Red Sox 3, Indians 1

The day started with bad news, as Kevin Youkilis was placed on the DL. But the silver lining was that Mike Lowell was waiting in the wings. And before the fans at Fenway could sit down from the standing ovation they gave Lowell, he'd hit the ball out of the park.

That's the sentimental story of this game. The more concrete story was Josh Beckett's superb outing. He went an efficient 8 innings, only needing 103 pitches to do so. He struck out 8, walked none (I love seeing that 0 under BB in box scores), and allowed 3 hits. One of those hits was a solo homerun, but that's all Cleveland could manage.

With all the injuries, the struggles to score consistently, and the downright crappy bullpen; the Sox need to win with excellent starting pitching. Josh Beckett is a key part of that winning equation. He's been a very inconsistent variable the past few seasons, but if he can give the Sox 10 really good starts down the stretch, then there's a chance.

11-6 Jon Lester faces 3-10 Justin Masterson tonight.

-The Commodore

Bunch Of Red Sox Injury Updates

Ton of injury news coming out today from the Red Sox camp.

- Pedroia has been told by doctors to slow down his comeback a bit. He tired running yesterday and his foot is still sore. The Sox (and doctors) don't want him doing anything that causes him pain. If he was to reinjure his foot it would most likely knock him out for the year, and could cause long term problems. Still, Pedroia still thinks he can come back soon, just probably not by Aug 6th like originally planned.

- Mike Lowell hit three homers and drove in five in a rehab game for Triple-A Pawtucket. This was Lowell's 4th game in the minors. Lowell played third base yesterday and could be activated by the Red Sox as soon as this weekend, when the Sox return home. The 3 HRs will hopefully help his trade value, and the fact he was playing the field can't hurt.

- JD Drew will have an MRI on his hamstring at some point today. The Sox hope they can have him back by Friday, but I'm not holding my breathe. Drew says his hamstring has been bothering him for the past 3-4 weeks. The only good news is that if he does go on the DL we might be able to see Sox prospect Ryan Kalish (who is having a hell of a year) brought up to the majors.

- Holy shit, there has been an Ellsbury sighting... Ellsbury went 1-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in his second rehab game. The plan is to have him make 2-3 more rehab starts at the lower levels before bringing him up to AAA.

Lowell On His Way Back

Mike Lowell received a cortisone injection in his right hip on Monday, manager Terry Francona told reporters. After a few days of rest, he will begin a four-game minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday.

This is interesting. The Sox have no need for Lowell at all. Ortiz is hitting well, Beltre is having a hell of a year (on offense anyways), and Youk is being Youk. There is just nowhere for him to play. The Sox are really going to be pushed to make a decision soon, unless they can make a trade before he gets back. With all the injuries the Sox have had they can't afford to give up a bench spot to someone who is really only a pinch hitter at this point.

I love Mike Lowell. He is a class act and he deserved better then what has happened to him, but he serves no purpose on this team and needs to be traded or cut. I just don't see anyway they put him back on the MLB roster.

Texas Still Interested In Mike Lowell

The Rangers pulled out of a deal for Mike Lowell in December due to concerns about Lowell's injured thumb, but were apparently fine with the status of Lowell's right hip. In spite of the fact that Lowell is currently on the DL with a strain in that hip, Texas still has enough interest to be monitoring the veteran infielder's progress.

Lowell could still fill a need in Texas, as the Rangers traded away Smoak and Chris Davis has just been terrible. This isn't the Rangers only option though, as there are rumors that they have been keeping an eye on Xavier Nady as well. Nady would be a cheaper option, but most rumors suggest the Sox will pay all of Lowell contract if they can get their hands on a better prospect.

I am not sure what to think of all this. The Rangers should be losing interest by the day, as giving up a decent prospect seems stupid for a less then half a reason rental of Mike Lowell, but if these rumors are true then maybe the Rangers are just waiting for the Sox asking price to go down.

Either way, I expect Lowell to be traded or released by the trade deadline.

Latest Mike Lowell Rumors

Rumors have suggested throughout that the Rangers were the most likely landing spot for Lowell. That no longer seems to be the case. The Rangers have lost interest during Lowell's 2-for-22 slump that has dropped his average to .229. The Sox are still shopping him, but there are few teams that seem to have interest.

One team that is kicking the tires is the Seattle Mariners, who just lost Griffey to retirement. It makes sense to me, and I think Lowell's struggles have more to do with the lack of regular playing time then any kind of injury.

The Rangers could come back into the picture if their young first baseman (Smoak) continues to struggle.

Lowell To Rangers Back On?

There are rumors flying around today that the Rangers are back looking at Lowell. Texas badly needs a right handed at, and Lowell would seem to be the perfect fit. Lowell recently said he wanted to be cut, but this could be a nice alternative. Originally the Sox were basically going to pay his contract to go there in exchange for Max Ramirez. It could be a very similar deal now that Lowell has proved he is at least healthy enough to bat.

I think the Sox should do this ASAP. Ortiz seems to be settling back in, and there just isn't much use for Lowell. Plus with all the injuries they have had he is just kind of eating up a bench spot, without the ability to play the field much.

Why Not Sign Jermaine Dye?

A lot has been made of the struggles of Big Papi. We have been sitting and waiting for him to show up. I am not entirely ready to give up on him, but he isn't giving us a lot to work with, so the Sox need to look another way. If Ortiz ends up being a platoon player with Lowell fulltime, I think they should cut him and sign Jermaine Dye.

I don't have a lot of faith that Lowell can play a full season, and Dye can add some much needed power to this lineup. Also, even if Lowell does go off he will still be out of the lineup a lot at the end of games because he can't run, so in this case Dye can come off the bench. Another problem with Lowell is that at this point it seems as if the Sox don't have much faith he can play the field anymore. Dye isn't a great fielder by and stretch, but I feel as if he could play left field at Fenway since it is a short field and you don't need a lot of speed.

Anyways, just food for thought, but at least a guy like this could give us some more power in the middle of the lineup.

Latest On The Red Sox

A lot going on with the Red Sox over the past couple days, so here is what you need to know...

- It's official Junichi Tazawa will have Tommy John surgey on Tuesday.

- Don't believe all this Lowell going to Texas stuff from what I am reading today it doesn't sound like he is going anywhere, which might not be the worst thing if Ortiz struggles.

- Scott Atchison made the team, but Alan Embree did not make it. He's taking today to decide whether he wants to go to Pawtucket.

- The last bullpen spot is still open. It is between Scott Schoeneweis and Joe Nelson.

- Theo Epstein and Beckett's agent Michael Moye have agreed to continue talks beyond the start of the regular season, if necessary. The deal on the table now is 4 years $65MM-$70MM.

- Boof Bonser, Dice-K and Jed Lowrie will be placed on the DL to start the year.

Here is what the opening day lineup is rumored to look like...

Ellsbury LF
Pedroia 2B
Martinez C
Youkilis 1B
Ortiz DH
Drew RF
Beltre 3B
Cameron CF
Scutaro SS

Can't Wait!

Daily Red Sox Spring Training Updates

Lots of news going around the Sox camp. Here is the latest.

- Westmoreland is undergoing brain surgery today. That's really all we know, but we wish him the best.

Orioles 4 Red Sox 8


- Mike Lowell got his first start a 1st base yesterday. Overall it went well. He can move side to side fast enough to field the position, but a lot of scouts did note that he looked very slow on the base path. Lowell showed no effects from surgery to his thumb. He singled to right in his 1st at-bat, flew out in his second, and left after 3 innings. He also made two putouts at first. Teams will be interested in Lowell if he can stay healthy, so it'll be interesting to see what the Sox do.

- Ortiz finally showed some power hitting his 1st HR of the spring. It has been a terrible spring for the big guy batting .143, so hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

- Wakefield did not have a strong game he let up 5 runs on 9 hits in just 3 2/3 innings, but with Dice-K likely out the first week or two he should be in the starting rotation to start the season.

- Papelbon looked good again throwing another scoreless inning (he has yet to give up a run) Okajima and Ramirez didn't go as well. Okie let up 1 run in his inning of work, and Ramirez let up 2. The good news is Bard pitched 1 scoreless inning striking out all 3 batters he faced.


The Sox actually play two games today. The first game is at 1:05pm against Houston, and the 2nd game is at 7:05pm against the Rays. Here is the lineup for the Houston game (the Rays one hasn't come out yet.

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Varitek C
Youkilis 1B
Hermida LF
Reddick RF
Hulett DH
Sanchez SS
Valazquez 3B

Lester LHP

Dice-K Injury Update

Dice-K had a good day, and Terry Francona seemed very happy about it...

"Dice had a great day," Terry Francona said. "That was as good a day as you could possibly have. I don't think you can throw a ball like that and not be totally healthy."

With that being said there is basically no chance that Dice-K will be ready for Opening Day. I know that sounds like a big deal, but it really isn't. There are a lot of days off early in the season, so the Sox will be able to get by with a 4 man rotation if they want to, and even if Dice-K is out the first week or two you have 6 people who can be quality starters (Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, Wake).

This shouldn't be a big deal, but we will have to watch Dice-K closely as he is coming off an injury plagued season.

In other Sox news...

- Mike Cameron (left groin) did not run today but took batting practice in the cages and on the field and felt fine. They are taking it slow with him, but he seems like he is going to be fine.

- Mike Lowell took some batting practice today, but Francona is still not sure when he will play his first game.

The Sox also announced their lineups against Northeastern and BC...

Northeastern game
Jacoby Ellsbury LF
Bill Hall 3B
Victor Martinez C
David Ortiz DH
Jed Lowrie SS
Lars Anderson 1B
Darnell McDonald RF
Che-Hsuan Lin CF
Gil Velazquez 2B
Pitching: RHP Casey Kelly

BC game
Marco Scutaro SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jason Varitek C
Jeremy Hermida LF
Tud Hulett DH
Josh Reddick RF
Ryan Kalish CF
Pitching: RHP Boof Bonser

Mike Lowell Still A Class Act

So, there was a big to-do about Mike Lowell's first day in camp. We haven't made a big deal out of this, because well...it's not. Mike Lowell has always been a class act, and he proved once again...

"I’m getting ready for a season. I think I’m pretty intelligent in a sense that there’s no real playing time for me here basically barring a major injury and I’m not really in the business of hoping somebody gets hurt so I can get at-bats. For me, I feel like I’m more prepared and ready for a full season than I was last year. So why shouldn’t I play more than I did last year? Whether it’s here or somewhere else? I can’t control that.

"I have to separate some things. I think there’s the baseball aspect of it and I think there’s (a) real life aspect of it and I’m very comfortable with where I am in my real life. You know what I mean? I feel I’m in a tremendously privileged situation. No one needs to feel sorry for me in life. Is my baseball situation not ideal? Yeah, it’s not ideal. I don’t want to diminish the baseball fact. But you never know what can happen. When I left the Marlins I was disappointed and (Boston) turned into a really good transition for me. So we’ll see."

Sure he could have ripped the Red Sox. He could have gone on and on about the fact he has been a tremendous player for the organization since he arrived, but he didn't. That's class, and it is truly rare these days.

Now to the important news. Lowell says he feels a lot stronger then last year, and his hip "only bothers him when he runs". The Boston Globe played that comment off as nothing, but isn't that a big deal? I mean it still hurts him when he runs, so it will hurt him every time he hits the ball. I love Mike Lowell, but the Sox did the right thing. From a business stand point they had to do this. I just hope Beltre starts the year hot, so we don't have a bunch of fans going crazy over Mike Lowell.

Mike Lowell Proving Again He Is The Classiest Guy In Baseball

Yesterday, I wrote a post about how Mike Lowell is able to throw, but still can't swing a bat, which is holding up the Red Sox trading him. Well, Lowell went on WEEI with a very easy chance to rip the Sox. Lets face it, it's not like they don't deserve it, and most players would jump at this opportunity, but not Mike Lowell...

"I don't view this as a major challenge," Lowell said. "If I'm healthy and teams out there think I can play every day, there's going to be a team that wants me to play. If that's beneficial to the Red Sox, I don't think any of this is contingent on whether it's beneficial to me. It doesn't matter. I have no say. But if it's beneficial to the Red Sox, then yeah, they'd make the move. And then you'd go wherever they send you. That's the thing. I can't say, 'Hey, I want to leave,' or, 'Hey, I want to stay.' "

“I’m looking forward to getting ready for a season,” he said. “I understand that there’s a little bit of a gray area in what’s going to happen in my situation. But that doesn’t take away my excitement. I enjoy playing baseball. That’s what I like to do. Yeah, there’s still excitement. I still have the itch and want to get on the field, and most of all I like hanging out with the guys I go to the field with. There’s a lot for me to look forward to. I’m going into this with a good attitude and being upbeat. We’ll see where all of this takes me."

I know a lot of people will just say that he has no control, so what can he do? Well, that is true, but usually people would throw a hissy fit, but not Lowell. He decided to be classy, and keep his head up and let everything play out. Some of his best years are in a Red Sox uniform, and he seems to have taken the approach to just enjoy the ride. With all the negativity that usually goes around during these kinds of situations it is nice to know that some players out there still do things "the right way".

Mike Lowell Injury Update

Hey, remember this guy. He was kind of a big deal, won a World Series MVP. Just to keep you in the loop he still plays for the Boston Red Sox. Anyways, Mikey Lowell is playing catch, but isn't yet swinging a bat as he recovers from a thumb injury, which means he will be on the Sox for at least a little longer.

Reports suggest that no team will make an offer to Lowell until he gets some spring training games in to prove he is healthy. At this point the rest of the league knows Boston is going to have to trade Lowell (after signing Beltre), so the return is going to be very low, but what choice do they have. If they keep him it is going to be a very uncomfortable situation for everyone.

It is really too bad that this happened to Lowell. He deserved better then this, but at the end of the day it is a business and I don't think he can play a full season at 3rd base.

In other Red Sox notes Beckett is said to be in top shape, and I would expect a big year out of him since it is his contract year, and it will probably be the last big contract of his career.

Lowells Surgery A Success

"According to a source, Mike Lowell was found to have a 95-percent tear in the radial collateral ligament in his thumb when Dr. Donald Sheridan operated on him today. The surgery went well, Lowell will return to his home in Florida tomorrow and will need 6-8 weeks of recovery. That will have him ready to resume baseball activities during spring training (Boston.com)."

A part of me find this somewhat unacceptable. He had a 95% tear, and NOW they are going to take care of it. I don't know if it is Lowell's fault, or the Red Sox medical staff (my guess is the Sox), but there is no reason this wasn't taken care of until now. Most likely the Sox will not be able to move Lowell until he can prove he is healthy. It's too bad they didn't take care of this sooner, so there could be more certainty about this starters for next year...

Mike Lowell To Have Surgery Today

"Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will have surgery on the torn ligament in his right thumb today in Phoenix. Dr. Donald Sheridan, who performed the surgery on Jed Lowrie's wrist, will operate on Lowell. Lowell is expected to miss 6-8 weeks recovering (Boston.com)."

The Sox are still going to try to move Lowell, but there is basically no shot of that happening before spring training. Lowell is going to need to prove that he is healthy from the surgeries to his hip and thumb. I do think someone will jump on him if the Sox are willing to pay about $9 million of his contract. The question is are the Sox willing to gamble and sign a guy like Beltre even though Lowell is still on the roster?

Mike Lowell Staying Thanks To Thumb

The proposed trade between the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox involving Mike Lowell is off, according to a source.

The reason: Lowell has a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb and will have surgery after Christmas.

The recovery time for the surgery is six to eight weeks. The diagnosis was made in the last two days. Lowell saw a hand specialist in Arizona on Friday and met with physicians in Arlington on Saturday morning as part of a physical with the Rangers. ESPN

My feeling on this is that I don't really care. I like Mike Lowell personally, and even though he is getting paid a lot I would rather him than Casey Kotchman as our everyday 1rst baseman. They will probably find some way to get rid of Lowell before the season's over anyways. If Lowell stays healthy he will be productive in the Sox line-up and I believe this won't affect any of our talks with San Diego or Detroit when it comes to Adrian Gonzalez or Miggy.

Lowell To Rangers Deal Dead?

"The winter meetings ended with the Boston Red Sox reportedly reaching a preliminary deal to send former World Series MVP Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for catcher/first baseman Max Ramirez.

A week has passed, so has the deal hit a snag?

The Providence Journal reports that the deal that was once close to 80 percent complete now has only a 50/50 chance of getting done. The Rangers are concerned with Lowell's right thumb that reportedly may need surgery (ESPN)."

I'll be honest if the Red Sox plans are to have Kotchman start at 1st and Youk move over to 3rd, then I would rather Lowell just stay for one more year, and keep Youk at 1st. I think Boston needs another power bat, and someone to achor the middle of that lineup. I am holding out hope that Cabrera or Gonzalez will be walking through that door, but if not the Sox should just keep Lowell, since they are paying most of his contract anyways...

News On Lowell Gets Worse

"NESN's Peter Gammons, via Twitter, reported that Mike Lowell "may" require thumb surgery. This is surely what is holding up the agreed-upon trade of Lowell to Texas for C/1B/DH Max Ramirez. WEEI.com reported that Texas will examine Lowell in person this week. It's unclear whether the injury would hamper Lowell more at the plate or in the field. That could determine whether the trade goes through as the Rangers see Lowell as more of a first baseman and DH than as a third baseman (Boston.com)."

If the Sox are going to tank this year, and just go with the guys they have then I kind of hope Lowell stays. Boston has no real reason to get Max Ramirez. At his best he is the same thing as V-Mart (good offense, no so good defense), so the only reason to get him is if Boston thinks V-Mart will walk after this year. Boston may be looking to clean house after this season with Lowell, Ortiz, Beckett, Tek, ect all coming off the books. If that is the case and we are paying most of Lowell's salary anyways he might as well play here.

Mike Lowell Deal Hits A Snag

The winter meetings ended with the Boston Red Sox reportedly reaching a preliminary deal to send former World Series MVP Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for catcher/first baseman Max Ramirez.

A few days have passed, so has the deal hit a snag? According to Sunday's Boston Globe, Texas is further examining Lowell's right thumb, an injury that hampered him near the end of last season. Lowell also had hip surgery, but that is not believed to be a problem. ESPN

I still believe this is going to happen, but if it doesn't the Sox are kind of fucked. I never realized Lowell had a bad thumb up until this trade. If this doesn't happen it will do nothing but slow the process of getting Adrian Beltre or trading for Adrian Gonzalez or Miggy Cabrera.

Mike Lowell Traded To Rangers

The Boston Red Sox have reached a preliminary agreement to trade third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez, according to a report on FoxSports.com. The deal is contingent, according to the report, on the players passing physicals and approval by Red Sox owners of absorbing a considerable chunk of Lowell's $12 million salary. ESPN

It finally happened and I hate it. Mike Lowell has been nothing but a class act and a quality player for the Red Sox. But it is a buisness and sometimes this is what has to happen. Max Ramirez is going to be a very good catcher one day and if we can get V-Mart signed long term we will be able to put him at first and let Max do the catching. (But let's not get ahead of ourselves) This means the Sox NEED to make a move for a first or third basemen, unfortunately I think Adrian Beltre might be the next signing. He's a quality player he just isn't what I want.