Opinion

The sudden interest in former Pirates closer Matt Capps really has me scratching my head. I guess teams smell blood, and want to seize an opportunity to sign a pitcher recently given his walking papers by a team badly in need of pitching but who realizes his value in arbitration would be over-inflated by his save totals.

It may seem a cheap and easy way for the Cubs to improve the bullpen. But not so fast.

Sure, he saved 27 games last season. But if there is a stat more meaningless than saves, then I haven't seen it yet.

(Originally posted on 4SportBoston.com )

In two moves shocking to both the fans in Boston and Major League Baseball alike, the Red Sox inked starting pitcher John Lackey to a five-year, $82.5 million deal. This evening, the Sox made a second splash of the day with a two-year, $15.5 million deal.

What direction is this team heading in?

Jason Bay? Nope.

Matt Holliday? Pass.

The Boston Red Sox balked at the sticker price on the two marquee left fielders on the market and went a different route by reportedly signing veteran center fielder Mike Cameron.

The signing—which is currently pending a physical—further solidifies the end of the Jason Bay era in Boston and by all accounts should spell the end of any more Matt Holliday to Boston rumors.

The baseball world is abuzz tonight with talk of the apparently imminent blockbuster trade between the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners. Reportedly, the deal is all but done, and it will include Toronto ace Roy Halladay, as well as Phillies star left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee, who will go to Seattle in the deal.

The Boston Red Sox are considered to be one of the more classy and intelligent organizations in the MLB. If the Red Sox were to trade Mike Lowell, it would be by far the biggest mistake Theo Epstein will have made. Yes that's right, worse than the signing of Edgar "Rentanerror" Renteria. 

Mike Lowell has done more than what the Red Sox had initially asked of him. He was a just an addition to the Josh Beckett deal, a guy that was thrown into the trade, to complete the transaction. What Florida really said was, by the way you can have Mike Lowell. 

Whoa.

This isn't final, for starters, but the rumor is starting to snowball. The gist of it goes like this:

Seattle gets: Cliff Lee

Philadelphia gets: Roy Halladay

Toronto gets: A whole bunch of prospects. Mariners will supposedly send two or more from this bunch: Brandon Morrow, Phillipe Aumont and Michael Saunders.

Phew!

Baseball is recovering from the biggest day of this off-season thus far. The Boston Red Sox were at the middle of a lot of the days news, even if they were not involved with the biggest name.
 

Most athletes have good luck charms and superstitions.

Lucky socks. Not changing their underwear. Rally monkeys. Beards during playoffs.

But Alex Rodriguez had a lucky charm and superstition in one, according to Yankees fans anyway.

Kate Hudson was the “thing” that made A-Rod great in the 2009 season, helping him lead the Yankees to win the World Series.

I try to keep it to myself.  I try to just let it slide.  I try to just move on and say, "They will do better next time."

Unfortunately, they never do better. 

I'm tired of the larger sports media outlets simply getting things wrong when publishing "top" lists. 

When I say "wrong," I mean completely ridiculous and not even arguable.  It is one thing to post an opinion that is arguable, but it is another thing to post it when it is just plain wrong and conveniently focused on one part of the country. 

Sports Illustrated is reporting that the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays. The Phillies are also said to have dealt Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners, who are included as a third team.

The rest of the players in this blockbuster deal are yet to be confirmed.

Halladay, 32, is expected to sign a contract extension with the Phillies to complete the deal.