Jacoby Ellsbury Called Farrell To Say, 'Thanks'

According to Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald, Jacoby Ellsbury phoned Red Sox manager John Farrell in the wake of his mega-deal with The Evil Ones. Said Farrell, "To his credit, he called to say thanks, and I wished him well. He handled it with a lot of class. He was very grateful for his time here, and he gave thanks to the way things unfolded last year. I got the sense he was a little surprised it happened so fast and the magnitude that it happened. We’re certainly going to miss him, but now he’s on the other side." We still say he gets booed mercilessly on April 22nd at Fenway.

Grady Sizemore Feels 'Great' After First Game

Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal reports that new Red Sox outfielder Grady Sizemore "feels great" after his first Grapefruit League game. The oft-injured Sizemore is attempting a comeback with The Carmine Hose, after missing large chunks of the last few seasons. If he is able to approach the elite level of play from early in his career it will be a huge boost for the team—and provide healthy competition for Jackie Bradley, Jr. Sizemore went 0-2 playing left field for Boston in yesterday's 5-2 win over the Northeastern University Huskies.

Mayor Ending Sox Sweetheart Parking Deal?

Well, it looks like the NOG (New Ownership Group) may not have a sycophantic lapdog at City Hall anymore. New Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is trying to make Red Sox players, staff and families pay for their parking in and around Van Ness Street. This, of course, is quite different from the free ride given to the team by former Mayor Tom "I'm looking forward to the transmission period" Menino. The new Walsh administration is "reviewing" a deal engineered by Menino allowing for the free parking perks. The team claims the arrangement goes back to a 1945 pact brokered by former owner Tom Yawkey. As far as we can tell, the Mayor in 1945 was the twice-imprisoned James Michael Curley. Nuff 'Ced. Maybe if the players have to pay for parking, they'll be a little more appreciative of what fans have to go through to park around Fenway—especially in The People's Republic of Brookline with their jack-booted parking trolls.

A Digital Ordway Returns To Boston Sports Talk

You may have loved him or hated him, but when Glenn Ordway ruled over Boston Sports Radio on WEEI, you couldn't ignore him. After hosting the afternoon drive "Big Show" for seventeen years, 'The Big O' was summarily canned by Entercom (WEEI's corporate owners) about a year ago. Now, he's about to dive back into Boston sports radio with a digitally-based live-streaming drive time show via sportstalkboston.com. Starting on March 17th, the 3-6 PM show (titled "Big Show Unfiltered') will also be available via a mobile smart phone app and TuneIn. The show will feature a refreshed version of the iconic "Whiner Line" and also bring back some of the yakkers that populated his show over the years. Given the moribund state of sports radio these day, Ordway's return will be more than welcome.

Shane Victorino Vexed By 'Core Strength' Issues

(Keith Allison Via Flickr)

Red Sox brass are 'poo-poo-ing' it, but the fact is that Shane Victorino has been held back from normal Spring Training activities with vaguely-defined 'core strength' issues. The right-fielder has been spending his days with the Red Sox training staff. According to manager John Farrell this is because "we saw some needs, and we're addressing those right now. He continues to throw. We're doing some running. We're just addressing the overall core strength." OK. The team says it's confident that Victorino will be in the Opening Day line-up at Camden Yards—about one month from today.

NU Pitcher From Andover Starts Against Sox

(NU Photo)

UPDATE: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER
Dustin Hunt, who attended Andover (Mass.) High School, and is now a freshman pitcher at Northeastern University, will start on the mound today against the Red Sox. So far in 2014, Hunt has the following line for the Huskies: 0-0, 4.32 ERA, 8.1 IP, 9Ks. On February 21st, the 6'4" Hunt threw four scoreless innings of relief against Houston Baptist.  On February 15th, he made his collegiate debut against highly-ranked Texas A&M and struck out six through 4 1/3 relief innings. You can imagine the level of butterflies in Hunt's stomach today as he faces his hometown team. Hopefully, he will do Andover proud! Good luck, Dustin!

Koji Uehara Stars In Japanese Beer Ad

Remembering The Great Johnny Pesky Today

Today would have been the 95th birthday of Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky. It's still hard to believe that he won't be somewhere on the sidelines in Fort Myers, hitting fungoes to 19-year old prospects. It was about a year-and-a-half ago (August 13, 2012) that Johnny passed away—before he could see his beloved team win another World Series Championship in 2013. I have several great memories of Johnny. About six or seven years ago, I arrived very early at a Red Sox game with my young son. We walked down near the third base dugout and there was Johnny, sitting on the field alone on a stool—in full uniform with his fungo bat. I asked him if he'd sign a ball for my son, which he did. Soon, a flurry of other fans rushed to see him. Much earlier in my life, I was privileged to be with Johnny at a 1961 promotion for the Somerville (Mass.) Little League. I was a ten-year old farm team player picked to pose with the Red Sox great (see pic—I'm the kid on the far left, you know who Johnny is). In both of those encounters—decades apart—Mr. Pesky was a class act.

Sox 'Monitoring' Non-Drew Shortstop Market

Xander Bogaerts (Boston Herald Photo, Matt Stone)

According to Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com, the Red Sox have been "monitoring" the shortstop market in search of a back-up to Xander Bogaerts that might be cheaper than re-signing Stephen Drew. Other reports (Alex Speier of WEEI.com) suggest that Boston hasn't talked to Drew since the start of camp. So, it appears that the team is set to go with Bogaerts and Will Middlebrooks on the left side, trolling the market for a lesser option than Drew.

Pedro, In Camp, Likes Young Red Sox Pitching

(Boston Herald Photo: Matthew West)

Pedro Martinez is back in town. In his second year as an advisor to the Red Sox, the soon-to-be Hall of Famer was at jetBlue Park ready to dispense his knowledge on Boston's pitchers. Pedro particularly likes the young crop of hurlers in the Red Sox organization—like Henry Owens (who he calls "a natural"), Anthony Ranaudo, Drake Britton, Rubby De La Rosa, Brandon Workman and Allen Webster. Of continuing his role with the youngsters, Pedro said, "I'd love to do it and spend more time with them this year."

Regulars VS. NU; Prospects VS. BC Thursday

The Red Sox announced who will be playing in the collegiate double-header on Thursday. In general, regular starters will be in the lineup against Northeastern University in the first game—Xander Bogaerts, Jonathan Herrera, Will Middlebrooks, Mike Napoli, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jonny Gomes, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mike Carp, and Grady Sizemore. In the second half of the twin-bill, Boston College will face mostly prospects—like catchers Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez. Brandon Workman, Henry Owens, Noe Ramirez and Burke Badenhop will hurl against NU; Rubby De La Rosa, Matt Barnes, Miguel Celestino, Tommy Layne and Alex Wilson will face BC. These games are always a great way to inaugurate the Grapefruit League season. Of course, NESN has instituted its usual blackout of the festivities. Why would anyone want to watch the first action of the reigning World Champs? We're guessing it will be a replay of Liverpool vs. Swansea in that time slot.

Seventy-Nine Years Ago The Babe Came Back

On this date in 1935, George Herman Ruth came back to Boston—signing with the Braves. After being released by The Evil Ones, the Babe embarked on his final year wearing a Boston uniform. He hit his last six home runs as a Brave—clouting three (including his 714th) in one game in May. That final blast is said to be the longest home run ever hit in Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. He hung up his spikes about a week later. He only hit 55 HRs wearing any type of Boston laundry, but his pitching exploits here were legendary. In fact, it wasn't until 1961 that Whitey Ford broke his World Series consecutive scoreless innings streak. So this is the day—nearly eight decades ago— that The Babe came home.

A Great Book About The Great Brooks Robinson

Your humble Editor-In-Chief has been a loyal Red Sox fan since attending my first game at Fenway in 1956—except for one year. In 1966, I was also a fan of the Baltimore Orioles. The main reason for that fandom is the subject of this story. In April of 1965, I and my best friend Andy Solberg (who now lives in Maryland) had every kid's dream come true: we met and talked with a Hall of Famer as he walked from Fenway to the team hotel. That player was Brooks Robinson. The recently minted AL MVP was kind, friendly and genuinely interested in talking with two 13-year-old kids from Somerville, Mass. Can you imagine that happening today? Doug Wilson has penned a new biography (Brooks—The Biography Of Brooks Robinson) that memorializes that 'walk of fame' from nearly a half-century ago (see page 137, click on 'look inside' HERE). We will be publishing a full review of the book soon, but we wanted to let you know that a great new book about a truly great person is available now on Amazon.

Mujica, Miller Would Be Closer Back-Ups To Koji

(Boston Herald Photo)

Red Sox manager John Farrell announced today that Edward Mujica and Andrew Miller would be the next choices in line if Koji Uehara were—for whatever reason—unable to close games. This is not an unimportant consideration—given the team's experiences last year with Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan. Koji was actually fourth in line for the job at the start of last year, with fellow-countryman Junichi Tazawa slotted in as the third option.

Evil Empire Eyes Another Former Sox Closer

Mere hours after signing injured former Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey, word is that The Pinstriped Posers are setting their sights on another former 9th-inning hurler for Boston. Andy Martino of The New York Daily News reports that The Bronx Embalmers "continue to monitor" Joel Hanrahan, who underwent Tommy John surgery last year. Apparently, The Evil Ones are starting to figure out that—despite spending a half a billion dollars this off-season—their bullpen still stinks. Someone should notify them that Alfredo Aceves is available.

MLB Muddies Water On Home Plate Collisions

(Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated)

Leave it to Bud Selig to screw up a simple idea. Instead of just banning home plate collisions by forcing runners to slide (as is the case in every level of baseball except the majors), MLB announced a half-baked rule to prevent the most "egregious" collisions while still allowing some. Confused yet? Let's see if Bud's  lawyers can clarify it for you: "The rule that will be in effect in 2014 does not mandate that the runner always slide or that the catcher can never block the plate. However, runners who slide, and catchers who provide the runner with a lane to reach the plate, will never be found to be in violation of the new rule. Beginning immediately, Clubs will be required to train their runners to slide and their catchers to provide the runner with a pathway to reach the plate at all levels in their organizations." Thanks for clearing that up! Let's try another explanation: "A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the Umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the Umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the Umpire, the catcher, without possession of the ball, blocks the pathway of the runner, the Umpire shall call or signal the runner safe." OK, now we get it. Not!

Drew Still Adrift And Training At 'Camp Boras'

CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman located Stephen Drew. And he's a long way from World Series glory. The free-agent shortstop—still unsigned for 2014—toils in the lonely confines of 'Camp Boras' on the campus of Florida's St. Thomas University. Keeping in shape for the call that hasn't come, Drew would be a much more valuable commodity were he not attached to a compensatory draft pick. He's philosophical about his fate, "It's baseball, and it's also business when you get to free agency. I enjoy playing the game. It's never really been a job to me. It's a kid's game, and it's done a lot of great things for me." Too bad he turned down near-David Ortiz money ($14.1 million) in the form of Boston's qualifying offer. Not only is he unlikely to get his desired multi-year deal, he probably won't even get a one-year pact at those dollars. But, as his Uber-Agent has said many times, "Talent has no wristwatch. When you're the steak, you don't worry about what time dinner is." Problem is, Drew is now chopped liver.

POLL: Seven In Ten See Sox Claiming AL East

Early results to our latest FenwayNation Poll suggest that readers are bullish on the chances of the Red Sox taking the AL East for the second consecutive year. As the chart shows, fully 70% think Boston will finish first in the division, with less than one-third (28%) thinking they'll finish second. A scant 2% think The Carmine Hose will come in third and not one single voter thinks the team will finish either fourth or last. This is a far cry from last year's poll, which found only 8% believing the Red Sox would win the AL East. You can still vote in the poll HERE. And, you can get Fenway Park tickets for Opening Day.

Evil Ones Sign Andrew Bailey To Minors Deal

(Boston Herald Photo)

UPDATE: No Bailey Until September
The Evil Empire has signed former Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey to a minor league deal—loaded with incentive clauses. Baily is recovering from surgery and might be available at mid-season. The deal was first reported by ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Bailey pitched a grand total of 44 innings in two seasons in Boston—but did pitch decently last year when he was healthy. Clearly, The Pinstriped Posers are not all that comfortable with their post-Mariano closer options.

2014 Red Sox Infield Is A 'Really Big Shoe'

According to Steve Buckley of The Boston Herald, the entire Red Sox infield will have a "new balance" in 2014. That's not just because Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts will be fixtures on the left side—it's also because all four players have signed endorsement contracts with Boston shoe-maker New Balance. Of course, the Red Sox ownership never misses an opportunity to parlay local connections into cash—why not the players as well? We're sure Boston-based ad agency Arnold Worldwide is working on the creative for some cool TV spots this summer with the kids on the left side and Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli on the right. Coming to your flat-screen soon.

POLL: Where Will The Red Sox Finish In 2014?

Sox Finish In 2014
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Mild Weather Has Opening Day Juices Flowing

In about 37 days—give or take a few hours—your Carmine Hose will take the field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in defense of their 2013 World Series Championship. Four days later, they will come home to Fenway Park for the Home Opener to face their bitter rivals—the Milwaukee Brewers? Any way, Red Sox tickets for the Friday tilt that will see the ring ceremony and the raising of the new banner. As Boston flirts with 50 degrees today, you can almost taste it. People are out in the streets, rediscovering sunshine and once again becoming acquainted with actual asphalt. Snow is melting away like Ryan Braun's credibility. Spring is in the air.

Lucchino: Sox & Empire 'Very Different Animals'

Lucchino Holds Court At The Fort

Larry Lucchino stated to reporters today that—contrary to what some think—the Yankees and Red Sox are 'very different animals' when it comes to free agency. The Red Sox CEO correctly noted that Boston rarely signs free agents to long-term, big-money deals anymore. In fact, during the last two years, the only free-agent signed beyond a year was Shane Victorino (and that was just for three years)—while The Evil Ones have signed three big-money, long-term free agents just this off-season (Masahiro Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann). Said Lucchino, "I always cringe when people lump us together. Other baseball teams sometimes do that. They are still, this year at least, relying heavily on their inimitable old-fashioned Yankees style of high-priced, long-term free agents. And, uh, I can’t say that I wish them well, but I think that we’ve taken a different approach. If you compare what we did last year in the offseason to what they did this year, there’s quite a contrast there." Of course, he did say that Boston might fall prey to their old ways again, "We do keep open the prospect of having, signing a long-term deal with a free agent paying a sizable amount of money to attract a star in his prime. The Yankees do it more often, it seems to me that they do it more often as a matter of course. And for us it would be more the exception than the rule."

Dell Looks To Stay In Boston With Middlebrooks

Erdahl/Dell

Former Red Sox sideline reporter Jenny Dell is looking for a non-NESN gig that will allow her to stay in Boston with her significant other—third baseman Will Middlebrooks. However, according to The Boston Herald's Inside Track, Dell will not leave NESN unless she finds that other job in the area. Still no word on a possible replacement for Dell—although rumors persist that Jamie Erdahl (who won our FN poll) is the top choice to join Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. There might even be a swap of roles—with Dell going over to Boston Bruins hockey coverage on NESN.

2016 Vesting Option Added To Ortiz Extension?

(FenwayNation Photo)

It looks as if the Red Sox are not only willing to extend David Ortiz beyond the 2014 season—they may also add a vesting option for 2016. The least likely scenario is a straight-out two-year extension of his 2014 $15 million contract. According to multiple reports—including most recently by John Tomase of The Boston Herald—the team also might consider a "perpetual mutual option" approach, similar to the arrangement the Red Sox had with Tim Wakefield. Whatever happens will likely happen soon—although the announcement may be delayed until Opening Day to mitigate any impact on the team's luxury tax position.

Sox Minor Leaguer Suspended For PED Use

Major League Baseball announced today that Red Sox minor league pitcher Francisco Tena will receive a fifty-game suspension, after testing positive for Stanozolol, a PED that violates the very strict drug-testing program of minor league baseball. The suspension for the player will take effect at the start of the Domincan Summer League season. Tena is currently on the roster of Boston's Domincan League team.

REPORT: Red Sox Sign LHP Chris Capuano

UPDATE: 1 Yr, $2.25 million
According to a report in the Springfield (MA) Republican, the Red Sox have signed left-handed starting pitcher Chris Caupano—a native of Springfield. Capuano, 35, has pitched his entire career in the National League—most recently with the Los Angeles Dodgers. You can view his career stats HERE.

Henry Vows Cramped Seating For 30 More Years

Rest easy, Red Sox fans. You will be able to squeeze your twenty-first century frames into early twentieth-century seating for at least thirty more years. Thanks to the largesse of soccer and publishing magnate John Henry, we don't have to fear some state-of-the-art replication of Fenway Park—you know with zero obstructions, wide seating and maybe even a retractable roof. No sirree—no creature comforts for you! Said the Forbes List Billionaire, "Structurally, there is an expiration date. Someone at some point in the decades ahead will have to address the possibility of a new ballpark. I think you’re several decades away. I think we have a good 30 years. Hopefully we’ll still be around, but we’ll leave that for the next ownership group to worry about." So, when is the next Liverpool re-broadcast on NESN? Just askin'.

Werner To Jenny: Feel Free To Leave Anytime

Jenny Dell With A Fan (FenwayNation Photo)

Exhibiting the ruthless charm that made him a successful TV producer (The Cosby Show, Roseanne), Red Sox owner and chairman Tom Werner basically has told Jenny Dell to take a hike—if she wants to. The Boston Herald's John Tomase reports that Werner (who some say makes Larry Lucchino look like a cream-puff) said the following about Dell, "We talk about it internally because I think Jenny is a terrific reporter. And I think we came to the conclusion and Jenny came to the same conclusion that it would be a distraction for her to be a reporter, and so she’s moving on. I think that it wasn’t sort of a black and white decision because, can she sort of divorce her personal life from being a professional? But we decided in the end it was probably better for her to move on and not be a distraction." Is she free to leave if she gets a non-NESN offer? Replied the mogul behind Third Rock From The Sun, "She is." Uh, on second thought, Mr. Werner is a really nice man. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Drew Soap Opera Continues; Mets Still Unlikely

Stop us if you're tired of hearing about Stephen Drew's Excellent Adventure. With just 38 days until real games start, Drew (and his Uber-Agent Scott Boras) are still adrift in the cold snow of barren free agency. Passing on the $14.1 million qualifying offer from Boston, Drew has been casting about for months, looking for a taker on a multi-year deal. The latest is that the Mets—even if they free up payroll by trading Ike Davis—are "unlikely" to sign Drew. Why? Says a Metropolitan source: "At the numbers he's looking for, we don't think he's worth it compared with what we have." Hey, there's always Independent ball.

Is A David Ortiz Contract Extension Imminent?

(Getty Images)

UPDATE: Papi, agent met with NOG
Don't look now, but the Red Sox and David Ortiz may be about to consummate the contract extension the World Series MVP wants so badly. Want some clues? First, Papi's agent, Fernando Cuza, is in Fort Myers. Second, Ortiz himself said the following, "I think they're trying to get this out of the way so it won't be a distraction. My goal right now is pretty much to try and win another championship. That's all that matters to me right now. The contract situation thing is going to be taken care of at some point. I don't really know, hopefully pretty soon." Third, Globe publisher and soccer connoisseur John Henry said this, "We'll definitely meet with him. He's meant so much to this franchise, to New England, for so long now. He has helped carry us to three world championships. I know where he's coming from. He wants to finish his career here and we should try to make that happen. I don't know that it will get done. But I think it's good to have the conversation at the beginning of spring training. We're all here. The sooner it gets resolved one way or another, the better it is for everyone." Bet on it.

REPORT: Red Sox Talking To Chris Capuano

(Springfield's Chris Capuano)

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Red Sox are in discussions with free-agent LHP Chris Capuano. The 35-year old Capuano is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts—graduating from St. Thomas School in West Springfield—and spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers. Over his nine-year career, the lefty starter is 73-83 with a 4.27 ERA. In 2012, he was 12-12 with the Dodgers with a 3.72 ERA in 33 starts. Last year, he suffered multiple injuries—and was relegated to the bullpen for a while—but still made 20 starts.

Positive Prognosis On Jake Peavy's Ring Finger

(FenwayNation Photo)

If  Jake Peavy had injured his "pinky", then our headline would have been even more alliterative: "Positive Prognosis On Peavy Pinky". As luck would have it, he injured his right ring-finger. In all seriousness, Peavy got good news today on that finger and it looks like he'll be ready to regain full throwing rights as early as tomorrow. With the departure of Ryan Dempster, any serious setback for Peavy would suddenly make the Red Sox starting pitching excess much less so. Said John Farrell of Peavy, "More than anything, the information he took out of throwing today was very encouraging. The discomfort that he felt when he first reported, that's steadily going away. Today was a day to get some long toss in, and he completed it successfully." Excellent.

REPORT: Drew Wants $14 Million For 2014

(AP Photo)

According to Mike Puma of The New York Post, Scott Boras and Stephen Drew are looking for a payday of at least $14 million for 2014—about the level of the $14.1 million qualifying offer the Red Sox made to Drew. Apparently, this new tactic means they no longer are looking for a multi-year deal. Nevertheless, it's not likely that any team—including the Metropolitans—are going to shell out that much for one year and lose a draft pick. Holy Screw-Up, Batman!

Tenth Snowstorm Of February Blasts Boston

Off Route 93 Today (PATCH Photo)

Enough already! Boston is experiencing its 10th snowstorm of February today—as Red Sox Opening Day is a mere 40 days away. The record snowfall and cold this Winter has had a depressing effect on locals—but it's made them even more anxious for the arrival of baseball. It's also got us wondering if April at Fenway Park is going to be 'Parka Central' again. Maybe the NOG should take the advice of the guys over at Boston Dust Mites to encase Fenway in Saran Wrap. Hey it's retractable. Not bio-degradable, but retractable.

Manny Ramirez Changes Agents, Wants To Play

(AP Photo)

Believe it or not, Manny Ramirez wants to re-start his MLB playing career. To re-affirm that desire, Manny hired a new agent—Alex Esteban of Miami Sports Management. Formerly, he was represented by Praver/Shapiro. Manny last played in the bigs in 2012—but he did hit .259 last year for the AAA affiliate of the Rangers. While it's highly unlikely that any MLB team will take a flyer on Manny at this stage, his presence would certainly liven up the 2014 season. Chalk it up to Manny Being Antsy.

Muddy Chicken At The Fort: 'I Feel Healthy'

In the season-opening game of 2013, Dustin Pedroia slid head first into first base at Yankee Stadium. The result was a torn ligament in his left thumb that was a source of pain and discomfort the entire year. And yet, The Laser Show missed just two games—one in June and the last game of the year in September. Despite all of this, he managed to hit over .300 and lead the American League in plate appearances (724). Yesterday, he announced that the thumb is fully healed and he is good to go for 2014. This is the one guy I would choose to start a franchise—even at age 30. He is indispensable to the success of this Red Sox team.

Jon Lester Still Open To 'Hometown Discount'

(Getty Images)

Jon Lester is still willing to make a deal with the Red Sox that would net him less money than if he went to free agency. The lefty re-stated his position to the media on Monday in Fort Myers. Said Lester, "I'm not going to go back on what I said. I said what I said from the heart and I mean it. We'll see where it goes from there. We've still got a long way to go.  If it's something we do get done in spring training, great. If it's not, I think you have to take everything as it comes. If that involves going through the season still talking or getting it done early, you have to play it by ear." Stay tuned.

Sox Holding Firm At One Year For Stephen Drew

(AP Photo)

According to John Tomase of The Boston Herald, the Red Sox are holding to a one-year deal if Stephen Drew wants to return to the Red Sox. Drew and UberAgent Scott Boras are still looking for a multi-year deal—with no takers as yet. In an unusually candid comment, manager John Farrell pretty much put the kibosh on any deal stating, "I think the one thing that we don’t want is a lingering what-if if Stephen is still out there. I think in all fairness to our guys, our clubhouse, guys that would be affected if he were to be brought in. Certainly I can’t speak for Ben in this situation; I think the more that we know what our team is going to look like, or at least those guys in our clubhouse, it probably settles some of that wondering if another player is going to join us." Hello.

Sox Sign Francisco Cordero To Minors Deal

(AP Photo)

Former Reds closer Francisco Cordero has been signed to a minor league contract with the Red Sox—and will report to camp. The soon-to-be 39-year old missed all of last year to injury and pitched horribly in 2012 (7.55 ERA). Presumably, he would compete for a middle relief role. He does have 329 career saves and an ERA of 3.38 over 14 seasons. But, this one is a little curious—unless Boston has reports that Cordero can regain his previous velocity and strikeout rate.

BREAKING: Ryan Dempster Won't Pitch In 2014

(Getty Images)

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, Ryan Dempster will not pitch in 2014—for both physical and personal reasons. The personal reasons were the desire to spend more time with his children. This is a relatively shocking development—although not one that will severely impact the Red Sox rotation. Boston still has five solid starters—and both Brandon Workman and Allen Webster are ready to step in if needed. Nevertheless, this—once again—reinforces the baseball platitude" "you can never have enough pitching".

Dunkin' Donuts Pulls Advertising From WEEI

Dunkin' Donuts has pulled all of its on-air advertising from WEEI radio—reportedly because of an "off-hand" comment made by Gerry Callahan of the Dennis & Callahan Morning Show. It's unclear what the exact comment was, although Callahan is said to have apologized to executives at Dunkin' after admitting that he "screwed up badly".  Todd Wallace of Dunkin' stated, "The decision to end our contract with WEEI in Boston and our endorsement sponsorship with Gerry Callahan in Boston was made following a monthly review of the overall advertising mix and priorities for the region." The loss of advertising revenue cannot be a welcome event at WEEI—which has been in a ratings battle with rival 98.5 The Sports Hub. WEEI is the flagship station for Boston Red Sox baseball broadcasts.

Jake Peavy Leaves With Injured Wrist, Finger

The Globe's Peter Abraham conveyed some disturbing news this afternoon—TWEETING that Jake Peavy left the complex with a bandaged right wrist and bandaged right ring finger. So much for excessive pitching depth.

MLB Appoints New Director Of Instant Replay

Major League Baseball announced that Justin Klemm has been appointed as the brand new Director of Instant Replay. Klemm will be based at the headquarters of MLB's Replay Command Center. He'll be responsible for: management of umpire involvement, the handling of supervisor staffing at the replay facility, and coordination with the thirty MLB clubs. A native of Cataumet, Mass., Klemm served for nine years as a minor league umpire—filling in often at the major league level. In addtion, MLB announced the appointment of seven new field umpires.

Red Sox Likely Won't Trade Starters Until March

WEEI.com's Alex Speier cites a source claiming that the Red Sox will not trade any of its surplus starting pitching any time soon. Even with six solid starters and a bevy of quality youngsters champing at the bit to get to The Show, there are no active trade talks involving any of them. The speculation is that the solid remaining pool of free agent starters is dampening desire for what Boston has to offer.

Can Koji Uehara Repeat His Amazing 2013?

(AP Photo)

On April 3rd, Koji Uehara will turn 39 years old. It's reasonable to speculate whether he can duplicate his astounding 2013 season. Over his five MLB seasons he has been an above-average reliever who occasionally delivers excellent numbers (e.g., in 2011 he posted a 1.74 ERA for the Orioles). But nothing could have prepared opponents for the other-worldly year he had for Boston in their World Championship run. Initially third or fourth in line for the closer role, Uehara hurled 74.1 innings, giving up just 33 hits on the way to a 1.09 ERA. He saved 21 games and struck out 101 batters. He actually finished 7th in Cy Young voting and 19th in the AL MVP race. All he did in the World Series was put up a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings—and was on the mound to close out Ring #8 at Fenway. Can he do it again as he approaches 40? History would suggest that he can. His only really bad year (with enough innings pitched) was his first in the US—throwing 66.2 innings and posting a 4.05 ERA. It's the only season that he gave up more hits than innings pitched. But, as he became acclimated to life in the bigs, he was pretty consistent. A big part of his success is his deceptive delivery and stuff—he certainly never blew any hitters away. So there's no reason to believe that hitters will suddenly figure him out. He may not be as dominant as in 2013—but he's likely to still be very good.

Derek Jeter's Career Stats Against The Red Sox

Jeter Warming Up At Fenway (FenwayNation Photo)

If you quiz any Red Sox fan, he or she might tell you that, in Derek Jeter's career, he hit .600 against Boston with a 1.100 OPS—and 95% of his hits were flares to right with two outs and runners in scoring position. While the reality is a little less devastating, it's still a pretty darn good record. In 267 career regular-season games against The Carmine Hose, Jeter has a .288 average, a .356 OBP, a .395 slugging percentage and an OPS of .750. He's hit 25 HRs and knocked in 125. He's also stolen 55 bases against us. He always seemed to be up at big moments in games—and he usually delivered. Of course, these stats don't count the 19 other games Jeter faced Boston in the post-season. Suffice it to say that Jeter was a major thorn in the side of the Red Sox for two decades—period.

Mets GM: Stephen Drew Signing Is 'Unlikely'

Stephen Drew's chances of landing a multi-year contract dwindled even more on Thursday, as Mets General manager Sandy Alderson said signing the free-agent was "unlikely". Said Alderson, "I said it was unlikely that we would sign another major free agent. I think that’s still the case." So, with Xander Bogaerts taking ground balls exclusively at short, Drew's landing spots are few and far between. Perhaps the Bronx, or perhaps back at Fenway on a reduced one-year contract—in both dollars and playing time.

Red Sox Ticket Prices Soar For Jeter Retirement

Derek Jeter's final regular season games will be at Fenway Park on September 26th, 27th and 28th. This fact has resulted in an explosion of ticket prices for those three games—with the average price at 5PM yesterday sitting at a ridiculous $1,153.01. Both Red Sox and Yankee fans flooded the secondary ticket market minutes after Jeter made his announcement on his Facebook page. Hopefully, Sunday, September 28th will be Jeter's final game—period. You get our drift?

Derek Jeter Will Retire After The 2014 Season

Derek Jeter (Exclusive FenwayNation Photo)

There's pretty much only one player in pinstripes who we would be proud to have on any team we rooted for—that player is Derek Jeter. While he's annoyed the hell out of us for almost two decades, there was never a moment we didn't respect him—and the way he played the game. Today, Jeter announced on his Facebook page that 2014 will be his final season. Said Jeter: "Last year was a tough one for me. As I suffered through a bunch of injuries, I realized that some of the things that always came easily to me and were always fun had started to become a struggle. The one thing I always said to myself was that when baseball started to feel more like a job, it would be time to move forward. So really it was months ago when I realized that this season would likely be my last. As I came to this conclusion and shared it with my friends and family, they all told me to hold off saying anything until I was absolutely 100% sure. And the thing is, I could not be more sure. I know it in my heart. The 2014 season will be my last year playing professional baseball." Fittingly, his last game might be on Sunday, September 28th at Fenway Park. We won't miss his clutch two-out opposite-field hits against the Red Sox, but we will miss the class he brought to the game every time he stepped onto a baseball diamond.

ESPN Documentary On A-Rod, Sox, Yankees

A new documentary short chronicles the epic struggle between the Red Sox and Yankees to win the services of Alex Rodriguez before the 2004 season. With crisp, candid interviews among the key principals (Larry Lucchino, Theo Epstein, Brian Cashman, John Hart), the film is a fascinating look behind the scenes of what would have been (up to that point at least) the biggest deal in Red Sox history. Created by brothers Colin and Nick Barnicle, the film has several tantalizing bits of trivia. The best might be that—once the Rangers and Yankees agreed on a deal for A-Rod—Texas could have had not only Alfonso Soriano but Robinson Cano as a "throw-in". We also hear how eager Rodriguez was to don Carmine Hose, stating, "I want to be part of this rivalry". And, Theo conceding that the 2003 Aaron F. Boone walk-off "sucked the humanity right out you". After that moment, Boston decided to go after A-Rod—but, as we all know—the union nixed the deal. Thank you, Donald Fehr! You can view the video HERE.