Midnight Red Sox Delight – 3/27

It definitely looks like I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue and actually getting somewhat of a life. I kid, I kid. But seriously, whenever I have something to do it always seems like something big happens.

And that it did on Friday at Boston Red Sox camp in Ft. Myers. Let’s see we had a player released, a few roster moves, a signing, a trade, a game and the naming of the starting rotation for the early part of the season.

When the Red Sox signed Alan Embree, the writing was on the wall that Brian Shouse would probably have no chance of making the team out of spring traning. Well it became reality as the Red Sox released Shouse. Shouse was actually having a decent spring training as he made 10 appearances with a 1-0 record and a 0.96 ERA in 9 1/3 innings. He had six strikeouts and a walk.

Considering the Red Sox released Shouse, I’m quite curious as to why they signed lefty Scott Schoeneweis, who had been in camp with the Milwaukee Brewers. Schoeneweis lost his wife during the season last year and struggled in his return. He wasn’t faring much better with the Brewers in spring training. He made seven appearances and had no record with a 7.71 ERA in seven innings of work.

The Red Sox also made a trade on Friday as they acquired INF Kevin Frandsen from the San Francisco Giants. Frandsen, who can play all over the infield, for a PTNBL. They also reassigned outfielder Darnell McDonald to minor-league camp and optioned left-handed pitcher Fabio Castro to Triple-A Pawtucket.

After the 3-2 win over a Toronto Blue Jays split-squad, skipper Terry Francona laid out his plans for the starting rotation. Josh Beckett will be your opening day starter for the Red Sox and he’ll be followed by Jon Lester and John Lackey. Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz will also get starts as well too.

Here’s how the rotation shapes up for the first homestand:

Opening Day, April 4 vs. Yankees: Josh Beckett
April 6 vs. Yankees: Jon Lester
April 7 vs. Yankees: John Lackey
April 9 vs. Royals: Tim Wakefield
April 10 vs. Royals: Beckett
April 11 vs. Royals: Clay Buchholz

Things will go back to normal after that as it will shape up as Lester, Lackey, Wake, Beckett and Buchholz.

Lester looked ready to start the season on Friday against the Jays as he allowed two unearned runs on six hits over six innings of work. He gave up two walks and had five strikeouts. Jonathan Papelbon gave up two hits and a walk in an inning while Hideki Okajima struck out one in his inning of work. Ramon Ramirez struck out one in his inning.

The Red Sox managed seven hits in the game but five of them came in the 9th inning when they rallied for three runs. Jason Varitek and Josh Reddick had the hits before the 9th. David Ortiz, Tug Hulett and Dusty Brown all had RBI singles in the 9th.

The Red Sox did suffer an injury on Friday as well when Mike Lowell fouled a ball off of his knee. He left the day and was diagnosed with a contusion on his knee and is listed as day-to-day. This certainly won’t help the Red Sox as they try to move him.

The Red Sox will make the trip up I-75 to take on the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota on Saturday. There is no television for the game but it will be broadcast on WEEI 850 AM. You can also catch it on MLB.com if you have the GameDay Audio package (if you’re a member of Red Sox Nation you get it for free). You can also catch it on the MLB At Bat app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

There will be no lineup post once again on Saturday as I will be attending my best friend’s daughter’s First Communion and then the party afterwards. I’ll do my best to update the happenings of Saturday when I get home.

And now to steal a term from Ken Fang of Fang’s Bites, here are the megalinks:

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Rest for Cameron could mean at-bats for Hermida [Clubhouse Insider]

Taking the fifth (starter) [Clubhouse Insider]

Updates on Lowell, opening rotation, Dice-K, new INF Frandsen [Clubhouse Insider]

Sox sign lefty reliever Scott Schoeneweis [Clubhouse Insider]

MLBPA director meets with Red Sox players [CSN New England]

Red Sox notes: Sox acquire Schoeneweis and Frandsen [CSN New England]

Red Sox find a spot for all their starters [CSN New England]

Josh Beckett Will Lead Red Sox Pitching Staff in 2010 [Don Orsillo – NESN.com]

Pedroia explains absence from lineup [ESPN Boston]

Red Sox release Shouse [ESPN Boston]