Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
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Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
AP
The Boston Red Sox will have a whole new infield next season, and they’re only halfway there.
The 2004 World Series champions traded Edgar Renteria to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday for third base prospect Andy Marte, giving up on the two-time Gold Glove shortstop just one year after making him the centerpiece of their effort to repeat.
“There was an adjustment period that may have lasted longer than you had hoped,” said Bill Lajoie, who was one of four Red Sox executives at the winter meetings in the absence of a general manager. “The Braves feel he will become the shortstop of his earlier years, and I hope he does.”
Renteria led the majors with 30 errors last season, his first since then-Boston GM Theo Epstein lavished a four-year, $40 million contract on him. He was the only regular infielder remaining from last season: first baseman Kevin Millar, second baseman Tony Graffanino and third baseman Bill Mueller are all free agents.
The Red Sox got Mike Lowell from Florida to play third and Mark Loretta from Milwaukee to play second, but they are still looking for a shortstop and first baseman.
“We came here to make one trade and we made two,” Lajoie said. “So that’s pretty good.”
Lajoie said he hoped to finish off the infield in the next two or three weeks. But then he might have to turn to the outfield: center fielder Johnny Damon is a free agent and left fielder Manny Ramirez has asked for a trade.
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Left-hander David Wells also asked to be traded. Lajoie said he wasn’t disappointed that he wasn’t able to accommodate Wells or Ramirez.
“I like those two guys,” Lajoie said. “I like them on our team.”
Soon after undoing one of former Epstein’s worst moves, the Red Sox began rethinking one of his best. Lajoie said the team has considered bringing back Nomar Garciaparra — but not as a shortstop.
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At shortstop, Lajoie said he was looking at free agents who were not offered arbitration, a group that includes Alex Gonzalez, Royce Clayton, Pokey Reese and Rey Sanchez. Marte could wind up at first base or the outfield if it’s necessary to get his bat in the lineup, Lajoie said.
“We want to keep that player. ... He’s ready to have a good year,” he said. “He would be one of the five players you would want to start a ballclub with.”
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
DeMarco: Plug in a well-heeled ownership group and negotiate one of those mega-bucks TV deals that are going around, and the Dodgers could become the west coast version of the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
