BOS 7, BAL 2: Homers keep Lester perfect against O’s

Jon Lester improved to 9-0 in his career against the Baltimore Orioles with the help of the long ball.

Red Sox waive Kotsay

Instead of disabling Mark Kotsay with his calf issues, the Sox have opted to waive him and his .257/.291/.324 line on the year. He just never could get in the groove. This opens up a 25-man spot for Adam LaRoche (and a 40-man spot for Chris Duncan).

This leaves Rocco Baldelli as the team’s only backup outfielder, but if needed, Kevin Youkilis could play left field — he has 134 innings of experience there. Tito also isn’t afraid to send him to right, with 8.2 innings experience there.

Epstein and Gammons on LaRoche trade

Theo Epstein was on a conference call today, and mentions that this deal does not preclude a further deal. Also, Peter Gammons says the Sox turned down Clay Buchholz for Victor Martinez and made the LaRoche swap today because another team had entered the sweepstakes.

Analysis of LaRoche trade

As some may be aware, I contribute to The Hardball Times, serviing as their transaction guru. I opined on the LaRoche trade just now. Some excerpts after the jump.

Red Sox acquire Adam Laroche.

The Red Sox now have some serious flexibility at the corner infield slots. Laroche has a career OPS of .847 against righties, and it gives the Red Sox another quality left-handed hitter that they needed.

15 bats the Red Sox could trade for — Pt. 1

On the heels of the Sox’s fourth disappointing offensive game in a row, it’s becoming abundantly clear that despite the team’s top five offense, it’s a top five incapable of sustaining any sort of playoff-caliber offense.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the 15 bats the Red Sox may have interest in. As the trading deadline approaches, I am keen to see if Theo has the “killer instinct” in him to make a strong move instead of holding onto his prospects with an iron fist.

With Jason Bay a free agent and his agent seeking a Mark Teixeira-type deal, is the time now to get a bat for now and the future? Here are some names that could don Sox uniforms sooner rather than later — you’ll see eight names in this article (in alphabetical order). On Friday, the final seven will follow, plus a summary of what the best fits seem to be.

Abbott and Costello discuss Red Sox 1B situation

Editor’s Note: Sorry this post is late, got caught in a central Pennsylvania snowstorm on the way home from Philadelphia last night.
Costello: Well then who’s on first?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I mean [...]

Youk to third?

Well, if Mike Lowell decides not to come back to Boston the move of Kevin Youkilis to third base seems logical.
Who would replace YOOOOOUUUKKK?
The answer lies in the obvious and [...]

Deadline Rumors

Last night was one of the more frustrating games of the Red Sox season. Fausto Carmona was dealing, mixing pitches with perfection and keeping our lineup off balance all night, [...]

ST Recap – 3/21/07

Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester, two important components to the future of the Red Sox starting rotation, both took the mound today with divergent outcomes.
First, the one with all the [...]