The Boston Red Sox shipped outfielder Coco Crisp to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday morning. In return for Crisp, the Red Sox will be getting reliever Ramon Ramirez from the Royals.

Ramirez, went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA in 71 games in 2008. He registered 70 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings. He said he first learned of the trade shortly after 8 A.M. on Wednesday morning when management from the Royals called him while he was at home in the Dominican Republic.

Crisp never got into a good rythum with the Red Sox after coming over to the team from the Cleveland Indians. With Jacoby Ellsbury slated to be the everyday centerfielder, the Red Sox had room to move Crisp and thought that Ramirez was a good enough player to make the trade.

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It wasn’t good news at Red Sox Spring Training on Thursday for a couple of veteran players.  Both moves are kind of a suprise to me to tell you the truth, but I do see where the team is coming from with both of them.

First off, Curt Shilling has been moved to the 60-day disabled list.  You have to wonder how bad Shilling’s injury realy is.  Will we even see him at all in 2008?  Doesn’t look like we will until atleast July and that would be at the earliest.

The next move that Red Sox made is more of a suprise.  This morning Doug Mirabelli was told that he had been released.  Mirabelli was pretty much only used as Tim Wakefield’s personal catcher and his numbers really have dropped in the past few season.  I figured they liked him in the lockeroom and that was why they kept him around.  It must have just been time for Mirabelli to move on.  I wonder what team will take a chance at him now?

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Jonathan Papelbon didn’t get the $900,000 deal that he was hoping for, but he did get a pretty nice raise to $775,000 from the Boston Red Sox.  Papelbon only has two years of service under his belt so he wasn’t eligible for salary arbitration yet.  If he continues to pitch good, he will have a very nice pay riase next off season.

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Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona has received a three year contract extenion from upper management.  That new contract will keep Francona in Boston through the 2011 season.  The deal is called to pay Francona between $3.5 and $4 million dollars a year.  There is also two extra years included in the deal as options.  If the Red Sox keep on winning, you can expect those options to be exercised!

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The Boston Red Sox have signed Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract.  If Colon makes the big league roster the Red Sox will pay him around $1 million dollars.  Colon is a longshot to make the big league roster out of Spring Training, but he would more then likely be the first guy called up if they Red Sox need a spot starter, or someone to pitch because of injuries.

It is a pretty low gamble that the Red Sox were willing to take. I like the deal for them as Colon could help them out at some point during the season.

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Kevin Youkilis and the Boston Red Sox have agreed on a one year contract that will pay Youkilis $3 million dollars for the 2008 season.  Youkilis will be under the Red Sox control through the 2010 season, he can just expect pay raises the next few seasons through salary arbitration.

Now the Red Sox just need to figure out what is going on with Curt Shilling and / or trade for Joe Blanton and lets get to Spring Training!

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Sean Casey and the Boston Red Sox have signed a one year contract for the 2008 season.  The deal is believed to be worth $700,000.  Casey will pretty much sit on the bench and do a little pitch hitting here and there.  I don’t think he will really have much value for this team unless the Red Sox have a couple of injuries happen at the first base position.

Casey will be there to come off the bench, and as long as he knows that he will pretty much just be a pitch hitter I’m ok with this deal.  He is a veteran so I’m sure he is ok with this role, he just wants to get the post season and contend for a World Series.

The Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox have completed a trade that will send David Aardsma to the Red Sox.  In exchange, the White Sox will receive Willy Mota and Miguel Socolovich.

To be honest, I think the Red Sox got a great deal here.  Aardsma can come in and provide some help in the Red Sox bullpen.  He can throw some nasty gas reaching near 100 miles per hour.  He usually strikes out atleast one batter an inning, but needs to solve some control problems if he wants to be a really good relief pitcher.

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