Big free agent news

The offseason's biggest contractual concern of the SoxandPhils has been settled.

It doesn't involve Jayson Werth, Victor Martinez (although we were sad to see him go) or Adrian Beltre. Nor is it a big rumor involving Carl Crawford or Cliff Lee.

Nope, the SoxandPhils sponsorship of Ken Ryan has been extended for a third year. It's hard to believe that it's been two years since I found Ken Ryan under our Christmas tree. That's four times longer than Trent's been alive, as long as the current SoxandPhils championship drought and nearly as long as my post-journalism career.

The second anniversary of that date is Thursday, and I'm still having flashback nightmares.

On a cheerier note, I bumped into one of Santa's helpers at a mall. He dropped a hint that makes me think Trent might be getting something red and green under the tree. (No, not Ken Ryan dressed as a traffic light.)