Sizing up the Sox after limited spending spree by Mike Ghika
Some odds and ends from recent one-year signings


Following the three headed monster the New York Yankees created in signing CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Mark Teixeira to a combined 20 years at $423 million, it seemed as if the Red Sox’s 2009 hopes had taken a sudden hit, especially considering the fact that they were huge players for the first baseman, Teixeira.

However, with the signing of two justified veteran starters, a Japanese 39-year old former closer, two key pieces to a powerful bench, and a catcher, the Sox can now feel more comfortable with what could be a possible decrease in overall offensive production after bolstering practically every other dimension of the roster. The news that a Red Sox legend is on tap for Hall of Fame induction this summer only sweetens the seemingly wild and constant Sox news of late.

Sure, perhaps the Sox over-signed. And perhaps they already have the young talent in the organization. But the Sox paid just a guaranteed $10.6 million on six one-year deals to Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Rocco Baldelli, Mark Kotsay, Takashi Saito, and Josh Bard. All contracts are incentive-laden deals, proving just how much the Sox value the potential of a low-risk, high-reward situation (a la Bartolo Colon in 2008).

Penny, a two-time All-Star (including an All-Star start in 2006) who finished third in the Cy voting in 2007 (16-4, 3.03 ERA), will earn $5 million before incentives and is coming off an injury-plagued season in Los Angeles.

The Smoltz signing most definitely called for the most buzz after he signed for $5.5 million. At first, the signing seemed as a mere insurance policy. But digging deeper into the situation, Smoltz was deeply hurt that his hometown Braves offered him next to no money and seemingly had no faith in his recovery process after shoulder surgery last June. It turns out that Smoltz is far ahead of schedule, and although he could probably pitch in April or May, the right-hander and the organization would rather hold him back and have him slated for maybe late May but probably June 1 to ensure his durability down the stretch.

Penny figures to garner the No. 5 spot in the rotation out of the gate, which means Tim Wakefield could be the odd man out assuming that all starters are healthy, as it certainly seems that the Sox are very eager to create a spot for Smoltz once he is indeed ready.

It does not look like the plan of action at this point, but shoulder surgery for a 41-year-old who has an additional 154 career saves on top of 210 career wins could also mean Smoltz ends up back in the bullpen at some point. But just in case, Epstein went out and signed the right-handed Saito (81 saves in 180 career appearances) as more insurance for a bullpen that already includes Jonathan Papelbon, Justin Masterson, newly-acquired Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen, Hideki Okajima, and Javier Lopez. So yes, that seemingly means that Saito, a 2007 All-Star, is the No. 5 right-hander out of the bullpen.

Baldelli, who everyone knows as the New England sensation out of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was wrongly diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder that made him fatigue unusually quickly and has been re-diagnosed with channelopathy, which can be treated accordingly with different medication. If Baldelli can come off the bench regularly, he will provide a share of right-handed power, speed, stout defense and a powerful arm.

Kotsay likely thought he would find a starting role somewhere, but a slow market allowed him to come back to Boston in another utility performance. He will likely play all three outfield spots, can also spell Youkilis at first, and of course is further insurance if Mike Lowell is slow in his recovery coming out of spring training, whereas he could play first when Youkilis would shift across the diamond, which is exactly what we saw down the stretch in September and in the World Series.

Julio Lugo also seems as if he is staying put at this point, and he's supposedly committed to getting into top shape and adding some muscle this off-season. This of course is nice news, but it will be interesting to see whether or not skipping winter ball like Lugo did turns out to be the right move for a player who missed half of the 2008 season. However, if we figure Jed Lowrie is the everyday shortstop, Lugo is an upgrade in speed and power over Alex Cora off the bench, who recently signed with the Mets, although Cora was certainly a better defensive option in the infield.

The topic of catcher of course still remains. And because it is unlikely that the Sox enter camp with the trio of Bard, George Kottaras and Dusty Brown to anchor the staff, talks for the left-handed hitting Miguel Montero of the Diamondbacks have heated up. I’m sure that Epstein will go back to the Rangers in hopes of a last-ditch effort to pry Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Texas. And with less than four weeks to go before pitchers and catchers report, you would have to think that the Sox and Jason Varitek have about a week to finish up an agreement if anything is in fact going to happen.

Meanwhile, the announcement of Rice’s triumph has the Nation thinking that the writers finally got it right (Rickey Henderson, a member of the 2002 Sox, obviously also got the nod). Rice’s future induction means that three consecutive left-fielders for the Boston organization will now be in the Hall. Ted Williams was of course the Sox everyday left-fielder from 1939 until 1960 when he retired, upon which Carl Yastrzemski took over from 1961 until 1974 before Rice took over as a youngster and Yaz relinquished his outfield spot in favor of first base.

In fact, Mike Greenwell took over left field from Rice in 1987 and stayed there until 1996, and Troy O’Leary was really the only regular left-fielder the Sox had before signing Manny Ramirez before the 2001 season, meaning just six Sox players patrolled the one position over what was nearly a 70-year-period. Four out of those six will one day sit in the Hall of Fame together. Pretty impressive.

Today’s everyday left fielder, Jason Bay, currently on track to hit free agency next winter, also entered extension talks recently with the front office. However, outfield free agents Ramirez, Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, and Pat Burrell either have not gotten or did not get the money they expected given the current down market, so the Sox may be able to reach a reasonably priced contract with Bay, who hit .293 with 9 homers and 37 RBIs in 49 games in Boston last year.

Yet on the other hand, there are not many premiere free agents outside of Bay, Matt Holliday, and Carl Crawford next off-season, which might lead the Canadian to forget an extension and test the waters when the time comes next December.

So after a scary domination of the sports world by the Yankees as they signed the two top pitchers and plucked the top overall prize from the Sox, Boston has retaliated without a big bang, but rather with a collection of small ripples that tightened virtually every end to a club that still plans to tidal wave over the competition in 2009.

-Mike Ghika

Published on January 19, 2009

---

Tweet