While We Were Waiting . . .

(by Dan Mathers)

We planned to do this blog on MLBlogs, but after a week of technical difficulties (accompanied by loads of grumbling and swearing), we decided to start it on this site. We may still do MLBlogs, but stay tuned. All indications so far are that they charge bloggers $5 a month to blog there, but they don't invest a nickle of that into support. So, we'll wait and see if they can get their act together.

Unfortunately, the problems had to happen at a time when there were boatloads of Sox issues to blog about. Makes you thankful to be a Sox fan – at a time when the hot stove has gone cold for most of baseball, Sox Nation is rife with rumors and controversy. God I love this team. So, the following is a list – in brief -- of some of the issues I wanted to blog about recently:

-J.D. Drew Is Official: Let’s face it, much of Sox Nation was holding its breath, hoping the deal would fall apart. Has there ever been a Sox signing met with so much dread? Even when Canseco came to town, fans still wanted him here, hoping he’d stay healthy and inject some power into the Sox lineup (um, maybe “inject” isn’t the right thing to say here). What’s amazing is when you look at Drew’s numbers, he looks like he’ll be a huge addition to the team. And he’s been pretty healthy the last few years – much healthier than Trot Nixon. While his health is a legitimate concern, possibly the bigger issue is his attitude. His former manager, Tony LaRussa, openly questioned his heart, and newspaper reports said some Dodgers referred to him as “Nancy Drew” (one of the great nicknames of our time; even if he’s doing great I may still call him that). Plus, the Sox reached an agreement with Drew at the same time they were trying to ship out Manny. If they wanted an overpriced, injury-prone malcontent with no passion who irritates his own teammates and managers, why not just keep Manny -- at better money and much better production? The negative fan reaction has also made me wonder: could he be booed at Opening Day? Luckily, the Sox start the season on the road, so there’s a chance for him to turn it on and get the fans behind him. Plus, Sox fans want their players to succeed. Remember hoping Carl Everett would take some Prozac and pull it together . . . even though you hated everything about him? I expect even the fans who cringed at the Drew signing will give him the benefit of the doubt and cheer for him . . . at least until June.

-Todd Helton: The thin air must be getting to Colorado Rockies owner Charlie Monfort. One day he’s saying Helton’s contract is killing them, then once he begins negotiating with the Sox he says he’s not looking to dump salary. Funny thing is, Charlie, that’s exactly what you are doing and exactly what you need to do. The Rox have a good nucleus of young players, but they need more payroll flexibility to not just make a run at their division, but at the National League Championship. That won’t happen with Helton on their team. Despite his health issues in recent years, he’s still a very good player, and would fit nicely in Fenway. But his contract is one of the worst in baseball (maybe only behind Mike Hampton, Gary Matthews Jr. and Gil Meche), and the pool of teams that can take it on is more like a puddle. The Sox have all the negotiating leverage, so kudos to Theo for sticking to his guns and not making a foolish deal. By the way, did it remind you of anything when Monfort came out after the deal died saying he wanted to keep Helton, and Helton coming out saying he wanted to stay in Colorado? Maybe like a few years back A-Rod begging out of Texas, the Rangers trying desperately to trade him, then when things fell apart they held a press conference, made him team captain, and both sides said they wanted to remain together for a long time. Wasn’t it just two weeks later A-Rod was a Yankee?

-Schill Says Show Me The Money: On one hand, I thought it was silly of Curt Schilling to keep telling the Sox not to plan on him after this year, and then once February hit he said I am playing and you better sign me now. Here the Sox are, planning and budgeting for life without Schilling after this season, and suddenly he says you have eight weeks to sign me or I’m going to free agency. It didn’t seem right. Then Schill points out Gil Meche will be making $11 million for each of the next five years. And suddenly it becomes a no-brainer. I imagine over the next few years, every .500 pitcher will throw out Meche’s name when negotiating a contract, so you know the game’s elite pitchers have an eye on that too. Despite Schilling’s age, there’s no reason to think he won’t be a very productive pitcher next year. Even if he’s the team’s number three pitcher, in this market, for $13 million, you sign the man.