The Red Sox have an array of free agents, but the most prominent ones - Mike Lowell, Curt Schilling and Eric Gagne - will at least yield a draft pick if they sign elsewhere. Based on the Elias rankings, Lowell and Schilling were classified as Type A free agents while Gagne, who was projected as a Type A free agent when Boston acquired him at the trading deadline, was named a Type B free agent.
What does this mean? Any team that signs Lowell or Schilling most surrender its' 2008 first round draft selection (if that team does not have one of the first top 15 picks). When Gagne inks a new contract with another ballclub, the Sox will net a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds. If the Sox sign a Type A free agent, they will give up their first round pick, as they did in the 2007 draft after inking Julio Lugo from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
You can read the complete list of Elias American League rankings that determine Type A and Type B status by clicking on this link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2007-10-31-elias-rankings-complete_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
It is definite that Gagne will pitch elsewhere in 2008. He is better suited as a closer in a low-profile city like Cincinnati or Miami. It appears that Schilling will not be retained, and since he will only pitch for a World Series contender, the Sox will likely get his new team's first round selection in 2008. Regarding Lowell, no amount of draft choices would soothe the heartache of Red Sox Nation, and help the Sox on the field and in the clubhouse next season, if John Henry and Theo Epstein do not give the third baseman a generous multi-year contract.
Hot Stove talk heating up on Ben Maller's site
Ben Maller's Major League Baseball rumors column (http://msn.foxsports.com/rumors/mlb) is a daily read in the off-season. He explores trade and free agent talk that is reported in media outlets. Some of the more interesting tidbits this week include:
- The Sox will have contract discussions with Mike Lowell and Curt Schilling while Theo Epstein is in Orlando for the general managers' meetings.
- The Yankees have potential interest in Adrian Beltre (and Miguel Cabrera) to replace A-Rod at third base.
- Atlanta's prospective interest in acquiring Ken Griffey Jr., who resides in Orlando, home of the Braves spring training facility at Disney's Wide World of Sports.
- Torii Hunter apparently will meet with Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams in the next week.
- Andy Pettitte is not interested in following Joe Torre to Los Angeles.
- John Farrell is leaning toward remaining with the Red Sox instead of becoming manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Letterman apparently not a baseball fan
Did anyone else who watched Jonathan Papelbon's appearance on Late Night with David Letterman Wednesday evening get the notion that Letterman does not watch baseball - or at least the Red Sox - much? Based on the way he worded his questions, Letterman either has little knowledge of or interest in the Red Sox or baseball or a both. Here are a sampling of the questions he asked Papelbon:
"Really nice job." (audience applause) "Take me through the repertoire, what do you have? You've got the fastball."
"When you guys were â who was it you were playing? You were down in the series 3-to-1, who was it, was it Cleveland?"
"Now, does it hurt to throw that hard?"
"Because I noticed, in between innings, you've got your arm wrapped, you're trying to keep it cool."
Perhaps I am being too analytical, but it seems to me that he would be better prepared. Nevertheless, it is always entertaining to hear Papelbon speak. I extremely enjoyed the interviews I conducted for the magazine profile I wrote about him and his brothers earlier this year.
Where is the World Series winning ball?
Speaking of Jonathan Papelbon, what did he do with the ball he threw past Seth Smith for the final out of the World Series? Jason Varitek has told the media that he gave the ball to Papelbon, who said he has no idea of the ball's current whereabouts.
Regardless, this is not the same as in 2004 when Doug Mientkiewicz kept the ball he caught from Keith Foulke to secure Boston's first World Series title in 86 years. Mientkiewicz, who is a free agent and wants to return to the Yankees, selfishly held onto the ball and only gave it to the Baseball Hall of Fame until a lengthy debate with Sox ownership and negative publicity in the media. Varitek and Papelbon are class acts, and if they say they do not know where the ball is, then I firmly believe they truly don't know.
As for Mientkiewicz, who did little for the Sox in his brief tenure, I remember reading a media report that told the story of when Edgar Renteria hit the tapper back to Foulke. So the story goes, Foulke was heading to first base to record the out himself, but Mientkiewicz implored Foulke to throw him the ball so he could be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, too. It should be no surprise that he kept the ball for so long, even though he was an employee of the Red Sox, so the ball did rightfully belong to the team, or Major League Baseball.
Denver area Little Leaguers want no part of the Red Sox
I read this article in today's Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/11/01/colorado_mentally_eliminates_red_sox/
It appears that the Parkland Red Sox, a Little League team in suburban Denver, wants a new name. At least they plan to donate the uniforms to a youth team in inner-city Boston.
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