It's good to have Schilling back in the fold for only $8 million guaranteed. I'm surprised that he was willing to take a $5 million pay-cut from 2007. He easily could have received a 2 year/$27 million deal on the open market. I love it that we have so many players on the Red Sox for whom money is not the primary factor. David Ortiz accepted a hometown discount. Josh Beckett signed a team-friendly extension. Tim Wakefield took the ultimate hometown discount, essentially bargaining away his free agency rights in return for annual team options at $4 million. And now Schilling took less to stay. Let's hope that Mike Lowell extends the Red Sox a similar courtesy.
With the Yankees reportedly contemplating an offer of Chien-Ming Wang, Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera to the Twins for Johan Santana, should the Red Sox attempt to preempt New York? While I want to retain Buccholz and Ellsbury at all costs, I'd be willing to part with Jon Lester, Coco Crisp and some of the other prospects like Jed Lowrie (no room for him in Boston anyway), Craig Hansen, Michael Bowden, Justin Masterson and Daniel Bard. Would some combination of those players (and maybe all of them, if that's what it takes) land Santana in Boston? If so, I think it would be a reasonable deal from Boston's perspective. Sure, you're sacrificing almost the entire farm system for Santana, but think about what this would do for the Red Sox rotation these next few years. In 2008, the Red Sox would have a rotation of Beckett, Santana, Schilling, Matsuzaka and Wakefield (with Buchholz out of the bullpen in a Joba Chamberlain role.) In 09 and beyond, Buchholz would step in for Schilling or Wakefield. Now is the window of opportunity to win championships, before Ortiz, Beckett and Papelbon exit their prime. Schilling, Varitek, Ramirez, Lowell et al., are already past their peaks.
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