Red Sox Rumors

Every reporter in Boston seems to believe the Red Sox are the leading candidate to sign free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira... Junichi Tazawa, a prized Japanese pitcher who has turned down a chance to star in Japan's professional league in order to come to America, is expected to sign with the Red Sox... I have read the A.J. Burnett rumors and I hope they are false. Burnett just doesn't come across as a consistent 30-start/20-win guy... The conflicting reports on Jason Varitek's situation lead me to believe the Sox might move on without their captain in 2009... With or without Varitek in '09, I would like to see the Red Sox acquire Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. A combination of Saltalamacchia and the "Dirt Dog" mentality would have a certain old Faneuil Hall stomping ground printing off t-shirts... No word if the Sox have begun contract talks with Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester or Kevin Youkilis...