Sox Can't Escape Mitchell Report Fallout

After nearly two years of speculation, the Mitchell Report bomb finally detonated Dec. 12, and the Red Sox couldn't fully escape from the damage inflicted.

Former Sox superstars Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn and Jose Canseco were all implicated in the 409-page report, and recent Sox pitchers Eric Gagne, Mike Stanton and Brendan Donnelly along with several others were also prominently mentioned—though no current Sox player was listed in the document.

"The Boston Red Sox have supported and fully cooperated with this investigation initiated by Commissioner (Bud) Selig and conducted by Senator (George) Mitchell," read a portion of a statement released by the Sox late the afternoon of Dec. 12. "It is imperative that we continue to educate our players on the dangers and unfairness of performance enhancing drugs and to do everything we can to eliminate them entirely from the game of baseball."

An interesting e-mail between Sox general manager Theo Epstein and scout Mark DelPiano in November 2006—when the Sox were considering signing Gagne as a free agent option at closer—was contained within the report and detailed Epstein's concerns about the right-hander's health in connection to possible steroid usage.

"Have you done any digging on Gagne? I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy. Maybe so. What do you hear on his medical?" wrote Epstein in the e-mail obtained by Mitchell.

DelPiano replied with this summation on the right-hander, whom the Sox subsequently acquired from the Rangers in exchange for a trio of players July 31: "Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and re invent self. What made him a tenacious closer was the max effort plus stuff.

"Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the changeup to play as it once did ... Personally, durability (or lack of) will follow Gagne."

Sox e-mail transmissions concerning Donnelly, who was not tendered a contract by the Sox at the Dec. 12 deadline, also highlighted a suspicion that the reliever had used steroids at some point earlier in his career—a fact that led to Sox scouts' overall opinion that he was a risk to break down physically last season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Judge me by my work. You will not find any evidence of bias, special treatment, for the Red Sox or anyone else. That had no effect on this investigation or this report, none whatsoever. As for players, I remind you that it is common now for players to serve many clubs. Many of the players named on this report played for many years with other clubs, including the Red Sox." —Former Senator George Mitchell, when asked if his position as a director of the Red Sox could have been represented a possible conflict of interest while working on his report on performance-enhancing substances in baseball.