Buster Olney made an appearance on WEEI earlier today and sounds pretty confident that Johnny Damon will end up with the Red Sox when all is said and done.

Olney said that he expects that, despite Damon’s initial misgivings about returning to the Red Sox (who were awarded a waiver claim of the outfielder on Monday), he will be convinced to return to the team for whom he became an icon from 2002-05 and then a villain while a member of the Yankees from 2006-09.

“Knowing what kind of a teammate he is, knowing that he’s a good guy, a genial guy, once he starts getting the text messages and phone calls from the people he played with in Boston, I think he’ll be sold on the idea eventually of going back to Boston,” said Olney. “It’s fairly clear he has some hurt feelings about how it ended when he signed with the Yankees. I think the one thing those guys are probably going to tell him is, look, if you come back, the first time he gets in the batter’s box, let’s say on Friday night in Tampa Bay and all those Red Sox fans are at the Trop, they’re going to give him an ovation. They’re not going to boo him.

“And we know this, too: No matter when he comes back, a reunion in 2014, fans in Boston are always going to love him for how important he was to that team in 2004. So, I think he’s going to be talked into it. I might be completely wrong, but that’s my gut feeling.”

While Olney said that part of the incentive for the Sox in claiming Damon was to keep him away from the Rays and Yankees, he also would have value to the Sox. Olney described the Sox’ motivation in claiming the outfielder as a 60-40 split between the idea that he could help and the opportunity to block their rivals from acquiring him.

Olney is a guy I trust and respect in the industry so whenever he says something I usually listen. So if he says that the Sox have sincere interest in Damon and thinks it will happen, then so be it. Now, that being said, I still don’t like it. Call me stubborn, but I am not about to turn around and let bygones be bygones and cheer this guy the second he steps up to the plate. Remember, this is the same Johnny Damon who left the Red Sox for the Yankees over one year in his contract. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he went on to say his World Series ring that he won with the Yankees meant more to him than the ring he won in ‘04 with the Sox. I could have lived with the first mistake, but sorry, I just can’t get over the second. And lets face it, is Johnny Damon really going to be the difference in this team making the playoffs or not? It is going to take a small miracle for it to happen anyways, adding an old .275 hitter isn’t going to make that miracle any more likely.

Adding Damon, in my opinion, is nothing more than a publicity stunt by the guys selling tickets. Next thing you know Pedro is going to be coming out of the bullpen, Bill Mueller will fill in at 2B while Pedroia is out, and Kevin Millar will be seen handing out shots of Jack in the dugout. If fans want to stand up and give Damon and ovation than that’s there business. But until he wins us a game in the playoffs I’m going to sit with arms crossed and a scowl on my face every time he steps into the box, and if you truly are a die hard, you will too.

According to John Heyman of SI.com, the Red Sox have claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. Contrary to popular belief, this in no way means that he is coming to the Red Sox or that the Red Sox ever had any intentions of bringing him here. Since many don’t fully understand the way August waivers work, I’ll start by briefly explaining them.

July 31st is the official non-waiver trade deadline. This is the last day that teams can trade with each other without using the waiver wire. Once the deadline is passed, trades can still be made, but they have to  go through this process.

First, it is normal for 80% of the players in Major League Baseball to be placed on waivers at some point during the month of August. It is common procedure more than anything and a little bit of gamesmanship. Once a player is placed on waivers every team is presented with the right to claim him. The order is based on standings from the bottom up and your league (AL and NL) gets first dibs. So when the Red Sox placed Mike Lowell on waivers the Orioles or Mariners (whoever was worse at the time) could claim him or pass. If everyone in the AL passed then it went to the worst NL team and up from there.

If the player clears waivers than the team is free to trade with anyone at that point. But if the player is claimed, which most are, there are three things that can happen:

1 – The player can simply be given to the claiming team, this is often done with high salaried players.

2 – The player can be pulled back. This is what happens 99% of the time and is what happened when the Sox put Jonathan Papelbon on waivers earlier this month. This is where the gamesmanship comes into play. Teams are always curious who will end up claiming each player. They file this information and hope that it comes in handy down the road come future trade discussions.

3 – The two teams can work out a trade. This is what happened with Billy Wagner last year. Because of his high salary he made it all the way to the Red Sox (he cleared all the NL and most of the AL) before getting claimed. The Sox and Mets quickly worked out a trade than sent two minor league players to the Mets and the Sox ended up with an extremely useful bullpen addition for the stretch run.

Once claimed, there is only a 48 hour window for a trade to happen or for the team to give the player away. After that time has expired, the player is automatically pulled back. Often time you will see a team claim a player with no intention of working out a trade simply to block him from going to another team. For example, you can bet your ass the Red Sox have claimed just about every outfielder to come through this year attempting to block them from ending up with the Rays, Rangers, or Yanks, all teams that could use another bat. While the Sox are risking being the recipient of an unwanted salary dump, they will gladly pay if it means their competition isn’t getting stronger.

So all of that brings us back to Damon. Knowing what we know now, is this a legitimate interest in Johnny Damon by the Red Sox, or is it simply a ploy to keep him from going to a team that may need him even more in the Yankes, Rays, and Rangers?

Honestly, I think it’s both. While Johnny Damon has a no trade clause and has openly spoken out against returning to the Red Sox I think Theo would be happy to have him back. Why wouldn’t he want a veteran guy who can play the corners, hit a little bit, and has a ton of playoff experience. Now, I don’t think he is going to go out of his way to get Damon as the number one motive behind this move was clearly a blocking tactic. But if the right deal were to fall in place, I don’t think you would see the guys in the front office too upset about having him back.

The fans on the other hand, are a different story.

Dunn Would add the consistent bat that the Rays need

WEEI.com – According to a tweet from Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Rays are “in [the] mix” for Nationals slugger Adam Dunn. Heyman tweets that Dunn would be a “big boost for [an] already great team.”

Yea, it would be a huge boost, one I would rather not have to deal with as we sit 4.5 games behind them. I am OK with the Rays as currently constituted. As is, I think the Red Sox will have plenty of time to catch up and ultimately pass them in the wild card standings. But if they start doing crazy things like trading prospects, adding salary, and adding players than we may have a problem.

In the end, I think the odds of a deal getting done are slim. As I just said, the Rays are cheap and notoriously difficult to trade with. They just aren’t really a team that is willing to sacrifice good prospects for a two month rental. But the thought of it is enough to make you a little queasy, isn’t it? Especially at a time when it looks like the Sox are going to stand pat and enter August with their current team. Hopefully this tweet was nothing more than media hoopla, otherwise it could be a long two months.

Under team control through 2011, Corey Hart is a much better fit for the Red Sox

Buster Olney on WEEI.com – “I do think he has that decision, and I do think that is kind of what they’ve been waiting on. Give it more time to decide whether to pour resources into the 2010 team to make sure they are not in a situation where they are pouring paint down a hole. … And it’s interesting because the Phillies are in the same situation where they are kind of sitting there saying, ‘You know what, lets see if we can add guys who cannot only help us, maybe get back into this thing in 2010, but guys who can help us next year.’ That’s why a Corey Hart might be a good fit for the Red Sox, and I know yesterday activity around the Brewers outfielder really picked up a lot more.

“And maybe if they start to fall out of it a little bit more, maybe they get less interested in a guy like Scott Downs, the reliever from Toronto who is a free agent at the end of this year. Go for the guys who have four to five years of service time rather than go for players who are going to be eligible for free agency in the fall.”

By now I think people have started to figure out that the trade market isn’t exactly loaded with premium talent. The cream of the crop was obviously Cliff Lee, and he has already been moved. Settling underneath him you will find Jayson Werth, Roy Oswalt, Ted Lilly, and maybe even Prince Fielder. But even they have their faults. Werth is in a two month long slump and is a free agent at the end of the season. Oswalt has a no trade clause and will not waive it unless his $16 million option for 2010 is exercised. Lilly, like Werth is nothing more than a two month rental and has had injury problems this year. And Prince is boarders 400 pounds, will likely become a DH, has Scott Boras as an agent, and risks injuring himself with every step he takes.

The Red Sox likely weren’t in the market for any of the big names as they had their own stars coming to the rescue off the disabled list. But the lack of top tier talent leads to an increase in demand for guys who would usually come at a more affordable price. What the Sox need is an extra outfielder who can play every day and someone to help solidify the bullpen. But even someone like David Dejesus was rumored to bring the Royals top notch minor league talent before he got hurt. I don’t know about you, but he is not someone I want to empty the farm for. The same problem exists when it comes to bullpen arms. Last year we were able to get Billy Wagner off the waiver wire for practically nothing. This year, guys like Scott Downs and Octavio Dotel are commanding a teams top prospects. While I would love to have either one of them over most of our guys, I am not ready to trade a potential star for a half year of a setup man.

That leads me to Corey Hart. The Brewers are poor and are rumored to be shopping both Hart and Prince Fielder. Through Monday, Hart is hitting .292 with 22 HR and 70 RBI in what is a breakout season (one I predicted by the way before the season). The kicker though, is Hart is under team control through 2011, however, he is due for a large raise come arbitration this off season. Bringing him in would add a powerful right handed bat to add to the middle of the lineup for a team that has struggled recently offensively, especially against left handed pitchers. Hart would also provide some stability in left field, a position that has been occupied by at least four different players this season.

But what about when Jacoby Ellsbury comes back from the DL?

This suggestion is being made under the assumption that Jacoby will be traded this winter. At this point it doesn’t matter whose fault it was, bridges have been burned between both he and his teammates and the front office. Combined with the fact that he is a Scott Boras client who refuses to sign a long term deal I feel like Theo and the bunch would rather trade him now and not have to deal with him anymore. You can have a four man rotation of Jacoby, Mike Cameron, JD Drew, and Cory Hart for the rest of 2010 and then insert Hart permanently in 2011.

The question becomes, what do you give up for him? My untouchables are as follows: Casey Kelly, Ryan Kalish, Anthony Rizzo, Felix Doubront, and Jose Iglesias. Other than that, I would likely be willing to give up any two of our guys. Could the Brewers turn down an offer of Michael Bowden and Lars Anderson? Doubtful. Will it happen? Unfortunately, I don’t think so. At this point Theo will probably use any bullets he has left on trying to save the bullpen. But I think adding Hart could give the team a huge boost not only this year, but next year as well. What I don’t want to see is another Eric Gagne situation where we give up three prospects and get a bullpen guy who sucks and leaves at the end of the year.

"Why doesn't anyone want me?"

I still don’t want him, and recent reports out of Detroit and Texas have said they don’t really have any interest either. But last night Mike Lowell played third base for the Paw Sox and smacked three home runs. In five rehab games for Pawtucket, Lowell is now batting .471 with three doubles to go along with the three home runs. For a team struggling to score runs, why not take a flier on Lowell? As long as he is starting he would provide a solid locker room and veteran presence for a team making a playoff push. I’d keep him on the Red Sox, but you can’t have two DH’s and he can no longer play the field. He would just be taking the spot of  someone else who could help the team more.

As big of a douche as he has been, I really just feel bad for him. I hope the Sox can work out a trade, although it sounds unlikely based on current reports. I just don’t like seeing him in this position. He may be a bench player for the Boston Red Sox, but somewhere, with some team, he could be a great starting DH/part time 1B and 3B. It’s sad to think that this is likely his last season before retirement.

New York Daily News: “Now it also looks as if Hanley Ramirez won’t ever see that new stadium in a Marlins uniform as the Red Sox, who let incumbent Alex Gonzalez go, are reportedly engaged in talks with Florida about reacquiring the All-Star shortstop.”

Listen, as much as I would love to see Hanley Ramirez back in Boston, it just is not happening. There are so many reasons that I have listed before and no matter what anyone says, it is not going to happen. Period. So lets not get our hopes up after some idiot from Miami posts some crazy ideas on Twitter. Plus, if Hanley were to come back to Boston then we wouldn’t have a gaping hole at shortstop, and what would Theo be without a gaping hole at shortstop?

- Chris

Obviously there is no real way to know if these rumors are fact or fiction, what I choose is my opinion and my opinion only. Feel free to debate in the comments section if you got beef. Without further adieu, lets break it down.

- Sunday, the Boston Herald wrote that the Red Sox were eying four Scott Boras clients as potential free agent pick ups, Matt Holliday, Adrian Beltre, Mike Gonzalez, and Rick Ankiel. It is painful enough dealing with Boras for one client, imagine having to negotiate for four, sounds like a shitty winter to me.

Matt Holliday – Fact – there is sincere interest in Matt Holliday. The Red Sox, and myself, believe that Holliday is the more complete player. He is better defensively and brings a better batting average to the table. However, he is also likely going to demand a contract much larger than what the Red Sox deem to be a fair market price.

Adrian Beltre – Fact – Beltre would bring a gold glove to third base, a position that was a liability to the Red Sox after Mike Lowell’s hip surgery. His bat has been inconsistent, but being only a type B free agent, I think the Sox would be willing to bring him on simply for the improved defense he would bring.

Mike Gonzalez – Fiction – I have to believe Gonzalez is going to be closing somewhere next year. If the Red Sox paid him enough he would likely have no problem setting up, but there is no way they give someone closer money to be a setup man.

Rick Ankiel – Fiction – Ankiel would bring another lefty handed bat with big power potential, basically another Hermida. If they bring in Bay or Holliday then they wouldn’t need Ankiel as a fourth outfielder because Hermida would fill that roll. If they don’t bring in Bay or Holliday then they will likely look at a Josh Willingham type of player to platoon with Hermida. Ankiel would not fill that position as he is also left handed.

- Earlier today, FoxSports.com reported that the Red Sox were once again shopping Mike Lowell and that the team would be willing to pick up half of his $12 million owed in order to get a deal done.

Fact – At this point Mike Lowell’s has become a liability in the field and still has question marks surrounding his hip going into 2010. I think ideally Theo would like to move him and bring in either Adrian Beltre or Chone Figgins to take his place. Imagine Figgins and Ellsbury just terrorizing opposing teams on the base paths, that would be fun to watch.

Stay tuned for more Red Sox hot stove talk. The winter meetings are right around the corner, and that is when things really start to get interesting.

- Chris

Boston.com has a very interesting quote from GM Theo Epstein who they met up with during the first day of the annual GM Meetings. They were discussing the importance of the $1.5 million saved through Tim Wakefield’s new deal:

“That’s important because there’s some things we want to do this winter and we don’t have a ton of room under the CBT,” Epstein said.

For those who aren’t in the know, the CBT is the competitive balance tax, also known as the luxury tax. Teams are taxed for every dollar they spend on total team payroll above this number. All tax is collected and then distributed to the rest of the league. Now, according to Tony Massarotti, the Red Sox currently have $109.5 committed to 2010 salaries. The CBT for 2010 is set to be $170 million. The way Theo was talking, it sounded as if they were looking to end up real close to that $170 million threshold. Why else would he seem so excited about the prospect of saving $1.5 million, just over 1% of last years total payroll?

If that really is the case, the Red Sox have approximately $60 million to work with. Even if they re-sign Jason Bay to a generous salary of $18 million a season, there is $42 million left before you start getting hit with any taxes. This opens the door for many different scenarios both through other free agents (ie. Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Rich Harden) or via trade (ie. Roy Halladay).

It is very possible that this entire thing has been taken out of context, but it would help explain why they would go through the trouble of saving $1.5 million with Wakefield and declining Alex Gonzalez $6 million option. I hope it is true, it would be nice to see the spending gap between the Sox and Yankees decrease a little bit.

- Chris

According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox have declined the $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The source says that the team may be willing to bring him back for 2010, but at a lower price. This leaves a big question mark at shortstop once again, a position that Theo has yet to solidify since the departure of Nomar Garciaparra in 2004. It was believed by many that the team was in pursuit of J.J. Hardy of the Brewers, but he was traded to the twins late last week. Don’t look for Jed Lowrie to be the teams only shortstop on opening day as Epstein has eluded in recent interviews that his injury history has the team worried.

With the thin free agent market at the position, this move is somewhat surprising. My bet is that they will bring back Gonzalez but at a lesser salary. Other options include signing Orlando Cabrera or making a trade for someone like Stephen Drew of Arizona.

- Chris

It wasn’t a blockbuster move by any means, but the Red Sox made their first splash in what is bound to be a very important winter for the team. The deal reads as follows: The Red Sox acquire 25 year old outfielder Jeremy Hermida in exchange for minor league pitchers Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez. Hermida brings loads of untapped potential to a team lacking power potential in the younger ranks. Here is what Theo Epstein had to say about the deal.

“This was not a blockbuster. This was a value trade, a chance to get a guy with unfulfilled potential at a reasonable cost.”

“The last two years, there were high expectations that didn’t come together for him. His performance certainly hasn’t been as good the last two years as it was in 2007. I can tell you that’s the reason we were able to acquire him today. Had he maintained that performance or had linear progression from 2007 to today, there’s no way we would have been trading for him, let alone in this kind of a deal.”

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