While I've been busy adding a daughter to his "bullpen" at home with the birth of my second daughter Julia (Julia Daloisio....initials of JD...hmmmm), the Red Sox have been busy putting the finishing touches on their 2010 roster. Join us as we look at the series of moves that Theo put together to ring in the new year capped off with the signing of Adrian Beltre yesterday. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.
It's been spread on Twitter that Casey Kotchman is headed to the Mariners for Bill Hall, a minor league PTBNL and cash considerations. When I first saw this deal I was curious to what this accomplished, but after looking at the numbers this makes a bit more sense. The cash is likely the money that Seattle got from the Brewers when they got Hall to cover some of his 2010 contract. So they are probably not adding contract and could be dropping some.
According to Dan Roche on Twitter, Terry Francona has confirmed that Jacoby Ellsbury will be our starting left fielder in 2010. This also means Mike Cameron is in center field and Jeremy Hermida is either the fourth outfielder or on his way out of town.
Pete Hissey was drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 draft and hails from Pennsylvania. Hissey, 19, spent his second professional baseball season with mid-A Greenville. SoxProspects notes Hissey as a speedy centerfielder with an advanced approach at the plate with current below-average power that has the potential to improve. In 369 at-bats for the Drive, Hissey hit .279/.356/.347. He currently ranks 34th on the SoxProspects chart, an impressive ranking for a 19-year old (ranks seventh among under-20 prospects).
You completed your first full professional season recently. How do you feel you handled it both on and off the field? Was it more difficult than you imagined?
I learned a lot as the year progressed, and found out how to take care of my body, balance my eating, and manage the ups and downs of the season. I stayed positive through the tough times and felt like my attitude helped me to turn things around.