MLB

This Column Originally Published at GetOutofMyBallpark.com

Ever since the end of the season, and all of Theo Epstein's "Bridge Year" crap, the Sox have been in a state of flux.

The departure of Jason Bay (unless... ), the attempted trade of Mike Lowell, and the signings of Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, and John Lackey have in many ways opened up more questions than answers.

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.

Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry almost made another free agent mistake on Wednesday. Thankfully, money means more to some players than the chance to win.

Former Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps, who was on the Cubs radar as a potential setup man for closer Carlos Marmol, agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. Capps will reportedly get a base salary of $3.5 million, with another $425K in performance incentives built into the deal.

Adding Capps could have been the final piece in the puzzle that gets Hendry fired if he had taken the money in Chicago.

By Caesar Cliffius

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

The Atlanta Braves and third baseman Troy Glaus are close to signing a contract. ESPN reported that the only object in the way of signing Glaus is a physical exam. MLB.com is already showing Glaus in a Braves cap on his profile page.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Seattle

Not a creature did stir, nor squeak, nor rattle

The seats were placed 'round the diamond with care,

In hopes that a playoff berth soon would be theirs.

The fans were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of championships danced in their heads.

This year, the team really closed up the gap

We're all over the Jose Valverde situation today as Nick Piecoro adds in this note about the Diamondbacks and Valverde:

In the weeks since the New York Yankees won their 27th World Series championship, the haters have been out in full force with the usual and increasingly tiresome cries of "They bought another championship!" 

These cries almost overwhelmingly come from those under the age of thirty, whose memories don't stretch back before 1996.  The conceit and arrogance of youth, however, don't overcome the truth.

On Monday, I pondered if Jose Valverde was going to be this year's Orlando Hudson. Just three days later, the number of teams who could potentially be interested in Valverde continues to wane. Two teams I thought could have interest in Valverde seem to have moved in different directions.

The Mets are a changing team, maybe not with Free Agent signings this winter, but definitely with dynamics.

Jeff Francoeur is undoubtedly a gamer and will fight for his convictions. Whoever it is that stands in his way had better yield, and the Mets will benefit from his fiery mentality.

I admit I was not a fan of Francoeur when he was a Brave and was very upset when Ryan Church was sent packing to Atlanta.

His play and attitude in the second half of 2009 made me a believer that Francoeur is and can continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the Mets.