A Red Sox Dynasty: 1995-????

[Moriarty9]

Amateur Draft
Players picked
Thursday, March 15, 2012

FIRST ROUND OF THE 2012 AMATEUR DRAFT
1. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim took a hometown boy with the first overall pick of the draft, selecting 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Jeff "Skip" Jackson. He was a standout with the Buena Park Coyotes in Buena Park, a city adjacent to Anaheim. He hopes to eclipse Steven Seagal as the high school's most famous alumnist.
2. The Florida Marlins used the #2 pick in the draft to select 19-year-old right-handed pitcher Alejandro Jimenez. Coming from the small town of Ronceverte, West Virginia - population 1,557 - he was one of the best high school pitchers in the state.
3. Outfielder Joe "Bumblebee" Brown was the first position player taken in the draft when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brown hit .419 with 46 home runs and 162 RBI in 132 career games at Carson High School in Carson, California.
4. The Colorado Rockies selected Purdue catcher Claudio Garcia with their first pick in the draft. Garcia, a native of Missoula, Montana, hit .346 with 52 home runs and 143 RBI in 147 games over his collegiate career and is known as a very good defensive catcher.
5. Holy Cross infielder John Kirk was taken by the Seattle Mariners with the fifth pick of the draft. Kirk, originally from Monrovia, California, can play each infield position and is projected to have great power potential. Early speculation out of Seattle is that he will be brought up through the system as a shortstop.
6. Pitcher Millard "Bubba" Leadbetter of Livonia, Michigan was selected by the Baltimore Orioles. Bubba went 13-9 with a 4.25 ERA over his collegiate career with the Michigan Wolverines. Some analysts have questioned Baltimore's selection of Leadbetter so early in the draft.
7. High school pitcher Dale Watson was taken by the Cincinnati Reds. In his career at Glendale High School in Glendale, Arizona, Watson went 16-2.
8. Brooklyn native Tommy Payton was picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first round of the draft. Analysts suggested the Brewers have vastly over-valued the 19-year-old southpaw.
9. George Boggs was the first pick in the draft for the New York Mets despite the lefty's bicep injury that will prohibit him from pitching in the minor leagues until some point in May. Boggs went 4-2 with nine saves and a 1.83 ERA in 44 collegiate relief appearances.
10. The Detroit Tigers took a hometown boy in speedy shortstop David Silva of Westland, Michigan, about 16 miles west of downtown Detroit. Silva, 19, hit .415 with 12 triples, 34 home runs, 119 RBI, 158 runs scored and 57 stolen bases in 105 career high school games.
11. San Antonio, Texas native Darryl Stark, 22, was taken by the Oakland Athletics with the 11th overall pick of the draft. The Notre Dame corner infielder is projected as a thirdbaseman. He hit .362 with 27 homers and 111 RBI in 178 collegiate games with the Fighting Irish.
12. The Chicago Cubs have high hopes for their first-round pick, 22-year-old lefty Jesus Galvez. Many analysts feel Galvez is a better pitcher than some of those drafted ahead of him.
13. A.R. Hannah of Marlboro, Massachusetts was picked up by the Kansas City Royals with the 13th pick of the amateur draft. The 19-year-old firstbaseman hit .468 with 68 home runs and 253 RBI in 154 games at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School.
14. The Tampa Bay Rays picked Gabe Clark, a 22-year-old southpaw from La Mirada, California with good stuff.
15. Born in Manhattan, pitcher John Kirby was the 1st selection for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 22-year-old was a standout at Polk College.
16. With their second pick in the draft, 16th pick overall, the Mets took 19-year-old pitcher Lance Thain from Rexburg, Idaho. Scouts say Thain has excellent movement on his pitches.
17. In their first of four first-round draft selections (thanks to compensation from players signed byother teams), the Boston Red Sox took outfielder John Love from Fort Worth, Texas. Love hit .360 with 66 home runs and 210 RBI in 175 collegiate games.
18. Boston then selected 19-year-old switch-hitting catcher Pedro Ramirez, a Michigan native. He hit .390 with 23 homers and 79 RBI in 73 games in high school.
19. South Carolina native Pedro Medrano was taken by the Atlanta Braves with the 19th overall pick. The lefty is a solid pick according to analysts.
20. The Royals took shortstop Pedro Estrada, a 22-year-old left-handed hitter from Southside, Alabama.
21. The Red Sox selected southpaw Santiago Garcia, 19, from Chicago.
22. Outfielder Sherman Glasser was taken with the first pick of the Toronto Blue Jays. Glasser, 22, is from New York City and hit .364 in college.
23. Thirdbaseman Curt Tanton from Montreal was taken by the Atlanta Braves with the 23rd overall pick. Tanton hit .376 with 36 homers in 128 collegiate games.
24. Right-handed pitcher Michael Cahill, 22, out of New York City, was taken by the Cincinnati Reds.
25. The Indians selected outfielder Chandler Anderson, a 22-year-old from Nebraska. Anderson may have the best foot speed of any player in the draft.
26. With the 26th overall pick, the St. Louis Cardinals took outfielder Ivan Sanchez from Los Angeles. Sanchez hit .417 with 29 homers and 119 RBI in 98 high school games.
27. The Texas Rangers chose outfielder Mark Panniers from Indianapolis. Speedy with good power potential, Panniers is a steal for the 27th overall pick.
28. Mike Ryan was San Diego's first round pick. The Fountain Valley, California native hit .459 while playing outfield in high school.
29. The Red Sox used their fourth and final first round selection to take outfielder Roosevelt Powell. The 22-year-old native of Longview, Washington, has excellent speed and baserunning skills, can bunt and is a strong defensive outfielder. He hit .361 at the University of California.
30. With the final pick of the first round, the Philadelphia Phillies selected thirdbaseman Michael Duffy. The 22-year-old Duffy is a contact hitter with good gap power.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox to break camp
Opening Day roster announced
Saturday, March 31, 2012

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Twenty-five men in Boston Red Sox uniforms packed their bags to head north to St. Petersburg where they will open up the season against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.
The Opening Day roster for the American League champions was announced today with little in the way of surprises.
The team will open the season with 11 pitchers and 14 position players on its active roster although there will be several roster changes in the first weeks of the season.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who hit .307 with 12 home runs and 85 RBI last year, is due to come off the disabled list before next weekend.
Soon after, the team will make a decision on pitcher Eric McAllister. The 22-year-old southpaw had a strong start to spring training before hurting his arm and being placed on the disabled list as a precautionary measure. He is likely to be sent to AAA Pawtucket.
Battling a knee injury, Johan Santana hopes to be back in the Boston rotation before the end of the month but may have to make a couple of rehab starts since he has missed out on pitching in exhibition games for most of the spring.
With Santana out for the time being, the rotation is headed by lefty Erik Bedard and right-hander Roy Oswalt. Bedard went 19-6 with a 3.17 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 31 starts last season while Oswalt went 18-10 with a 3.36 ERA in 31 starts.
After going 17-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 games with Boston last year, southpaw Scott Kazmir will take up the #3 spot in the season-opening rotation. Dave Mason, 22, will open the year as the #4 starter. Mason went 7-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 18 starts with Boston and the Kansas City Royals. Red Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said Mason has a high ceiling and could prove to be a big part of the Boston pitching staff in 2012.
Southpaw Jon Lester, 4-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 27 games primarily out of the bullpen last year, will open the year as the #5 starter.
Jonathan Papelbon has won the closer's role for the Red Sox after an impressive spring training that he entered as the odds-on-favorite to claim the job. Papelbon, 31, went 2-4 with six saves and a 2.65 ERA in 50 appearances last season. He has never recorded more than eight saves and has worked primarily as a setup man for the various All Star closers that have called Fenway Park home over the last decade. Papelbon has gone 33-19 with 35 saves and a 2.99 ERA in 378 career appearances out of the Boston bullpen.
Briding the gap between the starters and Papelbon will be three right-handers and a pair of lefties.
Rafael Betancourt, acquired in a trade this winter, will serve as a primary setup man for Papelbon. Betancourt went 1-3 with four saves and a 5.68 ERA in 46 games with the Baltimore Orioles last year but the Red Sox believe he will return to dominance in a better situation. Working alongside Betancourt will be 22-year-old southpaw Danny Hanna, claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season. Hanna gave up one run in nine innings of work with Boston last season and went 3-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 26 games between the Angels and Red Sox.
Terry Allen, the team's other left-handed reliever, had little work last season (five innings of work with Boston) but has gone 4-1 with a save and a 4.60 ERA in 61 outings with the Red Sox in the last three seasons.
Joba Chamberlain, Papelbon's chief competitor in the closer's race, struggled throughout the spring but hopes to pitch well once the games begin to count. Chamberlain, 26, went 0-1 with a save and a 2.66 ERA in 29 games last year.
Jonah Bayliss rounds out the pitching staff as a valuable reliever. Bayliss, 31, went 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 15 games with Boston last year after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs, with whom he went 4-0 with a save and a 2.17 ERA. Between the two cities, Bayliss posted a 6-0 record, one save and a 2.12 ERA.
The lineup will have many familiar names and faces as the team looks to return to the World Series.
Javier Ramirez begins his first full season with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers early last season and taking over as Boston's everyday catcher. In 123 games with Detroit and Boston last year, Ramirez hit .263 with six home runs and 52 RBI. He is an above average catcher defensively as well.
It was a knock-down dragout battle with a number of veteran backstops competing to backup Ramirez - a battle won by 35-year-old Mike Rivera. A top-flight defensive catcher, Rivera hit .249 with four home runs and 27 RBI in 169 at bats with the Atlanta Braves last season.
The team will carry three first baseman who will split time at first base and the designated hitter role to open the season. Conor Jackson returns after hitting .276 with 12 homers and 74 RBI in 139 games last year. Gabriel Avila is also back. Avila spent much of the year in AAA Pawtucket in 2011, but did hit .259 with five round-trippers and 29 RBI in 52 games with Boston.
Adrian Gonzalez, a 29-year-old left-handed hitter, was added to the mix as a free agent this winter. Gonzalez hit .249 with 16 homers and 69 RBI in 134 games with the Seattle Mariners last year.
Until Pedroia comes back, Howie Kendrick and Clinton Barber will share the duties. Kendrick, 28, hit .269 with three homers and 28 RBI over 305 at bats last season - a disappointment after hitting .293 with 10 homers and 85 RBI in 148 games in 2010.
Barber, 25, is a superb defensive ballplayer who can play each infield position at the big league level. He hit .311 with seven home runs, 64 RBI, 75 runs and 27 stolen bases in 119 games with the Pawtucket Red Sox last year. He has not yet appeared in a big league ballgame.
Perennial All Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera is back as well, looking to rebound from a down year in 2011. Cabrera hit .291 with 23 home runs and 104 RBI in 135 games last year.
Shortstop Hanley Ramirez saw a noticeable drop in power numbers last year but his batting average did jump up nearly 30 points and he hit more doubles than ever before. He hit .301 with 54 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs with 84 RBI, 92 runs scored and 23 stolen bases.
The outfield has a number of talented ballplayers that will battle for playing time in the outfield as well as with the firstbaseman as designated hitters.
Reggie Willits continues to be a solid member of the lineup after hitting .312 with 49 RBI, scoring 72 runs and swiping 35 bases in 133 games last year. He is also a superb defensive outfielder, in the corner positions especially.
Having battled a number of injuries last season - including a fractured skull - Grady Sizemore hopes to man centerfield for the whole year in 2012. In 111 games last year, Sizemore hit .322 with 19 home runs, 83 RBI and 28 stolen bases.
Matt Kemp, 27, experienced a down season but hopes to bounce back this year. He hit .265 with 13 homers and 84 RBI with 36 stolen bases in 40 attempts over 145 games with Boston.
Veteran outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is back in the swing of things after hitting a career high .368 last year, although he did so in just 99 games due to a handful of minor injuries. Suzuki also hit 10 home runs, scored 69 runs and stole 34 bases in 37 attempts over 389 at bats.
Lou Farsey, 23, burst onto the scene as a late season callup in 2011 and - due to Sizemore's fractured skull - was a strong player in the playoffs. Farsey will serve as the team's extra outfielder to open the season. The 2011 eighth-round draft pick hit .315 with two homers, eight RBI, scored 15 runs and stole five bases in 25 games with Boston. He also hit .403 with seven home runs, 67 RBI, 80 runs and 29 stolen bases in 110 games with AA Portland.

[Moriarty9]

Tribe opens season with win
VandenHurk impressive on Opening Day
Sunday, April 1, 2012

CLEVELAND - The 2012 Major League Baseball season opened today at Jacobs Field with a pitchers' duel between Rick VandenHurk of the Indians and Felipe Paulino of the Detroit Tigers.
VandenHurk recorded his first victory of the season as Cleveland topped Detroit 3-2 at home. Coming off a 22-9 season last year, VandenHurk held the Tigers to one run on five hits and no walks over eight innings of work, striking out two. Paulino, 12-13 with a 3.21 ERA last season, gave up three runs, two earned, on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings of work.
"I was fortunate to have my defense playing well behind me and I was able to just pound the strike zone and let them do the real work," VandenHurk said. "We have a good ballclub and we should be able to play like this day after day."
Robinson Cano hit the game's only home run, a two-run shot off Paulino with two outs in the sixth inning. Maicer Izturis and Nick Markakis each hit triples for Detroit.
The rest of Major League Baseball will begin play tomorrow across the country.

[Moriarty9]

Santana signs extension
Red Sox to keep ace in Boston
Monday, April 2, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Although he isn't going to be with the team during today's season opener at Tropicana Field, Boston Red Sox pitcher Johan Santana will be through the season through 2014, possibly through 2015, after signing a contract extension today.
Boston has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with a third option year that must be mutually agreed upon to vest. Santana, due $12.48 million in the final year of a four-contract, will earn $14,725,000 next season and $14.75 million in 2014. The mutual option season is worth $16 million. As is the case with his current contract, the extension includes a clause that will pay the southpaw an additionall $500,000 in any season that he is honored with the Cy Young Award. He has won the award three times - 2003, 2007 and 2010.
Santana is currently on the disabled list with a knee injury and team officials hope he will return to the rotation by the end of the month. He went 15-10 with a 3.05 ERA in 32 starts last year, holding opponents to a .228 batting average. The seven-time All Star owns a lifetime record of 168-64 with a 3.23 ERA and 2,286 strikeouts. He has a very impressive postseason record as well, going 22-11 with a 2.97 ERA and 287 strikeouts in 260 1/3 innings over 36 playoff starts.

Johan Santana's career statistics:

[Moriarty9]

Bedard strong on Opening Day
Kemp, Kendrick lead Boston hit parade
Monday, April 2, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Boston Red Sox showed why they've been one of the game's best over the years as they used pitching and hitting to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 on Opening Day.
Boston pitcher Erik Bedard had a fine outing to kick off the season, giving up one run on five hits and no walks while striking out six in eight innings before handing it off to Rafael Betancourt for a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
"I felt strong out there and my pitches were hitting the right spots," Bedard said. "We've gotten used to winning a lot of ballgames and I sure as hell wasn't going to start the year with a loss."
Bedard had some help from rightfielder Matt Kemp and secondbaseman Howie Kendrick as the two combined for five hits, 11 total bases and five RBI. Kemp went 2-for-5 with a home run, one run scored and three RBI while Kendrick went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI and finishing just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
Ichiro Suzuki, batting in his familiar spot atop the lineup, went 3-for-5 with a run scored in the ballgame.
"We had a lot of guys contribute today and thats what you need to win ballgames," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. "Its a nice start to the season but we've got to keep this pace up for 161 more games."
The Red Sox opened up the scoring right away. In the top of the first inning, Suzuki led off with an infield single hit at starting pitcher John Lannan. Matt Kemp, batting second, worked his way to a 2-1 count and hit a belt-high fastball 375-feet to leftfield for a two-run home run.
Kemp drove in another run in the fourth inning after Kendrick hit a two-out double and Suzuki pushed him to third with a base hit. Kemp then delivered a run-scoring single, making it 3-0.
The Red Sox doubled their lead in the fifth inning with a three-run, two-out rally that chased Lannan from the game. Tampa Bay thirdbaseman Brian Holzman extended the inning by muffing a Grady Sizemore grounder. Conor Jackson was then hit by a Lannan fastball, putting men at first and second. Javier Ramirez came through with a RBI single and then Kendrick cranked a ball down the rightfield line with a two-run triple.
Kendrick went 3-for-3 against Lannan tonight, furthering his dominance over the hurler. Kendrick has hit .667, 14-for-21, in his career against Lannan.
"I can't really explain it," Kendrick said when asked about his success against Lannan. "He's a pretty good pitcher, has had some good seasons, but for whatever reason I see the ball pretty well out of his hand and have had some good cuts off him."

Scores from around the league in Opening Day contests:
The New York Yankees defeated the Texas Rangers 8-5 with Jose Reyes and Justin Morneau hitting home runs for the Bronx Bombers.
Patrick Harris and Javier Rivera homered for the Minnesota Twins in their 3-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.
Alex Gordon and Jose Perez hit solo home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays but they were for not as the Jays fell to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 3-2.
Seattle Mariners ace Ben Sheets and closer Doug Slaten combined for a 2-0 shutout over the Oakland Athletics.
Francisco Liriano led the New York Mets to a 3-1 win over the Florida Marlins in Miami.
The Houston Astros scored eight runs in the final three innings but came up just short as they fell to the Chicago Cubs, 10-9.
Eric Byrnes hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Josh Hamilton hit a walk-off three-run home run in the ninth inning to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1.
The San Diego Padres scored runs in the eighth and ninth innings to rally past the visiting San Francisco Giants, 2-1.
Albert Pujols homered for the Colorado Rockies but did so in a losing effort as the Los Angeles Dodgers won 6-5 at home.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jake Peavy picked up the win in a 5-1 ballgame against the Atlanta Braves.
Despite making three errors on defense, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked up a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals.

[Moriarty9]

2012 Milestones?

A look at some potential milestone moments in the 2012 season.

200 wins
If he matches his win total of each of the last two seasons, Boston Red Sox pitcher Roy Oswalt will secure his 200th big league victory. Oswalt is 182-141 with a 3.57 ERA in his career.

2,500 strikeouts
Once he returns to the active roster, Johan Santana will have an outside shot at picking up his 2,500th career strikeout. Santana has 2,286 strikeouts to date - 214 short of the milestone mark. He has struck out 225-plus batters in each of the last seven seasons but may miss up to an entire month before returning to the mound this year.

2,000 hits
Miguel Cabrera, just 28, will surely join the 2,000 hit club this season. Cabrera, 2-for-4 on Opening Day, has 1,894 hits in his career and needs 106 more to reach the mark.

500 stolen bases
Ichiro Suzuki may be 38-years-old but still has plenty of speed and needs just 20 stolen bases to reach 500 in his career. He had just three stolen bases in 99 games last season and none in 2010, appearing in just 17 games. He last stole 20 bases in 2009, appearing in 143 games.


ELSEWHERE IN BASEBALL
700 home runs
Cincinnati Reds slugger Carlos Delgado needs 17 home runs to become the 3rd member of the 700 home run club. Hank Aaron is the all-time home run king with 755 while Babe Ruth has 714.

500 home runs
Albert Pujols of the Colorado Rockies sits 15 homers shy of becoming a member of the exclusive 500 home run club.

400 home runs
At age 34, Travis Hafner of the Philadelphia Phillies should join the 400 home run club before April comes to an end as he has 397 in his career.

500 stolen bases
Former Red Sox shortstop Rafael Furcal, now with the Texas Rangers, owns 444 career swipes - leaving him 56 short of the 500 stolen base mark. Furcal is unlikely to reach that mark this year as he has never stolen more than 50 bases.

2,000 strikeouts
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Barry Zito will soon get his 2,000th career strikeout. The lefty has 1,921 in his career and needs 79 to reach the plateau.

Josh Beckett's 11-year career with the Baltimore Orioles has featured 1,883 strikeouts, leaving him 117 strikeouts away from 2,000 in his career.

John Lackey of the Detroit Tigers should reach the 2,000 strikeout mark by season's end as he sits with 1,848 in his career - 152 away. He has had 199-plus strikeouts in each of the last two seasons.

300 saves
Arizona Diamondbacks closer Brad Lidge is just 32 saves shy of 300 in his career. Lidge has 268 saves in his career and recorded 35 saves in 2010, 28 last year.

[Moriarty9]

Sox spot Bedard with six
Papelbon gets first save of season
Sunday, April 8, 2012

BALTIMORE - Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Erik Bedard was given a six-run lead before he even took the mound for this afternoon's 8-5 win over the Orioles.
Orioles starter Scott Downs was chased from his season debut after recording just one out as he gave up six runs, all earned, on four hits and a walk. Downs opened the game by walking leadoff hitter Reggie Willits on five pitches and then, looking to throw a first pitch strike, grooved a first pitch fastball to Matt Kemp, who clubbed a 362-foot line driveto left field for a two-run home run. An error by third baseman Johnny McCoy allowed Miguel Cabrera to reach and subsequently reach third base on a Hanley Ramirez single. Cabrera came up lame while running first-to-third and was replaced by Conor Jackson in the lineup. Starting firstbaseman Clinton Barber moved to third base for the remainder of the game. After a short timeout to take care of Cabrera's injury, play resumed and Downs was able to record an infield fly out off the bat of George Avila. Grady Sizemore then hit a two-run double and Barber then chased Downs from the game with a two-run home run.
"They've got a good lineup," Downs said after the game, ignoring additional media inquiries as he walked from his locker to the trainer's room.
Despite giving up six runs right away, the Orioles proved to be resilient as they put together four runs over the next few innings. In the second inning it was McCoy with a RBI single while Brandon Phillips and Norbert Sanderson contributed with RBI singles in the third inning. Roberto Najera pushed a run across the plate with a RBI groundout, cutting Boston's lead to two.
While the Baltimore bullpen had kept the Red Sox lineup in check, Boston threatened with a two-out rally that kicked off with a Sizemore RBI single. Barber then reached on a fielding error by pitcher Rafael Perez to load the bases. Dustin Pedroia followed with a slow chopper to the left of the mound and beat it out for a RBI infield single. Julio Ramirez seemed to blow the game wide open when he hit a deep drive to right-centerfield that would have cleared the bases but Nook Logan made a fine diving catch to take away the extra base hit and stop the bleeding.
Sizemore finished 2-for-3 with a double, a run, two walks and three RBI while Kemp went 1-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs and two RBI
The Orioles made it 8-5 in the last of the eighth with a Sanderson RBI groundout and lined up to face Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. Papelbon struck out the first two batters and retired Logan on a flyball to centerfield to end the game, secure a Boston victory and record his first save of the season.

[Moriarty9]

Cabrera placed on 15-day DL
Seven-time all star diagnosed with hernia
Sunday, April 8, 2012

BALTIMORE - Boston Red Sox star thirdbaseman Miguel Cabrera will be placed on the 15-day disabled list after suffering what was diagnosed as an inguinal hernia this afternoon.
Cabrera doubled over in pain after running from first to third on a Hanley Ramirez basehit in the first inning of today's game win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Conor Jackson pinch-ran for Cabrera and stayed in the game at first base while Clinton Barber, who started the game at first base, shifted over to third base for the remainder of the ballgame.
"It's still early in the game but once the medical staff discovered what it was they told us he'd be out of action for a little while," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. "It'll likely be anywhere from 2-4 weeks that he's out of the lineup."
Kennedy refused to speculate on who may be called up to replace Cabrera, noting that he had not yet spoken with front office officials or had a chance to think about it.

[Moriarty9]

Boston clubs Rays in home opener
Middle of order pounds Webb, Tampa Bay
Monday, April 9, 2012

BOSTON - Opening Day at Fenway Park, the unveiling of a flag commemorating their win of the American League pennant, a fine pitching performance and plenty of hits. All in all, it was as nice a day one could imagine if they're a fan of the Red Sox.
Roy Oswalt struck out 12 Tampa Bay Rays over eight innings of work, holding them to four runs, two earned, on seven hits and no walks while the offense plated 13 runs on 17 hits, giving Boston a 13-4 victory in their home opener.
"I wasn't out there trying to strike guys out, I just tried to pound the strike zone and let the defense do their jobs," Oswalt said. "It just worked out the way it did."
Every player in the lineup had at least one hit for Boston, and five had multiple hits.
Leadoff man Reggie Willits went 4-for-5 with a double, a triple, one RBI and four runs scored - coming up just a home run short for the cycle.
Matt Kemp, Boston's #2 hitter, went 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI and three runs scored. Ichiro Suzuki, batting third as the designated hitter, dropped his early batting average to .529 with a 2-for-5 performance that included a triple, two runs scored and three runs batted in.
Hanley Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and four RBI while Conor Jackson went 1-for-3 with the team's only home run, a run scored and three RBI.
Tampa Bay starting pitcher Brandon Webb was tagged with the loss, giving up seven runs on 12 hits and one walk in 5 1/3 innings of work.
Webb is now 0-2 on the season, having suffered two poor performances at the hands of the Boston bats in his only starts thus far. He surrendered six runs on eight hits and one walk in 3 1/3 innings last week and has now given up 13 earned runs on 20 hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. During Webb's time on the mound this year, opponents - namely the Red Sox - have hit .455 against him.
Asked about Boston's dominance over him thus far this year, Webb exploded into a brief expletive-filled tirade before being escorted away from the media by a couple teammates.
Boston opened up the scoring right away with a Ramirez RBI single in the first inning, putting the Red Sox on the board. He would knock in another run in the third inning with a groundout just before Jackson hit a two-run homer to make it 4-0 Boston.
Webb was knocked out of the game in the sixth inning as the Red Sox plated five runs in the inning.
Howie Kendrick led off the inning with a double and was immediately joined on the bases by Dustin Pedroia, who was intentionally walked. Webb caught a break when a Mike Rivera flare to left field was snagged with a diving catch for the first out. Willits then hit a RBI double, leaving first base open for an intentional walk of Kemp to load the bases. With bases full, Suzuki pulled a pitch down the first base line, just out of the reach of the diving firstbaseman Ben Broussard, and it rattled around the wall while Suzuki scampered around the bases before stopping at third base with a three-run triple. Suzuki then scored on a Ramirez sacrifice fly.
Boston padded its lead with a four-run eighth inning in which Kemp hit a RBI single, Ramirez a RBI double, a sacrifice fly from Jackson and a Sizemore RBI single.

[Moriarty9]

Santana actived off DL
Sox star southpaw set for action
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

TORONTO - After throwing batting practice last week and a simulated game over the weekend, Johan Santana is ready to re-join the Boston Red Sox pitching staff.
Santana, who missed most of spring training and the regular season to this point with a knee injury, was originally expected to make at least one rehab start with AAA Pawtucket but the team has decided on another route. Santana will make his season debut out of the Boston bullpen to build arm strength and gradually return to the rotation.
Sitting atop the American League East with basesball's best record, 14-6, the Red Sox believe Santana can help the team out of the bullpen until he is able to return to the roation as a top-flight starter.
With Erik Bedard (4-0, 3.38 ERA) taking the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight on the turf of the Rogers Centre, it is unclear whether Santana will be used tonight.
Boston manager Kevin Kennedy refused to speculate as to how many relief appearances Santana is expected to make before making his first start of the season.
"Johan is an incredible pitcher but we need to see how everything goes once he takes the mound in a real ballgame before try to set up a true schedule for him," Kennedy said.
Santana said it was the team's decision but indicated he'd like to return for the weekend series at Fenway Park against the 12-8 New York Yankees.
"Those guys are just a couple games back right now and even though its early, every game counts," Santana said.
To make room for Santana on the active roster, 22-year-old left-handed reliever Danny Hanna was optioned down to AAA Pawtucket.
Hanna struggled in his six appearances out of the Boston bullpen this year, giving up six runs, five earned, on eight hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings. Opponents have hit .320 against him. Lefties have hit the southpaw well, batting .385 off Hanna.

[Moriarty9]

Patton hurls no-no
Lefty holds Tribe hitless
Monday, April 30, 2012

DETROIT - Troy Patton made quick work of Cleveland at Comerica Park tonight as the 26-year-old southpaw threw a no-hitter as the Tigers defeated the Indians 8-0.
In front of 41,794 fans in a brief 2 hour, 42 minute ballgame, Patton allowed no hits and two walks and hitting one batter while striking out seven Cleveland batters.
After the first five batters of the game had been retired, Aaron Hurley drew a five-pitch walk to become the first Indians player to reach base. After falling behind the next batter, Nick Punto, Patton induced a routine groundball to shortstop to get out of the inning.
O'Hurley returned to the base paths in the fifth inning when hit with a 3-2 fastball. He was left stranded after Punto hit a soft line drive to second base and Art Carter went down swinging.
After Ronny Paulino had struck out to open the sixth inning, Jeff Francoeur drew a five-pitch walk. Juan Rivera and Patton then engaged in a battle that lasted eight pitches before he topped a ball right to shortstop and hit into an inning-ending double play.
Just nine outs away from the no-hitter, Patton's adrenaline may have kicked in as he opened the seventh inning with two consecutive strikeouts before ending the inning with a routine fly ball to centerfield.
In the eighth inning, O'Hurley was retired on a routine flyball to right-center field. Punto hit the deepest ball of the game, but alas it hung in the air with plenty of time to be snagged on the warning track for second out of the inning. Carter ended the inning with a routine grounder to shortstop, leaving Patton three outs from recording a no-hitter.
Paulino opened the ninth inning with a groundout to second base that forced Detroit second baseman Denny Garland to his right and make a back-handed snag of the ball. Francoeur went down on strikes on three pitches for the second out and Rivera recorded the final out of the game, securing the no-hitter, with a high flyball to right field.
The Tigers infielders mobbed Patton at the pitcher's mound as Nick Markakis caught the final out of the ballgame in right.
Since breaking in with Detroit late in the 2009 season, Patton has posted a 27-18 record with a 3.52 ERA. He is off to a strong start to the 2012 season, going 4-0 with a 3.13 ERA and a .203 opponents average against in six starts to date.

San Francisco Giants firstbaseman Nick Johnson had a milestone of his own today as he hit the 300th home run of his career. Johnson, 33, is a career .283 hitter with 300 home runs and 1,003 RBI over his 13-year-career with the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco.

[Moriarty9]

Thompson throws surprising no-hitter
Second straight day with a big league no-no
Tuesday, May 1, 2012

MIAMI - Every no-hitter is a bit of a surprise but when a 31-year-old pitcher with a 32-38 record and 5.02 ERA over his career tosses one the day after another no-no has been thrown, its just baffling.
Baffling is just what the New York Mets found Mike Thompson to be as the Florida Marlins hurler yielded no hits and no walks with strike outs. Three Mets batters reached base on errors, the only thing between Thompson and a perfect game in front of 41,903 fans.
Jhonny Peralta was the first Mets player to reach base and did so as the second batter of the ballgame on an error by Florida firstbaseman Adrian Poole. Chase Utley then reached on a fielder's choice before the inning ended after a nine-pitch battle between Thompson and Shin-Soo Choo that resulted in a strike out.
Guastao Charno opened the second inning with a similar battle, striking out after an eight pitch battle before Brendon Auchinleck grounded out to shortstop. On the ninth pitch of his at bat, Dax Gould reached on an error by thirdbaseman Chad Tracy. Gould hit a fairly sharp grounder to Tracy's left and the infielder booted and then bobbled the ball. Cesar Izturis ended the inning with a popup to secondbase.
With two outs in the third inning, Peralta returned to first base after another Tracy error at third base. Utley ended the inning with a pop up to Tracy, this time the thirdbaseman made the play.
Thompson became a better pitcher as the game progressed.
In the fifth inning, the side was retired in order on 11 pitches with a strikeout, a routine grounder to second base and a flyball to centerfield.
In the sixth, a pair of infield pop ups and a flyball to leftfield resulted in another 11 pitch inning.
Thompson sandwiched a called strikeout with routine grounders to record an eight-pitch seventh inning, bringing him six outs from the no-hitter.
After watching the Marlins put together six runs in the bottom of the seventh, Thompson returned to the mound in the eighth and retired the side on seven pitches with a strike out and a pair of pop ups to second base.
Visibly nervous as he returned to the field in the ninth inning, Thompson attempted to collect himself and harness his nervous energy behind the mound. Lou White led off the ninth inning with a routine 1-0 grounder to Tracy for the first out. Peralta engaged Thompson in a battle, striking out on the seventh pitch of the at bat for the second out. Utley attacked the first pitch offered and hit a sinking line drive to left-centerfield that was snagged by a sprinting Carl Crawford for the final out of the ballgame.
Thompson dropped to his knees at the mound after the catch was made and was quickly surrounded by his teammates. The no-hitter is the first complete game in Thompson's big league career.
The 2 hour, 38 minute ballgame was won by the Marlins, 10-0. Although they put 10 runs across the plate, Florida did so without a single home run.

[Moriarty9]

Red Sox homer way to victory
Lester strong, beneficiary of run support
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

BOSTON - The Red Sox belted out four home runs behind a solid pitching performance from Jon Lester to beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 at Fenway Park tonight.
Miguel Cabrera, Julio Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and Ichiro Suzuki each went deep while Lester held the M's to three runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in eight innings of work.
"When these guys go out and score runs for you, it makes your job as the pitcher so much easier," Lester said. "They spotted me with a nice, early lead and luckily I was able to hold it."
The Red Sox were able to score their first run of the game with the first out Seattle starter Felix Mora recorded: a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cabrera, allowing leadoff man Reggie Willits to score from third base.
After willits drove in Matt Kemp with a RBI infield single, Ichiro Suzuki followed with a three-run home run to rightfield, spotting Lester with a 5-0 lead.
Seattle's Victor Rocha put the Mariners on the board with two out in the fourth inning, hitting a solo home run. In the home half of the inning, Pedroia responded in kind with a solo shot of his own, making it a 6-1 ballgame.
The Mariners added a run in the fifth and eight innings but watched as Ramirez and Cabrera hit solo shots in the sixth and seventh innings and Pedroia knocked in Kemp, who had tripled, in the eighth inning.
Willits and Pedroia had three hits and two runs scored each. Suzuki was 2-for-5 with the three-run home run, Ramirez 2-for-4 with a homer and Kemp collected a double and triple in the contest.
"Today was one of those games that is just good for the confidence of a lot of individual guys," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. "A lot of guys picked up basehits, extra base hits, home runs and played really good ballgames today."
With the win, coupled with a New York Yankees loss, Boston's division lead has grown to 5 games while the Mariners are now 5 games back in the American League West, 5 1/2 back in the Wild Card standings.

[Moriarty9]

The following is an entry dated Thursday, June 7, 2012 in the diary of Boston Red Sox pitcher Dave Mason, a Somerville, Massachusetts native that is now 6-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 12 starts for his hometown team this season.

We arrived in Kansas City early this morning and had the day off, no workout or anything because the Royals played Texas tonight. We start a three-game series tomorrow night. I'll be pitching the series finale. Over the next couple days I'll take some of the guys around town to some of the better restaurants I found when I played here with KC.
After grabbing a small bite to eat for lunch at a restaurant near the hotel, I literally bumped into a woman who I recognized but just couldn't place it. It appeared she was doing the same sort of mental connect the dots.
I apologized and helped pick up some of the stuff that had fallen out of her purse when I saw her license: Erica Henderson.
It was then that I figured it out. She was the daughter of Royals pitching coach Herb Henderson. I had met her once or twice at the stadium or through team events. I apologied again and asked if she remembered me, and introduced myself.
"I used to pitch for your father," I said.
She nodded and said she thought I had looked familiar and asked if I was in town with the Rangers. I told her I had been traded last year to Boston so I was here with the Red Sox.
I asked how her dad was and whether she gets out to the ballpark often. He's good and no, not really.
I couldn't believe it took me so long to figure out who she was. I really couldn't believe how beautiful she was. About 5'10", maybe 5'11", she had a black skirt down to her knees, covering up half of her long legs. She had pretty blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. Maybe I hadn't really noticed because I had my girlfriend back home when I was with Kansas City, but I certainly noticed now.
"Listen," I said. "I'm trying to think of some good places to eat with some of the guys. Any suggestions?"
She rattled off a couple of restaurants in the area. I nodded and said I'd have to hit a couple of them while in town, then asked if she would join me for dinner tonight.
She blushed a little and shook her head.
"No, I really shouldn't ... can't, I really can't," she said.
I nodded.
"Sorry, should've known you had a boyfriend," I smiled a little.
"It's not that," Erica explained. "I don't, its just I always promised my dad I'd never date one of his ballplayers. He's always told me to stay away from ballplayers."
I laughed a little.
"Well, I'm not one of his ballplayers anymore. I'm with the Sox," I said. "Besides, I'm a pitcher, not a ballplayer." I winked.
She said she'd think about it and I told her where we were staying and she could get ahold of me by asking the front desk to be connected to room 214.
"I better hear from you," I said with a grin. "Otherwise when I get to the ballpark tomorrow I'm going to look for your dad and ask how you're doing."
A few hours later, I was walking through the lobby toward the elevator when I saw her sitting there on a couch. I walked over to her, tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she was lost.
She blushed and smiled a little and explained that she had changed her mind several times over about whether she'd take me up on my dinner invitation.
After a few minutes of coaxing, she agreed and I told her I'd be right back down. I just wanted to change into something other than a tee shirt and jeans. She came with me and sat in the hotel room while I changed in the bathroom.
We went out to a little Italian restaurant she knew that I had never been to. We had dinner, we laughed, we had fun.
After dinner she gave me a lift back to the hotel. I told her I had a good time, she said she did too. We talked for a few minutes and, when it was time to go, I gave her a kiss on the cheek. I got out of the car and started walking to the hotel when she yelled out her window: "Hey, Dave!"
My cell phone had slipped out of my pocket and was laying on my seat. She stepped out of the car with it in her hand, the car still running, and handed it to me. I thanked her. She started to turn back to her car but then quickly turned back and quickly kissed me before scampering back to her car and driving off without another word.
I stood there for a few moments with a goofy grin.

[Moriarty9]

Boston loses ballgame, Bayliss
Sizemore, Cabrera homers for not
Monday, June 11, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS - The Boston Red Sox dropped a tough one tonight, losing to the Minnesota Twins, 5-4, and losing relief pitcher Jonah Bayiss for the season in the process.
Bayliss tore a tricep muscle in his right arm, an injury that brings about a pre-mature end to his 2012 season. Bayliss was hit the loss in the ballgame after giving up one run on two hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Boston starter Jon Lester struggled early on with his control and was forced to come out of the game after just five innings of work because he had thrown 120 pitches. In his five innings of work, Lester allowed three runs on five hits and five walks, striking out four Minnesota hitters.
The Red Sox opened the scoring in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run from Grady Sizemore that never should have been. Twins starter Cliff Lee had quickly retired Reggie Willits and Ichiro Suzuki to open up the ballgame when Miguel Cabrera hit a routine groundball to thirdbaseman Brandon Inge, it appeared he had a 1-2-3 inning. Inge couldn't field the ball cleanly, allowing Cabrera to reach. Conor Jackson followed with a basehit past Inge, setting the table for Sizemore, who drove the ball 355-feet to rightfield for a home run.
Cabrera also homered in the game, hitting a solo homer off Lee in the eighth inning.
The Twins scattered their runs throughout the ballgame and had a pair of triples hit in the contest. Rightfielder Patrick Harris hit a solo home run off Boston reliever Terry Allen in the sixth inning, Minnesota's only home run of the ballgame.
Lee improves to 6-5 with the win after giving up four runs, only one of which was earned, on nine hits and no walks, striking out three over eight innings. Jesse Crain retired the side in the ninth to record his 14th save of the year.

[Moriarty9]

Sox deal struggling Betancourt
Veteran Foulke to join Boston bullpen
JUNE 16, 2012


In hope of improving the bullpen while saving a little bit of money, the Red Sox agreed to a four-player trade today that sends Keith Foulke to Boston while reliever Rafael Betancourt and two minor leaguers were sent to the Colorado Rockies.
Betancourt, 37, had gone 2-0 with a 5.61 ERA in 23 games with Boston this season. The Red Sox acquired Betancourt, who is owed $3.86 million this season, in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles in December. He went 1-3 with four saves and a 5.68 ERA in 46 games with Baltimore in 2011 after four straight seasons with an ERA of 3.66 or better.
"We hoped that Rafael would be the pitcher he was in Houston and Detroit rather than the guy from Baltimore, but it wasn't working here," Red Sox manager Kevin Kennedy said. "We wish him the best of luck out in Colorado."
Replacing Betancourt in the Boston bullpen will be Foulke, a 39-year-old veteran who has served primarily as a setup man in the National League with the San Diego Padres and Rockies. He has also pitched for the California/Anaheim Angels and the Chicago White Sox. In 37 games with Colorado last season, Foulke went 0-2 with a 4.64 ERA in 37 appearances. He has spent the entirety of this season with AAA Colorado Springs, going 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 23 2/3 innings of work. He has posted a 46-54 record with 99 saves and a 3.89 ERA over his 16-year-career. Foulke is owed just $390,000 for 2012, giving the Red Sox a potential low risk-high reward relief acquisition.
"Foulke is a guy who has pitched for a long time and has done a fine job," Kennedy said. "We think he can be the guy he's been for so many years and be a nice addition to our bullpen."
In addition to Betancourt, the Rockies acquired AAA Pawtucket infielders Kendry Morales and Bob Walker. Morales, a 29-year-old switch-hitter, has struggled as a part-time player with the PawSox this season, hitting .207 with one home run and three RBI in 29 at bats over 34 games. He hit .239 with one homer and seven RBI in 46 at bats with Boston last season. Walker, 24, was a second round draft pick last year and a AAA All Star this season. He hit .319 with two home runs, 26 RBI, 32 runs scored and 11 steals in 12 attempts over 64 games.

[Moriarty9]

Five Red Sox named to All Star team
Boston well represented at Mid-Summer Classic
July 8, 2012

The Boston Red Sox will be well represented at the All Star Game this year as five players and several coaches will be in Philadelphia for the greatest exhibition game in sports.
Boston manager Kevin Kennedy, who will serve as the American League squad's manager for the seventh time in his career, announced today that Red Sox pitchers Erik Bedard and Jonathan Papelbon will join position players Miguel Cabrera, Hanley Ramirez and Grady Sizemore at the Mid-Summer Classic.
This is the third All Star selection for Bedard, 11-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 18 starts. The southpaw was an All Star in 2008 and last season.
Papelbon, in his first season as Red Sox closer, will make his first appearance as an All Star. He is 1-2 with 24 saves and a 1.33 ERA in 29 games with Boston.
It is the eighth All Star selection for Cabrera, who has earned his roster spot by hitting .326 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI in 61 games this season.
For Ramirez, it is his second All Star selection, having previously been named to the team in 2008. In 82 games this year, Ramirez has hit .314 with 13 triples, seven homers, 57 RBI and 58 runs with 15 stolen bases.
Sizemore has been named to his fifth All Star team, having hit .283 with 13 home runs, 56 RBI and 61 runs scored in 83 games so far.
Former Red Sox players Pat Neshek of the Detroit Tigers (2-1, 25 saves, 1.65 ERA) is a first-time All Star while Ryan Howard of the Atlanta Braves (.282, 38 homers, 80 RBI) has been named to his seventh All Star team.
Other All Star selections include John Lackey of the Tigers (11-3, 2.04 ERA), New York Yankees pitcher Gregorio Cortes (14-2, 2.72 ERA), Seattle Mariners hurler Brian Sheets (8-3, 1.95 ERA), Texas Rangers closer Juan Morillo (3-2, 20 Sv, 0.84 ERA), Minnesota Twins closer Jesse Crain (4-2, 21 Sv, 1.32 ERA), Tampa Bay Rays closer Lowell Harris (1-3, 23 Sv, 1.15 ERA), Cleveland Indians outfielder Hunter Pence (.346, 18 HR, 52 RBI), Twins outfielder Patrick Harris (.324, 21 HR, 55 RBI), Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder Matt Holliday (.294, 21 HR, 74 RBI), Indians secondbaseman Robinson Cano (.324, 11 HR, 59 RBI), Rangers firstbaseman Adam LaRoche (.299, 21 HR, 71 RBI), New York Mets starter Francisco Liriano (10-5, 1.71 ERA), Washington National pitcher Franklin Morales (9-5, 2.02 ERA), San Diego Padres hurler Javier Vazquez (10-3, 2.89 ERA), Mets pitcher Dan Haren (9-3, 2.83 ERA), Atlanta Braves closer Bobby Jenks (4-0, 22 Sv, 1.21 ERA), Padres closer Jaime Vargas (2-3, 23 Sv, 1.71 ERA), Houston Astros outfielder Keith Godfrey (.368, 16 HR, 64 RBI), Nationals thirdbaseman Manuel Hernandez (.345, 20 HR, 55 RBI), Astros infielder Freddy Sanchez (.347, 5 HR, 61 RBI), Arizona Diamondbacks backstop Brian McCann (.332, 13 HR, 51 RBI), Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Alexis Rios (.328, 20 HR, 63 RBI) and Florida Marlins infielder Adrian Poole (.331, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 54 R, 34 SB).

[Moriarty9]

Kazmir, Jackson dealt for K-Rod
Red Sox, Dodgers swap sixplayers
Monday, July 30, 2012

BOSTON - After losing starting roles, southpaw Scott Kazmir and firstbaseman Conor Jackson will spend the rest of the year on the west coast while flashy reliever Francisco Rodriguez comes to the east coast help out the bullpen.
The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a six-player trade early this morning, sending Jackson and Kazmir to L.A. with Rodriguez, pitcher Bryan Brake and minor league pitchers John West and Jon Catron coming to the Red Sox.
Rodriguez, a.k.a. K-Rod, is a 30-year-old reliever who has primarily been a closer throughout his 11-year-career with the Dodgers. During that time, he has posted a 47-40 record with 240 saves and a 3.23 ERA in 670 relief appearances. Rodriguez has worked as a setup man the last 18 months, going 3-2 with seven saves and a 3.62 ERA in 69 games last season, 3-0 with no saves and a 3.28 ERA in 47 games this year. K-Rod is owed $6.46 million annually through next season. In seven playoff appearances, Rodriguez has recorded four saves and allowed four hits, three runs, one earned run, three walks and eight strikeouts in six innings.
Kazmir, 28, had signed a three-year contract extension to stay with Boston last May but found himself in the bullpen early this season. In 22 games, including eight starts, Kazmir went 4-3 with one save and a 5.83 ERA for the Red Sox, walking 28 and striking out 68 in 71 innings of work.
"It's disappointing in many ways but it gives me a new opportunity to go back to the starting rotation and prove myself once again," Kazmir said. "I really enjoyed playing here. The fans, the city, the playoffs, the excitement ... it's just so amazing."
Kazmir, 17-5 with a 3.61 ERA last year, owns a record of 89-46 with a 3.94 ERA over his 10-year-career with Boston. Kazmir is owed $5 million this year, $5.69 million next season and $6.25 million in 2014.
Jackson, 30, had been the regular firstbaseman for much of the time since being acquired by Boston late in the 2010 season from the New York Mets.
He has spent much of this season in a backup role, hitting .281 with four home runs and 20 RBI over just 128 at bats in 46 games. Over his eight-year-career, Jackson has hit .267 with 87 home runs and 456 RBI in 917 games. He played well for Boston in the last two post-seasons, hitting .313 with three homers and 17 RBI in 18 playoff games. Jackson, making $1.35 million this year, is due to become a free agent at season's end.
In addition to K-Rod, the Red Sox also landed three young starting pitchers in Brake, Catron and West.
Brake, 22, has gone 6-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 17 starts with the Dodgers this season and went 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA in seven starts with L.A. last year.
"Our scouts say Bryan Brake has above average stuff, impressive breaking stuff and excellent control," Boston GM Shaun Moriarty said. "He's a kid that we feel could be a #1 starter on many teams as he matures."
Catron, a 26-year-old southpaw, has gone 6-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 12 starts between Los Angeles' AA and AAA affiliates this year.
West, 24, has gone 10-9 with a 3.96 ERA in 25 starts with AAA Las Vegas this season.