Your 2010 Red Sox coaching staff

• Manager Terry Francona, 7th season
• Bench coach DeMarlo Hale, 1st season (5th with Boston, four as third-base coach)
• First-base coach Ron Johnson, 1st season (5 seasons as AAA Pawtucket manager, 10 years in Boston organization). Was a teammate of Francona's in 1984 (Montreal Expos).
• Third-base coach Tim Bogar, 1st season (First-base coach last year)
• Hitting coach Dave Magadan, 4th season
• Pitching coach John Farrell, 4th season

All-Aughts Team of the Decade SP2: Curt Schilling

Thanksgiving six years ago saw Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and a cadre of Red Sox officials fly out to Arizona and be guests of Curt and Shonda Schilling for Thanksgiving dinner. The crew was there in the hopes of convincing Schilling that he should waive his no-trade clause and head to Boston to try to win a World Series ring. Well, with the 2004 ring backed by Schilling on the mound as well as an important contribution in 2007, one can say the Red Sox certainly spoke the truth at that dinner. What Schilling accomplished in his short time makes him extremely deserving of being named the No. 2 starter on the Team of the Decade. The Bloody Sock will define Red Sox legacy for years to come.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade bench IF: Alex Cora

Can't have a team of the decade without a bench, right? Ever since Nomar left midway through 2004, the shortstop position has been a revolving door. Second base was inconsistent between Marty Barrett and Dustin Pedroia. And last year, even the backup infield position was in flux, something that continues to this day. It seems rather strange, then, to know that for four years we knew who our backup middle infielder was, and we liked him. He was good. He was Alex Cora.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade RP5: Rich Garces

A bullpen tends to have a lot of turnover given the volatility of the position. The truly excellent relievers tend to graduate to being a closer, while major leaguers with an average baseline of talent can find themselves out of baseball after a season or two of terrible luck. The fact that Rich Garces spent seven years with Boston is a testament, then, to his durability. The only sad thing is: his major league career ended in 2002 at just age 31. The pictures don't do quite the job of capturing how large Guapo is. At times, he seemed larger than life with his positive attitude and brimming smile. For the first couple years of Guapo's tenure, he shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket. Beginning in 1998, flashes started showing that Garces could be an impact reliever. Then 1999 arrived.

Red Sox claim RP Manuel from Mariners

26-year old Robert Manuel was claimed by Boston off waivers today. Manuel tossed 65.2 innings for Seattle's Triple-A club this past season, amassing a 2.88 ERA with a 49/16 K/BB ratio. He doesn't possess great stuff, but is good depth for Triple-A. Boston has to restock Pawtucket given the departures of Fernando Cabrera, Marcus McBeth and other flotsam. The 40-man roster is now at 32, so the team had puh-lenty of space to bring him aboard. You could see Manuel tossing some junk innings in a Red Sox uniform at some point this coming season.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade RP3: Alan Embree

This morning, we learned that Mike Timlin won a spot on the All-Aughts team as the #1 reliever. This afternoon, we honor the #3 reliever and Timlin's longtime lefty cohort, Alan Embree. Embree may have only been around for two full seasons and parts of two others, but he made an impact. Embree was acquired from the San Diego Padres on June 26, 2002 at age 32 because of one very specific game. That game came on June 22, the last time he pitched in a Padres uniform. It was an interleague game at home against the Yankees, when he pitched three innings and struck out seven Yankees. (The picture is from this game.) Embree wasn't truly legendary during his time with Boston. Did he have to be, though? He was good enough to stick, good enough to rank third on the relief depth chart, and good enough to trust in close and late situations. We can't have every relief pitcher throw up sub-2 ERAs. Embree may not have been lights-out, but obviously he was good enough to be an important relief pitcher on two straight excellent teams.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade RP1: Mike Timlin

Today's All-Aughts Team of the Decade entrants will number two. This morning you're getting the best reliever of the decade as well as one-half of the best relief pitching tandem the Sox have witnessed in a long time. This afternoon, you get the other half. Let's kick things off this morning with the pitcher that appeared in the most games for the BoSox this decade despite only six years of service. That's Mike Timlin, with 394 games appeared in as one of the better setup men the team has ever seen. Also, perhaps one of the best persons the team has witnessed. My favorite quote of Timlin's time in Boston's career came by an anonymous scout that I remember to this day, and it sums Timlin up in a nutshell: “They said he had no guts in Baltimore. Nobody in Boston says that, do they?”

George Kottaras released

With Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek set at the major league level and Dusty Brown along with Mark Wagner in reserve, the Red Sox cleared a 40-man spot by releasing catcher George Kottaras. Kottaras was out of options, so he would have had to pass through waivers, which may have been possible. If so, he'd have required playing time in Triple-A that should go to Wagner/Brown. In addition, if he was claimed, the team would be in the same situation right now, so why not get the additional 40-man spot to protect an additional Rule 5 eligible player? For more of a breakdown on who is eligible and who could be protected, check out the SoxProspects blog.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade LF: Manny Ramirez

When Boston fans look back on the 2000s years from now, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez will only have grown in stature. For the rest of all our natural lives, any dominating three-four duo in the lineup will be compared to Papi/ManRam to determine 'the best ever.' (Fire Brand archives: Breaking down the Manny and Papi duo, 2/9/07; 3-4, 8/5/06.) Today, we recognize Manny Ramirez (and all his faults) as the All-Aughts left-fielder of the decade. All told, Manny hit for an obscene .312/.411/.588 line, cranking 274 home runs and 868 RBI for the Sawx.

All-Aughts Team of the Decade C: Jason Varitek

He's the only position player to have bookended the Red Sox's history-altering decade. He was anointed team captain, an occurrence that does not happen often. He's Jason Varitek, the All-Aughts catcher of the decade for Boston. When Varitek retires, he's going to be known for two things: what he meant to Boston as a leader out of the catcher's position, and how he got to Boston in the first place. You all remember the trade back in 1997. Red Sox closer Heathcliff Slocumb was shipped to Seattle for a couple of minor league prospects named Varitek and Derek Lowe.