Poll: Better or Worse: Jason Varitek’s Average in 2009

New Poll Question: Better or Worse: Jason Varitek's Average in 2009?
Coming off a career low batting average of .220 in 2008 and one of the lowest averages for a primary catcher in the past ten years, will Jason Varitek be able to right the ship and break the .240 barrier this season? Vote in the poll to the left and give your community projection for Varitek here. Find out how you all responded to our previous poll, "How many bases will Jacoby Ellsbury steal in 2009?" after the jump.

Poll: Better of Worse: Jacoby Ellsbury’s 2009 Stolen Base Total?

New Poll Question:
Better of Worse: Jacoby Ellsbury's 2009 Stolen Base Total?

Early last season it seemed like Jacoby might steal 75 bags, but a mid-season slump hit both his bat and his legs and he ended up with only 50. Can he top 60 in 2009? Vote in the poll to the left and give your community projection for Ellsbury here. Find out how you all responded to our previous poll, "Will Jason Bay hit 30+ HRs in 2009?" after the jump.

Fireside Chats #34: Where we take some Hacks with Haggs and channel the supernatural ability of Gary Tuck

Fireside Chats is bringing you live reports from Fort Myers, FL and Boston Red Sox Spring Training with Joe Haggerty on location (as long as he doesn't piss off Gary Tuck and get thrown back to Boston). Who does Joe think could surprise and disappoint Red Sox fans this season? His answers might surprise you.

Once Joe leaves, Paul and Tim are back to their own accord talking about all the breaking news coming out of Spring....wait....there's no breaking news coming out of Spring Training and there's none on the horizon? In that case, we'll just riff until Opening Day. Come along for the ride.

Fireside Chats #33: Where it’s all Arod, all the time and, oh yeah…pitchers and catchers

While we'll mention the conclusion to the 'Tek saga and give a quick nod to the impending beginning of Spring Training, Episode #33 (the honorary Jason Varitek edition) is all about two things; Arod and Steroids. Come beat that horse a few times with us by the Fireside...

Fireside Chats #32: Where a Keurig machine is our answer to greenies

Paul and Tim discuss the merits of the Keurig coffee machine, the contracts of Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon, and look at the early returns from the infield in the 2009 "For Better or Worse" series on Fire Brand of the American League. Oh...and how could we forget banging our heads against the Varitek wall a few more times before a final decision is made.

All that and more on Episode #32 of Fireside Chats on MVN!

Fire Brand’s Top 40 Sox Prospects

Recently, ESPN ranked the Sox system 7th in all of baseball. This was quite a compliment to a team that just this past season graduated four of Baseball America's top five Sox prospects (Buchholz, Ellsbury, Masterson, Lowrie). Led by Director of Amateur Scouting Jason McLeod, the Sox quickly stocked up their system through the amateur draft and international free agency. Their 2008 draft class has arguably the highest potential of any team, and all of that was made possible by the Sox willingness to go over the slot to obtain guys that are considered to have signability issues. Part of the reason that has caused this has been the emergence of top prospects Pedro Alvarez and Matt LaPorta, two unsigned draft picks in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Spending over the slot should be a continuing trend for a team as rich in resources as the Sox, allowing them to remain as one of the top systems in baseball.

Fireside Chats #31: Where a little Smoltz and Baldelli goes a long way

Paul and Tim seem to have recovered from the aftershock of Mark Teixeira's donning the pinstripes, and John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli have alot to do with it. Aside from breaking down the new acquisitions, they go up and down the lineup, wonder if Tim Wakefield's position on this team is secure, and review the MLB Network. Are they suddenly optimistic about the Red Sox 2009 prospects? Listen and find out.

Rocco Baldelli, John Smoltz signings are master strokes

Smoltz - y-its-mom (Flickr)

As we all know by now, the Boston Red Sox are on the cusp of signing outfielder Rocco Baldelli and starting pitcher John Smoltz to contracts. These are master strokes by general manager Theo Epstein.

All that's standing in the way of Penny, Smoltz and Baldelli is not ineffectiveness, it's injury. And all indications (considering the Red Sox do their homework on this) is that these players do not have injuries holding them back anymore.

They're ready and able to get Boston that World Series ring in a year where they have two heavyweights on their back in the Yankees and Rays. What the Yankees and Rays may not be counting on, however, is that the Sox, as presently constituted, could be better than them.

Dustin Pedroia and the Red Sox agree to extension

There's been a common trend throughout Major League Baseball for teams to lock up their young talent early giving them more front loaded money in longer term deals, while effectively buying potential free agent years at a discount. This strategy allows a team to lock in young talent at reasonable annual dollar amounts over the long term. In Boston, you might say "they just "Nomar-ed" him into a long term deal".

While most teams have taken this strategy against players they have a "high degree of confidence" will be above average players over the life of the deal (i.e. Evan Longoria or Troy Tulowitzki), the Red Sox have the luxury of extending such an offer to the reigning American League MVP, Dustin Pedroia.

Thanks to a six year, $40.5 million dollar contract extension that will be formally announced at a 3 pm press conference today, Dustin Pedroia will be manning second base at Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. The contract, which has been in negotiation since mid-August, includes both a $1.5 million dollar signing bonus and a club option for the seventh year at $11 million dollars ($500,000 team buyout).

Lugo to the Tigers talks stalled, interest in Cora

Julio Lugo's fate next season has seemingly rested as much in the arms of the Detroit Tigers as the Boston Red Sox.

With talks between the Tigers and Red Sox regarding any potential swap of overpriced pitchers looking to rebound (Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis) and overpriced shortstops looking for redemption (Julio Lugo) seemingly dead in the water, the Detroit Tigers may make a move that makes it even more likely that Julio Lugo remains a Red Sox in 2009.