Thumbs Up to Scutaro

As Harold Ramis once said to Seth Rogen in Knocked Up after Seth knocked up his one night stand, "This is a good thing." It may have looked tragic at the time, but he got a beautiful daughter out of it and even got to spend the night with Katherine Heigl. Not a bad haul for a drunken mistake. The same can be said for the signing of Marco Scutaro. It wasn't quite the way we planned it (myself not included, I like Toronto import, especially given the alternatives), but it's what we have. Maybe the little guy will grow up to be a Rembrandt, maybe he'll be an alcoholic, but either way, he's ours and we need to love him. But let’s get something straight. There is a lot to like here – and signing Scutaro is like making the best of a bad situation. The nuts and bolts of Marco Scutaro are that he is an average fielding shortstop with plus offensive skills for his position. These kinds of players do not grow on trees...

Red Sox ink Marco Scutaro

Marco Scutaro has inked a two-year deal to be a Boston Red Sox, reports Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse. The money is unknown, but I would hazard a guess at $15 million -- $7.7 million per year -- with a mutual option for a third year. (And I think I'm trending optimistic.) Given Placido Polanco got three years, I am surprised Scutaro settled for two. It's an especially nice coup on Boston's end. What is not to like about the deal? I was prepared to dislike the trade at three years, but now I'm neutral about it. There are pros and cons to the deal.

[UPDATE: Scutaro Signs?] Scutaro holds private workout for Red Sox

First, we hear that the Red Sox have requested medical records on Marco Scutaro. Now, Jerry Crasnick tells us that Scutaro worked out in Miami with special assistant to the general manager, Allard Baird, in presence. (Baird is one of Epstein's right-hand men, a keen evaluator who failed at being a general manager in Kansas City.) Crasnick notes the workout seems to have alleviated concerns about a heel injury Scutaro suffered late in the '09 season. It seems as if a contract offer is headed Scutaro's way. Boston would have to give up his first round pick, No. 29, to sign Scutaro. The team already has No. 20 thanks to Billy Wagner inking with Atlanta. UPDATE: A Venezuela newspaper reports that Marco Scutaro has signed with the team. They often jump the gun, so tread with caution.

Wagner to Atlanta, Pedroia to Short, Tito Really to the Tea Cabinet?

Pedroia to Short? Sometimes, the answer is so obvious that it was staring you in the face the entire time. Well, maybe Pedroia to short isn’t that obvious, but I’m surprised that it took this long for anyone to suggest the move at all, myself included. There are risks here, though. Pedroia was moved off short for a reason. Even during the minor leagues, many scouts liked him at the keystone long term. Now, three seasons into his major league career at second base, there is no saying what his arm or his range will look like across the diamond. Though he’s got great fielding skills for a second baseman, there are differences in reading grounders, going to the left up the middle, throwing distances, positional defensive standards, and a litany of other concerns when changing positions...

All-Aughts Team of the Decade bOF: Gabe Kapler

We've known that Alex Cora was the All-Aughts Team of the Decade backup infielder for a while now. But how about his counterpart in the outfield? Well, that was a rather easy choice. What is a Red Sox team of the decade without the Hebrew Hammer, Gabe Kapler? Kappy was purchased from the Rockies on June 28, 2003 and immediately made an impact on the club. On that day, Kapler went 4-5 with two doubles and a triple, driving in three. That wasn't all, though. The next day, Kapler found himself in the lineup again and cranked out two home runs en route to three hits, three runs and four RBI. How about that for endearing yourself to fans?

Arbitration and it’s impact on the Red Sox

The arbitration tender deadline has come and gone, and unsurprisingly, many players were not tendered arbitration contracts they had the right to accept or reject. Also unsurprisingly, Boston offered arbitration to its two eligible players: Jason Bay and Billy Wagner. Let's run through the implications for offering arbitration to the two, and then take a look at players who's possible Boston future was impacted by their club's decision.

Fireside Chats #66: Where we celebrate a Happy Arbitration Day with the sizzle of the hot stove

Happy Arbitration Day and welcome back to Fireside Chats. Paul and I had taken a little break as we enjoyed the lull in baseball activity between the "World Series that shall not be remembered" and the official beginning of the active hot stove season, Arbitration Day. But have no fear, we spend an hour rehashing everything from potential trade targets (Adrian Gonzalez & Roy Halladay) to recent departures (Alex Gonzalez) to things that we can't let die (Mark Teixeira) in hopes that we stumble upon at least one strategy that puts the Red Sox back in that "top 1%" again as a World Series contender in 2010. All that and more on this episode of Fireside Chats after the jump.

Financial Darwinism and the Economics of the AL East

The winter months always bring to light the advantages of the rich over the poor in the MLB. Without a doubt, there will, again, be a ring of publications bemoaning the struggles of low-market teams as they fight to compete in their league and division. The American League East division is, in many ways, a microcosm of the entire major leagues - running the gamut of haves and have-nots as hypercompetitive juggernaughts stand side by side with the financial runts of the litter. The state of hypercompetition in the AL East is shocking, if not alarming, in the way that it dominates competitive balance within the division. There is no escaping the trends. Any layperson can make the connection between finances and on-field success. The ‘08 Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the only team this decade to win the division other than Boston or New York. Before then, it was the Orioles in 1997. The Blue Jays were the only team of Tampa, Baltimore, and Toronto to even finish second in the past decade, in 2006. Clearly, there is a competitive balance problem, which is not being helped by the MLB Commish’s office nor the MLBPA. And why not? Sport fans love dynasties and heels – the Red Sox and Yankees fulfill both of these needs – even if they only love to hate them. And the MLB and MLBPA love the ratings, which inflate the sport’s bottom line.