Red Sox Upset With Drew, Trade Coming?

According to the Boston Globe, Red Sox manager Terry Francona is frustrated with J.D. Drew and is urging the Red Sox to make a trade. I do not think it will be trading J.D. Drew, but rather trading for someone who is available. The Red Sox have been linked to Matt Murton and are exactly interested in bringing him back. The Red Sox traded him to the Cubs in the 2004 blockbuster deal that involved Nomar Garciaparra and Orlando Cabrera. Murton was upset by his demotion to Triple-A, but is likely to get a call up if he does well. Personally, I think they will trade him within the next week or so, but we'll see. Murton would make for a solid platoon for the Red Sox, but he probably wouldn't be ready to start in the AL. Other options include Kendry Morales, Reggie Willits, and Xavier Nady, among others. A more likely scenario will be to play Coco Crisp in right field, so they do not have to give up a prospect like Jed Lowrie.

The Red Sox signed Japanese pitcher Terumasa Matsuo to a minor league deal and assigned him to the extended Spring Training in Fort Meyers, Florda. Matsuo, 26, has gone 26-5 over the past two seasons with a 1.77 ERA. "We have followed his progress over the last two years and have been really impressed with his ability to pitch," said Jon Deeble, who serves as Pacific Rim coordinator for the Red Sox. "He has shown us the ability to throw the ball past the bat as evident of his high strikeout numbers and his ability to throw four pitches for strikes. He is a hard working kid who really loves to pitch. We look forward to having him pitch in a Red Sox uniform this upcoming season."