Sox add depth, but still no starting catcher

The Red Sox responded today to the hundreds of millions spent by the Yankees this winter. While the Yankees dumped boatloads of money on three players who haven't won anything, the Red Sox got proven winners John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli for less than $20 million.

OK, A.J. Burnett has one ring (same as Smoltz and Baldelli combined), but he pitched in only four games in 2003, when Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell won it for the Marlins.

Point is, the Yankees are buying big names, but the Red Sox are assembling a team - just one without a starting catcher.

A couple notes on Baldelli: He's going to be the first Red Sox to wear No. 5 since Nomar Garciapparra was shipped out so we could win a championship.

I have faith the front office did their due diligence with Baldelli's medical history and that he'll be capable of serving as the fourth outfielder.

I told Christine last night that this is our revenge for the Rays getting Pat Burrell. {I still fail to see his logic in that.}

I'm not expecting much from Smoltz, but between him and Brad Penny, I like the depth of the rotation.

Uniform number addendum: Wow, there have been very few uniform numbers that have gone unused by the Red Sox in recent years. According to Red Sox Diehard, only four unretired numbers (lower than 65) have been out of commission as long as or longer than Nomar's.

• No. 14 since 2000. Hopefully that number gets retired this year when Jim Rice is elected to the Hall of Fame.
• No. 21 since Roger Clemens left to become a disgrace in 1996.
• No. 26. This one is odd. It's Wade Boggs' number, but 11 guys have had it since he left, most recently Ramiro Mendoza in 2004.
• No. 45, last worn by Pedro Martinez in 2004.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]