Mets To Sign Lugo

"The New York Daily News reports the Mets are unlikely to trade for Julio Lugo because of the $13.5 million in salary he's due. However, the same report suggests a Red Sox source expects the Mets to sign Lugo when he becomes a free agent, which may take a week (Sportsline)."

Good just get him away from the Sox. It is kind of funny that Mets will have Cora and Lugo on their team now. I was also reading today that the Mets may be forced to play Livan Hernandez at first base, which I find hilarious....

Signs Point To Lugo Being Cut (UPDATED)

"Julio Lugo was the only Red Sox player who did not attend a mandatory workout last night, an absence manager Terry Francona said owed to a communication mix-up.
So while Lugo’s nonappearance may have been a coincidence, it may also have been a fitting sign for his future with the club. The Red Sox will certainly make one roster move today to make room for Clay Buchholz, tonight’s starting pitcher. They may also make a move soon that could cut ties with Lugo, the shortstop whose lukewarm tenure began in 2007 and could end as soon as this weekend (Boston.com)."

With Buchholz coming up for a start, Lowrie returning sometime this weekend, and Lowell coming back today there just isn't enough room for Lugo. He sucks, and the Sox should just do what the Jays did with Ryan and cut their losses. Lugo at this point does nothing well. He isn't a great hitter, he is terrible in the feild, and he really just seems to be in the center of every bad play. Lowrie and Green are not the best SS combo, but they are both better than Lugo, so expect him gone by tomorrow one way or another....


***UPDATE***

WEEI has just come out and said that Lugo has been designated for assignment to make room for Buchholz, Lowell, and Lowrie, who are all coming up this weekend.

Lowell/Lowrie Injury Updates

"Terry Francona said during his weekly conversation with WEEI's "Dale and Holley Show" that Mike Lowell, sidelined with a hip injury, will probably return to the Red Sox' lineup Friday, while shortstop Jed Lowrie, out since May after wrist surgery, will be activated no later than Saturday (Boston.com)."

The Sox are going to need to assess how Lowell is going to hold up quickly with the trade deadline approaching. I think there is a direct connection between his health and whether or not the Sox will make a move. The only thing the Sox could need is another bat, and if Lowell can't hold up over the rest of the season then the Sox might have to go out and make a big move (Huff, V-Mart, ect).

A lot of people are making a big deal out of Lowrie's return. To be honest, I really don't see much of a difference between him and Nick Green, so I really don't care. What is interesting is to see what the Sox do with Lugo. Green has outplayed him all season, but the Sox have put a lot of money into Lugo. If I was the Sox and Lowrie proves to be healthy I would buy out Lugo's contract, much like the Jays did with Ryan, and the Tigers did with Sheffield.

Red Sox 6 Orioles 5 (11th)

What a difference a day makes. After blowing one of the biggest leads of all time, the Sox turned around the very next day and scored 4 runs in the 9th to send this game to extra innings. This was a very strange game. Beckett did not look like the ace, as he struggled through 7 innings allowing 5 runs on 6 hits. Jason Bay was 0-5 with 5 Ks, and yet the Sox still found a way to win this game.

So who were the heroes? Well don't laugh but it was Julio Lugo. In the 11th inning Julio Lugo singled in the tie breaking run in the 11th and Papelbon closed the game at 6-5 to become the Sox all time saves leader. '

Another strange hero was Daniel Bard. The game seemed all but over while the Sox were down 5-1. They weren't hitting, and they were about to call on that bullpen that imploded the night before. Since most of the pitchers were unavailable Franonca decided to pitch Bard 2 innings. He pitched 2 innings of hitless baseball collecting 4 Ks. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come from this young flamethrower.

The Sox are now 2 1/2 games up on the Yankees for 1st place in the AL East.

Rangers 5, Red Sox 1

Lackluster defense, mediocre pitching, and no timely hits. Did the Red Sox forget they were finally playing at home again?

The Sox were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. Julio Lugo will take a lot of crap for his defense, but Brad Penny was the one who gave up the homerun ball, not Lugo. And I'm far from a Lugo fan, I'm not defending him, I'm just clarifying that Brad Penny gave up the homer.

Julio Lugo does suck though. The signing of JD Drew has never been popular amongst Sox fans, but at least Drew plays solid defense (when he plays at all), and can go on hot streaks. Lugo's never impressed me at the plate or on the field.

I can't wait for Jed Lowrie to get healthy so we have a .200 hitting, dependable short-stop. Speaking of Lowrie, he's ready enough to take batting practice.

John Smoltz is also making a rehab start for AAA Pawtucket today.

Tonight at 7, Jon Lester looks to get a good start against a team that doesn't come from Ontario. He faces converted reliever Derek Holland.

-The Commodore

Lugo in Pawtucket Tomorrow

"Julio Lugo will join the Pawtucket Red Sox tomorrow and begin a rehab assignment. The Sox shortstop, who had meniscus surgery on his right knee March 17, has been rehabbing in Fort Myers. He was in the Sox clubhouse this morning and was working out in the outfield this morning with the Sox medical staff (Boston.com)."

Francona said that he is not sure how many games Lugo will need, but I expect him to be up in about a week. Lugo was actually having a good spring training before he was hurt, but to be honest I don't really see much impact coming from anyone we have on the roster at SS. The only real upside with Lugo is that he has some speed, so if he gets on (which is a big if) he can steal 2nd, and get in scoring position fast.

John Smoltz Rehab Update

"One member of the staff, John Smoltz, will begin a key stage in his rehab from shoulder surgery tomorrow. The right-hander will throw two innings against live hitters in Fort Myers. That will mark the beginning of a five-day pitching schedule that will put him on track for an early June activation (Boston Herald)."

This is a really important stage for John Smoltz. If something is to go wrong it will most likely go wrong in the next couple of weeks. He seems to be progressing nicely, and says his body is feeling great. His biggest fear is actually leaving the warm weather, which I can understand after playing for so many years in Atlanta. His worry is how is muscles will react, but the good news is that the Sox aren't pushing him back, so most likely he will not be playing in any games for the Sox will sometime in June. By then Boston should be having "warm" weather, and it won't be a problem. We will keep you updated...

Other sox injury news:

- Outfielder Mark Kotsay (back) will begin playing in games in Fort Myers this weekend.

- Julio Lugo is ready to play shortstop in extended spring training game today and be in Boston by Monday to be checked out by the training staff. If cleared, a rehab assignment would be next for Lugo. So we can expect him back within the next two weeks if all goes well.

- Dice-K is being examined today, and by tomorrow we should know a lot more about what kind of rehab he will need to go through, and some kind of timetable for how long he will be out.

Julio Lugo Injury Update

The Boston Herald reports that Tuesday's surgery on Julio Lugo’s right knee was a success. He will be out of action for the next three to four weeks.

To be honest I am glad he got hurt. I like Jed Lowrie a lot more. I feel like he could be another Pedroia type player (no I don't think he will win an MVP). Lugo is getting older and is falling apart. His power is basically gone, and his SBs are on the decline. It is not like Lugo is awesome in the field or anything either. At worst at least Jed Lowrie has a much better name.

Daily Red Sox Spring Training Update

- Mike Lowell is still feeling some discomfort in that hip, but it seems like that is normal. He says he will be ready for the regular season, but I still worry about that hip and how strong he will be. Lowell also talked about the offseason, in which he was in numerous trade rumors....

"I said it before, I don't think you can be anything but hurt. Looking back at the offseason prior, when you had a lot of options [as a free agent], at least I did, I'd say four legitimate options, years and dollars were all taken into account, I think let go of some of that because I enjoyed being in Boston. I think it's only normal to feel let down a little bit, because Youk was not the one to be traded. The scenario was going to play out in certain way, if [the Sox signing Mark Teixeira had] happened. As much as a player wants to believe this is a game, you get signs throughout your career that's it's not a game. It's a business (Boston.com)."

I agree with the Sox moves that they were trying, but you have to feel bad for Lowell, he gives everything he has for this team.

- Francona came out and said that J.D. Drew is fine and should be ready to play. This is a much different story then what we were hearing from Drew last week. Franonca likes to take the pressure off his players, so I suspect that Drew really is in pain, but then again when isn't he?

- Tek says he has no plans to stop switch hitting. Yea, well Tek that just means you are going to play even less, so go fuck yourself.

- Lugo has actually looked good thus far, and has put 10 pounds of muscle. Still, I think the job is Lowie's to lose.

Rumors

Interesting news, a possible trade between the D-bags, i mean D-backs, and the Sox. Reported Byrnes for Lugo. This would provide needs for both teams being a second base option for the D-bags and a fourth out fielder for the Sox.

Also, the Nationals offered a 160 million offer over 8 years to Tex while the O's have offered a 6 year deal. While the majority of baseball followers see the Sox doing everything possible to obtain Tex, there is the possibility that he does go back home to help turn either franchise around, i dont know if I buy it thought. It is also reported that the Angels have made an offer in the ball park of the Nat's. As a Sox fan I am not optimistic of the signing of the first baseman, even though it would be awesome. However, Ken Rosenthal has reported on Foxsportsnet.com that the Sox are getting close to acquiring him. Saying that "Headway was being made earlier today, A rival general manager whose plans could be affected by the Red Sox's addition of Teixeira also indicated that a deal was getting closer. Teixeira is seeking a 10-year contract for at least $20 million per season. The Red Sox preference would be to sign him to a deal between six and eight years."

Burnett apparently got offered a 5th year from the Yanks who are doing anything and everything buying a new rotation cause they realize that their prospect pitchers are a couple of punk bitches. Damn i bet they are kicking themselves for not trading for Santana.

Lowe and Sheets has been circled around the Yanks too, but if the Yanks get Burnett I see only one of the two being signed. Lowe has been cited as saying that Boston is his primary choice, but is looking for a 3 year deal. Sheets is interesting because of his injury history. The way I see it, which ever signs first with the Yanks the other will be in a Sox uniform to counter their purchasing of a starting rotation.

As we know the Yanks are getting CC. But guess what I think this is a dumb sign for the money considering he has NEVER won 20 games in a season, while they lost Mussina who won 20 last year. Even with this signing, and the possible signing of Burnett, Lowe, and/or Sheets the Yanks still arent that great. They have gotten better, but their offense just isnt that great. A-Rod will have another A-Rod type season, Jeter has been on a decline, but is still consistant in output and leadership, and the only other name that really stands out is Swisher. Swisher might be the steal of the offseason in my opinion. He didnt have a good year last year but the guy flat out has raked previous to being dealt to the White Sox. What Im saying is that he is the typical type player that will be a Frank Catalano type, a Sox killer. But thats just a prediction.

Big trade went down with the Mets, Mariners, and Cleveland. Mets get JJ Putz, Jeremy Reed, and Sean Green. Mariners get Aaron Heilman, Endy Chavez, Jason Vargas and 3 minor leaguers from the Mets along with Franklin Guetirez. The Indians got Joe Smith from the Mets and Luis Valbuena from the Mariners. Pretty good trade all around I guess, only question is how many trades are the Indians going to make for a second baseman?

Hot Stove

As you know this year's off season is filled with questions regarding Mark Texeira, Manny Ramirez, CC Sabathia as the big names. Personally, if I were a GM I wouldnt want any part of the latter two "big ticket" names. Before you start thinking that I am retarded let me enlighten you on why. Manny, I just plain dont like him, he is a great player but is a selfish prick and would be a detriment to any team he plays on. Now, CC is a proven stud based on what he did for the Brew Crew last year, but come on this guy is eventually going to break down.

The point of this article is not to highlight the big names, but the other free agents and/or deals that could be difference makers in the up-coming season. The list consists of position players of the likes of Orlando Cabrera, Orlando Hudson, Bobby Abreu, Adam Dunn, and Edgar Renteria. I love both Orlando's because they are spark plugs at the top of the order and are solid defensive presences in the feild. It would be crazy for the White Sox and the D-Backs not to retain them. Bobby Abreu is a solid player who produces solid at bats and is a true grinder at the plate making opposing pitchers work for the out. Adam Dunn, he truly is a donkey, he has possibly the most power of any left handed hitter in all of baseball other than Ryan Howard, but this guy either hits a HR or strikes out. Although this is the case he would be a solid player on a good team that could afford his strike out per at bat ratio. He reminds me of a young Jim Thome, he has power and could drive in runs if he had the complementary players that got on base for him and he walks and strikes out a lot.

As for pitchers, you have A.J. Burnett, Ryan Dempster, Derek Lowe, and Ben Sheets as the other top pitchers out there. Personally, I think A.J. Burnett is a poor mans Josh Beckett who has not lived up to the potential and has underutilized his ability. With that said I personally believe that he will be heading to the NL where he can take advantage of only having to get 8 outs against sub par hitting. The team that will sign him, in my opinion will be the Cards, which will put them back at the top of the NL Central and will give them stability to completment the pure force of Albert Pujols. Ryan Dempster is an interesting pitcher, he has experience both starting and closing, but I am not convinced he will be worth the money his will end up getting this year. More than likely he will probably end up in a Cubies uniform, however I feel that he is nothing more than a 3rd starter but will put up numbers because the NL sucks so much. Ben Sheets has nasty stuff, but gets hurt way to much, he reminds me of Matt Clement because he just cant stay on the feild. But with that said, he is worth the risk of any team that signs him because of his number one starter stuff. I feel he will end up in the AL possibly in Baltimore, New York, and I would love to see him sporting a Red Sox uniform. With that said, Derek Lowe is the most intreguing free agent of them all. Hate him or love him, he is a solid starter and has the post season experience that teams desire. Its been said he wants to come back to Boston but I feel the Sox wont make that happen because they already has Justin Masterson, a young D-Lowe in the making. So, my feeling is that he will be a Detroit Tiger next season, pitching with a chip on his shoulder to prove that he still is a valuable pitcher.

Now the needs of the Red Sox have had me thinking a lot lately after seeing all the rumors that have been reported. All I know is that Lugo has to be moved to allow Lowerie a chance to prove himself as a full time player for a whole season. Despite how terrible he has been in Boston, much like Edgar Renteria a few years ago, I feel that he is one of those players that just cant play in the lime light. The good news is that there is a market for SS this year, with teams like the Tigers, White Sox, and others in need of one. My feeling is that no team is going to take a chance on him until spring training to see what he has after the injury pleagued season he had last year. Any deal including Lugo would be for a shitty prospect or another high priced contract that has not panned out. With that said the Tigers are probably the best suiters in any deal because of the apparent washed up D-Train. I just don't see how Dontrelle has gotten so bad so quickly, and I do believe that he will regain his form and become the exciting young pitcher that he once was.

The second issue is what to do with Coco. Should he stay or should he go? I believe that its time to go, not because he wasn't good last year, but because of his value at this point. I believe that he will be dealt in a situation that will include a young catcher such as one of the 3 in Texas or Jeff Clement of the Mariners.

Dontrelle Willis for Julio Lugo

"The Red Sox have done background work on Dontrelle Willis, stirring up the Willis for Julio Lugo rumors." Cbssportsline

Sure why not. Lugo sucks, Willis sucks, but at least Willis is a pitcher.

Red Sox 8, Rangers 4

The Rangers and Red Sox combined for 12 runs in Wednesday night's game. Tuesday night, the Rangers scored 13 in two innings.

For anyone worried about other teams pitching around David Ortiz, I have two words for you: Kevin Youkilis. He was 3 for 4 with three doubles. He's hitting .409 in August, and he's slugging .818. So they can walk Papi if they want to, it's just gonna give Youkilis an RBI opportunity.

Jon Lester was once again Acelike. He went 7.1 innings, allowing 3 runs. Although 2 of those were inherited runners that scored on Mike Timlin.

If and when Julio Lugo returns to this team, will he have a place in the starting lineup? Jed Lowrie went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI last night, upping his average to .295. Lugo was averaging an error every 18 times he touched the ball. Lowrie's had 125 chances this season, and still hasn't made an error. In my opinion, Lowrie is the best short-stop this club has seen since Orlando Cabrera.

Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound Wednesday night looking for a sweep and win #14. He faces Tommy Hunter, who's 0-1 with a 10.61 ERA. If you have Red Sox hitters on your fantasy team, make sure to keep them in there.

-The Commodore

See Ya Lata Buddy

Hey Lugo get real acquainted with the bench because you done kid. It's Lowrie's time. Lowrie is straight up in a grove right now from both sides of the plate and is proving why the Sox love this guy so much. He's been playing solidly at short and appears to have no intention of sitting on the bench or going back down to the Minors, nor should he. He belongs in the bigs and belongs as the shortstop of the Boston Red Sox. He's no Nomar in his juicing days, or A-Rod when he was a beast in Texas, but this guy is a baseball player and this weekend he proved why he's ready and belongs in our lineup. After struggling against the Yanks and Halo's he has bounced back going 5-10, with 2 walks, 3 runs, 7 RBI's, and more importantly ZERO strike outs. In my opion they should have shipped Lugo back to the Dodgers with Manny. Here's an interesting side note, in a club house vote only one player voted "for" in terms of keeping Manny. That man, Julio Lugo, the only reason why he is in Boston: Manny Ramirez, so get the fuck out.

Twins 7, Red Sox 6

Last night's 7-6 loss to Minnesota was a hard one to swallow, but let's not line up on the Zakim Bridge because Papelbon has blown two saves in a row. The bottom of the 9th was a very strange inning. A leadoff single up the middle, a sacrifice bunt, then Young steals third base, which wound up being the difference in the game. Gomez walks, then steals second. Had Young not taken third beforehand, surely the twins wouldn't have put on a double steal with 2 outs, and the go ahead run wouldn't have gotten into scoring position. But it did, and Lamb hit a bloop single which knocked in both Young and the speedy Gomez.

It wasn't as if Papelbon got knocked around, or had trouble throwing strikes. Give credit to the Twins for playing good aggressive small ball. Most of the time, the Red Sox will win this kind of game. But Friday night was Minnesota's.

Julio Lugo once again hurt the club with his glove, committing his 11th error of the season. It was a simple error doing something that Major League short-stops should be able to do in their sleep. And it allowed 2 unearned runs to score.

Daisuke goes against Glen Perkins, who is making his first career start.

-The Commodore

Tigers 10, Red Sox 9

A back and forth struggle between the Tigers and Red Sox last night ended in disappointment as a Julio Lugo error and a not-so-sharp Jonathan Papelbon blew a 1 run lead in the 9th.

Clay "Variance" Buchholz has been one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the rotation, which is to be expected considering his age and experience level. But just look at how much his performances swing up and down from start to start.

Start #1: 5 IP, 3 ER
Start #2: 6 IP, 1 ER
Start #3: 3.2 IP, 7 ER
Start #4: 6 IP, 0 ER
Start #5: 8 IP, 2 ER
Start #6: 5.1 IP, 1 ER
Start #7: 4 IP, 5 ER

With Buchholz pulled after 4, Tavarez came in and generally sucked, giving up 3 runs in an inning, turning a 5-4 game into an 8-4 game. He has been one of the biggest disappointments on this team. None of us expected him to be lights out, but we didn't expect a 7.15 ERA from him either. And unlike kids like Delcarmen or Hansen, Tavarez has no excuse.

But a solo shot by Youkilis in the 6th chipped away at the lead, and Lowell hit a 3 run bomb in the 7th to tie the game at 8-8. Then in the 8th, Pedroia had a pinch hit RBI single to put the Sox ahead. Fun stat: in his career Pedroia is 5 for 7 as a pinch hitter.

Then came the bottom of the 9th inning. As much as Lugo might get the blame for what happened, it's important to remember that Buchholz and Tavarez were the ones who allowed 8 runs. Nevertheless, Lugo's 10th error of the season (he's on pace for 45) was a big one, and in the end it cost the Sox the game.



Even though Jed Lowrie's struggled a bit as of late, is there any doubt that he will be the starting short-stop in 2009?

Josh Beckett vs. Justin Zoolander tonight. Normally this would sound like a fantastic pitcher's duel. But Beckett has a 4.19 ERA and Verlander is sporting a 6.28 ERA and a 1-5 record.



-The Commodore