Winter Meetings Day Two

Well, the sun has risen over Orlando, Florida signaling the beginning of Day Two of the MLB Winter Meetings. Already moves have been made, so here goes:

- Ty Wigginton signs with the Colorado Rockies
Tracy Ringsolby of Inside the Colorado Rockies webpage has reported on his Twitter page that Ty Wigginton, formerly of the Baltimore Orioles, has signed a 2-year $7.5 million contract which includes a $500.000 buyout on an option for the 2013 season. As to how Wigginton will fit into the Rockies plans, Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post describes Wigginton as so:

Wigginton is a safer bet after batting .248 with 22 home runs and 76 RBIs last season for Baltimore. He started 98 games at first base, 40 at second and 22 at third. The 33-year-old made the all-star team last season but hit .244 in the second half after getting tired and exposed in a weak lineup. Colorado tracked Wigginton over the final three months of last season, believing he improved significantly at first base.

The Rockies have been busy as of late having acquired infielder Jose Lopez from the Seattle Mariners late last week, signing Troy Tulowitzki to that mammoth extension (signed through 2020 season for $157.75 million in guaranteed money). They are also rumored to be looking at Jorge Cantu and Jeff Francouer as possible free-agent signings so look for Colorado to make a few more moves before the meetings end later this week.

- Click Here to access Ty Wigginton's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access Inside the Colorado Rockies website for more news on the Rockies

- Vicente Padilla re-signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Buster Olney of ESPN reported on his Twitter feed that the Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed Vicente Padilla to a 1-year $2 million dollar contract. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com adds the following to the Padilla signing:

Padilla, who missed time with arm and neck injuries, would essentially become the sixth starter and long reliever, capable of spot starting, pitching multiple innings of relief and even providing insurance for the late innings should closer Jonathan Broxton struggle as he did in the second half this year

In an injury plagued 2010, the opening day pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers compiled a 6-5 record with a 4.07 ERA in 16 starts. Padilla struck out 84 batters while walking 24 and giving up 79 hits in 95 innings pitched for a WHIP of 1.084. Padilla is a crafty veteran that can start, pitch long relief and close a game. He's the equivalent of a utility player that can play multiple positions.

- Click Here for Vicente Padilla's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Aside from the Managers tribute and the Derek Jeter press conference, the second day of the Winter Meetings seem to have slowed down. I'll post again after the Jeter presser.

FH

Winter Meetings Day One Part Two

Here are some more baeball transactions that occured (or didn't in some cases) during Day One of the Winter Meetings:

- J.J. Putz signs with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal on his Twitter feed announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks have just signed reliever J.J. Putz to a 2-yr deal with club option, pending physical. Prorumors.com says the deal breaks down in the following manner:

Ken Rosenthal says that Putz will be paid $4 million in 2011, $4.5 million 2012, and there's a $6.5 million club option or $1.5 million buyout in 2013.

After having a horrible 2009 with the New York Mets, Putz returned to form with his 2010 campaign with the Chicago White Sox. Putz compiled a 7-5 record with a 2.83 ERA in 60 appearances. In 54 innings pitched, Putz struck out 65 batters while walking only 15 and giving up 41 hits for a WHIP of 1.037. Putz saved 3 games for the White Sox. The signing of Putz will bring a stable arm to a bullpen that was very ineffective for the Diamondbacks this past season.

- Click Here for J.J. Putz' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Aaron Harang signs with Padres
Follow the Padres on their Twitter feed announces that Aaron Harang, formerly of the Cincinnati Reds, has signed: a One year, $3.5 million plus a mutual option. Working to get terms of option. During the 2010 season for the Reds, Harang compiled a 6-7 record 5.32 ERA in 22 games. He struck out 82 batters and walked 38 while giving up 139 hits for a WHIP of 1.585. Harang seems to have fallen off from his successful years of 2006 and 2007 when he went 16-11 and 16-6 respectively. I seem to be repeating myself but as with Mark Reynolds and the pitchers traded for him in that deal earlier today, maybe the change of scenery and some hometown cooking will do him good.

- Click Here for Aaron Harang's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Dan Johnson re-signs with the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Tribune has reported on their Twitter feed that the depleted Tampa Bay Rays have re-signed 1B/DH Dan Johnson to a one-year contract. I believe this is an important move for the Rays since their first baseman of the last few years, Carlos Peña, is a free-agent and not seen as returning to the Rays. After spending the 2009 season with the Yokohama Bay Stars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League, Johnson returned to the Rays for the 2010 season. Spending the majority of the 2010 season playing for the Durham Bulls of the International League before being called up. (PHOTO CREDIT: Steve Nesius/Associated Press)

In very limited but important action for the Rays, Johnson batted .198 with 7HRs and 23 RBI. Though the numbers don't seem very impressive, Johnson played four positions for the Rays last year (1B/3B/LF/RF) and his versatility is needed and respected on a team such as Tampa's. I saw this kid hit two homers in a pivotal division game against the Yankees which was overshadowed by the now infamous Derek Jeter faked hit by a ball trick. This game propelled the Rays back into first place and I daresay it may have cost the Yankees the division title. I believe that we'll see more of Johnson this upcoming season in a much more expanded capacity.

- Click Here for Dan Johnson's career statistics from BaseballCube.com

- The Athletics/Iwakuma Negotiations Fall Through
In what comes to no surprise, the A's were not able to come to terms with Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma. The rights to Iwakuma go back to the Rakuten Golden Eagles and the $19.1 million dollar posting fee is returned to the Oakland Athletics.(PHOTO CREDIT http://cardsandgraphs.blogspot.com)

The story was reported by both Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle and Jane Lee of the MLBlogs network. Lee states the following as being the position of both Iwakuma and the Athletics during the negotiations:

Iwakuma and his agent, Don Nomura, were reportedly asking for a contract that would average $12 million per season over three years -- numbers that reflect the earnings of fellow Japanese pitchers Hiroki Kuroda (three years, $35.3 million) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million).

However, the A's were said to have offered $15.25 million over four years -- factoring in the posting fee cost -- as a "take it or leave it" approach. By leaving it, Iwakuma will stay in Japan and become a free agent at the end of the 2011 season.

Sussler also reports in her Twitter feed that:

#Athletics made it clear to Iwakuma that they'll have interest in him next year when he is a free agent.

Whether or not Iwakuma would be interested in playing for the Athletics next season when he becomes a free agent is unknown. Without burning any bridges I would imagine that he would not want to after being quoted as saying "the Athletics really didn't want me." . This leaves a hole in the Athletics' rotation since they traded starter Vin Mazzaro to the Kansas City Royals for Jose DeJesus earlier in the offseason. We'll see where they go from here.

- Click Here for my prior post A's Win Bidding for Iwakuma. Why Bid? from November 8, 2010

- Kevin Correia signs with the Pittsburgh Pirates
According to ESPN's Jerry Krasnick on his Twitter feed, starting pitcher Kevin Correia, formerly of the San Diego Padres, has reached agreement with Pittsburgh Pirates on a 2-year, $8 million deal, pending a physical. Correia compiled a 10-10 record with a 5.40 ERA. In 26 games for the Padres, Correia struck out 115 while walking 64 and allowing 152 hits for a WHIP of 1.490.

In joining the Pirates, he joins a young rotation that is already made up of Paul Maholm, James McDonald and Ross Ohlendorf.

- Click Here for Kevin Correia's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

That's all that I am posting on the first day of the Winter Meetings. If anything happens from now into tomorrow, I'll post it later.

FH

Winter Meetings Day One

The Winter Meetings are in full swing in Orlando and there are a few deals that have gone down. Here goes:

- The Milwaukee Brewers get Shaun Marcum from Toronto
The Milwaukee Brewers get 29-year old starting pitcher Shaun Marcum to bolster their pitching staff in exchange for top prospect 20-year old second baseman Brett Lawrie. Marcum had his most productive season for the Blue Jays last season by going 13-8 with a 3.64 ERA. In 31 games started, Marcum struck out 165 while only walking 45 and giving up 181 hits in 195.1 innings pitched for a WHIP of 1.147.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes Marcum as being the following type of pitcher:

He is not an overpowering pitcher, usually throwing his fastball in the 87-89 mph range. But Marcum has an excellent changeup, a dependable slider and also mixes in curve balls on occasion. Thanks to that repertoire and his excellent control, he has been a strikeout pitcher (7.3 per nine innings) despite not being able to overpower hitters.

Marcum recovered nicely from his Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow that kept him out of the whole 2009 season. Marcum is a good pitcher who kept the Yankees at bay a few games that I saw him pitch against them. I believe that he will compliment Yovani Gallardo in the Brewers rotation.

In return for Marcum, the Blue Jays get British Columbia native Brett Lawrie. In his second season in the minors with Double A Huntsville of the Southern League, Lawrie batted .285 with 8 Hrs and 63 RBI. He had 158 hits (36 2B/16 3B/8 HRs) and showed very good speed and aggressiveness on the base paths with 30 stolen bases while being caught 13 times. Jordan M describes Lawrie in his blogpost The Brett Lawrie for Shawn Marcum Trade at the BrewCrewBall.com webpage:

I've been on Brett Lawrie's bandwagon since he was drafted, and he's a talented hitter who put up a great year as a 20-year old in AA. But if anyone was expendable, it may have been him. I always felt that Lawrie would hold his own as a hitter even if moved down the defensive spectrum-- as a third basemen or corner outfielder, he would likely be an above-average offensive producer down the road. The problem is that right now, the Brewers have 5 players who fit that description (and yes I'm counting Mat Gamel). Lawrie's value to the Brewers was tied in his ability to stick at second base-- and the Brewers' willingness to trade him, I think, speaks about their confidence that he could do so. I think it also speaks about their confidence to get a deal done with Rickie Weeks, and possibly says something about how highly they think of Scooter Gennet.

Both teams seem to benefit from the deal though the Brewers seem to have the edge in benefiting from the deal in the here and now. We'll see how it plays out in the long haul.

- Click Here for Jordan M's article The Brett Lawrie for Shawn Marcum trade from BrewCrewBall.com dated December 6, 2010
- Click Here for Tom Haudricourt's article Brewers to Get Toronto Pitcher Marcum from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel webpage dated December 5, 2010
- Click Here to access Shawn Marcum's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access Brett Lawrie's minor league statistics from BaseballCube.com

- Mark Reynolds traded to the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles made a move to improve their offense from the right side by trading right-handed relievers Kameron Mickolio and David Hernandez for Arizona's Mark Reynolds. In Reynolds, the Orioles get a batter who can hit for power and score runs but is heavily prone to striking out. In four major league seasons with the Diamondbacks, Reynolds has averaged 35 HRs with 100 RBI with 221 strikeouts and 75 walks. Reynolds has lead the league in strikeouts three years running with 204 in 2008, 223 in 2009 and 211 in 2010 while lowering his batting average from .260 in 2009 to .198 in 2010.

In return Arizona gets 6'9" right handed power pitching reliever Kameron Mickolio and minor league reliever David Hernandez. In terms of the relievers Baseball Musings.com describes them as so:

Mickolio strikes out a ton of batters, but he’s wild. In the minors, his walks were high but okay. In the majors so far they are out of control. Hernandez is pretty much in the same boat. If Reynolds can get his batting average back up again, this trade will be a steal for Baltimore.

I guess if he can get his average back up in the .260 to .280 range then the deal will work for the Orioles. Maybe a change of scenery for all the players involved will be beneficial. Have to say this about Reynolds move into Baltimore, he is being traded into a division with some high powered pitching in Sabathia, Price, Beckett, and Lester to name a few and maybe Cliff Lee. He might feast on all the power pitching for the O's or he might just starve on his steady diet of Special K's (sorry couldn't help that one, LOL).

- Click Here for Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec's article Orioles acquire Mark Reynolds from Diamondbacks from the BaltimoreSun.com dated December 6, 2010
- Click Here to access an interesting analysis on Mark Reynolds' at-bats from Baseball Musings.com
- Click Here to access Mark Reynolds' career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access Kameron Mickolio's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here to access David Hernandez minor league statistics from Baseball Reference.com

- Melvin Mora signs with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Not waiting to fill their hole at third, the Diamondbacks signed veteran Melvin Mora to a 1-year $2 million dollar contract. In his 2010 season with the Colorado Rockies Mora batted .285 with 7 HRs and 45 RBI. He had 90 hits (12 2B/5 3B/7 HR) in 354 at-bats and struck out 53 times while drawing 35 walks. Mora will bring some stability to the infield and a good head at the plate than his predecessor. The strikeouts will decrease significantly and I believe that Mora will be more of a table-setter than a slugger for the Diamondbacks. (PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images)

- Click Here for Melvin Mora's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com

Ok folks, that's it for now. When I hear of any other moves and trades at the winter meetings, I'll post them.

FH

Jayson Werth Signs with The Washington Nationals

It was announced today that the Washington Nationals signed 32-year old OF Jayson Werth formerly of the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-year $126 million dollar deal for an average of $18 million a year. Manny Ramirez (8-year $160 million in 2000) and Alfonso Soriano (8-year $136 million in 2006) are the only outfielders to sign larger contracts than Werth. So what does this do for the Nationals.

First it causes the Nationals to create a big splash on the eve of the MLB Winter meetings. To be perfectly honest, of the teams that I had read that were interested in Werth the Nationals did not even come up in the conversation. For the Nats to sign a top free-agent from a division rival is key. The signing also helps to ease the loss of slugger Adam Dunn who signed a 4-year $56 million deal with the Chicago White Sox last week. 

Second, it gives the National some stability in the outfield and a veteran presence that has played on winning teams in the young clubhouse. This can already be seen with the Nationals in the case of Ivan Rodriguez who has had a definite positive effect on the Nationals. Sometimes a team on the cusp of moving up to the next level needs some experience. I think Werth can fit that role. And that's it for the positives. 

I think that for the splash made by the Nationals, they gave Werth way too much in terms of years. At the end of the contract, Werth will be 39-years old. Can he be productive at that age? Absolutely. Look at his former teammate Raul Ibañez for an outfielder to be productive at an older age. My question is how will Werth be after possibly three, four or five years of not being competitive. He has been used to playing with the Phillies who for the last four seasons has been in the post-season with two back-to-back World Series appearances in 2008 and 2009. Will he play the same on a team that (let's say for argument sake) is out of contention by August each year? Only time can answer that question.

I can't positively answer this next point but I think that we can take the Nationals out of the Cliff Lee race. They were mentioned early on as one of the possible teams that Lee might play for this upcoming season. As the San Francisco Giants proved this past season, productive pitching can overcome deficits in offensive production behind them. A rotation anchored by Cliff Lee and Stephen Strausberg with Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman providing some thunder from the offensive side makes the Nationals intriguing to say the least. Who knows, maybe the ownership behind the Nationals have a few more cards up their sleeves and pull out the trump card in the form of Cliff Lee. We'll know soon enough.

As for the NL East? Well the Werth signing is an example of the rest of the division gaining ground while the Phillies lose ground. The Braves are stronger with the pick up of Dan Uggla last month. The Marlins will remain pesky in the division. The Mets are something of an unknown as we won't know how Beltran, Bay and Santana come back from their injuries. What we do know is that the Phillies are a year older with a big hole to fill in the outfield. Are Domonic Brown and/or John Mayberry ready to play at the major league level? Thankfully Spring Training is only a few months away so we won't have to wait too long to see what happens. Plus, the winter meetings start tomorrow. There should be more fireworks in store.

FH

Derek Jeter Re-signs With the Yankees!!!!!

Jack Curry of the YES Network reported on his Twitter feed that The Yankees and Derek Jeter have concluded their negotiations and have come up with the following contract:

Jeter's 3-yr deal with Yanks is done. He'll make between $15-$17 million a year. 4th yr option isn't guaranteed. Deal contingent on physical.

Curry also notes in his blog post Jeter, Yanks agree on deal:

The fourth year of the deal was important to Jeter, who said in spring training that he wanted to play four or five more seasons. But the Yankees didn’t want to guarantee a fourth year to Jeter, who had the worst season of his career when he batted .270 in 2010 and who will turn 37 years old in June. The sides vowed to be creative in trying to secure a deal, which is why they were finalizing a hybrid option that will include various elements and won’t be fully guaranteed. The sides met deep into the night on Friday and were talking again on Saturday

There it is folks. The contract drama is over. Let's hope there's no bad blood left over from the negotiations. Glad to see #2 will be back in Pinstripes for at least the next 3 years. The amount that I said would be enough to sign him was more than was agreed upon, but as I told a few people after Mariano signed the other day once Rivera signed for 2-years at $15 million per then Jeter would sign for something in the same range. Both players are valuable to the team but some would argue that Rivera is worth more. That is a debate for another day. For now, things are returning to normal in Yankeeland. Next on the docket: Cliff Lee.

FH

For Further Reading
- Click Here to access Jack Curry's blogpage on MyYESNetwork.com

The Hot Stove is Burning in Beantown!!!!

Buster Olney on his twitter feed reported that the Boston Red Sox have completed a trade with the San Diego Padres for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. In return, the Padres would receive prospects P Casey Kelley, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Reymond Fuentes. So what does this deal mean for the respective teams.

The Red Sox finally get a first baseman that they've wanted for a few years now. Gonzalez is a left handed hitter that should fit perfectly in Boston's lineup. He is a career .284 hitter who can hit for power and drive in runs. In addition, he has a very good eye at the plate, draws a lot of walks while keeping his strikeouts to a minimal level for a player that hits for power. He is consistent playing almost every game which is a testament to his conditioning. Arguably his best season was in 2008 when he played in EVERY game for the Padres batting .279 with 31 Homers and 119 RBI. He had 172 Hits (32 2B/1 3B/31 HR), registered an OPS of .871 (.361 OBP%/.510 SLG%). Gonzalez has been a four time All-Star and two time All-Star for the Padres.

On the Padres side, I referred to Mickey Koke of the Friarhood.com for information on the three prospects that the Padres received in exchange for Gonzlaez.

P Casey Kelly: Athletic frame, advanced beyond his years, he has natural instinctive feel for pitching. Kelly has three plus pitches: a low 90s fastball, he can work it to both sides of the plate, cutting it or sinking his fastball. He has hard 12-6 curveball, and an above average change which he throws with the same arm motion as his fastball. He has demonstrated excellent command and control. Repeats his mechanics with effortless delivery. Fastball has exceptional downward movement, and generally sits between 90 and 93 mph, has touched 95-96 mph. Curveball has the potential to become plus out pitch. It sits around 75-78 mph, but he can rely too heavily on it which can get him into trouble. Kelly's changeup sits around 83 mph with a lot of tilt. he is a strike thrower and will keep pitching coaches happy, keeping the ball low in the strike zone. Has demonstrated excellent composure. He is projected to be a top of the rotation starter, has legit ace potential.

1B Anthony Rizzo: A towering strong first baseman with an excellent frame. Solid overall approach at the plate, solid pitch recognition, good bat speed. Needs to be more selective with two strikes. Doubles power but should project 20 homer power. Has a tendency to chase breaking pitches late in the count. A plus defender with a strong arm and surprising mobility for his size. Great baseball fundamentals.

OF Reymond Fuentes: Extremely gifted athletic center fielder. slight in build but very strong. A very good contact hitter, should excel utilizing his speed being a gap to gap hitter. Has some pull pop that some scouts believe could eventually translate into 15 homeruns. Polished bat. Still working on plate discipline. Game changing speed. Fantastic range and glove in the outfield, will make the hard plays look easy. Gold Glove potential. Very solid instincts. Fringe arm but good enough to remain in center-field. Some scouts have compared him to Jacoby Ellsbury but believe he may become a better hitter and defender.

The Red Sox were apparently given a window in which they can work a long-term deal for Gonzalez. Another quality player has joined the AL East and another piece has been added to the Rivalry. With the acquisition of Gonzalez, I think it is safe to say that Adrian Beltre will not be playing in Boston since Kevin Youkilis will be moved back to third base. Welcome to the Rivalry Adrian.

And not to be lost in the Gonzalez trade news, Boston also resigned their Captain, veteran Catcher Jason Varitek to a one-year deal. According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe: Major league sources said Varitek accepted $2 million, with an additional $300,000 available through incentive clauses. The Associated Press reported the incentives breakdowns: $100,000 each for 60, 70 and 80 games started at catcher.

It is good to see Boston Red Sox legend Varitek return for what might be his final season with the Sawx. He should finish his career with them and get the accolades deserved of a player of his caliber and what he means to that team, city and fanbase.

FH

For Further Reading:

- Click Here for Peter Abraham's article Some details on the Gonzalez deal from Boston.com's website dated December 4, 2010
- Click Here for Mickey Koke's article Red Sox Prospects Rumored Coming to San Diego in the Gonzalez Trade from the Friarhood.com website.
- Click Here for Joe Lemire's article Padres Get Max Value for Gonzalez from SI.com's website dated December 4, 2010
- Click Here for Peter Gammons' article Why Gonzalez Deal Works for Red Sox, Padres from MLB.com dated December 4, 2010
- Click Here for Adrian Gonzalez's career statistics from Baseball Reference.com
- Click Here for Casey Kelly's minor league statistics from Baseball-Cube.com
- Click Here for Anthony Rizzo's minor league statistics from Baseball-Cube.com
- Click Here for Reymond Fuentes' minor league statistics from Baseball-Cube.com
- Click Here for Peter Abraham's article Varitek returns to Sox from the Boston.com website dated December 3, 2010

Mariano, Papelbon and Free Agency

It was reported by Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman through his Twitter feed that the legendary closer for the New York Yankees Mariano Rivera is close to signing a 2-year 30 million dollar contract. Heyman also revealed that there were other teams interested in retaining his services included the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Yankees' division and historic rival the Boston Red Sox.

So let's just say that we live in some bizarro world and Mariano had signed with Boston. A question would have remained unanswered: What would have happened to Jonathan Papelbon. It would be feasible that the Red Sox could keep both to arguably have the best bullpen in Baseball. The thought of having Josh Bard, Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera as the 7-8-9 innings option is just downright scary. According to Gordon Eddes of ESPNBoston.com, the Red Sox were planned to non-tender Papelbon thereby releasing him making him a free-agent if in fact they had signed Mariano.

Knowing that, does the intended free agent pursuit of Mariano Rivera finally destroy the relationship between the Red Sox and Papelbon? As it is the relationship has been rocky to say the least. Compounding the issue is the point of view from the Red Sox that Papelbon has been in decline since his 2006 season when he posted a 4-2 record with a 0.92 ERA with 35 saves in 59 games. Papelbon struck out 75 batters while walking only 13 and giving up 40 hits in 68.1 innings for a WHIP of 0.776. Compare that with this past season where Papelbon posted a 5-7 record with a 3.90 ERA with 37 saves in 65 games. Papelbon struck out 76 batters while walking a career high 28 and giving up 57 hits in 67 innings for a WHIP of 1.269. Add to the mix the fact that Papelbon has been at odds with the team due to Papelbon's inability to admit to his mistakes when said mistakes led to losses by the team.

To be honest, I never believed that Papelbon would resign with the team after his current contract ended. I have heard for years that Papelbon wants to return to a starting role and that will not happen in Boston. In the case of Rivera being signed by the Red Sox to replace Papelbon, there is no shame in being replaced by the best closer in the game. But then again it's easy for me to say since he's not coming to replace me. We'll see how the drama unfolds from Beantown this upcoming season.

FH

For Further Reading:
- Click Here for Michael S. Schmidt's article from the NYTimes.com webpage from December 3, 2010 called Rivera and Yanks Near Two-Year Deal
- Click Here for Gordon Eddes article from the ESPNBoston.com webpage from December 3, 2010 called Source: Sox courted Mariano Rivera
- Click Here for Nick Cafardo's article from the Boston.com webpage from December 3, 2010 called Sox pursued Mariano?
- Click Here for Johnathan Papelbon's career statistics from Baseball-Reference.com