Red Sox Diaries

In a move that probably flew under most people's radar, the Sox made another move today to strengthen their already diverse and productive pitching staff by re-acquiring Kason Gabbard. The young lefty worked just 66.2 innings with the Sox in 2006 and 2007 but showed signs of dominance when he threw a shutout the second year. ESPN reports that he was traded straight-up for cash so we didn’t lose any talent. Gabbard was most likely just added for overall depth in the bullpen, and it's always nice to add a lefthander to the pen.

The Yankees are up next in the first meeting of the season between these two powerhouses. The rotation will be Lester, Beckett and Mastseron. The Yanks counter with Chamberlain, Burnett and Pettitte. This series marks the end of a homestand as we go on the road for 10 straight and 16 out of our next 21. But first things first: The Yankees should be no problem this weekend. I can even see a sweep, which would be great in further asserting our dominance over them

We have Cleveland after New York and then it gets interesting. We get two series against the Rays on the first two weekends in May. Definitely something to look forward to.

Fantasy advisory: Kevin Youkilis is officially a “meast” --- half man, half beast, Youkilis leads the Sox in almost every major offensive category and is second in RBI to Mike Lowell. The guy has a 1.27 OPS and a .522 OBP. If you don’t have him on your team, get him! --- Nick Barone.