Hot Stove League action starts before playoffs begin

The playoffs have yet to begin. In fact, the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins will meet tonight to determine who faces Tampa Bay in the ALDS, yet the Hot Stove League is already ablaze. Kyle Lohse signed a four-year extension with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.

I am not ready for baseball withdrawal to begin. It will start if Boston is eliminated from the post-season before the World Series; however, it will not fully debut until the World Series is over (regardless if the Sox are in it or not). When November arrives, and the Hot Stove League is fully stoked, it will be a busy winter for the Red Sox and Yankees.

New York has a head start since it did not make the playoffs. Yes, I can be accused of blatant schadenfreude (which is defined as "satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune") cultivated by the Yankees watching baseball in October. They have a multitude of decisions to make - including whether to retain Brian Cashman, bring back Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu, keep or trade Johnny Damon and/or Hideki Matsui and determine if Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina should pitch in pinstripes for another season. Of course, the Steinbrenners are poised to spend millions upon millions on free agents. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Ben Sheets could draw significant interest from the Yankees.

As for the banged up Red Sox, the questionable health of Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew will likely shape Theo Epstein's off-season strategy. On his Brownie Points blog, Ian Browne (who covers the Red Sox for MLB.com) suggested that Sean Casey might retire after the post-season. If this happens, perhaps Boston will try to sign Mark Kotsay, who has value as an outfielder and a first baseman. Kotsay would be a valuable part of the team's 2009 plans since Drew is a DL stint waiting to happen and Lowell will have off-season surgery to repair the partially torn labrum in his right hip (requiring that Kevin Youkilis play third in April if Lowell is not fully recovered to open the season). Kotsay's versatility would be a plus, as it is heading into the playoffs. Would the 32-year-old veteran who has been a starter his entire career be interested in a reserve role?

Because of Drew's health issues, the Sox will likely keep Coco Crisp, who is signed for 2009 and has a club option for 2010. If Kotsay is not brought back and Casey retires, chances are the right-handed hitting Jeff Bailey will have a chance to make the team out of spring training. Bailey plays first base, the corner outfield spots and DH. He is slightly better in the field than the left-handed hitting Chris Carter, who is major league ready at the plate but is a liability on defense at first base and left field.

Lowell's hip injury will also impact who Boston signs as a utility infielder. Lowell might not be ready to open the 2009 season, so Youkilis could play third and Kotsay, Bailey or Carter could play first. Or, the Sox could find a more productive offensive threat than Alex Cora to serve as the utility middle infielder. The light-hitting Cora, who is proficient on defense but has little speed and no power, is popular in the clubhouse, and he is a favorite of Terry Francona. However, since Lowell's hip is an issue, Epstein could find a better hitter, such as Juan Uribe. Around the trading deadline, it was rumored that Boston was discussing a deal that would send Cora to the White Sox for Uribe, who is a free agent when the White Sox season ends.

Even if Uribe is not Epstein's off-season target, chances are the GM will search for an upgrade over Cora. The Sox could keep Julio Lugo instead of trading him, and use him as a super utility player. Lugo has played second base and the outfield, though he considers himself a shortstop (which is cause for laughter on the site). I wrote it before and I will do so again. I can't envision the ego-inflated Lugo accepting a utility role. Jed Lowrie is versatile because he can proficiently play shortstop and third base, but he will be the starting shortstop in 2009, so Boston needs a utility infielder who can play a solid shortstop, second base and third base, thus the reason Uribe makes sense (if he can be pried from the White Sox).

It is seemingly a no-brainer that Tim Wakefield's $4 million option will be picked up, and I would like to see the Sox sign Paul Byrd as a long reliever and spot starter, if he would be interested in the role. With so many teams in need of starting pitching; however, I imagine that Byrd will receive some attractive offers. Though Boston will have a formidable rotation anchored by Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka, I firmly believe that Epstein will seek another top-of-the-rotation caliber starter, either by trade or free agency. And it is highly probably that the Sox will resign Jason Varitek to a two-year deal with a vesting option for 2011 and trade for one of the Texas Rangers catchers (Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Taylor Teagarden) to serve as Boston's backup catcher in 2009.

I know, I know. The playoffs have yet to start and I'm already contemplating what the Red Sox will do in the off-season. Hopefully, there is an American League pennant and another World Series title to celebrate before I become immersed in Hot Stove League talk. I have attended and covered the last two Major League Baseball winter meetings, and I am planning to be in Las Vegas this December for this year's winter meetings. Who knows, perhaps the Sox will convince the Rockies to take J.D. Drew and a top prospect for Matt Holliday. An outfield of Holliday, Jacoby Ellsbury and Jason Bay would look nice. Call it a Christmas wish for Holliday.