Sox Lock Up Pedroia Through 2014

Once again Red Sox management has shown its brilliance by signing the reigning AL MVP Dustin Pedroia to a 6-year, $40.5 million contract extension.

The deal means Dustin will be under contract in Boston through 2014 and reportedly there is a club option for 2015.

This is a great move and great news for Red Sox fans!

Pedroia is already one of the most popular players on the team and before his career is over he may end up being one of the best players in franchise history.

You can't argue with the numbers. In his two seasons with the Sox, Pedroia, who is still only 25, has a .313 average with a .369 on-base percentage. He has hit 27 homers, scored 209 runs and knocked in 140. Add in his .990 fielding percentage and what's not to like.

Besides being named MVP, he also won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award this past season. He was the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year and capped off that season with a starring role as the Sox won their second World Series in four seasons.

But it's not all about numbers with Dustin. He is already the heart and soul of this team and like I've said before, he will be the next team captain when Jason Varitek leaves or retires.

The fact that he signed the deal (which looks to be one of those rare contracts that's good for both the player and the club) so quickly shows how much he loves playing baseball and wants to be in Boston.

Like he always says, "It's all about winning."

Hot Stove: New Japanese Pitcher; Tek, Byrd Get Arbitration

Reports say the Red Sox have agreed to a 3-year, $3 million contract with 22-year-old Japanese right-handed pitcher Junichi Tazawa.

The deal has not been finalized yet, but it has been widely reported and is expected to be official by the end of the week.

This could be another steal for the Red Sox. Tazawa is said to throw a fastball in the low-mid 90s. Scouts also say he's got good command of both a breaking ball and changeup, and the changeup reportedly has the action of a split-fingered fastball.

He has not played professionally in Japan, and some Major League teams and the Japanese league feel the Sox may have violated a gentleman's agreement that U.S. teams would not go after non-professional players.

Other teams were also involved in the bidding, however, so it's doubtful this will strain the relationship Boston has with the Japanese league.

Tazawa is expected to begin his career in the minor leagues, but he will be on the 40-man roster and could quickly make it up to Boston if he excels in the minors.

Team Hopes To Re-Sign Varitek

The Red Sox offered arbitration to two of their nine free agents Monday night -- catcher Jason Varitek and pitcher Paul Byrd.

Varitek is a Type A free agent and Byrd a type B. By offering arbitration, the Sox will receive compensatory draft picks if the players don't accept and sign with another team. They would get two picks for Tek and one for Byrd.

Both players are not expected to accept the arbitration and will seek more lucrative and longer deals through free agency. The Red Sox are still pursuing Varitek and even if he becomes a free agent he could still come back to the team.

It's tough to imagine Tek playing for another team, but if someone offers him big money for more than two years the Sox will likely let him go.

Alex Cora, Mike Timlin, Sean Casey, Curt Schilling, Mark Kotsay, Bartolo Colon, and David Ross were not offered arbitration.

Winter Meetings

Things are expected to heat up next week at baseball's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. Several big impact free agents including CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez have been offered arbitration by their clubs, but all are expected to decline.

The key to everything still seems to be Sabathia. Once he signs -- likely with the Yankees or Angels at this point -- then the rest of the dominoes will fall into place as teams adjust their strategies on the fly.

The Sox still have their eye on Teixeira and some pitchers including Derek Lowe. You can be sure Theo Epstein will be very active, but as he has proved in recent years, he won't get sucked in by the lure of a big name.