Breaking News: Pedroia Re-Signs with Sox

The Red Sox and Dustin Pedroia have agreed on a six-year, $40.5 million contract that will keep him in Boston through at least 2014. There is a 2015 club option worth $11 million. Here is a breakdown of the contract, per Boston.com's Tony Massarotti:

Signing bonus - $1.5 million

Base salaries
2009 - $1.5 million
2010 - $3.5 million
2011 - $5.5 million
2012 - $8 million
2013 - $10 million
2014 - $10 million

Club option
2015 - $11 million (or a $500,000 buyout)

This is a great move by the Sox, keeping the MVP in town for the foreseeable future.

Sox Make an Offer to Tek?

So there have been some conflicting stories as to whether or not the Sox have made an offer to Captain Jason Varitek. Where Rob Bradford of WEEI said that the Sox offered Tek 1year/~$6M deal (not nearly the $13.1M+ for 4 years Boras was expecting). Boras, however, denies vehemently that the Sox made such an offer. But we know Boras, don't we? He's lying. No doubt. The thing is, if the Sox make a lowball offer, then no other team will blow it out of the water. Even if he starts a bidding war here, he's likely not to get more than 2 years at 7.5-8M/yr. Which is about what Tek should make. The Sox are the team that is perceived to need the veteran catcher most, and such an offer does a lot to hurt Tek's value (read: Boras' profits).

Now you might be asking yourself, "Gee, Kyle, we like your speculations, but they are just that. What more evidence do you have, cause I'm not sold that Boras is lying." Well I can do that in one sentence:

Peter Gammons confirmed that the Sox made a one-year offer to Tek.

This is the word of Gammons, Amen.

Sources: Sox Make Offer to Teixeira

Various sources are reporting that the Red Sox have indeed made a contract offer to free agent 1B Mark Teixeira.

Teixeira is considered the top position-player on the market this off-season, and is garnering attention from several other teams including the Nationals, Orioles and Yankees. He is originally from the Baltimore area and is said to be favoring an east coast club. Most baseball analysts suggest that clubs may need to offer as much as $200 million over eight years to acquire the slugger.

Teixeira split the 2008 season between the Braves and Angels.

Breaking News: Utley Out Until June

Various sources out of Philadelphia are reporting that Chase Utley, second baseman for the 2008 World Series champion Phillies, is having off-season hip surgery that will keep him out of action until June 2009. We will have more on this breaking story as it becomes available.