Baldelli (and Smoltz)
UPDATE:
Boston.com's Nick Carfardo is also reporting that John Smoltz and the Red Sox are working on an agreement as well. Cafardo says the deal is a $5mm base with incentives that could make it a $10mm deal. He also points out that Smoltz isn't likely to be ready until May.
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ESPN's Peter Gammons is reporting the Red Sox are about to sign Rocco Baldelli. The deal will be announced at Thursday's annual Boston Baseball Writers Dinner, an event at which Baldelli will also be honored.
Gammons's report refers to Baldelli's medical condition as being a mitochondrial disorder, but more recent reports have it being a far less serious and more treatable condition called channelopathy.
Of course just a few weeks ago I wrote about my confusion on why the hype surrounding Baldelli. I stand by though those thoughts. Baldelli coming to Boston would mean he is the 4th outfielder, but the reality is that JD Drew is not an iron man and if Jacoby Ellsbury struggles against lefties and if Ortiz isn't 100%, we might see 400 or more at bats from Baldelli.
I'm hoping first on a humanistic level and secondly as a Red Sox fan that Baldelli's condition is indeed treatable and he proves me wrong.
Other news, reported by Nick Cafardo this past Sunday, said the Red Sox are in on Takashi Saito. To me he would be a great addition if the deal were for a modest base and decent incentives. Normally he'd command $4mm+ as a set-up man or closer, but he was injured last year and didn't pitch all that well or often after returning. Also, he is on the old side.
But, he represents the kind of risk worth taking assuming his medicals don't show a disaster area.
Still outstanding? Another catcher. Josh Bard is a nice back-up, but that's about it.
