2009 Offseason: Baldelli hopeful, Cash non-tendered

Rocco Baldelli, a talented right-handed hitting outfielder from Rhode Island, would make an excellent addition as a fourth outfielder, but the Red Sox have hesitated to sign him, as he was diagnosed with a rare mitochondrial disorder which may severely limit his playing time. Now it seems that the diagnosis is not as bad as initially thought, and Baldelli is drawing interest from several teams. He is an athletic defender who can play all three outfield spots and hit with some power. I project him to hit roughly .262/.303/.462 in 2009.

Arbitration-eligible backup catcher Kevin Cash was non-tendered last week, making him a free agent. The catching situation is quite fluid at this point, but it seems clear that there will be one veteran and one youngster on the Major League squad sharing time. Cashie doesn’t hit enough to fit into this plan; however, don’t be surprised if the Sox pick him up again on a minor league deal so they can stash him away at Pawtucket in case of injury. He is familiar with many of the Boston pitchers already, and has valuable experience with Tim Wakefield, in particular.

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