For some people this is a stressful time of year as they start to hear the names of their favorite players thrown around in trade talks or maybe their favorite player is a free agent and could be heading somewhere else for greener pastures.
The Boston Red Sox have a couple of those players in Coco Crisp and Jason Varitek (I’d include Julio Lugo in there but seriously come on. Is he really one of your favorite players). As we know Varitek is a free agent right now and the window of exclusive negoitations is closing quickly as the Red Sox have just a week to try and get a deal done before dealing with the 29 other teams as well.
For Coco the stakes are a little different. He doesn’t necessarily have to be traded but he’s a commodity right now given the fact that Mark Kotsay is probably the best available center fielder on the free agent market. Coco’s stuck in a platoon with Jacoby Ellsbury and at some point the Red Sox will have to make a decision on this. With Coco having a good run during the playoffs, his value is at his highest right now and he could help bring the Red Sox a catcher or some bullpen help.
Unfortunately, baseball is a business. Yeah it sucks but what can we do. Things happen that we may or may not like but in the end you can only hope those business decisions help your team in the end.
As you have already heard, Dustin Pedroia won his first Gold Glove yesterday. Here’s a list of the 17 members of the Red Sox to have won Gold Gloves.
I’m pretty sure we’ve all figured this out by now, but Manny Ramirez won’t be coming back to the Red Sox next season.
Alex Speier of WEEI.com has some notes from the final day of the GM meetings.
The Red Sox will induct 8 members into the Red Sox Hall of Fame tonight and one of those to be inducted is former first baseman Mo Vaughn.
The Red Sox have asked MLB to host the 2012 All-Star Game.
And last but certainly not least, Fenway Park is once again undergoing some renovations this offseason.
I see that my comments on your earlier post must have affected you. It’s awfully hard to sit on pins and needles for who knows how long wondering whether or not one’s favorite players (yes, that’s more than one in my case) will be back next year.
As I said earlier, I hate the business part of baseball.
My little dialogue wasn’t directed at your comments at all. It’s usually something I write once a year. I’m not a big fan of the business side of baseball either but unfortunately we just have to deal with it.
I don’t want to see Varitek go if it makes you feel better.
I can honestly tell you I don’t think you’ll be waiting long to wind out. My best guess is that the Red Sox move Coco (if they do at all) before the New Year is up.
We all have our favorites, don’t we? I hope that “if they do at all” proves to mean “they don’t,” not for Coco (and other favorites of mine), and not for Tek either.
We do all have our favorites. My favorite player got traded during the 2004 season, Nomar Garciaparra. I still have my Nomar batting practice jersey hanging up on my wall.
Of course in the end, his trade ended up helping the Red Sox so I got over it.
i’m not sure whats going to happen this off season i don’t want to see tek go either like quoted above its a business and i know my nerves are already on overtime waiting to see what happens…nice to see pedroia get a gold glove …i don’t think coco will be traded actually i see lugo going and maybe some sort of trade for a catcher and some bullpen changes…despite coco last spring saying he wanted to be traded i have to give him credit he never complained the rest of the season about it and ellsbury is still on the fence with his slump during the playoffs … sox will use caution there and it turned out last season to be the right move not trading coco…the teixra thing who knows i actually think he stays w/ the angels….why not resign him knowing he may come back to haunt you during a playoff run…could be wrong there too but its just a hunch…
I have a terrible talent for picking favorites that end up leaving in a bad way (Nomar, Manny, and Damon come to mind). So feel free to blame me if Ellsbury, Buch, Masterson, or Bowden is gone come spring training.
Liza, do you remember all the times I’ve mentioned that if I take a shine to a player he’s sure to get gone? You and I are dooming about half the roster, the way we’re going! ;-(