Curt Schilling fired up his blog again and writes today that the Red Sox should sign Josh Beckett to a contract extension.

His reasoning is that Beckett tries really hard. Just a guess, but the Red Sox might work in a few more factors before they make a decision.

In case you missed it, Nick Cafardo wrote about Beckett on Sunday and the possible need for the Red Sox to protect themselves in case of injury.

Beckett's contract status will certainly be a hot-button topic in spring training. With every spot in the lineup and rotation set, off-field matters will take center stage in Fort Myers.

Will Beckett be signed? Will Victor Martinez be signed? When will Mike Lowell be traded? Do the Sox need to trade for Adrian Gonzalez? Those will be the big issues.

UPDATE, 6:30 p.m.: Wow, I'm honored. Curt took a shot at me on his blog. Here is what he said:

Oh and for what it's worth noted baseball expert Peter Abraham said that I think the Sox should sign Josh because he 'tries really hard'. Apologies on my part since I obviously thought that teams only consider a player 'trying really hard' when committing 75 or so million, not withstanding his 65-34 regular season record, him basically carrying the team to the 2007 WS title, the fact that he's only going to be 31, ya Peter my apologies for not having the insight into a players makeup or the teams process like the 'experts' over at the Globe.

I guess he was trying to insult me. My point was that in Curt's original nine-paragraph post, he devoted seven graphs to the idea that Beckett should be re-signed because he tries really hard and really wants to win.

Beckett's makeup is a factor. But his health, performance, salary demands and the readiness of other starters in the organization will probably be far bigger factors. Given what we know about Theo Epstein and Co., that seems fairly evident. It's not what he did in the past, it's what he can do in the future.

Sorry to get you upset, Curt. Keep on blogging. Next time, give us a link.

UPDATE, 7:42 p.m.: Craig Calcaterra gets it right here.

OK, back to Villanova-West Virginia. Back in another life when I covered UConn basketball, Morgantown was the scariest place to go on the Big East beat. The throw everything they can get their hands on at opposing players there.

Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers on Feb. 18. The Super Bowl is over and it's time to focus on baseball. Be here at noon Monday for our weekly chat on all things Red Sox.

Through Sunday, here is the full list of players the Red Sox will have in training camp. Those with an * next to their name are non-roster players:

PITCHERS (30)
RHP Scott Atchison
RHP Daniel Bard
RHP Josh Beckett
RHP Randor Bierd *
RHP Boof Bonser
RHP Michael Bowden
RHP Clay Buchholz
RHP Fernando Cabrera *
LHP Fabio Castro
RHP Manny Delcarmen
LHP Felix Doubront
LHP Kris Johnson *
RHP Casey Kelly *
RHP John Lackey
LHP Jon Lester
RHP Robert Manuel
RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka
RHP Adam Mills *
RHP Edwin Moreno *
RHP Joe Nelson *
LHP Hideki Okajima
RHP Jonathan Papelbon
RHP Ramon A. Ramirez
RHP Ramon S. Ramirez
LHP Dustin Richardson
LHP Brian Shouse *
RHP Jorge Sosa *
RHP Junichi Tazawa
RHP Tim Wakefield
RHP Kyle Weiland *

CATCHERS (6)
Dusty Brown
Luis Exposito *
Victor Martinez
Gustavo Molina *
Jason Varitek
Mark Wagner

INFIELDERS (15)
Lars Anderson *
Aaron Bates
Adrian Beltre
Bill Hall
Tug Hulett
Jose Iglesias
Mike Lowell
Jed Lowrie
Yamaico Navarro *
David Ortiz
Dustin Pedroia
Angel Sanchez *
Marco Scutaro
Gil Velazquez *
Kevin Youkilis

OUTFIELDERS (9)
Mike Cameron
Zach Daeges *
J.D. Drew
Jacoby Ellsbury
Jermy Hermida
Ryan Kalish *
Che-Hsuan Lin *
Darnell McDonald *
Josh Reddick

Notes: The Red Sox have a full 40-man roster. So if any non-roster players are deemed worthy of a spot, a corresponding move would have to be made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. ... A few e-mailers asked whether it was a surprise that Ryan Westmoreland was not invited to camp. Not really. He is still young and will be taking it a little slow as he comes off shoulder surgery. He doesn't need the hype, either. ... It was a little surprising, however, that promising catching prospect Tim Federowicz was not invited. Teams often like exposing their young catchers to big-league pitching and Federowicz, who is 22, is advanced defensively. ... Fourteen of the top 30 prospects in the organization ranked by Baseball America were invited to camp.

Here are the non-roster players the Red Sox have invited to spring training:

Pitchers (10)                          
Randor Bierd                          
Fernando Cabrera               
Kris Johnson                                                  
Casey Kelly                                                    
Adam Mills
Edwin Moreno
Joe Nelson
Brian Shouse
Jorge Sosa
Kyle Weiland

Catchers (2)
Luis Exposito
Gustavo Molina

Infielders (4)
Lars Anderson
Yamaico Navarro
Angel Sanchez
Gil Velazquez

Outfelders (4)
Zach Daeges
Ryan Kalish
Che-Hsuan Lin
Darnell McDonald

Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout in Fort Myers on Saturday, February 20. The first full workout of the Red Sox Spring Training camp is on Wednesday, February 24.

In all, the Sox will have 60 players in camp, half of them pitchers.

No more for Nomar?

Not so fast.

According to his close friend and former teammate Lou Merloni, free agent Nomar Garciaparra is still hoping to play in the major leagues in 2010.

That runs contrary to report Wednesday by the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser that said Garciaparra is "widely expected to retire."

Merloni, who now works for WEEI.com and Comcast SportsNet, said he spoke to the 36-year-old Garciaparra, who said his problematic calf injury feels better than it has in a while and thinks he can help a team in the right situation.

Garciaparra, who batted .281 in 65 games with the A's last season, spoke to both the MLB Network and ESPN about possible studio analyst work earlier this offseason.

Most projections have the Red Sox and Yankees winning 95 or so games this season. Based on the moves the teams made during the winter, that seems reasonable.

Which leads to this question: What is one regular-season victory worth to those teams?

One victory could be the difference between home-field advantage in the playoffs. For teams that constructed rosters built to the dimensions of their respective parks, that is not insignificant. One victory could be the difference in being able to set up your rotation the way you want, as the Yankees were able to do last season. One extra victory might allow you to rest your ace a little more as the season ends.

Then take it a little further. What if that one extra victory helps lead to getting to the World Series or winning another championship? How much is that worth to the bottom line in terms of sponsorships, suite sales and advertising rates on NESN and YES?

I'm not smart enough to figure that out. But I would think for a team like the Red Sox, there could be a significant financial difference between winning 95 games or winning 96.

Which leads me to this: Why not sign Kiko Calero, Chan-Ho Park, Jermaine Dye or one of the other free agents still on the market? Given how close the Red Sox and Yankees seem to be, making the team one player stronger could be the difference between winning the East or playing Game 1 of the Division Series in Anaheim or Seattle.

Calero would provide an upgrade to the bullpen in Boston or New York. Dye, while not what he once was, did have 27 homers last season and an .894 OPS against lefthanders. David Ortiz hit .212 against lefties last season with a .716 OPS.

It is impossible to know what impact one player could have on the team. But given how close the Red Sox and Yankees appear to be, wouldn't it be worth investing $2 million in one more player just to get that little edge? As we get closer to spring training, there could be some bargains out there that make a difference.

Just something to think about on a cold day largely devoid of baseball news. What is your take?

------------

Who do you like in the Super Bowl? I'm rooting for the Saints, but given how Brett Favre carved up New Orleans two weeks ago, Peyton Manning could throw for 400 yards. Good luck with your squares and have a good weekend.

Patrick from NPB Tracker passes along word from Japan that the Red Sox have offered a minor-league contract to lefthander Hisanori Takahashi.

He'll be 35 in April and is swingman type. Takahashi had a 2.94 ERA for the Yomiuri Giants last season. The Dodgers, Giants and Padres also have made offers.

If you're interested, here's some more info via NPB Tracker.

 Every player is different and circumstances change. But the recent signings of John Lackey, Felix Hernandez and now Justin Verlander have given the Red Sox and Josh Beckett a fairly good idea of the market as they try and negotiate an extension.

Let's take a closer look:

John Lackey (Red Sox)
Deal: Five years, $82.5 million with a conditional option for 2015.
Average annual value: $16.5 million
Age: 31
Career innings: 1,501
Career WHIP: 1.306
Career ERA: 3.81

------------

Felix Hernandez (Mariners)
Deal: Five years, $78 million
Average annual value: $15.6 million
Age: 23
Career innings: 905
Career WHIP: 1.271
Career ERA: 3.45

------------

Justin Verlander (Tigers)
Deal: Five years, $80 million
Average annual value: $16 million
Age: 27.
Career innings: 840
Career WHIP: 1.285
Career ERA: 3.92

------------

Josh Beckett (Red Sox)
Deal: Expires after 2010 season.
Age: Turns 30 in May.
Career innings: 1,401.
Career WHIP: 1.218
Career ERA: 3.79

Add in the deal the Yankees gave A.J. Burnett last season (five years, $82.5 million) and it's pretty evident that Beckett will be seeking pretty a deal worth at least $16.5 million a year over a period of four or five years.

It could behoove the Sox to make a deal now as the Yankees could well be looking to add at least one starter next winter. Andy Pettitte is year to year at this point and is pitching with a balky shoulder while Javy Vazquez is up after the season, too.

The question becomes whether you want to see Beckett pitch in 2010 before signing him or get it done now. The longer it goes, the less chance you have of bringing him back.

Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti is a really rich guy. But he'll be able to drink for free in Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Baltmore for a while thanks to what he said to the Baltimore Sun:

"If I'm a Yankees fan, I'm upset we're not winning 130 games with the roster that they have and the money that they pay out. I think it's a disgrace they only beat the average team by 10 games in the standings with three times the money. I'd fire that GM. You don't need a GM. All you have to do is buy the last Cy Young Award winner every year."

There are assorted things wrong with that statement, starting with not really understanding baseball and the relative impossibility of winning 130 games even with a $300 million payroll. You also can't actually buy the Cy Young Award winner every year. You also need a GM to send guys to Scranton once in a while, stuff like that.

Still, it's kind of funny to see a wealthy guy get all fired up like that. Just a guess, but this will not play well in New York. No, not at all.

The Bill James Handbook arrived in the mail a few days ago and I have been marking it up with a highlighter ever since. 

Here are a few things that struck me:

DEFENSE
The Handbook contains the annual Fielding Bible awards and some defensive fielding statistics as determined by John Dewan and the folks at Baseball Info Solutions.

I know, defensive metrics can be hard to understand and even harder to believe sometimes. But these rankings are based on actual people watching actual games and noting every play that is made and the circumstances.

They rate players by "Runs Saved" and "Plus/Minus." Here is how they explain each category:

Runs Saved: This indicates how many runs a player saved or hurt his team in the field compared to the average player at his position. A player near 0 Runs Saved is about average; a positive number of runs saved indicates above-average defense, below-average fielders post negative Runs Saved totals. There are many components of Runs Saved: range, the ability to turn a batted ball into an out, the ability to play a bunt, the ability to turn or start a double play, how well an outfielder prevents extra bases and whether an outfielder saves runs. There are other factors added for catchers and pitchers.

Plus/Minus: A player gets credit (a "plus" number) if he makes a play that at least one other player at his position missed during the season, and he loses credit (a "minus" number) if he misses a play that at least one player made. The size of the credit is directly related to how often players make the play. Each play is looked at individually, and a score is given for each play. Sum up all the plays for each player at his position and you get his total plus/minus for the season. A total plus/minus score near zero means the player is average. A score above zero is above average and a negative score is below average.

In short, these are not complicated equations. It's a basic system judging each play a player makes or doesn't make.

In terms of Runs Saved over the last three seasons, here is how some Red Sox ranked at their respective positions:

Kevin Youkilis, third. Dustin Pedroia, sixth and Marco Scutaro, sixth. Nobody else was in the top 10.

You'll be shocked to hear that Jacoby Ellsbury was an average of -7 over the last three years and -9 last season. Mike Lowell was -18 last season, making him the worst third baseman in the game.

Victor Martinez has an average of -11 as a catcher over the last three seasons.

In terms of Plus/Minus, Youkilis, Pedroia, Scutaro and Mike Cameron grade out well over the last three seasons. J.D. Drew was +11 last season in right field.

OFFENSE
James delivers the leaderboards for all the traditional statistics. But here are some other nuggets:

Ellsbury stole third base 13 times. Only Brian Roberts (14) did that more. ... Pedroia saw 2,829 pitches. Only Chone Figgins (3,084), Jayson Werth (3,046), Roberts (2,901) and Adam Dunn (2,893) saw more. ...Youkilis was the AL leader in pitcher per plate appearance (4.42) ... Scutaro was third in pitches taken. ... Drew had the best OPS for AL right fielders and the best OPS (.999) in the entire AL in the second half of the season. Yes, better than Joe Mauer (.998). ... Pedroia had the shortest average home runs in the AL (minimum 10 HRs). His "bombs" averaged 366 feet. ... Good luck trying to get Pedroia (6.6 percent of the time), Youkilis (10.5 percent) and Ellsbury (12.1 percent) to swing at the first pitch. They were in the top 10 in the AL.

And more ...

Josh Beckett received an average of 6.36 runs of support per nine innings pitched, third in the AL. ... Jon Lester's 9.96 strikeouts per nine innings trailed only Justin Verlander (10.09) in the AL. ... Opponents hit .128 against Jon Papelbon with a runner in scoring position. ... Daniel Bard threw 39 pitches of 100+ mph. That was second in the AL, well behind Joel Zumaya of Detroit, who did it 198 times.

2010 PROJECTIONS
This is very much an inexact science, as James readily admits. But it's fun to look at. Here are the key Red Sox:

Ellsbury: .302/.360/.420. 106 R, 64 SB
Pedroia: .307/.378/.465, 15 HR, 109 R, 75 RBI
Youkilis: .289/.394/.492, 23 HR, 98 R, 95 RBI
Martinez: .298/.377/.464, 19 HR, 97 RBI
Ortiz: .264/.369/.519, 29 HR, 99 RBI
Drew: .269/.385/.474, 22 HR, 76 RBI
Beltre: .269/.321/.439, 17 HR, 68 RBI
Cameron: .237/.328/.428, 23 HR, 74 RBI
Scutaro: .264/.347/.381, 10 HR, 57 RBI
Hermida: .267, 20 HR, 73 RBI
Varitek: .229, 9 HR

Now keep in mind that these projections were made right after the season and do not take into account players changing teams or leagues.

------------

Do yourself a favor and purchase the Handbook. You'll learn a lot and see the game at a different angle. You can order it on-line through ACTA Sports. Take a look at The Fielding Bible, too. Both are invaluable tools. 

Fox will air two of its Saturday games in prime time this season. While this regularly happens during the postseason, Fox has never before tried it during the regular season.

Two dates are booked, May 22 and June 26. The possible games are:

May 22: Yankees-Mets, Red Sox-Phillies, Cubs-Rangers or Tigers-Dodgers.

June 26: Yankees-Dodgers, Red Sox-Giants or Cubs-White Sox.

Sox-Phillies looks like the best game on May 22. Yanks-Dodgers will be hard to pass up in June with Joe Torre managing against his old team.

A reader from California named Jordan e-mailed today regarding Adrian Gonzalez and said he sympathized with the fans in San Diego who could lose their first baseman.

His wife, he said, has owned t-shirts bearing the number of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez and now has Jonathan Papelbon

"Sorry, but I have secured his future as the replacement for Mariano in the Bronx in 2012," Jordan joked.

That got me thinking. How many of us own jerseys or t-shirts celebating a player who has since been traded or left the team we root for? When I moved in December, I left behind two perfectly good Patriots jerseys in a Goodwill bin back in New York: Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour.

I wonder how many such jerseys are sitting in the back of America's closets or are consigned to the lowest drawer in the dresser just in case somebody asks you to paint a house? Probably millions. New England is probably awash in Damon jerseys alone. People loved the guy.

Teams should take trade-ins. Bring in your old jersey, donate it to charity and get 15 percent off a new one. It would be like gun amnesty, only with fewer gangbangers.

So what old jerseys are hanging around your house? C'mon, admit it.

This release from the Red Sox today:

Eddie Romero, who has served as Coordinator, Latin American Operations since 2006, was promoted to Assistant Director, Latin American Operations. Gus Quattlebaum was promoted to Assistant Director, Amateur Scouting after working for the club as a Major League scout since 2006. Steve Peck was named a Major League scout. He joined the Red Sox in 2009 as a professional scout after 13 years on the coaching and scouting staff of the Seattle Mariners.

The team also officially announced the signing of catcher Gustavo Molina and righthander Joe Nelson to minor-league deals that include invitations to spring training.

The full release is after the jump.

The agent for Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the team apparently can't afford his client.

John Boggs doesn't run the Padres, of course. But when the question was posed to owner Jeff Moorad, he didn't deny it.

"I think the fairest description of our point of view is that we continue to be committed to doing what's best for the long-term interest of the organization," Moorad said yesterday. "As a result, no player is untouchable. And while we're mindful of players' individual popularity, we won?t put one player ahead of the long-term interests of the club."

If you were a Padres fan, that would not exactly inspire you to run out and buy a No. 23 jersey, would it?

Now before you start trying to decide whether Gonzo should hit third or fourth for the Red Sox, be advised that he is signed and exceedingly affordable ($10.35 million) for the Padres over two more seasons. Not one, two.

So the Padres can trade him in July, next winter or in July of 2011. There is no pressure on Jed Hoyer do it now. The market for Gonzalez can and will change a dozens ways over the course of time.

Here is the beauty of what Theo Epstein did with Adrian Beltre, who has a one-year deal with a low-cost option for 2011. If Gonzalez does become available, shedding Beltre will be relatively painless. Kevin Youkilis moves to third base, Gonzalez plays first and everything fits.

But that is for another time. For now, the Sox have their lineup and Gonzalez will play for the Padres. But these drums will only continue to get louder.

There were several questions about the bullpen during our chat on Monday. Every team in baseball, it seems, has questions about its bullpen depth and fans always feel a little angst before the season.

Unlike position players and starting pitchers, relievers are hard to project from season to season. The elite closers are usually fairly consistent, but other relievers can be terrific one season and awful the next. Pitchers end up in the bullpen, for the most part, because they lack something and often that is consistency.

The statistics are much harder to judge as well. Wins and losses are almost meaningless for relievers and saves aren't necessarily an indicator of success. It's better to look at WHIP or OPS against. For specialists, all that really matters is how they handle either right-handed (or left-handed) hitters.

If a reliever sucks up up three innings in a rout one day in May and gives up a bunch of runs, his ERA is probably shot for the season. But that doesn't mean much as far as the manager, pitching coach and GM are concerned. How he handles certain situations in winnable games are what teams try to evaluate.

All that said, let's look at who the Sox will be taking a look at down in Fort Myers. They have seven spots to fill:

IF HEALTHY, THEY'RE IN
RHP Jonathan Papelbon, closer
RHP Daniel Bard, set-up man
LHP Hideki Okajima, set-up man
RHP Ramon S. Ramirez

These guys are all pretty secure. They're under contract and pitched well in 2009. They're going to camp to get in shape.

CAN'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED
RHP Manny Delcarmen
RHP Boof Bonser

Both of these pitchers are on the 40-man roster and under contract. But Delcarmen had a rough second half of 2009 then revealed he has been hiding a shoulder injury. That didn't please the Sox. Bonser was acquired from Minnesota on the cheap in December after missing nearly all of 2009 following surgery. If healthy, he could become the long man.

CANDIDATES FROM THE 40-MAN ROSTER
RHP Scott Atchison
LHP Fabio Castro
RHP Robert Manuel
RHP Ramon A. Ramirez
LHP Dustin Richardson

The Sox cast a wide net this winter, using waiver claims and minor trades to add Atichson, Castro, Manuel and Ramirez to the roster. Richardson is a giant (6-6, 225 pounds) lefty who has come through the farm system. He had a breakthrough 2009 season after converting to the bullpen. If the decision is made to keep a second lefty, he could be the choice.

ASSORTED CHARACTERS
RHP Fernando Cabrera
LHP Kason Gabbard
RHP Devern Hansack
RHP Edwin Moreno
RHP Joe Nelson
RHP Scott Patterson
RHP Kelvin Pichardo
LHP Brian Shouse
RHP Jorge Sosa
RHP Chad Paronto

Some (if not many) of these guys will get cut, others will go to Pawtucket and there's a decent enough chance one of them will actually make the team. You never know.

IN-SEASON CANDIDATES
RHP Michael Bowden

Bowden did not fare well in 16 major-league innings in 200, but pitched well for Pawtucket as a starter. He's only 23, so the Sox will likely continue to try and develop him as a starter. But if a need arises or he stalls as a starter, he could switch over the bullpen.

Not including Bowden, I count 21 relievers. The Sox should be able to fill their needs before Opening Day. But the bullpen on April 4 will almost certainly change significantly before September rolls around. For now, it's nothing to get too worked up over.

UPDATE, 6:36 p.m.: Some people astutely commented that Tim Wakefield could figure in the bullpen mix. That is certainly the case. For now, I'm figuring they'll take the six starters into spring training and see what everybody looks like health-wise come April.

There are three scenarios for Wake:

1. No. 5 starter. That would likely mean somebody else got hurt. The Sox seem very determined to use Buchholz as one of their starters. He's 25 now and has done all he can do in AAA.

2. Limbo role as a long man, spot starter.

3. Starting the season on the DL.

Wakefield has 141 relief appearances in the majors and actually has better numbers than he does as a starter. (See his career splits for more details). But given the strength of their rotation, the Red Sox may not need a long man often enough to merit having one. Bonser could fill that role, as well.

These things always seem to work their way out. If having too much pitching is a problem, then the second "problem" will be when to print the playoff tickets.

According to a report on MLB.com, veteran reliever Joe Nelson has reached an agreement with the Red Sox on a minor league deal.

The 35-year-old Nelson, who had a cup of coffee with the Red Sox in 2004 [2 2/3 innings pitched], had a rough 2009 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, posting a 4.02 ERA and striking out 36 to go with 27 walks in 42 relief appearances before spending August and September in the minors. Nelson also spent time in the Red Sox minor league system in 2002.

Nelson's best season was with the Florida Marlins in 2008 when he had a 2.00 ERA to go along with 60 strikeouts and 22 walks in 54 innings.

"They pretty much have five spots [in the bullpen] locked up, barring injuries, and there's still two spots," Nelson said in a phone interview with MLB.com on Monday night. "But they're not bringing in a whole bunch of guys [to spring training].

"For me, I had multiple teams making multiple offers, and they just seemed like the best fit."

---

In other ex-Red Sox player news, the San Francisco Giants have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with former Red Sox starter/reliever Byung-Hyun Kim as a non-roster invite to spring training.

Kim hasn't pitched in the majors since spending 2007 with the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Florida Marlins.

In May 2003, Kim was traded by the Diamondbacks to the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Shea Hillenbrand. Kim went 8-5 with a 3.18 ERA for the Sox in 49 games, five as a starter, during the 2003 season. Kim appeared in just seven games for Boston in 2004 and was eventually traded to the Rockies in 2005. The 31-year-old Kim owns a career record of 54-60 with a 4.42 ERA in nine major league seasons.

As the season approaches, we're going to be ramping up the content on Extra Bases. The Globe crew will descend on Fort Myers starting next week and we'll be there until April. There will be constant reports here on the blog along with plenty of video and other special features.

If you want your news 140 characters at a time, we're also on Twitter and will literally be posting from the clubhouse, the field and everywhere in between.

Here's where to follow us:

Amalie Benjamin: @AmalieBenjamin

Pete Abraham: @PeteAbe

A television station in Minnesota reported that Joe Mauer has agreed to a 10-year deal with the Twins. That does not appear to be true according to multiple reports. But the sides are talking seriously and all indications are that a deal will get done.

This will come as bad news to fans of the Red Sox (and the Yankees) who were envisioning Mauer being signed as a free agent next winter. He would have been a perfect fit for either team.

But it's better for baseball that Mauer stay with the Twins. He's a hometown kid who was a two-sport high school star in St. Paul and loves that area so much that his vacation home is in Minnesota. If the Twins can't keep Mauer, what is the point of Minneapolis even having a team?

Yes, the Sox could have used Mauer. But it's OK for the other teams to have good players, too.

Orlando Cabrera agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Reds today. Kevin Millar, meanwhile, has taken a minor-league deal to try and continue his career with the Cubs according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

What other former Red Sox are still out there?

Johnny Damon: The Yankees called his bluff and for some reason signed Randy Winn. Now Damon could be left with the Tigers or perhaps Tampa Bay. Damon hit 17 of his 24 homers at Yankee Stadium last season. Both sides messed this one up as a one-year deal for $7 million would have made great sense.

Pedro Martinez: The one-time ace pitched well for the Phillies at times last season and still has something left. The Rangers are reportedly interested, but Pedro would be better off in the easy-to-navigate National League. The Mets, who can't get anybody signed, should swallow what little pride they have left and call him.

Nomar Garciaparra: There has been no winter chatter about Garciaparra, who hit .281 as a reserve for Oakland last season. Word is that he is seeking employment on television.

Rocco Baldelli: The pride of Rhode Island is looking for a spot as a fourth outfielder.

Wily Mo Pena: Remember him? He spent all of last season at Triple-A for the Mets. At best he'll get a minor-league deal with somebody. But he could be washed up at 27.

John Smoltz: He got himself straight in St. Louis last season and should go back there. The Mets reportedly have an interest.

Ron Mahay: Still effective against left-handed batters, Mahay will catch on with somebody.

Paul Byrd, Bartolo Colon, Chad Bradford, Alan Embree, Eric Gagne, Tomo Ohka, Julian Tavarez: These guys are in various stages of finished but will be looking to catch an invitation to spring training to see what develops.

The Globe's Peter Abraham stopped by on Monday to chat about spring training, the upcoming Red Sox season, and more. Check out the replay below.