Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Your Morning Dump... Where the Sox have gotten better

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

In sizing up the major league landscape at the offseason’s midway point, ESPN.com senior baseball writer Jayson Stark polled executives around the league, asking them to identify the five teams that improved themselves most and the five that have done the least to help their chances in 2013.

Perhaps more surprising was the team that executives think improved itself the second-most in baseball: The Boston Red Sox.

Nevertheless, executives on the whole were bullish on Boston’s acquisitions, though there were divided opinions as to how much better the Red Sox would be in 2013. This from Stark:

They're deeper. Our panel agreed on that. Their clubhouse should be much more harmonious. They've added more of Keith Law's top 50 free agents (six) than any other team in either league. And “they've brought in a bunch of guys who can play in Boston,” said one AL executive. But on the other hand ...

"They've added a lot," said one AL exec. "But remember, they had to add a lot, because they had so many holes."

And another AL exec gave this scathing review: "To me, they've spent a lot of money to be mediocre."

ESPN - Execs rank Sox 2nd-most improved team

There's good news and bad news here.  The good news is fairly obvious: the Boston Red Sox have improved themselves this offseason.  That's undeniable.  The bad news is that the Blue Jays have been dubbed the most improved team.  Which is more than "fairly" obvious.  That team really scares me.

Of course, none of this means anything.  I shouldn't have to remind you about the 2011 Red Sox - dubbed the Greatest Team in the History of Teams before the season even began.  That team turned out to be so bad, we ended up signing Ryan Dempster and Shane Victorino just two seasons later.  Ugh.

My sentiments are pretty much in-line with the last "AL exec" quoted above.  This team has improved, but it's gone from awful to mediocre.  To go from awful to good, you have to cross the mediocre threshold, so I'm OK with it.  I just think a couple of the signings (Dempster and Victorino if you haven't been paying attention) are a bit misguided and a pretty big waste of funds.  Even if it's only for a few years.

But it's clear what Cherington's plan was.  He brought in some quality veterans, changed the atmosphere in the clubhouse, and is hoping it all miraculously plays itself out over the course of the summer.  He's basically trying to catch lightning in a bottle while simultanesouly avoiding contracts that will weigh the franchise down too far into the future. 

It's not the plan of action I would have gone with, but he's given us a competitive team with the faintest glimmer of hope for seeing some post-season baseball this year.  After the second half of last season, I won't complain..

..............that is a lie.

On Page 2, we could still see some of that youth I've been pining for.

Your Morning Dump...where the new shortstop is an old name

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Red Sox have an agreement with shortstop Stephen Drew on a one-year, $9.5 million deal, league sources told CBSSports.com.

The Drew signing will allow the Red Sox one more year to develop slick-fielding youngsterJose Iglesias. Drew's deal is pending a physical.

The Red Sox this winter have shown a willingness to pay high salaries in their free-agent deals so long as the length is reasonable. The one-year deal fits since Boston is well-stocked at the minor-league level with top prospect Xander Bogaerts as well as Iglesias.

CBSSports | Red Sox in agreement on one-year deal with shortstop Stephen Drew

Ugh.

This offseason had been going pretty well. The Sox picked up reasonably good players on short-term, reasonably priced (all things being relative) deals in Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino. They brought back David Ortiz and slightly overpaid for a backup catcher (David Ross) and top-notch reliever (Koji Uehara), who could be solid trade bait once they are floundering in July.

But what happened this last week?

Ben Cherington brought in Ryan Dempster, a starting pitcher who, while durable, has never proven that he can handle a competitive division. His short time in Texas was a disaster, and there's no reason to expect Fenway to treat him differently. 

Mike Napoli's deal looks like it might be on the rocks, thanks to some issues that may have come up in his physical.

Meanwhile, the Indians were able to exchange one year of Shin-Soo Choo for a great young starter in Trevor Bauer, and the Mets turned RA Dickey (pending an extension) into a solid haul headed by top catching prospect Travis D'Arnaud. Jacoby Ellsbury remains in Boston.

And now this. Nine and a half million dollars for a shortstop who never fulfilled his promise and is going into his age 30 season. Stephen Drew had three solid-to-good seasons for Arizona from 2008 to 2010, but since then has been unhealthy and ineffective. In 2011, he logged 86 games and was good for a 1.7 WAR; in 2012, he was good for 79 games and minus-0.6 WAR in time split between Arizona and Oakland.

To justify his price, Drew will have to be nearly 2 WAR better than Jose Iglesias. Make no mistake, Iglesias was not good last year. He produced 0.2 WAR (sticking with the same measurement, although I have my issues with WAR's effectiveness) in 25 games. Even playing at that same poor level, he'd be 1.2 WAR over a projected 150 games. Could we reasonable expect Drew to go over 3.0 when he's done so just once in his career, 2010, at age 27 (aka, most players' peak)? Drew is unlikely to stay healthy or produce at a level Cherington his hoping for due to his age and recent history; this Drew is not even as good as his brother, who was widely hated in the Fens. A better gamble would have been to hope Iglesias can figure it out at the plate and pass on Drew.

Meanwhile, the Sox' payroll continues to climb, and now looks likely to reach $150 million after arbitration is settled. That's an expensive 4th place squad.

Herald | Sox pin future on prospects | Globe | Report: Stephen Drew agrees to deal with Red Sox | CSNNE | Report: Red Sox agree to one-year deal with Stephen Drew | ESPNBoston | Red Sox to sign Stephen Drew

Your Morning Dump...where Cherington doesn't want to add by subtracting pitchers

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The starting rotation, glaringly, did not live up to expectations in 2012. Red Sox starters finished 12th in American League with a 5.19 ERA, 10th with 928 1/3 innings pitched, with the second-most runs allowed (575), fourth-most home runs allowed (135), third-most in walks allowed (336), the fourth-highest  opponents’ average (.272),  and tied for the fourth-highest WHIP (1.42). 

“I think just generally it needs to improve,” Cherington said. “The performance of the rotation wasn’t good enough last year. So I think we need to get improved performance out of them. And as I said before I think that will mostly come from the guys that are already here. That’s going to make a bigger difference than anyone else we add, likely. In terms of the order, once – I guess the way I see it – once the season starts and you get into the schedule, someone’s taking the ball every day and I’m not sure the order matters as much. We’re looking for guys, we need guys who every time they take the ball give us a chance to win. And that didn’t happen enough in 2012.

“We have guys in [Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz] who we think can pitch like top-of-the-rotation starters. They have in the past and have done that for consistent periods of time in the past and we’re counting on them to do that going forward.”

CSNNE: Sox pitchers: add or subtract?

This has been on my mind ever since there were rumors of sending Lester to Kansas City. It was also the first time I have seen myself actually mulling over a trade that involved Lester since he was rumored to be in a package for Johan Santana. 

While his stats over the past two season hint that Lester could be declining, there's just no one out on the free agent market, that is worth bringing in to replace him, especially when Zack Grienke is trying to land a $150 million contract. Also, I'll willing to bet that Lester could have a bounce back year and re-emerge as the ace of the staff. 

In fact, I would say that about this entire rotation. The Sox have pitching talent, the issue is whether or not they could all stay healthy. For the sake of these guys,maybe putting in a six man rotation could do everyone on this staff a favor. By giving them that extra day of rest, they could go longer into games and be extra ready. It's not the conventional way, but it might be crazy enough to work. 

Globe: Long ball needed | Herald: Waiting for Napoli | Hamilton may be ripe for plucking | New place same wait as Sox mull | CSNNE: Loney to sign with Rays | Market for Youk is heating up | Salty doesn't see Ross as his ticket out of town | Cherington won't rule out a big move | WEEI: Ranaudo (groin) shut down

Your Morning Dump...where the Sox are ahead of schedule

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

With baseball’s winter meetings still two weeks away, the Red Sox are well ahead of the glacial pace of last fall.

“We have a lot of work to do because we lost 93 games,” Cherington said “But there’s no doubt that with some of the other things you have to do — the manager, the coaching staff, the infrastructure scouting-wise — we’re ahead of where we were last year.

“We’ve spent a lot more time on player issues at this time as compared to last year. That doesn’t always turn into announcements. You can’t predict when it will happen.”

Globe | Ben Cherington: Red Sox are making progress

Some Sox fans have been frustrated by the relative inactivity by the organization, but as Ben Cherington points out, things aren't moving as slowly as it seems.

It's really more of a testament to what they have to get done.

Last year, the only major thing that had to be done was hire a manager, and it took them months to figure it out. They had a couple other things to deal with -- like a pitching coach -- but they were all pretty minor.

This year, they needed a manager, a hitting coach (or two if you believe those reports), a pitching coach, at least one starter, the usual bullpen maneuverings, two outfielders, a first baseman, and need to decide if three prospects (Kalish, Iglesias, and Lavarnway) are ready or not.

And they're still ahead of last year. John Farrell is in place, Cherington has the support of ownership, David Ortiz got his multiple years, and the team has checked in with seemingly every available free agent (including Lance Berkman, which you can read about in the links below).

So, no, they haven't traded for multiple All-Stars, nor have they been throwing around nine-figure offers to free agents. But we should see this as a good thing. They're being appropriately patient, and they're also not getting mired in organizational infighting like they did last year over the manager. Things are looking up for the offseason.

Globe | 2013 Red Sox spring schedule | Herald | Lance Berkman: Red Sox among my suitors | ESPNBoston | Berkman says Sox have shown interest

Your Morning Dump...where the Sox should call Miami for Stanton

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

If the Red Sox, who begin what they hope will be an accelerated rebuilding with deep pockets and a deep farm system, want to see what else the Marlins might sell, here's an easy hypothetical that is probably pure fantasy, but one Cherington is required to look into nonetheless. He needs to call the Marlins and find out if Giancarlo Stanton can be had.

There is no logical reason why he would be available. If Bud Selig, on a whim/power trip, ordered an entire redrafting of the major leagues tomorrow, Stanton would arguably be the third pick behind the two newly crowned Rookies of the Year, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. Stanton hit 37 homers last season and led the National League in slugging (.618). He is not eligible for free agency until 2017. And he just turned 23 last week. Players don't get much more appealing than that.

A reader asked this compelling question on Twitter Tuesday after the news of the blockbuster broke: Marlins call Sox & offer Stanton for Barnes, Bradley, & Webster. Cherington says...

Cherington says, "Hell, yes, and do not hang up that phone. I've just gotta clear it with ... [sigh] ... Larry."

Globe: Sox must ask about Stanton

As soon as Stanton tweeted his wasn't happy about the trade, Scott Priest and I both had a similiar thought process. Get him to Boston. The trade that Finn brought up may do it. But let's get more creative than that.

Bradley is as dynamic a player the Sox have had in their farm system in quite some time. The goal shouldn't be to trade him for Stanton, it should be to pair him with Stanton. So let's readjust this trade: 

Iglesias, Barnes, Webster, & Brentz for Stanton & Yunel Escobar. Sox send $4 million in cash as well.

So the Sox give up four of their top ten prospects (according to Baseball America) for Stanton & Yunel Escobar, who has $5 million on the books the Sox will eat. The Sox will then have Stanton, Ellsbury, Ross/Kalish (if the Sox resign Cody) for next season and the season after would turn into Theo Epstein's wet dream: Stanton, Bradley and Jerry Sands. Hell, depending on the circumstances that could be the outfield in July/August. 

Of course this is just fantasy because if the Marlins did make this deal they should be contracted from the league since or get relegated to AAA.  But the way the Marlins are offloading players, it's worth a shot.

Rest of the Links: Herald: Sox: No Thanks | Baltimore can't count on fine fortune in 2013 | CSNNE: Should Sox have pursued deal with Miami? | WEEI:  An X-factor in the corners?

Former Sox drawing many suitors in the offseason

Like any baseball fan I've been spending a fair share of time on MLBTradeRumors this offseason, and I've been struck by the building interest in two former Sox: Kevin Youkilis and Jed Lowrie.

Youk is a free agent and someone who many fans had hoped would return to Boston, although it doesn't appear likely. MLBTR lists six interested teams and Boston is not among them. One who is: Cleveland. It'd be interesting to see how a Tito/Youk reunion would go. 

For what it's worth, Youk wasn't totally ineffective because of Bobby Valentine or the Boston environment -- it looks like he's just declining. His OPS in Chicago was .771 -- not as bad as the .692 he put up with the Red Sox before being dealt, but still a steep dropoff from the .833 of the prior year, and his .900+ OPSs of years prior. It's best to forget about his name and his history and remember that he's a player in relatively poor shape in his mid-30s. A .750 OPS is probably all that's reasonable to expect at this point -- and if he plays more than 120 games in a year I'd be surprised. I have trouble believing he will earn whatever contract he gets.

It's a little heartbreaking to read about Jed Lowrie. I never liked Lowrie as a player -- he just seemed like empty numbers and I thought he was an overrated defender -- but it's clear that Ben Cherington sold low on him. The shortstop market is notoriously weak, so much so that Houston would have to be "overwhelmed" by an offer to move Jed. 

The one saving grace is that Lowrie is not going to be a perennial All-Star or anything, because while a useful player he can't stay on the field. He put up a .769 OPS last year, along with 16 homers, but only played in 98 games. Still, would we be better off with two years of Lowrie than four years of Mark Melancon? It's hard to say no.

What do these players mean for the future of the Sox? Nothing, directly. Neither is returning to Boston. But both serve as cautionary tales. In Youkilis, we were forced to deal off a somewhat useful player for nothing because of the toxic environment that had developed. In Lowrie, Cherington dealt an important position for an unimportant position -- even throwing out the results, it's hard to look back and think that was a good idea. At the time we were able to talk ourselves into it -- hey, Melancon had closed for half a season! -- but going forward, Cherington will have to treasure players up the middle and trust himself to build a bullpen from castoffs and reclamation projects like Vicente Padilla and Andrew Miller.

Your Morning Dump... Where Ben still has eyes for Kuroda

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

For the first time in history (hyperbole … maybe, maybe not) the Red Sox find themselves with the upper-hand on the Yankees and it might allow for Kuroda to leave New York and land in the Boston rotation.

According to an industry source, the Red Sox have "strong interest" in Kuroda, the righty pitcher who not only survived his first year in the American League East, but thrived in his surroundings. Working under a one-year, $10 million deal from the Yankees, Kuroda went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA over 219 2/3 innings.

The Yankees have offered Kuroda a qualifying offer, which would pay the pitcher $13.3 million for next season if he accepts it by Friday's 5 p.m. deadline. If he declines the offer and signs with another team, the Yankees would receive a draft pick, with Kuroda's new organization having to surrender a pick. (The Red Sox would have to give up their second-round selection, with their first-rounder -- seventh overall -- protected since it resides in the draft's top 10.)

As of Thursday night, it wasn't clear if Kuroda was going to accept the Yankees' qualifying offer.

WEEI - Hiroki Kuroda may represent a change in fortune(s) for Red Sox, Yankees

I don't understand this signing whatsoever, assuming it does happen.

The man is 38 years old.  He's a heck of a pitcher, and could certainly help the Sox win a few games next season.  But he's still 38 years old.  Why add him to a roster that is in the very beginning stages of rebuilding?  It doesn't add up.

Unless we're not.  Maybe Ben has no interest in taking two or three years to build a solid team.  Maybe Lucchino is standing outside Ben's office with a bullhorn shouting "Spend! Spend! Spend!"  Maybe the Sox have learned nothing over the past few seasons.  And if you read Michael Silverman's piece in the Herald linked below, this may just be the case.

Of course, the Sox could just see Kuroda as a "bridge" (love that term).  Someone to give them a solid year and let the Sox fans witness a few extra wins until one of the young arms is ready.  Even with a youth movement, the Sox will still be competitive.  Kuroda only helps here.

But he's going to be expensive.  For the Sox to get him, he'd have to turn down $13 million from New York, so that's the starting point in negotiations.  On top of that, Boston would have to flip their second round pick to the Yankees if they do sign him.  That's a high price to pay, especially when Boston's farm system could use some more talent. 

Rest of the links:

Herald - ‘Free’ to go after names |Troubled Sox should attract free agents | Globe -Red Sox need to win all seasons | Jose Iglesias may be in a good position | WEEI - Red Sox GM Ben Cherington: ‘Fair question’ whether free agents want to come to Boston | Red Sox continue to restructure medical staff | CSNNE - Valentine: Red Sox 'shouldn’t be defined by their record'

Your Morning Dump...where an Ellsbury trade is in play

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The last time Ben Cherington worked the general managers meetings in Frank Sinatra’s old stomping grounds was seven years ago, when he was job-sharing with co-GM Jed Hoyer. The duo laid the groundwork then for one of the more monumental trades in recent Red Soxhistory: Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez to the Marlins for Josh Beckett[stats] and  Mike Lowell.

Cherington now is solely in charge and the only piece of that 2005 trade still in Boston, but one constant remains: The Red Sox [team stats] are going to be looking for an impact trade. That would mean trading center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury [stats], and while the odds never favor a blockbuster, the Sox have a recent track record of being very active on the trade front, large and small.

If they have not yet approached teams about Ellsbury, they should, listening to any and all inquiries. Sometimes, trade destinations crawl out of the woodwork at the oddest times and places.

Herald | Jacoby Ellsbury a trade chip at talks

The Jacoby Ellsbury decision is, simply, the most pivotal in Ben Cherington's efforts to turn around the Red Sox. He has three options:

1. Let him ride out the remaining year of his contract and hit free agency. Based on history, it's easy to assume we'll get an excellent year from Ellsbury given that he is in his prime and playing for a contract.

2. Attempt to negotiate a long-term extension before his deal expires, keeping Ellsbury in Boston for the what could be the remainder of his career. Based on Scott Boras being his agent, it's easy to assume that this might not be possible, or if it were possible, it would require eight to ten years and probably somewhere in the vicinity of $200 million.

3. Trade him.

I've argued in the past for trading him. I liked the idea better last year after what I believe to be an aberration of an MVP campaign, but it's still worth exploring.

The most popular rumor seems to be a deal with the Texas Rangers involving Elvis Andrus. The reason it's so popular is that it would appear to satisfy everyone's needs. Texas is brimming with money but isn't willing to spend it on Josh Hamilton, so they have a hole in their lineup. Meanwhile, they have uberprospect Jurickson Profar coming up at short. The Red Sox famously can't fill the hole at short, and with Andrus under contract for two more years, they would have some stability. He is a Boras client, so they'd face the same conundrum next offseason as they are with Ellsbury now.

Other names pop up -- Justin Upton being chief among them -- but I don't see any other deal popping up unless it is merely flipping him for near-major-league-ready prospects.

All of this said, I wouldn't expect the Red Sox to trade him. I think Ben Cherington might want to -- as that snippet at the top indicates, he's not afraid of a big move -- but I fear the business folks will get involved. Ellsbury drives the pink hat revenue stream; it might be scary to face the future without it.

Herald | Ben Cherington takes lead | Globe | Red Sox in a position to take some chances | ESPNBoston | Five trades Red Sox should explore | Pedroia on Bobby V: "We talked well" | CSNNE | Sox have decisions on minor leaguers before Rule 5 draft

Your Morning Dump...where we may have seen the last of Cody Ross

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“When I first talked to Cody about coming here, the goal obviously was to do well as a team, but part of the goal was to put him in a better position,” Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said yesterday. “I felt it could put him in a better position by coming here and performing in this ballpark. The good news is that it did. That’s to his credit. He’s in a good position now. It makes it tougher to sign him.”

The Red Sox could have made Ross a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer to assure draft-pick compensation if he leaves. But there also was a chance he would accept, and while the Sox are interested in re-signing him, they don’t believe he’s worth $13.3 million.

“We’ll keep the door open, and we’ll continue to talk,” Cherington said. “But once we’re in free agency, he’s got opportunities to talk to other teams, and we fully expect him to do that.”

Herald | Cody Ross may cash in elsewhere

Meanwhile, Ross is looking for three years, $25 million, not quite the Josh Willingham contract people pegged him for, but not far off either.

Will Boston go that far? I'm tempted to say no, but it's worth remembering that they have very little on the books. The answer might come in tandem with the team's plans for Jacoby Ellsbury. If the Sox are planning trading Ellsbury, or merely letting him walk after this year, they might be more willing to devote some extra resources to locking in a guy who likes Boston, even on a deal that's probably not going to pay off.

If they're re-signing Ells? Then it gets harder to justify $8 million a year on a guy who may or may not be a glorified fourth outfielder.

Of course, both of these ideas could be wrong. They could bring back both, or they could exile both. In a lot of ways, it depends on the organization's philosophy. Do they continue to be the baseball version of the Patriots, digging their heels in on a certain value and telling the player to find a better deal elsewhere (as they did with Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and even David Ortiz for a number of years)? Or, is Ortiz's latest contract a sign that they're willing to overpay a bit just to make sure they bring in (or keep) the right type of player?

If I had to guess, I say Ross is gone. I think the Papi deal will prove to be the exception, not the rule, and they'll be happy for Ross' one-year rental and his subsequent deal elsewhere, as they were with Adrian Beltre.

Herald | Papi's powerful enough to link past greatness to future success | Cherington goes all-in on Ortiz two-year deal | David Ortiz defends vs. Bobby Valentine | Globe | Sox and Ortiz are together | CSNNE | Cherington on Ross: 'Door will remain open' | Red Sox still trying to piece together coaching staff | Cherington eyes upcoming general manager meetings | Red Sox, Ortiz happy to move forward with two-year deal | ESPNBoston | David Ortiz: I didn't shut it down | David Ortiz could earn up to $30 million | Sources: Ross still waiting for three-year offer | Source: Boston set on pitching coach | Red Sox to add medical director

Your Morning Dump... Where Papi may become a free agent

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

It's appearing more likely that by the time Boston's exclusive negotiating rights with David Ortiz expire at midnight ET at the end of Friday, the sides won't have a deal.

However, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington remains hopeful that Ortiz will return for an 11th season in Boston.

"Well, we're working on it," said Cherington on WEEI's Hot Stove program on Thursday night. "We've been talking to David since the end of the season, and it's been a good conversation. Everyone knows that we'd like to keep him, and I think there's mutual interest. And we've had a lot of talks, and we've made up some ground in some areas, but we still have some work to do.

" We'll keep working on it," Cherington said. "If we get past tomorrow night, we'll continue to work on it. We remain hopeful that we'll keep him in a Red Sox uniform next year."

MLB.com - Ortiz likely to hit market, but Sox eye deal

I don't know whether the Sox and Ortiz can come to terms before Papi officially becomes a free agent, but I'm not really panicking over the looming deadline either.

From the start, I thought the Ortiz negotiations were going to go one of two ways: either Papi told the Sox he's had enough of dealing with Boston's nonsense and was planning on suiting up for someone else, or he wants to stay and is going to get a deal done.  It was, and still is, always possible that Papi wants to stay but Boston simply isn't willing to pony up the years, or cash, to make the deal happen.  But I just can't imagine the Sox are that stupid.

First off, from a baseball perspective the Sox lineup has virtually no power.  Unless they plan on going out and spending million in free agency (and God do I hope not) who's driving in runs for this team?  There's no big bats waiting in the minors.  There's no big bats in the majors.  They have one slugger and his name is David Ortiz.  They can't let him get away.

Secondarily, from a PR perspective, letting Ortiz walk would be a nightmare.  Especially when you consider how fast the Yankees would be knocking on his door with wheelbarrows full of cash.  David Ortiz is the Red Sox.  To let him go over a few million dollars, especially on the heels of the Great Salary Purge of 2012(tm) would be unforgivable. 

If my offseason plan, I said I'd let Ortiz make me an offer on what it would take to get him to stay, and I'd immediately agree to those terms.  I don't blame Boston for trying to save some cash in these negotiations, and Ortiz has deal with this front office long enough to know that these situations usually don't play out quickly.  But at some point, the Sox are going to have to be willing to pay Ortiz more than they want to. 

Paying Ortiz $5 million more per year than he's probably worth is something we can all live with.  Letting him walk because you've established his value, again, and won't bend from your pre-determined dollar amount is not. 

Get the deal done.

Rest of the links:

Herald - Short-term possibilities out there | David Ortiz talks go to wire | Globe - Two Sox prospects picked for Rising Stars Game | Five free agent moves Red Sox should make | WEEI -Cherington on Youk: 'Got to be open-minded' | Two more to interview for Sox pitching coach | CSNNE - Sox should give Ortiz his two-year deal | RI sues Schilling over 38 Studios loan guarantee