Kuzul

You get the feeling that the Boston Red Sox aren't dying to sign slugging outfielder Josh Hamilton to a massive free-agent contract.Nonetheless, reports that have been trickling out ever since the offseason began would have everyone believe otherwise. The Red Sox may look quiet on the outside, but they might be worshiping an idol of Hamilton on the inside.On Thursday, for example, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com cautioned to "keep an eye on the Red Sox" in the chase for Hamilton."Boston wants to do something big and it wouldn't shock me if they became players for Josh Hamilton,'' said a rival GM.Coincidentally, Sox GM Ben Cherington did an interview on Thursday with the Dennis and Callahan Show on WEEI, and he acknowledged that they have met with Hamilton's agent. However, he classified the situation as the Sox just doing their "due diligence," and he didn't have much to say in regard to how ...

Two of the biggest sluggers in the game, Miami's Giancarlo Stanton and Toronto's Jose Bautista, give us a pretty accurate assessment of what the feelings of the players and fans in both cities are feeling after Tuesday night's blockbuster deal that saw 12 players, including Jose Reyes, change hands. Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple— Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012   Its a good day to be a bluejay!— Jose Bautista(@JoeyBats19) November 13, 2012 On the heels of the blockbuster, what better time to take a look back at the past decade of blockbuster deals and see how those worked out for the teams involved?I can't think of one. We'll grade the deals with the aid of retrospect, but rank them in terms of shock value.Let's get to it.Begin Slideshow

In December 2010, the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Shortly after, they signed Gonzalez to a seven-year, $154 million deal and Crawford to a seven-year, $142 million deal.The following year, the Red Sox missed the playoffs, finishing third in their division after a September collapse, despite a 90-72 final record. Gonzalez played well, but Crawford batted just .255 with career lows in stolen bases and runs scored. They followed that up with a complete breakdown in 2012, and they shipped both players to Los Angeles.There is cause for hope in Boston. They re-signed David Ortiz and still have Dustin Pedroia along with young starting pitching and talented prospects who could make an impact in the coming season. What will be different about the 2013 Red Sox? Read on to find out.Begin Slideshow

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t have Carl Crawford available to help their playoff push this season, but his return in 2013 will help L.A. avoid missing the postseason for a fourth consecutive year.  Crawford underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in July, shortly before being traded to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster trade in August. The surgery reduced his 2012 campaign to a mere 31 games played, but he’s expected to be fully recovered by the beginning of June at the absolute latest. Once Crawford returns, he’ll provide another offensive weapon toward the top of a Los Angeles lineup that’s loaded with All-Star-caliber players. He will give the Dodgers five hitters that have made at least two All-Star game appearances since 2009.  The Dodgers' lineup will be tough on opposing pitchers with Crawford hitting out of the two-hole. His ability to get on ...

Carl Crawford and his $140 million contract will be moving from the Boston Red Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and—unfortunately for L.A.—his best days are in the past. The injury-riddled and underwhelming outfielder has been included in a massive blockbuster deal between the Red Sox and Dodgers, joining Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett on the trip out west. As noted by Major League Baseball: BLOCKBUSTER OFFICIAL: @dodgers acquire Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto from @redsox for 5-player package.— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2012 Crawford established himself as one of baseball’s premier outfielders with the Tampa Bay Rays. He batted over .300 in five of six seasons from 2005-2010 and recorded over 180 hits in all five of those campaigns. The only year he fell short of these marks was in 2008, when he missed time due injury. He wreaked havoc on the base path, racking up ...

Carl Crawford was just traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a blockbuster deal. Once he heals from Tommy John surgery, he will return to his All-Star form.In one of the more shocking moves of the season, Crawford and teammate Adrian Gonzalez now finds themselves in L.A. According to Dayn Perry from CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox have agreed to the following trade:As anticipated, the Dodgers have acquired first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, right-hander Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford and infielder Nick Punto from the Red Sox in exchange for first baseman James Loney, outfielder Jerry Sands, infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr., right-hander Rubby De La Rosa and frontline pitching prospect prospect Allen Webster.So while everyone else is saying Gonzalez is the key piece to this deal, the real key will be how Crawford bounces back from Tommy John surgery in 2013 and beyond.Crawford should be a better player than he was ...

Here are 10 under-26 prospects (in alphabetical order) who are tearing it up in the minor leagues.Whether any of these talents gets promoted to the majors soon is unknown, but if their numbers are called sometime between late June and early September, be ready to scoop 'em up in 12- 14- or 16-team leagues.PitchersSP Trevor Bauer, Reno Aces (Triple-A)Age: 21Parent Club: Arizona Diamondbacks2012 Stats: 11-1, 2.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104/42 K-BBSkinny: There's no time like the present in splurging for a Justin Verlander/Clayton Kershaw/Stephen Strasburg-esque prospect who's been nearly unstoppable at every level of the minors. (Bauer was recently promoted to Triple-A Reno.) Given the Diamondbacks' patient approach with super prospects (Justin Upton would be a rare exception), there's no guarantee Bauer will see a major league ballpark before Sept. 1. However, he could easily force Arizona's hand with a few more dominant starts in Reno. SP Tony Cingrani, Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Double-A)Age: 22Parent ...

Evan Longoria's game-winning home run cleared the left field wall just minutes after the Boston Red Sox had lost to the Baltimore Orioles. With that, the historic collapse was complete. The Red Sox held a nine-game lead in the American League Wild Card race at the beginning of September. But, a 7-20 record in the season's last month meant that it was the Tampa Bay Rays who were celebrating the final berth to the 2011 playoffs.A lot has changed for the Red Sox since that dreadful night.Terry Francona resigned as the team's manager and switched places with former ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine, who was hired by the team on December 1. Jonathan Papelbon, Marco Scutaro and Jason Varitek, all key contributors last season, are no longer with the team.Newcomers—especially Andrew Bailey and Cody Ross—will be important to the Red Sox finding success in 2012. But there are returning players who must ...

Do you think the Sizemore family doesn't matter? Just ask the Cleveland Indians and the Oakland Athletics, who already have lost one of their own in training camp and been left to scramble for replacements. The early days of spring training have seen a number of assorted hurts and physical setbacks, some of which are sure to impact the regular season. In reverse order, here are the 20 most significant ones thus far:Begin Slideshow

The Boston Red Sox pounded the Chicago Cubs into submission, 15-5, yesterday to win their seventh straight ball game. The Sox have now won 10 of 12, 13 of 18 and 22 of their last 32. They have the best record in baseball since April 16 and, more importantly, they sit just a half game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East.How did this happen?It was just two weeks ago that Red Sox Nation was ready to call it a year and go back to rooting for the Celtics and Bruins in the playoffs. But much has happened in those two short weeks, including Rajon Rondo almost single-handedly beating the Miami Heat with one arm (try getting your kids to believe that one in about 20 years).The Red Sox, meanwhile, have come together as a team and started playing like the club that everyone and their ...