David Wells wants to go back home to the West Coast. He'll return for a 20th season, but he wants it to be out west near his home.
Big loss? I'd say so. But the good thing about this is that Jonathan Papelbon is almost guaranteed a spot in the rotation for next year. Depending on what happens with Bronson Arroyo and Wade Miller, he could be our number two starter.
Arroyo seems to be on the outs, in my opinion. Terry Francona and the front office don't really seem to trust him in the rotation, so his tenure as a Sox may be over. Then Wade Miller is questionable, but I'd be willing to bring him back -- no guarantees, of course. It's not like we lost much money to him this season.
The issue at hand, though, is Wells. He is a big game pitcher with a nasty Uncle Charlie. If he wants a trade and a team will bite, we know he'll be gone because the Sox like to honor those requests, ala Dave Roberts.
A big thanks to SoxDevil who made the first mention on Over The Monster.