Feds Clear Moncada To Sign With Any Club

(ObstructedView.Net Photo)

The US Government has cleared Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada to sign with any MLB team. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) says Moncada may now be "generally licensed as an unblocked national". The Red Sox and several other clubs have held private workouts with Moncada—who is expected to benefit from a bidding war that will net the 19-year old upwards of $80 million. The Red Sox exceeded their allotted bonus pool, so they would be penalized for signing Moncada. The penalty is a 100 percent tax on their excess pool payments and also restricts their international signings going forward. But, apparently, this kid is worth it. Stay tuned—this could happen fast.

Panda Invites 'The Boston Shoveler' To Opener

After the worst blizzard since the epic 1978 maelstrom, somebody went to the iconic Boston Marathon finish line and shoveled it out. At first, nobody—not even the Boston Police—knew who carried out the noble gesture. Then, it was revealed that Chris Laudani—a bartender near the finish line—was The Boston Shoveler. The 25-year old Laudani has run the Marathon five times and simply felt the need to re-state the Boston Strong ideal to help get the area through the snowfall. Said Laudani, "It is truly an honor to be a part of this, but do remember this has nothing to do with me. I am a small part in a giant, constantly spinning cog that makes this city and our marathon so great." When new Bostonian Pablo Sandoval saw the story, he was moved to invite Laudani—as his guest—to Opening Day at Fenway. Something tells me we're going to really like The Panda.

Red Sox Willing To Part With Reliever Mujica

(Boston Herlad Photo)

After making a flurry of recent bullpen moves, the Red Sox appear to be ready to jettison one reliever from 2014. According to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, Boston is making Edward Mujica (and his $4.75 million contract) available to teams via trade. Having recently added Alexi Ogando, Robbie Ross, Felipe Paulino, Edwin Escobar and Anthony Varvaro to the 'pen (and also re-signing Craig Breslow), letting Mujica go would not be a huge loss. Ben Cherington has paid a lot of attention to piecing together a versatile relief corps—and it appears the makeover may not be finished.

Red Sox Sign Alexi Ogando To One-Year Deal

UPDATE: $1.5M guaranteed.
In a bold move with tremendous upside, the Red Sox have signed former Texas reliever Alexi Ogando to a one-year major league contract—pending a physical. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal reported the deal, which further bolsters the Boston bullpen. As we have said before, claiming the 6'4" Dominican is a good risk—given a tremendous track record earlier in his career. In his rookie season, Ogando posted a 1.30 ERA out of the bullpen. He then followed that up by becoming an All-Star starter (13-9, 3.51 ERA in 2011). Despite the injury history, this is a very good, low-risk move.

Mike Napoli Ranked 8th Best MLB First Baseman

MLB Network has ranked Red Sox first-sacker Mike Napoli as the eighth-best first baseman in baseball. As the chart shows, Napoli finished just behind former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo and just ahead of former Boston first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The network ranked Detroit's Miguel Cabrera as the top player at the position, followed by Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. Napoli—who recently underwent radical jaw surgery to relieve a serious sleep apnea condition—should be poised for another big year in Carmine Hose.

Nava And Red Sox Agree On One-Year Deal

Daniel Nava and the Red Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.85 million contract. The 31-year old fan favorite will be part of an extremely competitive outfield mix—even if a few are traded off in the near future. Along with Nava, Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Mookie Betts, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig, and Jackie Bradley, Jr. will all vie for playing time. This should be fun!

ESPN Rates Sox Farm System As Fifth Best

ESPN has named the Red Sox minor league system as the fifth best in the major leagues. Topping the list was Theo Epstein's Chicago Cubs system, followed by the farm systems of the Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, New York Mets and Red Sox. Other teams in Boston's division ranked as follows: Toronto #19, The Evil Empire #20, Baltimore #22 and Tampa Bay #23. So far, Ben Cherington has resisted the temptation to trade any of his top prospects to fill needs on the big club—although there is still plenty of time to do so before the start of Spring Training.

MLB Scout: What Tom Brady Could Have Been

Backstop Brady

No matter what happens on Sunday, Tom Brady is a lock for enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. If things had gone a little differently, he might have been a lock for enshrinement in Cooperstown, NY as well. After all, he graduated from the same California High School as Barry Bonds—um.....never mind. Montreal Expos scout John Hughes helped snag Brady in the 18th round of the 1995 amateur draft. He recently waxed poetic about what might have been, "I think he would have been a pro. He had all the intangibles. He could throw, left-handed power. There is no reason to think this guy couldn't have been a big league catcher." The 6'3" backstop even had a tryout for Les Expos at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The 17-year old Brady kid stepped into the box and, "It was foggy, wind was blowing in. It was cold. I think Tom hit one out of the park, but the ball wasn't going anywhere." So, who knows? This season, 'veteran catcher' Brady might have been retiring as a Washington National—and not aiming for his fourth Super Bowl ring. As Hughes said, "I could have ruined NFL history if I signed this guy." Indeed.

Sox Place Five In ESPN's Top 100 Prospects

ESPN.com's Keith Law has announced his Top 100 Prospects and five players in the Red Sox organization made the list. Not surprisingly, catcher Blake Swihart (generally regarded as the best backstop prospect in all of baseball) was the most highly ranked—at #10 on Law's list. Next up—at #20—was 6'6" LHP Henry Owens. Another left-hander—Eduardo Rodriguez (acquired in the Andrew Miller deal)—came in at #29. Further down the list were 3B Rafael Devers at #55 and speedy OF Manuel Margot at #70. Having this many prospects in the Top 100 is particularly impressive considering other young Red Sox players who've already tasted The Show (e.g., Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo) are not eligible for this list.

Better Sox Catchers Could Help Robbie Ross

(USAToday Sports)

Jeff Sullivan of the authoritative FanGraphs.com makes an interesting case that new Red Sox reliever Robbie Ross could be significantly helped by a better catching corps in Boston. Based on Sullivan's analysis, Ross—who started a lot for the Ranger last year— suffered disproportionately from strike zone-related issues. Specifically, as a starter, Ross had the highest rate of pitches taken by batters within the strike zone that were called balls. Part of this is due to the framing skills of catchers. In Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan, Ross will be tossing to two of the best receivers in the game. As Sullivan says, "With better catchers, he’ll either get more strikes, or he’ll be able to move out of the zone a bit more often, generating more swings and misses and weak contact." Ross will likely be used exclusively as a reliever by Boston, but part of his acquisition was probably as starter insurance should someone in the rotation get hurt or under-perform. Either way, Ross should more closely match his 2012 and 2013 numbers rather than the dismal ones he put up in 2014.

Xander: 'Strongest Ever Going Into A Season'

Xander Bogaerts

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is feeling pretty good this off-season—in fact, the best he's ever felt going into a season. Said the 22-year old, "This is probably the strongest I've ever felt going into a season -- and by far. I'm definitely real excited for the season." This is music to every Sox fan's ears. After a disappointing first full season in The Show, a little bit of the lustre came off the Bogaerts brand. With a steady position and good health, this could be the year he breaks through to true stardom. Bogaerts has been training at the same Arizona facility used by teammate Dustin Pedroia—who will also be fully healthy for the first time in a while.

Red Sox May Be Eyeing Korean First Baseman

Multiple reports out of The Republic Of Korea indicate that the Red Sox (and possibly the Oakland Athletics as well) are interested in signing 28-year old first baseman Park Byung-ho. Park is a two-time Korean Baseball Organization MVP—hitting 52 HRs in 2014. Park is eligible to be "posted" to MLB teams for 2015—and has signed with a a US agent. Boston may be looking down the road one year when Mike Napoli is eligible for free agency.

Yoan Moncada Free-For-All Set to Begin Soon

When the Obama Administration relaxed relations with The Castro Family Prison Island, we all joked that at least it might make it easier to sign Cuban ballplayers. Now, word comes that—in fact—the new rules may allow super-prospect Yoan Moncada to become a free-agent very soon. Earlier, most pundits assumed teams would have to wait until June to go after the 19-year old switch-hitting infielder. Boston is one of several teams who held a private workout for Moncada—so it's very likely they will enter the bidding fray. Stay tuned!

Red Sox Trade Anthony Ranaudo For Reliever

The Red Sox traded one of their young pitchers to further bolster their bullpen. Anthony Ranaudo was sent to the Texas Rangers in exchange for relief pitcher Robbie Ross. Ross had a miserable 2014 (6.20 ERA, 103 hits in 78.1 innings), but was pretty good in both 2013 (3.03) and 2012 (2.22). So, Boston has added yet another lefty to the 'pen, seemingly setting up a Spring Training free-for-all to determine which port-siders survive into the regular season. Good move by Ben Cherington.

Joe Kelly Thinks Allen Craig Will Be "Awesome"

Kelly (L); Craig (R)

Joe Kelly—fresh off predicting he'll win the 2015 AL Cy Young Award—is forecasting great things for his old Cardinal teammate Allen Craig. Kelly points to the years when Craig was the best hitter on the St. Louis squad, "We had Matt Hollidays, we had Lance Berkmans. But check out any playoff games, any stats, the guy was our best player, 100 percent." And, what about in 2015 (where Craig has no real position on the Red Sox)? Kelly is confident about his buddy's performance, "He’s not nicknamed ‘The Baseball-Whacker Guy’ for nothing. He’s going to go out there and hit some balls hard off that wall. It’s going to be fun watching him come out and he’s going to start whacking and people are going to be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know he could do that.’ Well, he can do it." Joe, tell us what you really think.

Ex-Sox Pitcher Bill Monbouquette Passes Away

As a kid growing up in Somerville, Mass., it was quite a thing to have a real Red Sox player living in Medford, Mass.—the next town over. Bill Monbouquette, who died on Sunday at the age of 78, was just such a player—in fact he was born in Medford. "Monbo" (as he was affectionately called by fans) tossed a no-hitter in 1962 and toiled for The Carmine Hose for eight years before being traded to the Tigers for George Thomas. In his eight Boston seasons, Monbouquette went 96-91 with a 3.69 ERA for some pretty lousy Red Sox teams. Since 2008, he had been battling acute myelogenous leukemia. Rest in peace, Bill.

Evil Empire Brass Reject A-Rod's Mea Culpa

This kind of sounds like the Klingons refusing a sit-down with the Siths. According to The New York Daily News, the Yankee brass have refused a meeting with Alex Rodriguez—meant to convey an apology by The Fraudulent One for the Biogenesis fiasco. The rejection from The Steinbrenner Brood came with the following greeting, "We’ll see you in spring training." Of course, The Bronx Embalmers still owe The Centaur $61 million through 2017. They probably have to talk at some point. Don't you just absolutely love this?

Pedroia: 'I Plan On Playing 162 Games' In 2015

The Muddy Chicken is back. Dustin Pedroia—fully healed from a raft of nagging injuries—is champing at the bit to play every game of the 2015 season. Appearing at the Red Sox Winter Weekend extravaganza at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, The Laser Show stated,  "I'm back. My body is back. I feel strong. I'm lifting everything...I’m here to win games. I’m not going to talk about anything else. I’m going to go out there and do it." There was concern in some quarters that season-ending wrist surgery might hold Pedroia back some in 2015. No chance. Get ready for another epic year from number 15.

Kevin Youkilis To Open California Brew Pub

Former Red Sox fan favorite Kevin Youkilis will open a brew pub in California with his brother Scott—who runs the Hog & Rocks ham and oyster bar in San Francisco. The brothers will open the brew pub at the site of the Los Gatos Brewing Company. The new pub will feature "easy California comfort meals with a twist" using "fresh, seasonal ingredients". Kind of fitting, actually, since Youk was always "fresh" with a "twist", wouldn't you say?

Sox Owner Henry Supports Pitch Clock In MLB

Red Sox principal owner John Henry believes a 30-second pitch clock will migrate from the AA and AAA levels (where it will be in force this season) to the major leagues "in a couple of years"—and he likes it. Curiously, though, Henry says he is not concerned with the length of games, just the pace. While there is a subtle difference, they are clearly connected. Here's his puzzling quote, "I don't think it's about shortening the game. We just introduced replay, which has lengthened the game. Our concern was not how long the game is going. Our concern is the pace of play. We thought that had gotten away from us in the last 50 years and needed to be addressed." Huh? Ultimately, it's the turgid three and four hour contests that will send Millennials off to something more exciting—not whether Clay Buchholz appears to be delivering the ball in a set time frame.

'Mr. Cub' Ernie Banks Passes Away At Age 83

Ernie Banks (1931-2015)

When I began following baseball as a young kid in the halcyon days of the late1950s, there were a few players who stood out as special. There was, of course, our hometown hero Ted Williams—but also Wille Mays, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Ernie Banks. I took a particular liking to Banks, since we shared an unusual first name—and he was so much more interesting to follow than other namesakes like 'Tennessee' Ernie Ford and the fictional Ernie Bilko. Of all the superstars of that era, Banks seemed more low-key—not in terms of performance, but demeanor. He was a true gentleman with a slick glove and and powerful bat—one that netted him 512 HRs over his 19 seasons and Hall of Fame enshrinement. His entire career was with the Chicago Cubs—and so ingrained was Ernie to that team that he will always be known as "Mr. Cub". Ernie passed away yesterday at the age of 83. The world lost a great baseball player and a great gentleman.

Boston's $26.5 Million Allen Craig Conundrum

(AP Photo—Winslow Townson)

Over the next three years, IF/OF/DH/3B Allen Craig is owed a whopping $26.5 million. That's a lot of dough for an underachieving bench player. But the Red Sox have a problem trying to move the 30-year old and free up a bit of the log-jam in the outfield. You see, Craig used to be a really good ballplayer. In his five years as a St. Louis Cardinal, Craig hit .291 with an .803 OPS. In both 2012 and 2013, he hit over .300 and knocked out a total of 35 HRs. But, a nagging foot injury at the end of 2013 really hampered him—although in six post-season games that year against the Red Sox he hit .375. The problem is, until he proves otherwise, teams have to assume the injuries are still a factor. If he shows promise in Spring Training (along the lines of Grady Sizemore last year), perhaps Ben Cherington can part with him and free up playing time for others. Otherwise, Craig—and his contract—will be a serious drag on this team.

Brock Holt Free Of Concussion Symptoms

(AP Photo)

After one of the most amazing rookie seasons in Red Sox history, Brock Holt was forced to miss the final 21 games of 2014 due to concussion concerns. After being given a clean bill of health last October, he has been monitored by medical staff ever since. The good news is that doctors are "really happy" with his progress and the 26-year old is on track for a 'super-utility' role for The Carmine Hose in 2015.

Former Sox Wily Mo Pena Turns 33 Today

Wily Mo Pena

It's hard to believe that Wily Mo Pena is just 33 years old. He first came to the majors at age 20 back in 2002 with the Cincinnati Reds. He got to Fenway in the Bronson Arroyo trade in March of 2006. During his brief, two-year stay in Carmine Hose, he hit .271 with 16 HRs. Your humble correspondent was present at Fenway for one of those home runs. On a warm, early August night in 2006, Wily Mo launched a laser shot that hit the back wall of the Monster Seats—traveling the distance in approximately a nano-second. A very lucky fan moved his head just in time to avoid decapitation by the SCUD missile of a baseball. It was one of those Fenway moments when all 35,000 attendees sat for a moment in awed silence. Pena had that kind of raw power—rare then, even rarer now. He was appointment TV. Happy birthday, Wily!

Jonathan Papelbon Trade To Brewers Likely

It now appears that former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon will be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Reports suggest that the last remaining obstacle is how much of Pap's 2016 vesting option ($13 million) will be eaten by the Phillies. Papelbon also needs to waive his no-trade clause for the deal to go through. In his three years in Philly, the 34-year old has posted a 2.45 ERA with 106 saves. During his seven-year tenure in Boston, he delivered a 2.33 ERA and 219 saves.

Jonny Gomes Signs One-Year Deal With Braves

(Jeff Roberson / AP)

Former Red Sox World Series hero Jonny Gomes has signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Atlanta Braves (formerly, of course, the Boston Braves). The pact also includes a $3 million vesting option for 2016—but, since Gomes would never wear a vest, this seems moot. The 34-year old free-spirit can still hit lefties, so he's likely to see a lot of platoon time for the Bravos. We wish him all the best!

Fake Portland Steals Real Portland's Ballcap

Real Hat, Fake City

It's bad enough that some rogue New Englanders settled on the West Coast and named Portland, Oregon after its Maine counterpart. Now, it appears that the Left Coast impostor is stealing our East Coast baseball identity. The new FOX detective series "Backstrom"—set in the fake Portland—is using baseball hats with the Portland, Maine Sea Dogs logo (the AA affiliate of the Red Sox). Apparently, the producers requested a dozen or so Sea Dog caps a while back—but did not disclose their intended use. So, what's the moral of this story? Simple. Real cities have baseball franchises of their own. Case closed, Backstrom.

Swihart Rated #1 Catching Prospect In Baseball

Blake Swihart (FenwayNation Photo)

If you needed any more ammunition for opposing a trade involving Blake Swihart, you now have it. MLB.com's 2015 Prospect Watch has designated the backstop as the number one catching prospect in all of baseball. Perhaps the most exciting quote to come out of the analysis is this, "His toolset resembles that of a young Buster Posey." OK, we can deal with that. As the Red Sox continue to value versatility, they have to like this comment as well, "Swihart has much more athleticism than the typical backstop and could profile well at multiple positions." Want to hear something about offensive potential? OK, here you go, "He could develop into a .280 hitter with 15 homers per season." All in all, it's going to be very difficult to part with Swihart—even for a Cole Hamels or a Stephen Strasburg or a Jordan Zimmerman.

FanGraphs: Betts For Strasburg Sensible Trade

Strasburg (L), Betts (R)

Dave Cameron of the authoritative FanGraphs.com website makes an interesting case for a Mookie Betts for Stephen Strasburg trade. In fact, he argues that the deal would be a "win-win" for both the Red Sox and the Nationals. Why? First, Cameron uses a complex analysis of WAR projections for Betts and his likely replacements on the 2015 roster. He concludes that—at worst—Boston would lose one win without Betts. On the other hand, they would pick up around three wins with the acquisition of Strasburg—netting a two-win advantage. Betts would solve the Nats second base problem—and the loss of Strasburg is significantly mitigated by their remaining abundance of starting pitching (Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Doug Fister, Tanner Roark). Cameron concludes thusly, "It’s almost certainly not going to happen, but as far as speculative trade suggestions go, this one seems to make as much sense on both sides as any I can remember." We shall see!

OFFICIAL: Red Sox Cap On Pedro's HOF Plaque

Hall-Of-Famer Pedro Martinez

We all knew it was just a formality, but now it's official. The Hall of Fame plaque for Pedro Martinez will have a Red Sox cap. Arguably the greatest pitcher in franchise history, Pedro delivered ridiculous numbers during his seven years donning Carmine Hose: W-L—117-37; ERA—2.52; WHIP—0.978; SO9—10.9.  Did we mention one ring, two Cy Young awards and six All-Star appearances? So, while we knew it would happen, it's still great to hear the official word.

Nats GM Willing To Trade Jordan Zimmermann

According to FOXSports.com's Jon Morosi, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is willing to trade starter Jordan Zimmermann (and Ian Desmond as well, for that matter) assuming it makes "baseball sense". Clearly, that means getting back talented, cheaper players in return—something the Red Sox are willing and able to do for Rizzo. Earlier reports have a bevy of young Boston prospects going to the Nation's Capital in exchange for the righty—who would become the ace of the Red Sox staff. The reports also indicate that the prospect pool excludes Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts. Stay tuned!

MLB Seeks Shorter Between-Innings Breaks

In its continued effort to shorten games, Major League Baseball is proposing a number of new steps to reduce the elapsed time between innings. While the new measures would not cut out any commercial time, players would be required to be ready to go immediately after return from the break. To do this, batters would be required to be ready to start their at-bats 20 seconds before the end of each break. Similarly, pitchers would be required to be ready to make the first pitch 30 seconds before the end of between-innings commercials. It's unclear exactly how these proposed rules would be enforced, and the players' union is already grousing. But, it's estimated that these measures alone could cut 10 to 15 minutes from games. The intent is clearly right.

REPORT: Sox Preparing Trade For Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann

According to a report on BaseballHotCorner.com, the Red Sox are "prepared to make a move" to acquire Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann in a trade. Reportedly, the pool of players that are involved include: Allen Craig, Joe Kelly, Garin Cecchini, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Matt Barnes. If the report is accurate, it means that Ben Cherington could get one of the best right-handed starters in baseball and not give up Boston's two best prospects (Mookie Betts and Blake Swihart). Losing Barnes, Bradley, Jr. and Cecchini would hurt—but there is enough depth at each of their positions to justify this kind of move. The soon-to-be 29-year old Zimmermann (May 23rd) has a career ERA of 3.24 over six MLB seasons. He has a record of 57-40 and has made 32 starts in each of the last three years. He pitched a no-hitter in his final start of 2014—a season in which he put up a 2.66 ERA and 182 strikeouts. Stay tuned.

Zimmermann Is Top Choice As Sox Trade Target

Jordan Zimmermann has emerged as the clear choice of our readers as the preferred trade target among Nationals starters. As the chart shows, fully 55% now choose Zimmermann, followed by 34% who pick Stephen Strasburg and just 7% who select Doug Fister. Five percent said they don't prefer any of the three Nationals starters.

Red Sox Sign Another Arm In Dana Eveland

The Red Sox added another left-handed arm to their bullpen with the signing of Dana Eveland to a minor league contract—with an invitation to major league Spring Training. Eveland was shutdown last July after being hit on the elbow. Before that, he pitched pretty well for the New York Metropolitans—albeit in only 27.1 innings. The 31-year old posted a 2.63 ERA, with a nearly five-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio. For his career, Eveland has a 5.27 ERA over nine seasons with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, A's, Blue Jays, Pirates, Dodgers, Orioles and Mets.

POLL: Zimmermann Pulls Ahead Of Strasburg

Our second wave of polling indicates that Jordan Zimmerman has pulled ahead of Stephen Strasburg as the Nationals starter the Red Sox should try to trade for. As the chart shows, 50% now choose Zimmermann, followed by 37% who pick Strasburg and 11% who select Doug Fister. A scant percentage (2%) do not want Boston to trade for any of the three starters. You can still vote in the poll HERE.

Panda: I Left Some Dough In San Francisco

(Photo: Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports)

With apologies to Mr. Tony Bennett, we must report that, while Pablo Sandoval did not leave his heart in San Francisco, he did leave some cash on the table there. Appearing on MLB Network Radio today, The Panda stated, "I left more money out there. I didn't let the Giants make the final offer. I just wanted to get out and try new things, try a new challenge. I just want to be a part of a new challenge." More tantalizingly, when asked if the re-tooled Red Sox would win the AL East, Sandoval responded, "We will". The Panda is nothing if not concise.

Sox Held Private Florida Workout For Moncada

Yoan Moncada

The Red Sox were among six major league teams that held private workouts in Florida for Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada. The 19-year old switch-hitting phenom is expected to garner a contract in the $30-$40 million range. Moncada has not obtained a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), so he cannot yet sign with an MLB club. The Red Sox are already over the international spending cap (as are the Yankees), so there would be extra cost for Boston to sign the highly-coveted Moncada.

POLL: Plurality Favor Stephen Strasburg Trade

Very early voting in our latest FenwayNation Poll shows a plurality of respondents prefer that the Red Sox trade for Stephen Strasburg—over two other Nationals starters. As the chart shows, 45% choose Strasburg, followed by 35% who pick Jordan Zimmermann and 20% who go for Doug Fister. You can still vote in this poll HERE.

Red Sox Are In On Reliever Ronald Belisario

(USAToday Photo)

In an odd turn of events, the Red Sox are reportedly interested in signing relief pitcher Ronald Belisario—who delivered a 5.56 ERA last year for the White Sox. The 32-year old Belisario was actually Chicago's closer for a while in 2014, appearing in 66.1 innings for The South-Siders. While the right-hander did have two outstanding seasons for the Dodgers (2009, 2012), he has dropped off the last couple of years. Why Ben Cherington is interested in this guy for middle relief is beyond us.

FN Poll: Which Nat Starter Should Sox Pursue?

Nats Starter Shopping Spree
Which one of Washington's starters should Sox trade for?	Zimmermann Strasburg Fister None of them
	Current Results

Quintin Berry Is Back In The Red Sox Fold

(Boston Herald Photo By Matt West)

Boston signed former Red Sox player Quintin Berry to a minor-league contract. The 30-year old speedster was a member of the 2013 World Series Championship team—albeit in very limited action. Reportedly, Berry will makes $620,000 if the makes the big club. You may recall that Berry stole three bases off the bench in the 2013 playoffs—including one in the World Series. This is a good "depth" signing of a guy who can again serve a Dave Roberts-like role down the road.

REPORT: Stephen Strasburg Available In Trade

(AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

According to John Perrotto of USAToday, Stephen Strasburg is available on the trade market—and both sides are OK with ending the righty's time in DC. The good news for the Red Sox is that they could land one of brightest young pitching stars in baseball. The bad news is that Strasburg would require giving up one or both of Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts. Strasburg just avoided arbitration on January 16th by signing a one-year, $7.4 million contract. He'll be eligible for arbitration next season and doesn't hit free agency until 2017. So, if Boston deals for him, the 26-year old would basically be under team control for the next two years. That's why the price is so high—plus the fact that Strasburg is an elite talent. So far, in five seasons, he is 43-30 with a 3.02 ERA—averaging 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Does Scherzer Signing Open Door For Sox?

The Washington Nationals have signed Max Scherzer to a seven-year deal for $210 million. This gives the Nats one of the most formidable starting rotations in all of baseball. Behind Scherzer are: Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and the youngster Tanner Roark. This motherload of pitching creates an opportunity for the ace-free Red Sox. Both Zimmerman and Fister become free agents at the end of this year, so Washington can free up a lot of cash by dealing them for younger players. Enter Boston. If Ben Cherington can protect Blake Swihart and Mookie Betts and still acquire one of these starters, it will be a major coup. Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal suggests that one of the hurlers can be gotten with some combination from a prospect pool including: Henry Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brian Johnson, Garin Cecchini, Sean Coyle and Deven Marrero and Brandon Workman. It's time for Ben to act.

Red Sox And Junichi Tazawa Settle On Contract

One of the true bright lights of the Boston bullpen—Junichi Tazawa—avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the Red Sox. Tazawa—a homegrown Red Sox product—has come into his own in the last few seasons, becoming a reliable set-up man for The Carmine Hose. The 28-year old righty posted a 2.86 ERA in 2014—hurling 63 innings. Over the last three years, he has averaged more than a strikeout per inning.

2015 Red Sox: Silver Linings Or Dark Clouds?

(Exclusive FenwayNation Photo)

Believe it not, the Red Sox will suit up against the Philadelphia Phillies for real in just 79 days. So, where do the 2015 Carmine Hose stand at the moment? It appears that this could be one of those years where you can make credible arguments for both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. On the one hand, the offense has been dramatically upgraded with the additions of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. On the other hand, the starting rotation lacks a true number one—in favor of five number threes. And yet, many respected pundits (including ESPN's Buster Olney) have singled out the Red Sox as having one of the best (and deepest) line-ups in all of baseball. Others have gone so far as to label Boston as the AL East favorites. So, what's the reality? As with most things in life, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle—as boring as that sounds. The rotation will more than likely be better than we all suspect, while the batting order will likely be worse than we think (either through injury or simple poor performance). But then there are the more dicey areas that show no clear direction—like the bullpen. Signing Koji Uehara was good—but he is almost 40. There's a chance that Edward Mujica will regain closer-like form, but he might not. Getting Craig Breslow back is also good—but are we certain he can be effective again? Similarly, the bench seems stronger than it's been in a while—but will trades weed out the overcrowded outfield and ultimately make the bench just "so-so"? And, will 'the kids' mature, or repeat their futility of 2014? The bottom line is: nobody can possibly know in January how a team like the Red Sox will perform. There are just too many question marks.

Red Sox Rookies Work Out At Harvard Stadium

There was plenty of room for all ten Red Sox rookies to work out today under the practice bubble at Harvard Stadium. There are one or two reasons for all that room at Harvard: 1.) it's still Winter Break or 2.) there weren't any major Boston highways scheduled to be blocked today. In any event, the rookies held a media session after the workout, and there were several interesting comments made by the kids. For example, when asked about his role on the 2015 team, Mookie Betts said, "I can’t control if I play or not. I just know that I can come in ready." Good vanilla answer. Here's Blake Swihart on off-season trade rumors: "Whatever happens happens. I'll play anywhere. I'm happy to be here." Hmm. Not so vanilla an answer. Finally, Rusney Castillo was asked what surprised him most in his brief MLB debut last year. Said Rusney, "The first thing that stands out in playing in Boston is the difference in the size of the crowds, playing in front of tens of thousands of people is an obvious difference. But I guess I was able, especially towards the end of my stint, I was able to do well in controlling that and keeping the nerves down and I think that's something I'll take to help me out moving forward." Well, it looks like Rusney won't need the services of the vaunted new Red Sox Behavioral Health Department.

Could Future Sox Rotations Be All Homegrown?

(CamdenChat.com)

There's been a lot of chatter (including here on FenwayNation) about the inability of the Red Sox to land a number one starting pitcher. Basically, the team has collected a bunch of number three starters to forge ahead into the 2015 season. Three of the top five—Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, and Joe Kelly—are from outside the organization. Only Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson are homegrown. But in a few short years, there is a chance that Boston could sport an all-'homegrown' rotation of exceptional starters. Think about it. If they don't deal away one or two of these kids, they could have the following rotation in, say, 2017 or 2018: Henry Owens (LHP), Anthony Ranaudo (RHP), Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP), Edwin Escobar (LHP) and Matt Barnes (RHP). Now, technically Rodriguez (Orioles) and Escobar (Giants) emerged from elsewhere, but they are both young enough to be materially shaped by the Red Sox pitching philosophy. Having three quality, young left-handed arms in a future rotation—along with two tall, powerful righties—is a very enticing prospect.

Former Sox Prospect Rizzo: 'Cubs Win Division'

Rizzo Returns To Fenway As A Padre (FenwayNation Photo)

Anthony Rizzo was not known for ostentatious displays when he was a rising star in the Red Sox minor league system. He was actually kind of a quiet guy. Not any longer. According to multiple media reports, Rizzo is flat out predicting his Chicago Cubs will win the NL Central Title this year. That's right—just as seen in the motion picture Back To The Future—2015 will be the year the Cubbies break the curse (or at least part of it). The 25-year old Rizzo had the kind of 2014 that is probably making a few on Yawkey Way wish they hadn't packaged him for Adrian Gonzalez. Rizzo hit .286 with 32 HRs and 78 RBIs in 140 games. He was an All-Star and finished 10th in NL MVP voting. Who knows? Maybe he'll be right. Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly could not be reached for comment.

Netherlands Antilles Look To Sox-NYY Rivalry?

Gregorius (L); Bogaerts (R)

ESPN.com's David Sabino hints at an interesting new twist in the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry. In 2015, both teams will field young shortstops from the former Netherlands Antilles—Xander Bogaerts from Curaçao and Didi Gregorius from Aruba. Both are relatively young (Bogaerts 22, Gregorius 24)—and both have strikingly similar stats through the early stages of their careers. Bogaerts is generally regarded to have more up-side—both in terms of overall talent and power potential. But Gregorious was also once a highly-touted player—before a couple of down years. As Sabino points out, the two are moving into quite different roles. Bogaerts is poised to be a mainstay at the position—after a seemingly endless parade of shortstops in the Post-Nomar Era. Gregorious, on the other hand, must replace a living pinstriped legend. It will be interesting to see if the new Boston-New York rivalry is characterized by this Caribbean combo.