Core stability?

I know it's only January, but pitchers and catchers report in less than five weeks, fer crissakes! *Yay!*

I would be much calmer if the BoSox gave up the pretense that Alex Cora is a worthy Opening Day shortstop and traded for Julio Lugo. The reported price seems to be Andy Marte, but I'm hoping another deal can be made. I'm not sure about the sanity in essentially trading Renteria plus $11m for Lugo. Still, the Sox need to solve SS and CF, and with relative promptness..

Clement for Coco Crisp is another rumour that's been making the rounds for a few weeks.. I'd prefer Torii Hunter, but there is no way the Twins, with their lack of line-up power will let him go.

However, unless the Sox manage to sign a long-term CF, look for them to go after Hunter next year, unless Murphy can take the step up...

On another note, one's faith in humanity wishes, or even demands, that for every Johnny D that takes the money and runs, the world is balanced by a Paul Konerko, who thought that $12m per year with a team that he liked and in a clubhouse where he knew everyone and felt comfortable, was better than $13-15m per year for relocating one's family and hoping that the atmosphere would be as good there.

The reason I bring this up is today's news, which states that our resident rock star, Bronson Arroyo, has turned down more money elsewhere for a chance to stay with the Red Sox for another three years, and hopefully the rest of his career.

As much as JD is an easy target for the Red Sox nation's rage, and it is when he's quoted in May 2005 saying:

There's no way I can go play for the Yankees, but I know they're going to come
after me hard. It's definitely not the most important thing to go out there for
the top dollar, which the Yankees are going to offer me. It's just not what I
need

,very little is said about the way the Red Sox themselves have discarded several WS winners, including Billy Ballplayer, Kevin 'Cowboy Up' Millar, D-Lowe and Pedro. In Pedro's and JD's case, the Red Sox front office set a walk-away player value, and unfortunately, for the Sox, other teams were willing to pay more.

As much as I loathe seeing Damon in pinstripes, I think we'll have the last laugh during the 2009 season, when a then 36 year-old CF will try to throw to the cutoff man from 399 feet deep into centerfield at Yankee Stadium.

I somehow doubt he'll get the baserunner out.