12eight

But in the meantime, here are further tales of wonder and woe from the 'Theo's Song' saga. We'd already heard public comments from Sox players over Theo's departure - the players as a whole seemed to really love the guy and from all indications, several knew exactly what was happening from our dear departed GM's perspective. Now, from SoSH, comes further proof of this, as Curt Schilling - in two comments - essentially confirms the current thinking over this botched deal. The first came Thursday:


Then, after being challenged somewhat on the board, Schilling responded yesterday to a post that alluded he had no inside info:


Wow. So, obviously to be taken with a grain of salt, I think... Schilling does have that tendency to talk out of turn a little to often to be believed hook line and sinker. But even with a bag of salt, this effectively closes this discussion. Theo had reservations about the job, and reservations about what he saw going on in the FO, but was willing to put up with it for another three years, provided that he could at least maintain a level of trust and feel he had unwavering support. The Shaughnessy column was a vehicle for information that proved to Theo that he did not have that, and he walked.

Given that, I think I'm ready to call this the end of the story, or at least this part of the story. Kudos, by the way, to the Herald; I generally despise that paper, but on this issue they were 100% dead on.

Also, regardless of one's feelings about the guy, you've got to love that Schilling is willing to get on a high-profile board like SoSH and drop bombs like this, which target both ownership and local media. Ah the power of a guaranteed contract and one of the 3 or 4 most emblematic moments in Red Sox history, I guess...

New Job: Check.
New Apartment: Check.
New GM: ...

D'oh.

While we recoop from Theo's departure, it should be noted that Sox players have been picking up some hardware.  Jason Varitek today won his first Gold Glove award for outstanding defense at his position; yesterday, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek took home Silver Sluggers as the best hitters at their respective positions in the American League.  Earlier in the week, David Ortiz was honored as this year's AL Hank Aaron Award winner for the league's best offensive performance.  Congratulations to all named.

After protracted negotiations that the media turned into a tense siege, Theo Epstein has signed his name to a new three-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $4-4.5 million total.  I don't think these negotiations ever got as bad as they were portrayed; these were, after all, two lawyers and two businessmen known for their savvy in negotiation.  I would have been surprised if these talks hadn't been a bit hairy, given that; add the Lucchino-Epstein mentor/mentee relationship into the mix and the competition gets even more intense.  Hell, I still remember the first day I ever beat my father in a footrace.  I freaked out, and there wasn't even a multi-million dollar paycheck at the finish line.

So, offseason priority 1 is out of the way.  Now, we move to offseason priorities 2-8, which are, in this order:

2) Find a center fielder;
2a) Find a leadoff hitter;
3) Figure out who will play first (Ortiz? Nixon? Konerko? Youkilis? A trade?);
3a) Figure out who plays third (only applicable if Youkilis isn't the answer to #3, and if the Sox choose to let go of Bill Mueller);
4) Find a bullpen;
5) Pick a 2B; Cora's under contract, and Graffanino isn't but could be for very little money.  Pedroia is waiting; will he get a shot at the job in ST?
6) Trade David Wells (current rumor is Wells to SD for Brian Lawrence and Akinori Otsuka, to which my response is 'yes please')
7) Decide on a course for Papelbon, who arrived a half-year earlier than he was likely scheduled to - does he start '06 in the pen with a cheap FA starter (or Lawrence, as above), or do they give Paps the 5th spot out of the gate?  Will there be a Spring Training battle?
8) Be very very careful who you protect and who you don't on the 40-man - Boston finally has a bunch of desirable prospects, and I'd rather not lose any of them to Tampa Bay for $50,000.  Unless that money is coming to me personally.  Which it isn't.

There's other stuff, but I said 8 and I'm sticking to it even though I completely pulled that number out of my ass and there are two extra things there anyway.  Now if you'll excuse me, I must be vewwy vewwy quiet.  I'm hunting apartments.