A pretty good decade

After painting the bathroom yesterday and an unpleasant appointment this morning, Christine and I are quietly taking in the end of the year and decade at home.

Besides scheming of ways to steal back the trophy from the Empire in 2010, we will look back on what may likely be the greatest decade ever for SoxandPhils fans. Our teams won 30 percent of the World Series this decade and lost a fourth.

Leaving the 1990s, our teams were underachievers that each faced their own problems. The Red Sox couldn't beat the Yankees and the Phillies couldn't get to the playoffs. Now, the Red Sox have a true rivalry with the Yankees that for a change includes the Red Sox with the upper hand in "biggest collapse ever." And the Phillies are now seen as prohibitive favorites to extend their three-year run of winning the NL East, if not their two consecutive NL pennants.

Neither of our teams is quite the Yankees: They don't buy a big name to fill every roster spot. Yes, they'll get a Roy Halladay, but they have to sacrifice a Cliff Lee to get him. Yes, they'll sign a John Lackey, but that means they won't retain a Jason Bay. Our teams have become well-run organizations that make smart decisions to perennially keep our teams among baseball's elite.

It's a transformation that occurred in the 2000s, but you get the feeling that it's set up to last throughout the 2010s.

Survivors: Instead of going position by position for the SoxandPhils team of the decade, I thought I would just give a special honor to the two players who most resemble the ideals of the SoxandPhils over the last decade: Jimmy Rollins and Tim Wakefield. A team full of those guys may not be the most dominant, but it would win more than it loses and it would never quit and ooze class.

Look back: Opening day lineups for the 2000 Red Sox and Phillies:

2000 Red Sox: Jose Offerman 2B, John Valentin 3B, Carl Everett CF, Nomar Garciaparra SS, Mike Stanley 1B, Troy O'Leary LF, Gary Gaetti DH, Jason Varitek C, Darren Lewis RF, Pedro Martinez P. (They beat Jamie Moyer and the Mariners.)

2000 Phillies: Doug Glanville CF, Ron Gant LF, Scott Rolen 3B, Mike Lieberthal C, Kevin Jordan 2B, Rico Brogna 1B, Kevin Sefcik RF, Desi Relaford SS, Andy Ashby P.

How do you think those lineups would fare against their counterparts of the latter part of the decade?

Happy New Year!

Random thoughts halfway through Christmas vacation

While I'm waiting for paint to dry (we decided at the last minute to paint the bathroom), I figured I would take the opportunity to catch up on some of the tidbits I've been meaning to mention during our week off. Besides, there are only so many times that I can write about some random program I've had lying around for decades or the fact that Jason Bay will be playing for the Siberia Mets.

--Eric Bruntlett, who went from a throw-in to the Brad Lidge trade, to a defensive specialist, to World Series hero, to author of an unassisted triple play, has signed a minor-league contract with the Washington Nationals. How does someone go from being the utility guy on the league's best team to hanging around with the Pete Orrs, Eddie Guardados and Jamie Burkes of the world just trying to make the roster of the league's worst team?

--Big jeers to Sports Illustrated. I know everyone tends to overrate the things we're most familiar with, but didn't Harry Kalas deserve more than one line when Sports Illustrated recapped the sports figures who died in 2009? At least Paul Hagen did him justice.

--A year or two ago, when I finished saving all my childhood sports memories from my parents' attic, Christine and I agreed to condense them all into a couple of plastic bins in the crawl space. Even though we have never had a drop of water in that area, we've been hesitant to store anything there.

This weekend, we learned that even our basement has its breaking point: two feet of snow washed away by a day's worth of pouring rain. It was a large puddle, but not a big deal. It touched one of the bins, but my extensive baseball card collection is safe. Christine is very relieved we didn't have to throw it out. {No, just disappointed. The water was so close and almost finished off the thousands of cards that Greg insists he must keep for no good reason.}

--Christine and I went to the art museum on Monday. We saw the Rocky statue from the car. We didn't run the steps because it was too cold.

--Speaking of which, it has been frickin' cold this week. Yesterday, the wind chill was 11 degrees. Today, I took down the Christmas lights, but wanted to come in after 15 minutes because my hands - even with gloves - were going numb. It's a perfect day to drive to Boston and watch an outdoor hockey game or football game or rock concert. Brrr. Somehow this story made me colder.

[Photo credit: MSNBC.com]

I pity the fool

I'm really not sad or bitter that Jason Bay will be a Met next year.

I just feel sorry for him.

Yes, I'm in no position to feel bad for a guy who will be getting $66 million, but I can't understand this one.

Bay toiled in the organizations of the Expos, Mets, Padres and Pirates before unexpectedly being traded to the Red Sox to replace Manny Ramirez in 2008.

He seemed to thrive in his first winning environment. You'd think he'd want to win more, but instead, he signed with the Mets, a team that I guess could be competitive by the time his four-year deal expires.

The sad part here - for Bay, not the Red Sox - is that he could have stayed for a reasonable deal, but the Red Sox weren't going to wait around forever and simply changed plans. I think John Lackey and Mike Cameron will be do more to help the Red Sox run differential than Bay will do for the Mets.

So, J-Bay, thanks for the last year and a half. You were a true gamer and professional. I wish you the best (despite that doing so will get a poke in the ribs from Christine), but I know you're on a team that has as much of a chance as winning as the one you were on before you were traded to the Red Sox.

Oh, and don't worry about your next trip to Philadelphia. I'm sure the fans in left field will give you a nice warm welcome.

My farewell to Mickey Mantle

It was a spur-of-the moment thing. Someone invited me to a Yankees game, and I went.

It was Aug. 13, 1995 - the day Mickey Mantle died. The Mick gave me one of my favorite baseball stories, so I put aside my partisan bias and paid my respects.

I don't remember much from the game, other than it was emotional. It was probably overdone in typical Yankee fashion, but I don't remember being too annoyed by it.

David Cone, who had been recently stolen from the Blue Jays, pitched a gem against a really good Indians team. He gave up a run on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts in a complete game.

According to Wikipedia, they played Somewhere Over the Rainbow at the stadium because it was Mantle's favorite song.

Other Sox or Phils in the game: Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Alan Embree, Wade Boggs and Jim Leyrtiz.

Another Yankee I once met, Pat Kelly, better known now as Casey Kelly's dad, also participated. Charlie Manuel was the Indians hitting coach.

I have no real reason why I'm writing about this now. The program (scorecard pictured above) was part of the latest batch of stuff I salvaged from my parents' attic and has been sitting in a pile waiting for me to write it up.

Least relevant retrospective you'll read this week

This week, which ends the first decade of the 21st century, there are all kinds of best-of lists, look-backs and assessments of what the last 10 years actually meant.

This post is similar in that it takes a look back, but it really has little connection with the '00s. It's a look at the 1996 Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. Why? Because their yearbook somehow made it into the latest batch of stuff I salvaged from my parents' attic. I don't know who gave me this book, but I thought it would be worth a write-up before I send it to the recycling bin.

As you can see from the pictures (replete with period hair styles), the big future stars were Mike Lieberthal and Scott Rolen. They were managed by former Red Sox Butch Hobson, until he was arrested on cocaine charges. Funny, there's no mention of his extracurricular activities in a yearbook story that paints him as an All-American winner.

Other notable players on the team included Ruben Amaro Jr., Mike Benjamin, Rob Butler, Bobby Estalella, J.R. Phillips, Kevin Sefcik, Bob Zupcic, Desi Relaford, Kevin Stocker and Gregg Jefferies.

Some of the pitchers included Mitch Williams, David West, Curt Schilling, Tommy Greene, Bobby Munoz and Mike Mimbs.

There wasn't a lot of talent on this team. Most of the notable players were veterans on rehab assignments.

The back page kind of proves how weak the Phillies system was back then - besides Rolen. Following Scott on the list of the organization's top 10 prospects were: Dave Coggin (a pitcher out of the Curt Schilling mold), Marlon Anderson, Reggie Taylor, Mike Grace, Estalella (The Phillies see their catcher of the future as Estalella, not former first-rounder Mike Lieberthal, who was eligible for this list but hasn't show (sic) enough with the bat to project as a big leaguer starter), Carlton Loewer, Wayne Gomes, Larry Wimberly and Wendell Magee.

Highlighted as a prospect on the Montreal Expos was SoxandPhil Ugueth Urbina. He was recently mentioned in a traditional decade retrospective with a slot on the "aught-not" team because of his legal troubles.

The Pawtucket Red Sox also had a page, which was highlighted by Clyde "Pork Chop" Pough, a slugging prospect who never panned out. He played for the Trenton Thunder when we were in college. I was convinced that with a name like Pork Chop he couldn't miss. Christine would have loved him.

Even in some random 13-year-old minor league program, you can find some SoxandPhils connections to reminisce about.

Christine got Chooch!

Last year, Ken Ryan found himself under the official SoxandPhils Christmas tree. This year, it was Carlos Ruiz's turn to be a gift.

Christine normally doesn't like Phillies garb specific to a certain player. But she has developed an affinity for Chooch, and I figured she would get a kick out of a Ruiz shirt.

Unfortunately, the only official Ruiz shirts for women come in red, and Christine doesn't wear red. So I did some searching and found some customizable Carlos Ruiz shirts.

Before discovering CafePress (yes, I was the last person on Earth to have heard of it), I came across a Phillies canvas chair while looking in a sporting goods store. I picked up one because we recently got a canvas chair as a prize from a charity walk. Christine had mentioned that it seems wrong to have just one chair, so now we have a pair: one that's bright orange and one that's Phillies. We won't stick out at all at the next parade.

I also got Christine a transistor radio (yup, they still sell them) so that next summer she won't have to choose between taking a walk in the neighborhood or watching the beginning of a Phillies game. We can stroll around the neighborhood while listening to the start of the game.

In my pile from Christine was The Bill James Handbook. It's been awhile since I've had a copy. So long, in fact, that Christine thinks the last one I had was used to try to settle our debates over who was better, Scott Rolen or Nomar Garciaparra, who both seemed destined for the Hall of Fame way back then.

At my parents' house, I got a Red Sox vs. Yankees checkers set. It's nice, but who is going to want to play as the Empire? Christine and I joked that we will buy Phillies vs. Mets so we can put together a SoxandPhils game.

I also got Boston Red Sox Yesterday & Today. It's rare for a new Red Sox book to come out without my knowledge, let alone one authored by one of my favorite columnists, Nick Cafardo. I was very surprised.

Actually, Christine got me a non-baseball book that I was also unaware of. It's not actually out yet, so Christine had to print out a picture of it to put under the tree. At first, I thought it was going to another baseball-reference sponsorship, just like Ken Ryan last year.

Hope you all had a nice holiday and that next year we all get our Christmas present in October: Sox vs. Phils.

It's probably too late but ...

Yesterday, I suggested Athlete Promotions as a last-minute gift idea for a sports fan and compiled a roster chock full of Phillies.

If you still need a gift, at this point it's probably either an IOU on someone such as Vince Coleman or whatever gift card is left at Wawa.

If you're going with the IOU, here's a roster of Red Sox available for booking:

C: Carlton Fisk
1B: Billy Buckner
2B: Bobby Doerr
3B: Wade Boggs
SS: Jerry Remy (There are no pure shortstops. He did play two innings at the position.)
LF: Carl Yastrzemski
CF: Fred Lynn
RF: Dwight Evans
DH: Jim Rice
Bench: Rickey Henderson, Johnny Damon, Don Baylor, Mo Vaughn, Tony Armas
SP: Curt Schilling, Dave Cone, Roger Clemens, Ferguson Jenkins, Frank Viola
RP: Billy Wagner, Dennis Eckersley, David Wells, Sparky Lyle, Tom Seaver
Manager/Coach: Terry Francona, Grady Little, Kevin Kennedy

Hopefully, you won't need this list and it will just provide a nice diversion as you unwind from another Christmas come and gone. I hope you had a good one and that our travels aren't too painful today.

From the staff at SoxandPhils.blogspot.com: Merry Christmas!

Real last-minute gift idea

We're now counting the hours until the big man arrives. But what if you realize you didn't get the perfect item for those hard-to-please baseball fans in your life?

What do you do?

Get them Steve Phillips. Or Charlie Manuel. Or how about Bob Uecker?

Those guys, and many more, are available to book for personal appearances through Athlete Promotions. I know Christine couldn't wrap up Curt Schilling and put him under the tree, so I wonder which package with my name on it contains the details about when Curt is going to come talk to me.

To help you procrastinating shoppers, here's a roster of Phillies available to book:

C: Darren Daulton
1B: Pete Rose
2B: Ryne Sandberg
3B: Mike Schmidt
SS: Larry Bowa
LF: Rex Hudler
CF: Lenny Dykstra
RF: Dale Murphy
Bench: Lance Parrish, Dale Sveum, Davey Lopes, Todd Zeile, Tony Perez
SP: Curt Schilling, Steve Carlton, Ferguson Jenkins, Fernando Valenzuela, Jim Bunning
RP: Billy Wagner, Larry Andersen, Roger McDowell, Sparky Lyle, Dave Stewart
Manager/Coaches: Charlie Manuel, Terry Francona, Dale Sveum

So before you hang your stockings and say your prayers because Santa Claus comes tonight, book a Phillie.

Comcast killed the newspaper star

***UPDATED AT 9 P.M.***

Several days ago, I flipped on WIP. They were in the middle of a segment with a local baseball expert discussing the then-impending Roy Halladay trade.

The expert sounded like the Inquirer's Jim Salisbury. Angelo Cataldi even called him Jim. But then when he was wrapping up the interview, Angelo gave the expert a plug and reminded people that his work could be found at Comcast SportsNet.

I meant to look up who the Phillies reporter "Jim" from Comcast SportsNet was, but I forgot. Coincidentally, Christine came home that night and asked, "Did you know Jim Salisbury went to Comcast?"

Now I do.

What's going on?

Comcast's New England SportsNet already has former Providence Journal Red Sox writers Sean McAdam and Art Martone working for them.

Todd Zolecki jumped to MLB.com, Gordon Edes went to ESPN.com, and Dan Shaughnessy is focused more on SI.com. How long will there be newspaper reporters left covering our teams?

As someone whose semi-successful newspaper career was taken from him a year ago this month, I should applaud these guys for leaving on their own terms, but I'm sad about this. It's just another sign of the newspaper's demise.

I just have to remember to check Comcast's pages for SoxandPhils news.

***UPDATE***I forgot to check tonight, and Salisbury has a scoop that the Phillies might have a secretive deal with reliever Danys Baez.

Two class acts send different messages

Mike Lowell is a beloved champion in Boston.

Roy Halladay is beloved in Toronto and has a good chance of being a beloved champion in Philadelphia.

They have both won over fans through their gritty play and the way they handle themselves with grace and class. Each popped up in the news today.

Halladay thanked the fans, the Blue Jays and the city of Toronto for the support they gave him for the past 15 years:

"I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have always shown me," he states in the ad. "I am in awe of your overwhelming passion."

I assume that Toronto Sun columnist Brett Clarkson speaks for the majority of Blue Jays fans when he wrote:

Philadelphia is one lucky town.
[...]
Here's hoping Roy gets what he deserves during his time in City of Brotherly Love -- a World Series ring.

Unless of course, he finds himself in a rematch of the 1993 World Series.

It's rare to see a mega star like Halladay leave a town without some sort of resentment, but Blue Jays fans seem to overwhelmingly blame the organization for his loss. And Halladay has been very careful to be grateful to his roots while making it clear that his decision to leave was not about them or money. He's a ballplayer who wants an opportunity to win, which he was not going to get in Toronto.

I hope he gets that ring. Unless, of course, he finds himself in a rematch of the 1915 World Series.

Mike Lowell, meanwhile, seems to critique the way the Red Sox handled his thumb injury, saying that he would have preferred to have the surgery in October and that the Red Sox were aware that he was hurt before the season ended:

"I was in constant communication with the training staff," Lowell said. "This did not crop up anywhere. I told them two weeks later, four weeks later and seven weeks later until I finally got the MRI."

Lowell also disputes the Red Sox' assertion that the injury wasn't a point of emphasis in the team's exit interview.

"It definitely was [brought up]," he said. "You have to understand the exit interview is the last day and it was hurting at the time. That's where I defer to the medical staff. If they had told me to get an MRI that day, I would have done it."

Lowell didn't criticize management for attempting to trade him, but it will be interesting to see whether this entire episode festers some resentment. Whatever happens, I bet that if and when Mike Lowell leaves, he will make certain that he will leave on good terms with the fans of Boston.

[Photo credit: Toronto Sun]

Former friends and current competitors

Between the Giants playing for their playoff lives on Monday Night Football and a couple of unexpected errands, I'm going to be quick tonight.

It caught my eye that several former SoxandPhils have recently signed or are about to sign contracts - probably because the stories were lined up consecutively on ESPN.com: Scott Rolen restructured his deal with the Reds, Coco Crisp may sign with the A's, and Darren Oliver (how is he still pitching?) may sign with the Rangers.

Also, there is talk that a true SoxandPhil, Pedro Martinez, is under consideration by the Mets. Ha! It's not a good day for the Mets - as Rob Neyer points out, they can't get players to accept their millions despite no evidence of any interest from another team.

The Yankees, however, have no such problem and have to pay more than $25 million in payroll tax - the only team to exceed the threshold. In fact, since the tax was created, the Yankees have paid more than 90 percent of the $190 million assessed. That lonely trophy sure was expensive.

Mission aborted

Mike Lowell's bum thumb thwarted the Max Ramirez trade, making a pretty interesting offseason more intriguing.

Do the Red Sox remain on the the path of pitching and defense and sign Adrian Beltre, relegating Lowell to part-time DH and pinch hitter?

Do they opt for Casey Kotchman at first base to open the season and then send him to the bench when Lowell returns?

Do they cut Lowell or dump him to another team, eating his contract without even getting a warm body in return?

The Red Sox are in a position with Lowell that is similar to the one they have seemingly handled with Jason Varitek. They know these veteran warriors are greatly diminished, yet they can't just toss them aside because of what they mean to their teammates and fans.

This is going to be a tough balancing act, and although it may seem heartless, I am confident the Red Sox will prioritize the best interests of the club on the field ahead of loyalties.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful

***WARNING***
***CHEESE ALERT***
***Massive quantities of snow turns up my affinity for all things cheese***

I woke up and there was three inches of snow on the ground. It has not stopped all morning and probably won't for another 24 hours.

On the plus side, being snowed in allowed me to give my fish their Christmas cleaning, turn on the Christmas tree and catch some quality holiday cheez such as Ernest Saves Christmas and A Flintstone Christmas. Unfortunately, the two-part Saved by the Bell Home for Christmas was pre-empted by weather coverage.

I'm ready to put the presents under the tree, put on my A Twisted Christmas and then count the hours until Santa time.

Judging from Christine's inbox, it appears the Phillies are also in a festive mood. The Red Sox are, too.

I like these holiday treats, but can't decide which approach I like better. The Phillies with only 2009 highlights or the Red Sox with all-time great moments. I may lean more toward the classic moments, but the Red Sox had some head-scratchers. I was pleased to see the Tom Brunansky catch to clinch the 1990 division, but how do you not have the final out of the 2004 World Series?

The great '04 was represented by David Ortiz's walk-off home run against the Yankees, but couldn't they have shown the actual hit and not just the celebration?

Um, never mind, the switched the moments since we looked last night. They're much better now. And, if they constantly change them, all the better.

Christmas jolly may resume. Phew.

I'm off to see if I remember how to start my snow blower or to watch the classic Mr. Plow Simpsons episode. We could use Barney Gumble's services right now.

Heart and soul

On an otherwise slow news day, two surprising stories broke late in the afternoon involving two of the longest-tenured members of the SoxandPhils:

Jason Varitek laced them up and went ice skating at Fenway Park, and the Phillies picked up their 2011 option on Jimmy Rollins.

According to reports, Tek seems content to be coming back and serving as the backup to Victor Martinez. That's good. He is no longer an asset as a starting catcher, but I'm certainly pleased to have him stick with the team in a more appropriate role given his diminished ability.

Varitek knows he's going to be skating on the second line, but if called on to provide more, he'll be prepared:

"Just seeing it in a different role and seeing how my body adapts to maybe the less pounding, the less physical grind, that might be a good time for me to transition," Varitek said. "I'm preparing as I always do, to be able to handle as much as i can. So I'll prepare for a full-time role even though it's dictated in another way. That way if something happens, I'm ready to go.

"I don't think I'll change my pride in my work. I don't think that's going to change, just maybe the playing time is going to change. It's also some dynamics of flexibility. We have a pretty dynamic lineup [with] a lot of moving parts. Don't know exactly how that's all going to play out. Know that going into it that Vic's going to play the majority of the time. For me, I kind of got in that role last year, so I had two months to kind of get used to it."

One more year: J-Roll, meanwhile, gets $8.5 million to stay with the Phillies in 2011. Christine and I often forget how underpaid he has been. Even last year, one of his worst, J-Roll was worth $10.8 million, according to FanGraphs. He was paid $8.5 million.

The signing isn't all rosy, however, because it means the Phillies have nearly $110 million committed to 11 players - leaving $30 million to fill out the roster in 2011. I don't think you should get used to seeing Jayson Werth in right field after this year.

Speaking of cost control: I thought Cliff Lee sounded really uppity when ESPN's Mike Missanelli pressed him during an interview for details about the contract the Phillies offered him. He sounds like someone who was jilted and won't take any responsibility for the breakup.

[Photo credit: Boston Globe]

Ruben beats Theo; Ellsbury bests J-Roll

MLB.com announced today the fan-selected winners of a bunch of cheesy awards.

The Phillies won four categories; the Red Sox won one.

Two of the categories won by a Sox or Phil featured a head-to-head matchup between our teams. Jacoby Ellsbury beat Jimmy Rollins for defensive player of the year, while Ruben Amaro Jr. beat Theo Epstein for executive of the year. And this was before this week's big-time pitching acquisition. Clearly, John Lackey would have pushed Theo over the top.

The other This Year in Baseball Award winners were Jayson Werth for unsung hero (Christine says they're a year late on this one), J.A. Happ for rookie of the year, and the little girl who threw the foul ball her father caught back on the field won for oddity of the year.

Christine was surprised that Eric Bruntlett didn't win anything for his unassisted triple play, but the former Phillie was beat out by potential Phil DeWayne Wise for his great catch that preserved Mark Buehrle's perfect game.

Oh, there's one more meaningless award, this one from the masters of the obvious at the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America. Jon Lester was the best pitcher on the Red Sox last year.

Cliff Lee speaks: He's not happy:

"Disbelief. Shock. Initially I was disappointed," Lee said when asked to expound on his emotions. "Obviously, it was great being part of a team that went to the World Series for the second year in a row and I was looking forward to trying for a third. That's a great group of guys. I enjoyed every second I was there. Now I'm in Seattle and I have to make the best of it."

Good luck, but just please don't make the best of it during the one or two starts you face the Red Sox.

First impressions

Well the dealing is done. (Maybe.) And our general managers publicly unveiled their new trophies today.

Combined, Roy Halladay, John Lackey and Mike Cameron have played for 35 seasons. Halladay has never been to the playoffs. Cameron has been four times, but has only won two series he has been in. After winning the World Series as a rookie, Lackey hasn't had much success, as the Angels have won just two of six playoff series since 2002.

So do you think they're excited about joining two of baseball's elite teams?

Halladay:

This is a dream come true. The longer you play in your carer the more important (winning) becomes. I've been able to establish myself, achieve things. The more I play, the more I realize how important that is for me. To see a team do it in back-to-back years and have that success says a lot about the players in the clubhouse and people that are putting the team together. It's not an accident. I want to be a part of that. I've heard great things about the people and great things about the organization. That is big for me.

The biggest thing is having a chance to win and hopefully do it a couple of times. For me, that was the biggest factor.

Lackey:

"Obviously, I've been here for some big names," said Lackey, who has made four postseason starts against the Red Sox and pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings in Game 1 of the American League Division Series in October, setting the tone for an Angels sweep. "I'm here to win. The bottom line is that I've always had a lot of respect for this organization from the other side. Winning is the biggest thing for me and I know the organization has a great chance to do that. Hopefully, I can help."

And Cameron:

From my past visits here, I kind of understand the passion people have here toward the game. I feel the same way. As much as a player, I've been a big fan of the game. When you go to different place you see the excitement and passion people have. I had a chance to go somewhere special and play in the World Series.

Hopefully, we'll see all three in the 2010 World Series.

Cliff Lee odds and ends: Christine reminded me that, this summer, I said people were stupid to buy Cliff Lee jerseys and T-shirts because even if he stuck around, he could have switched numbers from 34 to 31. Now, all those Lee fans must be wondering whether it's OK to just slap Halladay over their No. 34s. No, it's not. ... Not only did Doc take his uniform number, the Phillies didn't wait to replace the Cliff Lee bobblehead giveaway with a Roy Halladay bobblehead giveaway. This might set a record for the quickest bobblehead announcement.

Finally, I'm sure the debate whether the Phillies should have kept Lee will continue through the season. Here are two more views: one on why he doesn't fetch more in trades, the other on why the last two years of dealing make sense for the Phillies.

[Photo credits: Associated Press]

The Phillies are not the Yankees

This offseason may be remembered not as the one in which the Phillies traded away their recently acquired Cy Young award winner for a potential Hall of Famer, but more as the time in which the Phillies officially left the National League to join the Red Sox and Yankees in some ridiculously higher level of baseball maneuvering.

The big trade is still not completed, but a little clearer. Yes, Kyle Drabek will be dealt, but the Phillies will keep the three prospects from the Mariners they will get for Cliff Lee. I've warmed to the idea of trading Drabek for Halladay, especially because the Phillies are keeping top outfield prospect Domonic Brown and getting salary relief this year from the Blue Jays.

What I don't understand is jettisoning Lee for lesser prospects than those going to Toronto:

The Cliff Lee to Seattle portion of this trade just seems very light in return for the Phillies. They're getting two power arms with a lot of questions marks and a speedy center fielder without a lot of power. None of these guys are top tier prospects. This is the best Philadelphia could have gotten for Lee? Really? A pu-pu platter of interesting, high-risk guys not really close to the majors for a Cy Young-quality pitcher who is already well on his way to Type A free agency?

And, even if that's true, why clear $8 million from the books by trading Lee? Surely, you could have moved Joe Blanton without eating any of his salary, even if you didn't love the deals being offered. Or, how about this – don't sign J.C. Romero, Brian Schneider, and Ross Gload, whose 2010 salaries are about equal to Lee's. Replace those three reserves with league minimum guys and you've saved enough money to keep Lee around.

I think that's where I'm at with this one. Why not have the uber rotation of Halladay, Lee and Hamels, even if you know it's just for one year. If he walks after 2010, then the Phillies would get two high draft picks to restock the farm.

Of course, if they had done that, they would have gone from being the Yankees' peer to being the Yankees. It's fun to think about, but during the year, would we feel guilty, or even hypocritical, for encouraging one of our teams to embody what we hate about the Empire?

It'll just give me greater satisfaction after John Lackey wins the clincher in the ALCS and then is matched up against Doc in Game 7 of the World Series.

Amen: Sometimes I'm a stathead stuck in a traditionalist's body. I've had an innate dislike of Mike Cameron as a player. Rob Neyer, in a post nicely titled, "Red Sox spend less, win more," points out why we should love the decision to use him as Jason Bay's replacement:

He certainly isn't as expensive. As for productive ... Well, that depends on how you define "productive."

Over the last two seasons, Cameron produced 8.4 wins above replacement.

Over those same two seasons, Bay produced 6.4 wins above replacement.

The Red Sox are going to pay Cameron roughly half of what someone's going to pay Jason Bay. We try to make these things so complicated. But they're not, really. The Red Sox have figured out how to simplify everything. And I just can't wait to read all the columns in the Boston newspapers questioning Theo Epstein's intelligence and ownership's commitment to winning ...

So, J-Bay, thanks for the memories, and I hope you enjoy the millions the Empire is about to heap on you.

Aces high on wild day

Wow.

The slow offseason certainly picked up today for the SoxandPhils.

In a couple of huge surprises, the Phillies are on the verge of swapping Cy Young aces Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay in a stunning three-team deal among the Phils, Mariners and Blue Jays, while the Red Sox have cloned Josh Beckett by signing John Lackey.

On the undercard, meanwhile, the Red Sox are close to signing Mike Cameron to replace Jason Bay and have offered $15.5 million to Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, the 21-year-old lefty with a 102 MPH fastball.

This morning, I thought my blog post would be ripping David Murphy for not updating his blog since last week.

A lot has changed in the last several hours.

Here's my gut reaction on the day's news:

Philies: I don't think Halladay gives them much more than Cliff Lee this year. I don't know if it is better for the team in the long run, but I understand the logic on the theory that they were pretty sure they would lose Lee after this season while they will lock up Doc for several years under this deal.

I heard an analyst say recently that Halladay is Ruben Amaro's white whale. Well, he finally harpooned the bugger, and remarkably it looks like it won't cost top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek or outfield prospect Domonic Brown.

But some reports are saying that it might cost them Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Domonic Brown in what we think could be a straight-up deal between the Phillies and Blue Jays. Would that mean the Phillies get to keep Lee? {Halladay, Lee and Hamels? Whoa. But I'd be disappointed to see homegrown Happ leave.}

Update: Now Jayson Stark says the deal will likely include Drabek. I give up trying to figure out this one tonight. I'll just say I'll be less enthused if the Phillies wind up paying $60 million and giving up Drabek just to upgrade from Lee to Halladay.

The best part is they kept Halladay out of New York. It was enjoyable listening to all the distraught Mets fans call WFAN.

Doc, welcome to Philly. Clifton Phifer, thanks for the short but sweet memories.

Red Sox: I'm not a big John Lackey fan, but I've warmed to him in the last several hours. Especially after learning that his career is most similar to Josh Beckett. Heck, each of them won a World Series clincher when they were 23 years old.

Check out these numbers:

John Lackey - 8 seasons, 3.81 ERA, 234 G, 1501 IP, 1519 H, 636 ER, 151 HR, 441 BB, 1201 K

Josh Beckett - 9 seasons, 3.79 ERA, 228 G, 1401 IP, 1280 H, 590 ER, 151 HR, 426 BB, 1330 K

I'm comfortable with those two behind ace Jon Lester. It's clear Theo Epstein isn't going to overpay for offense and is concentrating on run prevention. Or maybe the Lackey signing leads to a trade of Clay Buchholz for Adrian Gonzalez or another premier bat.

Whether or not that deal occurs, I'm comfortable with how our team is positioned. I've never been thrilled with Mike Cameron, but I have a good feeling that in the end we'll be a better team.

Let the Mets overpay for Bay.

Exit stage left

The news today pertains to the fates of two of the SoxandPhils' leading men who probably have played their last games for the good guys.

Contract negotiations between the Red Sox and All-Star Jason Bay have become strained. Meanwhile, the Phillies didn't offer a contract to Clay Condrey, star of The Pen, who was a valuable piece of the 2008 bullpen.

Obviously, Bay is the more important news. He did an admirable job replacing Manny Ramirez's steroid-boosted bat in left field and exhibited nothing but class during his year and a half with the Red Sox. I would love for his tenure to continue for a few more years, but he doesn't strike me as the uber-elite player we should overpay for.

Hopefully, he goes to the Mets and becomes another sunken cost for them. Christine is rooting for a completely random team, such as the Mariners, to sign him. My only hope is that the Yankees don't sign him. Ultimately, I don't think he'll make a major difference for them, but I just don't want to hear all the crap about yet another reason why the Empire is the class of baseball because they have money to burn.

Speaking of players who have switched teams, last night Christine and I saw what happens in real life when a player moves on. While knocking off some last-minute items for Christmas at a local wine store, I glanced over to the discount rack and saw a bottle with someone's face on it labeled Schneider.

"Who's Schneider?" I said loud enough that the clerk asked if we needed help.

Upon closer inspection, it was the Phillies new backup catcher, Brian Schneider, and his Schneider Schardonnay, which benefits kids' sports programs. But because the bottle was from his Mets days, it was reduced from $13.99 to $9.99. {Um, I think it's more likely that it was discounted because who wants to buy a bottle of Schneider Schardonnay, regardless of team?}

We should have bought it to see how it compares to Manny Being Merlot. {In retrospect, Manny Being Merlot tasted a little steroid-y.}

Ed Wade redux

Ed Wade must feel as if he's back in Philadelphia with all the criticism he's getting for his recent signings.

His signing of Brandon Lyon - who was part of the infamous 2003 Red Sox closer-by-committee experiment before being trading for Curt Schilling - has been already called the worst contract of the offseason by statheads.

I'm one of those people who doesn't really enjoy Saturday Night Live sketches, because to me, the joke is made in the first 15 seconds and then just repeated over and over for the next several minutes. You drive a Dodge Stratus and you think that makes you important – okay. Not much funnier the 15th time you yell it. Not to me, anyway.

Ed Wade is the GM equivalent of a bad SNL sketch. The first time he overpaid a middle reliever, we figured out that he didn't really know how to build a roster. Now, when he gives Brandon Lyon a 3 year, $15 million deal, we just shrug our shoulders and say, "Yeah, that's Ed Wade for ya."

Seriously, $5 million a year for the next three years for Brandon Lyon. We're not talking about overpaying for a premium bullpen guy. Lyon is a generic middle reliever, the kind of guy who could be replaced by a minor league free agent or a Rule 5 draftee.

Even general managers agree with that assessment:

Two different GMs were aghast to hear the Astros are paying $15 million over three years to reliever Brandon Lyon. Both of them had to have the numbers repeated to them twice, thinking surely they had misheard what will be one of the worst contracts of the winter.

Although, you have to wonder what the reaction would have been if Ruben Amaro had acquired Lyon as he wanted:

"We were in there pretty deep," he said. "Ed [Wade] stole him from us."

Wade also got ripped for signing former Phillie Pedro Feliz:

Addressing the hole at third base is a good idea for Houston, but you don't address a hole by filling it with air. You already have plenty of air; why bother paying money to import premium air from Philadelphia?

Christine thinks Wade is just targeting players other teams want because the Orioles had been interested in Feliz.

I can't disagree with the critics, but urge a moment of caution because even though he was pretty much hated at the end of his tenure in Philadelphia, without his work, Phillies Sunday packages would probably be available all winter.

While Wade was GM, the Phillies drafted Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and, as Wikipedia reminded me, shrewdly hired Charlie Manuel as manager despite the fans' clamoring for Jim Leyland. Do you think 2008 would have happened without those guys?

All I'm saying is, give the guy a chance. He proved his mettle in Philadelphia, even if it took a little longer than the fans (including Christine and me) and the organization wanted to wait.

SoxandPhilsandStros: The following former Red Sox and/or Phillies are on the Astros roster right now - Lyon, Feliz, Gary Majewski, Chris Shelton and Michael Bourn. And, of course, they will be managed by Brad Mills.

More winner's lament

A week or so ago, one of the WIP hosts had a good observation. He said the Phillies are no longer in the National League, but are competing more against the Yankees, Angels and Red Sox.

It's true.

Whether you believe they are legitimately in on Roy Halladay or not, you can't help but notice that they're the only National League team mentioned in the Halladay speculation. It's as if every team is just resigned to the fact that the Phillies will be league champions for the third straight year.

Christine wasn't happy when she read this bit from Tom Verducci:

After almost a decade in which democracy ruled in the NL, Philadelphia is becoming the Yankees of its league: the king who wants more. Already the two-time league champion, the Phillies, given their aggressiveness and stockpile of young talent, are emerging as the favorite to land Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

They may have even supplanted my Red Sox:

The Phillies represent the biggest growth brand in the baseball industry, similar to how the Red Sox began to rise in 2003 under new ownership.

Their farm system is so flush that they could trade for both Lee (who cost them four prospects) and Halladay inside of six months and still have hay in the barn.

Their attendance has risen 38 percent since 2006, climbing from 2.6 million -- ninth in the league -- to 3.6 million.

Their payroll in those three years jumped 49 percent, from $88 million to $131 million and is likely to approach $140 million in 2010.

Local television ratings for the Phillies on CSN Philadelphia, their regional sports network, soared 24 percent last year alone -- the team's seventh consecutive season with increased viewership. The Phillies' 7.13 rating and 210,000 average homes are team records. Only the Yankees and Red Sox reach more households with their local networks -- making the Phillies the most watched team in the NL.

But, as we've noted before, this success comes with a price. Last week, Christine and I debated whether to fall for the Phillies extortion and purchase a Sunday plan because they no longer allow you to buy six packs with a Red Sox game and Fan Appreciation Day.

We had pretty much decided to go ahead, but the grown-ups in us hesitated before splurging and committing ourselves to so many games when we don't know what the summer holds for us.
My desire to see the Red Sox and continue our tradition of seeing Philadelphia's last home game of the regular season, as well as Christine's desire to attend as many Phillies games as possible, trumped those concerns. We logged on last night, but alas, all the Sunday plans are sold out.

It was quite different from when we were able to purchase a Sunday plan with prime seats for 2008 on New Year's Eve.

We bought a six pack, but we're disappointed. The seats are lousy, and we feel shut out from the Phillies.

I miss the days when you could walk up to Veterans Stadium, pay $5 and see the game whenever you wanted. {But do we miss seeing those stinky teams at the Vet? Ah, the dilemma of being a fan of an elite team.}

Trading away a classy champion

It's not official, but the odds are the Red Sox will complete their deal with the Rangers, and Mike Lowell, who went from a throw-in in one of baseball's greatest trades to World Series MVP, will soon be a former Red Sox.

As I said last year, Mike Lowell is the type of player who is sometimes hard to appreciate if you're like me and don't get to see your team play every day. I still don't know whether I would have re-signed him after the great 2007, but I understand a bit more why the fans, enamored with his grit, defense, selflessness and toughness, demanded his return.

I'm sad to lose a player of his character but understand that he is shot. His battered body couldn't even play adequate defense last year. Max Ramirez isn't the catching prospect on the Rangers that we have been coveting, but I'm sure he will be more productive for the team than Lowell would have been - even with the countless millions the Red Sox will pay the third baseman to play for the Rangers.

There seems to be frustration in Boston that the Red Sox aren't going tit for tat with the Empire. I say be patient. We are not the Yankees. We can win without a $200 million payroll and a mercenary roster with All-Stars at every position. Theo Epstein knows what he's doing, and even though I'm not a big Adrian Beltre fan, I can understand the logic if he is playing in the Fens next year, even if Peter Abraham isn't certain:

If the impending trade of Lowell to Texas leads to the Sox signing Beltre, don't just look at Beltre's numbers at the plate. Look at his ability to prevent runs. Based on advanced defensive metrics (UZR and UZR/150), Beltre was roughly the second or third best defensive third baseman in the game last season.

That means fewer singles into left, more double plays, less pitches thrown, etc. There's value in that.

The question is whether it's worth eating $9 million on Lowell and paying whatever Scott Boras is going to demand for Beltre. That I'm not so sure of.

So, if this plays out, I thank Lowell for his service and his contribution toward the second World Series Championship in my lifetime. I also thank him for being able to be called by Nick Cafardo "one of the classiest individuals to ever don a Red Sox uniform."

That's pretty impressive considering the lengthy history of the franchise and the fact that he spent just four seasons in Boston after he was a money dump throw-in in the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez swap.

Names in the news: If the deal is consummated, we could have Max Ramirez on the bench and two Ramon Ramirezes in the bullpen. No word yet whether Theo has contacted the Dodgers about bringing Manny back to fill the void in left field.

The Red Sox also signed one of our favorite baseball names, Boof Bonser. Christine and I have always enjoyed his name. We just found out that it has reminded each of us of a different cheesy Michael J. Fox movie. Me - Back to the Future because of Biff. Christine - Teen Wolf because of Lisa "Boof" Marconi. {Note to Greg: Back to the Future is not cheesy.}

Finally, the Phillies lost Carlos Monasterios in the Rule 5 draft, meaning there's just one remaining player from the Bobby Abreu trade. At least those of us at SoxandPhils who are spelling-challenged won't have to worry about screwing up his name again.

Quick question

During the winter meetings, I feel a strange dichotomy - overwhelmed by all the rumors flying around yet frustrated by the lack of exciting news from the Red Sox and Phillies.

Normally, I wouldn't dabble in these rumors, but I have to ask: Which is more disturbing, that the Red Sox are considering Milton Bradley or that the Phillies are considering John Smoltz?

Normally, I'd say Bradley is more troubling, but I cannot see the Red Sox actually doing it. I could see the Phillies signing Smoltz - despite his disdain of Citizens Bank Park.

Possibility of a new SoxandPhil

After a day in which the Yankees took advantage of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers, there wasn't major progress reported by Theo Epstein or Ruben Amaro.

But yesterday, Theo made a couple of minor moves to add bullpen depth, including signing former Phillie Fabio Castro to a minor league deal, which could mean another addition to the SoxandPhil roster in 2010.

Castro played an important role for the 2008 World Champion Phillies even though he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2007. How? He was sent to the Blue Jays as the player-to-be-named-later in the Matt Stairs deal. Incidentally, he came to the Phillies as part of a deal for another big lug slugger, Jim Thome.

That's all I got on a dude who has pitched 43 and two-thirds major league innings in parts of two seasons.

My head is going to explode: I'm not happy about this.

The Red Sox have a claim in on the other Ramon Ramirez a right-handed reliever who was with the Reds last season. They'll find out tomorrow if they got him.

I know nothing about this Ramon Ramirez, but I do know we'll go nuts trying to keep track of two guys in the same bullpen with the same exact name.

What??

I had a busy day at work and was constantly running around.

At one point I quickly checked my e-mail and saw Christine sent me a message with the subject of "What??"

For some reason, I thought it was something personal. You know by now it wasn't, or I wouldn't be mentioning it here. It was:

Burrell traded to Mets

By: Tom Haines
phillyBurbs.com

Former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell has reportedly been swapped twice this morning, eventually landing with Phils division rival the New York Mets. The Tampa Bay Rays traded the slugging left fielder to the Chicago Cubs then the Cubs dealt Burrell to the Mets. Names of other players involved in the deals were not immediately available.

I repeated Christine's "What??" out loud. Fortunately, none of my cubicle neighbors questioned what had disturbed me.

A few minutes later I bumped into a Mets fan who hadn't heard that the Mets were getting Pat the Bat. ESPN.com didn't have a story, and a quick Google search yielded Mets deny reported Burrell trade:

A club official shot down the report, saying that the report was uncategorically false.

Ouch.

Phillyburbs.com has removed its story.

Red Sox: SS/P prospect Casey Kelly will no longer be bipolar and will focus solely on pitching. ... We signed a Texan, Scott Atchison, who had been pitching in Japan. ... And Terry Francona is confident he will have a left fielder by spring training:

I'm sure when we head down to Fort Myers we'll have a left fielder. We always do. They're really good about that. We're amazingly consistent in that every year we always have a left fielder and I'm guessing we're going to have one this year, too.

Phillies suck

For once I can use this title without complaint from Christine, although she will point out that it is because the Phillies don't stink that we have a beef with the organization right now.

For more than a decade, way back since we were in college, Christine and I have always seen the Red Sox at least once every year they have had a series scheduled in Philadelphia. Similarly, we've always made it a point to attend Fan Appreciation Day - the last Sunday home game of the year. Christine thinks we may have skipped one in the few years between graduation and marriage, but I'm pretty sure we've had perfect attendance.

But now, the Phillies have pitted two of our family's oldest traditions against each other. Their new rules for six-pack tickets include either a Red Sox game or Fan Appreciation Day, but you can't get a six-pack with both a Red Sox game and Fan Appreciation Day.

What a crock.

Yes, I know that winning sometimes has negative consequences such as price hikes, fewer available seats and even **gasp** a new breed of pink-hat-wearing fans, but this is ridonkulous.

As a consequence, Christine and I are in serious negotiations deciding whether to succumb to the Phillies' marketing trap and just buy the entire Sunday plan like we did in 2008. Hey, maybe doing so will jinx another World Series, and maybe we'll jinx something else even better.

Today: I hung out with my buddy Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump while Christine attended his wife's baby shower. Along with the usual baby gifts, we bought a set of Washington Nationals baby garb for the baby. Poor kid - he's going to inherit my name and possibly his father's love of a hapless team. But at least he'll have a lot more character than a brainless Yankees fan.

I underestimated Harry

Growing up in the suburbs of New York in the 1980s, I never really understood the fascination with Phil Rizzuto. He was a character, but one who shirked his responsibilities to call the baseball game. He was more interested in beating the traffic across the George Washington Bridge than the on-field action. He didn't even know yet that he was one of the most overrated players of all-time.

So when I transplanted to the Philly suburbs, I guess that context helps explain why it took a while for Harry Kalas to grow on me. Now I know I was wrong.

I couple weeks ago, I asked Christine whether the Phillies would put up a statue outside Citizens Bank Park for Harry. She didn't think they would because they dedicated the plaque outside the broadcasting booth and named the booth after him, and the restaurant in the ballpark bares his name. All the statues are of players, she noted.

This morning, I told her that because it was a slow news day, I was going to write about a story that popped up yesterday about how a rogue group is proceeding on a Harry statue. She dismissed this group, saying if the Phillies choose to do a statue, they will handle the details. She also repeated that all the other statues are for players.

I don't think that should preclude an honor for Harry because he is more important to the Phillies brand, franchise and fans than anyone who has actually worn the uniform, from Mike Schmidt to Jimmy Rollins.

Christine then reminded me of one of our first blog posts in which we ranked the Red Sox, Phillies and SoxandPhils in the Hall of Fame. I wouldn't let her rank Harry:

When Greg asked for my favorites, I immediately asked if I could include Harry Kalas. He doesn't have a plaque in the main hall, he's just in the broadcaster's section, but if he did count, I think he would be battling for the No. 1 spot.

I don't know if I would change my mind because we were ranking on-field talent, but I would be would be more understanding of her argument.

Sufferin' succotash! Sox sign shortstop Scutaro

Last night, I kind of dismissed reports that the Red Sox had Marco Scutaro work out for them. I thought it was just due diligence. I was shocked - and disappointed - this morning to see he is now our shortstop for the next two years, keeping the position warm until 19-year-old Jose Iglesis is ready for the major leagues.

Statheads are split on this one: Rob Neyer approves; FanGraphs, however, suggests that the Fenway faithful won't be pleased when Scutaro plays like he can, not as if he is the starting shortstop of one for one of the game's premier franchises.

Count me guilty as charged, although I'll give him credit for chasing a trophy instead of the dollar:

"There was a team that was making a real good offer, but I can say this, I took a little less money just to come here, to have a chance to win a ring," he said.

I also hadn't considered what this deal means for Jed Lowrie, once considered a solid prospect:

Where does this leave Lowie?

It's up to him at this point. He can win a bench job in spring training and push for playing time. Theo Epstein chose his words carefully, saying the Sox still believe in Lowie. But actions speak loudly in this case.

Christine will take delight in calling my new shortstop Scooter.

One more Placido Polanco note: I love the anecdote about how his son still wore his Phillies jerseys throughout his tenure on the Tigers, but I'm not buying it. The kid is 6 years old, how would a jersey from four years ago still fit?

PP phones home

When I woke up to headlines that the Phillies may soon sign Placido Polanco to replace Pedro Feliz at third, I immediately thought of last offseason when I ripped the Phillies for signing Raul Ibanez to replace Pat Burrell. They were similar players, except Ibanez was older. I didn't like it.

Polanco and Feliz are essentially the same age, and Polanco, whom Christine dubbed PP in his first stint as a Phillie, is the better player. There is no doubt PP is the much superior hitter, but he was adequate at second base and will be expected to replace Feliz, an exceptional third baseman who may be one of the best ever. (I wouldn't go that far, but someone who knows more about the subject, Michael Jack Schmidt, said so on WIP this morning.)

Perhaps Polanco will play an adequate third base and no one will miss Pete Happy, but again, I just don't understand how one year for Feliz at $5 million was deemed extravagant while three years and $18 million for PP is considered a bargain.

Oh, and back to the Ibanez comparisons, of course I didn't know that Raul recruited his neighbor to Philadelphia:

During his press conference today at the Bank, Polanco said he resides two blocks from Raul Ibanez in South Florida. About two weeks ago, Ruben Amaro Jr. paid a visit to Polanco, letting him know the Phillies were interested in reacquiring him to play third base. From there, Ibanez became the club's chief recruiter, encouraging Polanco to rejoin the Phillies.

"We work out together," Polanco said, "and he said [Philadelphia] was better than what I told him."

So don't count me thrilled that PP has joined the ranks of Doug Glanville, Jose Mesa and Ricky Bottalico as players with more than one stint with the Phillies.

Christine was upset they got rid of Feliz, but she liked Polanco when he was a Phillie and will reserve judgment until she sees PP take some balls at third.

Rob Neyer and Beerleaguer.com approve of the signing.

Other news: The Red Sox may also sign an infielder similar to Polanco - similar in that I won't be happy with the acquisition and Christine will like his name: Marco Scutaro. ... And a day after the Braves signed former Red Sox reliever Billy Wagner (also a SoxandPhil), they locked up Takashi Saito. No word when the "Former NL Closers Who Briefly Pitched for the Red Sox Caucus" will have its first meeting in Atlanta.

B-Wags returns

Billy Wagner isn't returning to the Red Sox, but to the NL East, where he will get at least $7 million over one year from the Braves.

Despite an excellent - albeit very small sample size - return from injury this year and statistical projections for a solid 2010, I can't believe B-Wags was able to secure such a decent offer. I was convinced that he wouldn't be able to get a deal like this and would reluctantly accept the Red Sox arbitration offer.

Oh well, we got a nice month out of the SoxandPhil and will get two draft picks in exchange for Chris Carter.

I'm sure the Red Sox aren't upset that Wagner signed elsewhere. As Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald notes:

It worked out well for both sides. While the Sox get their picks, Wagner gets a team he can close with. The 38-year-old has made it clear that he hopes to earn 40 more saves to pass John Franco as the all-time save leader among left-handed pitchers. He was sharp with the Sox in the 13 games in which he appeared, compiling a 1.98 ERA in a setup role. The performance, coming off Tommy John surgery, helped Wagner land the deal with the Braves.

I'm not so sure, however, that the Braves won't regret keeping Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano instead.

Remind me: Next year, I'm not getting out of bed on Dec. 2.

J-Roll may no longer be top SoxandPhils shortstop

It's no secret that the Red Sox have struggled to find a permanent shortstop since trading Nomar Garciappara for an elusive World Series Championship in 2004.

They've been through Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie and Alex Gonzalez twice. But now, a new name has surfaced: Dustin Pedroia.

While he's clearly the best second baseman in the league (American, I know Chase Utley is better), he is gung-ho about the possibility of shifting to short and intent on mastering the position.

In the true spirit of SoxandPhils, he isn't focused on Jimmy Rollins, but the overrated Derek Jeter:

"When the idea of moving back to shortstop was floated to me, I welcomed it," Pedroia says. "I'm excited. Tell Derek [Jeter] to enjoy the gold glove and silver slugger awards while he can. Obviously, I'm not serious about the fun I have with Derek, but I'm never stopping believing in the goal. I believe I can play shortstop and help get the Red Sox back where they belong."

I'm psyched. To quote one of our favorite movie titles: Bring it on. {Favorite movie title, not movie. Promise.}

Although, a Red Sox source told Nick Cafardo that this move would be a last resort:

While there has been internal discussions about Dustin Pedroia moving to shortstop it would not happen unless the Red Sox exhausted every avenue to acquire a shortstop through free-agency or trade, a team source said this afternoon.

The team is hesitant to give up draft picks for Type-A or Type-B free-agents like Marco Scutaro. And they do have Jed Lowrie to go to to if his wrist stays healthy. While Pedroia to short is an option, there's always great pause in moving such a tremendous second baseman to a different position. Suffice to say, a final decision on this subject is still in the distance.

Other news: A Philly sports icon is coming home. No, not yet Allen Iverson, but former Northampton High star Brian Schneider. I don't understand spending $1.5 million a year on a backup catcher when $5 million was considered too much for a starting third baseman.

Chris Wheeler should be happy. He's always had an admiration of Schneider that borders on creepy obsession. I hate Wheels. I miss being able to say I hate Wheels - well, not really because I really hate Wheels.

And it sounds like he won't be the only veteran coming to the Phillies. Ruben Amaro won't discuss specific players, but said John Smoltz fits the description of a player he would sign. Wink, wink.

Phinally: At last we know why the Phanatic doesn't do road games. It's not out of fear of entering enemy territory, nor respecting another team's house. He just doesn't want to pay the extra taxes.