, but he was 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and struck out 86 in 56.1 innings.  He blew away the competition in the Arizona Fall League.  Kopech looked to start the season in Double A in 2017.

Josh Pennington was just emerging as a prospect in 2016.  He was a 29th round pick in the 2014 draft and pitched to a 5-3 record with a 2.86 ERA.  He looks like a future relief pitcher.  He pitched in short-season A ball in 2016 and was likely headed to full-season A ball in 2017.

Finally, Luis Basabe and Victor Diaz were also traded.  I have no cards of Basabe, but he looked like an interesting outfield prospect.  He hit .264/.328/.452 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.  Diaz was 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA in Greenville.

Boston traded Shaw, Dubon, and Pennington to the Milwaukee Brewers for Tyler Thornburg.

Tyler Thornburg emerged as a top-flight setup man in 2016 and had a little bit of closing experience.  He ended up 8-5 with a 2.15 ERA and struck out 90 batters while walking 25 in 67 innings.  He picked up 13 saves.  Thornburg joins a bullpen with closer Craig Kimbrel and steps in as the primary setup man.  The bullpen has become a strength with Joe Kelly, Robbie Ross Jr., Heath Hembree, and Matt Barnes all coming back.

Boston signed Mitch Moreland as a free agent.

Moreland had a bit of a down year with the bat in 2016, but he has hit at least 20 home runs in three of the last four seasons.  He also won a Gold Glove for his work at first base.  Moreland likely becomes the Red Sox first-baseman, and can be counted on to replace the productivity of the traded Travis Shaw.  Moreland is a similar hitter, with a little bit more of a track record.  His signing likely pushes Hanley Ramirez into being the primary designated hitter, which is just fine.

Finally, Moncada, Kopech, Basabe, and Diaz were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Chris Sale.

What is there to say about Chris Sale?  The southpaw is one of the top pitchers in the league.  He has been an All Star every season since 2012 and will be just 28 next season.  Last season, he was 17-10 with a 3.34 ERA and 233 strikeouts.  He has finished in the Top 5 in the Cy Young vote in each of the last two seasons.  He joins a rotation already featuring the 2016 Cy Young Award Winner Rick Porcello and 2012 Cy Young Winner David Price.  The rotation could also feature up-and-comer Eduardo Rodriguez, or former All Stars Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz, and Clay Buchholz.  It is likely that someone will be traded.  But they will potentially have the best starting rotation in the game, no matter who gets traded.  I have already identified the starting rotation as my primary focus in my collection in 2017.

All told, it hurts to trade Moncada, Dubon, and Kopech, and to a lesser extent, Shaw.  I am not a huge prospect collector, but I like the idea of Boston developing their own players.  Seeing them trade homegrown players stings, but that pitching staff is going to be tough and the bullpen should be a strength.  Moreland is not going to replace David Ortiz's production, but he should be decent.  I am excited for the season.  Can we just start now?

The New Red Sox

Now that Spring Training games have begun, it is time to look at the new players wearing a Red Sox uniform this year:

DAVID PRICE:
This is the big one.  Boston signed him to the biggest contract in team history.  Price is just turning 30 this year and coming off an 18 win season in which he lead the league in ERA.  He is the ace Boston missed so much last year.  By the way, I just got this card in recently, my first card of Price with Boston.  Yes it is photoshopped, but I don't care.

CRAIG KIMBREL:
I am not thrilled with this trade personally.  I am happy Boston got a great closer, but they gave up four good prospects to get him.  They gave up Manuel Margot, Javy Guerra, Carlos Asuaje, and Logan Allen.  Kimbrel will be with the team for a couple of years, but that prospect haul hurts.  And Boston has bad luck trading for closers.  They have previously acquired Andrew Bailey, Mark Melancon, and Joel Hanrahan in trades, none of whom worked out.  The players they gave up included Jed Lowrie, Josh Reddick, and Mark Melancon, who became an All Star after he was traded away.  Kimbrel is better than all three of those closers, but the history gives me pause.  Kimbrel's first card will appear in Topps Heritage.

CHRIS YOUNG:
A rare player who left the Yankees to join the Red Sox, Young is expected to be the fourth outfielder after Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Rusney Castillo.  Young does quite well against left-handers.

ROENIS ELIAS:
Acquired in a trade with the Mariners for Wade Miley, Elias is a young left-hander with some potential.  He could easily step into Miley's shoes, or find a place in the bullpen.  I think it is more likely that he starts out in the bullpen and then pitches his way into more playing time.

CARSON SMITH:
Smith was the key piece Boston picked up in the Wade Miley trade.  Smith was dominant in the bullpen in 2015, striking out 92 in 70 innings.  He joins an already impressive back end of the bullpen with Kimbrel, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa.  It is not as strong as the Yankees' bullpen, but it should be a strength this year.  Smith has been announced to be in the Topps Heritage set.

Welcome Back to Boston Hanley Ramirez and Welcome Panda

Yes, this printing plate is mine.  I bought a bunch of Hanley Ramirez cards when he was in Boston's minor league system.  I was pretty excited about the guy.  Then he was traded.  While I love that Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell were instrumental in helping Boston win the World Series in 2007, I was disappointed that it cost them Hanley Ramirez.  It was worth it, it was just disappointing, especially when Ramirez was winning the Rookie of the Year in 2006 and neither Beckett nor Lowell were playing particularly well.  It paid off in 2007.  Now, Hanley is back and I am excited to see what he can do.  Hopefully he stays healthy.

Boston also signed Pablo Sandoval.  I advocated acquiring him several years ago, so I am happy they got him.  Sandoval will play third base and may eventually replace David Ortiz at DH.  Ramirez looks to be moving to left field.

Jake Peavy Traded to Giants

Link.

Jake Peavy has pitched reasonably well at times, though he has only one win to show for it.  Felix Doubront or Brandon Workman probably move into the rotation.  Boston received Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar from the Giants in the trade which is actually kind of a nice return.

Slooooow Offseason

With the new season still several months away, and very few new sets coming out during the offseason, it is harder and harder to find new baseball cards.  My next batch all came from Ebay.

I don't care for the online only Topps sets.  For the second year in a row, Topps saw fit to release an updated Heritage set only available in complete set form and only online.  With just four Red Sox cards, I did not want to shell out the $100.00 for the set and take a chance at a decent autograph, particularly since none of the autos were Red Sox.

1.  2013 Topps Heritage High Number Allen Webster RC.  Webster looks like he should be able to help next year.  They need to get something out of the Punto trade.

2.  2013 Topps Pro Debut Allen Webster.  This was a throw-in.

3.  2013 Topps Heritage High Number Koji Uehara.  This is one of the reasons I picked up this team set.  Hopefully next year there will be some more cards of Koji.

4.  2013 Topps Heritage High Number Jackie Bradley Jr. RC.  Another reason I wanted this lot.

5.  2013 Topps Heritage High Number Jose Iglesias.  I was surprised this card showed him in a Red Sox uniform.

6.  2013 Finest 93 Finest Jackie Bradley Jr.  Just an awesome-looking insert here.  The refractors are going for insane amounts.

7.  2013 Finest 93 Finest Mike Napoli.  A hit off of my Top 10 finally.

8.  2013 Pinnacle Museum Collection Jackie Bradley Jr. RC.  The JBJ kick is still going...



In news, Boston picked up Edward Mujica from the Cardinals as a free agent.  Mujica is a live right-handed arm out of the bullpen, relatively young, with impeccable control.  A possible Uehara-type in the pen with closing experience.  I like this move.

Wheelings and Dealings

The Hot Stove Season is getting under way and there is some big news.

First the pro-Boston news:
Boston acquires Burke Badenhop from Brewers.  Badenhop is a right-handed reliever that the Brewers under-used for some strange reason last season.  He had some decent numbers but almost all of them came in low-leverage situations.  I am not sure how to feel about this one, but all they gave up was a minor leaguer named Luis Ortega who is quite a ways away.

Boston signs A.J. Pierzynski.  Well they needed a catcher I suppose.  Pierzynski has frequently been labelled a clubhouse cancer though, so I am not sure of this one.  He has some pop and is durable, but will he hurt the chemistry?  I guess we will find out.

Now the bad stuff:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia signs with Marlins.  Probably the prelude to a trade to the Mets next year.  I liked Salty but he was not getting three years in Boston.  Particularly with Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart coming on strong.

Jacoby Ellsbury signs with Yankees.  Seriously?  I came to grips with the likelihood of Ellsbury leaving.  Jackie Bradley Jr. will be the new center fielder, but the Yankees?  Really?  Also, this looks like a pretty likely contract the Yankees will be regretting in a few years.  Seven years with an option for an eighth.  Wow.  And $150 million.  Seems like a recipe for disaster.

Welcome to Boston, Quintin Berry

Link.

Today Boston sent Clayton Mortensen to the Royals for Quintin Berry.  Mortensen was the reliever the Red Sox got when they traded Marco Scutaro to the Rockies.  He had moments of impressive work but was maddeningly inconsistent at times, though he had a 3.21 ERA in 26 games last year.  He never had a Red Sox card made of him.  A shame.  Berry has not appeared in a Major League game this year but stole 21 bases in Detroit last year.  I sense a designated pinch-runner role down the stretch.  Much like Joey Gathright was a couple of times.

Welcome to Boston Jake Peavy

The Red Sox today made a move to bolster their starting rotation by trading for White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy in a three-team deal.  Peavy won the Cy Young Award for San Diego back in 2007.  This year he was 8-4 with a 4.28 ERA and 76 strikeouts.  He missed some time due to a broken rib but that appears to be healed.  The acquisition of Peavy likely means that Boston is concerned about Clay Buchholz coming back.

Boston gave up Jose Iglesias, who goes to the Detroit Tigers.  I will definitely miss Iglesias's defense.  He had been hitting well this year until the last few weeks.  He is not a .330 hitter and Tigers fans expecting him to be are in for a rude awakening, but the defense is real.  I am disappointed because I loved watching Iglesias play, but to get a starting pitcher, you have to give up something and Iglesias is much more preferable to Xander Bogaerts or Jackie Bradley Jr.  Boston also gave up J.B. Wendelken, Francellis Montas, and Cleulius Rondon,  to the White Sox, none of whom were on the 40 man roster and all of whom are a long way away from the Majors.

Boston will also get Brayan Villareal in the trade.  Villareal throws hard but does not have much of an idea of where it is going.  Avisail Garcia goes from the Tigers to the White Sox as well.

Red Sox Trade for Matt Thornton

Link.

The bullpen has been in trouble lately, especially with Franklin Morales and Andrew Miller hitting the Disabled List.  So Boston went out and traded for southpaw Matt Thornton of the White Sox.  Thornton is not as good as he used to be, but he still gets lefties out and that is something that Boston needed.

The cost was Brandon Jacobs, a prospect I liked, but that did not seem like he was moving too quickly.  That coupled with the fact that he would have been Rule V eligible made him expendable.  Hopefully Thornton pitches well and makes this worth it.

Boston Picks Up Brandon Snyder

Link.

Boston signed the versatile Brandon Snyder, who has experience at a variety of positions.  He has mostly played on the corners throughout his career.  Snyder hit .277/.309/.446 last year in 40 games.  He will report to Pawtucket and could be called up later in the season.

In addition, Ryan Sweeney has signed with the Cubs after losing his spot to Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mike Carp.

Lyle Overbay, We Hardly Knew Ye

Boston cut ties with Lyle Overbay today.  After trading for Mike Carp, there was not much room for Overbay.  He immediately found work with the Yankees though, who seem intent on signing every single over-the-hill position player they can find to act as stopgaps until their regulars come back from injuries.

Moves I Did Not Care For

I have been called a homer in the past.  Mostly on baseball forums.  I do not think I am a homer, but no one really does.  I am a fan.  I try not to be overly critical of my team to other people.  That does not mean that I love everything they do.  The Red Sox have made some ridiculous moves in the past.  Obviously the big ones are the Ruth sale and the Bagwell trade.  Both of those occurred before I was a fan.  The Bagwell trade occurred just one year prior.

In this post I want to show that I do sometimes disagree with Boston's moves.  These are moves I disliked at the time, not with hindsight.  Some moves may have worked out.  Other moves that I did like may not have worked.  These are moves I disliked when they happened.

1992
RED SOX TRADE JEFF REARDON TO BRAVES
I was a big fan of Jeff Reardon.  I have always liked closers and Reardon was the first one I watched.  It helped that he had just broken the career saves record.  Obviously he was expendable.  He was set to be a free agent and he was older.  Boston was in last place and had no real need for a good closer, but they definitely did not have an adequate replacement.  It also did not help that the players the Red Sox got, Sean Ross and Nate Minchey, never really did anything for the Red Sox.

1993
WADE BOGGS SIGNS WITH YANKEES AS FREE AGENT
Boggs was my favorite player.  He had a bad year and Scott Cooper was ready to take over, but Cooper was never going to be an adequate replacement.  He just was not projected to be a star.  Boggs was a Hall of Famer.

PHIL PLANTIER TO PADRES FOR JOSE MELENDEZ
Just one year prior, Plantier was untouchable.  But then his numbers dropped in 1992 and suddenly Boston could not get rid of him fast enough.  For them to trade a previously untouchable player for a middle reliever was particularly frustrating.  He was still just 24 years old.  Right field was a black hole for the Red Sox in 1993, and Plantier hit 34 home runs with 108 RBIs for the Padres.  Melendez pitched in 19 games over the two years he spent with Boston.  Plantier never did as well again, but he would have been a big help in 1993.

1995
SCOTT COOPER TO CARDINALS FOR MARK WHITEN AND RHEAL CORMIER
This one actually worked out but not for the reasons that it should have.  Cormier had the best year of the three players involved.  But I liked Cooper.  I was still a young fan at the time so I did not like it when Boston gave up players I liked.  Cooper was not a great player, or even really a very good one, but I liked him.  I did try to think positively about it though.  Whiten was supposed to be a decent player and they also got Cormier.

FRANK RODRIGUEZ TO TWINS FOR RICK AGUILERA
It reminded me of the Bagwell trade.  Rodriguez was Boston's top prospect.  For a few years I had heard about what a great pitcher he was going to be.  Then he was traded when Boston found it could not contend without a good closer.  Suddenly their top prospect was gone.  This one was okay as Rodriguez was never a very good pitcher.  But I had no idea at the time.

MARK WHITEN TO PHILLIES FOR DAVE HOLLINS
Whiten was terrible for Boston and he was personally miserable.  But it just felt like they were giving up on him.  It seems like they do that every few years or so.  Whiten of course went on to play well for the Phillies. Hollins played five games for the Red Sox.

1996
JAMIE MOYER TO THE MARINERS FOR DARREN BRAGG
Darren Bragg really?  That's all they could get for Jamie Moyer?  Moyer was not quite the well-reputed pitcher at that time that he was years later.  But he was 7-1 and he was left-handed.  Bragg was an acceptable player, but even then it did not seem like enough for Boston's best pitcher to that point.

1997
ROGER CLEMENS SIGNS WITH BLUE JAYS AS FREE AGENT
BOSTON SIGNS STEVE AVERY, BRET SABERHAGEN, AND ROBINSON CHECO
The Red Sox let Clemens go.  Clemens had not pitched great in a few years, but he did lead the league in strikeouts in 1996, a sign that the old Clemens was on his way back.  Of course now we know that he had some help.  But Boston did not really have a pitcher ready to take his place.  They signed two reclamation projects and an unknown quantity.  Saberhagen was recovering from a major injury and would barely pitch that year but would be decent in 1998 and 1999.  Avery was terrible in his two years with Boston.  Checo never developed.

1998
JIM LEYRITZ TO PADRES FOR MANDY ROMERO, DARIO VERAS, AND CARLOS REYES
Leyritz was unhappy with his lack of playing time.  He was originally brought in to spend time at catcher, first base, and designated hitter, but the development of Jason Varitek meant that he was not needed at catcher.  He was very productive to that point so it was a bit of a loss.  Eventually he was replaced by Mike Stanley who served the same capacity.

ORLANDO MERCED RELEASED
I always liked Merced with the Pirates and Blue Jays.  I was excited when he was acquired along with Greg Swindell, but Boston never had much use for him and he was released after 12 hitless plate appearances.  They would do the same thing with Gary Gaetti and Jose Cruz Jr. later on.

1999
MO VAUGHN SIGNS WITH ANGELS AS FREE AGENT
BOSTON SIGNS JOSE OFFERMAN
I would have no problem with Offerman as a complementary piece.  He had a nice year in 1999.  But as a replacement for Vaughn?  No.  You cannot replace a power-hitting first baseman with a light-hitting second baseman.  It just does not work.  Vaughn was another favorite that Boston let leave as a free agent.

BOSTON SIGNS MARK PORTUGAL AND PAT RAPP
This never seemed like it would work.  And it didn't.  Both pitchers were bad in 1999 and played a big role in Boston having to settle for a Wild Card.  They could have been better.

2000
FRYE, ROSE, AND WASDIN TO ROCKIES FOR ARROJO, LANSING, AND CROUSHORE
Brian Rose was supposed to be a top prospect but that is not the issue that I had.  I did not understand getting Mike Lansing.  I guess they really wanted Rolando Arrojo and taking on Lansing's terrible contract meant that they did not have to give up any major parts.  But Boston was already overloaded on bad contracts with Valentin, O'Leary, Lewis, and Offerman.  If they had not gotten Lansing's contract, maybe they would have been able to bring in Mike Mussina to go along with Manny Ramirez in 2001.

2001/2002
TOMO OHKA AND RICH RUNDLES TO EXPOS FOR UGUETH URBINA
SUN WOO KIM AND SEUNG JUN SONG TO EXPOS FOR CLIFF FLOYD
Boston tried to find a hidden well of talent in Asia in the late 1990's.  Ohka, Kim, and Song were the most talented players they found.  Ohka and Kim showed flashes of that talent on occasion and Song was Boston's top prospect at the time.  None of them made big impacts in the majors and Urbina and Floyd were both successful in their short stints in Boston, but after years of hearing about the Asian scouting, it was proving to be all for naught.

2002
HIDEO NOMO SIGNS WITH DODGERS
Nomo had a good year in 2002.  He lead the AL in strikeouts and pitched a no hitter.  Plus he was fun to watch.  He seemed like the perfect pitcher to re-sign and make a good number two starter.  With him in the rotation along with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, Boston could have made it to the World Series in 2003.

2003
FREDDY SANCHEZ TO PIRATES FOR JEFF SUPPAN
There were more parts to this.  The full trade was Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez for Jeff Suppan, Anastacio Martinez, and Brandon Lyon.  The reason for the trade was to make up for an earlier trade in which Boston got Gonzalez and Scott Sauerbeck for Lyon and Martinez.  Lyon was hurt apparently.  Suppan was terrible in his first stint with Boston and was not much better the second time around.  Sanchez could have solved Boston's long-standing problems at second base.

THE CLOSER BY COMMITTEE
I get the idea.  It is better to use your best relievers when the game is on the line and anyone can finish the game.  But baseball players are human and prefer to have defined roles.  So maybe it could work in some situations, but only if you have the 1990 Reds bullpen.  Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, Chad Fox, Ramiro Mendoza, and Brandon Lyon are not an adequate group to pull off the closer by committee.  None of them had much closing experience.  The results were awful right away and lead to the trade of Shea Hillenbrand for Byung Hyun Kim.

2004
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA TO CUBS
It worked out in the end, but Garciaparra was again a favorite player.  He was the franchise player.  And Boston got Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz in the trade.  It never seemed like enough.

2005
PEDRO MARTINEZ SIGNS WITH METS
DEREK LOWE SIGNS WITH DODGERS
BOSTON SIGNS DAVID WELLS, MATT CLEMENT, AND WADE MILLER
Two of the World Champion team's top three pitchers left town and they signed Wells, Clement, and Miller to replace them.  Miller was a reclamation project, Wells was old and had never been successful at Fenway Park, and Clement had never pitched in the AL.  Wells was okay and Clement was good for the first half of the first year, but none of the pitchers had long term success.

2006
HANLEY RAMIREZ TO MARLINS FOR JOSH BECKETT AND MIKE LOWELL
This one worked out for both teams as Ramirez was a great player for a few years.  Beckett and Lowell helped Boston to the 2007 World Championship.  But once again, a top prospect that I had been waiting for  over the previous several years was gone.  I liked that Boston got Beckett and Lowell, but hated that Ramirez had to go.

JOHNNY DAMON SIGNS WITH YANKEES
I hate it when a beloved player goes to play for the Yankees.  Boston traded for Coco Crisp to replace him, which of course never really worked out as well as it should have.

BRONSON ARROYO TO REDS FOR WILY MO PENA
Arroyo had just signed a team-friendly contract and had a decent year in 2005.  But there was a supposed pitching surplus and Boston needed some more power.  So Arroyo was shipped away for Pena, who was a terrible defensive player which meant that he did not make it into the lineup much.  He did have power, but that was it.

JOSH BARD AND CLA MEREDITH TO PADRES FOR DOUG MIRABELLI
I liked Doug Mirabelli and was disappointed when they traded him away for Mark Loretta, but that turned out to be a decent trade.  Unfortunately Boston could not find someone to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball and they had to make a desperate trade to get Mirabelli back.  That meant that Meredith, a promising reliever, had to be sacrificed.

2009
JUSTIN MASTERSON TO INDIANS FOR VICTOR MARTINEZ
I liked that they picked up Martinez, but giving up on Masterson seemed premature.  I liked Masterson and thought that he had a decent future with the Red Sox.  Martinez was necessary as catcher was proving to be a black hole, but it was disappointing to lose Masterson.

2011
ADRIAN BELTRE SIGNS WITH RANGERS
I still think they should have re-signed Beltre, who had a great year in 2010, and kept Youkilis at first.  I liked the Adrian Gonzalez trade, but I wanted Beltre to stay.

ERIK BEDARD TRADE
I never had a lot of hope for Bedard to pitch well for Boston and they gave up a lot of minor leaguers to get him.  Tim Federoicz, Stephen Fife, Juan Rodriguez, and Chih Hsien Chiang were all let go in the trade and Boston just did not get much out of it.

2012
THE DODGERS TRADE
This was bittersweet for me.  I wanted Carl Crawford to be the player he was with the Rays when he completely flustered Boston catchers.  I wanted Adrian Gonzalez to be the 40 home run threat he was with the Padres.  Boston did not get either of those things.  James Loney was just going to be a stopgap and Jerry Sands and Ivan DeJesus were never expected to do all that much.

2013
JOEL HANRAHAN TRADE
I am concerned about this one.  Boston traded Jed Lowrie and Josh Reddick last year in trades for potential closers.  Both players had good years and the closers, Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey, were both disappointing.  Now they are trading for another closer and gave up Melancon, Sands, Stolmy Pimentel, and DeJesus to get him.  Will Sands be the next Reddick?  It's possible.

BOSTON SIGNS STEPHEN DREW
I like watching Jose Iglesias.  Drew stands in his way.

The New Acquisitions

For the first post back, let's take a look at the new members of the Red Sox:

C - DAVID ROSS
Ross was signed for two years and $6.2 million.  This is probably the best signing of the offseason for the team.  Ross provides veteran leadership behind the plate in a platoon role.  The big question will be whether he platoons with Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway.

1B/C/DH - MIKE NAPOLI
Napoli was signed for one year and $5 million.  He has a bat seemingly tailor-made for Fenway Park and should knock more than a few balls out of the park.  It will be interesting to see if there are any lingering ill will effects from having to renegotiate his original three year $39 million contract.

IF - BROCK HOLT
Holt was acquired in a trade with the Pirates along with Joel Hanrahan.  Holt has had limited Major League experience but has shown a decent eye at the plate.  He could stick in a bench role.

SS - STEPHEN DREW
Drew signed as a free agent for one year and $9.5 million.  This one does not make much sense to me.  Drew blocks Jose Iglesias at shortstop and is being paid too much when his numbers have been on the decline for a couple of years.  Yes he has had injury concerns, but this still does not make a lot of sense.

RF - SHANE VICTORINO
Victorino was signed as a free agent for three years and $39 million.  He is coming off his worst season as a regular which saw the popular outfielder traded from the Phillies to the Dodgers.  He did steal 39 bases, but his other numbers across the board were down.  It will be difficult for Victorino to live up to his contract.

LF/DH - JONNY GOMES
Gomes was signed as a free agent for two years and $10 million.  Gomes has been a journeyman bat, usually off the bench.  He was once a major antagonist in fights with the Rays so it was a little surprising that he signed with the Red Sox.  This is a little bit of a reach in terms of money, but Gomes should provide some power.  He is very capable of hitting 20 home runs.

SP - RYAN DEMPSTER
Dempster signed for two years and $26.5 million as a free agent.  Boston attempted to acquire Dempster a couple of times throughout the 2012 season.  He was traded from the Cubs to the Rangers at the trading deadline.  Dempster's numbers promptly declined coming to the American League.  Boston is hoping he will learn from those mistakes.  He will not be expected to be a top of the rotation starter which takes some pressure off.

RP - KOJI UEHARA
Uehara signed for one year and $4.25 million.  He is a control pitcher from the bullpen, further strengthening what has already become a powerful weapon for the team.

RP - JOEL HANRAHAN
Hanrahan was acquired in a trade with the Pirates along with Brock Holt.  Hanrahan is expected to take over as the team's closer.  He had decent numbers with the Pirates when the team was contending last year, but those took a slide with the team's fortunes.  He should be fun to watch.

The big concern that I have is that a lot of the signings block players that were seemingly ready for the Major Leagues in 2013.  Ross and Napoli block Ryan Lavarnway.  Drew blocks Jose Iglesias.  Gomes and Victorino block Ryan Kalish.  Lavarnway, Iglesias, and Kalish are not expected to be superstars, but they deserve a shot to see if they could stick at the Major League level.

2012 Acquisitions

Since I did an absolutely terrible job of keeping caught up on this, I figured I would just do one big post covering all of the Red Sox acquisitions in order.

CHORYE SPOONE
Minor League Deal
Spoone has never had any Major League experience. He would appear to simply be organizational depth, I would be shocked if he ever made it to the Majors this year. His numbers at any point have not been very impressive.

JUSTIN THOMAS
Minor League Deal
Thomas last appeared in the Majors in 2010 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is also likely to serve as organizational depth in the minors, but has at least a chance of coming up to fill in with the bullpen at the Major League level if there are injuries.

WILL INMAN
Minor League Deal
Inman was once a well-regarded prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system. The former third round draft pick was once on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects. Inman is still just 25, so he could still make an impact, but he is running out of time. He has yet to make it to a Major League game. He was most recently in the Padres system.

TONY PENA, JR.
Minor League Deal $.625M
Pena is the son of former Red Sox catcher Tony Pena and was in the Red Sox system last year. He is converting to a pitcher after several years of being a weak-hitting middle infielder for the Royals. The experiment has been going reasonably well. I would predict he could make it to Boston sometime this year.

ANDREW MILLER
Free Agent
Once a first-round draft pick for the Tigers, Miller has struggled quite a bit in the Majors. Last year, he appeared in the Majors with the Red Sox and occasionally showed flashes of the brilliance that lead to his high draft position, but was more often than not incredibly wild. Miller has a chance to stick with Boston in the bullpen as a LOOGY, but he is running out of options and time.

JESSE CARLSON
Minor League Deal $.65M
Carlson last appeared briefly with the Blue Jays in 2010, but was once one of the crucial parts of their bullpen. Carlson was injured all of 2011. He could be a contributor at a bargain-basement price.

KELLY SHOPPACH
Free Agent $1.35M
Shoppach returns to the organization that drafted him in the second round in 2001. He appeared briefly with the Red Sox in 2005 before being traded to the Indians in the Coco Crisp deal. He has since become a valuable defensive catcher with some pop on occasion. He will be the backup catcher to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, taking over for the recently retired Jason Varitek.

NICK PUNTO
Free Agent $3.0M 2 years
Punto has been a valuable member of the Twins and Cardinals in the past seasons. A slick-fielding middle infielder with a surprisingly good batting eye, Punto will take over as the utility infielder for the Red Sox this season and could see significant time in a platoon with Mike Aviles at shortstop.

MARK MELANCON
Trade with Houston Astros
The one-time Yankees prospect did an admirable job becoming the Astros closer last season, racking up 20 saves. His position in Boston will not be quite the same. He will likely become the team's principal setup man with Daniel Bard moving to the rotation. Melancon has decent stuff but is not overpowering.

RYAN SWEENEY
Trade with Oakland Athletics
Acquired in the same trade as Andrew Bailey, Sweeney is more of a throw-in than a major part of the trade. However, he could see a lot of time as the left-handed part of a platoon in right field. Sweeney has yet to display much power, but has doubles power and is a terrific defensive outfielder.

ANDREW BAILEY
Trade with Oakland Athletics
Bailey will take over as the Red Sox's closer this season after several seasons with the A's. He is the biggest pickup of the offseason for Boston. Bailey is a three-time All Star for the A's and should stabilize the end of the game this year after Papelbon left for Philadelphia.

RICH HILL
Free Agent $.725M
Hill made big strides last year before going down with an injury. He had Tommy John surgery last year so it will be awhile before he is ready to contribute again. He could be a good low-cost pickup for the bullpen once he is healthy again.

NATE SPEARS
Minor League Deal
Spears finally made his Major League debut last year with the Red Sox after several seasons in the minors. He is still likely to be organizational depth this year as a utility infielder.

PEDRO CIRIACO
Minor League Deal
Ciriaco is still just 25, so he could still make a name for himself. He has been fairly impressive so far in Spring Training. He makes good contact and is good defensively and on the basepaths.

DOUG MATHIS
Minor League Deal
Mathis last appeared for Texas in 2010. He is likely to be organizational bullpen depth this year with the potential to show up in Boston if there are injuries.

BRANDON DUCKWORTH
Minor League Deal
Duckworth has been bouncing around for nearly 15 years at this point. He has not made a Major League appearance since 2008 when he was with the Royals. Duckworth was in the Red Sox system last season and performed reasonably well for Pawtucket.

CARLOS SILVA
Minor League Deal $1M
Silva is one of the many low-cost possibilities to fill out the back end of Boston's rotation and is probably one of the least likely to work out. Silva was once a decent pitcher for the Twins, but has struggled in the three years since, finally being released by the Cubs last season. That's a bad sign.

AARON COOK
Minor League Deal $1.5M
Cook is one of the few pitchers who has generally pitched well for the Rockies. Cook was an All Star in 2008 and started a game against the Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. He had injury problems last year that limited him, but those appear to be in the past. He could be a good low-cost back-of-the-rotation starter for Boston this year.

JUSTIN GERMANO
Minor League Deal
Germano is another example of organizational bullpen depth. He has good command, but little else.

BRAD EMAUS
Trade with Colorado Rockies
Emaus was picked up in a minor trade with the Rockies. He has 37 at bats of Major League experience to his name thus far and has not performed well. Emaus could be brought to Boston in a utility infielder role, but will likely start the season in the minors.

VICENTE PADILLA
Minor League Deal $1.5M
Padilla is the last of the minor league free agents the Red Sox have signed to compete for a rotation spot. He was a former All Star for the Phillies and had some success with the Rangers. Padilla could be slotted into the bullpen for Boston.

CLAYTON MORTENSON
Trade with Colorado Rockies
Acquired in the trade for Marco Scutaro, Mortenson has some good pitches but does not strike out nearly enough hitters. He would be a better option in the bullpen than as a starter.

CODY ROSS
Free Agent $3M
Ross is likely to be the right-handed part of the rightfield platoon with Ryan Sweeney. He will likely start the season as the starting leftfielder while Carl Crawford is on the D.L. Ross has some big power and could be a very good bat off of the bench. If Sweeney does not hit, Ross is decent enough to be plugged in every day.

MAX ST. PIERRE
Minor League Deal
St. Pierre has been in the Tigers system since 1997, only making the big league team for six games in 2010. He is likely to be the backup catcher in Pawtucket and does not have much of a chance of making it to Boston.

JOHN MAINE
Minor League Deal
Maine was once a highly-regarded prospect for the Orioles. He won 15 games for the Mets in 2007 but shoulder injuries derailed his once-promising career. He has not pitched in the Majors since 2010.

DANIEL MCGRATH
International Free Agent
McGrath was 17 when he signed as an international free agent from Australia. He is a tall, left-hander who has been clocked in the 90s. He will begin his U.S. career in 2013.

MAURO GOMEZ
Minor League Deal
Gomez is a prototypical power hitter, lots of home runs and lots of strikeouts. He is also 27 years old, so his chances of sticking in the Major Leagues are fading. He has yet to make the Majors yet, so obviously there are some concerns with his abilities.

ROSS OHLENDORF
Minor League Deal $.9M
Ohlendorf is another former Yankees prospect that was traded away. He had some success with the Pirates, winning 11 games in 2009. He missed much of 2011 with injuries. He might be on the way back.

CHRIS CARPENTER
Trade with Chicago Cubs
Carpenter is not the former Cy Young winner with the Cardinals. He was the centerpiece that the Red Sox received for allowing Theo Epstein to leave for the Cubs. Carpenter can touch 100 mph on the radar gun, but does not have much command and does not really have any other pitches. Therefore, he is most likely to be a bullpen arm, but he could be a decent one. He had some decent success in the Major Leagues last year and could be ready to contribute full time by the end of the season.

BILLY BUCKNER
Minor League Deal
Not the son of former Red Sox Bill Buckner. Buckner will be organizational depth out of the bullpen. Not much else to say.

GARRETT MOCK
Minor League Deal
Another pitcher in his late 20's brought in to act as organizational depth. See Buckner.

SCOTT ATCHISON
Minor League Deal
Atchison has been with the Red Sox since 2010 bouncing between Pawtucket and Boston. His role will likely be the same in 2012. He has had some moments of success with Boston and it is possible he could become a mainstay in the bullpen. He is in his mid 30's so he will not get any better than he is now.

JOSH KROEGER
Minor League Deal
Kroeger made it to the Major Leagues with Arizona in 2004, but has not been back since. He makes contact, but has below-average power and speed. He is also organizational depth.

JASON REPKO
Minor League Deal
Repko has bounced between the Majors and minors for several years now. He is a decent defensive outfielder who can hit lefties well, but has not performed well enough to stick around long.

AARON KURCZ
Trade with Chicago Cubs
This was just announced. Kurcz is the player to be named later in the Epstein deal. He has not made it past High A ball yet but has shown some promise with big strikeout numbers. A decent relief prospect.

Andrew Bailey Trade, News and Notes

Well, let's start with the big one. Boston acquired closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the A's the other day for Josh Reddick, Miles Head, and Raul Alcantara.

Bailey is the centerpiece and immediately becomes the best option for the closer position, joining the recently acquired Mark Melancon and holdovers Bobby Jenks, Franklin Morales, and Matt Albers in a much stronger-looking bullpen. Bailey has been a two time All Star and Rookie of the Year. Last year he was 0-4 with a 3.26 ERA and 24 saves. Sweeney is a possibility for a platoon in right field. He is very good defensively, but not a very potent bat, particularly against left-handers.

Boston gave up Reddick, who could be a solid major leaguer in time, but has no real eye at the plate, Head who has power but little else, and Alcantara who is a ways away.

NEWS AND NOTES
-Boston has signed minor league relievers Doug Mathis and Jesse Carlson and re-signed Rich Hill. Mathis last appeared in the Majors in 2010 with Texas. He had decent numbers in 2009 but has not been overly impressive. Carlson also last appeared in 2010 with Toronto and was a big part of the Blue Jays pen in 2009. Hill appeared to be a decent lefty specialist before going down with an injury for Boston last year.

-Erik Bedard signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. No real loss there.

-Brett Carroll signed as a minor league free agent with the Nationals. I had no idea he was even in the Red Sox system.

-Hideki Okajima joined the Yankees on a minor league contract. Okajima has been nowhere near the pitcher he was in the last few years, so this is basically meaningless.

Red Sox Acquire Mark Melancon, Sign Nick Punto, News and Notes

Link.

The Red Sox added a piece to their bullpen by acquiring Mark Melancon from the Houston Astros for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland. Melancon was the closer for the latter part of the season for the Astros and will likely be given the same opportunity in 2012. Melancon came up through the Yankees system and was traded to Houston in the Lance Berkman trade. Last year, he was 8-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 20 saves. To get him, they gave up Lowrie who always showed potential but could never stay healthy and Weiland, who could become the pitcher Melancon is now.

The Red Sox also signed utility infielder Nick Punto as a free agent. Punto is a good glove man with a good eye at the plate. He will take over Lowrie's role.

RULE 5 RESULTS
Boston lost Cesar Cabral to the Royals, who turned around and traded him to the Yankees. They selected Marwin Gonzalez and promptly traded him for former Mexican Leaguer Marco Duarte. Basically a non-story. Boston also picked up minor league catcher Gerardo Olivares from the Rays.

Red Sox Sign Kelly Shoppach

Link.

This likely means the end of Jason Varitek's career with the Red Sox, which is a shame but not surprising. Shoppach was actually Boston's top draft pick in the 2001 draft, being taken in the second round. He made his Major League debut with Boston in 2005 but was traded to Cleveland after the season as part of the Coco Crisp deal.

Since then, Shoppach has played with the Indians and Rays and was initially a decent hitter with questionable defensive skills. Last year, that reputation was reversed as he lead the league in caught-stealing percentage, but was pretty atrocious with the bat.

Shoppach will be the backup catcher next season to the improving Jarrod Saltalamacchia. With Ryan Lavarnway just about ready to step up to the Major Leagues full time next season, there is seemingly no room for Varitek to return.

See Ya Jonathan Papelbon

Link.

This actually does make me a little sad. Apparently Paps is on his way to Philadelphia for four years and $50 million. Daniel Bard is first in line to become Boston's closer, although the Red Sox will look at Ryan Madson and Heath Bell. I think it came down to Boston was simply not willing to give Papelbon that much money. I can't really blame them. Boston now has an easy decision to make by offering arbitration to Papelbon so they can likely get Philadelphia's first round draft pick next year as well as a supplemental pick. Not bad.

Ben Cherington Named General Manager

Well so long to Theo Epstein, who will be missed. Ben Cherington takes over the reins as G.M. for the Red Sox. Hopefully his years of apprenticeship under Epstein will pay off and the organization will not miss a beat. Hopefully.

In other news, John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery meaning he will be out for the season. Which makes two Boston starting pitchers in the last year with Matsuzaka being the other one. Hopefully the Red Sox will be able to fill in the rotation behind Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz. Perhaps Wakefield will be back next year.