Garciaparra's career has officially come full circle.  What started out as a magical, hall of fame type career, broke down amid rumors and constant injury.  Garciaparra had some amazing seasons, but he lacked any kind of durability and fell way short of any Hall of Fame bid.

As a Red Sox fan, it was so satisfying to see the them draft, groom and succeed with Nomar.  His rookie season (first full season) left me thinking he could do anything.  He followed up 1997 with 3 ridiculous seasons only to have injury strike.  He came back in 2002 and 2003 with 2 good seasons, but never approached his 1997 - 2000 levels.

Prior to the 2004 season, the Red Sox offered Nomar a 4 year, $60mm deal which he turned down.  A bad decision on his part as Nomar made a total of $32,283,394.00 the following 4 seasons.  And of course he was traded in the summer of 2004 amidst much animosity.

Garciaparra played his best baseball in Boston and I think this is why he is "coming home."  I think it is a fitting end to his career and I believe this will be the final step in winning back the fans, many of whom feel he let the Red Sox down in 2004.  Here was my take when the 2004 trade went down:  July 2004.

Welcome back Nomar.

It's a compelling idea, but I want to hear more about it before commenting.  For example, can any team opt to switch divisions?  If so, I assume the Yankees or Red Sox would gladly jump at the chance to escape the AL East.  Move one of them to the AL Central, and you probably have both teams winning 100+ games this year.  Obviously, that defeats the point of the plan, so how would that work?  Also, how long would each move last?  Could a team flop divisions year after year?

I hope that if MLB does something like this, they also change the playoff format.  I would like to see winning the division mean more than it does.  Right now the wild card team doesn't really pay much of a penalty for finishing second.  How about adding another wild card team and having the two wild card teams play each other to advance to face a division winner?  Also, change the format of the LCS to match the World Series.  Why do you have extra days off in the semis that you don't have in the finals?  And, most of all, get rid of the stupid All-Star Game winner getting homefield advantage, it should go to the team with the best overall record, just like in hockey and basketball. 

If you could take Bud Selig's place, what changes would you make in the playoffs and divisions?

Now, on the surface that shouldn't be a problem, but as with all things A-Rod there are some other details that need to be considered.  Start with this statement from the Yankees:

"The New York Yankees have not been contacted with regard to an investigation of Dr. Tony Galea. The Yankees never authorized Dr. Tony Galea to treat Alex Rodriguez, nor do we have any knowledge of any such treatment.

Assuming Galea is telling the truth, then A-Rod went behind that team's back to get treatment.  Not exactly a great thing to learn.

But the bigger issue is obviously Galea's involvement with HGH.  Assuming what Galea said is true, A-Rod's only "crime" is not getting authorization from the team for treatment.  If that is indeed the case, A-Rod should apologize to the Yankees and get a statement out about this ASAP.  Otherwise, the speculation and distractions will start to build.  Neither Alex nor the Yankees need that right now.  

Those of us who saw Wakefield towards the end of the 2009 season not only are shocked that he might win the 5th spot, but also that he is even still playing baseball.  Some of the most comedic, yet sad images of Wakefield last season showed a pot-bellied, middle-aged man trying to cover first base, only to have his right leg fail him.  When I say fail, it looked like he was running with his leg asleep.

No matter, off-season back surgery apparently has cured his pinched nerve issue and he is making a strong showing in camp, even if he still has the pot-belly.

Matsuzaka on the other hand has been sidelined with a back strain.  It seems likely that unless he can get in a game soon, he'll start the season on the DL or in extended spring training.

It's a shame to have Matsuzaka pitching out of the pen as his stuff can be electric, but he doesn't have a clean health record and I'm sure the Red Sox would love to keep his innings pitched total at 160 or so this year.  This is the team that routinely shuts down pitchers for 2 weeks, more to give them a rest than any health related reason.

The 5th spot in really meaningless early on in the season, so I'm not worried about this issue and the likelihood of keeping 5 starters healthy throughout the season is slim, so both Wakefield and Matsuzaka will get their fair share of starts.  I like Wakefield in the rotation as his style is such a contrast to the other starters.  While I can't quantify the impact his knuckleball has on opposing teams as far as how the opposition handles the conventional starter the next day, it does make sense.

Plus, Wakefield is a far more enjoyable starter to watch as he is quick between pitches while Matsuzaka is painfully slow.  A non-baseball related argument to be sure, but important to the fan.

All of this discussion bodes well for Clay Buchholz as he has apparently been penciled in the 4th spot.  Buchholz strong showing in September and his upside make him a logical choice.

With a rotation of: Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Buchholz and Wakefield and improved team defense, the Red Sox should be good at preventing runs this year but it remains to be seen if they can score enough runs.

I suppose this is the best choice, it must have come down to Ramirez or Albie.  Ramirez has an amazing changeup, but his fastball is not ML-quality and that changeup can only carry him so far.  About 100 innings and 20 HR's allowed in his big league career proves that. 

Anyway, best of luck to him, he is one of the guys you root for.  

But, I am also really sick of this whole thing and if Alex steps up and tries to speak out against steroid use and supports the Tyler Hooten Foundation then I will move on too.  Alex asked to be judged from this point forward and the ball is in his court on that.

So, I was very pleased when I read this story on Friday which included this quote:

Don Hooton, the father of Taylor Hooton, would not give details, in a telephone conversation Thursday, about how often Rodriguez had spoken to youth groups. But Hooton said: “He has been phenomenal. He has a strong message to the kids. He has delivered to the letter and the spirit.”

And this one:

Asked Thursday about his promise last year, Rodriguez said: “I don’t think it serves a big purpose to get into it, but I will say that actions speak louder than words and that Don has a great message. The more I can do with Don, in spreading the message, the better person I will become, too.”

And this one:

Hooton, who has been to a number of Congressional hearings about drugs, joked that the young people Rodriguez addresses were tougher with him than reporters were.

“They go right for it: ‘Why did you do it? Where did you get them?’ ” Hooton said.

Perhaps A-Rod's second act will be what he is remembered for one day. 

Now Derek Jeter is a special player.  He is one of the greatest Yankees to ever play the game, but he is also 36 and playing shortstop, a position that very few players have played well in their late 30's.  While he hasn't shown much rust and his 2009 was stellar, it is legitimate to question just how much he has left in the tank.

Obviously, nobody knows for sure, but we do know that the closer to 40 he gets, the bigger the chance he stops producing at his current levels.  Brian Cashman understands this and I wouldn't expect him to offer anything close to six years to Jeter.  Unless the economy really improves, I imagine the negotiation will play out with the Yankees offering Jeter arbitration (and probably hoping he will take it since it would just be a one-year deal) before making a proposal for a three-year deal for no more than $60 million.  That in itself is a very risky deal for the Yankees to make and I don't think they would do it for any other player besides Jeter. 

First up is who will be the fifth starter?  Joe Girardi may say that it's a five-pitcher race, but I don't believe him.  I think this probably comes down to Hughes or Chamberlain.  I know there is a story in the Post today that the Yankees are going to put Joba in the bullpen no matter what, but I don't believe that either.  The Yankees could have kept Joba in the pen in 2009, but they felt he could be a front line starter.  Through July 30th, it looked like he was well on his way as he sported as 7-2 record with a 3.58 ERA. 

We know what happened next, but I still think a lot of it had to do with the Yankees and the way they tried to manipulate his innings.   There is only one way to find out- let him loose for an entire season and see what happens.  I bet the Yankees do that and put Hughes back into the bullpen, but there is one problem with that; it doesn't prepare Hughes for the role he may need to assume in 2011.  

I think the ultimate hopes of the Yankees are that Joba and Hughes pitch in the rotation in 2011.  Getting Hughes to be in position to fill that role is going to be a challenge.  If they put him in the bullpen from the start of the season, he probably won't pitch more than 100 innings if that.  That will mean we would have the "Hughes Rules" in 2011. 

The resolution of the rotation will help clear up the next question of camp which is what will the bullpen look like?  I think you can pretty much close five spots right now- Mo, the loser of the rotation competition, Marte, Robertson and Aceves.  That leaves a lot of arms in play for the final two spots.  I think Logan or Ring have to be considered favorites for one spot since the Yankees would probably like to take two lefties and the last spot will be wide open with Gaudin, Mitre, Melancon and Albie all in the mix.  (I could see the Yankees trading Gaudin)

Another big question is what will the lineup look like?  We know Jeter leads off and Tex and A-Rod are the 3/4, but what about the other spots?  I think the Yankees might go with Granderson in the #2 spot against RHP and Johnson hitting 7th.  Those two could also flip-flop spots against LHP.  The 5 spot is probably going to go to Cano because the Yankees could then round out the rest of lineup alternating between lefties and switch-hitters (Posada-Johnson-Swisher-Gardner). 

A smaller question is who is playing left and who is playing center?  I am not sure if there will be a definitive answer reached in spring training and it wouldn't shock me to see both guys get a lot of appearances in both spots.  But, there is another question that directly impacts this one and it is who are the outfielders who make this team?  

Obviously, we know that Swisher, Granderson and Gardner are on the team, but I wouldn't go further than that.  Winn has the inside track at the fourth spot, but if he bombs in camp I bet the Yankees trade or release him.  Thames is going to have to fight Hoffmann and Golson off for the final outfield spot.  

And finally, what about the extra infielder?  I think Ramiro Pena is the safe bet, but if Kevin Russo shows them something, the Yankees just might take him.  

Some big questions, some smaller ones, but the important thing is that baseball is back!

With most Red Sox fans believing this year's edition needs to get a big bat for the line-up, there aren't too many worries surrounding their pitching and defense.

The storylines for this Spring Training will be Mike Lowell's health and role on the team, whether or not Tim Wakefield begins the year in the starting rotation and what to do with Victor Martinez, this being his last year under contract.

I do not expect the Red Sox to go nuts with Martinez.  He is older than you think (31) and is a catcher.  Catchers don't gracefully move into their 30s.  They tend to breakdown and lose effectiveness.  There are obvious exceptions to that, but for the most part, a catcher over 30 is a risk.  With Martinez expected to shoulder more of the catching load this year, I'm think he might have another season of 2 left of high performance.

I can see Boston offering a 2-year deal with a team option, but nothing more than that.  If they keep that stance, and Martinez has a good season, don't expect him around in 2011.

Lowell and Wakefield both have to prove they are healthy.  If Clay Buchholz does well in camp, I just don't see how Wakefield has a starting spot.  But a 5-man rotation has loads of variables and I'm sure a spot will open up for Wakefield at some point in the first 2 months.

As for Lowell, he doesn't have a regular place to play.  If he can play some first base, then he can expect to get at bats at 3rd, 1st and DH totaling 300 PAs or so this year, but not much more.

I really don't expect any drama from the group of players in camp, so we'll get to focus on possible trade talk, minor leaguers and projections for the 2010 squad.  Camp opens up on Thursday with pitchers and catchers.

Here's a great quote from Boras:

"He told me, 'If I can't play for the Yankees, I want you to let the Tigers know I want to play for them. I can make that team a winner.' "

But, despite his love of Detroit, Boras lets everyone know that he got four or five offers for Damon after it became clear the Yankees were no longer interested.

I guess this is what you have to do when camps are opening in the next 10 days.   

Bringing Thames back also means the Yankees have three former players coming back this year.  Not that it's important, but I figured it was worth mentioning. 

But, as the countdown clock to the left of this post shows us, it's only two weeks to pitchers and catchers!  

And we are exactly one month away from the first spring training game.

Finally, we are 61 days away from Opening Day (or night in the case of the Yankees and Red Sox)  

Hope that warms you up a bit.

Last year Johnson put up splits of .324/.403/.500 against LHP.   For his career he has hit .313/.378/.463 against LHP.  Doesn't this sound like someone the Yankees could have used in 2010?  I simply can't believe $800K kept them from signing him and I don't get it at all. 

Sergio Mitre is going to earn 800K this year and his role right now is 9th starter.  (Yup, that's right 9th starter think about it...Sabathia, AJ, Andy, Vazquez, Joba, Hughes, Aceves, Gaudin...Mitre!)  Wouldn't having an outfielder who could hit lefties be more valuable than Mitre to the Yankees as they are currently constructed?

I can only hope that this means Marcus Thames or Johnny Gomes are on their way on a minor league deal.  Otherwise, I will continue to scratch my head over the approach to the 25th man on the roster.  

I felt all along that Mauer wouldn't leave Minnesota.  He is from there and with the new ballpark, the Twins have to show the fans they are willing to invest.  Obviously, he would have set off a huge bidding was between the Yankees and Red Sox if he had reached free agency, but it appears that won't happen now.