Kuzul

The future location of free agent outfielder Carl Crawford has been a hot topic this off-season and interest continues to grow in the star player since his contract ended with the Rays this past season.

Although many teams might not be able to afford his large contract requests(some say he is looking for $100 million), he could still be an early Christmas present for any team that bids the right price for him.

Many have reported that he won’t sign until Cliff Lee, arguably the highest sought after free agent this off-season, signs his contract, there are many teams that are ready to grab the talented left-fielder right now.

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It is not crazy to say that without injuries to almost every major player, Boston would have made the playoffs last season. The team was a lot stronger offensively than people predicted and if Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek and Mike Cameron had been healthy all year, they would have made a serious run at the Rays and Yankees in the AL East.

But they weren’t, and they didn’t. Now, with free agency leaving holes in their lineup, and the tantalising prospect of signing Adrian Gonzales next year to be taken into account, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2011 lineup.

Gonzalez’ agent has said the slugger will test the free agent waters after next season and it is almost certain the Red Sox will be interested. That does create a rather awkward situation at first or third for 2011, depending on where Kevin Youkilis plays, and whom the Red Sox get as a bridge to Gonzalez.

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According Ken Rosenthal, one of my faithful sources for Jays Rumors of Fox Sports, has reported the Jays also have strong interest in outfielder Justin Upton. Rosenthal confirmed that the Blue Jays were the one “mystery” team that

The D’Backs are believed to have a very high price tag for this 23-year-old all-star asking for as many as five major league ready talents off of a roster. Depending on the talent level of the players involved, that number should go down.

An example I’ll give you is the Bartolo Colon deal in 2002 with the Cleveland Indians in which they dealt Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens in exchange for Colon and Tim Drew. The Indians dealt their staff ace just entering his prime at 29 and received the Indians top two prospects and their starting first baseman—although Lee Stevens ended up being the third wheel in the deal.

The Blue Jays, lucky enough, have the depth in the minors to trade some pretty great prospects and not really affect their long term future. However, The Jays with outfield prospects such as Anthony Gose, Jacob Marisnick, Eric Thames and you could even say Travis Snider, as a result, they are fairly loaded when it comes to outfield talent for the future. Some of them are ready now for everyday major league play such as Snider and possibly at some point this year Thames.

Upton right now—if traded for—would assume the role of right fielder and it would shift Jose Bautista to third base.

A relatively easy to see deal with the Diamondbacks would have to include Travis Snider, at least two good to great pitching prospects and possibly at least one more good prospect.

A deal that makes sense for both sides could be Travis Snider, Marc Rzepcynski, Zack Stewart and Eric Thames for Justin Upton. The Jays give up their outfielder of the future, one of their starting pitchers from last year and two top 15 prospects from their roster for Upton.

Rzepcynski, who is currently pitching the of all places, the Arizona Fall League, is pitching very close to the Diamondbacks who I’m sure are keeping close tabs on him. “Led Rzepplin” is currently 4-0 with 1.16 ERA in six games with the Peoria Javelinas of the Arizona Fall League.

A steep price to pay, but one that could put the Jays over the top if they do indeed sign Manny Ramirez to be the teams DH.

The Jays however will not be the only team in hot pursuit of Upton, and not the only team in the AL East, as the Red Sox are believed to be willing to offer some pretty great players for Upton, as I’ve heard Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard and even Jonathon Papelbon’s names bandied about. I’ll add the Yankees are said to be interested, but what fun is that when the $200 million dollar payroll big wigs want in on a trade such as this.

Now, I’m trying to be realistic here, and when the likes of Upton, and even Colby Rasmus become available, at their age and skill level, the price is going to be high.

From an outsider point of view, and looking at the Diamondbacks roster, I would hazard to believe that they would ask for an elite level prospect, a pitching prospect with closing upside (since they really have no closers), another top 15 prospect and a decent starting pitcher, all of which are covered in my proposed deal to the Diamondbacks.

But if the D’Backs opt for the more flashy Red Sox deal where it may include Ellsbury and one of Papelbon or Bard, then the Jays can easily move on and say they at least tried. The Red Sox are believed to be making a very aggressive push to add Upton to their relatively aging outfield that last season included the likes of oft-injured Mike Cameron and JD Drew.

Upton last season in 495 at bats hit .273 with 17 home runs and 69 RBI and adding 17 stolen bases with Arizona last season.

Thoughts on the Jays possibly pursuing Upton and whether the Jays can put together a more attractive trade package over the likes of the Red Sox?

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Talks for a long term engagement with newly minted Silver Slugger Dan Uggla are at a impasse and the Marlins, who have recently traded two former Top 10 picks (Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller), key pieces of the disastrous Miguel Cabrera deal, have suddenly become trigger happy in the trade market.

Those deals have helped shore up the bullpen with three arms but have left a hole in centerfield and there still remains a need a catcher.

According to FOXSports, the Marlins have had discussions with the Detroit Tigers regarding the power-hitting second baseman.

The Florida Marlins are not confident they will sign Uggla because of his insistence to add a fifth year to the contract. Uggla recently turned down a four-year, $48 million offer. Uggla made $7.8 million this year and is eligible for salary arbitration for a final time before qualifying for free agency after the 2011 season.

If the Marlins seriously pursue a Dan Uggla trade, they will look to shore up at the bullpen, catcher and/or centerfield If Uggla is indeed traded, Chris Coghlan is likely to slide to second base with former first-round draft pick Matt Dominguez getting a long look a third base in Spring Training. Emilio Bonfacio is another candidate to start at second or third if Dominguez isn’t ready.

Here are five beneficial trades the Marlins could potentially pull off that will help shore up their weak spots:

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Distressing as it may be for the Red Sox Nation, the 2010 campaign died months before the season itself concluded. With heavy hearts, skeptical brows and gnawed fingertips, the Nation did its best to stomach a Sox-less October and look toward the 2011 season with growing optimism.

Shaking off the nasty sense of déjà vu 2010 has cast on Beantown will require some serious action at both the personal and franchise levels. Who would have thought the Red Sox could experience more horrific, season-derailing injuries than in 2006?

At least—most sports commentators contend—this should be a busy winter for general manager Theo Epstein as he looks to retool his Red Sox for a more successful “next year.” But will it indeed be a busy off-season brimming with possible mega deals and spotted with excellent free-agent signings?

This writer isn’t so sure.

While the major media outlets will surely keep the Faithful on their hopeful toes with heart-thumping “trade rumors,” a more pragmatic analysis of the Red Sox roster indicates that less flamboyant signings will figure prominently in Boston’s unfortunately long winter.

For what it’s worth, here then are one writer’s views and predictions for the upcoming Red Sox off-season.

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Jacoby Ellsbury had an injury-shortened season for the Boston Red Sox after he collided with the freight train otherwise known as third basemen Adrian Beltre and fractured four ribs on April 11. He appeared in only 18 games, hitting .192 and stealing seven bases after leading the AL with 70 steals in 2009.

Ellsbury also came under fire from his coaches and teammates for rehabbing his injury in Arizona instead of traveling with the team. With rookie Ryan Kalish seemingly ready for the big show, could Ellsbury now be expendable?

He’s still an electric player. He twice led the AL in stolen bases and, though his .344 career on-base percentage is not particularly good for a lead-off hitter, he did still manage to score 98 runs in 2008 and 94 runs in 2009. He’s also an exceptionally good fielder and isn’t due to become a free agent until 2014.

The Red Sox could use Ellsbury as a major trade chip to fill up other holes on the roster. Here are 10 trades that would help make Boston into a World Series contender in 2011.

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The Boston Red Sox are for all intents and purposes finished with their 2010 season. It has been a long and tough campaign which saw them virtually eliminated by their own inability to stay on the field.

Too many key injuries will derail any team let alone a team faced with a game of musical chairs with Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.

The Red Sox still retain a solid core of players and with the chance that Tampa Bay may not be able to afford some its talent with expiring contracts, those Red Sox fans already moving onto the 2011 season have a few reasons to smile.

With that said this is a team that needs a few serious improvements and here are the top five changes that need to be made in order to both make the playoffs and contend for a World Series in 2011.

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The New York Mets are targeting Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury and may seek to acquire the speedy outfielder this winter, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo and multiple sources within the Mets organization.

This information fascinates from several angles. That the Mets consider themselves potential buyers of rising, affordable talent, that the Red Sox might actually be positioned to consider dealing their homegrown speedster, and that these two teams might match up perfectly in consummating such a deal, are all intriguing aspects of this particular rumor.

The Mets certainly need both to upgrade their outfield and get younger. Despite being sidelined with rib fractures throughout most of the 2010 season, Ellsbury would help the Mets tremendously in both senses.

A career .291 hitter who stole 120 bases over the 2008 and 2009 campaigns, the 27-year-old Ellsbury could bolster the speed element at the top of the Mets lineup, particularly if New York is considering parting ways with Jose Reyes once his contract expires at the end of 2011.

An above-average defender, particularly at the corner outfield positions, Ellsbury owns a 23.4 UZR/150 in left field and would certainly be an upgrade over Jason Bay, who could be shifted to right field.

Meanwhile, it’s no secret that there could be a developing rift between Ellsbury, his agent Scott Boras, and Red Sox management.

This season, Ellsbury accused the Red Sox of toying with his injury and failing to take his medical complaints seriously. Combine that open hostility with the most difficult agent in baseball, and you have a recipe for an Ellsbury trade.

Of course, any team that might deal for Ellsbury would need pockets deep enough to retain him when he hits free agency. The Mets are one of only a handful of teams should Ellsbury continue his impressive production.

So, Ellsbury is a prime candidate to be shipped from Boston. The Mets have the need and the money. The question remains: what can the Mets offer in return?

With Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre both hitting free agency this winter under Type-A status, the Red Sox will either be paying through the nose to resign them or pursuing internal or external replacement options. While the Mets lack a suitable catcher to deal, they do have an attractively priced third baseman in David Wright.

For more details on David Wright’s availability and suitability, read this recent article: MLB Trade Rumors: New York Mets’ David Wright a Fit with the Red Sox?

While a pure Wright-for-Ellsbury swap seems unlikely, those two pieces could form the core of a deal. Obviously, given the Francisco Rodriguez situation, Jonathan Papelbon could also figure prominently in any serious Mets-Red Sox negotiations.

For breaking Red Sox news updates, follow Peter on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

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The 2005 MLB Draft has brought in some of the youngest and greatest hitters of todays game. Not only hitters, but pitchers too.

The 2005 Draft has created a pool of young, power hitting, power pitching athletes that are some of the best in todays game.

Here is a look at some of these athletes that clubs took a chance on, and came into the bigs surprising everyone.

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Being a fan of the Boston Red Sox is never easy. After spending decades of relishing in the role as the lovable losers, the Red Sox finally won a World Series ring. In fact they went on to win more than one championship and people began to expect them to win. As a fan, I also began to believe that every year the Red Sox, my team, could win it all.

I began a ritual of placing a wager on the Red Sox every year to win the American League East and the World Series. This year, Just Bet listed the Red Sox as 3-1 underdogs to win the A.L. East, and 10-1 to win the World Series.

I placed my bet and began to dream about a big payout, and another World Series ring for the Sox. I have come to realize that in late August, the dream is over. For those of you that still believe, you would be thrilled to know that at Just Bet.com the Red Sox are now18 to 1 to win the A.L. East and 35 to 1 to win it all!

At the beginning of the year if you were to tell me the Red Sox would have a slew of injuries throughout the year, and still have over 70 wins in late August, I would be thrilled.

That is exactly what has happened.

The problem is in the AL East that is just good enough for third place and roughly six games behind the leader. In any other division in baseball the Red Sox would own the lead, or be fighting for the lead, but not in the A.L. East.

The Red Sox are trailing both the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays as the season winds down and things are looking grim. It’s not that six games is an insurmountable lead, but the obstacles that stand in the way of the Red Sox are very daunting.

The first place to start is the schedule.

The Red Sox schedule to end the year is frightening. The Sox have struggled against the teams remaining on the schedule. That last stretch includes 12 games against division rivals the Yankees and Rays, a short six game trip to the West Coast, and seven out of the last ten games are on the road.

For those that would argue the Sox can make up games against Baltimore and Seattle, two cellar dwellers on the schedule, think again. The Sox are a woeful 8-8 against those teams this year and Baltimore is playing much better since Buck Showalter was hired as head coach.

I do applaud the way that the Sox played this year with all the injuries they had to endure, but it’s only gotten worse. Kevin Youkilis, Mike Cameron, and Jacoby Ellsbury are all done for the season taking both offense and defense away from this team. Dustin Pedroia recently returned from injury, but was placed back on the disabled list just three days later.

The injuries have dismantled the offense, and if you’re looking for pitching to bail out the Sox, guess again. The Red Sox are currently 20th in the league in Earned Run Average (ERA) behind several opponents that they play again before the year is over to include Oakland and (you guessed it) New York and Tampa Bay. The once unhittable Jonathan Papelbon has six blown saves on the year and an ERA over three. In short, the pitching is not living up to the hype.

The dream is over Red Sox nation; the 2010 version of your favorite team is not going to the post season. We as a nation can blame it on injuries, being in the toughest division in baseball, or just bad luck, but it’s over.

The best we can hope for is that we play spoiler in the last three game set of the season and stop the hated Yankees from winning another division title.

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