As Long As We Are Looking Ahead to 2015

Is Yoenis Cespedes still going to be in Boston in 2015? Will Giancarlo Stanton be here? Jon Lester? What do…

Red Sox Acquire Bailey for Reddick

MLB Trade Rumors has announced that the long-rumored Andrew Bailey to the Sox trade talks have finally come to fruition.…

Was Buchholz Lucky?

Every winter, there seems to be at least one topic that sparks a massive debate that nearly causes a civil…

Injuries Catching Up

I've already written this team off prematurely once this season, so I'm certainly not going to do it again. Still, this past week has shown exactly how badly the cavalcade of injuries suffered by the Red Sox have hurt them; without a major recovery or a major acquisition, the AL East will be a very steep hill to climb.

A recent Fire Brand poll asked which offensive player's absence would hurt the Sox the most, and the answer was both predictable and obvious: Dustin Pedroia is the leader, the sparkplug, and the heart of this offense in many ways. Still, other injuries -- some lasting nearly the entire season -- have been just as damaging.

Red Sox and Royals Could be Trading Partners

As we discussed previously, Kerry Wood is the odds on favorite to be the Red Sox new name reliever come August. The Olde Towne Team’s lack of upper-level prospects performing well and/or a desire not to part with these assets gives the Red Sox only a financial advantage over most other teams. Since Cleveland may not find many clubs willing to adsorb Wood’s large salary for the rest of 2010, Red Sox would seem to be one of the front runners for the hard-throwing relievers services. But another possibility could emerge in Kansas City.

Per usual the Royals are going nowhere in 2010. Their trading deadline focus will be on moving players that are unlikely to contribute to the next competitive KC club. Even with a better farm system than in the past, the Royals are probably not going to be contenders in 2011. Productive players with reasonable but short-term contracts like David DeJesus and Kyle Farnsworth should be on the move come July 31, 2010.

Robert Coello: The One Man Battery.

Catcher-turned-pitcher Robert Coello made his Triple-A debut with the Pawtucket Red Sox on April 19, 2009 against Lehigh Valley. Coello blanked the Iron Pigs for 1 1/3 innings and then was sent to Class-A Salem where he was 5-3 with two saves, a 2.05 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 66 innings. Looking back on Coello’s debut with Pawtucket, one thought stuck in the mind of pitching coach Rich Sauveur. “If you had asked me a year ago after he pitched that one inning, I would have said ‘Good luck. I hope you have a good education,’” related Sauveur. “But the strides he’s made in the last year are outstanding. “He very much wants to learn this game of pitching. Ask me now and I’d say the kid has an opportunity because he throws strikes and he’s got velocity on his fastball. He gets a lot of swings and misses with his fastball. “I’m very hopeful this kid will stay here,” added Sauveur, “and help our team win.” During his first three outings (one start and two relief appearances) with the PawSox, the 25-year-old right-hander has given every indication he’ll do exactly that – since he was 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA, replete with only five hits plus 19 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. In retrospect, those stats are a microcosm of his performance with Portland, where he began the season.

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I've had the privilege of attending three major homecomings at Fenway Park. The first was Pedro Martinez's, in 2006 as a member of the Mets; he was enthusiastically welcomed, but his start that game foreshadowed the injury woes that have plagued him through the latter part of his career. The second was Nomar Garciaparra, just last season as a member of the A's; that appearance was a harbinger of the reconciliation that was to come during the 2009-2010 offseason. Then, Friday, I was in attendance at Manny Ramirez's return, his first since the 2008 trade that finally ended the ongoing soap opera that was his Boston career. The reception he received at Fenway was mixed, and a perfect metaphor for his Boston career, which featured tremendous highs alongside controversy, character assassination, and the bitterest of Boston goodbyes.

This will be my third 'numbers' article, focusing on long-time former Sox players - from Pedro to Nomar and now to Manny. This, in many ways, is the hardest to write, as Manny is the hardest of those players to encapsulate. I would argue that alongside Pedro and Nomar, no single player is more responsible for the current popularity and success of the Red Sox as Manny Ramirez, and yet very few former players are as reviled and hated. A stunning talent, Manny was just as often a frustrating presence, never quite allowing the kind of iconic treatment other Sox players have received. His relationship with his teammates, the media, and the town itself was often contentious, and his dedication and loyalty were often questionable, but his production was always astounding. His career in Boston highlights a division among fans - would we rather see a successful but unlikeable player, or a mediocre but loyal one? How much do things like morality, kindness, and selflessness matter in modern sports, and to what degree are we viewing Manny's career through those lenses?

Sometimes the Biggest Tweaks for a Pitcher Have Nothing to do With the Arm.

During the course of the 2009 season, Pawtucket Red Sox left-hander Kris Johnson plummeted from prospect to suspect. Johnson spent the 2008 season at Portland and ranked ninth in the Eastern League and eighth in the Red Sox’ farm system with a 3.53 ERA. And he set a career high with 108 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings pitched. How far did Johnson drop last season?

5/ 28 Online Seats Game Thread: Wake Takes Mound Yet Again

In baffling fashion, the Boston Red Sox top some of the league's best on the road, and then proceed to drop a home game against the Kansas City Royals. Tim Wakefield will have to use his experience to get this new look Red Sox to take it one game at a time, as they take on Kyle Davies tonight at Fenway.

The coming of Prince Felix?

At the tender age of 16, pitcher Felix Doubront signed a contract worth $150,000 with the Boston Red Sox -- which wasn’t exactly pocket change. At 21, in November of 2008, the Red Sox placed Doubront on their 40-man roster so they wouldn’t risk losing him in the Rule V Draft.

The latter if not the former should speak volumes about how highly the Red Sox rate this 6-foot-2, 190-pound left-hander -- who may not be the second coming of Jon Lester but who eventually could be in the “ballpark” so to speak. Arguably the best left-hand pitcher in Boston’s farm system, Doubront dominated the Venezuelan Summer League and the Gulf Coast Rookie League as a teenager.