This week, Keith Law of Scouts, Inc. gave his analysis of the top farm systems in baseball. The #1 spot went to the Texas Rangers for the second year in a row, but sitting in the #2 spot was our own Boston Red Sox. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, considering the depth of pitching prospects in the system, but how does that impressive farm system translate to success on the Major League level?

According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, the Red Sox are expressing interest in another Japanese pitcher. The pipeline the Sox have built from Japan is as strong as ever and Hisanori Takahashi may be the next to take the overseas flight to Boston. The 34 year-old pitcher has expressed interest in signing a major league deal this off-season and interest has gathered from a handful of clubs (Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox and Giants).

Over the past few days, the Boston media has been buzzing about the Red Sox rotation in 2010. The conversation was spurred by a few interviews with Tim Wakefield, one of which was last night after he accepted the Bart Giamatti Award. Wake stated that he has “earned the right to be one of the five starters” in 2010 and feels the rotation will work itself out. If Wake is part of the 5-man rotation, then who is the odd man out?

On a day when most headlines will speak of the three big name signings in MLB, Xavier Nady, Ben Sheets, and Jon Garland, a Tim Wakefield acheivement, like most in his career, will get overlooked. At the B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team) Dinner in New York tonight, Wakefield will be honored with the Giamatti Award. Back in 2000, watching Wakefield pitch from the Infield Box at Fenway Park, I learned what it meant to be a real baseball fan.  

 
According to ESPNBoston.com, Theo’s streak of not going to an arbitration hearing is extended for one more year. The Sox reached an agreement with 4th outfielder Jermey Hermida, bridging the nearly million dollar gap between the two original offers. Hermida will make $3.35 million in 2010 to back-up J.D Drew, Mike Cameron, and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Check out my thoughts on the Red Sox potentially including Jacoby Ellsbury in a trade to the San Diego Padres for Adrian Gonzalez before the trade deadline on HotStove.com. The HotStove.com guys are doing a great job keeping everyone updated on the latest trades and rumors.

As I was walking to work this morning, on a rainy and windy 50 degree day in Boston, I couldn’t help but think of the weather as a metaphor for this time of year. The Sox are preparing for Truck Day in a few weeks and then Spring Training workouts will begin a few weeks after that, but what to do until then?

The first thing I do in the morning on a daily basis is scour the net for any interesting information about the Red Sox. I check out several blogs and all of the newspapers in the area to see what I missed overnight. Over the past few weeks, Jason Bay and his health has been the primary topic of conversation. Am I the only one who doesn’t give a crap about Bay’s health anymore? It’s the Met’s problem now.