A Note On Tedy Bruschi And A Red Sox Trade Rumor

The weather here in Boston is so oppressive that I'm starting to think Theo's biggest deal at the 2004 trading deadline had nothing to do with Nomar -- I think Theo really did make a deal with the Devil for the World Series. The big news in Boston is that Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi will sit out the 2005 NFL season. Bruschi, the emotional soul of the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, suffered a stroke 10-days after Super Bowl XXXIX and also has surgery to repair a hole in his heart. There has been much speculation on Bruschi's future but a Patriots press release yesterday confirmed he will miss at least the '05 season. In today's Boston Herald, Michael Felger (often confused with his cousin, Herbie the Dentist from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer fame) reports that there is an outside chance Bruschi could play towards the end of the season if all goes well in his recovery and if the Pats have a need at linebacker. Let's all pray for Tedy's healthy recovery ... so he can live a normal life with his family. We all love No. 54 on Sunday's but even the most over-the-top Boston sports nut would tell you that he wants to see Bruschi live a long and healthy life. Now on to the latest Red Sox trade rumor. The reports today have the Sox sending third baseman Bill Mueller and first baseman Kevin Millar to the Minnesota Twins for lefty reliever J.C. Romero and starter Joe Mays. The Sox would then send Mays and Bronson Arroyo to the Florida Marlins for A.J. Burnett and Mike Lowell. For starters, I am against trading Bill Mueller. On a team full of self-proclaimed Idiots, Mueller is one of the few quiet professionals who does his job without much fan fare, a very underrated aspect in Boston. However, to get a lefty set-up man like Romero -- a hard thrower to replace Alan Embree -- tough decisions have to be made. Dumping our four home run first baseman is an added bonus in this trade. The additional move of Arroyo/Mays for Burnett/Lowell is also confusing. Arroyo has proven that he can pitch effectively in the Boston pressure cooker, no easy task for a young hurler. And Burnett, the "gem" of the 2005 trading class, is no proven commodity. He does have exceptional stuff (the best in the big leagues according to none other than Shonda Schilling's husband) but he has yet to harness his ability, is inconsistent at best and is often injured. Burnett is also a free agent at year's end and will be expensive to keep while Arroyo is not eligible for free agency until after 2008. Bringing on Mike Lowell also raises some serious questions. Lowell is no longer the power hitter he once was and the slip at the plate is a cause for concern. However, he is a terrific defender and he can play both third and first base (possibly in a platoon with Kevin Youkilis at third and John Olerud at first). The big problem with Lowell is his contract -- he is owed $18-million between now and the end of 2007. With the looming free agency of Johnny Damon money will be a little tight on Yawkey Way. Does the front office really want to invest in a player like Lowell who is on the down side of his career? We'll see over the course of the next nine days.