Fenway Fables

The Red Sox signed MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury to a one year deal that’ll pay him $8.05 million next year.  Ellsbury won both the come back player of the year award as well as coming in second place to Justin Verlander for the AL MVP.  He had a monster season and you hope he call follow that up with another nice one in 2012.

The Red Sox also signed Mike Aviles to a one year deal worth $1.2 million.  Aviles was scooped up from Kansas City last year and he’s nice to have because he can play anywhere.  That leaves David Ortiz, Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves and Andrew Bailey as arbitration eligible players who haven’t signed yet.  Nobody has gone to the arbitration table since Theo Epstein has been in the mix and you’d hope they don’t start now.

The Red Sox signed catcher and one time top prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia to a one year, $2.5 million deal.  A one time blue chip prospect with the Braves, Jarrod was traded to the Rangers where he struggled until 2010 when he was dealt to the Red Sox.  In 2011, he had the best season of his career with Boston.

He finished with 16 home runs and a .737 OPS.  Not too shabby for a catcher although he could work on his batting eye a little.  He’s also young still at just 26.  He’s probably not going to play in an All Star Game, but he’s a solid backstop who can help out the Red Sox in 2012.

1)  Will Middlebrooks  3b
2)  Xander Bogaerts  ss
3)  Blake Swihart  C
4)  Anthony Ranaudo  RHP
5)  Bryce Brentz  OF
6)  Brandon Jacobs  OF
7)  Garin Cecchini  3b
8)  Matt Barnes  RHP
9)  Ryan Lavarnway  C
10)  Jackie Bradley  OF