This is a new daily BSJ off-season feature that will arrive in time for your lunch, Monday-Friday.
A spin around the leagues with the latest news, notes and rumors around Major League Baseball:
RED SOX
There's no shortage of possibilities for the Red Sox at second base early next season, while Dustin Pedroia recovers from a knee procedure.
There’s Brock Holt, Tzu-Wei Lin, Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero, all already on the roster. And there’s the possibility that Blake Swihart, of all, people, could get a look, too. Swihart is recovered, finally, from the ankle injury which first sidelined him in 2016, and is trying to expand on his versatility by moving around the diamond. Second base hasn’t been rule out.
And, intriguingly, there’s another name now in the mix: Esteban Quiroz. Quiroz, out of the Mexican League, was signed by the Sox Tuesday. Quiroz has been compared to A.L. MVP Jose Altuve in stature (he’s 5-7 and 175 pounds). Now, if only he could play like Altuve...
Actually, Quiroz has played pretty well in Mexico. Read more about him here from OvertheMonster.com, which broke the story.
- The Red Sox also announced that they would host the Chicago Cubs for two games at the end of spring training.
Ordinarily, the final couple of games of the Grapefruit League season are rather pedestrian affairs, with everybody ready to pack up and start the regular season.