Daisuke Matsuzaka News

After discussing his options with agent Scott Boras, Jason Varitek exercised is player option for 2010 last night, locking himself in for 3 million bucks next season.

Theo Epstein said the other day in Chicago that Daisuke Matsuzaka would return to the United States well before spring training and embark on a conditioning program.

Billy Wagner loved being with the Red Sox [ team stats ] so much at the end of the 2009 season, the reliever may want to come back after all.

It would be a big deal if a big deal got done. On the eve of the meetings, the Sox decided not to exercise shortstop Alex Gonzalez ' $6 million 2010 option, according to a baseball source.

Now begins the intriguing case of Jason Bay, a man whose contract negotiations with the Red Sox are, in some ways, unprecedented.

'Go there, bring as many as possible.' Apparently that's the brief for Jeff Bernstein, a US baseball scout.

While the big games continue on the field, there's a huge one playing out off the field as well.

I read somewhere that the Blue Jays had interest in going after Cuban phenom Aroldis Chapman.

Don Zimmer has an opinion about everything. Daisuke Matsuzaka? "I hate watching him pitch," says the 78-year-old Zimmer, whose daughter and son-in-law live in Windham, N.H. Evan Longoria? "I could watch him swing the bat all day long.

Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman will be at ALCS Game 6 at Yankee Stadium as a guest of the Yankees, sources said.

Sentimentality and success don't mix well, but even those most unhappy with the way Boston's iconic 2004 team was quickly dismantled have to admit the turnover paid off.

Chapman, who declared citizenship in Andorra to become a free agent, arrived in New York on Wednesday, according to ESPN .com, and also will meet with the Yankees during this visit.

Last week, we detailed the story of Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, a highly coveted left-handed free agent who has caught the interest of numerous major-league teams, including the Mariners.

Sunday afternoon, a half hour after they'd been swept in the ALDS by the Angels and right out of the playoffs in the most disturbing fashion, wasn't the time to look back.

Despite his strong finish to the regular season, Red Sox right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka didn't factor into the starting rotation for this American League Division Series against the Angels.

Neither deal worked out particularly well. Penny won seven games for the Sox, but from May 9 until his release in late August, won only twice.

The Boston Red Sox are among several major league teams lining up to woo Japanese high school pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

A big topic of conversation in the Red Sox clubhouse was the change behind the plate.

Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka was the winning pitcher in Boston's 10-5 victory over the Rockies in Game Three of the World Series on Saturday, bringing the Red Sox within one more victory of the Fall Classic crown.

For the second straight year left-hander Scott Kazmir gets the chance to close out the Boston Red Sox in a playoff series at Fenway Park.