Paul and I take a little time to wallow in the misery that was the end of the Red Sox season. You'll find a little bit of ALDS analysis, at least as much as we can muster, along with a look back at the 2009 season as a whole. We'll give out our MVP award as well as talk about our goats of 2009. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump...
In what is the first curveball in an early off-season, relief ace and potential closer replacement, Billy Wagner, has been considering possible retirment. While sources close to the pitcher state that Wagner may just need a 'cooling period' to settle down after the season's end, the loss of Wagner would certainly limit the Red Sox' offseason options. Hinging on Wagner's decision are both the option to trade Jon Papelbon, with Wagner re-signing as closer, or to allow him to leave and collect two draft picks from his Type A free agent tag.
While I wish my second appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub was ripe with analysis of a potential Game 5 in Anaheim instead of eulogizing the Red Sox season and looking forward to 2010, it's always fun to talk Red Sox with Toucher & Rich. To summarize; I like Alex Gonzalez at SS for one more year and have been talking myself into Matt Holliday over Jason Bay (but I reserve the right to change my mind again). While the words Joe Mauer were referenced in relation to Mike Silver's latest post, I still see Mauer staying in Minnesota or getting the world from New York....but I too like to dream.
