Another day at the winter meetings means another day with no news.
Some news, actually, but nothing significant. No signings, no trades. Not even a great quote here or there. Nevertheless, here are the rumors floating around the Interwebs.
Mike Lowell might be traded.
See what happens when I try to write up posts in advance?
RED SOX RUMBLINGS:Twitter / Ken Rosenthal: Prelim agreement on Lowell ...
Yup, so that's the big news. If it goes through (and, as of this writing, it's still "preliminary"), this will be an interesting shakeup for the Sox. Where does Max Ramirez fit? He's catcher with a huge bat, one that fits perfectly in the Sox system (hits for power and gets on base at an amazing clip). But can he stay behind the plate? Will he be in the bigs in 2010? Either the Sox will season him a little in AAA, or he could DH a little bit, play a little catcher. Maybe he'll be the backup catcher and the Sox will dump Jason Varitek. That's a possibility, too.
But, as of now, a deal is not official. Let's remember that. So who will play third? Well, thanks for asking!...
BostonHerald.com - Sources: Red Sox interest in Beltre significant
It could be that guy, but who really knows? Adrian Beltre would probably hit quite well in Fenway Park. And he is perhaps the best defensive third baseman in baseball, so this is a nice fit. The only thing that doesn't fit is the contract. Word is his agent, Scott Boras, wants a similar contract to the one he last signed. That would be in the $12 million per year range. That may be a little pricey. But the Sox have a decent history with Boras, so that could come down.
Bradley one (explosive) possibility - Extra Bases - Red Sox blog
I hope we can just laugh at this now. Everyone was when the rumor happened, anyway.
BostonHerald.com - Source: 3 other teams besides Red Sox in on Bay
Angels, Mariners and ... Mets? They're rumored to be in on Matt Holliday, but the other rumor is that they have no money to spend. Funny how that works. I'm sure there are a handful of other teams that Bay could land with, but nothing seems too obvious.
NON-RED SOX RUMBLINGS:
Rangers Trade Pitcher Kevin Millwood To Orioles - SB Nation
An interesting move, but it makes a lot of sense considering...
Report: Rich Harden To Sign With Texas Rangers, Pending Physical - SB Nation
...they wanted to make room for this guy. Good deal for the Rangers when it's all said and done. Harden has a lot of potential and even Chris Ray could work his way back to being a solid reliever with closer potential. I have a feeling it'll be hard to watch the Sox face Harden this year.
Brewers Staying Busy During Winter Meetings, Sign Pitchers Randy Wolf, LaTroy Hawkins - SB Nation
Two nice pickups for the Brew Crew. Seems to me that they want to compete this year. Good for them. I hear C.C. Sabathia is on the market. Nah, not true. Sorry to get your hopes up, Brewers.
Rays close to trading for Rafael Soriano
Another bullpen arm to compete with in the AL East. Soriano pitched well for the Braves, but how will that translate to the American League?
Fast Eddy keeps going: Astros ink Brandon Lyon - The Crawfish Boxes
A former Sox going to a team managed by a former Sox. Poetry in motion, for sure. The deal is worth $15 million over three years. This isn't a bad deal for a bonafide closer, but the job certainly isn't his at this point. Maybe he could win it in the spring.