Daily Red Sox Links: Jon Lester, Grady Sizemore, Craig Breslow

In case you haven't heard, David Ortiz has a new contract extension. Gordon Edes at ESPN Boston broke the news. Despite sucking up most of the media oxygen for the last twenty-four hours, there are a few other items worth checking out this morning, just seven days removed from the start of REAL BASEBALL:

• Although Rich Hill has impressed so far this spring, he'll start off the season in the minor leagues. Meanwhile, Jose Mijares has opted out of his deal with the Red Sox. (Rob Bradford, WEEI.com)
• Have a look at the progression of Jon Lester's career, as told by some of the catchers who have worked with him over the years. (Brian MacPherson, Providence Journal)
• With a week to go, it looks like the Red Sox will need to figure out how they're going to handle Grady Sizemore's transition back to full-time playing. (Brian MacPherson, Providence Journal)
• Some juggling will be necessary in the bullpen, as they try to figure out how to work around the unavailability of Craig Breslow to start the season. (Jason Mastrodonato, MassLive.com)
• After a pair of disastrous outings, Felix Doubront needs to show signs of improvement. (Jason Mastrodonato, MassLive.com)
• Sox Prospects has produced its list of preseason projected All-Stars at each position in the minor leagues. The list includes a lot of the names you'd expect (Cecchini, Swihart, Betts, Owens) and a few you might not. (SoxProspects.com)
• Allegedly, the players on the Boston Red Sox are willing to overlook AJ Placeholder's past transgressions if he helps them win games, as reported in a writeup that, recounting a number of such incidents, sn't exactly designed to win over hearts and minds. (Scott Lauber, Boston Herald)