12eight

So, things have been pretty quiet at 12eight for the last few days.  This is in part because I'm busy as hell; I'm now about a week away from starting a new job, and am hurling headfirst into an apartment search.  I've also been working on the new site, and it's coming along quite nicely.  I'm expecting to be able to fully move over there in a matter of days, preferably before my first day at the new place of employ.  There are some entertaining new features, and a couple experiments I'm trying out to see what happens. 

None of that, however, is to say that there has been no news.  The biggest today, at least in the baseball world (and discounting Patrick Fitzgerald's colorful baseball analogy that compared Scooter Libby to Pedro v. Posada) came from the Sox front office.  The Theo-watch continued, though word today was that the sides were nearing an agreement; I'm not at all stunned, and really didn't think all this was going to turn out to be a big deal anyway.  These were, after all, two parties quite skillful at negotiation, not to mention that no matter how many stories Tony Massarotti or Bob Ryan or Sean McAdam wrote, it was pretty plain that not a single one of them knew any more about the situation than you or I.  So, now, it appears that the Sox and their star GM have reached - or are approaching - a workable middle ground on whatever previously separated them, whether it was money or chain of command.  In either case, let's hope this gets settled tomorrow so that Theo can get back in the business of building the 2006 team.

There was, however, one notable departure from Yawkey Way today, as Josh Byrnes was announced as the new GM of the Arizona Diamondbacks.  It's an interesting job for Byrnes, as he inherits a weak MLB club with an outstanding farm system (at least as far as position players are concerned).  Word is he will be replaced internally, by current Assistant to the GM Jed Hoyer.

Two Sox players officially filed for free agency today, and they're the two that I'd least expect to see back in a Boston uniform next year.  Kevin Millar, who will likely not even be offered arbitration, and Bill Mueller, who has likely already reached an agreement with the Sox that will see him turn down any arbitration offer in favor of a new contract with a West Coast Club (Padres?  Dodgers?).  The move drastically reduces our number of Miller-variations, as well as leaving openings for corner IF positions.  3B will almost certainly be filled by Kevin Youkilis, but 1B is a major question mark.

Finally, it also appears that the Sox are growing close to a deal that would bring back 2005 relief ace Mike Timlin, on either a one or two year contract.  Timlin would be even more valuable in a Sox pen that promises to feature no small number of rookie or young arms; Timlin is effectively an additional bullpen coach, and his presence is arguably as important to the bullpen as Varitek's is to the team.

So that's about that.  Once the new site is completed, I'll announce it and post a link over there.  Once it's up, I'll start my own in-depth offseason analysis, whatever that may turn out to be.