February 20, 2008 at 6:35 PM
2/20 Fort Report: Position players report
Today is reporting day for major league position players … The only player not yet accounted for is Alex Cora … Many minor leaguers are also slated to arrive at camp today, although the big league club still has the run of the development complex until 2/27 … Jed Lowrie and Dustin Pedroia have been working out as a double play combo under the tutelage of Luis Aliciea … The starting center field spot is perhaps the only position spot up for grabs this spring – Jacoby Ellsbury and Coco Crisp are both keeping it professional, each wanting to start while appreciating that they have to earn the spot … Crisp reportedly put on 14 pounds of muscle during the off-season … Jimmy fund chairman Mike Andrews has been in camp, and yesterday appointed Pedroia as the honorary chair of the third annual Rally Against Cancer … Terry Francona announced some of the pitching rotations for the early spring games: Josh Beckett and Kyle Snyder will toe the rubber against Boston College on 2/28; Justin Masterson, Craig Hansen, and Michael Bowden will take the mound against Northeastern later that night; Daisuke Matsuzaka, Julian Tavarez, and Hideki Okajima will open Grapefruit League play on leap day; Jon Lester, Devern Hansack, and David Pauley will pitch on 3/1; and Tim Wakefield and Clay Buchholz will make their spring debuts on 3/2 … Odalis Perez turned down a minor league deal with Boston earlier this week, ultimately optingto Washington … Boston’s 2007 17th round draft pick, Jaren Matthews, whose NCAA eligibility had been at dispute because of a signing-day contract snafu, has been allowed to play for Rutgers in 2008 … Look for a Q&A with SS Will Middlebrooks to be posted here in the coming week.