Red Sox Notebook: Final Pre-Spring Moves Made

1B Kevin Youkilis avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3 million contract. He had sought $3.7 million in arbitration after making $424,500 last year. Youkilis was the Red Sox's last possible arbitration case. Pitchers Javier Lopez and Kyle Snyder settled shortly after filing for arbitration last month.

—OF Bobby Kielty signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Sox and is penciled into an outfield reserve spot. While it might not be a strict platoon, expect Kielty to spell OF J.D. Drew in right field against top left-handed pitchers. Kielty has also mentioned the possibility of strictly batting right-handed this season after switch-hitting throughout his big-league career.

—1B Sean Casey took his physical with the Sox medical staff and formalized his one-year deal with the Olde Towne Team. Casey, 33, said he is at peace with a reserve role after serving as a starter throughout his big-league career, and he cited a World Series title as his biggest reason for signing with the Sox.

—RHP Curt Schilling will likely miss at least the first half of the season and possibly more after suffering an injury to his right shoulder during workouts this winter. Boston's medical staff and Schilling seemed to be at odds over treatment for his shoulder woes, but ultimately the Big Schill will eschew surgery and instead forge ahead on a regimen of rest and muscle strengthening. According to the Boston Globe, Schilling received a cortisone shot in the shoulder on Feb. 8. However, Schilling's doctor, Craig Morgan, maintains the pitcher needs surgery on a torn tendon and that he won't be able to pitch without an operation.

—LHP Jon Lester reported to spring training well ahead of many of his teammates and threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session at the minor league complex in Fort Myers. Lester reported that he is up to 225 pounds and happy to have his comeback from cancer fully in the rear-view mirror. The 2008 season will be a big one for Lester, who could easily blossom into a double-digit winner at age 24.

—OF Manny Ramirez likely isn't a slave to pouring over his statistics, but the wild-haired slugger is approaching a lofty milestone in the 2008 season. Ramirez is just 10 home runs shy of 500 for his career and would become only the second Sox player in franchise history to swat his 500th home run in a Sox uniform. Hall of Fame outfielder Ted Williams hit 521 home runs for the Sox during his legendary career.


BY THE NUMBERS: 19—Number of consecutive days that the Red Sox will spend on the road between their March 19 departure for Japan and their Fenway Park home opener on April 8 vs. the Detroit Tigers.


QUOTE TO NOTE: "We'd better enjoy [Josh] Beckett the next three years. Because we won't be able to sign him after his deal is up after 2010." —An anonymous Red Sox official on the future Josh Beckett situation after watching the New York Mets sign Johan Santana to a six-year, $137.5 million contract extension.