Josh Beckett's work ethic cannot be overlooked. (AP)

His between-starts regimen has not only left an impression on the coaching staff (strength and conditioning coach Dave Page identifies Beckett as the hardest-working pitcher he has been associated with) but also other members of the starting staff. Jon Lester saw what Beckett was doing, saw how it translated, and now approaches his craft in a similar manner. And two years ago, when the Sox wanted Clay Buchholz to learn the same lessons, they encouraged an offseason get-together with the two pitchers to get the process rolling.

There won’t be the stand-on-the-table proclamations from Beckett, but when an organization full of young pitchers can learn from how a staff ace handles himself in ever nook and cranny of a professional hurler’s job description, that goes a long way, and don’t think the Red Sox aren’t acutely aware of it.

That said …

When it comes to Beckett’s next contract, the tipping point isn’t likely going to revolve around work ethic, big-game productivity, favorable comparisons or clubhouse importance. It’s not going to even revolve around whatever time the pitcher has missed due to injury since arriving in Boston. Perhaps the most critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting a deal done for Beckett could be something that hasn’t once surfaced as a talk radio topic of conversation in any of the past four seasons — the pitcher’s right shoulder.

The notion that you haven’t heard anything in regard to Beckett’s pitching shoulder is another check on his side of the ledger. He has worked hard to make sure this hasn’t become a hot-button topic. It can, in fact, be identified as one of the biggest reasons the 29-year-old’s professional approach has morphed into what it is today.

There’s been a skin avulsion, back problem and oblique/intercostal muscle ailment. But at no time has Beckett lost time due to his right shoulder, which, if you know the backstory, amps up the intrigue appreciably.

The first time Beckett’s shoulder was diagnosed as being a potential problem was back in 2000 when a doctor affiliated with the Marlins was telling the then-19-year-old that labrum surgery was inevitable. For a player just kicking off his career, the procedure (which is far less advanced than it has become) would have been a severe setback.

But at the urging of his agent, Michael Moye, Beckett sought out a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who steered the pitcher away from surgery, paving an entirely different kind of career path. It also made him very aware of how important it would be to do everything he could to prevent the issue from getting worse.

“I probably would have had surgery on my labrum, and that was back when they were still shrinking capsules, so it wouldn’t have been good,” Beckett said back at the end of the 2008 season. “But my agent said we should get a second opinion before we do anything. That’s when I saw Dr. Andrews and he told me to rest it. He always took the cautious route first. ‘Let’s rehab this thing to see if we can get it stronger, and if it doesn’t we’re not losing anything.’ He spoke my language, too, and a lot of doctors don’t. When I went to the rehab clinic (after seeing Andrews in 2000), that’s when I knew.”

While blisters proved the biggest stumbling block for Beckett throughout his time with the Marlins, the shoulder concerns wouldn’t go away. After Beckett missed his final start of the 2005 season with shoulder stiffness (although there was some debate as to if the absence was related to injury or the team saving potential bonus money), the company Beckett was attempting to secure insurance from informed him that they would insure every part of his body but his shoulder.

By the time the Red Sox approached Beckett with a contract proposal midway through the 2006 season, the insecurity of not locking in insurance still was weighing heavily on the pitcher.

“I think if I had that insurance policy it would have been a little easier to go to [the Red Sox] with a hard number,” Beckett said in 2007. “The way it happened was that we both sat down and hammered out something that made us both happy. I got that insurance with the contract.”

While the subject of his shoulder never exited Beckett’s psyche, there has been encouraging signs since coming to the Red Sox. He was told after the initial rejection by the insurance company that he could get insurance if he pitched 600 innings from the time of his arrival in Boston if there were no shoulder issues. (He has pitched 792 regular-season innings for the Red Sox.) Beckett also underwent an MRI following the 2007 season as part of the process to potentially getting insurance, which he also identified as not raising any new red flags.

So, he has done his part and kept the shoulder intact. But now comes the part Beckett can’t control: How will the Red Sox view the long-term prognosis?

Most are jumping to the conclusion that, barring any physical or performance setbacks, Beckett’s payday will begin with the number just dished out to John Lackey (five years, $82.5 million). When it comes to going strictly by the numbers (and age), the two are extremely comparable. But, because of all of the aforementioned bits of intrigue, these are far from two identical negotiations.

It might simply come down to the simple question of whether or not the Red Sox are willing to have faith that Beckett’s approach toward his shoulder is good for at least another five years. Answer that and you’ll most likely decipher where the starter will be pitching in 2011.

Hisanori Takahashi is trying to drum up more interest from major league teams. (machu)

The Red Sox still appear to be in the mix for the services of Japanese left-hander Hisanori Takahashi, whom the Sox have extended a contract offer to. Takahashi is thought to be waiting on a few more potential suitors before deciding on whether or not he will take the Red Sox’ deal.

If Takahashi does sign with the Sox, it will be to compete for a job in the team’s bullpen, despite the fact the 34-year-old has pitched as a starter for most of his professional career in Japan.

It is believed that Takahashi will be throwing for teams that haven’t been able to scout him, with that session taking place at some point Monday afternoon in Arizona.

Last season with the Yomiuri Giants, Takahashi went 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA, striking out 121 batters while walking 36 in 144 innings pitched. He made approximately $1.3 million in 2009 with Yomiuri. The lefty’s best pitch is a screwball-type offering, with his fastball usually topping out at 90 mph.

Click here for a profile on Takahashi.

“Josh works from a different perspective than many, it’s why he was so good so young. He pushes himself with an internal bar and set of values that not many kids have. That isn’t going to change, in fact I’d argue that it’s only gotten ‘better’ over the past few years. He knows he’s in the games toughest division, he knows who people consider the best and I promise you he doesn’t ever take the ball, no matter who he is facing, and not believe 100% he’s going to not only win, but dominate.

“He’s getting to a stage in his career where the mental work, the prep work, is going to meet and surpass the physical effort. Which in his case is saying something because he’s a kid who does work his ass off and does want to be the best. When he does combine max effort in the mental preparation arena (which is not to say he hasn’t before, but as you age you learn different things about yourself and the game) with his physical preparation, things could get interesting.

“I do believe Jon Lester is an ace in the making, he’s going to be a legit #1 very soon, if not this year, the only thing stopping that is his command, when that comes he’s as good as there is, combining that with Josh, with Dice, with Clay and Lackey, there aren’t many deeper or more talented rotations anywhere.

“You lock Josh up you lock up the top 3 spots in your rotation (well 4 if you don’t trade Clay) for the next 3-5 years, and each of those spots is occupied by a 1 or a 2. In the AL East you go into each season with a legitimate shot at winning it all with that mix.

“Here’s the other thing. Whatever you perceive Josh’s value to be at the end of this deal the one thing you know for sure is that he’ll still be giving you every ounce of everything he has, that’s just who he is. You cannot say the same thing for other guys around the league.”

The team’s press release announcing the non-roster invitees is below:

The Red Sox today announced that 20 players will attend the team’s Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

The non-roster invitees are pitchers Randor Bierd, Fernando Cabrera, Kris Johnson, Casey Kelly, Adam Mills, Edwin Moreno, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse, Jorge Sosa and Kyle Weiland; catchers Luis Exposito and Gustavo Molina; infielders Lars Anderson, Yamaico Navarro, Angel Sanchez and Gil Velazquez; and outfielders Zach Daeges, Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin and Darnell McDonald.

Half of the 20 invitees have Major League experience, including Bierd, Cabrera, McDonald, Molina, Moreno, Nelson, Sanchez, Shouse, Sosa, and Velazquez. Cabrera and Velazquez both saw action for the Red Sox in 2009.

Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout in Fort Myers on Saturday, February 20. The first full workout of the Red Sox Spring Training camp is on Wednesday, February 24.

All workouts take place at Boston’s Player Development Complex, located at 4301 Edison Avenue. The team will move its spring operation to City of Palms Park when the games begin on Wednesday, March 3.

2010 NON-ROSTER INVITEES

Pitchers (10) — Randor Bierd, Fernando Cabrera, Kris Johnson*, Casey Kelly, Adam Mills, Edwin Moreno, Joe Nelson, Brian Shouse*, Jorge Sosa, Kyle Weiland

Catchers (2) — Luis Exposito, Gustavo Molina

Infielders (4) — Lars Anderson, Yamaico Navarro, Angel Sanchez, Gil Velazquez

Outfielders (4) — Zach Daeges, Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin, Darnell McDonald

* – left-handed pitcher Bold – indicates new to Red Sox organization or taking part in first big-league spring training with the Sox

For the club, there was some risk involved. The Sox were making a sizable long-term commitment to a pitcher on the strength of one truly dominant year at the big-league level. Less than one year later, however, it becomes obvious that the deal is one that may end up saving the club tens of millions of dollars.

Over the last two years, Lester has established himself as one of the most dominant left-handers in the game. He is part of a conversation that includes CC Sabathia, Johan Santana, Cliff Lee and not many others. In 2008-09, he went a combined 31-14 (tied for the 6th most wins in the majors) with a 3.31 ERA (13th), 377 strikeouts (12th), and a puny 74 OPS+ (6th). In his career, he is now 42-16 with a 3.66 ERA.

Yet assuming that the Sox end up exercising their option on the 26-year-old, he will cost $42.75 million between now and 2014. He’s only given up one year of free agency — two if the Sox exercise their option — but assuming the Boston front office does indeed keep him for the final year of the deal, Lester’s first two free-agent years would be coming at a cost of $11.625 million and $13 million.

As Brian MacPherson of the Union Leader has pointed out, those figures seem like a bargain when compared to the two market-changing contracts that were just signed by Tigers ace Justin Verlander and Seattle’s royal figure of pitching, Felix Hernandez.

Verlander — who has one more year of service time than Lester — just inked a five-year, $80 million deal that will keep him in Detroit through 2014. His free-agent years are being valued at $20 million each. That deal went just over the five-year, $78 million deal that Hernandez — who, like Verlander, has one more year of service time than Lester — signed to remain with the Mariners through 2014. His first three free-agent years are valued at an average of $19.33 million per season.

Verlander has a career record of 65-43 with a 3.92 ERA; he’s never had an ERA below 3.45. His strikeout numbers (8.0 per nine innings) are better than Lester’s (7.9), but not by much, and Lester is more of a groundball pitcher than Verlander.

Hernandez’ numbers compare more impressively to Lester’s: he is 58-41 with a 3.45 career ERA, 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a tremendous groundball rate that is better than either Lester’s and Verlander’s. He is also the youngest of the three. (Hernandez turns 24 in April; Lester turned 26 last month; and Verlander turns 27 later this month.)

If you were to bet on one pitcher to be the best of the three — regardless of contract — it would be Hernandez. But would you anticipate that he will be so much better than Lester that he would be worth an additional $35 million over the next five seasons? Probably not.

Put another way: had the Sox waited until after the 2010 season to sign Lester to an extension when he had accumulated four-plus years of service time, barring a disastrous performance in the coming year, there is little question that he would have been in line for a long-term deal along the lines of the ones signed by Verlander and Hernandez.

Of course, Lester’s contract cannot be compared apples-to-apples with the two that were just signed. He agreed to his deal at a much different point in his career than did either of the other two pitchers. In that regard, Lester did an excellent job of achieving a lifetime of security after just a couple years in the majors. Again, he received more guaranteed money than any other pitcher in his service class at the time that he signed his contract.

That said, the recent deals suggest that the Sox, by moving aggressively to achieve a long-term deal at an early stage of a dominant young pitcher’s career, got one of the best bargains in all of baseball. If Lester remains healthy, and continues to perform at the elite levels that have characterized his past two years, his deal with Boston will be one of the most team-friendly around.

Garciaparra has talked to a few major leagues teams, but is holding out for the right situation. He also has had conversations about potentially doing work with the MLB Network. Garciaparra played in 65 games with Oakland last season, hitting .281 with three homers.

The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that Garciaparra was “widely expected to retire.”

Last season with the Yomiuri Giants he went 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA, striking out 121 batters while walking 36 in 144 innings pitched. Takahashi made approximately $1.3 million in 2009 with Yomiuri. The lefty’s best pitch is a screwball-type offering, with his fastball usually topping out at 90 mph. For more on Takahashi, click here.

“He’s doing great,” Friedman said. “We have two Japanese coaches on staff, one of which has been working with him the whole time. The updates that I’ve gotten on him is that he is doing really well.” It was reported by MLB.com that Matsuzaka had “unexpectedly taken a week off” from AP, but Friedman reports that the pitcher has lived up to expectations during his time in Phoenix.

The other Japanese baseball players participating at AP this offseason, along with Matsuzaka, are: Shuhei Fukada, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Tsubasa Aizawa, Masamitusu Suzuki, Koji Yamasaki, Ryota Igarashi, Yoshinori Sato, Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, Chikara Onodera, and Tetsuya Iwasaki.

The press release follows. For more information on Nelson, click here.

The Red Sox today announced the signings of catcher Gustavo Molina and right-handed pitcher Joe Nelson to 2010 minor league contracts. In addition, both players have been invited to Boston’s Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster players.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

Molina, 27, spent all of last year with Washington’s Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, batting .209 (44-for-211) with two home runs and 24 RBI in 72 games. He appeared in 68 games behind the plate, posting a .986 (6 E/415 TC) fielding percentage while throwing out 16 of 39 attempted base stealers (41 percent). Originally signed by the Chicago White Sox as an international free agent in 2000, Molina has played 19 Major League games for the White Sox (2007), Baltimore Orioles (2007) and New York Mets (2008), batting .118 (4-for-34) with one RBI.

Nelson, 35, split last season between the Tampa Bay Rays and Triple-A Durham. He began the year with the Rays, going 3-0 with three saves and a 4.02 ERA (18 ER/40.1 IP) in 42 relief outings before an August 1 option to Durham. The right-hander made 13 appearances for the Bulls, going 2-2 with a 6.23 ERA (12 ER/17.1 IP).

He returns for a second stint with Boston after pitching in three games for the club in 2004. Originally selected by Atlanta in the fourth round of the 1996 draft, Nelson is 7-2 with 13 saves and a 4.07 ERA (65 ER/143.2 IP) in 149 career Major League games for the Braves (2001), Red Sox (2004), Kansas City Royals (2006), Florida Marlins (2008) and Rays (2009).

Both players are on the Pawtucket roster.

RED SOX ANNOUNCE CHANGES IN BASEBALL OPERATIONS: The Red Sox today announced three changes in Baseball Operations. Eddie Romero, who has served as Coordinator, Latin American Operations since 2006, was promoted to Assistant Director, Latin American Operations. Gus Quattlebaum was promoted to Assistant Director, Amateur Scouting after working for the club as a Major League scout since 2006. Steve Peck was named a Major League scout. He joined the Red Sox in 2009 as a professional scout after 13 years on the coaching and scouting staff of the Seattle Mariners.

Video is below. For a more detailed description, read Rob Bradford’s “The Offseason: A day in the life of Dustin Pedroia” by clicking here.

Reliever Joe Nelson shows off his "Vulcan" changeup grip.

A baseball source has confirmed that the Red Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with right-handed reliever Joe Nelson. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com (via Twitter).

The move is a low-risk one with some potential payoff for the Red Sox, given that Nelson is two years removed from a season when his numbers were among the best of any National League reliever.

The Sox were looking to add more bullpen arms into a back-end competition that currently includes right-handers Scott Atchinson, Boof Bonser, Ramon A. Ramirez and Robert Manuel and left-handers Dustin Richardson, Brian Shouse and Fabio Castro. Because most of the Sox bullpen is settled (with Jonathan Papelbon at the end, and Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez all but certain to take key set-up roles), it seemed they would likely have a difficult time selling their opportunity to an established reliever.

“We can always add depth and create competition in spots. There is already some competition. With the  numbers in the ‘pen, we have to whittle it down,” GM Theo Epstein said on Friday. “We’re always on the lookout for more additions if they make sense. We don’t necessarily have great opportunities to sell at this point with certain aspects of our club, but if somebody is prepared for some competition maybe we could be the right landing spot for some guys on a minor-league deal.”

Apparently, Nelson proved open to just such an opportunity.

Nelson, 35, was 3-0 with a 4.02 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays last year, striking out 36 in 40.1 innings. He suffered command difficulties, however, as he walked 27 batters. That — and his $1.9 million deal in 2009 — came on the heels of a career-best 2008 season, when he had a 2.00 ERA and struck out 60 in 54 innings for the Florida Marlins.

Nelson was previously in the Red Sox system in both 2002 and 2004. Though most of his first stint in the organization was lost to injury, when healthy in 2004, he recorded a 2.96 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 51.2 combined innings in Double A and Triple A, and he appeared in three games (allowing five runs in 2.2 innings) in the majors.

His signature pitch is “The Vulcan,” a changeup that he throws with a grip reminiscent of the greeting offered by Star Trek’s Dr. Spock.

The group had a combined 6-4 record and 2.42 ERA against the Red Sox; against New York, those six pitchers went 6-3 with a 2.16 ERA. This is an illustration of Lou’s conclusion, that “nobody hits good pitching.” And, certainly, there’s some truth to that.

That said, the Yankees did a far better job than the Sox in 2009 of beating up on the second tier of pitchers — hurlers who may have fallen short of the Cy Young-caliber greatness of pitchers like Greinke, Hernandez, Halladay and Verlander, but who were still above average.

To wit: in 2009, the Sox faced 20 of the 42 pitchers who had a sub-4.00 ERA in 162 or more innings. That group (in 36 starts) went 15-10 with a 2.72 ERA, meaning that they offered a reasonable facsimile of a season’s worth of Halladay (who finished the year with a 17-10 record and 2.79 ERA for the Blue Jays).

The Yankees faced 20 of the 42 pitches who finished the year with a sub-4.00 ERA while qualifying for the ERA title. That group (in 43 starts) went 16-12 with a 3.99 ERA against New York, numbers more in line with pitchers like Jason Marquis (15-13, 4.04), A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04), and Joe Blanton (12-8, 4.05) — all pitchers who enjoyed solid years, but none of whom even sniffed Cy Young contention.

So, the Sox’ problems last year — at least one of the areas in which they suffered by comparison with their New York rivals — was less their inability to beat elite pitching (something that generally should plague any offense) than it was the ability to handle more modest opponents.

—–

On a very separate note: Sons of Sam Horn is currently conducting its Jimmy Fundraiser auction. There are some excellent items in there, with all proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund. Check it out by clicking here.

Dustin Pedroia (AP)

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, in his weekly appearance on Saturday’s Mut & Bradford show, touched on the state of the Red Sox and the final stages of his offseason. Pedroia was back in his hometown of Woodland, Calif., to take part in clinics with some of the young players in the town and to take part in a fundraiser.

Pedroia suggested that the town of Woodland helped to define his attitude as a player, and he offered words of inspiration for those who would seek to replicate his career path.

“I definitely got my trash-talking from here, that’s a fact,” Pedroia said. “Trash-talking, it starts at a young age. It can even start at 3, 4 years old and then moving up. The more you talk trash, the better you become at it.”

Pedroia also offered his thoughts on the state of the Sox entering the 2010 season. A transcript of highlights is below. To listen to the complete interview, click here.

On how the 2010 team shapes up:

When we go into a series, whatever team you’re playing, you look at the starting pitchers you’re facing. That gives you an idea of what to expect that series. I’m sure when an opposing team comes in and they’re facing [John] Lackey, [Josh] Beckett, [Jon] Lester, or you could throw out combinations left and right with our staff, that’s a pretty tough challenge for the opposing team. And offensively, they know we’re going to take a lot of pitches, we’re going to walk, we’ve got power in the middle of our lineup. We can score runs in a thousand different ways. Good pitching and defense wins, and an offense that’s relentless and finds way to score runs, can beat you with a three-run homer, can beat you on the bases — Ellsbury can do it, I can steal some bases, [Marco] Scutaro can steal — we can score runs in a thousand different ways.

I really love our club. Obviously Theo [Epstein] did a great job in signing Lackey and getting guys who fit our club. We’re excited. We feel we have a great team and can compete with everybody.

On playing the first game of the season on Sunday night:

I think it’s great. We’re opening up the season in front of everybody in front of the world champs. … We’re the first game of the season playing against the world champs. We want to see what type of team we have. We feel great about our team, and we’re not even in spring training yet.

On Daniel Bard and the bullpen:

You hear about the electric stuff, obviously throwing 100 mph, his slider — every pitch he has in an out pitch. You hear about all that stuff. … My biggest thing that I noticed with him is his makeup. When he grabs the ball, the presence he has on the mound, you don’t really see that, especially as a young guy. … That back-end of our bullpen is a force. It’s definitely a big part of our club.

On his favorite pitch to hit:

High inside fastball, man. Don’t let that [video game] commercial fool you. When you’re coming in the kitchen, you better bring the noise. … That’s my favorite pitch to hit, the ball up and in. I’ve got real short arms. A lot of guys need to get extended to hit for power, but I’ve got short arms, so anything closer to my body, I can definitely drive out of the ballpark.

Theo Epstein (AP)

Speaking at an event announcing the six winners — one from each state in New England — of a 2010 Opening Night VIP Experience, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein met with reporters to touch on a variety of topics. The following is what Epstein said while attending the event in the home clubhouse at Fenway Park:

Best way to get excited about spring training is to have a snow storm. We’re definitely ready to get down there.

• [Have you talked to any players recently about coming into spring training?] I talked to a couple of guys but not specifically about the start of spring training. Just checking in and following up on a couple of issues.

• [Have you talked to Mike Lowell recently?] I haven’t talked to him in a while. I talked to his agent a couple of weeks ago.

• [How do you feel about your team?] This time of year most look down at the roster and on paper feel pretty good about it. Then in early October there’s only eight teams that still feel good, and then at the end of October there’s only one that feels good. We’ll see. You always feel pretty good about your depth. In our club’s case what we feel good about is how well-rounded we are. A lot has been made about moving in a different direction with our defense, but that’s not really what we did. We made an attempt to become well-rounded and be good in all areas.

• [What spots on the team will be open to competition?] Hard to say, maybe the last spot in the bullpen. There’s no one bench job that’s open, but based on how a lot of guys play, we could align the bench a number of different ways.

• [What is the possibility of adding any more arms to the bullpen?] We can always add depth and create competition in spots. There is already some competition. With the  numbers in the ‘pen, we have to whittle it down. We’re always on the lookout for more additions if they make sense. We don’t necessarily have great opportunities to sell at this point with certain aspects of our club, but if somebody is prepared for some competition maybe we could be the right landing spot for some guys on a minor league deal.

• [How is Mike Lowell progressing physically?] It’s going well. He’s on schedule to be swinging a bat some point soon. By the time March rolls around he should be getting close to the point of playing in games.

• [How has Jed Lowrie been progressing?] He’s doing well. His wrist has held up to all of his offseason workouts so far. It’s good news for him so far.

• [How is the organization's relationship with Daisuke Matsuzaka?] He was apologetic about not being more forthcoming and seems to be working hard to make up for it.

• [Have there been any negotiations with Victor Martinez or Josh Beckett?] Any negotiations with any of our own guys we keep quiet. We don’t even acknowledge if they’re going on or not. It’s just the best way to get things done and in the best interest of the team.

• [Regarding a perceived policy against negotiating with players during the season:] I never said that. We did David Ortiz during the season. We did Beckett during the season. Bay. If I think it will be a distraction, we won’t do it. But there’s no straight policy one way or another. I don’t expect to do it as a matter of course, but I wouldn’t put limitations on things we can or can’t do as an organization. Whatever the player is comfortable with.

• [Thoughts on having extra starting pitchers:] Been around teams that have deep starting pitching on paper, and by the time the team begins the season you can’t find a starting pitcher to take the ball. I don’t see that as a problem, I see that as a potential asset. It’s not worth wasting time thinking about it or talking about it until you get to a point during the regular season when you have more than five guys healthy and can do a good job starting ballgames. We’re not at that point right now.

Larry Lucchino

Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino checked in with the Dennis & Callahan show Friday morning. He discussed the state of affairs at Fenway Park, both with the ballclub and with ballpark renovations. Topics included the relative merits of staying in Fenway vs. building a new ballpark, the organization’s emphasis on pitching and defense this offseason, the medical concerns about Jason Bay, and whether Senator-elect Scott Brown or Dr. Charles Steinberg might be seen in Fenway Park anytime soon.

Lucchino also reminded fans that the majority of single-game tickets for the 2010 season will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m., both via the team’s website (redsox.com) or by calling 888-REDSOX-6. Tickets will go on sale at the Fenway Park box office on Monday morning.

A transcript of the interview is below. To listen to the interview, click here.

Had you built a new ballpark, would the scarcity of tickets have been resolved?

You think we should have replaced Fenway Park with a new ballpark? You still believe that? So much for conservatism. How about some radical change?

We are convinced more than ever that we did exactly the right thing by preserving, protecting, enhancing, improving, expanding Fenway Park. If you’d like to take a referendum of your fan base, feel free. Ballparks are being built with the capacity we have. We have 37,373 seats. And we add standing room to that. So we’re very close to the number you’re talking about in any event. We’re very close to the capacity of the new ballparks that are being built. Oakland is talking about building a ballpark that’s even smaller than Fenway Park.We’re at about the right number. We really are. No one wants to sit in a ballpark that’s empty, or that has considerable patches of emptiness.

Not many people want to sit in a ballpark behind a post or with their knees in their mouth.

When was the last time you sat with your knees in your mouth? It wouldn’t be a bad state of being for you guys.

Is the annual exercise of concluding improvements occurring?

We are still doing a lot. We are doing some additional concession work. People will be pleased with the additional bathrooms we’re creating behind home plate. We’ve got a lot of things going on. There’s some seating improvement going on down the left-field line. Jerry Remy is opening a new facility in a building right next to Fenway Park.

There will be a number of changes, some new things. They won’t be as large and as visible as what we’ve done in the past because of the hockey during the middle of the construction season. But we’ve got one more year of Fenway improvements to do and then we will have completed a 10-year renovation plan, and then we will have, I think, a ballpark that people are proud of, that people enjoy. It may not have all of the newness that you guys seek. But I think, once again, you guys are out of touch.

Have you always been a pitching and defense guy, or did you just recently come to that way of thinking?

Remember where I began. I began with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles were enormously successful with pitching and defense, pitching and defense. We had Mark Belanger, who we used to call Agnes, because he couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield. But no one could hit the ball past Mark Belanger. He had an error and a half over 12 years, or something like that. So the Orioles made a very successful franchise out of pitching and defense. I’m old enough to have grown up, or at least develop my baseball philosophy with pitching and defense at the center of it. I’ve also been around long enough to see how many variations there have been to that. So it looks a little bit like we’re going back to the future, to tell you the truth.

I do like it, because I know that our philosophy, Theo’s philosophy, Francona’s philosophy is not one dimensional or two dimensional with pitching and defense. We understand that we’re talking about an emphasis on pitching and defense. But to be successful, you’ve got to have balance, balance.

You’ve got to have a little bit of everything. You’ve got to have some offense, you’ve got to have some power, you’ve got to have some speed, you’ve got to have some depth. You cannot win with one dimension or two dimensions, but you can emphasize one dimension or two dimensions. And if you’re going to do that, pitching and defense makes a lot of sense.

Many listeners are texting in about the need for a new park, suggesting that Fenway’s time has passed. We did not leave out any texts from people who were supportive of Fenway Park.

That’s interesting. Maybe that says something about the demographic that you guys attract. That surprises me because I go out routinely, regularly, and speak about it. I’m frequently asked about Fenway Park.

When we first got here, I would go out and ask audiences, ‘Tell me, do you favor the renovation of Fenway Park or do you favor the replacement of Fenway Park?’ That question, I must have asked dozens of times to different groups.

The first year that we were here, in 2001, 2002, I’d go out and it was about 55, 60 percent in favor of the replacement of Fenway Park, and 40, 45 percent in favor of renovating Fenway Park. After we did the Green Monster seats the dugout seats, the right-field roof seats, the big concourse, the Yawkey Way expansion, I would go out and I would see a change. And now when I go out it’s 80 or 90 percent in favor of the decision to renovate Fenway Park rather than to replace it. We feel very comfortable with it. We’ve been able to do things to the back of the house, for our players. We’ve been able to do things for our fans. The proof is in the pudding. The market has spoken, and people will turn out and fill the ballpark night after night and we’ve created a remarkable electricity in that ballpark. And if it were such a bad facility, I suspect we would see that reflected in the attendance numbers.

Do you not benefit from a fan base, rather than the location or venue?

That’s one possible interpretation. Or you could say we’re benefitting from a fan base that loves our product and loves the location that it’s presented in.

The sampling that you guys have presented than what we hear, what we see, and what we experience these days. I know very few people who think that it was a mistake to invest substantial money, private money, that we put into Fenway Park, that was entirely financed by our partnership group and that did not involve public money.

Jason Bay balked at having surgery as a condition of his contract. Have you heard of conditions such as that in the past?

I have. I have one myself that our team doctor suggests. I have a knee issue that doesn’t really hurt but he says it isn’t in good shape and it’s going to deteriorate and get worse. But I’m not a professional athlete so I don’t need to act on it immediately. I do know about the syndrome through personal knowledge.

Jason was a great contributor while he was here. He’s well aware that there were some medical issues that arose during the course of the physical examination in his time here. But he’s a guy that we love a lot and we respect a lot. He made a big contribution coming here right on the day of Manny’s departure. So we wish him nothing but good luck. But it’s not uncommon for there to be some kind of medical intervention before a condition deteriorates and becomes worse.

For which game will Scott Brown throw out the first pitch? The home opener?

We’re actually looking into that. We certainly think that he’s a real baseball fan. If you heard him on Leno last night, he identified the Red Sox rotation and sixth starter with alacrity. He is clearly a hard-core Red Sox fan, and some kind of invitation will be appropriate. I don’t know if it will be opening day, but we will invite him. We’ve had his daughter sing a few times at the ballpark.

Is Dr. Charles Steinberg a free agent?

Dr. Charles is currently available. We’ve actually had him in, he’s contributed a little bit with a visit to Boston recently, but he’s been entertaining offers. He was away for a good while, took a good vacation over the holidays and he’s currently entertaining offers, including one from us.

The Red Sox have signed catcher Gustavo Molina to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old Molina — who is no relation to the catching brothers, Javier, Bengie, and Yadier Molina — spent last season in the Washington Nationals organization, playing in 72 games for Triple A Syracuse.

Molina last played in the major leagues with the New York Mets, appearing in two games in the 2008 season. The Venezuela native played in combined 17 big league games with the Orioles and White Sox in ‘07. He has four hits in 34 at-bats (.118) during his time in the majors.

After 762 minor league games Molina has a career .235 batting average with 46 home runs.

When asked by guest host Lou Merloni if he was retired, Timlin responded: “Yeah, I am.” Referring to last season’s comeback attempt with Colorado, he said: “My family was fine with it, my body was fine, and God said, ‘Look, it’s not the time.’ I can basically look at the door and close it and be happy and turn around and do whatever I want to do. I definitely don’t have the desire to say, ‘Wow, maybe I can try one more time.’ ”

Timlin spent six years with the Red Sox, going 30-22 with a 3.76 ERA in 394 regular season games and 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA in a team-record 28 postseason appearances. He retires with 1,058 career regular-season appearances, the seventh most in big-league history.

To listen to the complete interview, click here.

“The Mets were the only team that were in on Jason,” said Gammons. “There were serious physical concerns that were there. Dr. Gill thought it was a tremendous risk to be giving him a four-year contract.”

A transcript is below. To listen to the complete interview, click here.

What was happening with the Jason Bay situation, with the Red Sox requesting surgery as a condition of the contract?

No they didn’t do that though. Joe Urbon also said no. They said there is a possibility that you might need surgery if this thing gets any worse. They didn’t tell him he had to have surgery, that wasn’t a condition.

So what happened with Jason Bay and the Red Sox?

They wanted him, but they were scared to death of his knees. I never got the impression from either side, from his agents or his club, that the shoulder was that big of a deal. But they were really afraid of both knees and that’s why they dropped the offer from four years to two years.

Somebody said to me, “Gee, there was only one team that went after him the Mets.” I said, “Yeah, you don’t think that the Angels have requested MRIs? You don’t think the Mariners have requested? They weren’t in on him either.”

The Mets were the only team in on Jason, which is unfortunate because he played his heart out for that team. He’s a great guy but there were serious physical concerns that were there, and Dr. Gill thought it was a tremendous risk to giving him a four-year contract without any questions. John Lackey went with [a contract with conditions] and JD Drew went with it.

Bay’s people made it sound like the Red Sox doctors were the only ones who felt that way about the physical.

Yeah, but again, and I have great respect for [Red Sox team physician, Dr.] Tom Gill, the other opinions they had there were questioned by the agent. It’s a he-said, she-said. The fact is Tom Gill was very afraid of it, as were the other orthopedics at Mass General, and when the club studied it they said they didn’t want to guarantee four years.

How much pressure does this put on a David Oritz or other guys in the lineup to produce?

I don’t think terribly. There are guys that are going to hit .267. The question is the depth of the lineup. That’s very important. I think when you face [Jake] Peavy and [AJ] Burnett, the really good breaking ball pitchers around the league you are going to see [Jeremy] Hermida play left field and [Jacoby] Ellsbury play centerfield. They have a lot more depth. The question that has been raised several times is will Jason Bay hit more home runs for the Mets than Adrian Beltre hits for the Red Sox?

Are you not as concerned about the 2010 Red Sox as other people might be?

So you think they are going to lose 100 runs? They scored more runs last year. They scored more runs than 2007 when they won the World Series.

I just think they are much better defensively, their pitching is better and the depth of the lineup being able to hit left handed pitchers with [Mike] Cameron, who has been over a .957 OPS guy the last five years against left handed pitchers, Hermida, who I think will blossom in this ballpark and the fact that, next to the Yankees, will have the best one through four in the league. I think Victor Martinez, he and [Kevin] Youklis are probably as good a 1-2 combination [as there is] in the league. They have the best No. 2 hitter [Dustin Pedroia] in the league and if Ellsbury continues to come the way he did in the second half of last year when he started to be able to pull the ball, then their top four will be really, really good.

Where does Tim Wakefield fit in to all of this? He sounds like he doesn’t want to be anything but a full-time starter.

He should have that intention. The problem that I have, the issue is going to come up with 10 days to go in spring training, is Wakefield going to be or who is going to be the guy left out of the rotation? We all know in April you can’t go with six starters, because there are rainouts, there are days off, etc. The issue will come up at the end of spring training, but it’s a lot better than having 55 games started by guys that compiled a 6.28 starters ERA, as happened last year.

He will give the Red Sox insurance if they lose a starting pitcher.

I agree with that. The depth thing, I remember reading a piece on ESPN.com at this time last year that the problem at this time last year was that the Red Sox had too much starting pitching, as you just mentioned. Those 55 games in which they had the 6.28 ERA, if they had a 5.50 ERA they win over 100 games last year. Pitching depth can disappear so fast. I’ve been talking with a lot of people about the Giants and how the Giants think they can be competitive. If [Tim] Lincecum or Matt Cain goes out for 40 days, they probably win 72 games. They have no depth after those two guys. The idea that you have too much is a fallacy and that’s why I think it was very important for the Yankees to get [Javier] Vazquez because you could see that starting pitching staff blowing up without a 200-inning guy in addition to what they already had.

What about having Wakefield be this year’s John Smoltz and bring him along slowly?

I agree. I think that’s something they may do just to make sure. He’s just worked so hard. …

It’s been an amazing career in Boston — what he’s done and when he got taken off the roster in ’99 and some of the insults that he’s had to endure. If I were Tim Wakefield, I’d have a monumental chip on my shoulder. Instead, he is always Mr. Team. He can say right now, “I damn well should be in the rotation,” but we know if they ask him to save them in the bullpen, I mean one year he was starter, closer, or pitch on two or three days rest, amazing. I think that will all work out. I agree with you. I would rather have Tim Wakefield healthy in August and September then have him break down. He made a great point and I read the story on him and he said, “You know, I was on the All-Star team last year.”

I remember interviewing Joe Maddon on one of the off days before the All-Star Game and I said, “Joe what was the best thing about being able to pick some people on this team?” He said, “Unquestionably, being able to pick Tim Wakefield. I’ve never been prouder than being able to say ‘Tim Wakefield you are on the All-Star team.’”

Which speaks volumes to how he is respected around the game.

What have you heard about Daisuke Matsuzaka?

I’ve talked to Mike Roberts, who used to be the baseball coach at North Carolina, who run the baseball program at Athlete’s Performance Institute, and he said Daisuke came in with tremendous enthusiasm. That he was in good shape to start with and he admitted to him that he was hurt at times last year and wasn’t in shape, and was very embarrassed. I think the impression that the a lot of the outrageous things that Daisuke will say are really meant to play in Japan. He did actually apologize to the fans in Japan in that one interview. [Roberts] maintains that Daisuke is in terrific shape and he is very enthusiastic. He sees him all the time, so that’s my information from a guy that sees him all the time. Now what happens during the season we will see. There was never any question, and Daisuke has even admitted to Mike that he was not in really good shape, he was kind of the Pillsbury Dough Boy when he showed up last year for spring training. You don’t expect him to be 18-5 again, but he can be a pretty darn good fourth or fifth starter and that’s what they are looking for.

Are the RBI Academies working? And are we going to see more African-American players in baseball?

I think they are going to expand the program. I was told they are going to look at two to three more cities right now.

I know the Red Sox have talked to Major League Baseball about opening one here. So many kids are around the city of Boston, particularly a very large Hispanic population, and they would have an indoor facility so if there were guys living around here they could work out there. I think it may grow. It all depends on how many owners are willing to put the money into it and we all know here they would invest in the city.

I think it will grow. …  You go watch college baseball games, for instance one year during the College World Series Harold Reynolds was out doing the College World Series I left him a text message saying, “How does it feel being the only brother in Omaha.” There were no African-American players. You go down to the Cape League and you don’t see many African-American players.

Greg Vaughn’s son played there last year, you see some sons of ex-major leaguers, but you are not seeing kids and I think that part of it is there are 10 ½ scholarships for 30 college baseball players per school where as you have 17 scholarships for women’s volleyball. The NCAA has affectively killed a lot of minorities in college baseball and I don’t think that is going to change. I do think Major League Baseball is trying and you might see in the next 10 years another six to eight academies open up in different places and hopefully there will be one here.

Occasionally teams are able to spend some money to getting a kid and talking him out of going to play college football, the Red Sox did that with their 10th round pick last year, the kid was going to go to Auburn as a running back, but that doesn’t happen too often. If Major League Baseball does in fact come up with a very strict slotting system for the draft it will really damage the ability of Major League Baseball to attract the really good athletes. Kids are going to say, “You know what? I’m going to go to college and play football. If I’m not going to make more than this slotted theme that MLB has decided then it’s not worth it.” You have to make it worth it for kids to go play.

What happens with David Ortiz this year?

It’s my understanding that he has really worked hard in the Dominican this offseason. He’s lost a lot of weight and tried to maintain the strength. We will see.

The future for him is in his own hands at this point. Let’s say he comes back and not have the numbers that he had in 2004-07, but he comes back and hits .280 with 30 home runs, hitting in between Youkilis and either Beltre or Drew he may get an extension or he may have to move on. I don’t know.

The Red Sox value for the draft choices that they have next year because if there is a new basic agreement, the advantage that the Red Sox and Yankees hold over the other teams will be eliminated, if they have some sort of slotting. They are going to collect every draft choice that they can for the next two years.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see David come back. I think he became much more flexible and open to trying different things as the season went along. He got less psyched out, but the question is going to be can he still hit the hard-throwers? When he comes back obviously he is going to get a couple of months to show that and if he does it, maybe he stays here. He’s a beloved figure and I think he’s an important guy around that team. One of the things that struck me last year was he still really takes it hard. He loves that limelight, he loves being “the guy” and when he wasn’t, and wasn’t able to take the attention off his teammates I think it really bothered him.

Is Mike Lowell on this team opening day?

I would say probably not. I don’t know where, Texas is not there any more because they signed [Vladimir] Guerrero. Cleveland was said to have interest. I don’t know how much money they could take on, I mean they have no money. Maybe if they take two, maybe they could do that. If he has a good spring, and I still believe another year off the hip operation I think he’ll actually come back and have a decent spring training. The problem is, how do you find room for him on that Boston roster. They are going to have to have one guy playing the middle infield for them sitting on the bench. And Billy Hall of course gives them more flexibility because he can play five positions.

Doesn’t it put all the pressure on David Ortiz? What do they do if he gets off to another poor start?

The question is going to be, “Where do we go here?” Obviously I think once every fifth day or two times in six days when Jason Varitek catches, Victor Martinez is going to be the DH. It may be in certain situations when Ortiz struggles that Hermida plays a lot, but he DHs instead of playing the outfield. Just look at Billy Hall’s numbers against left-handed pitchers over the last five years, they have been pretty good. Despite his paltry batting average, he saw me last spring and he got that Lasik surgery and he hit .203 so it didn’t work.

“I plan on being one of the five [Red Sox] starters,” Wakefield, who was honored for his career-long commitment to community service, said in the interview. “Obviously, I think there were some questions marks that were relieved yesterday. I went to see the doctor, met with the trainer yesterday. They did some testing, and were very surprised at my strength, how quickly it came back.

“I feel great,” Wakefield added. “I finished my rehab a couple of weeks ago. Right back on schedule as far as my offseason conditioning and throwing program, and I feel like there won’t be any setbacks when I go to spring training.”

Wakefield elaborated in comments made to the Boston Herald. The veteran of 15 seasons with the Red Sox season made clear that he believes he should be a full-time starter, and seemed to dismiss the notion that there could be uncertainty surrounding his role.

“Hopefully they respect me enough to give me the ball when we get to spring training as a member of this rotation. I think I’ve earned the right to be a full-time starter and go from there,” he told the Herald. “I did make the All-Star team last year. It seems every year, and I don’t know why, my name gets brought up like this when I don’t feel I need to prove myself every day. I don’t know where the rumors are coming from, but I try not to pay attention. I know my role and I know what my approach is going to be when I get to spring training: be a starter and help us win the World Series.”

Wakefield went 11-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 21 starts in 2009. He made his first career All-Star team after carrying an 11-3 record into the break, but then a bulging disc in his lower back that pressed on his sciatic nerve permitted him to make just four starts in the second half.

Wakefield underwent surgery to repair the disc shortly after the Sox were swept out of the playoffs by the Angels. After the season, he agreed to a restructured deal with the Sox, replacing his repeating $4 million club options with a two-year deal for a guaranteed $5 million.

With the signing of John Lackey this offseason, however, the Sox would appear to have a potential surplus of starters, given the presence of Wakefield, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz. Sox manager Terry Francona, speaking earlier this month at the Boston Baseball Writers dinner, was reluctant to offer a blueprint for how the rotation would take shape at the start of the season, though he did make clear that Wakefield would not be considered for bullpen duty.

“He’s a starter,” said Francona. “How that slots out, we don’t know yet.”

Mark Loretta had some memorable moments during his brief tenure in Boston. (AP)

Former Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta has announced his retirement and will serve as a special assistant to the San Diego Padres’ baseball operations staff. Loretta played for the Sox during the 2006 season, participating in 155 games and hitting .285.

The 38-year-old finished his 15-year major league career with the Dodgers, appearing in 107 games for Los Angeles in the 2009 season. Loretta had wanted to return to the Red Sox following the ‘06 season, offering to take a one-year, $1 million deal from the team, but the Sox had committed to integrating Dustin Pedroia into the starting lineup.

His last hit was a pinch-hit, walk-off single that won Game 2 of the Dodgers’ National League Division Series over the Cardinals.

A few memories of Loretta:

– Him playing on one leg for most of September in 2006 while Manny Ramirez sat out. While admirable, it ultimately cost him in the free agent market with teams showing some concern regarding his drop-off (.210 in Sept.). He would ultimately sign a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Houston.

– Loretta making the All-Star team, but that was notable primarily because of what happened when he got back. While hanging out his locker before the first game back, Manny walked by and said, “Loretta, you get my stuff?” What Ramirez was referring to was the gift bag that each player has waiting for him in the locker at the All-Star Game. Ramirez, of course, had chosen not to attend the game because of an “ailment” but evidently was intent on not coming away empty-handed.

– When Josh Beckett was going through his struggles, and word had trickled out that he might be tipping his pitches, it was Loretta who the pitcher turned to when analyzing video and deciding if there was anything to the theory.

Tim Wakefield (AP)

The Red Sox issued the following press release regarding right-hander Tim Wakefield, who will be honored with the Bart Giamatti Award for service to the community by the Baseball Assistance Team at the 21st annual “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Dinner” on Tuesday:

Right-handed pitcher Tim Wakefield will be presented with the 2009 Bart Giamatti Award for service to the community tomorrow, Tuesday, January 26 at the Baseball Assistance Team’s 21st Annual “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Dinner” at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Wakefield has made numerous contributions to the communities of Boston, Massachusetts and Melbourne, Florida. In 1998 he created the “Wakefield Warriors” program, which continues to facilitate ballpark visits for patients from the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston and the Jimmy Fund. For the last 17 years he has also hosted the Annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic in Melbourne, benefitting the Space Coast Early Intervention Center. He is the third Red Sox player to receive the award, joining Curt Schilling (2005) and Mo Vaughn (1996).

Philadelphia’s Brad Lidge will also be honored with the Big BAT/Frank Slocum Award for financial generosity while the Yankees’ Joe Girardi and Houston’s Hunter Pence will accept Bobby Murcer Awards on behalf of their clubs. In addition, 19 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and winners of the Most Valuable Player Award are scheduled to attend the dinner.

Founded in 1986, B.A.T. is dedicated to assisting members of the “Baseball Family” through financial grants, healthcare programs and rehabilitative counseling. More than $19 million in grants have been awarded to date, benefiting more than 2,400 members of the “Baseball Family.” For more information about B.A.T. please visit www.baseballassistanceteam.com.

Dustin Pedroia (AP)

Dustin Pedroia, in his weekly appearance on “The Laser Show” segment of the Mut & Bradford show, took issue with the idea that the Red Sox are planning on leaning on run prevention in order to win in 2010. Pedroia insisted that the offense — which finished third in the majors in 2009 with 872 runs — will remain potent in the coming season.

While Jason Bay left the Red Sox in free agency, Pedroia suggested that the core of returning players has room to improve. Such improvements, in turn, could allow the Sox to have a productive lineup going forward.

“I think our team’s not just built on pitching and defense. If you look up and down our lineup … offensively, we were third in the league in runs scored. A lot of guys are going to get better,” said Pedroia. “Jacoby [Ellsbury] had a great year last year, and we all feel he’s going to have a better year in 2010. I feel I’m going to be better in 2010 than 2009. [Kevin Youkilis] is going to be better. Everybody has a year more experience. We’re going to have [Victor Martinez] for a full year instead of a half year. There’s a lot of guys that are going to do great things. We have Marco Scutaro now, who scored 100 runs last year.

“I’m very confident in our offense. That kind of bothers me when everybody writes we’re just built on pitching and defense. Don’t get me wrong — that’s what wins. You look up at the end of the year, the team that pitches the best, they’re in the playoffs or winning their division and going deep into the playoffs. A lot of teams win the World Series because of pitching and defense.

“I like our chances. We have a great team. We are going to pitch and play defense. That’s obvious. Everybody at their position who plays plays great defense. That’s huge for us. So we’ve just got to concentrate on putting good at-bats together, and we should be a great team.”

To listen to the complete interview, click here.

The event will run from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Enter the ballpark through the entry tower in left field. The 2010 Hot Stove Party will once again be held inside the McCoy Clubhouse and batting tunnels. Food and drink will be served. Fans in attendance can purchase regular-season tickets at the McCoy Box Office, which will be open for walk-up business.

The PawSox have also partnered with the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Red Cross to raise monetary contributions for the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund during the Hot Stove League Party.

Red Cross workers will be stationed at the main entry tower at McCoy throughout the free Hot Stove event.

“The PawSox are proud to team with the American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter to, in our small way, help the people of Haiti who have gone through indescribable devastation in the past week,” PawSox president Mike Tamburro said. “We want to provide PawSox fans with an opportunity to contribute in any way they can and we thank them for their consideration.”

“We are thrilled that the PawSox are helping us — and the citizens of Haiti — out in response to the catastrophic earthquake that has devastated that nation,” said Bruce Rutter, CEO of the American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter. “This is just another example of the generosity of the people of this area and we thank them for their continued support.”

All monies collected during the PawSox Hot Stove Party this Saturday at McCoy Stadium will be donated directly to the American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter.

Join them here on Friday at noon!

Bay confirmed the report by Peter Gammons that he had agreed to a four-year, $60 million deal with the Red Sox in July, but that it had been retracted by the Sox after the team deemed that there too many concerns with the results of his physical. “That,” the outfielder said, “is just one-tenth of the story.”

According to Bay, the Red Sox came back with an offer of two guaranteed years, with two more years that were contingent on Bay’s health and productivity (all at $15 million per season). That deal also would have included the agreement that Bay have knee surgery following the 2009 season.

Bay and his agent, Joe Urbon, would seek out an independent physician in late August for a second opinion. That doctor deemed Bay in much better health than the Red Sox’ medical team had determined. In November, the two sides sent the MRI taken in July to an agreed-upon physician, who also reported that Bay’s health shouldn’t be a concern. The final Red Sox offer to Bay, which was delivered on the first night of the Winter Meetings, was for three guaranteed years with one year contingent on Bay’s health and productivity (also at $15 million per season), without the request to have any offseason surgery.

For the complete story of Bay’s negotiations with the Red Sox click here.

–RHP Chad Paronto: The 34-year-old right-hander and native of Haverhill, NH, appeared in six big-league games for the Astros in 2009 after producing a 1.39 ERA in 51.2 innings for Triple A Round Rock. In parts of seven big-league seasons, Paronto has appeared in 177 games (all in relief) with a 4.32 career ERA.

–RHP Scott Patterson: The 30-year-old split 2009 between the Triple A affiliates of Oakland and San Diego, forging a combined 3.96 ERA while striking out 72 in 63.2 innings. He has made four big-league appearances, all in 2008, allowing one run in 4.2 innings.

–RHP Kelvin Pichardo: Pichardo, 24, has never pitched above Double A in his professional career. The right-hander has struck out 310 batters in 295.2 innings while forging a career 3.26 ERA. He was suspended for 50 games in 2009 due to the use of a banned substance.

–2B Ray Chang: The 27-year-old Chang hit .297/.385/.414/.799 while splitting 2009 between the Pirates’ High A and Double A affiliates. Chang has spent most of his minor-league career at shortstop, but has also logged time at second and third.

–3B Christian Colonel: Third baseman Christian Colonol, 28, joins the Sox after seven years in the Colorado Rockies’ system. He hit .279/.348/.386/.734 in Triple A last season (his second straight at that level), and is a career .285/.355/.427/.782 hitter.

The same Transactions log noted that the Sox have released right-hander Matt Goodson, shortstop Zach Borowiak and outfielder Brad Wilkerson.

Farrell discussed Jonathan Papelbon’s offseason and what he expects out of the star closer in 2010. He also touched on the acquisition of John Lackey and what that means to the Red Sox starting rotation.

Farrell was believed to be a top candidate for the Cleveland Indians’ managerial job, and he talked about how he was flattered but decided to stay with the Sox.

“I’m honored to be here, and humbled that other teams would have that kind of interest,” he said. “There might come a point and time in the future, but I think for multiple reasons moving from the Red Sox it was not the time.”

A transcript is below. To listen to the interview, click here.

Are you getting anxious to get the season started again?

It’s usually about Dec. 1 actually. I think this time of year everybody is looking forward to Spring Training and some warmer weather, we’ve dealt with sub-freezing temperatures long enough.

Is it possible that Jonathan Papelbon didn’t know about the Red Sox signings this winter?

Well, I’m not going to dispute what his responses were, but the one thing that makes Pap so affective, above and beyond the elite performer and the physical abilities that we all know, is his ability to not dwell on yesterday and to go out and perform today. The criteria for a good closer is to have a short-term memory and in this case it might be applying in a different way.

Is Papelbon a guy you expect to hit the ground running when you get to Spring Training?

Without a doubt, and that’s the case every year he comes into Spring Training. The fact that he, Manny [Delcarmen], and Ramon [Ramirez] all got their deals done and out of the way, it’s one less distraction that they have to contend with when Spring Training begins. Pap, I know with conversations with him after the season, is motivated. The last outing that he had is a strong learning experience for him. His game awareness and his pitch selection will continue to grow from that stand point. Because of that, he uses it as a driving force throughout the winter not so much that he’s going to come in and make up for his last outing in the first day of Spring Training, but to be a driver and he holds himself to such a high standard that he’ll continue to do what he needs to not only adjust, but to be a closer that everyone wishes they had.

Will he be showcasing the splitter and slider that he used to have, because he didn’t really throw it a lot last season.

Those pitches are still there. The consistency in which he throws his split for strikes needs to improve. There’s no doubt about that. What we’ve seen, because he likes to bury that pitch below the strike zone a lot of hitters read it on the ball right out of his hand, and because he’s become so predominately such a fastball pitcher, any pitch that has a different release or a different type of spin to it hitters are going to take it. Where we’ve seen his slider become a little bit more of a weapon for him. There were times during this past season where he didn’t have his overpowering fastball, he didn’t go to it, but when we look back and magnify the game against the Angels there was a little bit of emotion in there, a little bit of adrenaline that he continued to thrive on and because of it some pitches leaked back over the plate against left-handers. Whether it was [Bobby] Abreu, [Erick] Aybar that ended up allowing them to score those three runs to go ahead, but I think that experience in and of itself will allow his awareness to continue to improve and inside that game situation the pitch selection follows that.

What happened with Papelbon’s command of the plate last year?

I think you have to look at last year as two separate seasons inside of one. There was an adjustment with his delivery in Spring Training to get his legs more involved to distribute the workload and the stress throughout his body more evenly. Which it did. It happened to take away from his overall fastball command. Around the midseason point, in mid-June and the latter part of June, it was a readjustment with his hand position that took him back to a similar delivery in ’08 and we saw his command improve pretty dramatically. That’s where we saw more swing and misses, more called strikes with better location to let his fastball take over. We didn’t make the change because he was feeling something in his shoulder. We went back to a delivery that was pretty evident in ’07 early on, but these adjustments are pretty common place for guys always looking to get the edge, always looking to stay one step ahead of their opponent, but in his case the fastball command in the first half of the season wasn’t as sharp as the second half, which he got back to.

How close is Daniel Bard being a type of pitcher that you could rely on at the end of a game or to close out games, and what is the next step for him?

He’s still a work in progress. As strong as he was last year and the flashes of dominance that he had for pretty good stretches, he went through four to six weeks where he was a strikeout weapon, a dominant power arm in the back of the bullpen, then in the first two or three weeks in August things caught up to him a little bit. He was challenged in a couple of situations where it didn’t pan out well. But I think the most encouraging thing is he showed resilience from a mental stand point to go back out and right the ship so to speak with performances that were very strong after some tough outings. I think we overall we are in such a good position to have he and Papelbon at that back end, to have the ability to strike people out, to shut down a threat late in the game.

Do you and Francona have a plan for how Tim Wakefield will be used?

We do. We have an idea going into Spring Training that I don’t want to say is a complete wait and see approach, but given the surgery that Tim had in the offseason in which he has recovered very favorably, he’s in a throwing program that’s got him out to 120 to 150 feet, which is where all of our pitchers are at this time of year. We want to him to show that when Tim gets on the mound he’s able to take those bullpen sessions and ultimately gain assignments without any extra rest needed. I think as we go through Spring Training we will have an idea of where he stacks up. He has pitched out of the bullpen in the past. Obviously we can’t discount the bulk numbers and the very strong performance he has had for us. We all know that as we plan for a full season, we are going to need seven or eight starters to get through the year. To have six bona fide big league starters is a luxury at this point in time.

How serious were the talks with the Cleveland Indians about their vacant manager position?

It’s a situation like this. I think everyone who is a coach at the major league level has aspirations and desires to take on greater responsibility. I have those, but it became a very simple response to me. I had agreed to a contract that has some provisions in it and when I gave my word and signed to that contract I felt it was important to fulfill that commitment. I deal with a guy in Tito every night, where we think a lot alike about the game. We share a lot of the same values as far as life and the game itself, and I’m also very aware that the Red Sox is a very unique opportunity, and to be involved in this is something I don’t take lightly. I’m honored to be here, and humbled that other teams would have that kind of interest. There might come a point and time in the future, but I think for multiple reasons moving from the Red Sox it was not the time.

What did you say about the addition of John Lackey when the Red Sox were thinking about making a deal for him?

I think we felt that to bolster the rotation was a main goal of ours. John was certainly the head of the class as far as starting pitchers on the market. The fact that we landed a bon a fide bit league pitcher with a tremendous amount of success, a very consistent track record, postseason experience, World Series experience, he fit for a lot of obvious reasons. As time has gone on here in the offseason and getting to know him through phone conversations, one-on-one sit down conversations in Boston last week, his defensive nature and his work ethic is going to fit in very well with the guys that we have on this team and hopefully with this pitching staff. This has been a great addition and it really deepens our rotation one through five, and the fact that we can send a top of the rotation guy to the mound on most, if not every night, I think it a luxury and strong point for us at this point.

Lackey’s reputation of not being able to pitch a Fenway Park is no longer an issue, is it?

No, it’s not. He spoke openly about that when we had a chance to talk. Early on in his career he tried to change his approach of attacking hitters taking into account the Green Monster. When he finally came to the realization, you know to heck with that Wall being over my right shoulder, I just got to go and attack hitters as I’ve done in any other ball park. That’s when he’s seen his success at Fenway come to what it’s been over the past couple of years. It was a learning experience. It’s a very unique envioronment to learn for a visiting pitcher, but the fact remains is that he can’t change his approach that gives him success at other ballparks just because he is pitching here at Fenway.

Have you found yourself telling other pitchers what the proper approach is when they pitch at Fenway Park?

It’s a great point, and it kind of builds off what John Lackey was talking about. Coming into this position and having a chance to talk to Jason Varitek. To the person who doesn’t experience many games at Fenway you would think that would come in to play and even Tek would talk openly that we can’t change the approach just because that wall is there. You have a lot of room out to center field and right-center field that you can use to your advantage and certainly to straight away right field. The line drive that could be homeruns in other ball parks you benefit to that hit being held to a single. I think as long as you stay focused and committed to executing from pitch to pitch, it’s the pitchers that don’t maintain that mental focus that it affects more than the other guys. This is what we have evolved to, with new people coming into Fenway and to the Red Sox, but you learn that it can be as much as an advantage as it is a detriment.

Is there a philosophical change to pitching and defense this year?

I don’t think so. I think every intent is to put the best team on the field day-in and day-out as we can. Because Jason Bay is with the Mets and because we did not sign [Mark] Teixeira, I would not say that our offense is going to be average or below average, quite the contrary. If you look at the addition of Marco Scutaro, who’s a solid big league player, who I think is a solid average to above average offense performer at shortstop. If we can get a little bounce back out of [Adrian] Beltre from what he’s had in his history to go along with Victor Martinez with us for a full season. We’ve got very good offensive performers. With [Kevin Youkilis] at first and [Dustin Pedroia], this is a very solid lineup from top to bottom and when you can combine that with some improved defense, and as long as we can go out and execute like we can from a pitching stand point, this should be a very exciting year here in Boston.

What does the defensive upgrades mean to the pitching staff?

That you don’t’ have to necessarily pitch for a strikeout every time. Not to say that guys are still into that mind set, but I think there were times when guys thought that they needed to get a strikeout maybe otherwise when they don’t. That can be a little bit of catch-22. The pitcher feels like he’s got to do more things that he has to, and usually when that happens, good things don’t happen. We may be playing some closer ball games, where it’s not just a lop-sided offensive game on a given night. But I think you are seeing a more complete player coming back in the fold and a team that is more solid in all three areas: offense, defense, and on the mound being the one that wins out over the long haul.

The parameters of the deal evidently were reached just prior to the noon deadline for the two sides to exchange arbitration figures, as was also the case last year.

Papelbon would become the highest paid closer with four-year service time, surpassing Eric Gagne’s mark of $8 million annually. Some other comparable contracts earned by four-year closers were Bobby Jenks ($7.5 million), Mariano Rivera ($7.25), and Francisco Rodriguez ($7.1). Rodriguez would make a record $10 million in his third year of arbitration eligibility.

Multiple reports also suggest relievers Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez have avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to one-year deals with the Red Sox. It would leave outfielder Jeremy Hermida as the only arbitration-eligible player on the Sox to not have inked a deal.

Hernandez was 19-5 with a 2.49 ERA in 2009 for the Mariners. He finished second in Cy Young voting to Kansas City’s Zack Greinke.

The 23-year-old (he turns 24 in April) would have been eligible for free agency following the 2011 season. Now, however, it appears that he will remain with the Mariners for the foreseeable future. Hernandez is 58-41 with a 3.45 ERA in his career. His 58 wins through his age 23 season are the most by any pitcher that age since Dwight Gooden amassed 91 between 1984-88. Hernandez is also the 12th pitcher since 1901, and the first since Gooden, to strike out at least 800 batters through his age 23 season.

The Sox made a run at Hernandez at the trade deadline. Boston contemplated a deal to part with several top prospects in a package headlined by Clay Buchholz, but ultimately, Seattle decided to keep the right-hander, whose career has commenced in historic fashion. When it became clear that a deal for Hernandez would not be possible, the Sox elected to proceed with a deal with the Indians for Victor Martinez. Now, it appears that Hernandez will remain with the Mariners for the longer haul.

With many of the top young pitchers in the game (Greinke, Hernandez, Josh Johnson — not to mention Jon Lester) now locked up to long-term deals, Sox GM Theo Epstein’s point about the relative difficulty of acquiring starting pitching versus an impact bat at the trade deadline bears consideration.

“We may not score 900 runs, but I think we have a chance to hit. And if it turns out that’s the one area of the club that could use improvement, we’re certainly open to doing something in the middle of the year. The last two trading deadlines we’ve been able to acquire Jason Bay and Victor Martinez,” Epstein said earlier this month. “We believe it’s true that it’s easier to acquire a quality bat mid-season than it is to acquire a top of the rotation starter. In the offseason, it’s usually the opposite. So we’re pretty happy with where we are.”

The Sox’ signing of John Lackey, then, would seem a response to those market dynamics, with the Sox having spent money (but not prospects) to acquire one of the better pitchers in the game. The team improved its pitching at what it deemed to be the most acceptable cost this winter, and now retains the prospect resources to look to upgrade the lineup during the regular season (if such a move is necessary).

The $15.6 million annual value of the reported deal would be the largest ever for a pitcher with fewer than five years of service time.

Gammons suggested that the dispute illustrated the need for an independent medical staff in the majors, since there is sometimes distrust by players about the health findings of doctors who are employed by a team.

“You had the same thing here with Jason Bay, when he agreed to the four-year, $60 million deal near the end of July and then the MRI showed some problems with both knees,” said Gammons. “Ownership wanted it to be two years and he had to prove that he was healthy to be able to make it four years, and he wouldn’t sign. This is no reflection on [Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas] Gill and the Red Sox doctors, because they are probably the best in any sport. But the fact is, there becomes this disconnect where the player says, ‘Is he doing this for the owners or is he doing this because of my knee?’ That independent panel, I think, will almost certainly be a compromise that the owners will make.”

To see the NESN video clip, click here.

Jonathan Papelbon was one of four Red Sox to file for salary arbitration Friday, joining 124 other major leaguers in declaring they were eligible for the process. Also filing from the Sox were outfielder Jeremy Hermida, and relief pitchers Ramon Ramirez and Manny Delcarmen. Tuesday is the deadline for teams and players to submit salary figures for arbitration.

No Red Sox player has reached an arbitration hearing in Theo Epstein’s tenure as Red Sox’ GM, with Papelbon having avoided the process last year by agreeing to a one-year deal for $6.25 million, a record amount for a first-year arbitration-eligible pitcher.

Hermida avoided arbitration in his first year of being eligible, last year, signing a one-year, $2.25 million deal. This will be the first time Ramirez or Delcarmen are eligible for arbitration.

]]> http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2010/01/16/four-red-sox-file-for-arbitration/feed/ 1 http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2010/01/15/red-sox-sign-seven-to-minor-league-deals/ http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2010/01/15/red-sox-sign-seven-to-minor-league-deals/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:14:13 +0000 Alex Speier http://fullcount.weei.com/?p=21289 The Red Sox announced the signings of seven minor leaguers via press release. All seven of the players — four pitchers, two infielders and an outfielder — received invitations to spring training. Here is the press release:

The Red Sox today announced the signings of seven free agents to 2010 minor league contracts. In addition, all seven players have been invited to Boston’s Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster players.

The seven free agents are right-handed pitchers Fernando Cabrera, Edwin Moreno and Jorge Sosa, left-hander Brian Shouse, infielders Angel Sanchez and Gil Velazquez, and outfielder Darnell McDonald.

Cabrera, 28, spent the 2009 season in the Boston system, posting an 8.44 ERA (5 ER/5.1 IP) with eight strikeouts and four walks in six relief outings over two stints with the Red Sox. In 43 relief appearances with Triple-A Pawtucket, he recorded a 1.71 ERA (10 ER/52.2 IP) while going 0-3 with 22 saves, the second-highest total in the International League. The right-hander has pitched in eight games out of the bullpen for Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League, going 2-0 with three saves and a 5.14 ERA (4 ER/7.0 IP). Originally selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 10th round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, Cabrera is 8-7 with one save, a 5.12 ERA (99 ER/174.0 IP), 193 strikeouts and 96 walks in 131 Major League relief appearances over parts of six seasons with the Indians (2004-07), Baltimore Orioles (2007-08) and Red Sox (2009).

The 29-year-old Moreno made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres in 2009, going 1-3 with a 4.84 ERA (12 ER/22.1 IP) in 19 games out of the bullpen. He also made 39 relief appearances with the Padres Triple-A Portland affiliate, tallying a 3-3 record with 10 saves, a 4.17 ERA (21 ER/45.1 IP), 40 strikeouts and 20 walks. After the season, Moreno pitched for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League and went 1-0 with 12 saves and a 3.12 ERA (6 ER/17.1 IP) over 16 games in relief. Signed by the Texas Rangers as an international free agent on February 13, 1998, he will be in his 12th professional season in 2010.

Sosa, 32, pitched in the Washington Nationals organization during the 2009 season, including 18 games out of the bullpen for the Big League club. He was 2-1 with two saves and a 6.45 ERA (16 ER/22.1 IP) in those outings while going 1-2 with three saves, a 2.79 ERA (15 ER/48.1 IP), 53 strikeouts and 13 walks in 20 appearances (four starts) for Triple-A Syracuse. Following the season, Sosa went 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA (17 ER/40.0 IP) in nine starts for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League. Signed by the Colorado Rockies as an international free agent on June 23, 1995, he has a career 42-50 Major League record with seven saves and a 4.72 ERA (386 ER/736.0 IP) in 272 games (88 starts) over parts of eight seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays (2002-04), Atlanta Braves (2005-06), St. Louis Cardinals (2006), New York Mets (2007-08) and Nationals (2009).

Shouse, 41, went 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA (14 ER/28.0 IP) in 45 relief outings for the Rays last year. He was on the disabled list from May 25-July 26 with a left elbow strain and made four rehabilitation appearances with Single-A Charlotte, collecting one save and a 2.25 ERA (1 ER/4.0 IP). The left-hander previously pitched for the Red Sox during the 1998 campaign and was 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA (5 ER/8.0 IP) in seven relief appearances. Originally selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 13th round of the 1990 June Draft, Shouse has a career 13-10 Major League record with six saves, a 3.72 ERA (145 ER/350.2 IP), 233 strikeouts and 118 walks in 467 relief appearances over parts of 10 seasons with the Pirates (1993), Red Sox (1998), Kansas City Royals (2002), Rangers (2003-06), Milwaukee Brewers (2006-08) and Rays (2009).

Sanchez, 26, hit .305 (137-for-449) with 29 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 60 RBI and 67 runs scored in 126 games for the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate in 2009. He posted a .970 fielding percentage (17 errors/569 total chances) in 116 games at shortstop and also made 10 appearances at second base (0 errors/58 total chances). A native of Puerto Rico, he has hit .318 (41-for-129) in 38 games for the Indios de Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Sanchez played in eight Major League games with Kansas City in 2006 and hit .222 (6-for-27) with an RBI and two runs scored. He appeared in four games at both second base (four starts) and shortstop (one start) without committing an error (46 total chances).

The 30-year-old Velazquez played in six games for Boston last season, making appearances at shortstop (four games) and third base (two games) while going 0-for-2 at the plate. He hit .193 (56-for-290) with three home runs and 18 RBI in 93 games for Triple-A Pawtucket, including appearances at all four infield positions and left field. Originally selected by the New York Mets in the 14th round of the 1998 First-Year Player draft, Velazquez has appeared in nine Major League games with Boston over the 2008-09 seasons, going 1-for-10 with an RBI.

McDonald, 31, hit .267 (28-for-105) with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and 12 runs scored in 47 games over two stints with the Cincinnati Reds in 2009. In 73 games with Triple-A Louisville, he batted .314 (88-for-280) with 22 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs, 40 RBI, 42 runs scored and eight stolen bases. His seven triples ranked tied for fourth in the International League. Following the season, he hit .378 (28-for-74) with six homers and 20 RBI over 19 games with Naranjeros de Hermosillo in the Mexican Winter League. A first-round selection (26th overall) of Baltimore in the 1997 Draft, McDonald has a .231 average (34-for-147) with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 11 RBI and 15 runs scored in 68 career Major League games over parts of three seasons with the Orioles (2004), Twins (2007) and Reds (2009).

All of the free agents are on the Pawtucket roster.

“I haven’t thought about that a lot. He’s a starter,” said Francona. “How that slots out, we don’t know yet.”

That said, Francona didn’t have a blueprint for Wakefield. He avoided committing to a timetable for the pitcher’s start to the season, though he did put the knuckleballer in a separate category from John Smoltz (in 2009) and Wade Miller (in ’05), pitchers who were held back by months at the start of the season.

“I would be surprised if he’s real far behind, if any,” said Francona.

–While Jeremy Hermida suggested that he is “excited to play some real baseball” now that he has moved from the home of the empty orange seats in Florida to the packed houses of Fenway, his role appears ill-defined. The Sox believe that the 26-year-old retains significant offensive potential, and that he will probably reach it with some club.

Whether or how he might do so in Boston this year remains unknown. Francona was admittedly uncertain about the outfielder’s job description for the coming year.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. Good question, bad answer. He’s a left-handed hitting outfielder,” said Francona. “We could always move Jacoby [Ellsbury] to center when [Mike] Cameron doesn’t play. J.D. [Drew] has missed games in right, we know that. So there is a fit there.

“But I can’t sit here today and say Jeremy Hermida does this. On one hand, I hope he gets an opportunity to play enough because I think he can do some things offensively. On the other hand, if he’s playing everyday, something went wrong somewhere else. But there’s a lot to like about what he can do. But I can’t sit here today and tell you where he’ll actually fit.”

–Francona seemed either amused or bemused that Daisuke Matsuzaka, just a few years removed from being evaluated as one of the best pitchers in the world, has become an afterthought in his rotation. The right-hander, he noted, is just two years removed from a season when, “by hook or by crook,” he won 18 games with a sub-3.00 ERA.

There is little doubt that Matsuzaka’s 2009 season, when he went 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA in just 59.1 innings, represented a profound disappointment, not just for his numbers and his lack of availability but also due to his ideological clashes with the team over proper forms of preparation. But ultimately, the team believes that both the pitcher and his club will benefit from the pitcher’s pride to prove that he is still an effective pitcher.

“He’s almost at times fallen off from people’s thinking. He won 18 games the year before. It’s kind of out of sight, out of mind,” said Francona. “He’s supposed to be pretty good. If he’s pitching in that four hole, or that fourth game of the season, he’s going to match up.”

Sox officials were indeed surprised by Matsuzaka’s claim in a Japanese magazine that he had tried to pitch through a leg injury that caused his mechanics to suffer. But with the pitcher showing the commitment to spend the offseason working out at Athletes’ Performance in Arizona, the Sox believe that they are in a good position with the right-hander, and they are more focused on how he fares going forward than on any head-scratching statements about the past.

–Francona has been in touch with Jed Lowrie, whom he described as “cautiously optimistic” about the recovery of the left wrist that required surgery and sabotaged his 2009 season. The manager believed that the infielder had begun swinging, though it will be difficult to gauge the switch-hitter’s health until he is subject to daily activity in spring training. In some respects, only game activity will offer insight into Lowrie’s health, since he appeared to be recovering well last summer until he aggravated the wrist on check swings in games.

–Francona said that Mike Lowell’s situation would remain unresolved until he proved that he is healthy in spring training.

He was named the International League Pitcher of the Year in 2008, when he went 14-6 with a 2.84 ERA. That same year, Zink made his lone appearance in the majors for the Sox, allowing eight runs in 4.1 innings in a no-decision.

According to Zink’s agent, Jim Masteralexis, Zink received an invite to major-league camp with the Cardinals. He is expected to compete for the team’s Triple A rotation in Memphis, but the fact that the Cardinals do not currently have a fifth starter also played into the pitcher’s determination that St. Louis offered a good opportunity. The Sox did not offer Zink the opportunity to return to the organization, nor did the right-hander seek one.

“We are grateful to the Red Sox for having the patience with Charlie to learn and refine the knuckleball, but it is time to move on,” Masteralexis wrote in an email. “Charlie is excited about this opportunity. It is a great organization, has a great major league pitching coach in Dave Duncan and it is a fresh start. … Charlie needs a fresh start and opportunity.”

In some respects, Zink’s departure is a commentary on the changing shape of the Red Sox’ minor league system over time. When he signed with the Sox as a undrafted free agent on the recommendation of college pitching coach (at Savannah College of Art and Design) Luis Tiant, the Sox had few useful pitchers in the system who could help the major-league team. But over time, Zink saw the organization become flush with talented young arms. Last spring, he reflected on his time with the Sarasota Sox in 2004 and the Portland Sea Dogs in 2005, when he was suddenly flanked by a staff that consisted of Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen and others.

“You could see at that time there was a good group of prospects coming up. They were serious prospects. They were going to be impact players. That was the first time I ever noticed it. Before that, there wasn’t a whole lot here. Then it got big real quick, and all of a sudden we had draft class after draft class filled with power arms who were smart,” Zink said. “It’s not frustrating, but you see it. They just keep grooming younger and younger guys with power arms. You see them come and come, and keep going up.”

Talk about how much he is looking forward to playing in Boston and how he’s heard it’s unlike any other place in the world. And follow that up by talking about how much he’s looking forward to his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry on Opening Night at Fenway.

The outfielder, who turns 26 on Jan. 30, did both on Thursday night at the Westin Waterfront in South Boston at the annual Boston baseball writers’ dinner.

He was acquired on Nov. 5 from the Florida Marlins to add outfield depth with the anticipated loss of Jason Bay. He spent his first five years in the bigs with the Marlins. But that didn’t keep him from speaking frankly about the difference he already feels in Boston.

“This is all new for me up here,” Hermida announced on Thursday. “Coming here from Florida, this is a little different but I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited to play some real baseball up here and play in a market like this.”

As for April 4 and the season lid-lifter with the defending champion Yankees, Hermida couldn’t be more excited.

“I’m more than excited about it, to be honest with you,” Hermida added. “I’m not even sure of a word that describes it. To be able to come up here and join a team like this is something I’ve been waiting for for a long time, to get in a market like this. I’m thrilled to be a part of this. The team that they’re putting together up here, it looks great on paper. We’ve got to prove it on paper.

“Opening Day against the Yankees will be fun, and get out there and get the seasons started.”

You add a huge arm to this rotation. Obviously this is a great pitching staff, but why come here?

The chance to win every year. It’s an organization and a front office that are going to give you a chance and give you the pieces to win the whole thing every year. At this point in my career that’s all I really care about, is winning the whole thing.

You were a “one” out there for the Angels. Does it make a difference if you are the two, you are the three?

Honestly, at the beginning of the season I don’t really care. I’ve talked to Tito a little about this already and I told him you can throw me out there my 30 times and you can make a decision once we get to the playoffs.

You had such great success right out of the gate in your rookie year in a big, huge setting. Was that tough to live up to that because you are still learning in that league and still trying to figure out what you need to do?

Honestly, as a rookie when you come in on a team with a bunch of veterans you are just trying not to screw things up. I was trying not to step on peoples’ toes and just handle my business and get the job done and kind of shut up in the corner and let those guys lead the team.

How is it coming into this environment? You’ve been up here before and people up here are wild about their sports. You’ve been to some places were everyone is probably just eating tofu and hanging out, right? It must be exciting to come up to a place that lives and eats baseball.

It is really exciting. I was down at the North End eating some Italian. I was walking out the place and a table full of people stood up and clapped for me and welcomed me to Boston. That kind of stuff is really cool. The intensity of this town and the way they feel about their sports, I mean that’s the way I feel when I’m on the field. It’s going to be fun.

Talk about playing for Scioscia and what you think it’s going to be like playing for Tito.

From observing, I think Scioscia is probably a little more hands on a little more hit and run and bunting and stuff. It seems like, just from across the way, Tito kind of lets you play the game and lets things happen. So we’ll see.

Do you get excited when you hear about them acquiring some of the defensive players? Because there has been some criticism of them that they may be giving up some of the offense to prevent runs.

Sure, it gives you confidence. You can go out there and pound the strike zone and get after people. You don’t worry about walking people; make a pitch and the guy behind you is going to make the play.

How long will it take you to get acclimated to the new catcher?

It won’t take too long. My last couple of years I was dealing with first or second year kind of catchers, so it won’t take too long. I’m pretty easy to get along with so we’ll sit down and I’ll tell him the way I like to go about it. I mean, these guys have been in the league long enough, they know how to call a game. It should be easy.

I wanted to ask you about the division. Do you hate the Yankees yet?

I’m getting there. Everybody is telling me. They’re definitely convincing me for sure.

Now you’re going to pitch probably half your starts against the American League East. Your numbers say you’ve had really good success. 8-3 against Baltimore, 9-2 against Tampa Bay, 5-7 in 16 lifetime starts against the Yankees but with a good ERA. You dominated in the West, but isn’t this going to be tougher?

I think the whole league is aware that the American League East is the best division in baseball, for sure. But I think a challenge like that can be good for you. I enjoy big games, I enjoy playoff kind of atmospheres and that’s how its going to be like pretty much all year long, especially home games. So it’s going to be a great challenge and it’s going to be a lot of fun too.

I read a piece in the paper and they were talking about how affable you were off the mound, but how intense you get when you are out on the mound. How do you turn that switch on and off? How do you focus and just shut everything off and go from one to another.

It’s pretty easy to be honest with you. If me and you were playing some ping pong or pool I would want to kick your butt, don’t get me wrong. If we were in a bar having a beer I’d be getting after you, I just don’t like to lose. But if we’re not competing I’m pretty easy to get along with. We could hang out and have a cold one and talk about whatever.

Do you have to change anything pitching in this ballpark? I’ve seen pitchers come in here and change things up, certain things they do. Not as much lately, I think people have finally figured it out. But for the longest time guys, especially left handed pitchers, were trying to pitch away. Do you have to do anything different and does this park not scare you, but change they way you have to pitch?

Honestly, the last two or three years I have done pretty well when I have come to town here, and it was after I quit doing that kind of stuff. I came here and just said, ‘Screw it, I’m going to get after these dudes and pitch like I’m anywhere else.’ And that seemed to work better than trying to pitch away from the wall or anything else I might have done earlier in my career.

Did it get to you when you were younger when you first came here?

I think that it was more the offense. When I was younger I was pitching against a great team that got me a few times here.

Have you talked to Josh Beckett at all recently?

I really haven’t talked to him. Kind of some text messaging through the trainers, that kind of thing. I talked to him at an all-star game that type of thing, but I haven’t talked to him recently, no.

Who is more intense on the mound, you or him?

That might be a push. We both get after it a little bit.

Two summers ago, I remember you talking to Merloni about this, but you had that near no-hitter there. And that kind of changed things for you at Fenway, didn’t it?

It definitely didn’t hurt. I’ve done pretty well here since then. But it was just one of those things where my knowledge of pitching and my talent were starting to come together after a few years in the league kind of deal.

“He just had surgery. He’s not going to pick up a bat until probably the second week of February. He’s going to have to take some time and get himself into playing shape. You’re talking about a 37-year-old third baseman with a lot of mileage. We wouldn’t play him nine innings anyway. We’re not going to do that. We’ll take good care of him. He’s a guy that deserves respect. It’s easy to give him respect, he’s earned it. We love him.”

[To hear more from Francona on Mike Lowell, click here.]

Meanwhile, Francona said news of Daisuke Matsuzaka’s leg injury while training during for last year’s WBC was ‘old news’ and the team is moving on.

Hideki Okajima and the Red Sox have agreed to a one-year deal, allowing the relief pitcher to avoid arbitration. The 34-year-old went 6-0 last season with a 3.39 ERA while appearing in 68 games during the 2009 season. Okajima has pitched in at least 64 games in each of his three seasons with the Red Sox, going a combined 12-4 with a 2.72 ERA.

The deal is worth $2.75 million. He will receive bonuses of $50,000 each for 55, 60, 65, and 70 appearances.

Okajima finished third among qualifying American League pitchers and sixth in the Majors allowing just 16.2 percent (6 of 37) of inherited runners to score. He also tied for fifth in the AL with 24 holds and leads the Major Leagues with 74 since the start of the 2007 campaign.

Signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent on November 30, 2006, Okajima is 12-4 with six saves and a 2.72 ERA (58 ER/192.0 IP) in three Major League seasons with Boston. He has made at least 60 appearances in each of his first three seasons, becoming just the fifth AL left-hander ever to do so.

He made one scoreless appearance (0.1 IP) in the 2009 postseason and has a 2.11 ERA (5 ER/21.1 IP) in 17 career playoff games, the most ever by a pitcher born in Japan.

Hazen offered some insight into what the program tries to teach young players about playing under the bright lights in Boston and some of the pressures they face in a tough media market. He also talked about some of the prospects in the Red Sox farm system, including Jose Iglesias and Casey Kelly, while refusing to say who is the best prospect in the organization.

A transcript is below. To hear the interview, click here.

Daniel Bard was one of the notable participants in the program last year.

Yeah, and he went on in 2009 to have a very good season. We hope that these guys engage in this program and take little bits and pieces out of all the speakers and out of all the people that they meet in the hopes that when they get up there for the first time, or maybe in the cases of [Josh] Reddick or [Junichi] Tazawa for a second time, that they can put some of these things into the back of their minds and just focus on going out and playing the game on the field, and not really worry about the distractions that would come either on the field or in the clubhouse or anywhere else.

Did you come up with the program because the Boston media can be overwhelming at times?

We sort of modeled it a little bit off the Cleveland Indians program that has been running for about 10 years now, and not really. Each market obviously brings a different set of challenges and Boston is no different. It’s more about being acclimated to the major league level, and playing in the majors on the field is probably no different in Cleveland or in Boston than anywhere else. We just feel like Boston offers a few unique challenges, whether it be the size of the media, the responsibilities, their intentions and we want to prepare them for that. Not that we are going to take away the first-day jitters maybe when they have to come up, perform and win. But again, maybe trying to focus their energy a little bit more on coming out and doing their job as opposed to being worried about, “Oh hey, I have to go meet with the media right now. What are people going to think about me? When I get up here, what are the expectations going to be of me?”

We met with Casey Kelly and we came away impressed. Do you come across young players and find that they are more mature than other players at this early stage in their careers?

Of course. Major League Baseball is pretty unique in that it’s probably a little bit maybe like the [NHL] in some regards. We draft guys and bring them into being professional athletes at such a young age. I know in the NBA a little bit and the NFL not so much, but you get guys from all walks of life, all over the globe, all with different sets of backgrounds and skill sets and maturity levels, but there are a few guys, like Casey Kelly, who seem to have it pretty quickly. The maturity, the grasp, the perspective, he’s a pretty interesting kid. All the things he dealt with this year, balancing the hitting and pitching, he handled so well. We think this guy has a pretty good chance to be pretty special in the future.

The participants in the program come from so many different ethnic backgrounds that it’s almost like a United Nations.

We have three different languages being translated at the same time when speakers come in. That in and of itself presents a unique challenge. The game is evolving. It’s becoming such a global game. Our system itself is like the United Nations. We have so many different languages, so many different countries represented in out clubhouses. It’s a beautiful thing to watch all these guys come together, to play together as teammates, and it gives unique experiences for those high school kids that never went to college that have never seen diversity at all and they are thrown into the clubhouses right away at 18 and 19 years old, sitting next to a kid that doesn’t speak English, and they don’t speak Japanese. So they have to find ways to communicate both on and off the field.

What kind of feedback have you heard from the players?

The guys year in and year out tend to really respond to their future teammates. This year we have (Kevin Youkilis), John Lackey, David Ortiz spoke to them yesterday. That’s sort of the exciting part of the program for them to hear what those guys expect from them. Like, “Hey, when I come up here for the first time how do you want me to act? Do you want me to sit in the corner, do you want me to not talk?” They get told, “You’re going to get hazed a little bit in a fun way. You’re going to be made to carry backpacks and dress up and all sorts of things like that.” But, those sorts of things are the exciting part.

We also think there is a base part of the program, whether it is from John Farrell, Dave Magadan, Larry Lucchino, Theo (Epstein), (Terry Francona) to sort of impart on them the other side of the game, the mental skills that are needed, the fundamental skills that are needed. So those kind of get brushed under the rug a bit, they really like talking to Youk and John Lackey. We are really lucky that those guys give us some time to do that.

It’s interesting that you get to see these young players in awe of the major league players. Right now they are pretty similar to the fans in terms of the way they look at these guys.

There’s no doubt. We have to sort of prod them to ask questions of these guys sometimes. I think (Dustin Pedroia) was the only guy that came into the program that wasn’t in awe of everybody.

Why aren’t we surprised? When we talked to Casey Kelly he was hoping that the older players wouldn’t get upset when he watches them prepare during spring training.

I think the players really respect when other young players come in and show them that, “Hey your experience matters to me. The fact that you’ve been to a World Series or Jon Lester you’ve won a World Series clinching game.” I think that guys at the lower level, the young guys try to break down boundaries and the game is evolving a little bit in that regard, but when they come in and show that respect to the veteran players it means a lot, and I think it goes a long way for them in the clubhouse.

What does (Francona) say to them?

I can’t divulge that.

In general what does he say to them? Because I can’t see him being completely serious for 15 minutes straight.

I think what Tito wants to do, and it’s a challenge as you guys can well imagine, that coming up to the big leagues for the first time is pretty crazy. Driving up I-95 from Pawtucket for the first time, or a guy like Reddick coming from Double-A, it’s pretty overwhelming from all the feedback that we get, and Tito I think in all other situations as we try to makes these guys feel comfortable, come up here and be comfortable. Don’t be complacent. Be serious and do you’re job. You’re here to win, but be comfortable, because if you are, that’s what is going to allow your talent to shine forth, and that’s when you are going to contribute and help us to win games. So that’s sort of the overarching message from Tito, and as well talking about, “Hey here are some of my rules. Here’s how I want you to act. Here’s what I want you to do when you are out on the field.” Some of the little things like that and I think it gives a one hour introduction to the players to Tito and his personality, so when they walk into spring training or when they come up in the middle of the season maybe they do feel a little more comfortable with Tito and can spend five minutes to talk to him and not just go run and hide in the corner.

What have you seen from Jose Iglesias?

Craig Shipley did an unbelievable job of signing Jose and bringing this kind of talent into the system. He’s very advanced with the glove on the field defensively. His range at shortstop, his throwing arm, he can do it all. With the experience he will gain in professional baseball polishing it up a little bit. We haven’t seen him play a ton in games other than when he was in Cuba, but he’s had about a year off. We are going to continue to know him. We saw a little bit of some of the things that he can do in the [Arizona] Fall League. He hit a couple of bombs and seems to have a pretty good short swing and the ability to make contact. So we are pretty excited about the things this guy can do.

Who is perceived to be the No. 1 prospect in the Red Sox organization?

I can’t answer that question. I know they are listening and I know it’s going to be on Sox Prospects later. We have a number of guys at the upper levels and even at the lower levels. Guys like [Ryan] Westmoreland, guys like Ryan Kalish. Guys like Michael Bowden who haven’t sort of broken through. Tazawa and other guys like that at the upper level that we feel, Lars Anderson, are going to be to impact players here in the next few years. At any one point in time you can’t just point and say, “He’s No. 1 or he’s No. 2,” because we don’t look at players that way. We look at all of them as having the ability to contribute in some way and hopefully be impact, everyday players for the Red Sox and continue on our goal to field a home-grown team.

Is it safe to say that catcher is the hardest position to develop at the minor league or lower levels?

Absolutely, and I think the challenge is with the amount that is expected with catchers opposed to any other position. It’s the only position in the game where they are expected to do all of their defensive stuff. They are expected to work with the pitching staff and run the pitching staff, and go out and perform with the bat. At the major league level you might see a catcher that hits .220 and is a really good defensive catcher. Go back and look at that catcher’s minor league numbers and I bet you he was a pretty good hitting catcher in the minor leagues. For those young guys to be able to handle all that and hit it’s a challenge. I think that’s why the track is a little slower, and you see guys get to the big leagues at an older age. Guys like Joe Mauer and [Matt] Weiters and those guys, they are kind of freaks. You don’t see those guys all that often. For the most part I would say it’s the most challenging position to draft and develop.

What’s the most uncomfortable question a rookie has asked you?

I think it probably relates more to, “Where do I start? Or where am I going to go?” There is so much that goes into those decisions and you never want to limit what they want or expect from a goal standpoint, but at the same time you don’t want to give them false hope. You’re competing to do this and you are competing to do that, even if in the back of our minds we have a pretty good handle that they are probably going to be there if everything goes well. To be able to answer that question honestly without limiting what they are shooting for, you know, “Hey I want to make the major league club,” OK well so do a lot of other guys. We have a lot of guys on the 25-man roster that don’t want you to make that team right now because they want to keep their job. That’s’ probably the most challenging one day in and day out that we get.

Were you there for Dustin Pedroia’s one-on-one meeting when the organization was thinking about keeping him in A-Ball and he wasn’t to thrilled about it.

Unfortunately I missed it, but I’ve seen many more of those conversations over the last few years and it does not surprise me one bit.

When a guy responds like that it’s not necessarily a turn-off.

Oh definitely not. We want guys to have goals and we want guys to take guys jobs at the major league level and come up and be impact players. That’s what I’ve meant by in no way to we want to limit what their goals are. But at the same time we do want them to be somewhat realistic. Not everybody is as talented as Dustin Pedroia and can back that up. So we do want them to be somewhat realistic, because on the downside if you don’t do it then you are dealing with the disappointment of somebody that may have feel like they failed, and that’s the wrong way to look at it as well.

On Monday many of the prospects will be at the Best Buy Fenway in the Landmark Center from 3:30 until 5, and for a $10 donation to the Red Sox Foundation fans will receive autographs from these top-level prospects. It’s probably a unique opportunity because it’s their first one-on-one opportunity with Red Sox Nation.

Yeah, it is, and one of the parts of the program that we try to stress is when you get to Boston there is a bigger city, a bigger community that’s supported by tremendous fans and there are great charities and organizations that you can support with your name power, star power when you get here and are a good player part of it is about giving back. I do think that overall these are good guys and they do feel like they are priveledged in the life that they get to lead and we like to expose them to maybe the social responsibility and this is one of those things. The donations go to a great cause to our the Red Sox Foundation and they do a ton of great work so the players we think are going to benefit and hopefully the fans get a chance to meet some of the future Red Sox.

So to be clear, you said Ryan Westmoreland is the No. 1 best prospect.

[laughter]

I’m sure you’ll hear it from some of the kids that you didn’t pick one.

That’s OK, that’s OK.

Dewan, who pioneered the plus/minus rating system (which measures how a player stacks up defensively in terms of numbers of plays made and runs allowed compared to an average player at his position), takes a detailed look at the Sox’ 2009 performance at third base, shortstop and in center field, and compares it to the performances of newcomers Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron at those positions. Those changes, coupled with the move of Jacoby Ellsbury from center (where he rated as below average) to left field (where he has been above average, and replaces Jason Bay, who rated as below average at the position), will have a significant effect on the Sox.

To wit, Dewan claims that the Sox will be roughly 80-90 runs better defensively in 2010 than they were in 2009. Defensively, the team was about 52 runs worse than the average team in 2009; in 2010, the team now projects to be well above average.

Certainly, that was part of the thinking for the overhaul by the Sox, who now feature former Gold Glove winners at three of the four infield positions, another Gold Glove outfielder in Mike Cameron, and two above-average corner outfielders in J.D. Drew and Jacoby Ellsbury.

“If you look at our runs allowed the last three, four years, the outlier year was 2007, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence we won the World Series that year,” GM Theo Epstein said at the press conference introducing Adrian Beltre last week. “I think we’ve been able to change the nature of our defense fundamentally, by having several moving parts. We should have a very solid infield defense, I hope, and a very solid outfield defense, and I hope that you look up this time next year and there are pitchers who are having career years, and maybe that’s a reason why.”

For a more detailed explanation of Dewan’s forecasted improvement for the Sox defense, click here.

A transcript is below. To listen to the interview, click here.

How many steps forward versus backwards did Mark McGwire take?

They eliminated doubt, which is I guess a good thing. I found it – I don’t know how you found it – but I found it sad in a lot of ways. I watch some of these guys, and I think about Clemens and some of these other people, there’s a delusion there. I couldn’t believe that McGwire kept saying that he has the God-given ability to hit home runs. Now, when he was at USC, I can remember the late, great Red Sox scout Joe Stevenson calling me up and saying, ‘Mark McGwire is going to be one of the greatest home run hitters of all time.’ Yes, he hit 49 home runs as a rookie. Yes, he had all those injuries with the plantar fasciitis and all that. But to say it’s only health reasons – the fact is, a lot of people took steroids so that they could work out eight hours a day and get bigger. I think it really hurt him in the eyes, not of people who vote for the Hall of Fame, but in public opionion. For him to say that his home run numbers, the fact that he has the greatest home runs per at-bat ratio of anyone in baseball history, had nothing to do with steroids, I think it hurt him terribly. I think a lot of us were just going, ‘Please, don’t say that.’

It was like he was trying to accomplish forgiveness and legitimacy for his career. Those two things seem mutually exclusive.

I agree. I know from talking to guys like Mike Holliday, the Duncan brothers, Skip Schumaker, McGwire would take them into the house in the winter and work with them and coach. He loves that. I really believe that first and foremost he wants to come back and teach and share. He was a very intelligent hitter by the end of his career. I know he wants to share that. Matt Holliday,the stories that he tells about McGwire are tremendous. I think he kind of realizes in the deeper recesses of his mind that his chances of making the Hall of Fame are probably slight. He probably felt, ‘Well, if I confess, maybe.’ But I think he dug himself a bigger whole with this – the whole denial thing. I remember, was it two years ago that Clemens was in front of Congress? I said to Mark Shapiro, I was watching a game in Winter Haven, we were talking about Clemens. I said, ‘Actually, watching him, I think he believes that he never did anything, that he’s completely innocent.’ Mark said, ‘Well, Psychology 7 will tell you: people who are self-absorbed often become self-delusional.’ I think that’s happened to a lot of these baseball players, because steroids seem to be so important.

He said he did it for his health, but when he started doing steroids, he started getting hurt every year, and he had no answer for that contradiction.

Absolutely. And he didn’t tie, from 1993-94 to 1998, he didn’t tie that. He left strings unattached there that lead a lot of us to say, ‘Ah.’ I’ve spent a lot of time with him over his career. I must say, I really like him. In ’98, I was with him for about five days in St. Louis. They had just lost five games in a row. Todd Stottlemyre went out, knocked down the first two hitters and threw a shutout. McGwire hit a home run in the eighth inning to make it 6-0 from 5-0. Afterwards, everyone wanted to talk to McGwire and he said, ‘My home run is meaningless. Todd Stottlemyre just saved the team.’ There were other things like that. For instance, when he broke Maris’ record, he was up there, they had that stage after the game at Busch Stadium. Up there, it was McGwire, his son, his ex-wife, and his ex-wife’s husband up on the podium with him. I remember saying to Dan Patrick, we were doing something in the studio at ESPN, I said, ‘The great thing about that is that Mark McGwire sent a message to everybody in this country who’s divorced that, in the end, it’s all about the kids.’ He still had that very good relationship with the ex-wife’s husband, just because he wanted his son to have the sense of normalcy. There were a lot of things like that. I remember one time in ’96, doing a long interview with him, all of a sudden he started trashing himself for the way his first marriage ended. He was on camera just ripping himself. I was thinking, ‘You know, this guy is really a decent human being.’ But now, when he gets up on this stage, ‘Okay, I want to be forgiven,’ he lost that humanity that he showed so many times in his life. It made me very sad. It really did.

We know what we think we know – there’s the statistical evidence of the frequency of his home runs, and the anecdotal evidence of the distance of those home runs. Was there anecdotal evidence that he was hitting the ball further than anyone else in history?

I don’t always trust those trackers of where home runs go, but yes, there was enough evidence to say he hit the ball further than anybody, with the possible exception of Canseco around ’89 or ’92. … It really does bother me that a Bonds or a Clemens, who were clearly Hall of Fame players, that we’re so insecure and so frail we have to go somewhere else. That’ss human nature. Trying to sit through and spend an hour trying to interview Alex Rodriguez last February taught me something for the rest of my life, that the bigger they are, the frailer they are. I actually like him much more because of that. I’ve talked to him a lot about how he basically addressed himself, was hyperventilating and everything else. It’s odd to me that so many athletes are so insecure. I remember guys on the Orioles telling me that the most insecure guy they ever met was Cal Ripken. Maybe that is all part of greatness. As we sit down and read Game Change in the next week, maybe we’ll find the same thing about Bill Clinton.

TJ Quinn listed all the steroids that McGwire used. He talked to players who said that McGwire was one of the big proponents of steroids, how to use them and how to stack them. Did you ever hear anything along those lines?

No, but I wouldn’t be surprised. We do know that when he got to the major leagues, that Jason Giambi hooked onto Mark McGwire as his mentor, as his best friend and all the rest. TJ had done the work for the Daily News, where they linked the drug dealer in Michigan down to Southern California. We were talking about this on MLB the other night. … He was never suspended. He was never in the Mitchell Report. There was the Daily News link, but McGwire had kind of stayed away from it. All we had was what our eyes told us, and that can be deceiving. There are examples of people who either got smaller, like Jeff Bagwell because he had the arthritic shoulder and couldn’t lift a weight in five years, or some other guys who maybe just naturally got bigger. But the whole McGwire thing has seemed so much larger than life. That one piece that TJ did, I thought, pretty much convinced us that he was guilty. Now, of course he’s admitted it. I believe his timeframe. That’s probably true. I think some of the testimony he gave about how much he did in ’89, ’90, I’m not sure how accurate that is.

The whole Hall of Fame question is an interesting one. I know that some of my sabermetric friends believe that this is all irrelevant, that it doesn’t matter who took steroids and who didn’t. I don’t agree with that. I do very strongly believe that once baseball finally had drug testing in 2004, that anyone who violates the drug policy and is caught is automatically disqualified from the Hall of Fame. …

The Hall of Fame is not a right. It’s an honor. Should we honor people that essentially cheated? Somebody said to me, ‘It wasn’t illegal.’ Yeah, but it was in federal law.

So to your mind, Manny is out for the Hall of Fame?

I think Manny and Palmeiro. A-Rod was before testing, before 2004. That was the 2003 random testing that was supposed to be anonymous. But I think that Palmeiro and Manny, I don’t think they have a chance of ever making the Hall of Fame.

Does your viewpoint change if they haven’t tested positive in Major League Baseball? We know what we think about Bonds and Clemens. Will our views soften over the decades based on who they are and what they meant to the game?

I think they may. We do have those issues. Last spring, Mike Piazza walked up to me and said, ‘Can you believe that because of the acne on my back, that I did steroids?’ There are so many players that we think may have done [steroids] but we don’t know, whether it’s Pudge Rodriguez or whoever. It’s a hard thing to live down. I think it would be nice if we had more tests, proof, if we had more ways to judge players. I go back to Bagwell. If you take Bagwell’s home runs, RBIs, runs, extra-base hits, OPS, OPS+, slugging, Gold Gloves, Jim Rice is close to Jeff Bagwell in one statistical category. Yet that question will be raised for him when he goes up in front of the Hall of Fame next year. I’ve talked a lot to his best friend, Brad Ausmus, about it. Brad has sworn up and down, there’s no way that Bagwell did it. But just the notion of it. If Jeff Bagwell is completely innocent but he’s punished because other people flew under the radar, that’s kind of a sad story.

Could Clemens ever do what McGwire did in offering a confession?

No. I thought McGwire was stilted. It wasn’t the personality that I knew on the field or in the clubhouse. But I think Roger is too programmed and too stubborn. I think it would be very difficult. I think he’ll have to do it at some point in his life, but I shudder to think what would happen. I think it could turn into a disaster.

Last time he attempted to tell his side of the story, it was laughable.

It was. That whole question, I actually had a friend who was finishing her PhD in psychology at Boston College, and we used to talk about it in the gym all the time. She used to say, that business of going from self-absorbed to self-delusional is really the essence of most psychology courses. Maybe a lot of these guys will never come out of it. It may be, if – I was going to say Pudge Rodriguez, but he might pull the Sammy Sosa stance and say, ‘I don’t speak English any more; I only speak English when I sign my contracts’ – we’re still a long way. We were looking at the list of guys coming up in the next few years. Juan Gonzalez is on the list next year. Sooner or later, Pudge is going to come up. Sosa is going to come up. This debate is not going away. I think it’s great that McGwire tipped his hat to Bud Selig and the testing policy, that he laid down behind it. That’s a good thing. But still, the question remains, if indeed the Hall of Fame is the highest honor a player can get, and since it’s not a right but an honor, should these guys be put in the Hall of Fame. I think it’s an issue, it’s not a statistical right. Ken Rosenthal the other night pulled out the ballot and read the lines about character. It is something we have to think about.

If he hadn’t done steroids, would McGwire be anything close to a Hall of Fame player? Without steroids, he had no chance. What would vote for Bonds and Clemens?

Right now, given the evidence, probably no in both cases. And I believe very strongly that Bonds was a Hall of Famer before 1999. What it does to the game – and I think Jayson Stark wrote about it very well, what McGwire ignores is what the disillusionment about 1998 means to the sport. I think that’s important. I know the other day, when Tom [Verducci] and Kenny [Rosenthal] and I were talking about the question, Bonds and A-Rod and Clemens all would have been Hall of Famers without steroids. McGwire would go to the Hall of Fame based on power numbers. But I’m not sure it’s that simple.

Why would you want to reward players for greed?

The insecurities of these guys, the frailties. I joke about it all the time, I wish that William Shakespeare were around right now to cover this era. That’s what he was writing about. The insecurity that these guys have is just remarkable to me, that need to somehow be perfect. And I really found that in Alex [Rodriguez] – his need to make people believe that he was perfect on the field and off. Now, people knowing he wasn’t, he was a totally different guy this [past] year. He seemed so much more relaxed, so much happier [after admitting steroid use in an interview with Gammons before the season]. He understood, you know what? It’s about team.

What was interesting last night, when we were doing MLB, Costas was asked, what was McGwire like after the interview? Bob said nothing basically changed. He wasn’t any different. But after I finished the Rodriguez interview last spring, he came back before I left, and chatted. He said, ‘I hope this frees me. I hope that now I can just go on and be a human being and stop pretending.’ I think he got it. He got what he went through. You understood that he was wrong, and I think he understood and I know he understands now, there’s no need to be perfect. Just be a baseball player. Derek Jeter’s not perfect, but people love Derek Jeter. I think Alex learned something from that. I’m not sure these other guys have learned anything from it.

Did you predict that Adrian Beltre would hit more homers than Jason Bay?

Yes, playing in Fenway Park with that lineup, as opposed to Jason Bay in the Mets lineup, yeah, I did.

What do you think for Beltre? Forty homers?

Thirty, 32.

Bay won’t hit 30?

Not in that ballpark.

What about Cameron?

.270, 25 homers, and the best thing about him is the way he absolutely killed – what was it, a .954 OPS against left-handers the last five years? He does absolutely kill left-handed pitchers. In this league right now, in the division where you’re going to see Pettitte, Sabathia, Price, and Matusz probably three, four times apiece, that lineup against left-handed pitching is going to be really important.

Are the Red Sox the second best team in the American League?

Probably the second-best team in baseball.

Are the Red Sox we’ll see in Fort Myers better than in October?

I think they’re better this year. I’ll tell you why. The whole run-scoring thing, I’m not that worried about. I think that the depth of the lineup will be very good. I think the depth of the roster is much better. It’s amazing to me they finished second, they had the second-best record, the second-best run differential, and they had 55 games started by [Brad] Penny, [John] Smoltz, [Paul] Bird, a bad [Daisuke] Matsuzaka, [Michael] Bowden and [Junichi] Tazawa. In 55 games, more than one-third of their games, their starting pitchers had a 6.28 earned run average, and they still had the second-best run differential and record in the league. They could change that a lot.”

By the way, in talking to our old friend Mike Roberts, who used to be a college coach but he runs the baseball program at Athletes Performance in Scottsdale, he said that Matsuzaka is in unbelievable shape. He’s been there for about five weeks so far. He said the transformation from last year is astounding.

LaRussa, on his reaction to today’s news:

“I didn’t know anything except that I knew we ran a legit program and that Mark was a good example of working his butt off and getting his strength gains as a product of hard work. I did, and still speak to his character and integrity.”

LaRussa, on his current perspective regarding McGwire as a hitting instructor and his integrity:

“I think, as the entire circumstances come out of his usage – why, when, where – I think he’ll come off and regain a lot of stature that he had with fans and with his peers about being a solid pro…he admits he made mistakes and he’s sorry for it. We all make mistakes and at least he owns up to it.

“He got so much criticism about his performance in (front of) Congress. One thing he did not do is lie, and I don’t think he ever would.”

What’s your take on McGwire and how he handled this?

I think he’s the first guy to come real clean – legitimately clean. No more, ‘Well, I did it once and I never did it again.’ I think everyone knew to some degree. But until you had your word, like everything else, it was speculation. I’m glad. I’m glad he did it.

Do you think this plays well with fans? He went into detail.

It seems like everybody else lies about it, then they lie about the lies. I always feel like any time you hear guys talk about stuff like this, there’s 10 times the stuff that you don’t know. He said he used it on and off throughout the ‘90s. I’m probably pretty sure, based on playing against him, looking at him, the way he was the entire decade, he probably used the entire decade. Why wouldn’t you if you got the results he did from them?

Players probably chuckled when he said he wasn’t using steroids.

The ones that weren’t doing it with him, I’m sure.

Jose Canseco was another player who came completely clean.

Yeah, but he’s disgusting.

At the Congressional hearing, McGwire said that because lawyers told him to say that he should say what he did about not addressing the past. You said it’s a lot different under oath. Were you advised by attorneys?

The quotes that got me subpoenaed were locker-room chatter, grab-ass stuff that you do on a daily basis. In front of Congress, you’re under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you’re going to put a name out there, you’re going to end someone’s career and ruin someone’s life. Having not seen anyone inject themselves, anything I would have done, anyone I would have named would have been speculation. I certainly wasn’t going to get myself in trouble or get anyone else in trouble without a 100 percent guarantee of the fact that it’s true.

You’re guarded in the way you say things if you’re trying to hide or cover up. I didn’t know. I never knew. Everyone railed on me about clamming up. There was nothing for me to say. The comments that I’d been quoted on were the comments you made on a daily basis in the clubhouse when you were shooting the bull.

Half of it is crap. You speculate. You talk. Over the course of a nine-month season, a lot of people say a lot of things that are hyperbole and blown out of proportion. It was a common topic for a long period of time. I spent 10 years defending Roger Clemens – the only guy in the clubhouse defending Roger Clemens.

Does this put pressure on other guys to come forward (aside from Clemens and Bonds, given their perjury cases)?

He told the story we’re expecting to hear from everyone else who got caught. That’s the story. That really is the only defense, unless you were a guy who went to a legitimate doctor and got a legitimate prescription for extreme cases where steroids are prescribed. If you don’t’ come out and do what he did, then everybody is going, ‘Well, what else don’t we know?’

How do you think it plays out in the public and with Hall of Fame voters?

Knowing what I know about Mark McGwire, I don’t think he cares about either one. I think he wants to come back and coach and be on the baseball field, be in the clubhouse, be in the environment again. I don’t think he gives two wits about what guys say and write. I really don’t. He never was a guy who was motivated by that stuff.

I always looked at him kind of like I looked at Barry. You were one of the best ever, and you had to cheat to be better? I don’t get that.

Will this change the minds of voters? Will there be forgiveness in the public eye?

I love Mark and I think the world of Mark. I’ve known him for quite a long time. I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m not sure he’s a Hall of Famer anyway. He hit a lot of homers for a lot of years and that’s all he did. I’m not belittling that, but the Hall of Fame is for the best of the best. He was never a guy, I don’t know. I think it will change, and he will end up getting a pass.

But there’s a line that, once it’s crossed, you can never go back. When that first player – that Palmeiro or Bonds goes in – then no one can ever use the steroid defense again, I don’t think.

Now that he’s admitted to use from the late-‘80s on, his greatness was based on his power. We now know he got the power from PEDs.

I think he was a naturally huge guy anyway. I think he always had a lot of power. But I’ve always argued, and football players can probably give me a better response than other people, I’ve never looked at steroids as the motivation for guys to use them to get huge biceps.

In baseball, I always looked at steroids, the motivation being to recover faster and to be fresher. Everyone that talks about them talks about the downtime being smaller and less, and you feel fresh for the entire season. I would argue that gives you an enormous advantage over me on Sept. 1, when I’m pitching against you and I’m dragging ass and it’s six months into the season, and you’re showing up like it’s the first day of spring training.

To me, it wasn’t the biceps and triceps. It was the bat speed. To me, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds were game-fresh, April-fresh on Sept. 1, that gave them a huge advantage in my mind.

We all talked about this – all the freak injuries. It wasn’t a pulled hammy or a strained quad. It’s that everybody talks about the fact that steroids overstretch your body. You break joints. You tear ligaments in unusual or odd places. You look at all the guys over the last 10 years who we said, ‘Hmmm, that’s kind of weird.’ You do freakish things to yourself from an injury standpoint. And people go, ‘Wow – that’s odd. That’s weird. How do you do something like that?’

How’d you get your body without steroids?

I always tell people this is not a real athletic body – it’s a cruel family joke.

If McGwire’s motivation is to be back on the field, he was only going to be able to do this with a confession. We were trying to figure out how he’d do this. Now, he’s answered all the questions.

He did it perfectly. Other than admitting it five years ago, he did it perfectly. If I’m him, I sit there in spring training on that first day, and I say, ‘You’ve got 60 minutes. I’ll answer every non-baseball question you want to ask me, and I won’t answer another one the entire season.’ He’s already answered everything you could want to ask him anyway. What else are you going to ask him? Who else do you know? He’s not going to answer that. He’s not going to throw other people under the bus.

It just reeks of honesty. He came clean, because I think he realized, I’m going to be in that environment, 24/7, for nine months of the year. I’m not going to give anyone an angle. I think he made the admission that we all wish everybody had made when they got caught, instead of the, ‘Well, you know, I was trying to come back from injury and I only did it one time and it was my dad’s.’

If he gets positive treatment – after being a pariah – might more guys decide to confess?

The guys that don’t stand to get prison time, yes.

Giambi was accepted even though he never went into detail.

Another piece to this – don’t discount this – a lot of it has to deal with the people you’re dealing with. Everything I knew and have heard since about Barry, he was someone who was absolutely just a bad person.

To me, I always judge teammates on how they acted and interacted with non-uniform personnel, clubhouse kids, trainers and stuff. I’ve heard in the last couple years that Bonds was the worst ever at it and Clemens was not really cool about it. To me, that says more about you than anything else – how you treat the quote-unquote little guy.

Jason Giambi is the world’s nicest guy. McGwire, really nice guy, those guys are going to get, I think, different treatment because they’re different people. They’re kind people.

I’ve heard things that [Bonds] has said and done. I knew Barry. I was friends with Barry. We had the same agent coming up, when I was coming up. I saw him say things and do things to people that I sat back and said, ‘Wow.’

A lot of people cited race in how Bonds was treated by the media, yet Clemens got the same treatment.

[Bonds] treated people like crap, and half the time the race card was the card he played.

Clemens is in this until the end. What’s he thinking? If he’s clean, he’s a Hall of Famer.

I don’t think anybody on this planet thinks he’s clean. I don’t. And he was a guy who was instrumental in turning my career around. The lecture and speech I got from him was about hard work and dedication, passion, integrity, ethics, and all this other stuff. Then I come to find that it’s a lot of crap.

You can take steroids and still have a good work ethic.

Absolutely. That’s the thing about those guys. A-Rod and Bonds, those guys had unbelievable workout regimens that took it to another level. At the end of the day, it’s disappointing. It’s frustrating.

In a sense, I’m kind of like Pedro. I look back on what I did and the era I did it in, and I’m probably a little bit prouder of the fact that I did it the way I did it when all was said and done, and to think that I was competing against guys who were cheating, and probably a lot more than I knew.

At the end of the day, I got three rings. I don’t think steroids changed the amount of rings I got in my career, which is all I really care about.

The release — which also includes details of an autograph session with the prospects — is below. For a closer look at the program participants, click here. Josh Reddick — who also took part in the program last year — was added to the initial roster of 11 program participants. For a closer look at the right-fielder’s path to the majors, click here.

BOSTON, MA– The Red Sox 2010 Rookie Program began today in Boston.  Twelve of Boston’s top prospects are taking part in the two-week program, which is designed to expose the players to the expectations of being Major Leaguers for the Red Sox.

Eleven of the participants in the Rookie Program spent all of 2009 in the Red Sox organization: pitchers Randor Bierd, Felix Doubront, Casey Kelly, Ryne Miller, Junichi Tazawa, Kyle Weiland; catcher Luis Exposito; infielder Yamaico Navarro; and outfielders Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin and Josh Reddick. Also taking part will be infielder Jose Iglesias, who was signed as a free agent in September 2009 and played in the Arizona Fall League.

The program includes two workouts daily that emphasize conditioning and strength training as well as concentration on fundamentals. In addition, the players are attending a number of seminars that will focus on the assimilation into Major League life off the field.

A number of individuals will speak to the group, including President/CEO Larry Lucchino, General Manager Theo Epstein, manager Terry Francona, Major League coaches John Farrell and Dave Magadan, sports psychology coach Bob Tewksbury, right-handed pitcher John Lackey, infielder Kevin Youkilis, Hall of Fame baseball writer and NESN reporter/analyst Peter Gammons, and Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

There will also be a public autograph signing with the Rookie Program participants at the Best Buy in the Landmark Center, located at 401 Park Drive in Boston on Monday, January 18 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fans making a $20.00 donation to the Red Sox Foundation will be able to take part in the signing on a first come, first served basis.

Ryan Westmoreland stands next to the hole he produced in the wall at LeLacheur Park while breaking his clavicle. Photo courtesy of Lowell Spinners.

Thanks to the Lowell Spinners for sending the photo via Twitter (@LowellSpinners).

The Sox, according to a major-league source, made a concerted effort to acquire Chapman earlier this winter. The team made an offer to him in November (first reported by ESPN.com at $15.5 million — more than the record-breaking sum that No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg received when he signed with the Nationals).

But shortly after the Sox made that offer, Chapman changed agents, from Edwin Mejia to Hendricks Sports Management. The Sox pulled their offer when Chapman changed agents, and though the club sent an evaluator to watch the pitcher at a workout in Houston in mid-December, it never made another formal offer, according to the source.

While Boston recognized Chapman’s significant potential, the team also viewed him as a very high-risk investment. As such, given that the team had some questions about the pitcher’s makeup, arm action and aptitude — a relevant concern, since multiple major-league talent evaluators suggested that Chapman may be best suited to make his professional debut in the U.S. in High-A ball, and would require significant development in order to reach the majors — the Sox did not re-engage significantly in the bidding for the Cuban defector once it became clear that other clubs were going to offer far more than what Boston believed to be the pitcher’s value point.

For a scouting report on Chapman, click here.

As a result of the injury, Matsuzaka said, he relied more on the strength of his shoulder than his legs to generate power. He did not alert trainers to the condition, he said, because he did not want to create concern about his health.

“I didn’t tell the trainers. Fortunately, I was in charge of my own training, so if it started to hurt, I could adjust to not hurt myself,” said Matsuzaka, according to the Globe’s translation. “But pitching while hiding the injury was very difficult. Even when I didn’t feel the pain, my body was holding back because it sensed the danger. So, my pitching motion was more of standing straight up and throwing with my upper body, relying on my shoulder strength more than usual.”

Matsuzaka said that when he returned to the Red Sox after the WBC, his shoulder allowed him respectable fastball velocity, but the pitch continued to lack power without the benefit of his lower body.

“After my first stint on the DL in May, I was very hard on myself. Because I got plenty of rest, my shoulder was much stronger, so I could still get up there in velocity. But I couldn’t use my lower body well, and I could not use my full body to generate the power. My fastball was not effective, therefore I lost effectiveness of my other pitches,” he was quoted as saying. “In hindsight, it was impossible to continue faking the whole season, it was too much mental stress. But the Red Sox struggled a little bit in the beginning of the season so I wanted to help the team as much as I could.”

Matsuzaka went on to say that his improvement upon his return to the rotation in September was the byproduct of his thigh injury having healed, rather than the loss of weight. He also noted his gratitude that the team has now said that he can resume extended bullpen sessions between starts so long as shoulder strength tests indicate that he is fit for such an undertaking.

The pitcher concluded that he will try to make amends for his lost 2009 major-league season with a return to effectiveness in the coming year.

“I assure you that the (2010) season will be a great season. I am going to redeem what I lost in 2009,” the Globe quotes Matsuzaka as saying. “With my health back, I am confident and determined to produce this year. I will (try my best to) become world champion once again.”

Matsuzaka and the Red Sox clashed over the pitcher’s training methods during the past season, especially in the aftermath of the pitcher’s pronounced displeasure with the team’s program. But in the aftermath of that incident, the two sides had candid conversations that led to what was viewed as a mutual understanding about how to proceed going forward.

Matsuzaka has been working at Athletes’ Performance in Arizona to ensure that he is in top shape for the coming year. Agent Scott Boras acknowledged on Friday that the transition to Major League Baseball has not been without its challenges, but that, in the aftermath of the conversations that the pitcher had with the Sox last year, he is trying to adopt routines that will permit him to reproduce his success in the U.S.

“Daisuke is a major star in Japan. To come here and to take on the major leagues and the difference of it took time,” said Boras. “This year, he’s just making every effort now to make the transition to fit more than he has.”

Gammons, who moderated the discussion, opened by describing cross-culturalization in baseball and called the Mets and Red Sox the “two most progressive organizations in baseball.”

“Baseball has represented American integration patterns unlike any other sport from the 1870’s on,” the 2005 Hall of Fame honoree said. “People from other countries are coming in [and] assimilating into the sport the way they assimilate into [American] society.”

“Even though Manny Ramirez was born in the Dominican Republic and was raised in New York,”said Minaya, “being raised in Washington Heights is like being raised in the Dominican Republic in a lot of ways.”

Both the Red Sox and Mets have constructed facilities in the Dominican Republic that essentially serve as academies for the Dominican players, who sign with Major League clubs as young as age 16. The panel discussed the challenges faced by Latin American players as they attempt to learn a completely new lifestyle while also working to reach the majors.

“[The Mets] feel that we have a responsibility to that young player that we sign, [that] we have to educate the player,” said Minaya, a Dominican native who helped the Rangers sign Sammy Sosa while a scout in the 1980’s.

The Red Sox have made big splashes in Latin America, as they signed and groomed Hanley Ramirez from the Dominican Republic, and, more recently, landed highly touted defensive shortstop Jose Iglesias of Cuba, who Gammons said has been described as the best defensive shortstop some Major League scouts have ever seen.

Iglesias, who was given a four-year Major League deal worth $8.25 million over the summer, has put forth a significant effort to be comfortable in his new surroundings when he arrives at Spring Training.

“We can’t expect him to step right into a level that might be justified by his natural talent and athletic ability,” Epstein said. “There’s going to be a longer cultural assimilation process.”

In an effort to give Iglesias a Cuban mentor with big-league experience, the team gave Alex Ochoa, who was an assistant coach for Boston in 2009, a new “multi-disciplinary” role that will help him ease Iglesias’ transition. Upon the two meeting, Epstein said it was discovered that “Jose had done more to prepare himself for his adjustment than [the Red Sox] had” and that he has taken to things such as American history and being a professional baseball player.

Latin Americans aren’t the only ones who have encountered significant cultural changes since inking contracts with the Red Sox. The identification of the Latin player’s departure from their comfort zone has led American-born players to the Dominican Republic.

“Imagine yourself moving to the Dominican and taking a job where you’re competing against other Dominicans and not knowing the language and not knowing how to get around, not knowing how to eat,” Cherington said. “Imagine doing your job in that environment and having to compete on an even playing field with people who did know how to get around, did know the language. That’s what we’re asking these players to do, so you have to take their performance for a certain period of time [and] put that in context of the things that we’re asking them to do and the pressures. It really does have to be a longer-range commitment.”

Kalish himself doesn’t need his imagination to take him to an unfamiliar situation in Latin America, as he was in the first group of American players sent by the Red Sox to the Dominican instructional league in 2006.

Such efforts are to be expected from a Red Sox organization that Gammons described as being a “shining light” for international development, but they, like the Dominican facility, are just some of the strides that have been made since they recognized the old approach as outdated.

“Our expectation previously had been, ‘Alright, we’re going to take these [Latin American players] and try to get them to understand how to act like kids from the states,’ and that was really only a small piece of it,” said Cherington. “Our flaw was we didn’t understand. Our American players need to understand what these guys are going through, what these guys are all about too. That was the start of the idea of sending the guys down to the Dominican.”

Epstein identified the issue of “losing” the Latin American player early in his development, which strides such as the Dominican facility have worked to prevent.

“If you took an equally talented 18-year-old who had graduated from an American high school and had been drafted, and [a similar] Dominican Republican signee [that] had the same tools, the same ability, the same type of makeup, and then put them in Rookie ball, and then expect them to go to advanced short-season ball the year after that, then Low A ball, and then High A ball the year after that, I think we found as an organization that we were losing the Latin American player, Epstein said. “It wouldn’t be an obvious thing. It wouldn’t be something that was patent, it was just that by the time they got to High A ball or Double A, the American player was thriving. In the Latin American player, we would start to see things in the scouting report, like, ‘Well, we’re just not sure how committed to the game he is,’ or, ‘We’re not sure what kind of baseball instincts this player has,’ or, ‘We don’t think this player takes coaching very well.’

“When you start to see that pattern over and over and over again, you realize it’s complete inequity,” Epstein added. “It’s not fair, there’s something inherent in the process that we’re not doing to reach the Latin American player. We’re not providing him the same opportunity that we’re providing the American player. And so the problem is not with the makeup of the Latin American player; it’s the opposite. It’s that we’re not doing what we can to provide a level playing field. I think our challenge as an organization has been to level the playing field.”

While many big-name players have emerged from the Dominican Republic, the highly touted athletes often are kept out of baseball games and kept in training facilities, thus explaining the tendency of Dominican prospects to be more raw than most minor-leaguers. Buscones, which are similar to agents in the Dominican Republic, take the talented children (as young as 10 years old, according to Minaya and Epstein) and have them fine-tune their stills through drills. This hinders their baseball thinking so much that Epstein recalled a player that the Red Sox had given $500,000 to that they soon realized did not understand what a force out was. The team now makes every effort to put international players through simulated game sitatuations before committing financially.

The general managers also spoke of the added pressure placed on players who leave their home countries for a shot at the majors. The misconception in third-world nations that all American baseball players are well-off makes it that much tougher for the first-year players to provide for families that may be in dire need of financial support.

“Once that player signs that bonus, he is the hope of that whole family,” Minaya said. “He may be the hope of that whole neighborhood. You may be in Rookie-ball, but they think you’re a major-leaguer.”

Minaya pointed to Sammy Sosa with the Texas Rangers as an example. After signing for $3,500 and immediately sending a third of it home, the young outfielder tried to salvage as much as he could in an effort to continue to provide for his family.

“We were going down to the Dominican Republic and all Sammy wanted [was] an advance so he could get a refrigerator for his mother,” Minaya said. “In this day and age the bonuses are much more, the education level is much [higher], but the pressures are still the same.”

“There’s even more pressure now because the thinking is that all these guys [are] millionaires. [They have] no health care, a terrible work force, pressure of competing. It’s better now [than how it was for Sosa] because of the facilities that are being provided, but the pressures are still there.”

Though some segregation exists among younger players (the Spanish-speaking players generally stick together in minor-league clubhouses), American players of Latino descent, such as Delcarmen and Arroyo, have a unique dynamic with their teammates at the early stages of their development. Arroyo himself laughed when recounting a 1995 experience in the rookie league in which players were surprised that the player with one of the more Spanish-sounding names walked in “looking like the whitest kid going.”

Because his father is Cuban, the bilingual Arroyo had a better understanding of the culture and found himself fitting in across multiple groups that seemingly did not get along in the minors.

“All the Latin guys stuck together and they really didn’t trust anyone else,” Arroyo said. “The white guys didn’t trust the Latin guys, the Latin guys didn’t trust the white guys, and that was the mentality.”

Delcarmen could see where Arroyo was coming from, as the Hyde Park native was thrown into a pool of Americans and Dominicans after being drafted in the second round by the Red Sox in 2000.

“It was tough for me [after being drafted] just because [I was a] Dominican born in Boston [and] all the American guys were like ‘Alright, so if we get into a fight with the Dominicans, what side are you going to be on?”

After the discussion concluded, Mike O’Malley emceed an auction that raised over $20,000.

Other things of note that came out of the event:

-Following the discussion, Theo Epstein made nothing of Jonathan Papelbon’s comments regarding the team.

“I had no idea we got [John] Lackey until [trainer Mike] Reinold came down to see me, just a few days ago,” Papelbon told ESPNBoston last week, also noting that he was unaware of the acquisitions of Adrian Beltre and Mike Cameron. “”I swear to you. I don’t know anything about the ballclub,” the closer said.

Epstein said that he hadn’t spoken to Papelbon recently but that his comments in no way effect the organization.

-Staying with the theme of international players, a young fan asked Epstein about Aroldis Chapman. Epstein told the fan that the team had worked the Cuban left-hander out with John Farrell and Terry Francona in attendance.

-The RISO foundation announced the Peter Gammons scholarship, a four-year college scholarship that will be given to four Boston public school students. City Council President Michael P. Ross then declared the day “Peter Gammons Day” and former Boston Herald writer and founding HSCM member Jeff Horrigan backed it with an address from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. After Gammons received the multiple honors, Paul Epstein notified him that “President Obama is going to come out now and give you his Nobel Peace Prize.”

-Minaya recounted taking his Latin American players to an American supermarket while coaching in the GCL. Minaya said that the players hadn’t seen anything like the clean grocery stores, so he let them learn things on their own. The next morning he found the team laughing uncontrollably because a player, in an attempt to make a tuna fish sandwich, had bought and eaten cat food tuna. “That player,” Minaya said with a smile, “happened to be Sammy Sosa.”

-The panel and those in attendance had an uncomfortable laugh when Minaya, while discussing recent big-name free agents being from outside the US, stopped for a few seconds. After making a half-frightened face, the Mets GM took a breath and said “I’m going to bring up Jason Bay.” Epstein and Cherington were among those laughing as Minaya apologized for the turn the conversation had taken.

The injury, which took place in the early days of September, required season-ending surgery, from which Westmoreland is expected to make a full recovery. The outfielder hopes that the injury will soon be forgotten.

Even so, the crash that caused it is unlikely to disappear from memory anytime soon. That is inevitable, given the accounts (disputed by some) that suggested that Westmoreland ran through the fence in left-center at LeLacheur Park in Lowell while making a phenomenal grab.

“I ran into the wall. I was out cold, so I don’t remember if I ran through it,” said Westmoreland, who was in Boston on Saturday for the New Stars for Young Stars event, a fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund that introduces minor-leaguers to Red Sox fans. “But the next day I went out there and there was a hole in the left-field wall, and it was right around where I hit. I kind of put it together. I left my mark, I guess you could say.”

Yes, he hears references to “The Natural” with frequency. Even so, Westmoreland has no interest in being known as the next Bump Bailey (a character in the Natural whose death while running through a wall opened the door for Roy Hobbs, or Rodney McCray, the minor leaguer who became famous for running through a wall preceding an undistinguished big-league career in which he had just 15 plate appearances.

Towards that end, Westmoreland has been very pleased with the course of his rehab, in which he’s been strengthening both shoulders (his left for this year’s broken clavicle, and his right as he is 14 months removed from surgery to repair his labrum). Next week, he will head to Fort Myers to continue his rehab and begin baseball activities. He anticipates no limitations by the start of the season.

“Everything feels really good,” Westmoreland said. “I should be 100 percent by spring training.”

There, Westmoreland hopes to build on what was a phenomenal first full professional season. He hit .296 with a .401 OBP, .484 slugging mark, .885 OPS, seven homers and 19 steals without getting caught once. Given the weather-induced limits of playing high-school ball in New England, the Rhode Island native was pleasantly surprised by how he was able to handle both an expanded schedule and a higher level of competition than what he’d experienced as an amateur.

“I never really knew how to play everyday. A 75-game schedule is a lot different than a 20-game schedule in high school. The first couple weeks were tough physically, mentally trying to keep myself there. But I think I settled in the last three-quarters of the season,” said Westmoreland. “The first week or so of the season, I was kind of nervous. I’d never really seen college pitchers. But I think I adjusted and ended up putting up pretty good numbers. It was really motivating for me knowing that I could compete at that level.”

The accolades were far reaching. Scouts and talent evaluators raved about him, suggesting that his far-reaching skill set — an advanced plate approach and knowledge of the strike zone, power, speed in both the outfield and on the bases, good routes and a strong arm — bore some resemblance to that of a superstar centerfielder like Grady Sizemore. He was named the top prospect in the Red Sox system by Baseball America.

“It’s a great honor,” said Westmoreland, “but it really doesn’t mean anything unless I produce.”

Naturally, such hype made it inevitable that his name would emerge in trade rumors. There is little doubt, after all, that other teams would love to acquire such a player. He has already heard his name brought up in trade rumors for players such as Roy Halladay and Adrian Gonzalez.

Westmoreland — who grew up rooting for the Red Sox — would like to remain in the organization. But he recognizes that little good can come of concerning himself with trade rumors.

“It would be great to get to Boston because I’ve been a Red Sox fan my whole life. It would definitely be a special experience. At the same time, I’m still fighting for a spot. Being from New England doesn’t help me in any way or hurt me,” said Westmoreland. “Really, I don’t deal with [rumors]. I kind of just let it happen. I get text messages and calls all the time, and I just say, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.’ I just tried to focus on the offseason, get stronger. If something happens, it happens. I try to block all that stuff out, because if I let it get to me, especially if it’s in the season, it’s going to affect the way I play. That’s exactly not what I want to do.”

Instead, Westmoreland is focused on the 2010 season, which will offer him his first experience with a full-season affiliate. He will play in Single-A, away from home, most likely in Greenville of the South Atlantic League. It is a challenge that the 19-year-old takes seriously.

“This is going to be my first full season. That’s going to be a big thing,” said Westmoreland. “I’m really looking for it. This season, 70 games was long for me, but I think I’m ready. I’ve been preparing all offseason because I know I’m probably going to get in a full-season situation. I’ve been trying to prepare myself physically and mentally.”