AGRI Biz

There is a widespread consensus that the Red Sox starting rotation was significantly improved this winter. But while most of that improvement is attributed to the signing of John Lackey, there is more to it than just that. Lackey will no doubt improve the Sox rotation. But in addition to adding the best free agent pitcher on the market, the Red Sox improved their rotation through subtraction. The Red Sox gave 38 starts ...

á The Red Sox open Spring Training for the 2010 season this week. It will be a welcome moment for the millions of Red Sox fans just jonesing for baseball since the 2009 season ended so abruptly. The boys from Boston will look like a very different team on Opening Day; five of the nine roster positions will have different players from the last Opening Day (Jacoby Ellsbury is now the starting ...

Getting Adrian Beltre for a guarantee of just one year and $10 million has to be viewed as a steal for the Red Sox. It's a huge come-down from Scott Boras's early demands of four years and $40 million, or more. Beltre earned $12 million last season and would have received a bump up in arbitration, which he declined. Perhaps he was just desperate to get out of the expansive Safeco ...

By now, Mike Lowell's 2005 acquisition by the Red Sox has become a sort of local folklore. Lowell was supposed to be the "dead weight" the Florida Marlins dumped on the Red Sox in November 2005 in order to procure Josh Beckett. Lowell was under contract for $9 million in each of the next two seasons and was coming off a career-worst season.á For the promise that Becket provided, the Sox parted ...

By now, Mike Lowell's 2005 acquisition by the Red Sox has become a sort of local folklore. Lowell was supposed to be the "dead weight" the Florida Marlins dumped on the Red Sox in November 2005 in order to procure Josh Beckett. Lowell was under contract for $9 million in each of the next two seasons and was coming off a career-worst season.á For the promise that Becket provided, the Sox parted ...

Red Sox fans are just getting used to the idea of Mike Cameron patrolling left field for the Red Sox next season. And for many, it's not a particularly sexy idea. After all, Cameron is 37 and has a lifetime .250 average. Among active players, only Jim Thome (2,313) has struck out more times than Cameron (1,798). It's tough to get excited about that. However, Cameron is a three time Gold Glover ...

According to multiple reports, free-agent right hander John Lackey has signed aáfive-year contract witháthe Red Sox for somewhere in the vicinity ofá$82-$85 million. The five-year offer for a 31-year-old pitcher is out of character for the Red Sox, and it will be very interesting to see which domino falls next for their busy front office. Lackey will be an asset to the Red Sox' rotation; he has a career 3.81 ERA, all ...

Jason Bay's brief career in Boston may be over. Bayáhas rejected the Red Sox' latest offer (four years, $60 million) and is entertaining better proposals from other clubs, according to his agent, Joe Urbon. "We don't agree with their evaluation of the player," Urbon said. "Frankly, we have other offers on the table that are of greater interest to Jason." Though Urbon left open the possibility that the Red Sox could rejoin the ...

Coming off a World Series win and a Series MVP in 2007, Mike Lowellátook a hometown discount the stay in Boston. He may be regretting that decision now. FOXSports.com is reporting that the Rangers and Red Sox have reached a preliminary agreement on a trade that will send Lowell to Texas for catcher/first baseman Max Ramirez. Who would have guessed that, after all the previous talk of the Red Sox obtaining a Rangers' ...

á Don't hold your breath for the Red Sox to make big, newsworthy deals for players such as Adrian Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez, or especially Roy Halladay. The cost in terms of prospects is just too high, and the Sox have far fewer chips today than earlier this year.á In the case of Halladay, the cost would also include a massive long term contract for a pitcher entering his mid-thirties. That's just the ...