Sox sign Rocky Cherry

The Red Sox announced yesterday that they have signed right-handed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league contract. He’s got a great name, but isn’t known for much more than that. He throws a fastball around 90 mph and complements that with a slider, and has been with several clubs as a depth reliever.

On a side note, this is an interesting tidbit: Jason Varitek is changing his batting stance from the left side this year. Dave Magadan is having him drop the familiar toe tap when he gets ready to hit. Anything should be an improvement, right?

2009 Spring Training: Penny makes first start, Smoltz throws bullpen

Brad Penny threw three strong innings this week in his first Spring starting assignment, and was able to work at 100 percent without discomfort or fatigue. Penny touched 95 mph on the radar gun, and was able to break off some offspeed stuff without any issues. He ended up retiring 9 of the 10 men he faced, only walking Gary Sheffield in the first. This is really good news for the Sox.

Goodbye Curt, hello Cooperstown

Curt Schilling announced his retirement from baseball this week, after toying around with the idea of making a half-season comeback attempt in 2009. Thanks for everything, and best of luck to you.

The State of the Sox 2009

It’s time again for our yearly look at the Red Sox organization, to assess the overall health of the franchise and gauge its future prospects. Right now, things look pretty rosy.

2009 Spring Training: Bard cut, injury progress report

Somewhat surprisingly, the Red Sox cut catcher Josh Bard this week, preventing his non-guaranteed contract from vesting for 2009. Instead of paying Bard $1.7M, the Sox owe him just $283k. As a direct result, 26-year old catcher George Kottaras (who will make the Major League minimum salary) appears to be penciled in as Tim Wakefield’s personal catcher and Jason Varitek’s backup on Opening Day. That is probably due to him being out of Major League options; however, should he struggle, the Sox will not hesitate to designate him in favor of Dusty Brown, who is seen as a better defensive option.

2009 Spring Training: Lester inks a 5-year deal

Lefty pitcher Jon Lester has reportedly agreed to a 5-year, $30M extension with the Boston Red Sox. The deal buys out Lester’s arbitration years and two years of free agency (which also happen to be a pitcher’s typical peak seasons), and there is also a one-year team option for $13M. If finalized, this would be the largest deal ever given to a pitcher with just two-years of experience.

2009 Spring Training: Links

Good news on the injury front – Mike Lowell could take the field in two weeks, he says. That means he’ll be ready to go probably within a week of Opening Day, and maybe on the day.