There's nothing like a six hour flight to Cali and the threat of a week long trade show about sprockets to get your mind, and heart, wishing for baseball.

That's right, sprockets. Don't ask...

So while I sipped my mini water bottles and munched on those blue potato chips that taste as not good as as they look, a few things crossed my mind. One of them was Marco Scutaro.

Specifically, the similarities that his path to Boston has with Julio Lugo's.

From 2000 to 2004, Julio Lugo was a mediocre shortstop that hit around .275, had 10 homer power and K'd about 20% of the time. Then, in 2005, Lugo had a career year, posting a .295 AVG and a .765 OPS, while dropping his K-rate a few points and stealing 39 bases to boot!

He was even better in 2006, hitting .308, posting an astounding .871 OPS and blasting an unprecedented 12 ding dongs in 435 at-bats for the Rays before being traded to the Dodgers.

No wonder Theo Epstein was so excited to hand him a 4-year, $36 million deal, right?

I don't need to tell you all what happened after that, but for the sake of my story, I'll remind you that Lugo reverted back to his mediocre ways, averaging a .682 OPS and looking quite horrible in the field during his time in Boston.

Lugo was finally shipped out of town, but the Sox are still paying his contract, even as they hand Marco Scutaro over 10 million bucks.

That's right... the same Marco Scutaro that has a Lugo-esque .265 career BA, but posted never before seen numbers like a .789 OPS, 12 homers and 100 runs scored before signing with Boston.

Theo will tell you that he signed Scutaro for his glove as much as hit bat, and there's no reason to belive that Marco won't be a major upgrade over Lugo defensively, but what is more likely: Another two years of above average production from a 36-year old journeyman or two more years of typical bottom of the order stats from the short stop position?

Bottom Line: Bill James and the other folks at Fangraphs think 2009 was a fluke and expect Scutaro to be back in the .260's with a handful of homers and an OPS in the low .700s.

I guess the question is: Are you okay with Lugo-like numbers at half the price or do you want more from your shortstop?

2010 Fan Projections: As we fight our way through January and February towards the start of a new baseball season, we'll be looking at each player on the Red Sox roster and predicting how they will perform in 2010. But we want you guys to get in on the action too! Use the form at the bottom of each post to submit your projections for each player. After the 2010 season, we'll announce who did the best and award some prizes to the winners!

Click a name to make other 2010 projections:

Jonathan Papelbon

Daniel Bard

Tim Wakefield, SP

Projecting Tim Wakefield's 2010 season is going to be tricky. He has stated that he is healthy and planning to start this year, but unless there is an injury or setback elsewhere in the rotation, he and Clay Buchholz will be battling for that 5th spot in the rotation during Spring Training.

Even if the Red Sox decide to make keep Wake in the rotation, he has struggled to stay healthy and/or effective in the second half since 2004. If he falters, the Sox won't hesitate to swap him out with Buchholz.  What may be up for debate is how long the leash will be...

The Red Sox have a few options here and their decisions will directly effect Wake's stats in 2010. Knowing that Wakefield, 42,  tends to breakdown in the second half, the Red Sox may choose to start Buchholz and move Wake to the bullpen to start the year. Theoretically, this will keep Wakefield fresh and enable him to jump in for a few spot starts if another starter struggles or gets hurt. Personally, I think this makes the most sense because it won't hinder Buchholz's development and we're more likely to need Wake down the stretch than we are in April.

Bill James made his predictions early in the offseason and expects Wakefield to make just 16 starts this season:

James on Wakefield: 16 GS, 6-5, 4.03 ERA, 1.31 WHIP

In 2009, Justin Materson, Paul Byrd, Junichi Tazawa and Micheal Bowden combined for 17 starts as the collective "Long Man." They tallied a 7-10 record with a 5.87 ERA including starts and relief appearances... so Wake would be an upgrade if he stayed in the bullpen all season if James' predictions hold true.

Further backing those predictions are Wake's four years in the bullpen from 1999 to 2002, where he averaged 16 starts (159 IP), 8 wins, 9 losses and a 4.31 ERA.

But what if Wake gets 20 or 30 starts this year? What can we expect from the aging knuckler? Predicting the success of a knuckleball pitcher of Wakefield's caliber is like trying to predict the weather. We know the temperature will hover in the 30s in January, but sometimes you get a foot of snow and sometimes a warm front gives you a few days in the 50s.

At this point in his career, Wake isn't a lock for anything, but during his 11 years as a starter with Boston he has averaged 29 starts (189 IP), 13 wins, 10 losses and a  4.37 ERA. In short, there are going to be some ugly games mixed in with some gems, but when Wakefield gets 30 starts you can almost guarantee he'll win 10 or more and keep the ERA in the mid 4.00s.

Bottom Line Projection: I don't expect him to be a starter in April, but when all is said and done, he'll be... 8-7 with 4.39 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP through 18 starts, 26 games and 133 innings. He'll also log 86 strikeouts, earning him 2,000+ in his career and the team record for most career wins with 197.

Make your predictions using the form below. Just plug in your email address and the stats you expect to see from Wake this season and hit the SUBMIT button. We'll give away some prizes during the offseason for those who come closest...

Shawn Anderson from The Hall of Very Good recently sat down with The Batting Stance Guy to talk baseball. If you don't know who The Batting Stance Guy is, first let me ask you to crawl out from under your rock.... ready? Okay, his name is Gar Ryness and he's been doing impressions of baseball players with his wiffle ball bat for years now. His YouTube videos and website have become so popular that players like Manny Ramirez, Mike Cameron and Kevin Youkilis know him by name.

Below are a few quotes from Shawn's interview, but I highly recommend you read the whole thing here.

HOVG: What stance is most like your natural stance? Do you even have a “natural stance” at this point?

RYNESS: There are some VHS tapes in existence with me standing like Ryne Sandberg in real baseball. In college and post-college softball I like hitting lefty like Dave Justice, or when I’m trying to go opposite field…Will Clark.

HOVG: What players have been the most receptive?

RYNESS: Mike Cameron and Prince Fielder put me in the center of the Brewers stretching circle last season. Cameron either laughs really hard at everything, or enjoyed himself. Honestly, I could have never predicted the player’s responses. To have Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, Adam Wainwright, Todd Helton, Adrian Gonzalez, Pablo Sandoval, Alcedes Escobar, Mike Lowell, Corey Hart, Eugenio Velez and Kevin Youkilis all introducing themselves to me? Seriously, the world is upside down.

HOVG: Who has been critical?

RYNESS: Josh Beckett didn’t love me talking about imitating Mike Napoli hitting a homerun off him versus Mike Napoli hitting homeruns off the rest of the league. *Crickets* Nothing. Blank stare. Very awkward.

Click over for Shawn's full interview, Gar is a really funny guy.

Here's his interview with David Letterman... lots of Red Sox Yankees talk.

From WEEI's Full Count:

The Sox were looking to add more bullpen arms into a back-end competition that currently includes right-handers Scott Atchinson, Boof Bonser, Ramon A. Ramirez and Robert Manuel and left-handers Dustin Richardson, Brian Shouse and Fabio Castro. Because most of the Sox bullpen is settled (with Jonathan Papelbon at the end, and Hideki Okajima, Daniel Bard, Manny Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez all but certain to take key set-up roles), it seemed they would likely have a difficult time selling their opportunity to an established reliever.

“We can always add depth and create competition in spots. There is already some competition. With the  numbers in the ‘pen, we have to whittle it down,” GM Theo Epstein said on Friday. “We’re always on the lookout for more additions if they make sense. We don’t necessarily have great opportunities to sell at this point with certain aspects of our club, but if somebody is prepared for some competition maybe we could be the right landing spot for some guys on a minor-league deal.”

Apparently, Nelson proved open to just such an opportunity.

Nelson, 35, was 3-0 with a 4.02 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays last year, striking out 36 in 40.1 innings. He suffered command difficulties, however, as he walked 27 batters. That — and his $1.9 million deal in 2009 — came on the heels of a career-best 2008 season, when he had a 2.00 ERA and struck out 60 in 54 innings for the Florida Marlins.

Nelson was previously in the Red Sox system in both 2002 and 2004. Though most of his first stint in the organization was lost to injury, when healthy in 2004, he recorded a 2.96 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 51.2 combined innings in Double A and Triple A, and he appeared in three games (allowing five runs in 2.2 innings) in the majors.

Bottom Line: Nelson has a good shot at making the major league roster and has the stuff to be a solid contributor, but if Buchholz bumps Wakefield into the bullpen, it will be very crowded. Mike Lowell is also holding a rosdter spot at the moment, so all of the guys listed above could find themselves in Pawtucket or with another club come April...

Prince Fielder's recent comments about his future (or lack there of) as a Milwaukee Brewer got me thinking... who will be the DH of the future here in Boston?

David Ortiz set the bar pretty high during his time here in Boston, averaging 37 homers, 119 RBI and a .962 OPS while powering the Sox to two World Series Championships.  But, unless he has an unprecedented comeback this season at the age of  34, the Red Sox aren't likely to pick up his 2010 option.  Let's see if any of the potential Ortiz replacements can fill Big Papi's shoes...

If Ortiz walks after the 2010 season, the Red Sox will need to replace him while considering extensions for Josh Beckett, Victor Martinez and possibly Adrian Beltre. They will also be looking at free agents like C Joe Mauer, LF Carl Crawford and RF Jayson Werth. There will be plenty of moola flying around next offseason, but let's put the money aside and look at the basic stats.

Victor Martinez will be 32 this coming offseason. He will be expected to prove that he can still be an everyday catcher this season, and if he does, the Sox may choose to avid the Joe Mauer sweepstakes and re-sign V-Mart instead. But Mauer turns 27 this April and is clearly the better choice for "catcher of the future." If the Sox make a run at Mauer, Martinez could be signed at the new DH and continue to help out at first base as well. He won't hit 40 ding dongs, but if you take away the wear and tear of catching, he could be a 30 HR, 120 RBI, .900 OPS player... maybe...

Sticking with the 2010 offseason plan, the Red Sox could turn to 31-year old Adum Dunn for plenty of power from the DH spot. Dunn has been robotic in his production totals, averaging 40 homers and 100 RBI for six straight seasons. Despite racking up equally impressive strikeout totals (177 Ks per season), Dunn still averaged an solid .917 OPS and as a DH, his poor defense would not be an issue. The only other concern about Dunn is that he's spent his entire career in the National League while playing on mediocre or bad teams... it's tough to predict how he will respond to the pressures of Boston and the AL East.

Carlos Pena, however, is a Boston-area native, and no stranger to the pressures of the AL East. Pena will be 32 this season and will likely hit the free agent market due to the Tampa Bay Rays' lack of financial flexibility. Like Dunn, Pena strikes out quite a bit, but offers 40 home run and 100+ RBI potential. The big question with Pena is: Did he peek in 2007?

It took Pena a while to get going as a major leaguer, but after a huge 2007 season, his average and OPS have fallen dramatically. His home run totals have remained above 30, but his line drive rate is down and his fly ball rate is up... if Pena can get back to "squaring up the ball", he could do damage at Fenway Park where he already owns a .291/.546/.911 line.

Now... if the Sox don't look to sign a new DH this offseason, they could extend Ortiz and go after some big names in 2012. Adrian Gonzalez is one of those big names and the Red Sox could make a run at him as early as the 2010 All-Star break if the offense is sputtering.

Gonzalez is just what the Red Sox are looking for: 40 homers, 100 RBI and decent plate discipline. A-Gon has consistently posted these numbers while playing for one of the worst offenses in baseball year and in one of the largest ballparks to boot.. The theory is that, with a little protection around him and 81 games at Fenway, Gonzalez would be a run-producing machine. A-Gon will turn 28 this May, and with Mike Lowell on his way out of Boston, the Sox could move Kevin Youkilis to third and play A-Gon at first while he's on the right side of 30... but if Beltre proves his worth in 2010, the Sox could keep Youk and Beltre at the corners and ask A-Gon to DH.

The Red Sox could also hold onto the truck-load of prospects the Padres would want in a trade for A-Gon and wait for him to hit the free agent market in 2012, but the Sox might be wise to trade for and extend Gonzalez before he hits the market with Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols. Having all those big names at one position could push all of their price tags into the $25M per year range...

Pujols and Howard add an interesting angle to this discussion. Both guys have been machines for their National League clubs and Pujols has actually done it for twice as long as Howard has, despite being one year younger. Both players are first baseman by trade, but will be in their 30s when they hit the free agent market in 2012... would either of them consider a DH job with an American League team?

Adrian Gonzalez would probably welcome the switch just to play for a contender, but Pujols and Howard already have rings and have played for their respected ball clubs their entire careers. Philly has the money to keep Howard and Ryan really doesn't have a reason to leave Philly... but Pujols will be looking for an Arod-like deal when he hits the market and I'm not sure the Cardinals can give it to him.

In fact, if Philly resigns Howard, the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox may be the only other teams capable of signing the great Albert Pujols... although the Cubs have some money... and wouldn't that be the slap in the face to Cards fans!

Lastly, there Prince... the guy who got this whole thing started. Fielder is the youngest of all of these players, currently as 25 years of age. He'll be 27 if and when he hits the free agent market and has had an impressive start to his young career. Like A-Gon, Fielder isn't likely to see a ton if success while playing for his current ball club - the Milwaukee Brewers. Because of that, he too could be traded during his final season under team control in 2011 and the Red Sox are loaded with prospects to offer Milwaukee. One key here may be Jed Hoyer... he knows all the details about the kids in the Red Sox system, but GM Doug Melvin is not nearly as knowledgeable about the rookies that Theo Epstein would be offer the Brewers. If the Red Sox deem Fielder and Gonzalez equal, Theo may be able to give up less to get Prince...

That said, Scot Boras will be representing Fielder, so that makes everything more complicated.

Bottom Line: There will be tons of talented players to choose from over the next two seasons. Many of them are first baseman, but all would likely be willing to play DH for a perennial contender with deep pockets. It will be a bit of a chess match to secure one of these big bats, especially with so many other pieces of the puzzle in flux, but the Red Sox have the cash and the prospects to go after any one of these guys.

If you were Theo, who would you sign as the DH of the future?

A few weeks back you guys picked Jon Lester to be the staff ace in 2010, so no one should be surprised that he was also chosen to lead the team in ERA this season. But what was surprising was that he won in a landslide, earning 75% of your votes.

Equally surprising was that Matsuzaka earned more votes that Beckett. Dice-K has alot to prove this season and posted a 2.90 ERA in 2008, but Beckett is pitching for a big contract... it will be interesting to see if Matsuzaka rewards the faith of those who voted for him.

For reference, Bill James predicts the following:

Beckett: 15-9, 3.62 ERA

Lackey: 13-10, 3.81 ERA

Lester: 13-10, 3.84 ERA

Buchholz: 10-8, 3.91 ERA

Matsuzaka: 12-10, 4.02 ERA

Wakefield: 6-5, 4.03 ERA (16 starts)

If you beilive James, it will be a tight race, but he feels Beckett will finally break the curse of the even-numbered year.

Thanks to everyone who voted.

Tim Wakefield made some waves this week telling the media that he has feels he has earned the right to start in 2010.

Brian from One If By Land feels that Wake's recent struggles, especially in the second half of the past five seasons, makes him unreliable at this point in his career and the Red Sox should not make him a starter simply out of respect for past services.

Evan from Fire Brand of the AL doesn't see how Wakefield doesn't end up in the bullpen come April, and there is some good discussion going on in the comments sections...

Personally, I'm wondering why the Red Sox don't try a 6-man rotation...

The number one reason for trying this is health. Having an extra day's rest would be beneficial to all six pitchers and keep all of our arms fresh during the long 162-game season. In the past, the Red Sox have created extra days of rest for Josh Beckett in the second half, in an effort to keep him fresh. In 2007, Beckett got five or more days of rest between starts in 8 of his last 12 starts... That didn't seem to slow him down on his way to 20 wins and postseason domination.

Even Jon Lester nabbed 5+ days off between start in his last 9 games of 2009, leading him to a 7-2, 2.82 ERA second half.

John Lackey was clockwork with regular rest in 2009 while with the Angels, but last year was his second season with less than 30 starts due to injury. He may be the most likely to bark at a change in his routine, but if the Red Sox want to have that three-headed monster we're all excited about on the mound in October, it might not be a bad idea to rest that aging arm as much as possible.

All that said, these guys have all spent their careers working on four days rest, and posted very good result along the way. It's tough to predict how a change in that routine would effect them, especially Jon Lester, who is still developing as a player. Most of the time the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" proves to be correct and if the Sox want to compete in a very tough AL East, they might not want to mess with success.

So what will the Red Sox do with Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz and Tim Wakefield?

Matsuzaka is probably the last guy you want coming out of the bullpen. Wake's knuckleball makes him unpredictable, but Dice-K will predictably nibble at the corners, and that's not what you want from a reliever. Dice-K is a starter, period, and a unique one at that. He dominated opponents for eight years in Japan while pitching in a six-man rotation. If anyone would welcome this change in the routine, it's Matsuzaka. And if he truly has felt uncomfortable with his routine since signing with Boston, making him feel more at home make make him a 20-game winner...

That leaves Buchholz and Wake. The kid versus the pro. Buchholz had a solid second half in 2009, but has yet to prove that he can compete at that level through 30 starts. Conversely, Wake has eleven 10-win seasons under his belt, but as Brian pointed out, he's been very unreliable in the second half since 2004.

A six-man rotation would help keep Wake healthy and he's no stranger to mixing up his routine, having been a starter, reliever and mop-up man throughout his career. But like Lester, the Red Sox need to be cautious when messing with Buchholz's development. He's already had a rocky road to the bigs, and for that reason, I think he should NOT be sent back to Pawtucket after finally starting click late last season. But an extra day of rest might do just as much damage... it's tough to say.

The last piece of the puzzle here are the stats. I don't have the particulars, but I'm sure all of these pitchers have goals and incentives built into their contracts. Beckett is in a contract year and may not be too keen on only starting 30 games, instead of 33, especially if he gets close to another 20-win season. Tim Wakefield is eleven wins away from 200 wins and just three wins away from tying Clemens and Cy Young for the team record of 192... he's also 21 K's away from 2,000 strikeouts. He won't need 30 starts to hit the K mark, but he may need 20+ to reach the 200 win mark.

Bottom Line: The Red Sox could test this new routine in April and May while the games are "less important." but with 6 games against the Yankees and seven against the Rays in the first two months of the season, the Sox may not want to take chances.

If everybody pitches well through Spring Training, Wake will likely be asked to suck it up and start the season in the bullpen. That would likely benefit him and the team in the long run. Flip side, if he starts the season in the rotation, he's almost guaranteed to breakdown in the second half and if any other starter gets hurt, the Sox will be forced to out their hopes in Boof Bonser, Michael Bowden and/or Junichi Tazawa when the game matter most...

What do you guys think the Sox should do?

Pro Star Management, Inc. was founded in 1986 by Joe Bick and is now operated by Joe and his son Brett Bick.  Unique to Pro Star is the fact that both Joe and Brett Bick have experienced baseball at its highest level from “both sides of the fence,” having worked for both teams and agencies.  Our negotiating “style” is best described as low key, professional and tough, not confrontational or controversial.  Our job is to solve problems for clients, not create them.  Over the past twenty-three years, Pro Star Management has been fortunate to represent not only All-Star caliber players, but first-class guys as well; Retired players such as Paul O’Neill, Brook Jacoby, Rob Deer, Buddy Bell and Duane Kuiper, and current players such as Kevin Youkilis, Aaron Cook, Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Red Sox prospect Jeremy Hazelbaker.

BL: Joe... you once worked in the front office for the Cleveland Indians, but left to pursue a career in athlete representation. What made you decide to make the change?

Joe: Leaving the Indians in June, 1980, was a very difficult decision for me.  I was 29-years-old, and the Assistant to the President (Gabe Paul) of a Major League club, and was doing what I had planned to do since learning of Ohio University's Sports Administration graduate program when I was a junior in high school.  Things had worked out very well since joining the Indians as an intern in February, 1975.  However, I guess I still had a "player's spirit" in my blood!  Gabe would frequently tell me, "You like the damn players too much!" And, he was probably right, at least in terms of how many "old school" baseball executives viewed the players.

At any rate, I just felt the player representation business was going to expand greatly, and that it was the right route for me to go.  Duane Kuiper, now a San Francisco Giants broadcaster, and Buddy Bell were riding me constantly about going to work with the man who represented them, Ed Keating, and I finally did so.  I worked with Ed six years, then founded Pro Star in August, 1986.  Looking back, I certainly made the right choice.

BL: Kevin Youkils is probably the name most Red Sox fans recognize from you Client List. I assume Kevin’s Ohio roots were a major factor in signing with Pro Star, but can you tell us how you met Kevin?

Joe: I first saw Kevin play his senior year (1997) at Sycamore High School, and he was playing against a player I was going to advise in the June draft that year, Hamilton High School star, Aaron Cook, currently of the Colorado Rockies, and a 2008 N.L. All-Star (that one worked out pretty well, too!).  Hamilton went on to win the Ohio High School State Championship that season, and Aaron was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio (was 10-0 with a 1.23 ERA, and batted about .550!), and was the best high school pitcher I had ever seen.  The Rockies drafted Aaron in the 2nd round in June, 1997.  But, in that game, Cookie could not get Youk out!  If my memory's correct, Youk went 3-4 with a double, 2 HRs and, of course, a walk, along with 6 or 7 RBIs.  Hamilton won the game something like 16-8, but Youk certainly made a lasting impression.  I continued following his wonderful career at the University of Cincinnati, met him there, and he's turned the relationship into a tremendous ride!

BL: Youk seems to be a good example of the type of client Pro Star works with. Do your potential clients seek you out or do you scout and recruit new clients? If so what do you look for in a client?

Joe: The majority of our new clients come to us after we've served in an advisory role during their draft process.  There's no obligation for them to commit to us after they've been drafted, but the vast majority do.  Most of our draft advisory business is with players that have Midwest connections, so we get a lot of clients with Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia connections.  We get leads on those clients in numerous ways, and from numerous people.  We seek good players who are good people, and who are driven to succeed.  They may be "under the radar" a bit in some cases, but we have confidence they're willing to perhaps work a little harder than most to reach their ultimate goal of a successful Major League career.

BL: You mention on your website that you use “MLBPA certified software” during statistical analysis. With Bill James on staff, the Boston Red Sox appear to be a leader in the field when it comes to statistical analysis. Having recently negotiated a new long-term deal for Youk, can you tell us how important the stats were during those negotiations? Do the Red Sox put as much emphasis on statistics we think they do?

Joe: We need to update our website!  As of this season, the MLBPA statistical program went web-based instead of software-based, and it's terrific.  It's a much more efficient, thorough and complex system, even though the "old system" was great.  Fortunately for me, my son/partner, Brett, is probably the most knowledgeable individual out there in terms of knowing the "new system" operation, and the research, comparison, analysis and evaluation work he does is tremendous.  Stats are always important, and are the foundational element of every negotiation, as they should be.  Guys are paid based on performance, and, in baseball, that performance is accurately depicted statistically.  And, yes, the Red Sox are very good at it!

BL: I often hear from older fans that “stats have ruined the game.” Having worked in professional baseball for over 30 years, can you talk about how this new emphasis on statistics has affected you as an agent?

Joe: A player's stats have always been important, and I don't think the game is ruined by over-analysis of those stats.  Because of the computer age we live in, the capability is there for the stats to be different, more thorough and more easily trackable.  They've always been there, but can now be picked apart to a higher degree, and are easily accessed by more fans.

BL: On your site, you also describe your negotiating style as “low key, professional and tough, not confrontational or controversial.” Scott Boras, seems to work with the exact opposite approach. Can you talk about why you feel your style works best for Pro Management, Inc.?

Joe: I can't pretend to be something I'm not.  We strive to do what's right for our guys, and do it in a professional, ethical manner, largely behind the scenes.  We want the spotlight to be on our players, not on us.  We do our homework.  We know what our guys are worth.  We always do our best to negotiate the best deal possible for them, in the manner they'd like to see us do it.  And, please understand the approach that works best for us has nothing to do with Scott.  I have a lot of respect for the fact that he's been the most successful individual in the history of our business.  But, his approach isn't for everybody, and neither is ours.

BL: Some have argued that Boras’ style has resulted in contracts that have set the bar too high for current and future players. As a fellow agent, do you agree, or do you feel that Boras is simply works hard to get the best possible deals for his clients?

Joe: I absolutely agree that Scott works hard to get the best possible deals for his clients, just as we do.  His philosophy may be different than ours related to career points where those deals are negotiated, but, yes, all of us want the best possible deal available at a given point in any player's career.  In terms of setting the bar too high, it's not like Scott has free reign to establish a player's salary.  If I'm not mistaken, there's always a team involved that must also agree to a deal. And, to the best of my knowledge, he's never used a weapon in that process!

BL: I hate to refer to the film Jerry McGuire, but the plot of that film raises an interesting question: Have you ever lost a potential client to another Agency or Agent? If not, can you name the player you pursued most aggressively in your career?

Joe: Anyone who's been in this business for any length of time has lost a client at some point.  Fortunately, there have been few in my case, and when it has happened, it hasn't been due to baseball-related dissatisfaction.  Sometimes people simply aren't the right fit for one another.

In terms of the "pursued most aggressively" part of this question, Red Sox fans will absolutely love my answer...former Yankee great, Paul O'Neill!  When Paul, a Columbus, OH native, was first placed on the Reds 40-man roster (1984, I think!), I called Reds' General Manager, Woody Woodward, and asked him for the organization's assessment of Paul.  He said, "Do you have a chance to represent Paul?"  I told Woody that I was most interested, and intended to contact Paul soon.  Woody said, "The only scouting report you need on him is to go sign him! He's going to play in the big leagues for 15 years, and he's going to be pretty damn good!"  I called Paul's home that night (no cell phones then!), spoke with him, and asked him to come visit us in Cleveland the next day.  He and his wife, Nevalee, made the trip, signed on with us and the relationship remains intact today, nine years after an absolutely fabulous career.

A heartfelt thanks to Joe Bick for taking time to talk with us during his busy offseason schedule.

The folks at Baseball Perspectus have released their PECTOA-based predictions for the 2010 season.

The pick the Rasy to win the AL East at 96-66 with 885 runs scored. The Red Sox are picked to win the al Wild Card spot, finishing one game behind the Rays at 95-67 with 882 runs scored. And they pick the Yankees to miss the playoffs, despite scoring 917 runs and winning 93 games.

I'm not sure what surprises me more, the Yankees missing the playoffs or the Rays winning the division after winning just 84 games last season. BP offers a free look at their player projections for the Rays, but there aren't any overwhelming stats that warrant a 12-game increase in wins. BJ Upton should be better than he was in 2009, but will that be negated when Ben Zorbist comes back to earth? James Shields and Matt Garza had disappointing seasons in 2009... if they return to 2008 form and Wade Davis and David Price live up to potential, I can see the Rays fighting for 90 wins... but can the Rays really win the toughest Division Title in baseball?

Bottom Line: Do I expect the Rays to be better than last season? Yes. But do I expect the Yankees to go from World Series champs to golfing in October? No. Baseball Perspectus punched the numbers and posted the results. In the end, if you're going to make predictions you have to pick someone to win, and they are picking the Rays.

I don't agree, but I'm officially excited for baseball...

MLB.com released their Top 50 Prospects list complete with video and comentary on each player. The Boston Red Sox have three players on the list:

Jose Ingelsias #45

Casey Kelly #28

Ryan Westmoreland #27

Ryan Kalish is ranked third on the SoxPsospects.com list, but didn't make the cut on MLB.com and Lars Anderson's disappointing 2009 campaign bumped him off the list as well.

The Rays and Rangers were also well represented with multiple players ranked in the Top 25:

Rays: OF Desmond Jennings #6, P Wade Davis #13, P Jeremy Hellickson #20, SS Tim Beckham #24

Rangers: P Neftali Feliz #7, 1B Justin Smoak #9, P Martin Perez #18

ESPN's Kieth Law also released his 2010 Farm System Rankings this week and the Red Sox placed second behind the Rangers. Unfortuately, you need to be an ESPN Insider to read the entire article, so I don't have maney details beyond that... but it's good to see the Sox back at the top after sliding a bit last season.