Boston among numerous teams looking to move players

If you're a Boston Red Sox fan, you might not recognize the team in 2004. There are numerous accounts of Red Sox officials listening to offers for Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra, among others. The World Series only finished less than a month ago, but the Red Sox along with numerous other teams are looking to overhaul their rosters for next spring.

It's going to be a busy offseason with many clubs looking to move big name players with even bigger contracts such as Alex Rodriguez, Curt Schilling, and Richie Sexson. The New York Yankees will no doubt vie for some of those players in addition to various big-name free agents such as Bartolo Colon, Vladimir Guerrero, and Gary Sheffield.

The Red Sox need to upgrade their pitching significantly if they are finally going to win it all. Free agents Keith Foulke and Kelvim Escobar have reportedly piqued Boston's interest. Unless the Sox can move Ramirez, it is unlikely they will be able to add a top-flight starter like Colon or Kevin Millwood.

Originally, it was thought that Schilling might be a fit with the Red Sox. Boston is looking for pitching, and it was rumored Schilling was interested. Yet, he quickly dispelled those rumors when he said he had no interest in playing for Boston because he thought Fenway park wasn't a good stadium for a right-handed fly-ball pitcher. However, Schilling has expressed interest in pitching for the Yankess in the hitter's paradise that is Yankee Stadium. Sounds like Curt could use the benefit of a Tufts University education.

There are rumors that A-Rod is possibly coming to Boston, but that will be hard to accomplish unless the Texas Rangers warm to the idea of taking on Ramirez's inflated contract.

The good news for the Sox is they now have a shot at winning a World Series because they have removed "manager" Grady Little from the helm. Little was a mastermind when it came to keeping players happy, but his game calling ability was abysmal.

Speaking of A-Rod, it's about time he finally got the MVP award. There have been all sorts of debates about what "valuable" means. ESPN columnist Rob Neyer points out that the instructions that are sent to MVP voters declare value to be equivalent to "strength of offense and defense." Well, A-Rod was a Gold Glover, and he also put up incredible offensive numbers -- that should be good enough.

The idea that his monstrous salary should prevent him from winning the award does not make sense either. If the MVP was given out as some sort of measure of production per salary, you would have to give the award to Esteban Loaiza or Alfonso Soriano or someone like that, but that's just getting silly (they arguably weren't even the best players on their teams).

The value associated with the MVP award is defined differently than the abstract concept of value, so the decision for AL MVP should have been pretty clear cut, and it was.

The sad situation involving the cash-strapped, ownerless Montreal Expos has always been an embarrassment for baseball. But now the 'Spos have some competition. The Milwaukee Brewers have let it be known they are reducing the team's payroll next season to $30 million. At this rate, the Brewers ought to just take Alex Rodriguez's $25 million salary and then fill the rest of their roster with various buffoons dressed in sausage costumes.

Look out for the Toronto Blue Jays next year. They have had a powerful offense for awhile, but now the pitching is starting to fall into place. Roy Halladay, Ted Lilly, and Pat Hentgen make for a respectable top end of the rotation. With a few small upgrades to their bullpen, the Jays could contend for the American League East title next season.

Meanwhile, the steroid controversy has shown how dumb professional athletes can be. The system was originally set up so that no penalties would be levied on any player who tested positive for steroids in 2003. In addition, no penalties were to be assessed in 2004 unless over five percent of players tested positive in 2003.

Players knew when the steroid tests were coming (spring training) and could have resumed their cycles right afterwards. Even though the whole plan was a farce, some players were still dumb enough to take them, and they somehow managed to break the five percent barrier.

Despite the fact that penalties will actually be levied in 2004, they are far from harsh. The first time an individual tests positive, his name will remain anonymous and he will go to counseling. If an individual tests positive a second time, he may be suspended. The whole policy is so ridiculous that the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency called the testing scheme "a joke." At least they're setting a good example for little leaguers.