El Guapo's Ghost Rambles on about the Red Sox

ARBITRATION ANYONE?

So glad I bought Faith Rewarded last night for a couple of reasons. First, it is just AWESOME and so much better than MLB’s DVD. If you haven’t purchased either, I strongly advise to save the $20 or so bucks and purchase ONLY Faith Rewarded. I plan on watching it again tonight with a full review tomorrow. Second, I was planning on writing about the Sox decision on offering salary arbitration to their four free agents. It would have been a waste with Gordon Edes and the Globe doing a kick ass job. Hence, today’s post is just quick lunch time comments on Red Sox news.


• Edes reports that…Renteria may set the market, depending on what he receives from the Cardinals, but most of the big-market teams -- the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Cubs (if they re-sign Garciaparra), and Orioles -- are set at shortstop, raising a question about how much leverage Cabrera will have.

Anaheim is searching for a shortstop as well and will be a player. Plus, if Lando values financial security more than playing on a winning club, then the Tigers and M’s are in the mix for his services.


• The Sox claimed Tim Bausher off waivers.

Bausher pitched in the rotation and out of the pen last season for two AA clubs striking out 138 batters in 130 innings while only walking 40. The Sox can make these moves because the farm system is not producing upper level prospects necessitating their addition to the 40-man roster. The Sox will likely draft one Rule V player next Monday as well.


• Boston Dirt Dogs reports that the Sox have interest in Danny Bautista as their fourth outfielder.

Bautista is a great replacement for Kappy’s Liquahs. He is a RHB to partner with Trot in right and can play center occasionally when Damon needs a day off after a hard night of boozing. Let’s hope he took a big pay cut from $3 million he earned last season. This signing also ends Dave Roberts’ tenure in Boston.


• Gammons notes: Then those who are a starter short will start thinking about the possibility of Ben Sheets being next summer's big trade deadline prize.

Sheets is the real deal. He has more Hubbie Brown “upside” for the later half of this decade than anyone including Mark Prior. Even though the Brewers have continued to refute the notion that they have to move Sheets, new ownership can change everything.


• Gammons lists possible non-tenders: Josh Fogg, Scott Schoeneweis, John Riedling, Jarrod Washburn, Luis Vizcaino, A.J. Pierzynski, Shea Hillenbrand, Chris Woodward, Jay Gibbons and Junior Spivey.

Pierzynski is the most interesting name on the list. The development of Yorvit Torrealba and the free agent signings by Sabean could make Pierzynski expendable in a trade – I doubt he gets non-tendered. Vizcaino is a name to remember too. He could be the strikeout guy in the pen that the Sox missed last season when Williamson went down.


• UPDATE: Julio Lugo is available like nearly all players at the right or high price.

``We're not shopping any of them, per se,'' LaMar said. ``However, depending on who we got back - a good young player or two - we would have to listen. ... There's interest in those players. But as of right now, I expect all of those players to be on our roster.''