I’m jealous.

We do have $$$, no doubt. BUT, the guys we have are going to command top dollar contracts, Pedroia, Youk and Papelbon are comfortable going year to year, and thats going to add up. I guess I should factor Drew, Papi, Lugo and whatever part we eat of Lowell’s deal coming off the books as well though. I dunno, we shall see I guess.

From MLBTR:
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) – Type A
Paul Byrd (38) – Type B
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29) – Type B
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45) – Type B
Kenshin Kawakami (34) – prefers the Sox
Jon Lieber (39)
Braden Looper (34) – Type B
Rodrigo Lopez (33) – club option for ’09
Derek Lowe (36) – Type A
Greg Maddux (43) – Type B
Pedro Martinez (37)
Jamie Moyer (46) – Type A
Mark Mulder (31)
John Parrish (31)
Carl Pavano (33)
Brad Penny (31) – Type B
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27) – Type A
Andy Pettitte (37) – Type A
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Glendon Rusch (34)
C.C. Sabathia (28) – Type A
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30) – Type A
John Smoltz (42) – Type B
Koji Uehara (34)
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32) – Type B

As we see with Charger, they could have both and keep payroll at $130M (plus bench costs)

if the Sox get Tex, I can see them taking a shot at Ben Sheets since his price will be cheaper. If D. Lowe was represented by anyone else but Scott Boras I would of thought he would possible.

He’d get lots of guys to drive in, plenty of face time come October, be talked about as a winner, a fair amount fo MVP vote, etc.

Stick him in Washington, and he’s Fred McGriff.

Maybe he needs… a TACO!

Much like Pedro and his shoulder, Lowell has a pretty serious injury to his hip aka a torn tendon. Whether his surgery was successful, he has a high chance of having continuing problems with his right hip, especially range of motion. Any team is going to be really hesitant in trading for Lowell on the hip issue alone. If Lowell still has major problems with his hip, he will have to retire by the end of 2009…

I can see Lowell maybe going to a team like the Pirates or a young team that needs a leader in the clubhouse, but Lowell may be difficult in getting any sort of deal that is good for the Red Sox, basically a couple minor league prospects and a big eating of Lowell’s salary by the Sox’s management.

All I can say, he isn’t going to the three teams that play on artificial turf.

Trading Lugo is more about payroll than performance or position. if they are going to offer Teixeira a monster contract, they need to know their payroll projection in the next couple years, and how much of Lugo’s $9 million a year contract they are going to eat.. The Red Sox may be many things, but they are not reckless, given how Manny’s contract was looked upon as a burden..

 Papi is an icon, there is a very good chance his number will be retired by the Sox. However, Papi is overweight and is dealing some injuries that deal with his hitting. I am looking at this from a business angle, it is better to trade Ortiz know, and get something rather than get an underperforming, expensive player in the Richie Sexton category, who can’t be moved. Papi’s number are also going to drop without Manny in the lineup.. I love Papi, he single handily led the Red Sox’s to the promise land after 86 years of being in the wilderness, but sentimentality doesn’t win games in 2009, against a newly tuned Yankees with a possible Manny Ramirez in the lineup. I am looking at his trade value, not his icon status…

Lowell has a pretty serious injury to his labrum that may effect his cartilage or even has some sort of hip degeneration, think Bo Jackson, ( What he had was different, he cut off his blood supply to his hip socket when he was tackled in 1991 NFL playoffs) Many teams are going to be really hesitant in giving much for Lowell. I think many teams are going to take a wait and see with Lowell, if he seems to be fine during mid season and isn’t out with injuries, he will probably be traded mid season.

I am talking about trades, I am not exactly wild in trading top players like Youklis, but Youklis is a much better trade bait to get a many good players, because he is cheap and in the prime of his career, compare to Lowell, who has two more years on his contract worth $12 million a year contract and a very questionable hip injury.. Lowell is better off being traded mid season, in which the Sox can get a better deal. I don’t see many GM’s taking a big risk on Lowell until they talk to their team physicians. Hip injuries like torn labrums are pretty serious matters

   I was throwing out hypothetical scenarios if trading Lowell didn’t pan out, and the Sox want Teixeira, and in some ways, Ortiz could be moved if Lowell can’t be moved, or at the price that the Red Sox want. I also wrote, 1B/DH.

Trades are about the future, not the present. Much like letting Johnny Damon and Pedro go at the time seemed to be bad moves. Now they seemed to be works of sheer genius.

Let’s think crazy for a moment, and assume that Ortiz is traded for a box of Crackerjacks. It makes far more sense to play Teixeira at 1B, slide Youk to 3B, and let Mikey Lowell DH.

Theo Epstein is nothing if not logical, so we wouldn’t be shocked to learn that the Red Sox’ bloodless general manager is quietly shopping David Ortiz this off-season. We have no hard evidence to support this suspicion, mind you. It’s just that, if certain things fall into place during the hot stove season, it makes more sense than some of us wish to admit. Consider: Should the Red Sox win the Mark Teixeira lottery — and we’re absolutely convinced that a lucrative-bordering-on-obscene offer will be forthcoming from Yawkey Way — manager Terry Francona will be obligated to try to cram four high-quality everyday players (Ortiz, Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell) into three positions (third base, first base, designated hitter). Rather than dealing with that conundrum (not to mention the egos), it’s more likely that the Sox would deal one of the quartet — most likely Lowell, assuming he returns in good form after hip surgery. But it’s no longer blasphemous to suggest that Epstein should at least gauge interest in the 33-year-old Ortiz as well.

Boston Globe