Jacoby Ellsbury

During this afternoon’s media briefing, Red Sox manager Terry Francona announced that CF Jacoby Ellsbury (at center in photo) has been diagnosed with a hairline fracture in each of four ribs.

The Boston Red Sox came so close but they failed to make it past the ALDS by losing to the Angels in the first round of last year’s playoffs. However, it was an up and down year for the Sox that saw them finish with a 95-67 record.

The Boston Red Sox enter Spring Training with the starting lineup and pitching rotation essentially squared away. With the addition of players like Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron to the starting nine and the likes of John Lackey to the rotation, the major pieces have fallen into place.
But baseball is most certainly a marathon and not a sprint, and by the end of the season roster spot No. 25 can be as crucial as No. 1.

There has been a lot of hype about the Red Sox and their pitching and defensive upgrades this year, but because of all the focus on the defense, many people are claiming that the Sox will have a lower caliber offensive season. While the Beantown boys may have lost a key player this offseason, they spread the offense out among multiple players, while improving the defense as well. Overall, the offense will not be worse, and may in fact be better than the 2009 version. Ahead is the 2010 Red Sox projected line up, 1-9, compared to their 2009 counterparts.

Chants of "We're No. 2" are sure to be heard echoing through the air around Landsdowne Street when the Red Sox take the field for the upcoming 2010 baseball season.

The anticipated chatter will not be a predication of the Red Sox impending finish in the American League East, however, as much as acknowledgement of left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury's entry into an "exclusive club" of players who wore the number two on the back of their Red Sox uniform.

This Article Was Originally Published at GetOutofMyBallpark.com

With pitchers and catchers reporting TOMORROW (as well as many of the guys already in camp), it's time that we take stock of what has happened to the Red Sox in the past few months and accept some realities.

Jason Bay is gone. He's a Met now. The Sox let go of a guy who hit 36 home runs and had 119 RBI and replaced him with Mike Cameron.

(Originally posted on 4SportBoston.com )

Just how obvious is it, Terry Francona?

Though the trade talk between the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres surrounding first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has died off, there could be a new rumor floating to the surface.

The Chicago Cubs have had previous interest in Jacoby Ellsbury; there's no question the Red Sox would love to add Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to their lineup; and the Padres have already asked for Clay Buchholz and top prospects Casey Kelley or Ryan Westmoreland.

During the course of the last week-to-ten-days, Red Sox Nation has been deluged by a succession of articles detailing Jacoby Ellsbury’s defensive inadequacies in center field.

In the aftermath of the team signing CF Mike Cameron and RHP John Lackey, there has been rampant speculation that the ballclub would ship Ellsbury and RHP Clay Buchholz to the San Diego Padres for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Back in the days of Sega Genesis and VHS tapes, one of my favorite games was World Series Baseball . I remember it being one of the first sports games I ever played where you could trade players to different teams. Of course, I took the liberty of making the Red Sox look more like an All-Star roster.