Gonzales Goes To Blue Jays...Scutaro To Red Sox??

The Boston Red Sox are again without a starting shortstop. Former Boston Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzales signed a one year deal for $2.75 million with the Toronto Blue Jays. The transaction includes a $2.5 million option for 2011. As a member of the Red Sox, he exhibited outstanding defense but his offensive capabilities never materialized. Toronto also decided to re-sign their back-up shortstop, John McDonald, increasing the chances that the Red Sox will opt to sign Toronto's free agent shortstop Marco Scutaro (see the post directly below this one). Scutaro's agent, Peter Greenberg, had this to say about that...

“We still have to have lots of conversations and we obviously have to finalize terms at a certain point but clearly, looking at this situation, Marco has a lot of interest in coming to Boston, and he told me that from the start.”

Scutaro had a career year in 2009 with the Jays, hitting .282, clubbing twelve home runs and driving in sixty men on base. His slugging percentage was .409. Boston would clearly benefit from this kind of offensive support from the dreaded (for them) shortstop position. A two (maybe three) year deal is likely because the Red Sox are waiting for their youngster, Jose Iglesias, to mature. Scutaro, however, can also play second and third base, if needed, so I think it's very likely that team from Boston will go after him. If they land him, that's one less piece of the off season puzzle they will need to fill.

I hope every one of you had a joyful and family-filled Thanksgiving Day. I'm sure there is leftover turkey for sandwiches and all kinds of things in the icebox (did he say icebox?). The Black Friday lines have been growing since last night, especially at the Best Buy stores around the Connecticut capitol area. The police earlier had been called in to make sure that peace abounds...so far, so good in that respect. We're going to stay away and, if necessary, shop online. I wish it was a little colder outside so we could have a roaring fire, but there will be plenty of ice coldness in the upcoming months. I have about two thirds of a cord of firewood in the garage that has aged for six or seven years. All you need is just three little pieces of "fat wood" with a couple sheets of newspaper below them and three or four split logs above that and you have a roaring fire (in the fireplace, of course) in less than a minute. Sounds good to me, that's for sure.

Have a great Friday and enjoy your long weekend. You can click on this post's title for more sports news from Sports Illustrated dot com. I'll see you...soon. Thanks.