New Fire Brand feature: Depth Chart

Linked in the menu above, we now have a organizational depth chart available for your perusal. This is not a top prospects chart. Some of our top prospects are further away from the majors than some of the fringe guys. This is in order of people that we could dip into the pool of over the next couple years. Obviously this is subject to trades and free agent signings.

Here is a link to the Mark Teixeira article I penned about why we should not sign him; we are working on getting a link to "previous entries" at the bottom of the front page, but until then, it is hard to find articles pushed off the front page unless you click on Archives.

Red Sox acquire Rangers reliever Littleton

In a move that may be the clearest yet that the Red Sox are moving towards having Justin Masterson and Clay Buchholz battle it out for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, the Red Sox have acquired reliever Wes Littleton from the Texas Rangers in exchange for two players to be named later or cash.

Littleton, 26, has a career 3.69 ERA in 102.1 career innings. A sidearmer, his current claim to fame is notching the save in the Rangers' 30-3 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, pitching three innings to close out the game.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope this is a time you can all enjoy the things that we have been blessed with.

Sean McAdam reports that Julio Lugo for Dontrelle Willis or Nate Robertson have stalled and are unlikely to pick up. The Red Sox will also offer arbitration to Jason Varitek, a move he is likely to decline.

Got an opinion about the Red Sox?

Just want to quickly point out that we've had some great discussions in the comments lately, and I've been thrilled to read them all and participate. If you have any interest in expounding your thoughts and posting an article on the Red Sox, all you have to do is register for an account and then click "Publish a post" on the right under "Community Posts" and voila!

Why Red Sox should not sign Mark Teixeira

Mark Teixeira - ccho

I am not a proponent of signing Mark Teixeira, as talented as he is.

While signing Teixeira and trading Mike Lowell are possibilities, it would mean investing money in a position that we do not have foreseeable issues at for the next two years and perhaps beyond

The premise for signing Teixeira, many people seem to believe, is predicated on the fact that they think David Ortiz is done. Sorry, I'm not prepared to write off a hitter who has finished in the top five of MVP voting five straight years after one injury-marred season.

Red Sox sign Junichi Tazawa

Nikkansports.com has reported that Junichi Tazawa has settled on the Red Sox and will officially sign with them in early December. The contract is for three years. Tazawa will earn $1 million a year and start off in Double-A.

Sox offer Tazawa $6 million

Craig Shipley, the Red Sox vice president for international scouting, spent just under two hours talking to 22-year old Junichi Tazawa and presented him with a $6 million offer. It's unclear whether or not the offer is a major-league deal or not.

Sumo Lounge TRIVIA: 20 scoreless in a game

Which Red Sox pitcher holds the American League-record 20 consecutive scoreless innings in a game? (He is also tied for the AL record in most innings pitched in a game overall.)

Analyzing the Coco Crisp/Ramon Ramirez trade

Coco Crisp - Evan Brunell

This trade is excellent from the Red Sox's perspective. The Sox had a very solid bullpen last year but now add Ramirez to their corps of young, cost-controllable arms that are capable of setting up and/or closing.

This trade is the first of many dominoes that will start to fall for the Red Sox. The question is, where will these dominoes fall?

Wherever the Sox go from here, the opening salvo of the Sox's offseason was the Crisp/Ramirez trade, and it's going to impact the rest of the offseason fundamentally.

Mills, Hale don’t get Mariners job

Brad Mills and DeMarlo Hale will have to wait for another team. The Seattle Mariners will announce Athletics bench coach Don Wakamatsu as their new manager.

While we're here, what about John Farrell declining to interview with the Seattle Mariners? Have the Sox given him a handshake deal that he will succeed Terry Francona as manager?