In Oregon now and drove through Madaras (aka Jacoby Ellsbury country) and couldn't help but be pleased with the fact that Red Sox nation transcends national borders. Boston is big in and around the Indian reservations that dot Madras and as I passed through central Oregon I couldn't help to peer out my window, searching for evidence of the Red Sox World Series banners that were hung in town and vestiges of the parade that was thrown for JE.
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I sincerely hope that Boston does not take the reverse bait and throw in Ellsbury for the services of Twins ace Johan Santana. At first I thought the Sox were safe and merely upping the anty for the Yankees, who are starved for starting. But now it seems that the Sox are making a real run at Johan and may just take over the Yanks, Mets, and all other takers.
I am flummoxed. At the end of this season I thought there were a few certainties about the off-season. Naively, I thought that our starting center fielder would be eating cereal in another town and that Ellsbury was the future outfielder for Boston. Things are not what they seem.
Now that the trade winds are picking up I feel that if we can get Santana for a modest cost - think John Lester, Clay Buchholz (maybe) and a player-to-be-named later, I might be able to swallow this deal. But the fact that we are willing to give away the talents of both Buchholz and Ellsbury is too much for me to give.
Perhaps I am not used to having access to the talent in the world. Maybe I fear that we are over reaching and shoring up the wrong part of the team. I mean, do we really need Santana? Are we sacrificing our future for complete dominance next year?
All these questions. So much for the "off" season.








