Red Sox acquire Wes Littleton from Texas
5:45 PM Fri, Nov 28, 2008 | Permalink | Write the first
comment
Email this author | Email this entry |
 |
Projo Sox Blog |
November 28
Red Sox press release The Red Sox today acquired right-handed pitcher Wes Littleton from the Texas Rangers in exchange for two players to be named later or cash considerations. Littleton, 26, went 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances for the Rangers in 2008. He combined to toss 18.0 innings over three separate stints at the major-league level. Littleton spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Oklahoma, where he posted a 7-1 record with six saves and a 4.01 ERA in 44 games out of the bullpen. He has limited right-handed hitters to a .236 batting average in his major-league career. During his rookie campaign in 2006, the California native held righties to a .157 clip, fourth in the American League among pitchers with at least 30 appearances. Littleton has also been successful in keeping the ball on the ground, allowing just 15 fly balls last year compared to 31 grounders. Among active hurlers with at least 100.0 innings, he ranks 14th with a career ground ball percentage of 71.5 (196 GB/78 FB). 
By Joe McDonald
Bogar served as assistant major league coach for the 2008 American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, providing infielding and baserunning instruction while also assisting with advance series preparation. He is entering his 21st season in professional baseball, sixth since his playing career ended. "To work for a manager of Tito's stature, I'm really looking forward to it," Bogar said. "Hopefully I can bring something to his staff and help make the Red Sox a better team than they already are. It was a great process and I really enjoyed going through it. I'm looking forward to spending time with the Boston Red Sox." Red Sox manager Terry Francona is always very well prepared and he didn't waste any time helping Bogar get acclimated. Francona said he sent his new coach a bunch of emails Friday morning. "It's not rocket science," Francona said. "Getting baseball played correctly is all we're trying to do. Already in the course of this process I spoke to Tim about getting some of his opinions, too." Bogar will also be in charge of the infielders and defensive setups, along with running the fundamental infield drills during spring training. "We will certainly go over that stuff, but we don't have to do it tonight," Francona said. "As exciting as it gets, there will be a lot of give and take over the next couple of months and his input will be welcomed." During his one-year stint with the Rays, he quicky gained the respect of the players in Tampa, including Rocco Baldelli. "That's a good move for them," said Baldelli. "He's a great guy and a great baseball man." Bogar, a former minor-league manager in the Indians and Astros organizations, said he's looking forward for this opportunity with the Red Sox to be back on the field. "It was a very unique situation [in Tampa]," Bogar said. "I got to deal with different areas of the game that I hadn't been involved with [including] the scouting side of it and dealing quite a bit with the front office, but also dealing with the major-league staff and going over the game from the previous night. It opened my eyes to a lot of situations of things that happen at this level. Saying all that, I also missed the opportunity being on the field and the emotion of being with the player, the teaching aspect of it and having a direct influence as the game progresses on. I'm really looking forward to that again." A former major leaguer and utility man, Bogar played nine seasons iwith the New York Mets (1993-96), Houston (1997-2000) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2001). He hit .228 with 24 home runs and 161 RBI in 701 games. He was originally selected by the Mets in the eighth round of the 1987 amateur draft. With Bogar's appointment, Francona's staff is complete. He joins pitching coach John Farrell, third base coach DeMarlo Hale, hitting coach Dave Magadan, bench coach Brad Mills, and bullpen coach Gary Tuck.
November 26
Redsox.com, quoting two Japanese newspapers, is reporting the Red Sox have won the battle for prized right-hander Junichi Tazawa: According to . . . [the] Mainichi Daily News and Nikkan Sports . . . Tazawa will reveal by the beginning of next week that he has chosen the Red Sox over the other Major League teams that were interested in his services . . . Tazawa, 22, attracted scouts' attention while pitching in a Japanese industrial league for amateur players. There's a good chance he'll at least start the 2009 season in the minor leagues.
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Red Sox have expressed an interest in bringing back captain Jason Varitek but have not made a contract offer, the catcher's agent said Tuesday. "We've had no financial discussions with the team as of yet regarding Jason," agent Scott Boras said. "We met briefly when the club expressed interest in bringing Jason back. And we told them we were interested in looking into it. It was something we agreed to discuss in the future. So I'm sure sometime after Thanksgiving we'll sit down and talk about it." Varitek filed for free agency after 11 years with the Red Sox in which he grew particularly valuable for his defense and handling of the pitching staff. His offensive numbers dropped this season, when he batted .220 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in the final season of a four-year, $40 million contract he signed in 2004 after the Red Sox won their first World Series title in 86 years. Boston general manager Theo Epstein did not immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.
November 25
Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli of the Tampa Bay Rays has been voted the winner of the 19th annual Tony Conigliaro Award, which is presented to a major league player who has overcome adversity through the attributes of spirit, determination and courage that were trademarks of Tony C. The announcement was made today. Tony's brothers, Billy and Richie, will make the official presentation of the award at the 70th Boston Baseball Writers' Association of America's annual dinner on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in South Boston. Tickets are now available for the dinner. Baldelli was first with 43 points followed by Arizona's Doug Davis with 27 and Oakland's Brad Zeigler with 26. Cleveland's Cliff Lee, Cincinnati's Mike Lincoln, and Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox also received votes. Baldelli fought his way back to the major leagues after being diagnosed with a mitochondrial disorder which causes chronic muscle fatigue. He missed 15 months with the illness and continues to battle his limitations. He played a key role for the Rays during the team's postseason drive. The Rhode Island native contributed to Tampa Bay's World Series berth and A.L. Championship by hitting .333 with one home run and 4 RBI in the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox. Past winners: Jim Eisenreich (1990), Dickie Thon (1991), Jim Abbott (1992), Bo Jackson (1993), Mark Leiter (1994), Scott Radinsky (1995), Curtis Pride (1996), Eric Davis (1997), Bret Saberhagen (1998), Mike Lowell (1999), Kent Mercker & Tony Saunders (2000), Graeme Lloyd & Jason Johnson (2001), Jose Rijo (2002), Jim Mecir (2003), Dewon Brazelton (2004), Aaron Cook (2005), Freddy Sanchez (2006), and Jon Lester (2007). Tony C. became the youngest player (20) to lead a major league in home runs when he hit 32 in 1965, and the youngest in A.L. history to reach 100 homers (22 years, 197 days). His promising career was tragically shortened when he was hit in the face by a pitch at Fenway Park Aug. 18, 1967. He missed all of 1968, made a dramatic comeback in 1969 and was traded to the California Angels after the 1970 season. Tony played two years with the Angels and then made another comeback with the Red Sox in 1975, his final season in the majors. In 1990 the Red Sox began the award to perpetuate the memory of Tony C., who died that February after an eight-year struggle to come back from a massive heart attack that left him severely handicapped. Major League teams submit nominations and an independent 12-person panel does the voting. Tickets for the dinner are priced at $150 each. Tickets can be purchased by making checks payable to Boston Chapter BBWAA and mailing to: Boston Chapter BBWAA, P.O. Box 7346, Nashua, NH 03060. Proceeds from the event will help the Chapter to continue supporting charitable causes.
For more information on the 2009 Boston BBWAA Awards Dinner, please call (603) 594-6427 or send e-mails to agreenwood@nashuatelegraph.com.
The Red Sox today announced that tickets for all 2009 spring training home games at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Florida will go on sale on Saturday, December 6. The club also released its 37-game spring schedule, which includes 18 games at City of Palms Park. Tickets will also be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 6 at the City of Palms Park box office, on www.redsox.com, or by calling 877-REDSOX9. Handicap accessible seating is also available by calling 877-REDSOX9. Boston will open the spring schedule on Wednesday, February 25 with split squad games, hosting Boston College at 1:05 p.m. at City of Palms Park and traveling across Fort Myers to take on the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium at 7:05 p.m. The Red Sox will square off against the Mayor's Cup rival Minnesota Twins five times, twice at City of Palms Park including a 1:05 p.m. start on St. Patrick's Day. Boston will meet the Tampa Bay Rays in a 2008 ALCS rematch for four games, two at the Rays new spring training home, Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte. The club will face the New York Yankees twice this spring, March 13 in Fort Myers and at Legends Field in Tampa on March 24, both 7:05 p.m. starts. Additionally, Boston will host Team Puerto Rico in a World Baseball Classic exhibition game on Thursday, March 5 beginning at 12:05 p.m. 2009 tickets will remain at the 2008 prices, part of Red Sox ownership's 2009 ticket price freeze. This will mark the third time in four years that ticket prices for games at City of Palms Park have remained unchanged. Tickets for the Boston College and Northeastern University games will be half price. The Red Sox have sold out every Grapefruit League game at City of Palms Park since March 16, 2003, including 11 dates in 2008, increasing the club's Grapefruit League sellout streak to 73 home games. Prior to the start of the exhibition season, Red Sox will hold workouts at the organization's Player Development Complex, which is located at 4301 Edison Avenue in Fort Myers. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Thursday, February 12 and will work out for the first time on Saturday, February 14. Infielders and outfielders report on Monday, February 16 with the first full squad workout on Wednesday, February 18. All workouts are open to the public free of charge and shuttle buses are provided from City of Palms Park at $2.00 per person. DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME * -- No official announcement has been made, but the Sox are expected to play the New York Mets at the Mets' new stadium in Queens on these dates.
BY DAN BARBARISI A quick look at where the Red Sox stand at this point of the offseason: Junichi Tazawa Numerous sources have confirmed that the Red Sox have offered Tazawa at least a three-year contract, though the numbers vary -- anywhere from $3 million to $6 million Atlanta, Texas, and Cleveland are also reportedly bidding for the 22-year-old starter. Although Texas may have offered more, the Red Sox are considered the leader to sign Tazawa, who last pitched in the Japanese Industrial League. Tazawa, listed at 5-foot11 and 180 pounds, is not considered to be immediately major-league ready, but is among the best players slated to come out of Japan this year. The Red Sox have Japanese pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima already on their major league roster. Rocco Baldelli Baldelli met with team officials at Fenway last week to discuss what is known about his disorder. Baldelli has spent his entire major league career with the Tampa Bay Rays, who bought out his contract this offseason for $4 million and made him a free agent. A.J. Burnett Burnett is has undergone Tommy John surgery, and spent significant time on the disabled list in 2006 and 2007. Although he pitched more than 200 innings in 2008, his health is believed to be of concern to the Sox. The Yankees, Braves, Blue Jays and Orioles have also shown interest in the nine-year vet. Jason Varitek Varitek made $10 million in 2008, the last year of his four-year deal with the Red Sox. When the offseason began, it was believed that Boras was seeking a four-year deal similar to the $52 million contract that Jorge Posada received last offseason from the Yankees. The dollar figures for Varitek's allegedly discussed one-year deal are also not believed to match up with Posada's $13.1 million annual salary. Derek Lowe Lowe won 14 games in 2008, with a 3.24 ERA for a division-winning Los Angeles Dodger team. The 11-year pro made $10 million last year. Mark Teixeira Teixeira's current club, the Angels, is said to have balked at Teixeira's desire for a ten-year deal, and is focusing their efforts on signing C.C. Sabathia, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Red Sox are reportedly pushing hard for Teixeira, but it is not known if they have yet made him a concrete offer. Teixeira is also represented by Boras.
The Boston Herald's Michael Silverman reports today that 22-year-old Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa has received an offer from the Red Sox and is considering it, along with offers from the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. An unnamed club official confirmed to Silverman that the Sox had made the offer but did not give further details. Reports from Japan are all over the map when it comes to placing a value on the Sox' offer, but most of the reports concur that Tazawa is leaning joining the Red Sox, Silverman writes.
November 20
By Joe McDonald Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland had surgery on his right shoulder Thursday afternoon to repair a torn labrum. He will be out 4-6 months and should be able to return to game action in May. While Gill was performing the surgery, he also found a few minor issues in the shoulder and "tightened it up." Boston selected the Portsmouth native with its fifth-round pick (172nd overall) in last June's draft. The outfielder had been playing instructional ball in the Dominican Republic recently until the decision was made for him to have the surgery. "It was a minor procedure to go in there and clean it up," explained Red Sox director of amateur scouting Jason McLeod. "It will slow him a little bit, as far as spring training goes. He won't be able to play in games during the spring, but we think we have identified the problem. Now he just has to rehab and work it out. Hopefully he'll come back strong and be ready for next summer."
He began rehab and was sent to the Dominican instructional league this winter with six other Sox draftees. He went 10-for-15 with two triples, a double and home run in four games. "He was phenomenal," McLeod said. "He swung the bat exceptional well. . . This is bittersweet for us, because you get so excited when you hear the reports coming back. Everyone was excited what he was doing offensively, but obviously we want to get him back at full strength. Our goal is to make sure he's healthy first." Unfortunately, Westmoreland's shoulder was still bothering him, so the Red Sox thought it best to shut him down. He returned to Boston where he underwent strength tests last Friday. Gill's recommendation was to have the surgery. Westmoreland is scheduled to begin his rehab on Monday and will spend the month of December in Fort Myers. He should be able to start swinging prior to the four-month mark, and begin throwing soon after. After the Red Sox drafted him, Westmoreland played in the Bay State Games and, according to McLeod, had a "fantastic" summer. "It really seemed like Ryan took off," said McLeod. "Every time we have sent someone to see him, not only has he performed, the reports coming back on his approach, the swings he's been taking and he driving the ball. Everything just clicked over the summer." Westmoreland finally inked a deal with the Red Sox on Aug. 16. The Red Sox organization, including manager Terry Francona, think very highly of the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder both on and off the field. "He's been a lot of fun to watch," said McLeod. "He's the All-American kid. He's a tremendous athlete and a very good student. He's so well mannered and so well spoken. He's a kid we are very excited about."
November 19
By Joe McDonald The Red Sox finally parted ways with outfielder Coco Crisp and in return found some help for the bullpen. General manager Theo Epstein pulled the trigger on the deal Wednesday morning that sent Crisp to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right-handed reliever Ramon Ramirez. "We believe we've acquired a young controllable reliever who can really help our bullpen," said Epstein. "He's got a plus-fastball 92-95 MPH and an outstanding power changeup with a pretty good slider. He's very quietly had a tremendous amount of success in the major leagues over the past 2 ½ seasons. We were looking for that type of upgrade at depth with our bullpen." Ramirez, 27, spent the entire season 2008 with the Royals and posted a 3-2 record with one save and a 2.64 ERA. In 71 2/3 innings of work he recorded 70 strikeouts. He limited opponents to a .153 batting average, which was the lowest in the A.L. and third in the majors with at least 50 games in 2008. Overall he's held right-handed batters to a .198 average. Originally signed by the Rangers as a non-drafted free agent in 1996, Ramirez is 9-7 with one save and a 3.62 ERA in 154 major league games as a reliever. He has recorded 146 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings between the Rockies and the Royals. When the Red Sox acquired Crisp from Cleveland as part of a seven-player deal, he was coming off his most successful major league season where he hit .300 with 16 homers, 69 RBI in 145 games for the Indians in 2005. When he got to Boston his defense was tremendous during his three-year stint with the Red Sox, but his offense didn't come around the way management had hoped it would. "He played through injuries while he was with us and he played hard," said Epstein. "He was a big part of us winning a world championship. His efforts here are certainly appreciated and he did it with a lot of class along the way." This trade does a few things for the Red Sox. With Ramirez in the fold, the versatile Justin Masterson, who worked as both a starter and reliever in 2008, will likely be back in the rotation for 2009. "Ramirez does give us the flexibility to start Masterson if that's in the best interest of the ballclub," Epstein said. "Both Ramirez and Masterson dominate right-handed hitters, so in that way, Ramirez could potentially replace Masterson." Also, Jacoby Ellsbury will be the every day center fielder. "With the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury we felt we would be able to find a complimentary outfielder on the market easier than we would find a valuable member of the bullpen, so that's why we made the trade. . . I think Jacoby had a very solid rookie season. I know expectations were probably unreasonably high for him. This is a more than acceptable rookie year." Epstein was also quick to point out Ellsbury's work ethic and because of that the organization knows the young outfielder will only get better with more opportunity. Now Epstein needs to find a fourth outfielder and he plans on acquiring a right-handed hitter who can play both center and right field and can hit left-handers. Rhode Island native Rocco Baldelli is a free agent and is a candidate for that role in Boston. Epstein did not reply to a text message, asking him to confirm that he's interested in Baldelli's services, but during Wednesday's conference call he spoke generally about what he's looking for. "We'll cast a wide net and look outside the organization," he said. "There are a lot of different options and a lot of different places we can turn to fill that role." Epstein explained that this trade freed up $6 million for the Red Sox, so he has some room to fill that fourth outfielder's role and address other issues, too.
|
New photos
Authors
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives