@JeffPassan: #Yankees, #RedSox, #Tigers looking at the smartest man in baseball, #A’s LHR Craig Breslow. Better vs. RHH (.576 OPS) than LHH (.678 OPS).

Breslow is an intriguing option for all of the teams listed by Passan. Like the OPS numbers says he’s been pretty darn effective. Here are some additional numbers thou. He has a 3.06 ERA over 44 and 2/3 innings, with a 4-2 record. He’s also exhibited a good sense of control, with the ability to punch hitters out, he’s averaging 3.4 BB and 9.4 K per nine innings.

There’s another thing that makes Breslow interesting and it’s not his stats, it’s the money. Breslow’s 2010 salary is only $425,000 and he’s under team control until 2013. So whomever trades for him will have him under control for a few years.

There is one downside to Breslow thou. Personally, I’d consider him more of a one or two batter specialist then a pitcher you’d trust pitching the entire seventh or eighth inning. He’s pretty much lights out with the bases empty but his numbers get much worse when a runner is on base. Even worse? Hitters are at their best against him with runners in scoring position AND two outs. When he comes in with a man on base there is a 23% chance the runner scores (5 out of 22) ,pretty much in line with his 22% career average.

I don’t know if I’m a contender that’s one thing that would scare me.

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Out of the three teams listed by Passan, I’d say the New York Yankees would make the most interest for Breslow’s services. He’s a lefty, something the Bombers sorely need in their bullpen. Their only option is Boone Logan and he’s well just not that good.

One thing is for sure here, Athletics General Manager Billy Beane will expect something of value in return. Breslow isn’t the greatest reliever but is very effective. More importantly, with him under team control for a couple seasons and at an affordable rate, Beane should be able to acquire a mid-level prospect out of one of these contenders.

Yes, it will hurt them big time not having the 2008 MVP Winner on the field (no matter the length) but they should get him back sooner then expected. If the foot was indeed broken and needed surgery he would of easily missed six to eight weeks. With tonight’s news the timetable should be more around the four to six week mark.

In the meantime, Boston will go with a combination of Bill Hall and Eric Patterson at second base. Um ya all I can think is Red Sox pitchers better come up huge the next month.

Regardless Red Sox Nation should be pleased with tonight’s news.

“Obviously we’re thrilled to add Rocco and his experience and what he can bring to our young players,” Vice President Andrew Friedman said. “We think he’ll be a tremendous asset for us. And he looks better in blue.”

While Baldelli is taking a role as an assistant he doesn’t plan on retiring from the game just yet. There was rumored to plenty of interest in the outfielder this offseason but no deal materialized. It’s most likely because of his injury history and his current shoulder issue which he suffered in the second half of the 2009 season. “”I do have a shoulder issue that I’m dealing with right now,” he said. “It’s something … I need to address it, just because I don’t want to walk around in pain any more. It’s something that affects my ability to play, so it’s something that I have to take care.”

It’s really unfortunate that this once promising prospects career has been hampered by injury after injury but at least he’s not running away from the game, as we’ve seen to many players just disappear after injuries shortened their careers. It’s great to see Baldelli want to stay in baseball and give back to the younger players in the organization, while he attempts to work his way back.

“I’m going to have fun with it,” Baldelli said. “I think I’m going to have fun being out on the field again and having the Rays jersey on and going out and trying to do anything I can to help the young players in the organization. I don’t think I’d want to do it in any other organization than this. I feel this is my second home.”

I really hope Baldelli can get his shoulder issue taken care of and make his way back to the bigs once again. He’ll never be the .300 hitter with blazing speed that he once was but he could still be a productive fourth outfielder if he can get healthy.

In the meantime, hopefully the youngsters take his advice as he was once a very productive major league starter.

Apparently team doctors felt his knee was in worse shape then the player did, so the Sox reduced the offer from four years to two years. Bay obviously declined the new offer as he felt he was fine physically.

Disagreements like this and the one between Carlos Beltran and the New York Mets have Gammons pretty hot. He suggests that the league should have an independent medical staff in place for situations like this.

Here’s a video of Gammons discussing the situation.

I happen to agree with Gammons, there needs to be an independent third party to deal with medical situations like this.

In my opinion, team doctors will always look out for the ones that pay them first, even when teams request another organizations doctor to take a look at a player. Just like a players personal doctor will always look out for his bests interest.

The only way to keep these issues from becoming more common is for Bud Selig and his office to step in and take charge. I’ve never been a fan of the commish but he has done some good for the game and this could be another thing he could add to his profile.

“They’ve asked me if I think I could play shortstop,” Pedroia says. “They’ve put it out there and I’ve told them I’m all for it. I can do it. I can’t wait for Tito [Terry Francona] to call me and ask, ‘Can you do it?’ I can do it. I really want to do it.”

First, Pedroia has experience at short, its not like the Red Sox are going to ask him to learn a new position. Dustin was an all-American shortstop when playing at Arizona State and still takes ground balls at the position throughout the season. Pedroia was initially a shortstop in the Sox organization but had to move to second base because of one Hanley Ramirez. He was pretty damn good there too, only seven errors in 184 games.

Second, the free agent market for shortstops is horrendous. The Sox have struggled to find a competent shortstop for years and if they rely on free agency they’ll continue to struggle. The best options? Orlando Caberera, Marco Scutaro, Miguel Tejada and Adam Everett (whom the Sox have already contacted). The first three, Cabrera and Tejada aren’t even legitimate options in my opinion as both are aging players, will command a fairly high salary which may not be worth what they provide.

So moving Pedroia who can hit and play defense over to short could make some sense. Even more so when you look at the available second baseman. In free agency you have Orlando Hudson, Mark DeRosa, Placido Polanco, Adam Kennedy and Felipe Lopez. When you go deeper and look at those available via trade it makes even more sense.

There have been rumors of Dan Uggla and Brandon Phillips are available in the right trade. Both of those players would be perfect fits in the Red Sox lineup and on the field. Uggla would provide the power Big Papi has been calling for, while Phillips could provide even more speed, some pop and solid defense.

Unfortunately the move isn’t official yet, the Red Sox have only approached Dustin about the idea. But its actually a damn good idea and one the Sox should give some serious, very serious consideration too. Out of all the rumors in Red Sox Nation this off season, this one makes the most sense. It’s the one that could and should improve the team the most.

In addition to that it adds even more intrigue to the New York / Boston rivalry.

“When the idea of moving back to shortstop was floated to me, I welcomed it,” Pedroia says. “I’m excited. Tell Derek [Jeter] to enjoy the gold glove and silver slugger awards while he can. Obviously, I’m not serious about the fun I have with Derek, but I’m never stopping believing in the goal. I believe I can play shortstop and help get the Red Sox back where they belong.”

I love Pedroia’s excitement, he’s one of the few Sox players I actually do like. Much like Jeter he plays the game the right way and gives it the respect it deserves. Seeing the heart of both teams play the same position and compete for the same awards, the same starting All-Star spot would be exciting. It would add just another wrinkle to the best rivalry in sports.

But here’s the only thing I don’t like. What the hell does Dustin mean get the Sox back where they belong? In my opinion, the 2010 season put the Sox back where they belong. In second place and watching the greatest franchise in sports history win another championship.

So sorry Dustin, but you’ve already brought the Sox back to where they belong.

The duo reports that general manager Theo Epstein is entertaining offers for Lowell. Actually, he’s calling around to see if anyone his willing to take him. Supposedly, Boston is so desperate to trade him they’re willing to pay up to half of his $12 million salary.

Unfortunately for them I don’t see how any team would be willing to make that deal. Any team that trades with the Sox probably wouldn’t have to give up anything of value but still who’d want an over-rated, washed up major leaguer at $6 million.

A rival executive told FOXSports that he’d be surprised if the Sox would find anyone to pay him $6 million. I’d agree.

Red Sox Nation would argue that Lowell is still productive, just look at his stats. To a point they’re correct, he batted .290 with 17 homers, 75 rbis and 29 doubles. Once you look at his splits thou you realize he’s washed up.

Playing in the hitter friendly Fenway park he went .307 with 12 homers, 45 rbis and 20 of those doubles. On the road? .276 with 5 homers, 30 rbis and 9 doubles. What makes those numbers even worse? He had 47 more at bats on the road then at home.

So yea he can still hit when in the friendly confines of Fenway but outside of it, he’s not worth shit.

He used to be one of the better defenders in the league but rated as one of MLB’s worst at third base this past season due to his decreased range. So basically, what team would be willing to pay around $6 million for someone who can’t hit and can’t field? Not sure. Baltimore maybe?

It’s no surprise thou that Boston is going to such drastic levels to try and trade the guy. If they want to add Gonzalez they’re going to have to cut a little payroll somewhere and trading Lowell would do that. Trading Lowell would also prevent the Sox from having to put Youkilis in left, a position he can play but they’d prefer he not.

I applaud Epstein for trying to make some changes but he’s going to have to get more creative if he wants Lowell to disappear.

“Nothing will happen by day’s end, but we’ll keep talking,” Bay’s agent Joe Urbon said.

Really its no surprise that Bay turned down the offer, a player of his caliber has to test the open market. Sox GM Theo Epstein was actually not surprised that their offer was turned down. “It’s not a surprise that a player that’s gone this far wants to see what’s out there,” said Epstein.

To me this says Theo likes Bay more then Holliday. It’s purely speculative but if a team has an opening at a position and the need to improve, one would assume they’d go after the best possible player. Holliday is better then Bay, so one would also assume that the Sox would go after him first.

By attempting to resign Bay tells me that the Sox may not be as high on Holliday as many believe. Or it could simply mean they’d rather keep a player who succeeded and use the extra money elsewhere.

The Sox will focus on Holliday now but I’m sure Theo will have Urbon on speed dial, just to see if Bay wants to come back.

Let’s first look at the two teams that have already bowed out, then the other teams that are still in the running.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - GM Tony Reagins told the Los Angeles Times that his team is not focused on Holliday, they’re more interested in resigning their own players, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. He also says they’ve had discussions with Vladimir Guerrero. If he can’t resign those three guys then things could obviously change, but it shows that Holliday is not at the top of their wish list.

I’m actually not surprised. If the Angels were to hit the free agent market their biggest need is a power bat. Outside of Kendry Morales the Angels lacked the type of player who can change a game in one swing of the bat. They’re a team that has to rely on their speed and timely hitting to make things happen, which is something they do quite well. But like they showed in the playoffs, that’s just not enough. You need that one bat who can change a game. Can Holliday be that kind of player?

The jury is still out. While in Colorado he put up the power numbers, but that’s no surprise. Between Oakland and St. Louis this past season he hit only 24 homers. He did hit .313, had a high on base percentage and could steal a few bases but he doesn’t really answer what the Angels need. If in a bind they may reenter the race but in all honesty I think they’ll keep Scott Boras on speed dial just to keep their east coast rivals honest.

New York Yankees – Much like Reagins, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has already said his team is focused on it’s own players. (Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte). After the huge spending spree last season who can blame them? There are two reasons I don’t think they’ll truly get involved. One they don’t have many holes and two there is a huge free agent class next winter. After winning the championship they can afford to go with what they got for one season. Look for them to stay in the race thou as well, just to keep the Red Sox honest.

I really believe the Holliday Sweepstakes to be a three team race, just a completely different group then Morosi suggested. In my opinion the teams with the best chances at landing him are the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and of course the Red Sox.

For the New York Mets, their main need is a power bat in reality they need any warm bodies they can get. For them I believe it will come down to what they favor most, all around production or pure power. If it’s power only then I think he’ll be giving Jason Bay a call, but if it’s all around they’ll be going all-in on Holliday. They’ve always got some money to spend and spending it on Matt could be their best decision since trading for Johan Santana.

Landing Holliday will also give the Mets something they really need, good publicity. A signing like that would allow them to steal the back pages from the World Champs for a couple days.

Boston Red Sox – For the Red Sox, I think it will also come down to who they favor more, Bay or Holliday. Jason was amazing in Boston the last couple years, showing a real feel for hitting in Fenway. His average at home is slightly above his season averages but his power numbers are slightly lower at home then on the road. Regardless, he showed he can perform in Beantown and that the pressure of such a place won’t get to him.

And that is the thing I think really separates him from Holliday. I have no doubts Holliday could perform well iin Fenway, actually at a much higher level then Bay BUT can he handle the pressure? While in Oakland he struggled mightily, part of it could of been learning the pitchers in a new league but there was also pressure on him there to produce. Once he was traded to St. Louis and he could be an accessory to Albert Pujols he took off.

I think Theo Epstein will push really hard for Holliday, while keeping Bay on the backburner if things fall through. Is that the right decision? Not sure, but the Sox really need to make some type of splash this off season and Matt would definitely help them do so.

The St. Louis Cardinals are in a unique position. Holliday loved playing there and performed admirably during his time, but is that enough to overcome the money factor. With Boras as his agent, I’d say probably not BUT it could be enough if top teams in baseball keep bowing out of the race.

The Cardinals have already admitted they won’t cut the biggest check so they’ll need to get creative. To have a real chance at keeping the slugger I think they’ll have to bypass Boras and go straight to the player. They need John Mozeliak, Tony La Russa and probably a few players to keep giving Matt a call and persuade him St. Louis is where he wants to be. Get in his head, get in there enough to where he tells Boras I’ll take slightly less to play with these guys.

Will that happen? Probably not.

So what do I think will happen? I’m not sure at all. The Yankees and Angels say they aren’t interested but you can never count them out. In the end it will come down to money as it always does with star players but I have a feeling Matt will be staying in the National League. He looked more comfortable at the plate, in the field and in the dugout after his short stint in Oakland and the AL.

If there really is that much of a difference between the leagues for him, he’s got to weigh that in to his decision. If not he could be setting himself up for failure by going back to the American League.

The Red Sox began the off season by making another trade with the Florida Marlins. This time acquiring outfielder Jeremy Hermida (.259-13-47) for pretty much nothing at all. The real moves for the Sox thou began today.

First, The Sox picked up Victor Martinez’s $7.1 million option for 2010. While V-Mart wasn’t anything special defensively he provided what the team needed. He provided some energy and sorely needed offensive punch. He batted .336 with 8 homers and 41 rbis in just 56 games in Boston. This move was an absolute no brainer for general manager Theo Epstein.

Next up was what do with their other catcher Jason Varitek. The captain had been on a steady offensive and defensive decline over the past seasons, but this year he took a steep decline. Even losing playing time to Martinez behind the plate. For the season, Tek batted only .209 with 14 homers and 51 rbis. The team held a $5 million option for 2010, take a guess what they did?

That’s right they made another no brainer move and told the Captain they won’t be retaining his services. Luckily for Tek he also holds a player option of $3 million this year, so he could still be playing in Fenway next year. He’s got five days to make his decision, my guess is that he’ll accept as he won’t make much more then that on the open market (if he even gets an offer that high).

Tim Wakefield was another play the team had to make a decision on. His option called for the knuckle baller to make $4 million in 2010 if accepted. The team did not pick up the option but the two sides did agree on a new contract. The two sides agreed on a two-year deal worth a combined $5 million. In 2010, he’ll make $3.5 million and make $1.5 million more in 2011 at the age of 45. With incentives he could make up to $2 million more.

Wake missed time at the end of year, even having surgery for a herniated disk in his back this past month. How quickly he recovers and even how effective he could be at his age is a big question. Regardless it lets the Sox keep a rubber arm at a very cheap rate.

In other news today, the Sox also declined the $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Alex was very productive in his short time in Boston, hitting 5 homers with 15 rbis and a .284 average in 44 games. Much more then any other shortstop could do for the Sox in 2009. This is the one who move that makes me scratch my head a bit. The price tag may be a little high but Boston doesn’t have many other options at the position. It’ll be interesting to see what Epstein does to address the position as Jed Lowrie is not the answer.

Nick Green and Joey Gathright also became free agents after the Sox outrighted them off the 40-man roster.

Like I said earlier the Sox have gotten off to a quick start this off season. It’s not really a surprise either, they had no choice after their poor showing for most of the 2009 season and the playoffs. The moves today seemed more design at cleaning up loose ends and freeing up some payroll for some big ticket items.

Those being Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and possibly a pitcher like John Lackey. The Sox are setting themselves up for a big offseason and I’m sure we’ll be hearing the organizations name a lot during this weeks General Manager Meetings.

Normally, I don’t like to get in to the talk shit part of the rivalry, but some times that “Nation” makes ya do it.

Enjoy while it’s still available.