Four more members of the Boston Red Sox have filed for free agency as Curt Schilling, Sean Casey and Bartolo Colon filed on Friday and Mark Kotsay filed this morning.
We all know Schilling’s situation right now as he is undecided on whether or not he plans to return in 2009. He has said that if he did return, he may do so for only 1/2 a season in the same manner that Roger Clemens did with the Yankees.
Colon will most likely not be back with the Red Sox in 2009. His actions late in the season when the Red Sox asked him to pitch out of the bullpen sealed his fate with the club.
Casey spent the 2008 season as a reserve filling in during the time that Mike Lowell was out with an injury during the early part of 2008. His role disappeared though late in the season and during the playoffs with the acquisition of Kotsay. Casey has stated a desire to return to the Red Sox in 2009 in the same capacity that he had this season.
Kotsay probably won’t be back with the Red Sox in 2009 either as he will seek a full-time job with another club. When Lowell went down late in the season and then again during the playoffs, Kotsay did an excellent job at first base which will probably enhance his chances during free agency. Theo Epstein has said that if Kotsay doesn’t find anything to his liking on the market, the Red Sox would gladly have him back.
The lone two remaining free agents the Red Sox have are Paul Byrd and Mike Timlin. Both will probably file in the coming days but we do know that Timlin has been leaning towards calling it quits.
