We already knew that the Boston Red Sox would be opening up with the 2009 World Series Champions New York Yankees (I think I threw up in my mouth btw) at Fenway Park. We just didn’t know if it would be on Monday, April 5, 2010 as scheduled or if ESPN and MLB would move the game to the Sunday night game.

Well now we have our answer as it was announced on Monday afternoon that the Red Sox will host the Yankees at 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 4, 2010 on ESPN2.

If you’re going to the game, plan on dressing warm.

Update: According to Ken Fang from Fangsbites.com via his Twitter, NESN and YES will be broadcasting the game as well.

According to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus, the Boston Red Sox have made a $15.5 million offer to prized Cuban free agent pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

According to one source close to the negotiations, Boston offered Chapman a $15.5 million dollar package that includes a major league deal. When contacted regarding this story, Red Sox officials declined to comment. Boston has been linked to Chapman since the day he became available, and Chapman is close friends with shortstop Jose Iglesias, a Cuban shortstop that Boston signed in September.

Chapman is scheduled to hold a workout tomorrow in Houston in front of teams with his new agents, the Hendricks Brothers. He had previously visited the Red Sox with his old agent Edwin Meijia.

The article doesn’t say how many years the deal is for but my guess is that it would be for three or four years. I’m not sure the Red Sox would go five years on him but you never know with them.

It appears the Boston Red Sox may be moving on from Jason Bay after all.

A tweet from Fanhouse’s Ed Price and later confirmed by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com says that Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim free agent pitcher John Lackey took a physical in Boston on Monday and a deal could be imminent.

According to Rosenthal, the deal could similar in stature to what A.J. Burnett received from the New York Yankees last season. He also has a little tidbit towards the bottom of the article that the Red Sox are trying work on an extension with their ace, Josh Beckett.

Lackey has a career record of 102-71 with 3.81 ERA in eight seasons with the Angels. He was 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts in 2009. Against the Red Sox in his career, he is 3-7 with a 5.25 ERA in fourteen starts and is 2-5 with a 5.75 ERA in nine starts at Fenway Park.

If the Red Sox do sign Lackey, this provides an interesting scenario for the pitching staff.

They already have Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matuszaka, Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz penciled in for the 2010 rotation. Does this mean that Buchholz could be moved in a potential deal for someone?

I’m more curious now to see what Theo Epstein has up his sleeve if indeed Lackey signs with the Red Sox

Lackey’s a bulldog and definitely will fit in with this team nicely but don’t the Red Sox really need a bat to replace what Bay gave them in offense.

As we learned last week, the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers had reached a preliminary agreement on a trade of Sox third baseman Mike Lowell for Rangers minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

The deal was being held up by the medicals of both players and now it seems the whole trade may be in jeopardy due to Lowell’s thumb.

According to Peter Gammons of NESN and MLB.com via his Twitter page, Lowell could need surgery on his thumb that he injured again at the end of the 2009 season. And  Rob Bradford of WEEI.com is reporting that the Rangers will examine Lowell in person at some point during the week.

Obviously if the deal doesn’t go through this is going to affect the Red Sox plans for 2010. If they were seriously entertaining the thought of signing Adrian Beltre to play third, which I hope doesn’t happen, or exploring a trade for anyone, those thoughts will now have to be put on hold.

And of course there’s stil the whole Jason Bay mess going on right now as well so things aren’t getting any easier for Theo Epstein and the rest of the Red Sox brain trust.

As always, time will tell what’s going to happen with all of this but this one is definitely worth watching for sure.

Nothing like waking up in the morning to find out that the third baseman of your favorite team is most likely heading to the Texas Rangers.

According to FOXSports.com, the Boston Red Sox and Rangers have reached a preliminary agreement that will send third baseman Mike Lowell and $9 million to Arlington for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.

The $9 million would cover 3/4 of Lowell’s $12 million salary he is owed for 2010. The deal is contingent upon both players passing physicals.

Ramirez was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Rangers organization at the end of the 2009 season by MLB.com.

No word on whether or not the Red Sox will ask Ramirez to change his first name to Ramon so they can have three of them in the organization.

Update 8:30 PM – Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe is reporting that the deal is done pending physicals for both players.

After spending half a billion dollars last offseason on their way to their first World Series title in ages, it seems as though the New York Yankees aren’t content with just the one.

The Yanks have made the first big splash in the AL East as they were part of a three team deal that netted them center fielder Curtis Granderson from the Detroit Tigers. The other team in the deal is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Yankees receive outfielder Curtis Granderson from Tigers
• Tigers receive pitcher Phil Coke and outfielder Austin Jackson from Yankees and pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from the Diamondbacks
• Diamondbacks get Ian Kennedy from Yankees and Edwin Jackson from the Tigers

While I wouldn’t expect a knee-jerk reaction from Boston  Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, I’m sure this will ramp up their efforts to re-sign Jason Bay and maybe go after Roy Halladay. Stay tuned folks, it’s early in the Hot Stove season and it’s already hot!

According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, the Boston Red Sox and free agent shortstop Marco Scutaro have an preliminary agreement in place for a 2 year deal.

Marco Scutaro, 34, a fundamentally solid defender and high on-base percentage hitter who can also play second base, third base and the outfield, reached agreement with the Red Sox on a two-year deal this evening, according to a major-league source. There is believed to be an option for a third year.

With the uncertainty of Jed Lowrie’s wrist and Alex Gonzalez heading to Toronto, the Red Sox were in need of a shortstop. And now with Scutaro, they get a good defensive shortstop and one that can provide some offense.

The Red Sox will surrender their first round draft pick to the Toronto Blue Jays who will also get a sandwich pick. The Red Sox will still have a first round pick though as they received the Atlanta Braves pick when Billy Wagner signed with the Braves.

It looks like Hotlanta is becoming the destination for former Boston Red Sox relievers.

According to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, the Atlanta Braves and former Red Sox and Dodgers reliever Takashi Saito are close to an agreement on a 1 year deal. Knobler reports the deal is worth $3 million.

In 56 games with the Red Sox last season, Saito appeared in 56 games and finished with a 3-3 record. He had a 2.43 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 55.1 innings.

The Baseball Writer’s Association of America finished up it’s awards on Wednesday and for the second straight year, they have selected St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols as the National League MVP.

The BWAA was unanimous in it’s selection of Pujols. Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez was a distant second.

For Pujols, it’s his second straight MVP and third overall. He joins a select group of company that have won three or more MVP’s. They are:

• Barry Bonds – 7 (1990, ’92-93, 2001-04)
• Yogi Berra – 3 (1951, ’54, ’55)
• R. Campanella – 3 (1951, ’53, ’55)
• Joe DiMaggio – 3 (1939, ’41, ’47)
• Jimmie Foxx – 3 (1932, ’33, ’38)
• Mickey Mantle – 3 (1956, ’57, ’62)
• Stan Musial – 3 (1943, ’46, ’48)
• Albert Pujols – 3 (2005, ’08-09)
• A. Rodriguez – 3 (2003, ’05, ’07)
• Mike Schmidt – 3 (1980, ’81, ’86)

Pujols hit .327 with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs leading the Cardinals to the NL Central crown. Pujols also took home the NL Silver Slugger Award at first base. He led the NL in on-base, slugging, homers and runs (124). He ranked second with 45 doubles, third with a career-high 115 walks, third with 135 RBIs and sixth with 186 hits.

Full ballot results after the jump.

Continue reading →

Despite missing the first month of the season with some back issues, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer was the overwhelming choice by the Baseball Writer’s Association of America as the American League Most Valuable Player.

Mauer received 27-of-28 first place votes while Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who finish fourth behind New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, received the other first place vote.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis finished fifth while Red Sox free agent outfielder Jason Bay was sixth.

Mauer, who won his second straight batting title with a .365 average, also had career-highs of 28 home runs and 96 runs batted in.

Only four catchers have ever won the MVP award. Ivan Rodriguez was the last catcher to win when he was named  AL MVP in 1999. Thurman Munson is the only other catcher in the AL to win it (1976) while Johnny Bench is the only catcher in the National League to be MVP (1972).

Mauer is also the fifth Twins player to take home MVP honors. Teammate Justin Morneau (2006), Rod Carew (1977), Harmon Killebrew (1969) and Zoilo Versalles (1965).

The last award to be handed out by the BWAA is the National League MVP which will awarded on Tuesday.

Full results after the jump.

Continue reading →