Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.



- The above picture reminds me that Jose Lima is still a free agent.

- Toronto signed Royce Clayton to a one-year $1.5 million deal. This story had an interesting paragraph:

Ricciardi said Wednesday that he wanted to sign a shortstop and that he planned on having Aaron Hill play second base.

Riccardi says he wanted to sign a shortstop - not that he wanted to sign this shortstop. My guess is that Clayton is just a back-up plan (getting back-up player money) and that Toronto is still very much in the hunt for Julio Lugo. My thinking is that Lugo will sign with either Toronto or Boston and that the loser will look for an established second baseman and go with the young Aaron Hill or Dustin Pedroia at short.

- Seeing Jose Lima's wife reminded me that we haven't heard from Kris Benson's wife in quite some time. I wonder if this year she'll be wearing the same Christmas outfit?

- The winter meetings start Monday and I look for the Hot Stove League to be very active between now and then. One prediction - Tom Glavine re-signs with the Mets for one-year and $10-11 million. Another prediction - the Red Sox will either sign Eric Gagne or trade for a closer by December 7th.

- The Cardinals signed Adam Kennedy to play second base. I called that one a couple of weeks ago if you recall.

- Let me go on record as saying I don't believe the talk about JD Drew signing with the Sox. When Theo came back to be the GM - one of his big conditions was putting an end to leaks from the front office. All of a sudden there are stories leaked that the Red Sox are ready to sign Drew? Doesn't add up. What I think is happening is that the Red Sox are allowing Boras to spin the Red Sox as a suitor so that Boras can up the ante with teams like the Giants or Dodgers ("Hey boys - you better act quick because the deep pocket Red Sox are ready to sign him - did you see the piece in SI - but my client really wants to stay on the West Coast but you better act quick.") Maybe the Drew rumor is in exchange for a discount on Matsuzaka?