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Adrian Gonzalez is reportedly close to officially becoming a member of the Boston Red Sox, despite the fact that the two sides have failed to reach a contract extension.

MSNBC.com and Fanhouse.com were the first to report this, about 30 minutes ago.

This comes after reports had surfaced that the Gonzalez deal was getting the nix, because the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on a new deal.

It’s very possible that the Sox used the 2 p.m. window allotted by Major League Baseball as an opportunity to sit down and get a concrete idea of what Gonzalez is looking for before making the deal official.

It’s important to note that the Sox would stand to save a significant amount of money on the MLB luxury tax if they wait until after opening day 2011 to announce a contract extension, ala Josh Beckett last year.

No official word yet from the Boston brass.

UPDATE: 8:48 p.m. – ESPN is confirming the story. The Padres are receiving P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo, OF Raymond Fuentes, and a player to be named later, as was earlier reported.

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Jon Heyman of SI.com was the first to report that the Boston Red Sox have let the deal for San Diego Padre’s All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez fall through, after Gonzalez and Boston could not reach terms for a contract extension.

Major League Baseball had given both sides a 2 p.m. deadline to reach an extension.

However, does this mean that Gonzalez isn’t coming to Boston? ESPN insider Buster Olney doesnt think so, and he gave his opinion earlier today on EPSN News:

“Does this mean the deal is dead? Not necessarily, because the Red Sox and Padres could still agree to the deal … if the Red Sox felt confident going forward that they could work something else out. I have talked to someone who’s been involved in these conversations who told me that he felt if the Red Sox ever got the sense that they couldn’t work out an extension with Gonzalez they would walk away, that they would not give up their top prospects without having some sense that Gonzalez was going to sign with them…

The Gap when they started talking was pretty enormous because on the Gonzalez side, they were looking for a Mark Teixeira like $180 million deal, [and] I think the Red Sox were looking to come in at $120 [million], so as they began talks yesterday, there was an enormous difference of opinion over what he should be paid. 

I don’t know the mechanics and the timing of how it’s going to get done, but I still think that when the 2011 season opens, that Adrian Gonzalez will be a Red Sox first baseman…

He’s too important to them, they swung and missed at Mark Teixeira, [which] turned out to be a really pivotal moment in their history, now they have an opportunity to get someone who’s very much like Teixeira and they’ve agreed to the players, I gotta believe that at some point the Red Sox, obviously a big market team with a lot of resources will find out some way to bridge the gap over what the differences are, what they’re offering, and what Adrian Gonzalez’ side wants.” 

What Olney is saying makes a lot of sense. And taking into account that Heyman initially cited the difference of years, not dollars as the main reason that a deal did not get done is actually a good sign for Red Sox nation.

While a deal of this magnitude getting temporarily nixed is never good, Red Sox fans should avoid going completely crazy. A few facts remain that should be taken into consideration:

First off, the Padres have already said that they wouldn’t field new offers if the current deal with the Red Sox fell through. This would seem to indicate that the Padres are just as committed to getting the deal done as the Red Sox are.

Second, the Padres have already said that they have no intentions of re-signing the slugger, and that letting him walk and taking compensation picks aren’t to their liking.

This would seem to indicate that getting a deal done before the season starts is their top priority, yet they have no leverage in any negotiations, as every other team knows that the Padres won’t re-sign him.

Third, Padres general manager Jed Hoyer, a former Red Sox assistant GM, enjoys intimate knowledge of the Red Sox farm system. Even if this deal doesn’t work out, he knows the inner workings of the Red Sox organization better than any other GM in baseball (save Theo Epstein), and a deal involving some of the same or other players could surface at any time.

Fourth, the Red Sox were the only team to put a legitimate offer on the table, and it remains to be seen what other organization would be willing to part with such top prospects as well as give Gonzalez the eight years and $180 million that he’s looking for.

Reports have mentioned the Cubs as possible suitors, but they’ve been unwilling to discuss some of their top prospects like Brett Jackson, Tyler Colvin, Hak-Ju Lee, Andrew Cashner, etc.

Fifth, the deal wasn’t put on hold due to a difference of players, just a difference of money. When it comes down to it, the Red Sox can afford to pay Gonzalez what he wants.

Jayson Werth is now a Nat, Carl Crawford is looking for an exorbitant amount of money and is fielding interest from multiple teams, Victor Martinez is gone, and Adrian Beltre could soon follow suit.

The Red Sox need Gonzalez’s bat if they want to create a power swing in the AL East. Offensively, they’d do fine without him but his acquisition could make the Sox the clear favorites in the East.

Sixth, waiting to officially extend Gonzalez until after the season starts would save the Red Sox money on the annual MLB luxury tax.

Finally, GM Theo Epstein has been after Adrian Gonzalez for years. There’s probably no other player, save for Felix Hernandez, who he would rather see in a Red Sox uniform. Gonzalez is the perfect fit for Boston, and Epstein knows it.

He fits into the Red Sox philosophy too well to let a chance to acquire him go to waste. This seems to be one of those situations where even if the underlying factors can make things muddy, at the end of the day the Sox will get their man.

Is this situation painful to Red Sox fans? Sure. To have a player of Gonzalez’ caliber dangled in front of our noses only to have the deal put on hold is excruciating. 

Kind of like watching Daisuke pitch.

The current situation is a feather in every Yankee’s fans cap and throws the rest of the off-season into a shade of uncertainty. But is it time to start jumping off the Zakim bridge? Not yet. Let’s have a little faith, that the front office will (hopefully) do the right thing.

UPDATE: 8:33 p.m.—Multiple reports are filing in that the Red Sox are finalizing the Gonzalez deal, however with no contract extension (yet). Looks like any “panic” was short-lived. Long live Theo?

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Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best first baseman in baseball, is reportedly now a member of the Boston Red Sox.

Once the dust clears and the facts are separated from fiction, Red Sox fans only want to know one thing. How will he do in Boston?

Gonzalez is a career .284/.368/.507 hitter with 168 HRs and 525 RBI. His career home/away splits, however, feature quite a drastic difference:

Home: 1504 AB   396 H   61 HR   214 RBI   .263/.360/.440

Away:  1663 AB   504 H  107 HR  311 RBI   .303/.376/.568

What accounts for this drastic difference? Not skill level, but rather the parks he had to play in.

The San Diego Padres make their home at PETCO Park, which is considered one of the worst hitters parks in all of baseball. Its dimensions are as follows: 334 ft. down the left field line, 367 ft. to left, 402 ft. in the left field alley, 396 ft. to center, 402 ft. to the right field alley, 382 ft. to right, 322 ft. down the left field line.

Using pitching park factor (runs above 1.000 favor the hitter; below, the pitcher), PETCO was worth just 0.882 runs, the twenty-sixth lowest total in baseball.

Three of the five parks in the NL West were ranked twenty second or worst in baseball: PETCO; AT&T Park (Giants), which has a PPF of 0.942; and Dodger Stadium, which has a PPF of 0.939.

Only two parks in the NL West were above 1.000 run, therefore favoring the hitter: Coors Field (Rockies) was first on the list with a PPF of 1.364, and Chase Field was ninth with a PPF of 1.049.

This marks a striking contrast from the American League East. Fenway Park itself has a PPF of 1.083, the seventh highest average in baseball. Yankee Stadium was second in PFF with a 1.177 PFF, Camden Yards (Orioles) was fifth with a 1.122 and the Rogers Centre (Blue Jays) was eighth with a 1.058.

Gonzalez has a significant chance to improve on his numbers simply because of the fact that he’ll be playing a majority of his games in hitter-friendly ballparks.

Also, Gonzalez, a left-handed batter, happens to be one of the best opposite field hitters in the game. Gonzo is a career 195/463 in balls hit to the opposite field. This translates to a .421/.418/.842 batting line, with 46 HRs and 117 RBIs.

Fenway Park has one of the best left field porches for power hitters, and Gonzalez should be able to utilize all parts of the park to his benefit. 

Gonzalez hit 40 HRs in 2009 and he remains a legitimate 40+ HR candidate in Boston.

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Adrian Gonzalez has been reportedly traded to the Boston Red Sox for minor league prospects P Casey Kelly, 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Raymond Fuentes, ESPN.com reports.

Gonzalez is one of the best first baseman in the game. Perhaps only Albert Pujols is better.

Casey Kelly was the clear target of the Padres in this deal. His name was the only specific component to a deal that has been rumored for the better part of the last 24 hours.

Deemed a future top-of-the-rotation pitcher, is he really worth one of the best first baseman in the game?

Let’s start with the basics:

Kelly, just 21 years of age, was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the first round (30th overall) of the 2008 MLB Amateur draft. He split time between pitcher and shortstop in his first two minor league seasons before making the decision to pitch full time starting in 2010.

Kelly made 21 starts (the most he’s ever made as a pitcher on the professional level) last season. He was 3-5 with a 5.31 ERA and 1.61 WHIP before he was shut down in August due to a lat muscle strain. He pitched a total of just 95.0 innings—roughly 4.5 innings per start.

While the talent is presumably there, Kelly is a long way off from being Major League ready. The Padres would be lucky to have him up at any point during the 2012 campaign, and it’s possible that his stay in the minors could extend even further beyond that.

Anthony Rizzo, also 21, projects as a decent power-hitting first baseman in the Majors. In 2010, over stints with the High-A Salem Red Sox and Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Rizzo hit 25 HR and 100 RBI in 531 AB, with a batting line of .260/.334/.480.

Rizzo is labeled as a solid defender—he has just 24 errors and a .991 fielding percentage in 2585 chances through his minor league career. He also has the reputation of being a bit of a free swinger—he had 132 SO to just 61 BB last year.

Fuentes is just 19, and hit .270 with 42 stolen bases over 104 games with the Class A Greenville Drive.

All three have talent, but none of them are close to being Major League ready. It could legitimately be at least two years before any of the three see any action.

The Padres chose not to pursue players like OF Jacoby Ellsbury, OF Ryan Kalish and SS Jose Iglesias, all of whom who are either MLB ready or not far off.

Ellsbury is likely to start the year for the Red Sox in center field and Kalish will probably split time between the minors and majors. Iglesias, while his bat isn’t Major League ready, is considered to already be an above average MLB defender.

This move can’t be popular in San Diego. The Padres knew that they wouldn’t be able to re-sign Gonzalez once he hits free agency in 2011, yet it’s still a bit odd that they dealt their best player without getting anyone of Major League talent in return. 

Considering the fashion in which the Padres missed the playoffs last season and now the trade of Gonzalez, there isn’t much to look forward to in San Diego next year.

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According to ESPN.com and multiple sources, the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox have agreed in principle on a deal to send All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox.

It’s not known exactly who the Sox would send, but reports indicate that the deal would be centered around top organizational pitching prospect Casey Kelley. Names like Ryan Kalish, Anthony Rizzo, Raymond Fuentes and others have been tossed around as well.

It’s important to note that ESPN is reporting that the Padres would not receive any major league talent in the deal. This means that the Sox will be hanging on to outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who has been embroiled in trade rumors ever since his injury-filled 2010 season.

No further word yet on the progress of a new extension for Gonzalez; he’s a free agent after the 2011 season and the Sox would likely extend him before the season starts.

Gonzalez has been the apple of GM Theo Epstein’s eye for the last few years, and now it seems official. A-Gon is coming to Boston.

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The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy recently entertained the idea the Red Sox would make a serious run to sign free agent shortstop Derek Jeter.

Rumors of a Jeter-to-Boston move have been afloat since negotiations between Derek and Yankees ownership have significantly chilled. Then, the New York Post ran a picture of Jeter on the back page, sporting a photo-shopped Red Sox jersey and hat.

As a Red Sox fan, I find the prospect of Jeter ending his career in Boston quite humorous. If he were a fairly inexpensive player and fine with the idea that his role as a starter wouldn’t be guaranteed over the long term, I wouldn’t have much of a problem with the Red Sox going after him.

But Derek Jeter is not a role-player. He’s made it perfectly clear that he’s not looking for a pay cut or a hometown discount. While the idea that Jeter could get his 3,000th career hit in a Boston uniform is a nice thought, it’s not worth $45 million.

In his article, Shaughnessy’s normally mediocre prose bordered on putridity. Vast, unsupported generalizations tumble over each other, all in an attempt to appear relevant and in the know. Statements like these are peppered all over Shaughnessy’s piece:

“I don’t care if Jeter is way past his prime or if the Sox would have to wildly overpay a player of his diminished skills.”

The fact of the matter is Shaughnessy is wrong. Derek Jeter doesn’t belong on the Boston Red Sox.

As most of you know, catcher Victor Martinez recently signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. The move was, for the most part, unpopular in Boston, as his bat has been one of the strongest presences in the middle of the Red Sox lineup over the last season-and-a-half.

But the move, however unpopular, can be supported by the idea that the Sox would likely end up overpaying for him. Catchers notoriously begin to decline in their early mid-30s; Martinez will be 32 to start next season. The Sox don’t want to commit multiple millions of dollars to a player who will likely end up only a part-time catcher, making just as many appearances at DH or 1B as he would behind the plate. The declining role of the DH in the AL is giving managers more and more roster flexibility, so Martinez’ numbers wouldn’t warrant a permanent residence their or at first base, perhaps the deepest position in baseball.

Jeter, just like Martinez, probably has limited time left as an everyday Major League shortstop. No longer the athlete he once was, the 36-year-old doesn’t range nearly as far in the hole as he used to, and his defense has suffered. All signs point to an eventual transition to third base or even DH.

So, I’ll pose this question. Why would the Red Sox sign Jeter to a deal of similar or greater length/money to the deal Martinez received from Detroit? Both pose the same questions in terms of long-term production versus their career dominance of their respective positions. The only differences? Martinez is four years younger, and hasn’t begun to slip yet. Just compare their 2010 numbers:

Jeter:         663 AB   179 H   10 HR   67 RBI   .270/.340/.370

Martinez:   493 AB   149 H   20 HR   79 RBI   .302/.351/.493

Given the same number of ABs as Jeter, Martinez would have well exceeded him in hits, and already surpasses him in every other offensive category. Martinez is a better fit for Boston than Jeter is, but the Red Sox let him go. It just wouldn’t make any sense to then pursue Jeter.

And if Jeter were to come to Boston, he probably wouldn’t have a role as the shortstop. It might not seem like it, but the Sox have some decent options in the six hole going into 2011. The Red Sox have veteran Marco Scutaro under contract for one more year and $5 million. His 2010 numbers might not seem that impressive…until you compare them to Jeter’s:

Jeter:     663 AB   179 H   10 HR   67 RBI   .270/.340/.370

Scutaro: 632 AB   174 H   11 HR   56 RBI   .275/.333/.388

For one fourth of the cost, Scutaro provided nearly identical production to Jeter in 2010.

Also, there are a number of underlying factors that fans of other teams might overlook when evaluating Scutaro’s performance in 2010. Despite playing nearly the entire season with neck and shoulder injuries, Scutaro appeared in 150 games for the Sox in 2010. He was one of the few constants on an otherwise injury-laden Red Sox team. Scutaro’s injuries severely impacted his range going to his right side, yet he was reliably defensively. Also, with runners in scoring position, Scutaro’s offensive production increased dramatically:

RISP: 128 AB   38 H   2 HR   48 RBI   .297/.380/.375.

So, taking all of these factors into account, one truth remains.

Marco Scutaro was a better player than Derek Jeter in 2010.

Also, 26-year-old SS Jed Lowrie finally put it together last year for the Red Sox. Once touted as one of the organization’s better prospects, Lowrie has been hampered by wrist injuries and even mononucleosis over parts of three seasons in the big leagues.

But when Dustin Pedroia went down the for the Sox last year, and injuries started to put serious doubts on Boston’s playoff hopes, Lowrie got his shot. And he delivered. Just look at his August/September splits:

August:        20 G   56 AB   4 HR   8 RBI   .304/.400/.571

September:  24 G   83 AB   3 HR   10 RBI   .265/.344/.458.

While his September numbers were not as good, they weren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, especially considering this was really the first time Lowrie had played an extended period of time as a Major League starter. 

Lowrie did quite a bit of shuffling around defensively last year (as did every healthy body the Red Sox had) in order to account for all the injuries. He actually made more appearances at second base than he did at short, and he even appeared in six games at first base. However, Lowrie’s splits at shortstop, his natural position, remain astronomical:

As shortstop: 23 G   71 AB   6 HR   13 RBI   .324/.422/.648.

Albeit in limited time, that’s still an OPS of 1.070. Like I said, astronomical.

It’s no secret that GM Theo Epstein has clearly been a fan of Lowrie ever since he made his debut with the team in 2008, and he’ll likely be able to seize the majority share of the shortstop duties from Scutaro, providing he shows good signs in spring training 2011.

The Red Sox did fine in the shortstop department last year. In fact, it was one of the few stable areas of output they had. But Shaughnessy would have you believe different. He would have you believe that a homerish obsession of showing the Yankees up is more important than putting a solid product on the baseball field:

“Jeter is closing in on 3,000 hits. Imagine if he gets his 3,000th hit as a Red Sox . . . at Fenway . . . against Mariano Rivera?”

It’s a nice thought, Dan, but it’s one for the movies. Pragmatically, it’s not plausible.

Also, it’s no secret that the Red Sox could possibly lose the best offensive player they had last season, 3B Adrian Beltre, to free agency. If Jeter were to come to the Red Sox, that would likely be his position.

But, the Red Sox would likely have to well outbid the Yankees current offer of three years and $45 million in order to bring him in. Reports have surfaced that Jeter is looking for $20 million or more per year for 4-5 years. If they’re going to spend that much on a corner infielder, why not just bring Beltre back?

Rumors of a five-year, $64 million offer from the Oakland Athletics have been floating around for the last few days. Whether or not this offer is in fact legit, something around that is a good estimate of what it would cost to bring Beltre back a member of the Sox.

So, when the dust is cleared, I think the Red Sox would rather have the younger, better defensive player and better offensive player (Beltre) than Jeter, especially considering the fact that their contracts could end up similar in both years and dollars.

But since the Red Sox didn’t bring back Martinez, and could possibly not bring Beltre back—they’ve obviously got some extra dough lying around. This is what Shaughnessy would have the Sox do with it:

“I say offer him the world. Forget about Jayson Werth. Blow Jeter away with dollars and years. At worst this would just mean the Sox would jack up the final price the Yankees must pay. It could be sort of like Mark Teixeira-in-reverse.”

Shaughnessy would rather blow it all on one guy. He doesn’t think that guys like Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth are worthy of a large contract. He makes no mention of shoring up the bullpen with guys like Scott Downs, or the possibility of an Adrian Gonzalez trade and extension. Nope. Instead, he’d rather the Red Sox spend it all on Jeter.

Apparently, Shaughnessy doesn’t see “the harm” in completely avoiding reason:

“What’s the harm in offering Jeter $20 million a year over three years? If you can pay J.D. Drew $14 million per year . . . if you can pay a Japanese team $50 million just for the right to speak with Daisuke Matsuzaka . . . if you can buy a futbol club for $476 million, why not spend $60 million to bust pinstripe chops for all the ages?…If Jeter actually signed with Boston, the damage to the Yankees’ psyche would be inestimable.”

What’s the harm? Last time I checked, giving aging players very large, long-term deals isn’t the best way to go about winning championships, or building an organization for continual, long-term success. With Shaughnessy, it’s not about reason, it’s not even really about baseball for him. Rather, he still thinks it necessary for the Red Sox to needle and prod the Yankees at every given opportunity.

But does he not forget? The Yankees-Red Sox relationship is no longer what is used to be. No longer are the Boston nine the whipping Boys of the Bronx Bombers. Last time I checked, the “curse was reversed” already in 2004 and the Red Sox lead the Yankees in championships for this decade, 2-1.

There might’ve been a day where all Red Sox fans had to look forward to was the chance to embarrass the Yankees. But no longer. Those days are over. Still a formidable opponent, the Yankees are no longer the dynasty they once were; they’re no longer the perpetual oppressor that tormented Boston fans ever since that fateful day in 1920, when the Sox sold the greatest power hitter to ever live for a mere $100,000. 

The fact remains that with their financial flexibility and currently strong roster, the Sox are in just as good a position as anyone to win the American League East next season. But, to Shaughnessy, that means nothing if they can’t show up the Yankees in the process.

What he fails to realize, however, is that winning is the greatest burn of all.

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Now that catcher Victor Martinez is gone, where do Red Sox fans turn?

Who is going to be behind the plate next season. Will it be Varitek, Saltalamacchia….Kevin Cash?

These (okay, so hopefully not Kevin Cash) are all possible choices for the Red Sox in 2011. One thing has to be said, though: the market is incredibly short for catchers. If you want a grade A catcher, he’s got to come up through the farm system, plain and simple.

I humbly present five possible catching scenarios that could happen for the ’11 Sox.

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Trades are a funny thing.

They are a part of every sport, and the one common characteristic that can describe their nature is their inherent volatility. Trades can be a savior to teams, bringing them to the pinnacle of success. Or they can be the perpetual oppressor, blamed by fans for years of struggle and hardship. Sometimes, the same trade can be viewed either way, depending on the point of view of the fan.

No sport has such a voluminous history of transactions as America’s pastime, so it’s no surprise that deciding which were the absolute worst was no small task.

Think I have anything out of place or that I haven’t included a trade that deserved to be on here? Let me know.

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It’s official: free agent catcher Victor Martinez has signed a 4 year, $50 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, leaving a noticeable void behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox.

Let it be known that Martinez did not want to leave. He wanted to know where he would likely play out the remainder of his career, and where he would likely retire. He wanted to know where his son, Victor Jose, would be going to school. He wanted to know where he and his family would be calling home for the foreseeable future. The Red Sox provided no certain answers to any of these questions, so V-Mart had to leave.

Some people have blamed the Red Sox for letting one of the most important pieces leave. Others have applauded it, saying that most catchers decline rapidly once they hit their 30s, so Martinez won’t be worth the money.

I don’t think letting Victor leave was a good idea, and here’s why; without further ado, I present “10 Reasons Red Sox Will Regret Losing Him.”

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I won’t go as far to say that candidates like Ron Gardenhire, Ron Washington, and Joe Maddon aren’t deserving American League Manager of the Year recipients. Far from it.

However, it’s become clear that Boston Red Sox skipper Terry Francona doesn’t get as much respect from the Baseball Writers Association of America as one might think.

Before I get into any analysis, let’s examine the facts:

Francona is currently the third longest tenured manager with any one Major League team (only Ron Gardenhire of the Twins and Tony LaRussa of the Cardinals have been with their respective teams longer). 

Francona has won and managed the most playoff games of any Red Sox skipper, and has the best postseason record since Bill Carrigan went 8-2 from 1913-1916. He and Carrigan are the only Red Sox managers with multiple World Series titles on their resume.

His record of 565-407 (.581), is second only to Joe Cronin (1,071-916; 1935-47) in terms of games managed in Red Sox history.

Francona has led the Red Sox to the playoffs in five of the seven years he’s been with the team, despite having to battle the ever-present New York Yankees, and newly emerging Tampa Bay Rays.

You can legitimately make the case that Terry Francona is the greatest manager in the history of the organization. 

It was under his watch that the Red Sox broke the 86 year curse that had filled Red Sox fans with agony and despair for decades. His World Series championship in 2004 single-handedly changed the way the Boston Red Sox were perceived. No longer were they the lovable losers who couldn’t manage to get over the hump. No longer was a successful season judged by whether or not the Yankees won the World Series that year.

You might think that a manager with a resume like Francona might be a valid candidate for the AL Manager of the Year. Yet, this is not so. In his seven years with the team, Tito has never won the award, nor has he ever finished above fourth place.

In fact, he’s never even received a single, solitary first place vote.

The irony of the situation is that Francona’s history with the award is representative of his style of management. Francona receives little credit for the team’s success, yet often bears the majority of blame for when things do go wrong. This is just how Francona likes to do things.

Terry is the consummate players manager. He has never, ever thrown any of his player’s under the bus publicly, for any reason, large or small. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the Boston Red Sox clubhouse has and always will be filled with could-do-no-wrongers. 

When the team plays poorly, or when a questionable decision is made, Francona is the first one to sit down with the media and take accountability.

This is just his style. It might not make him the most flashy or popular manager in the eyes of the outside world, but rest assured, he has the ultimate respect of his players, which is what counts the most when it comes down to winning.

Part of the knock on Francona is that he does little to actually bring the team to success. People have sometimes accredited the recent Red Sox success to the teams ability to spend on high caliber talent. People have often took the “team wins despite him” approach.

I say bologna.

If any year has been indicative of Francona’s ability at the helm of a Major League team, it has been 2010.

Many Sox fans had high hopes for this season, yet a rash of injuries put a damper on title aspirations and ultimately kept the Red Sox from a playoff berth.

Boston was without leadoff man and gold glove caliber outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury for virtually the entire season. Three separate rib fractures limited the high flyer to just 18 games.

The Sox were also without former MVP Dustin Pedroia, who missed the last two months with a fractured foot, and all star first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who missed the last two months while recovering from thumb surgery.

Oh, and catchers Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek, outfielders Mike Cameron and Jeremy Hermida, infielder Mike Lowell, and starters Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz all missed time due to injury during the season.

By the end of the year, about two-thirds of the everyday starting lineup was made up of minor league journeymen, young kids, and fill ins. Names like Daniel Nava, Bill Hall, Ryan Kalish, and Darnell McDonald quickly became household names.

This, coupled with inconsistencies from the starting rotation (John Lackey, Josh Beckett, and Daisuke Matsuzaka never quite put it together), and one of the worst bullpens in baseball (4.24 ERA, 12th in the AL) might lead fans to think that they had a very poor season. 

But they didn’t. They went 89-73 (.549)

To put this in perspective, the Sox won one less regular season game than the AL Champion Texas Rangers, and three less games than the NL Champion San Francisco Giants.

Injuries to key players + inconsistent pitching + a poor bullpen + playing the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays eighteen or so times a year shouldn’t equal 89 wins. But it did. Terry Francona made it happen.

He kept his players motivated, and got more than anyone expected from an injury-riddled team.

However, like every year, Francona went mostly unnoticed when it came time to dole out the regular season awards.

With many deserving candidates, maybe 2010 isn’t quite the season to put the BBWAA on trial. But rest assured, it doesn’t sit well with me that he’s never gotten any serious consideration during any of his seven seasons in Boston.

He most certainly deserves better.

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