Sox sign reliever Saito

Who's next? TOMMY JOHN????

Ugh.... The Sox keep signing injured players. I think we have enough washed up, character players, those who are only part-timers. Compared to the offensive upgrades the rest of the AL East have done, the Sox offense is in trouble. They barely clicked after Manny left, Ortiz continues his historic fall from grace, Youk and Pedroia can't duplicate last year, Lowell is hurt/old, Ellsbury is a .260 hitter, JD is a part-timer as well, and we have no shortstop and catcher.

The Sox can acquire all the has-beens they want, but none of them improvet their relatively weak offense. IF the Rays don't falter, which they shouldn't, then the Sox will be going for 3rd or 4th in the division.

The Sox enter 2009 with a good (not great) starting staff, good (not great) bullpen, and average offense. I love the Sox, but this will be a long year, perhaps even ending the streak of sell-outs in August or September (which I really want, allowing real fans the opportunity to once again attend games.).

The 2009 path is now paved. It is cleared. Let's see what lies ahead for us.

Hmm, maybe Dice-K only has to go 5 innings this year. By the end of the year we could have this combo to end the game - Masterson, Saito, Smoltz and Papelbon. Sweet!

Nice signing...Do we get Mr. Fuji and the smelling salts as well?

Uhhh, 39 year old closer???????????? with elbow issues.
And the Sox want him why???????

How many pitchers with sore arms are the Red Sox signing this off season? This must be the record!

I saw Theo today. He was at the state landfill sifting through garbage looking for diamonds. He said it is his favorite low risk, high reward activity outside of baseball.

I like what the sox are doing here! Our pitching is matching up well with the Yanks and Rays if these recent signings come through and perform the way they are capable of doing. Just find a big righthanded bat and get V-Tek back at reasonable price and the sox management will have done a great job without breaking the bank!

OMG--it doesn't get any better than this offseason. I'll bet the orthopedic surgeons are already counting their blessings and good fortune! This is simply another pathetic run at spare parts. Theo and Henry what a combination. Cheap, cheap, and cheap. Go REHABILITATION NATION!!!!!

Does this mean the Red Sox trainer is going to receive overtime pay?

Another old, broken down pitcher!

What's with all the low risk reclaimation projects? Are these the Boston Red Sox or a Salvage Depot? Team needs more than tweaking. Lowell's and Ortizs" physical status and Veritek's pathetic batting ave. need addressing.Salty from the Rangers and/or Matt Holliday would be great acquisitions. Theo, use ur pitching chips (Buchholz/Bowden) to nab either or both before the Yanks do.They'll be looking for a replacement for Posada, and another outfielder next year.

great signing. small money, and if this guy is healthy, he's solid. reminds me of the williamson signing in '03.

Another player with a recent injury. Why is Theo signing so many injured players?

good. bolster up the bullpen, and maybe we can pitch right through the Spankees lineup. Dunno if this guy can still throw, but can't hurt too badly w/ a one year deal

Add this guy to the dude we traded Crips for from KC and that's a good pen on paper. Wonder if this is setting up a move to trade Masterson for a young catcher.

In Theo we trust to always give the scoop FOXsports.com's Ken Rosenthal despite all the media steroids fed him by boston.com

Finally, Okie dokie can get some rest.

Pretty obvious that Delcarmen will be packaged in a trade for a catcher, probably Montero.

Great move Theo!! Great off-season. Deepest bullpen in years! Thank you

I like the complimentary signings the Sox have made. Unlike the Yankees who, after being in a steady decline since the infamous '04 meltdown, the Red Sox are in need of a tweak or two, not an overhaul like NY. They have the top of rotation guys in Beckett and Lester, emerging stars with Youk and Pedroia. The only major needs is the obvious absence of an everyday catcher, which I am sure they will address. Is it enough to win a division, pennant or World Series, not too sure.
What they have is the ability to make a move more towards the trading deadline, while contending during the first half of the season. You don't win this thing in the Hot Stove season, just ask Detroit.

Here are the next players the Red Sox will sign:

Tom Glavine, Bobby Abreu, Garrett Anderson...all will receive 1 year guaranteed deals, loaded with incentives...

Worst signing in the off-season, Yankees signing Mark Tex to a 160 million deal, since 2003, Tex has batted less than .300! Good thing we didn't sign that pudgy 1st baseman...

Bunch of flipping whiners....what's wrong with adding extra pitching? And AJ Burnett doesn't exactly scare the crap out of me. Sox rotation puts Yankees to shame. Outside of wang and sabathia, what do they have? NOTHING!

I bet Theo is at a nursing home this weekend looking for some unsigned talent. They will rank right up there with the other signings this offseason.

Theo has done a fantastic job of signing players for minimal money/risk (Smoltz/Penny/Saito). The only way these players end up breaking the bank is through incentives, which if met, will mean they are healthy and producing like top starters/relievers. Absolutely fantastic job by Theo and Co.

This is a good move by the Sox. With no real big names left on the free agent market, Theo is building serious depth. No one of these recent signings need to come through big, but with so many guys who can legitimately make a big impact, odds are one or two will come through. And that's all they need.

Remember, the Sox finished SECOND in th AL in runs and OPS last year. They were one of the best offenses in the major leagues, far ahead of the Yankees. Can't dispute the numbers. And the fact that they came 1 game away from the WS, with pitching that was struggling, demonstrates exactly how good the offense was for them. And they did that with an injured Ortiz and Lowell. Let's not forget Bay. He had 31 HR last season, almost the same as Tex (33). Getting Tex was a luxury. They didn't need Tex, it just would have been nice. All they need is for Ortiz and Lowell to be healthier than last year, not even perfect, and they're right at the top of the league. And you throw in a clearly improved rotation, arguably the best in the AL. Things are okay.

Great Theo -- call to see if Oil Can is available...

the Sox better sign the best doctor available this off-season.

Hey Tomen8r! Be careful...the sky is falling

who's next? ..Robinson Checo?

Stop drinking the Kool aid. Sox fans intoxicated by the two recent championships are holding hands singing Kumbaya! Hail oh mighty Theo. Give me a break tell me what combination of players makes up for Manny? Tominator had a lot right in his blog. Everyone in our division can pitch! They struggled late against the Jays and Orioles come on Boston wake up.

Are half the people commenting just incredibly stupid? This guy is not a closer on this team. Do you think they'll plug him in after Papelbon? Think would you! He's a low-risk chance to further bolster an already solid bullpen. He saved 39 games 2 years ago and he'll be pitching the 6th inning here, if he's healthy. Same with the other signings mentioned. Low-risk high reward. Hasn't Theo and staff earned a bit of confidence from us? Let's judge the team after the trading deadline and not in January

Red Sox Nation:

Believe in Theo. He knows what he is doing. Have we become, heavens forbid, Yankee fans i.e. Buy me the most expensive line-up so we can finish 2nd or 3rd in the division. No. Theo is putting the small pieces into place now in anticipation of putting together a block-buster trade that wil address our catching and offensive line-up defeciencies.
I for one,don't believe that Pappi and Lowell are washed-up; Pedoria and Youkilis will fall flat on thier faces after great 2008 seasons; and that the Starting Rotation and Bullpen are only "good" not "great". Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Penny, and Wake are a formidable rotation (with Smoltz waiting in the wings in Late May-Early June
should an injury/ineffectiveness occur). Our bullpen is very strong with Masterson, Delcarmen, Okajima, Saito, Ramirez, and Papelbon.
Whatever shortcomings are exposed in April-June, Theo has the ammunition to address mid-season. The Red Sox will be fine in '09 and ready to challenge any and all comers for the World Series. GO SOX.

ew

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Stop drinking the Kool aid. Sox fans intoxicated by the two recent championships are holding hands singing Kumbaya! Hail oh mighty Theo. Give me a break tell me what combination of players makes up for Manny? Tominator had a lot right in his blog. Everyone in our division can pitch! They struggled late against the Jays and Orioles come on Boston wake up.

Stop drinking the Kool aid. Sox fans intoxicated by the two recent championships are holding hands singing Kumbaya! Hail oh mighty Theo. Give me a break tell me what combination of players makes up for Manny? Tominator had a lot right in his blog. Everyone in our division can pitch! They struggled late against the Jays and Orioles come on Boston wake up.

Theo is all about low-risk/high yield (and loading up on pitching). He clearly doesn't want to overpay or overcommit for the talent that's left in this year's field of free agents, so it seems like he is piecing together a bunch of 1-yr deals that we go move on from after '09, if they don't work out.

We don't need to match the Yankees dollar-for-dollar. The Yankees seem more interested in signing the biggest available name on the market, team chemistry be damned. Remember how the Yankees used to do it with guys like Brosius, O'Neill, Williams, Tino and Jeter.

I like the pitching signing. But lets try to get Orlando Cabrera back a short or Hanley Ramirez in a trade for Ellsbury!! then we will get our bat that we need.
This lineup looks good:
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Duntin Pedroia
3. David Ortiz
4. Kevin Youklis
5. Mike lowell
6. Jason Bay
7. J.D Drew
8. Jason Varitek
9.Rocco Baldelli/Kotsay
Pitching:
Beckett
Lester
DiceK
Penny
Smoltz/Wakefield

6

Everyone's whining about the injury risk players we're signing but my money says that if Penny and/or Smoltz are healthy they'll put up better #'s than AJ Burnett. I like Theo's approach of going after guys like this in the bullpen, remember the last high profile guy we trade for our bullpen, GAGNE!!!

To Tomen8 comment no. 1. What's with the doom and gloom and pessimism??? You sound like a Sox fan of OLD!!! To me the Sox, and I've been a die-hard fan since 71, have a team of young talent and some serious veteran warriors that have something to prove. The Sox, Theo & Co. put together, hungry and gritty, "TEAMS". The yankmees put together high priced, afraid to get their uniform dirty players. To say Ortiz is in decline and that Youk and Peddy can't match last year and that Jacoby is mediocre is just ridiculous.
I can't wait for those Jack-asses at Sports Illus. to make their predictions with the Sox finishing 3rd. When, at the end of the year, if they all stay healthy, they'll, without a doubt be in the Series. NO DOUBT.

I like this signing. I think these last few with Smoltz, Saito, Penny, will make a big diiference over the season for our pitching.

I love these signings! More veterans.
The great thing is these new guys are all 40 man roster guys. Lets clear the roster of rookies and those young guys - who needs them.
Give me old veterans any day.
In Theo we trust. We should bring back Pedro next. Then Glavine. Then Schilling.

If they are all healthy we'd have a rotation of 20 game winners.

Great Move. Those of you who think otherwise obviously don't watch enough baseball. They are making moves like the Patriots. Penny, Smoltz, Saito will make our Staff a lot stronger but I do think we could still use a bat.

Theo has made many great (questionable at the time) moves and very few bad moves (David Wells - sorry for the reminder).

He knows what he's doing. Maybe some of the pitchers are gambles but better to gamble with what you can afford to lose than to bet the farm.

To tomen8r and all you other uninformed, part-time RedSox fans, you have no idea what you are talking about. "relatively weak offense"?? Relative to what? On what do you base that? Perception? Why don't you get a clue before you talk about things you know nothing about. This "relatively weak offense" finished 3rd in Average, 3rd in runs, 3rd in slugging and 1st in on-base percentage. IN ALL OF BASEBALL, not the AL. Because they don't hit the homers you want they are average? They did all this with an sub-par Ortiz, an injured Lowell and horrific catcher production. It's about pitching numb-nuts and they are doing the right thing.

Still, no African Americans. Where's Jesse?

Some one wrote "....Ortiz continues his historic fall from grace..." The season has not started yet. How can he be continuing this historic fall?

So will the 2009 Red Sox be playing at Fenway Park or some local Assisted Living Facility ? Are you kidding me with these acquisitions ? Penny, Smoltz, Baldelli & now Saito. It's obvious that it was Teixeira or bust this off-season. Guess what we;re seeing now ? That's right, the bust.

Definitely worth a shot to complete to bullpen. Did you really want David Aardsma to be that last guy? If everything goes right, (yes it's an IF, but the Sox seem to be hedging their bets across the entire pitching staff), we are much deeper in the pen, and the possibility of Wake going back to the pen by mid-season makes it even stronger.

What are we doing??? Theo's assembling a MASH unit not a contender in the AL East!! Is this flurry of big name, has-been signings suppose to hide the fact that we still have not improved the club in now two straight off seasons. The Yankees signing Texiera must have turned Theo's alarm clock on, now please somebody shut it off and let him go back to sleep. While you're at it call Mass General and tell them to stock up on a few more MRI machines because they're gonna need em after these signings.

Hey don't freak out everyone. I'm willing to bet that these moves are just adding depth to a team that might be looking at a trade that will catch us all off guard. Just give it time and trust in our management because they haven't let us down yet. Just because you don't spend like the Yankees doesn't mean that the season is over before it begins.

To all those who are idiot's, yet still Red Sox fans. The sox will probably have the best bullpen in baseball, national or american, and if beckett is himself, lester repeat's performance, dice k can calm a little bit, wake's wake, penny can adjust, which is a lot of luck maybe, we could have the best starting rotation in baseball. Not to mention John Smoltz in may or June. Oh, and tomen8r, you realize that not only did the red sox 'click' after manny, but they almost scored an entire run more per game. You uninformed wannabe red sox fans make me sick. Don't get me wrong, this year could go badly, but it's not going to be a dive by any means.

Good signing. They give up nothing to get him. If he is hurt and can not pitch they lose nothing. They lose nothing in taking this gamble. He has dominant stuff.

Let's hope they don't all break down at the same time.

All of you dont get it, they are signing for low money, chances are we are going to get a good year out of one of them

Here's what the Sox have done with their pitching:

Penny/Smoltz replace Colon/Byrd as spot and 5th starters - while they still have Buchholtz, Bowden, and Bard as young potentials to fill that spot.

They have added 2 solid arms so far to their bullpen in Ramirez and Saito while retaining Delcarmen, Lopez, Okajima, Aardsma, and Papelbon. They also have Masterson who can be used as a starter or out of the bullpen.

Oh, and they picked up some guy named Tawaza from Japan who we'll just to wait and see on - he could be a bust or could turn out to be another Okajima.

Now if they could just sign Juan Cruz (probably won't, since he is a type A free agent) it would make for a great bullpen.

With Dice-K, Saito, Okajima, and Tawaza on teir roster, and the Sox needing a catcher, and Seattle having another young catcher available, does it make sense for the Sox to go after kenji Jo-Mama?

I dont get all the negativity. For a team that was one game away from a world series, do we really need to go out and spend a ton of money on one (or 3!) guy? I dont think so. (If they did, you'd all moan about the higher ticket prices.) The Sox are simply morphing into the Patriots. The Pats have always succeeded in picking up cheap or un-wanted players. Some work and some dont. But it's a smart strategy when you have a solid core.

Foolish people. It's a risk vs. rewards signing. Similair to Colon last year. If you're going to be a Sox fan, please get educated.

Great great move. Saito has been dominant when healthy. Our pitching staff 1-12 is ridiculous if he is healthy. Actually, it was ridiculous before him, it could be flat out lights out if hes healthy.

I think it's great....can't have enough arms! Who knows if he's half as good as he was in 2007....awesome. Give the old buck a shot. I'm sure we'll use him somewhere in the mix. In Theo We Trust!!! Let's get a catcher now.

you are all idiots, the sox will be just fine, the offense is still in question but the pitching staff is well equiped to compete with the rays and yankees who are still sub par in their rotation... Burnett? hes a has been always will be injury prone player.. relax red sox nation we will all be happy next october

hey guys,
let cashman shop at lord & taylor and theo at the dollar store.
if half of theo's dollar bargains work out we will be fine.

If we keep this up we might have to change our names to the Yomiuri Giants

A lot people keep talking doom and gloom with the Sox, but doesn’t every team have question marks, their injury concerns, etc??? Let me try this drill with the Yankees…..How will their 39 year-old closer respond to shoulder surgery in the off-season, he can’t be the Mariano of old forever…..How will the 37 year-old Posada respond to shoulder surgery, is he really an every day catcher?.....Will AJ stay healthy? His two healthiest years were contract years. How will deal with the NY media/pressure when it rains down on him?.......the Yankees left side of the infield is still defensively slow and horrific….Yankees lost 52 HR’s, 196 RBI’s, & 149 BB’s in Giambi & Abreu, has that totally been replaced?.......Will Fat Boy & AJ average 17 wins each like Mussina and Pettite did last year?.....Jeters another year older. His average, HR’s, RBI’s, BB’s, SB’s have all gone down each of the last two years…..How’s Hideki Matsui doing?....Is the FAT BOY, JOBA, going to last an entire year….

Good signing. I trust Theo.

red sox fans are the worst. you crap all over the yankees for getting high price talent and then turn around crap all over your own team for being thrifty. you can't have it both ways.

GO SOX!

When is El Guapo coming back?

For the people keep posting where are the African Americans, enough already. Theo is not picking up players based on race. The number of African Americans playing MLB has been declining for a while. 8.2% of the opening day rosters last years were African Americans - half of what it was in 1997. By that math if you are going to be anal about it, there should be 2 on the 25 man roster but who cares. If you are so hung up on race, you can cheer on the dark-skinned Latinos or watch the NBA or NFL.

Again, a solid signing with very little down side. If Saito works in to assisting the set up roll for 30 percent of the games, the Red Sox organization wins! Exceptionally low salary and incentives to the pitcher for success!!! Again, Good Job executives!!!!!

I agree with most of you... They need to address the offense! I love Youk, but he is not a clean-up hitter. Lowell/Ortiz Injury and age. The push for Texeira Should have been more intense, Why not take it to the limit and then make the Yankees pay up to 200 million if need be. Theo and the trio did it with Sebathia and Burnett.
I see a third place finish 5-10 games out. I can see this trend for the next few years. The rays are young and improving, while the yankees have a STUD at first base.
Who's next??? Sammy Sosa? Jim Rice? Jose Canseco?
I love the mid-market mentality of John Henry with a large market revenue stream.

It appears The Red Sox are doing the smart thing and waiting to see when the current recession finally bottoms out. Much smarter to sign these low-cost, high-reward players then wasting money on guys like injury prone Burnett and old man Lowe. If they land up re-signing Paps, Youks, Bay, Lester and Becket over the next 2 years, then this low $$$ offseason will look pretty intelligent. Wouldn't every Sox fan rather keep our home-grown talent and current All-Star caliber players instead of overpaying for guys past their prime???

I like these pitching signings. Think about some of the guys we had last year. Timlin (old & injured), Hanson (ineffective), Colon (fat and injured), Aardsma (ineffective mostly). I'll take Saito, Ramon Ramirez, a full year of Masterson, Smoltz and Penny (both much better than Colon) along with Delcarmen, Okajima and Papelbon.

Could use another bat though

Why not go get Gagne back, too? While they are it, they should stock up on Geritol and some cadavers.

Sawks fans please. Thesesignings provide great options. If 1 or 2 ,Penny,Smoltz,Saito or Ramirez pan out the opportunity to trade Bowden or Buckholts becomes easier. Masterson goes nowhere. He's perfect cover for Papelbon-who may have issues B/C velocity is down. If baldelli regains health he could be sensational. Get a grip guys---it's only January. Russ Q. in N.C.

loading up for some trades...Live in Atlanta...Smoltz will be a huge pick up for the Sox.

This is a great move. If you sign numerous injury-questionable pitchers who are very good when healthy, odds are at least one or two will be healthy and give you an outstanding season. The middle bullpen was the team's biggest weakness in 08, but now it is looking like a premium bullpen, like it was in 07.
The Sox offense will be fine. It was very good in 08, and players like Lowell, Ortiz, and Ellsbury should bounce back and surpass their 08 performance. I would much rather have a top-to-bottom lineup of very good hitters than one with a few studs and a few holes. That is why Texas got rid of A-Rod.

Ivan-- Thats a great lineup...I'd love it if they pulled off a Hanley Rameriz deal, we have young players to trade.. the Yanks don't plus CC.. good pitcher, carried Brewers but not proven is post season... AJ hurt every year except contract years.. Pavano 2? Is possible... Tex good signing but Lowell and Youk are good at the corners. We have depth of pitching and its a war of attrition... some of these guys will have big years

HEY ~ Just maybe that CRYSTAL BALL is showing them something
special - maybe? We won't know until; "later" ...........
ANYWAYS - GO SOX's

Loading up on pitching....because the next shoe to drop is a young catcher coming our way for Buchholz plus two minors for the young Texas catcher..

Andre Dawson and Jack Clark are well rested, Mark "the bird" Fydrich...Bill "space man" Lee is pitching better now than he did 30 years ago. As long as we're going old-timers team for 2009 (April for these guys in Boston is an EXTREMELY BAD IDEA THEO!) we can make some merchandising money from the retirement crowd.

I understand the bargain approach and avoiding the over-priced free agents, but this is getting tough to watch.

How many injury prone and recently injured players do we need on the bench? We have enough in the starting lineup. Have any of these risk-reward guys even worked out in the past to make the aggregate risk they all bring worth it? Sure $1MM - $5MM isn't much in baseball salary land, but when you add them all up, you're talking about a pretty big chunk of change for 4 guys (Baldelli, Penny, Smoltz and Saito), who are just as likely to yield zero value as "upside." I think I'd rather see them rush some guys to the majors than work through re-treads.

At least I know better than to waste the money on DirecTV's extra innings package this year. Not interested in spending every night watching us finish third and out of the playoffs.

What's all the whining about? Who cares? He could be great or not...so what? Why not give it a shot?

Why's everyone complaining about these re-tread deals? They are what they look like - experiments. We'll find out if these guys can or can't go. Some will work out and some won't. We'll drop the ones that don't and keep the ones that do and overall the cream will rise to the top of the bullpen. I'm not saying we won't have a dogfight all year with the yanks and the rays, but I also don't think this team is going to be awful either.

I get it, and 09 could be an immense success...but there's just a bit too much 'if' built into our roster for my comfort. Face it, the diff between 07 and 08 was bullpen and I for one am glad to see the issue is being addressed...on the other hand I wouldn't cry if they landed a big bat and soon!!!p

Hmmmmm.......does anyone else besides me think a significant trade is going to happen soon? My guess???.....Buchholz and Delcarmen to the Rangers for Salty and some reserve infield help.

The Sox have had a bevy of lawyers at Ted William's cryogenic slab petitioning to 'talk with the Splendid Splinter'. Plans are for Tito to fly our and have dinner with his revived corpse next week.

This is totally absurd. The Sox are becoming a team of the physically challenged types. Is that a condition for being a Red Sox? Look at what is on the roster: Lowell (serous hip surgery), Papi (bad wrist), Penny (huge injury history and coming off major surgery), Smoltz (history of injuries and recent serious surgery). What is going on here?

A couple of factors here. When taken together.. this is a good signing. First, the money angle.

1) The Economy. Let's face it, we're in for at least a 2 year rough ride and baseball isn't immune since it is a form of discretionary spending. Any one year deal is better than a three plus year deal because of the economic uncertanties.

2) He's Japanese. Signing Dice-K wasn't just about getting a dominant pitcher in his prime. It was also about making 150 million rabid, Japanese baseball fans, SOX fans. If they're all buying SOX Hats and and SOX tee shirts then the numbers just really work well. This just adds to that phenomenon.

3) We all know that good pitching gets out good hitting. And more games than not are decided in the 5th, 6th and 7th innings when the starters are tired or the middle relief bums are trying to survive till the 8th. So this is as much about shoring up the 6th inning as it is about anything else. It's not that he's going to pitch the 6th, that could be anybody, but whoever it is, Delcarmen, Ramirez or this guy, will be altogether better than the alternative. And if you're not confident about your offense, (catcher???, weak hitting shortstop, maybe a .265 Ellsbury, injury prone Drew and Baldelli) then making up for it by saving a run or two in the 6th inning just makes sense. .

Good Signing Theo. Low risk, high reward.

Good move, if he's healthy, he's quality. I'd take our pitching staff over anyone, WHEN HEALTHY! Cross your fingers "nation"....

Can Sparky Lyle and Bill "Soup" Campbell be far behind?

No, magicman, the tomin8r does not have it right. Hate to pile on the guy, but claiming Pedrioa and Youk's offense will drop off is dumb. The guy doesn't even have the sense to say their numbers "might" drop off. Which they won't. Pedroia was ROY and played a huge part in the Sox winning a ring in 07, then he shrugged off the sophomore jinx by winning none other than the AL MVP. As a 2nd Baseman! Not to mention leading the Sox to within one game of the 08 WS with no Manny, no Lowell, no Ortiz (relatively speaking), no Beckett (ditto), a catcher who was an automatic out, and a patched-together lineup featuring Mark Kotsay (hits in the low 200s), Coco Crisp (no Jacoby Ellsbury), and a career backup splitting time at shortstop with a second half callup. And claiming JD Drew is a reserve makes me wonder if this poster is really watching the games. Yes, this team lacks for a pure cleanup hitter (assuming Ortiz's power numbers continue to decline), but they've got 4 good options for a number three hitter, they've got 4 or 5 other guys capable of leading off, and they've got the best number 2 hitter in the game. What's more, their lineup goes lefty-righty almost all the way through, which has played a big part in their recent successes. (The Cubs, on the other hand, were too right-handed. You can get away with this in the regular season, but not the playoffs.) Another thing to consider...Theo might be stocking the roster in order to use a few young guys in a major trade. Jake Peavy, anyone? Or maybe Carlos Lee hitting cleanup? One of these two guys puts us back on top. So chill.

Why don't we sign Pedro Martinez as well...

i took an "experimental injection" once too. 'was a helluva week i tells ya!
and my pitching arm didn't hurt at all, i mean not a single drop of that beer spilled over. come to think of it, no part of my body did feel anything at all; 'was like levitatin' in a beautiful spaceship needle-point above pastures and fields shinin' in the sun so groovy and wonderful, nobody on the road, nobody on the beach head full of zombie or nothin'...
'was a motherf*ckin' miracle, and i want you to acknowledge it!

Stop this whiny BS!

It is obvious that the Red Sox could use a bat for the middle of the order. Now ask yourself this question. Who should it be? No free agents available to sign that will upgrade this team, this year. Why not sign depth and then wait until either the trade deadline or next season. For one, Smoltz is a gamer and will pan out. If they don't, who cares? They didn't cost anything. Also, please do not mention Hanley Ramirez again. We could trade 4 A+ prospects and they wouldn't give him up. Management has a strategy that will keep this team competitive for many years. Why do something stupid to jeopardize their overall plan? Henry is not cheap, he offered Texeira fair market value. Let the Yankees eat 20 million when he is on the decline in 3 years. If they went to 200 million, I think a HUGE mistake. He still might not have come to Boston. Texiera's wife likes 5th Avenue better than Newberry St. Who knows, who cares! We will be competitve with any team in the AL and beyond. So all of you uninformed haters out there, please just STOP. You are embarassing to us all!

Why are some people allowed to make comments here?

1. Saito has thrown over 60 innings in his previous years. one yr does not make a guy injury prone. All these Sox fans who wanted Burnett yet call guys like Penny and Saito injury prone clearly ignore Burnett's injury history.

2. TEIXEIRA WAS NEVER GONNA BE A RED SOX NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE SOX OFFERED BECAUSE THE YANKEES WOULDVE TOPPED IT REGARDLESS THE COST. SO GET OVER THESE MAN CRUSHES OVER TEIXEIRA.

I'm a displaced Sox here in PA. I've followed the Dodgers the last three years pretty closely because my cousin pitched for them and can tell you when Saiko is healthy he's great and can compliment the releif staff because he has great stuff and location. He's definately a great pickup, if he's unhealthy we have the depth to cover it. Also, we have the best piching coach and staff in the business and they'll do a great job with the pitchers we picked up.
I trust that Theo and staff will give us a great chance to win it all although we won't be favored this year.

Am I really supposed to pay $100 a game to watch the 2008 Disabled All Star Team?

theo knows what he is doing just give it time...hey we don't have to spend those millions for 3 players,i think we those millions for 3 players you can afford a team..i will laugh my ass if yankees don't make the playoffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too many IF's on this team. Sign Abreu to cover for Papi at DH, and to have a reliable PH for underperformers late in the game. He could play RF too if needed. Good base stealer. Finally, keep him away from batting AGAINST the Sox.

MICHAEL WEBER

Are you using GagMe as an argument in favor of Theo? If so what are you thinking?

I think I will be a little sick if I see the quotes "Believe in Theo" or "In Theo We Trust" one more time. He's not a God. He makes mistakes just like everyone else. Just stop it!

It's all about the health of the entire team. The health.......health.....health.... oh ya! did I mention everyones health will be the key to success

Yankees fans would be rejoicing if they were to read these weak and whiny blogs. Where is the risk? The Sox obviously had 20 something millions to spend and they're making the best of it. If any of these guys pitch to their potential we're trading guys before the deadline and squeezing other teams for their prospects instead of them stealing ours. WAKE UP!

This club comes down to Drew's health. Period. When he is healthy, the entire offensive line-up takes on a different complexion. The $10,000 question is: can he stay healthy?

To many ifs

If you take all things into consideration, sigining three proven veterans like Penny, Smoltz, and Saito are admirable additions to a team that is a lot better than people are giving them credit for. This team was just one win away from the World Series last year. In retrospect, they had a bad game in Game 7 of the ALCS. Fact of the matter is, it happens.

The general concensus is that this team is not as talented as the Yankees or the Rays. However, we do not know how the Yankees signings will pan out. Ask the same questions in one year and we would have a definitive answer. Every off-season, there are teams that go out and load up on talent, but that alone foes not guarantee success. Look at the studs turned duds in 2007. The Tigers were supposed to run the show. Abismal season, How about the Mets? Johan Santana would control baseball and lead the Mets into the playoffs? Nope. Even Seattle was supposed to have an above average season behind the Bedard. They were one of the worst teams in baseball last year. We know nothing about the chemistry of these Yankees stars.

Usually when a lot of talent is gathered together, egos can get in the way and effect a teams play. In all honesty, we don't know. Same for the Rays. They could jhust as easily go back to being the team of old and not have a great year. When you play that well last year, its hard to repeat that intensity. Some argue that Boston is at least the third best team in their division. Even if that pans true, they are still a top-tier team in baseball. The depth that Theo Epstein has worked into this system is honorable.

Obviously, these three veteran signings are not a move for the future. However, they may be paving the way to address our needs behind the plate at catcher, or possibly allowing us to add another superstar. Smoltz will offer quality starts once in the lineup around May or June. Even if not, hes a great addition to the bullpen, which will more than likely be his role due to his age and fatigue. I am convinced that Penny still has a lot of gas in him, after all, hes in his early thirties. While he won't perform like the All-Star starter he was just a few seasons removed, Penny can still pack a punch and be as good as a number three starter on this team.

As for Saito, he has shown some electticity out of the bullpen in Los Angeles. He will be a good arm to go to to bridge the gap between starter and Papelbon. Plus, he will be able to close when Papelbon or Okajima needs a little rest. Overall, these moves are a lot more helpful than most think they will be.

Hey, Freaks Wake Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pitching, Pitching, and More Pitching

2009, Will be the best Red Sox team ever, look at the roster!

I have been to the area of Texas were Beckett has a ranch (Oct 2008), besides the cheap Hot! mexican girl he has nothing else to do but, lose weight. Pitching wins, look at 04 and 07

Wow, this must be where fans who know nothing about baseball go to complain.
On what planet is pitching depth a bad thing? And pending the solution to the catching issue, which offseason move was bad? Please. Sounds like most of you should become Yankee fans so your team can spend billions and still fail to win a championship. Please, take off your pink hat and start paying attention. And you can begin by going to MLB.com and re-watching game 5 of the ALCS. Start at the bottom half of the 7th.

Next up are Pedro and Schilling. They should be ready by July and may be able to give the Sox 50 innings each.

Quit the negative crap you half-heart fans. You're just not going to trust the Sox with these moves? Not like we're throwing a ton of guaranteed money over multiple years to these guys. This team did not need as much as you would think, sorry we didn't splash the market with big signing like we had done with Lugo and Drew. You all sound like Yankee fans begging to break out the check book everytime things don't go your way. I for one like their offseason so far, only guy I would have thought about adding that they didn't was Sheets.

I would love to see ONE thread that doesn't mention the good, not great player who used to play for Texas but is now a mortal foe. Face it kiddies, he wasn't worth even what the sox offered, he didn't want to come here, and bora$ was using the sox to increase the contract dollars.
Now then, this is a good signing, and if he stays healthy, it is a very good addition to an already strong bullpen. Gives the Sox options to get a good hitting catcher with the trade of a spare arm

Theo usually ends up proving me wrong, but WTF?? What a collection of broken down question marks...... If this "plan" works out, he'll be the biggest genius in the history of the world..... But at this point I'm having ard time believing that this mess of an offseason will end up making him look like anything but the biggest moron in the history of the world. Are all these signings just a strategy to show Boras that they can build a team without pricey free agents? If so, I don't know who's benefiting from this charade.......

Sounds like the 2009 version of the Eric gagne experiment.

Maybe we have a different outcome this time.....................ya, right.

I got tired trying to read through all these...

Has anyone considered the idea of mid-season trade(s) - (somewhat like the 'moneyball' A's of years past) - as a potential/probable cure-all for whatever winds up ailing this team? And this is asked as an actual question, not rhetorical. With no one available as a free agent to placate those pining after the out of reach texeira, isn't doing nothing/not much good enough going into the season, especially for a team that was a few runs shy of the american league crown and world series last year? That one was rhetorical...

What do all these pathetic whiners have to say about the Yankees? Will Wang return to form? Will Teixeira replace both Giambi(31HRs/96RBI) and Abreu(100 R/20HRs/100RBI)? Or will Jeter, Damon, Posada continue their "historic fall from grace"? Will CC Sabathia be compared to Hideki "Fat Toad" Irabu? Or will Hal and Hank put the P.R. Department to work and come up with something more colorful? Will A.J. Burnett match Carl Pavano for 4W/100Inn years? Who will wiegh more at the end of the year, CC or Joba? Or will Johnny Damon throw out runners at the plate on the fly? Will Melky Cabrera win the Triple Crown? Who do you think we are up against? Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle and Maris? The Yankees have only replaced what they lost TO free agency. Mussina(20Wins) and Giambi and Abreu.Otherwise they are getting old fast. They finished THIRD. Not the Sox. Try rooting for the Nationals, Royals or Pirates and come back when you have a better grip on reality. When you can appreciate a team that is trying to put together talented youth and some veterans who might want to win a ring before the window of opportunity(or their career altogether) comes to a close. And Tomen8r, you're just Shaughnessy-saturated.

youk and dusty have similar numbers to last year? right.

I like the signing. Cheap, proven. Injured, yes. But he passed his physical. Adds depth to our already strong bullpen, so he won't need to pitch many many innings. And with the restraint of John Farrell and Theo, he won't be overworked.

As for Ivan about signing Orlando Caberea. If you didn't know Orlando Caberea has caused a riff with many organizations in his career and the Red Sox are one of the them. Orlando will never be in a Red Sox uniform again.

The Pen is mightier Trabek.

I hear that Bret Saberhagen is available....

I've watched Saito for the last few years and it's clear to me that
Theo knows what he is doing. Saito at 1.8 m is a steal. Most boston guys above
haven't seen him probably. Clearly, this will e a pleasant surprise.
Colletti gambled and lost.

awesome another closer from the Dodgers..Saito Gange...sweet. Thanks Theo.

Most of these comments are ridiculous. This team came within ONE GAME OF THE WORLD SERIES last year with Beckett, Lowell, Drew, and Ortiz all injured. They don't need to push the panic button and spend $400 million like the Yankees did.

Also, everyone who is complaining that the Sox need a bat.. have you all completely forgotten about Jason Bay? He hit .293/.370/.527 (128OPS+) in Boston last year. He's going to put up more of the same this coming season with 30HR and 100RBI.

All of these recent signings are really good. Penny was hurt last year, but he was an All Star in 2006 and 2007. In 2007 he finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting (16-4, 3.03ERA). Baldelli is a legitimate 5-tool player who can play all 3 OF positions. If he really has his condition under control and played every day, he'd be a 20HR/20SB player. Kotsay is the LH bat to complement Baldelli (RH) off the bench, and he can also play all 3 OF positions and he was pretty good defensively at 1B for the few games he played there too. Smoltz is going to miss the first two months rehabbing, but he's a fierce competitor and he will be helpful in case someone goes down. Finally, Saito has a 1.95 ERA the past 3 years (2.49 last year) That's a pretty big upgrade from Timlin.

Stop complaining about signing injured players. If they don't pan out.... guess what? You drop them... no harm no foul. I like all of these recent signings, if half of them work, then they were worth it.

And for those thinking the Sox are getting Hanley Ramirez back, get over it... it ain't happening. Not for a couple years at least...

Penny, Smoltz, and Saito are not the answer. Saito needs Tommy John surgery! Maybe we get lucky with one of these guys but... The season seems to hidge on Lowell and Ortiz, plain and simple. I would have saved the money on these 3 has beens and signed Adam Dunn as insurance on Ortiz.

It is puzzling that the Sox have signed so many question marks, considering that we really don't know what we will get out of Drew, Lowell, Ortiz, and Becket. Not to mention the gaping holes at shortstop and catcher. What the Sox have going for them is, and what they have smartly refused to give up, is unparalleled depth in young, quality starting pitching. The key is Beckett - if he is the Beckett of '07 the Sox will win the World Series. After all, he owned Sabathia that year. Lester will only get better, Dike-K finished 3rd in the AL last year in ERA. Masterson should go back to being a starter - he has great potential. Buchholz will be great soon. Bowden also has great potential.

Well at least this is the first time they signed an injured player to a one year contr....never mind.

Ok, let's see. We have Ortiz's clicking wrist, Lowell's popping out of place hip, the always healthy JD Drew, Wake's old back , I don't even know what that Balldeli disease is, Smoltz,Penny,and Saito with stiched together arms. Let's just hope that Francona knows that old Mr. Meagee trick. GO Bruins!

Holy crap nobody on this board thinks in terms of a 25 man roster over a 162-game schedule...

Is Takashi Saito at 1.5 mil > Mike Timlin at 3 mil? Absolutely!

GREAT signing. Instead of seeing David Pauley in a role he should not be in, or Devern freakin' Hansack throwing important innings, things are taken care of. How many sixth innings were completely blown up by Mike Timlin/Julian Tavarez/David Pauley/Hideki Okajima (when he was tired) last year?

Old Man Winter: "Sounds like the 2009 version of the Eric gagne experiment.
Maybe we have a different outcome this time.....................ya, right."

A different outcome this time? Does that mean you DON'T want us to win the World Series this year? ...Because that's what the outcome was during the last "Eric Gagne Experiment."

Sure, Gagne himself wasn't a key factor either way, but if this year brings the same results as the year of the "Eric Gagne Experiment," I'll be happy.

Sox MUST sign Holiday next season .... Can not be outbid by the Yankees again. Losing Texiteria to the Yankees was a major blow. ( Don't care how many Sox fans sugar coat this.) Our line-up with Ped, Papi ,Tex , Youk & Bay would have been awesome. I still think the Yankees sweeped in at the last hour to sign him.... Sox should have increased their offer and played it out. Sox would have buried the Yankees for years to come! Sign Holiday next year !!!!

Pitching is still the name of the game. We lost to the Rays because Beckett was toast by season's end. Middle relief was lousy most of the year. Sure, big bats keep you in the playoff hunt but it NEVER fails that great pitching takes you to the finish line in October. These look like smart low-risk moves related in part to future trades for a Varitek replacement. This team looks pretty good to me. Is tehre a better rotation in the majors? Go Sox!

The Pink Hats need to chill out. Pitching and defense win titles, and the Sox now have the best bullpen in the AL. With Paps, Oki, Masterson, Delcarmen and Saito, the Sox are shortening the games for their starters. With two titles in five years, you'd think people here could keep it in perspective.

bottom line? john henry was a bernie madoff client

Is Bill Lee and Bob Stanley availale ?

Why all you pink hat red sox rooters want a big mega trade when Theo can get these good ballplayers at half of their potential cost. Wait for spring training to see who wins their position. You can't have enough talent to compete against each other. Theo Rules!! Talk to me after October.

Why all you pink hat red sox rooters want a big mega trade when Theo can get these good ballplayers at half of their potential cost. Wait for spring training to see who wins their position. You can't have enough talent to compete against each other. Theo Rules!! Talk to me after October.

Who is next Curt Schilling? I know he has had a bleeding ankle, among other problems, but I believe there is only an upside to adding him to the infirmary...I mean, clubhouse.

Why did Theo sign Saito instead of free agent Dennys Reyes for the bull pen???? Last year Reyes was 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 46.1 innings for Minn....and I think his arm is in fine shape. Reyes is a LHP. Maybe that is why.

El Guapo where are you? His belly has never been injured. His arm can't be any worse off than the latest signings.

Mr. Fuji too...then you have to bring in Professor Turotankah

I got tired of reading all of this so I will just say that I strongly suspect that the Sox will be able to put a few bullpen pitchers in a package for an additional hitter at some point in the early parts of next season. By July 31st we will see if Our hitting remains a problem which I doubt, but regardless they will have many bargaining chips to use for a major acquisition. If these so-called Sox fans would just get off of Theo's back,and believe for once, you will see that their wisdom surpasses even ours!!!!! Go Bosox!!!!

John Henry and the Red Sox announced that "Grossman's Bargain Outlet" will be the official sponsor of the 2009 Boston Red Sox.

In all seriousness, stop whining. There is nothing to lose by taking a chance with PROVEN, experienced, veteran pitchers who are also great clubhouse guys. All you nitwit wanna be GM's who look only at salary and age need to wake up.

Where does this idea of a big bat come from? Where does this "big bat?" play? The outfield is full and DH is still in very, very capable hands. Lowell is a question mark but he is a stud when healthy on both sides of the game. I will take my chance with him. The team scored more when Bay was in left field instead of that $^%&*# Ramirez. Bay is the only big bat we need. He is 30+ dingers and 100+ ribbies. Lowrie was superb on defense and should improve at the plate. Even Varitek, at .220 with 13 HR's was better that the #1 catcher for the World Champion Phillies. Carlos Ruiz hit a sizzling .219 with 4, count 'em 4, homers and Tek still brings a lot of very tangible intangibles, Sign him now.this extra pitching somewhere

I hear the Sox are going to bring Tom Seaver out of retirement and put him atop the starting rotation.

Gee, REAL good move Theo

All you people who think there Sox pick ups of the past week or two are not smart have no clue how to win baseball. Injuries are a major factor in the game today with the wimping down of players, especially pitchers, and stockpiling pitching is smart. The Sox now have a combination of pitchers about 1-18 who could be a major factor in any rotation in baseball. They are set. Pitching wins.

To the person who though Youkilis and Pedroia won't duplicate last year: I hope they read your post because, especially Pedroia, that will guarantee they do.

The Sox are going to have to use a trainers by committee this year.

They are who we think they are !

tomen8r - Are you kidding me with your ridiculous gloom?
The Sox barely clicked after Manny left?
They averaged more runs per game AFTER acquiring Bay while upgrading their outfield defense and calming a tense clubhouse by jettisoning someone who quit on his teammates.
Papi's historic fall from grace? Sure. He tailed off and even struggled at times but to get all dramatic and call it historic is totally inaccurate.
Pedroia and Youk "can't" duplicate last year? That's good. Right them off before spring training even begins. Of course a couple of young players can get better but yes it will be difficult with the element of surprise gone for lack of a better way to put it and in a line-up that isn't up to recent Red Sox standards.
Ellsbury is a .260 hitter? Okay. So let's trade him for a decent utility infielder. I mean, at his age how could he possibly improve, especially with such marginal skills.
It's going to be a long year and we could finish 4th? So the punchless Jays and lowly O's are hot on our heals, huh. Tampa's no lock to finish better than third. Their bullpen is average and their starting staff has a tall order to duplicate last year's productivity.
Please, spare me and the rest of us your miserable attitude and mindless commentary.
It's fans like you that help perpetuate what's left of the notion of Sox fans being doomsayers.
Let me fill you in on something, we've won two titles in the last five years.
Relax and at least give the new signees a chance before running for the Tobin.

spring traing ebven

The Sox are going to have to use a trainers by committee this year.

good signing for red sox

Pitching is the most important element to winning baseball games!By signing (Sahto phonetic pronunciation) Saito,what Theo has done is limit the number of innings his starters will be required to pitch,as of right now we have the relief pitching market cornered.Just imagine no more squirming when Dice-K pitches because he doesn't have to throw more than 5 innings!!! here's the Right to left breakdown, first pairing Lopez ,Delcarmen and Aardsma these guys are innings 5-6. Ramirez,Masterson.7th to mid 8th, Saito and Okijima mid 8th to 1/3 9th,Papelbon finishes off whatever left!!! Wes Littleton has a job until June 1....

That's right. Epstein is going to be trading his surplus of pitching for hitting come July, and get a lot more for it then. The hitting will come from teams already out of it, and the pitching will go to teams in desperate need of it to stay in it. Three way trades.

You're all really thick. Why don't you all give it a chance before you climb the empire state building and jump. Just because they didn't over pay for Texiaria doesn't mean that they are extremely cheap all of a sudden. These players aren't terrible, they are here for a reason. If you feel you are better suited to lead the team to a championship then some one who already has twice since he signed up, then by all means, give it a shot...

Pitching and defense children.....relax

another former Dodgers closer. wonderful. that frenchman worked out just great in 07!

OKay, everybody. The good news is that your Red Sox are not going to raise ticket prices this year. The bad news is that because of the bailout, we will only be allowed to purchase players 39 and older. You know, I think I will finally go ahead and get my ticket request in order for box seats in Tropicana Field again. Ah! Warm sunshine and youth! Getting to the Series seems so much easier now thanks to the Rays. What do you think the standings for the AL East will look like AGAIN this September?

How can you go wrong by signing productive but injured players for next to nothing? The Yankees took care of only one of their needs which was starting pitching. They (Yankees) are still among the worst teams in the league in fielding and that pen will have major issues without Joba and any injury or slowdown to Rivera. The Rays had the best off season IMO by adding a significant upgrade to the DH position in PB but I feel their pen is due for a letdown in 2009. I think it is extremely likely the Sox will be making a trade by June if not sooner and it may not be for a catcher. It should be an interesting few months!

Find Oil Can Boyd and El Guapo. Aren't they free agents? Sign 'em up. Cheap money. Lot's of upside potential with little risk.

u guys are looking at this all wrong. timlin is done, saito is almost 4 years younger and is a very affordable veteran to give you quality late innings.. maybe saito can be part of something that wins boston 2 rings before he turns 42... so just like smoltz is the new schilling, saito is the new timlin. Theo is a big fan of the KISS method.

i wonder who our next knuckleballer will be?

Now if you can only get Schilling going.... wow !!!!

Nothing more commical then Red Sux fans trying to rationalize Theo's moves..

Yeah.. those are great moves...3 pitchers with arm problems......

Looks like they are trying to strike gold in one of these bums!!!
What a joke.. oh yeah.. Manny is not missed..

They have plenty of offense!!!! They are the Yankees of 2001... older team trying to patch it together...
Yankees will dominate in 2009... Wake Up!!!!

Yankees

Great signing...we can't have too much pitching...this shows the management is adjusting to Texeira's rejection...good pitching beats good hitting 90% of the time so loading up on pitching isn't a bad response to the Yankee's bomb squad...and someone else rightly mentioned that we can get a top notch hitter mid season if needed...in the meantime, I'll enjoy this outfield and will root root root for Rocco!...this is gonna be quite an interesting season..my 22nd as a loyal season ticket holder...nice move Theo!

The Red Sox continue to read the financial pages and position themselves to be solvent in 09 and 10, unlike many teams. We may be headed for the old 8 team American League!

Sooo much negativity from Red Sox nation it makes me sick. You dummies seem to be stuck in the nineties and forget the first class organization the Red Sox have become. This team is going to be great this year! Forget Tex, overrated and will never live up to that contract. Time to accept we are not the Yankees and can't buy anything we want. Let them play the role of the spoiled, arrogant, loud mouth kid with the sense of entitlement. That is not a Red Sox fan, and if you feel that way root for the Yanks cause we don't need you. We must continue to build the farm, take well thought out risks, and ultimately outsmart the Yanks to beat them. The signing of Saito is another example of low risk high reward. Any baseball fan worth their salt know Saito is a dominate reliever. And the beauty of this signing is he can take his time getting healthy as a result of the depth now present in the bullpen. I guarantee he will pitch important innings when it matters late in the season. Let's recap significant moves this offseason: Trade for Ramon Ramirez, high end setup man great move, Signing of Brad Penny, you don't think he and his agent are eyeballing the contract Burnett just signed and are salivating, super high motivation plus contract year equals big bounce back season, Signing of Baldelli, aside from being a great feel good story if entirely healthy he may end up pushing Drew out of town, Signing Kotsay, professional jack of all trades, great defender all over the field and allows the sox to keep less bench and more pitchers and finally Smoltz, how many others out there can see him outdueling Joba/Burnett/Sabathia on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in mid July at Fenway? I can. Plenty of offense and what could be the deepest pitching staff front to back the Sox have ever had. That equals Champs in '09!!

When can I go down and try out.....13-5 my last year in high shool (1978).......arm feels ok tho...(maybe spring trainnig with incentives?)

I have been a Red Sox fan for over 30 years. I like the moves Epstein has made. Granted, they all may not work out. However, if only they don't these work for entire season, they may buy the Red Sox some time for some of the young guns to develop further. Keep in mind that there may a lot more quality player out there available due to teams needing to dump salary as result of the economy. Theo will have the financila flexibilty as as well as the trading chips do get something done then. How many of you rember in 1995 when Dan Duquette picked up Eric Hansen and Tim Wakefield and they proceeeded to win 31 game.

let me guess; they need a translator for Dice K? why else sign this guy? Saberhagen couldn't be talked into a comeback? Eck wanted to stay in the booth? How about Goose; is he available?

These Sox fans that fall in love with the players that make the "Breaking News ESPN Bottom Line" need to go find their pink hats and got off the blogs. The Red Sox were a team on the brink of the World Series last year.

The Rays will be competative again because they are young and guys like Longoria, Upton, Price, and Garza will most likely only get better this year. The Pat Burrell signing is nothing to really get worked up about. I think Giambi would have been a better signing. He's a guy who has done well against the Sox, has playoff experience, knows the Yankees inside and out, is a great clubhouse guy, and would have come on the cheap.

The Yankees needed to make leaps and bounds. They lost 52 home runs and 196 RBIs with Giambi and Abreu leaving. They have a whole in the lineup when Melky starts in center. They have two aging, declining, injury prone outfielders in Matsui and Damon. Robinson Cano has not been able to put together a consistent full season the past few years. Then they have a Posada coming off an injury plagued season entering 2009 at 37 years old.

So they added Mark Teixeira.

The Yankees added Sabathia who will be great for them at the top of rotation. Burnett, may be the most overpaid overhyped starter in baseball. His two best seasons by far came in contract years. He has more games on the DL then wins in his career. They lost 34 wins with the departures of Mussina and Pettitte. They also lost two clubhouse leaders (a third being Giambino). Then they have two young guns who still have major question marks at the end of their names, Hughes and Kennedy. Even Chamberlain remains a question mark in the starting rotation. There is no doubt in my mind he would be a dominant closer, but it seems as if the Spanks want him starting.

Then we have our Sox. They have the reigning MVP entering the start of the prime of his career. They have the third runner up in the MVP voting, who is a gold glove caliber player at two positions and is coming off his career high in home runs. They have Jason Bay for a full season this year in a contract year. They have a couple young players with major upside but who stil have some question marks, Ellsbury (50 SBs) and Lowrie. Then there is still Big Papi, who should be more well rested and hopefully more healthy who should give the team around 30-35 HRs.

Their top three starters are 28, 28, and 24. Beckett will be playing for a contract, Lester is coming off a tremendous year and only seems to get better each start and Dice K is getting a hold on American baseball keeping his ERA way down. They have three promising young guns, Buccholz, Bowden, and Bard. So pretty much 1/3 of those three need to pan out really. Then there is the innings eater Wakefield, probably playing his final season.

They have one of the best closers in baseball and the rest of the pen started to get it together at the end of last season.

So what did the Sox do, they added the missing parts. They added insurance. They went bidding on a stud, Teixeira, and fell short. Having the third runner up in the MVP race with a gold glove at first base isn't a bad runner up to Tex.

The Sox added one of the most popular guys in baseball who may still have 100-150 innings left in his arm and plenty of big game experience, in John Smoltz. Oh yeah he also has proven in his career to be an excellent reliever/ closer. (Is there a reason why his incentives are based on games played and not on innings pitched???)

They added Brad Penny who won a combined 28 games in 06 and 07 and was in the 07 Cy Young race. They added Rocco Baldelli to back up Drew and Ellsbury. He may also be useful to give David Ortiz some days off at DH (he had 2 post season HRs in limited at bats last year). Then they added old friend Mark Kotsay who is a solid outfielder with center field abilities and proved to be a solid 1B last post season.

Oh yeah they also traded for a solid late innings reliever Ramon Ramirez coming off a solid season.

Now they signed Saito. He has only played in the MLB for 3 seasons. He has a career ERA of 1.95 including coming off his highest ERA of his career last year which was a whopping 2.49. He has struck out 245 batters in 189 innings (just 52 BBs) and has 82 saves to boot. They got him for short money, granted he has some elbow issues.

So the Sox have Beckett, Dice K, Lester, Penny, Smoltz, Wakefield, Buccholz, and possibly Bowden and Masterson (if needed) in the mix for the starting rotation. They have Papelbon, Masterson, Ramirez, Delcarmen, Saito, Okajima, and Lopez in the pen. What's not to like about that staff?

Their lineup has Youk, Pedroia, Ortiz, Bay, Drew, Ellsbury, Lowrie, Lowell, Kotsay, Baldelli, and Lugo (ugh). Not bad. They probably need a little more insurance there and obviously a catcher.

If they don't make a trade for a young catcher and Tek goes elsewhere, it may not be a bad play to take a flyer on a guy like Pudge or Brad Ausmus.

As for another bat on the bench, I don't know what Alou's health is like or if he wants to play in a limited role somewhere, but he may not be a bad pinch hitter, 100-150 AB type of guy? Or what about if Millar doesn't get any takers soon? He loves Boston, he can play first and would be great in the clubhouse. He also had 20 HRs last season. Just a thought.

If they don't sign anyone else, they have Jeff Bailey and Chris Carter who had a combined 49 HRs in Pawtucket last year and who both played up in the bigs last year. Then there is catcher George Kottaras who had 22 jacks in AAA who would split time with seasoned vet Josh Bard behind the plate.

The Sox certainly won't run away with the AL East but neither will the other two teams. The Sox may not look as big time on paper as the Yankees, but we've been saying that ever since the Yankees signed the best starter on the market and best first baseman/ hitter on the market years ago (Mussina & Giambi ring a bell?).

Keep your fingers crossed Sox fans. The Yanks have made the huge signings and trades this decade; Mussina, Giambi, Pavano, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Contreras, Jeff Weaver (trade), Javier Vazquez, A-Rod, Sheffield, Abreu, Clemens (part II), Damon, and Matsui. None of the aforementioned have brought a trophy to the Bronx and most were major disappointments.

Hey Captain Lou VERY FUNNY

You don't have to "trust Theo," all you have to do is look at Saito's stats. This is a great signing. He's an ideal set up man for Papelbon, and an occasional closer. The bullpen is without a doubt...much improved by this.

The Red Sox continue to read the financial pages and position themselves to be solvent in 09 and 10, unlike many teams. We may be headed for the old 8 team American League!

To you guys who are so p*ssed off that Texeira got away and are sneering at every move Theo and Henry make, I have a question........are you REALLY Red Sox fans???
...or are you closet Yankee fans just looking for a chance to spew hatred?
There is a difference between criticism from a genuine fan -- and pure venom.
If you ARE Red Sox fans, i don't understand why.
The Red Sox and real Sox fans could do without such malignant negativism.

Do yourself a favor and find another team to shower your 'affection' on.

Darren Bragg and Darren Lewis good comement. This is a 1.5M experiment - hence low risk, high reward. Why is anyone mad about this signing? Tek will resign, and they will address the need for a bat.

I smell a TRADE..........Matt Holliday for Delcamen,R.Ramirez and Buchholts

We are so much stronger than if we had Timlin, Snyder, etc........

Real baseball fans understand low risk, high reward. This is another low risk signing. Pennies! If he doesn't work out no big deal. If he does it's genious. The Sox have plenty of money to make a huge deal at mid-season.
You morons don't get what an albatross the Yankees have. They continue to sign players well past their prime. Tex is a "good" player not a hall of famer. In 2-3 years he will lose his bat speed and be another over the hill slow white guy.
The Yankees will not finish 1st this year. Probably 3rd behind the Sox and Rays again. Way to go Theo. You know baseball. The Yankees are an overpaid joke.

Who are we gonna sign next?
Hideo Nomo?
Hideki Irabu?
Oil Can Boyd?
Seriously, I know we're trying to keep up with the Yankees but making every day Old Timer's day isn't the way to do it.

Where is Africa America? I can't find it anywhere on the map. Is there a law saying Theo should have to put a certain number of black AMERICANS on the roster?
Saito > Aardsma / Smoltz > than Byrd / Penny > Colon / Bard > Varitek
Baldelli (when healthy) > Crisp / Kotsay > Casey / Kottaras > Cash
Chill TF out, will ya?

Your link was not "The Pen is Mightier"? it couldn't have been, how could your editor have let that through? We've all seen Saturday night live Jeapordy. BOOOOOO

I love all these people hating the red sox signings. Losing hope on everyone! All because the Yanks made signings that wont really help them. The Sox are making the right moves. Low Risk. High Rewards! They have the same team that led them to the ALCS Game 7.

CC Sabbathia will turn out worse then then the Yanks hoped. And the same goes for Burnett. The Yanks will be better but the AL East will be between the Rays and Red Sox. Keep the Faith!!!!!!

Do any of you realize that all of these 'broken down players' have been seen by Red Sox management and have passed physicals? Have we not seen Sox players who have had injuries bounce back from them the next year? Remember Josh Beckett...we trade for the guy and everyone was SO worried about his freakin' blister problem...I'd say that worked out pretty good don't you think? There's no sense in overpaying for free agents that are no guarantee they'll produce or stay healthy (see Carl Pavano), especially pitchers.

All of you are forgetting one thing-the Sox rotation (Beckett, Daisuke, Lester, Wake) & pen (Pap, Masterson, DelCarmen, Oki, Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez) were already set BEFORE they made these signings. Now, you add Penny, Smoltz, Saito and others...and that's in addition to people like Bowden and Buchholz who may also be ready to step in. It's cheap insurance that could pay off big time...if they don't work out, no big deal, but if they do then you can keep the best of the crop or trade them to other teams who'll overpay US. A wise man (Theo) once said when you think you have too much pitching you still don't have enough.
The same people who are bitching about getting guys on the cheap are also complaining about what they spent on Julio Lugo or Edgar Renteria...not every player move a GM makes is going to work out so you try to shop smart vs. handing out blank checks to greedy agents and players. Besides, you know damn well if someone offered you a used Ferrari with a slight dent at the cost of an old Pacer, you'd take it and try to fix it...

was already set

The current administration has been successful because of their commitment to efficiency. Signing Mark Teixeira to an 8-year $180 million deal was an inefficient use of resources. Why? Because, over 8 years, who knows what can happen! $22 million per year can be used on a lot of needs, especially considering the fact that no one is really sure what $22 million is worth right now, 2 months from now, or 2 years from now. The Sox are set up to be THE team at the trade deadline--while the Yankees are stuck with the guys they committed to in December '08. Don't trust me, trust the guys who have brought two championships to us. Teixeira would have made it easy (see: Massarotti to find out why, ad nauseum), but I think in July people will be surprised how well off we are.

As a citizen of the Nation, I am surprised with some of the latest adds Theo has made. The pitching staff has definitely been upgraded, but only if all of the diamonds sparkle. Theo, I hope that you seriously did your homework, because blood diamonds are never worth the trouble.
I believe that by the beginning of May, we will know where our Sox stand in the mix of the AL East. The Rays pitching staff will have to duplicate what they did last year. I do not see it, especially the bullpen. The Yankees should have picked up an Oncologist, because they have a rare case of cancer, ARod-toma. Can Tex compensate? He could not with the Rangers. How did both the birds change their rosters to keep up? They didn't! So fourth place, what are you smokin'?

Let's say some of these 1 year deals pan out. It's a lot easier to trade a player with a 1 year deal during the season when he's proven that he can play and help another team.

Don't be surprised if the Sox package some of these guys during the season for some offense or catching...or both.

Anyone out there who is dumb (you know who you are...or maybe not), could you please do me a favor? Find something else to care about. Preferably something I'm not interested in. You're ruining it for me. Wouldn't it be nice to find real baseball fans commenting on these stories (also rhetorical)? Here's a guy (Saito) who had a sub 2 ERA two years ago and 39 saves. The man saved almost 40 games for the Dodgers. Do you know how many pitchers had more than 40 saves in 2007? Four. Theo got the man for around 2 million. How is this not a great possible late inning pitcher and low-risk high-reward signing? Not that these numbers mean anything to you folks. If you had cared to look or paid attention on more than the most superficial level, you wouldn't have commented in the first place. Please find a new hobby. You're giving the rest of us a bad reputation.

The people commenting on this blog post just don't get it. The Red Sox already have their CC Sabathia, they're entire staff is better than A.J. Burnett, they're offense was SECOND IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE IN RUNS SCORED IN 2008. That's with Ortiz hitting under .200 for a month, and injured for quite some time. That's with Mike Lowell the 2007 World Series MVP hurt for over 1/3 of the season, and Manny disappearing after the trading deadline. Do you guys realize the Red Sox scored more runs in August (170) than they did in any other month in 2008? Septemeber (137) was higher than April and July, while being 1 shy of the May total. That's what the Red Sox did while the team was never at 100% offensively.

I'm not jumping for joy with these signings given that they are signing guys who have all been hurt last year. However, I do like that Theo makes low risk, high reward deals. While the Yankees are going out and spending half a billion dollars on 2 pitchers and a bat, the Sox are taking a "strategic" approach and signing guys who can be potentially huge. It's unlikely all these guys are going to get hurt, and even if they do, you can bring up Daniel Bard and Michael Bowden later in the year to help with the bullpen.

There is still a major concern for the Sox...offense. Now that we have a plethora of pitching, I would like to see the Sox trade Buchholz for Saltalamacchia. Or even better, trade Buchholz and Ellsbury for Hanley Ramirez. I like Ellsbury, but Ramirez has just as much speed as Ellsbury, if not more (he has 137 stolen bases in the last 3 years) and can hit for average (.308 career) and power (79 HRs in 3 years). Ellsbury can’t really top those numbers, and it’s doubtful he’ll come close. Plus, Ellsbury sits a lot when lefties pitch, and Ramirez is a better hitter and has played 150+ games in each of his 3 years.
The only thing is Ramirez makes an awful lot of errors at short, and I’m not sure I would be totally comfortable having him play center, like the Sox were thinking. But hey, if they can deal with Renteria and Lugo making that many errors in a season, they can deal with Ramirez making as many plus the better offensive numbers. With all the young talent the Sox have brought up through their farm system over the years, they should be able to find a CF in their system.

Theo and company are playing the lottery this off season. This is a poor strategy for a big market club like the sox. For every example of a low risk/high reward player that makes it I can give you 10 that dont.

The sox obviously have serious money issues. It's time for the ownership to sell the time to someone who can afford it.

I hate how everyone is complaining. The Red Sox and the Cubs now have the best pitching staffs in the game. Our starting rotation includes Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, and soon to be John Smoltz. Our bullpen is now unstoppable. Getting Ramon Ramirez and Takashi Saito now accents Hideki Okakima, Justin Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon. Theo knows we can't outslug everybody, so he decided we're going to outpitch everyone. He's brilliant; low cost investments with huge upside. We should be thanking this man for not blowing all of the money we spend on tickets and t-shirts for one player. And if everyone is saying we missed out, we certainly did not. Adam Dunn is a 40 HR hitter, he is 1B eligible. If we pick him up and trade Lowell along with Buchholz for a solid catcher we will have all of our problems fixed. I like Mike Lowell a lot but I'm saying Adam Dunn is still there. He hits for better power than Teixeira, though he had 12 less RBI's, in Boston you know 40 HR's will go a lot farther than in Arizona and Cincinnati. And with a 40 HR bat behind Ortiz his little issue of self esteem will be remotely erased knowing a guy who hits more longballs than Manny is batting in the fourth spot. And for that catcher, San Francisco showed interest in both Lowell, and Buchholz, and Bengie Molina is a phenomenal force behind the plate...just throwing that one out there.

Hey if it works out, Theo is a genius, but I'd prefer trading for anyone that can hit decently! I have no faith in Sox hitting this year only because it is too much to ask Youk or DP to hit like last year. If Ortiz was confident in his hitting skills then he wouldn't be asking for another Manny. Lowell is on the mend, Drew is hurt too much, Ellsbury MIGHT get on base, Lowrie is a big question mark, Bay strikes out more than he hits, and the backups are big questions, not to mention that our catching could be waivering around .200! Yeah the pitching looks better but if they can't score the game is over! How many times are the Sox pitchers gonna put up with a good outing while their team can't hit?

Great low risk moves this off season. The Yankees will again finish out of the playoffs.
You want question marks, Overweight, overused Sabathia that the Sox own. Broken down Burnett wil be on the DL by Memorial Day. Posada, Matsui, Damon, Nady, Swisher, Kevin Cash, Milkey and aging Jeter.
A-Rod is the only scary player. Tex tanked in the playoffs against the Sox. With all the pressure on the Yankees to win, they wil tank. Overpaid frauds. And they are stuck wtih these guys until their late 30's.

Are you guys kidding?? Tex is getting a guranteed 21/22 mil a year...... Smoltz, Penny, Saito, Balldelli dont even come close to that and if they produce nearly to what they are customed to, this will be the best and shout em down pitching staff in Baseball!!!! None of these guys are expected to be #1's or closers so it was a no brainer!!! Pitching & Defense!!!! Way to go Theo!!!!

there is alot of "IF" healthy players Theo picked up...but If he hits on even two of these guys and they have a back to their healthy self year...Let's say Rocco and Smoltz, or Saito and Penny or any of the combo..That would be just as good or even better than Tex with all that money they would have had to spend. I also hope they don't sign V tek .I am so sick of hearing how great a game he calls. When you have a good pitching staff ;who the hell can't call a good game . Just think of all the great pitchers Tek has had to work with. He never gets any blame when a pitcher has a bad game

Clearly the Sox are signing some short-term veterans to give guys like Bowden and Buchholz the additional year or so they may need in the minors. Of course, it also gives them the option of trading some of their talent for a catcher down the road.

I love this new approach Theo is taking. This is a classic low risk/high reward deal that will only prove to be good. There is no losing in this deal because regardless of Saito's performance on the field, he will provide invaluable experience for Tazawa (stronger japanese presence), and will also help lure more japanese players in the forseeable future. Way to go Theo!

Bard, Penny, Smoltz, Saito, Kotsay. I wouldn't draft any of these guys in my Fantasy League if I had a 30 man roster. Wow! Who's next? M. Cairo and B. Ausmus?

SOS ! Hey Trapper, B.J., Hawkeye, .... more incoming ! And bring Father Mulcahy, some of these guys don't look so good !

Why are we worried about Theo not breaking the bank??? Their bank is huuuuuuge. It's not going to help ticket prices, so why is this even a factor to fans? That never ceases to amaze me.

The Sox need a move at SS and Catcher. These side moves are fine, but if and only if they are positioning the team for moves to help with bigger needs.

When are these losers (Theo, Luchino, Henry) going to do something Major??
They had over $60 Million in salary come off the team from last year, and this
crap is what they are coming up with? Come on. I am a season ticket holder,
don't tell me EVERY game will not be sold out this year. They have a ton of cash
to make a serious play. One more front line pitcher or major hitter would of
done wonders for this team. IF this team goes to the play-offs with this roster,
it will be with smoke and mirrors. Tampa Bay improved over last year, WE HAVE
NOT!!!!

This guy is good.. anyone who has a problem with this needs to start paying more attention to baseball

Good low risk signing

Theo said the Sox go through 25 pitchers in an average season. Considering that, all these recent pitcher signings, even with the injury histories, make perfect sense. Why do so many of you people like to worry for no good reason. With all these signings, the Sox are going to be competitive. What more do you want? Be grateful the Sox can afford to take a chance on some of these players with past histories of success instead of relying on unproven minor leaguers. Sit back and enjoy the ride. If you have to worry, then fret about things that matter, like when is this stupid economy going to turn around.

Any commenter on here ever stay up past 10 p.m. ET? When this guy is on, he's ridiculous. For $1.5M it's a no-brainer.

What a joke, caught snoozing this offseason huh? maybe the GM is drinking too much

I see alot of second guessing here. I think the FO has done a great job and will continued doing so. Has anyone (or does anyone) know who will be free agents next year or the year after? I'm betting the Red Sox brass do, and it will be a better crop than this year. As one comment said, we have alot of good trade bait, and we have a pretty darn good team just as we are. Chemistry is huge. We have many different ways we can go. And, we have a great Farm System! Nice job Front Office!

Listening to poster 112. John Shea knows what he's talking about. The Yankees just replaced their BIG payroll with a BIGGER payroll.

It's going to be the same ol'thang down in the Bronx, just like the last 7 years!!!!

Hey Sam, I say NO to Adam Dunn. Nothing personal. I understand he's a great guy, family man and neighbor. But until strikeouts count as runs let him go elsewhere to play.

Good post Chris... .Theo , Luchino & Henry had over 60 million come off in salary ...and not one major player was added ! Great to see how everyone is so concerned with low risk ( low salary ) moves. Whats wrong with spending on a star player ? Hate the spankees or not, you can't honestly tell me that this entire board would not have been ecstatic if we signed Texiteria or Sabathia. We out bid the world for Dice K... ( THANK GOD). Imagine our staff without him? So adding Sabathia would have been a bad thing ? No... it would have been a third ring ! And now Texitria is an overrated bum? Put him in between Papi & Youk . Again... glad to see how everyone is so concerned with Theo, Luchino & Henry's budget.