March 2010
Published on: 31st March, 2010
McCoy shows limitations; Kindle, Thomas tweak injuries |
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A slew of NFL scouts, coaches and personnel men made the trip to Austin on Wednesday for Texas’ pro day but really didn’t learn anything they didn’t already know about QB Colt McCoy, outside linebacker/defensive end Sergio Kindle, safety Earl Thomas and defensive tackle Lamarr Houston.
Colt McCoy’s physical skills didn’t impress scouts at pro day.
• McCoy has received a ton of hype as an elite prospect, but he did not look like a top-level prospect during his workout Wednesday.
As expected, McCoy was attentive to detail and sound fundamentally but his physical skills just aren’t noteworthy. He was consistently accurate throughout his workout, but that’s his forte.
McCoy again showed limited arm strength and confirmed our concerns that he will not be able to complete the 15- to 20-yard passes with zip. In fact, many of his passes fluttered.
McCoy won more games and garnered more media attention in college career than Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, but McCoy’s workout was not close to as good as Bradford’s on Monday and the difference between the two prospects is glaring.
• Kindle was unable to "wow" NFL personnel men Wednesday in terms of athleticism, but he definitely impressed with his toughness and commitment.
Kindle tweaked an ankle/knee injury during the 60-yard shuttle early Wednesday and then clearly wasn’t 100 percent during the position drills later in the day. He still toughed it out and completed the workout.
He was more impressive moving forward in the defensive end drills than he was in the linebacker drills, but some of that definitely could be traced to his leg problems and the fact he played end in college.
His struggles in the linebacker drills Wednesday should not hurt his draft stock, and his willingness to work through the pain will help him in many coaches’ eyes.
• Thomas pulled a hamstring running the 40-yard dash Wednesday and basically disappeared thereafter. He was not able to do any more of the Combine-type tests and did not go through any position drills. If he is to pass Tennessee’s Eric Berry and become the first safety drafted—a real possibility—he must schedule a workout in mid-April.
• Houston had a good all-around workout and showed his athleticism. He showed the quick footwork and hands that NFL coaches covet and gave an excellent effort throughout the workout—sort of his trademark. Houston did not have a knockout day, but he looked good in nearly all the drills.
For more than 640 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus an updated mock draft (now three rounds long), Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.
Published on: 31st March, 2010
NFL 2010 preseason schedule |
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Sporting News staff reports
AFC
Baltimore Ravens
Aug. 12 Carolina (ESPN)
Aug. 19-23 at Washington
Aug. 26-29 N.Y. Giants
Sept. 2-3 at St. Louis <
Buffalo Bills
Aug. 12-16 at Washington
Aug. 19-23 vs. Indianapolis in Toronto
Aug. 26-29 Cincinnati
Sept. 2-3 at Detroit
Cincinnati Bengals
Aug. 8 vs. Cincinnati in Canton, Ohio (NBC)
Aug. 19-23 Denver
Aug. 20 Philadelphia (Fox)
Aug. 26-29 at Buffalo
Sept. 2-3 at Indianapolis
Cleveland Browns
Aug. 12-16 at Green Bay
Aug. 19-23 St. Louis
Aug. 26-29 at Detroit
Sept. 2-3 Chicago
Denver Broncos
Aug. 12-16 at Cincinnati
Aug. 19-23 Detroit
Aug. 29 Pittsburgh (Fox)
Sept. 2-3 at Minnesota
Houston Texans
Aug. 12-16 at Arizona
Aug. 19-23 at New Orleans
Aug. 28 Dallas (CBS)
Sept. 2-3 Tampa Bay
Indianapolis Colts
Aug. 12-16 San Francisco
Aug. 19-23 vs. Buffalo in Toronto
Aug. 26 at Green Bay (ESPN)
Sept. 2-3 Cincinnati
Jacksonville Jaguars
Aug. 12-16 at Philadelphia
Aug. 19-23 Miami
Aug. 26-29 at Tampa Bay
Sept. 2-3 Atlanta
Kansas City Chiefs
Aug. 12-16 at Atlanta
Aug. 19-23 at Tampa Bay
Aug. 26-29 Philadelphia
Sept. 2-3 Green Bay
Miami Dolphins
Aug. 12-16 Tampa Bay
Aug. 19-23 at Jacksonville
Aug. 26-29 Atlanta
Sept. 2-3 at Dallas
New England Patriots
Aug. 12-16 New Orleans
Aug. 19 at Atlanta (Fox)
Aug. 26-29 St. Louis
Sept. 2-3 at N.Y. Giants
New York Jets
Aug. 16 N.Y. Giants (ESPN)
Aug. 19-23 at Carolina
Aug. 26-29 Washington
Sept. 2-3 at Philadelphia
Oakland Raiders
Aug. 12-16 at Dallas
Aug. 19-23 at Chicago
Aug. 26-29 San Francisco
Sept. 2-3 Seattle
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aug. 12-16 Detroit
Aug. 19-23 at N.Y. Giants
Aug. 29 at Denver (Fox)
Sept. 2-3 Carolina
San Diego Chargers
Aug. 12-16 Chicago
Aug. 19-23 Dallas
Aug. 27 at New Orleans (CBS)
Sept. 2-3 at San Francisco
Tennessee Titans
Aug. 12-16 at Seattle
Aug. 23 Arizona (ESPN)
Aug. 26-29 at Carolina
Sept. 2-3 New Orleans
AFC
Arizona Cardinals
Aug. 12-16 Houston Aug. 23 at Tennessee (ESPN)
Aug. 26-29 at Chicago
Sept. 2-3 Washington
Atlanta Falcons
Aug. 12-16 Kansas City
Aug. 19 New England (Fox)
Aug. 26-29 at Miami
Sept. 2-3 at Jacksonville
Carolina Panthers
Aug. 12 at Baltimore (ESPN)
Aug. 19-23 N.Y. Jets
Aug. 26-29 Tennessee
Sept. 2-3 at Pittsburgh
Chicago Bears
Aug. 12-16 at San Diego
Aug. 19-23 Oakland
Aug. 26-29 Arizona
Sept. 2-3 at Cleveland
Dallas Cowboys
Aug. 8 vs. Cincinnati in Canton, Ohio (NBC)
Aug. 12-16 Oakland
Aug. 19-23 at San Diego
Aug. 28 at Houston (CBS)
Sept. 2-3 Miami
Detroit Lions
Aug. 12-16 at Pittsburgh
Aug. 19-23 at Denver
Aug. 26-29 Cleveland
Sept. 2-3 Buffalo
Green Bay Packers
Aug. 12-16 Cleveland
Aug. 19-23 at Seattle
Aug. 26 Indianapolis (ESPN)
Sept. 2-3 at Kansas City
Minnesota Vikings
Aug. 12-16 at St. Louis
Aug. 22 at San Francisco (NBC)
Aug. 26-29 Seattle
Sept. 2-3 Denver
New Orleans Saints
Aug. 12-16 at New England
Aug. 19-23 Houston
Aug. 27 San Diego (CBS)
Sept. 2-3 at Tennessee
New York Giants
Aug. 16 N.Y. Jets (ESPN)
Aug. 19-23 Pittsburgh
Aug. 26-29 at Baltimore
Sept. 2-3 New England
Philadelphia Eagles
Aug. 12-16 Jacksonville
Aug. 20 at Cincinnati (Fox)
Aug. 26-29 at Kansas City
Sept. 2-3 N.Y. Jets
St. Louis Rams
Aug. 12-16 Minnesota
Aug. 19-23 at Cleveland
Aug. 26-29 at New England
Sept. 2-3 Baltimore
San Francisco 49ers
Aug. 12-16 at Indianapolis
Aug. 22 Minnesota (NBC)
Aug. 26-29 at Oakland
Sept. 2-3 San Diego
Seattle Seahawks
Aug. 12-16 Tennessee
Aug. 19-23 Green Bay
Aug. 26-29 at Minnesota
Sept. 2-3 at Oakland
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Aug. 12-16 at Miami
Aug. 19-23 Kansas City
Aug. 26-29 Jacksonville
Sept. 2-3 at Houston
Washington Redskins
Aug. 12-16 Buffalo
Aug. 19-23 Baltimore
Aug. 26-29 at N.Y. Jets
Sept. 2-3 at Arizona
Published on: 31st March, 2010
Prospect profile: Cam Thomas, DT, UNC |
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Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room has hundreds of player evaluations in preparation for the 2010 NFL draft. Here is a capsule look at prospect Cam Thomas.
NFL position: DT/NT
Height: 6-4
Weight: 330
40 time: 5.33
Current projection: Third-round pick
Strengths: Has a big, thick body with rare strength and quickness. Shows the foot quickness and instincts to consistently be the first lineman moving at the snap; can jolt pass blockers upright and drive them into the QB. Can beat one-onone pass blocks by guards. Can get inside "reach" blocks, hold his ground and disrupt plays in backfield. Has the strength to hold his ground against double-team run blocks; flashes the ability to split it and make tackle on runs at him. Flashes good competitiveness and quickness moving through traffic and chasing down ballcarriers between the tackles.
Weaknesses: Lacks ability to explode through gaps to penetrate consistently. Has a bad habit of getting upright and not playing aggressively, causing him to get tied up too often. Does not deal well with side blocks, and can be either ridden down the line or sealed by them. Does not pass rush effectively if unable to jolt offensive linemen with hand punch. Lacks the speed to make plays outside the tackle box. Does not play with great intensity on every snap.
Bottom line: Thomas has the ability to be a dominant player at the point of attack when aggressive but was somewhat of an underachiever in college. During Senior Bowl practices, he was exactly the same—showing flashes of talent to be a dominant player but then giving inconsistent effort throughout the week. He is a boom-or-bust prospect, so G.M.s should be careful not to overdraft him on his potential. He fits at tackle in a 4-3 scheme but might have more value as a nose tackle in a 3-4 system. He shouldn’t be drafted until the middle of the third round, at best, but could find his way into the second simply because so many 3-4 teams are desperate for a young nose tackle.
For more than 640 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated mock draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.
Published on: 31st March, 2010
Picking apart our offseason MLB Power Poll |
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When Sporting News compiled its offseason baseball power poll, it really was the offseason. Like before Christmas. After three more months of moves and six weeks of spring training, you’d think our offseason rankings would need overhauling. Well, we don’t. But we would tweak them a little.
The offseason power poll, with some late March analysis:
1. Yankees. Not a thing has happened to make us think they shouldn’t be in the top spot. Actually, their chances improved after putting Joba Chamberlain in the correct role.
Brad Lidge is one of the Phillies’ few concerns.
2. Phillies. With Brad Lidge still a concern, the gap between the No. 2 and 3 teams has tightened, but we’ll still stick with the Phillies here. Their lineup has the majors’ best balance of power, speed and defense.
3. Red Sox. A sure sign you’ve had a smooth spring: Manager Terry Francona spends part of a morning press briefing dissecting the battle for the organization’s No. 8 and 9 starters. Dissecting this power poll, we can say the difference between No. 1 and No. 3 is smaller than the gap between No. 3 and No. 4.
4. Cardinals. They didn’t have Matt Holliday when we did the poll in December, but we figured they would re-sign him. No need to jump off the Cardinals’ bandwagon.
5. Rockies. The fact that no structural damage has been found in Huston Street’s right shoulder is a good sign. We suppose. If we hadn’t ignored the alarms set off when Street didn’t pitch for three weeks last September, we would have slotted Colorado a bit lower. Still, there are worse backup plans than Franklin Morales.
6. Angels. We would rank few clubs this high after losing their All-Star leadoff hitter, No. 1 starter, future Hall of Fame DH and key lefthanded reliever. But we believe in Mike Scioscia.
7. Mariners. If we’d known Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley would be manning the 3 hole and cleanup spot, we’d have bumped Seattle out of the top 10.
8. Rays. It didn’t seem right to rank three teams from one division in the top four overall. But after watching these guys in spring training, we should have.
9. Twins. No one knew about Joe Nathan’s elbow in December. But knowing wouldn’t have changed the Twins’ ranking. Minnesota still has Joe Mauer, Ron Gardenhire and one of the game’s best front offices.
10. Cubs. One reason to believe the Cubs are more likely to move up than down when the games begin: Despite all their troubles in 2009, they finished over .500.
11. Braves. Perhaps we should have known 20-year-old Jason Heyward would emerge as the best player in Florida this spring, as at least one scout has called him. Still, we feel pretty good about the Braves’ spot.
12. Dodgers. We didn’t put the Dodgers below the Rockies because of L.A.’s ownership disarray. We just like the Rockies’ rotation better.
13. Giants. We must have thought they would surprise everyone and sign Matt Holliday. But with its lack of offense and plodding defense, we should have put San Francisco in the bottom half.
Ozzie Guillen’s spring included an unexpected Twitter controversy.
14. White Sox. If you knew in December that Ozzie Guillen’s latest controversy would be triggered by Twitter, let us know. We’ll rank the White Sox wherever you want.
15. Rangers. If you could have told us Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine last July, it wouldn’t have mattered. The Rangers are ranked right where they belong.
16. Tigers. Their two rookies, Austin Jackson and Scott Sizemore, have exceeded early expectations. Still, we’ll wait for them to produce when the games count before we reassess Detroit’s spot.
17. Mets. How could we rank these guys ahead of the Marlins? Well, we didn’t know Carlos Beltran would have knee surgery and Jose Reyes would have a thyroid problem. That’s our excuse, anyway, and we’re sticking with it.
18. Marlins. Our opinion of the Marlins wasn’t helped when they traded for Tigers discard Nate Robertson and promptly put him in their rotation. Still, they belong in front of the Mets.
19. Brewers. Until its starters show us something, this is the spot for Milwaukee.
20. Diamondbacks. We figured Brandon Webb would be ready by now. Otherwise, we’d have dropped the D-backs a couple of notches.
21. Athletics. That they spent $10 million on Ben Sheets proves general manager Billy Beane believes they have a chance. That is good enough for us to think we have them three spots too low.
22. Reds. They surprised — no, stunned — the baseball world by signing Aroldis Chapman. But we still don’t know how much difference he’ll make.
Lance Berkman’s health is a concern for the Astros.
23. Astros. If we’d known their two best players, first baseman Lance Berkman and ace Roy Oswalt, already would be dealing with injuries, we’d at least considered dropping them a spot.
24. Orioles. We didn’t think much of the Kevin Millwood trade at the time, and he hasn’t made us change our minds in spring training.
25. Blue Jays. They didn’t re-acquire Roy Halladay, so there’s no reason to move them up.
26. Royals. Zack Greinke makes them better than the teams below, just as he did in December.
27. Nationals. They didn’t have Chien-Ming Wang or Adam Kennedy when we ranked them. It wouldn’t have changed anything.
28. Padres. We weren’t sure Adrian Gonzalez still would be with them on opening day. Now we are. They’re still ranked correctly.
29. Pirates. Since we did the poll, they signed Octavio Dotel to close. No, he isn’t a difference-maker.
30. Indians. Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona are pitching well, and Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner are healthy. If we’d known that, we wouldn’t have stuck the Indians in last. Now, though, they will have the chance to prove we were wrong.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Published on: 31st March, 2010
Clemens attorney knows indictment still possible; feds asked former mistress about affair |
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Sporting News staff reports
The attorney for Roger Clemens tells the New York Daily News an indictment remains a possibility in Clemens’ federal perjury case.
"I’ve always thought it was possible," the attorney, Rusty Hardin, says. "Obviously they’re still moving forward. (Federal prosecutors are) calling people in the grand jury, all of which would be a standard thing."
A grand jury in Washington, D.C., continues to hear testimony in the case. Prosecutors allege Clemens lied under oath when he told Congress he never used steroids or human growth hormone.
The Daily News also reports that part of the feds’ probe focused on the sexual nature of Clemens’ extramarital relationship with singer Mindy McCready. During their questioning of McCready, they wanted to know whether Clemens suffered from erectile dysfunction, which is a possible sign of steroids use.
Fox News reports a sex tape featuring McCready includes her saying she and Clemens had an affair and that Clemens had ED. McCready is trying to prevent the tape from being released by an adult film company that obtained the video.
Hardin tells the Daily News he has no knowledge of the tape’s existence and won’t comment on it. "I think responding to trash only gets you in the garbage can," Hardin says. "So we’re not going to do it."
Clemens’ legal issues also include an ongoing defamation suit against Brian McNamee, his former trainer. McNamee told federal investigators he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 to 2001.
Published on: 31st March, 2010
No progress in contract talks between Indians, Shin-Soo Choo |
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Sporting News staff reports
Negotiations on a long-term contract for Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo have stalled, MLB.com reports.
The site reports the Indians would like to sign Choo to a five-year contract with an option for a sixth year, but Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, have not expressed much interest in such a deal.
"It’s up to Boras and the Indians to figure that out," Choo told MLB.com on Tuesday. "That’s not my job. My job is to worry about the team."
Boras declined to comment to MLB.com about the negotiations.
Cleveland renewed Choo’s contract this spring, at slightly more than the major league minimum of $400,000. Choo will be eligible for arbitration next year.
Choo, 27, batted .300 with 20 home runs, 86 RBIs and 21 stolen bases last year in his first full big-league season.
Published on: 30th March, 2010
Your Turn: Ask a question of Shaun Phillips |
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The San Diego Chargers lost to the Jets in the divisional playoffs last season. Want to know what Chargers’ Shaun Phillips is doing to prepare for next season? Send your question for Phillips, along with your name and hometown to at kbradley@sportingnews.com, and we’ll have Phillips answer five of the best ones in a future issue of Sporting News magazine.
Published on: 30th March, 2010
Ranking the majors' 2010 division races |
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If you don’t agree that the best races will be in the American League, consider the numbers. Ten of 14 teams enter the season with a legitimate chance of reaching the postseason. In the NL, the Phillies and Cardinals are such clear favorites that the West could end up being the only close call.
Ranking the division races:
By leaving the Angels for the M’s, Chone Figgins may help change the dynamic in the AL West.
1. AL West
What’s to like: All four teams should contend in what shapes up as the majors’ deepest division. The three-time defending champion Angels lost four key players, including No. 1 starter John Lackey, while the Mariners, Rangers and Athletics all added potential aces in Cliff Lee, Rich Harden and Ben Sheets. Adding intrigue: The Angels’ blueprint is being copied as their three rivals put greater focus on defense and pitching. Seattle, in fact, snatched Angels catalyst Chone Figgins to pump up its offense.
"Everyone’s talking about three teams and discrediting Oakland, but they’re going to be a good defensive club with a very good pitching staff," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "You can make a legitimate case for any of the four teams."
Don’t be surprised if: Every team finishes .500. The A’s won 75 games last season — and that was after finishing on a seven-game losing streak.
Be surprised if: The Angels win fewer than 92 games. They have won at least that many in five of the past six seasons, the exception being an 89-win season in 2006.
2. AL East
What’s to like: The bullies have reloaded for another edition of the greatest rivalry in American sports. Game 1 of 18 will be Sunday night at Fenway Park. Whether the Yankees and Red Sox actually have improved remains to be determined. Boston sacrificed Jason Bay’s power for Mike Cameron’s defense, but that doesn’t mean it is better. New York is counting on the younger and more athletic Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner to replace postseason heroes Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. And don’t forget about the Rays. They could be the fourth-best team in the majors but only third-best in their own division.
Don’t be surprised if: The Yankees, Red Sox and Rays finish with 90 wins. Tampa Bay is too talented to finish 19 games behind the Yankees like it did last season.
Be surprised if: The Orioles aren’t the most improved team in the division. With a solid lineup and improved rotation, Baltimore should improve its win total into the 70s after finishing 64-98 in 2009.
With a healthy Grady Sizemore, the Indians may surprise.
3. AL Central
What’s to like: Picking a winner among the Twins, Tigers and White Sox is as tricky as figuring out who will close for Minnesota in place of the injured Joe Nathan.
Don’t be surprised if: The Indians are better than expected. Veterans Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook all are healthy and showing their old forms.
Be surprised if: A playoff isn’t needed to determine the division champ. There has been one the past two seasons.
4. NL West
What’s to like: This is the only division in which Sporting News is predicting a new champion from 2009. Thank you, Rockies. But if Colorado doesn’t have Huston Street healthy for most of the season, the Dodgers have the talent to make it three consecutive titles under Joe Torre.
Don’t be surprised if: The Giants remain stuck in third place because of a lack of offense. They needed Matt Holliday but settled for Mark DeRosa, Aubrey Huff and the return of Bengie Molina.
Be surprised if: The Diamondbacks finish last. Their rotation isn’t as thin as the Padres’ offense is lacking.
Dust Baker is on the hot seat in Cincinnati.
5. NL Central
What’s to like: If you don’t enjoy watching the game’s best player (Albert Pujols) or the game’s best 1-2 rotation punch (Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright), there always are the Cubs. Watching them come up short is as much a part of Chicago summers as the August air show.
Don’t be surprised if: This is Dusty Baker’s last season managing in Cincinnati. The Reds have become a trendy pick to contend. If they don’t, general manager Walt Jocketty might not extend Baker’s contract.
Be surprised if: The Pirates finish with a winning record. They are trying to avoid their 18th consecutive losing season.
6. NL East
What’s to like: The Phillies are making a run at history. A division crown would be their fourth in a row, a feat they never have accomplished. They also are gunning to become the first NL team to win three consecutive pennants since the Cardinals in the early-1940s. If Brad Lidge returns to his 2008 form, this shouldn’t be much of a race.
Don’t be surprised if: The Braves win the wild card, a reachable goal in Bobby Cox’s final season.
Be surprised if: The Nationals lose 100 games for a third straight season. Stephen Strasburg and Chien-Ming Wang will join the rotation at some point.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Published on: 30th March, 2010
Dez Bryant does little to impress scouts at private workout |
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Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant hasn’t played competitive football since Sept. 19 and sure looked like it Tuesday in a workout for NFL scouts, coaches and general managers.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy, 49ers coach Mike Singletary and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll were among the NFL personnel people who made the trip to Lufkin, Texas, for an up-close viewing of Bryant’s first public workout since being suspended by the NCAA last season.
Bryant showed flashes of greatness but certainly didn’t "wow" anyone Tuesday.
He ran sharp routes, just like he did on game film, and did a good job of catching passes in most drills. He did struggle on routes with his back to the quarterback, where he had to turn quickly and catch passes just as he made his break.
In Combine-like drills, he did show explosive athleticism. He recorded an 11-foot, 1-inch broad jump and a 38-inch vertical jump.
Bryant, however, showed only average speed. He ran the 40-yard dash with a slight breeze in the mid 4.5-second range and then against the wind in mid 4.6-second range. Scouts said the huge variance in times had more to with Bryant’s choppy and inconsistent starts than any wind.
More concerning is the fact Bryant seemed unprepared to properly run the short shuttle, long shuttle and 3-cone drills. He had to re-run several of the drills and never once ran hard to the finish, frustrating all in attendance. His hip movements looked tight, and he struggled to change directions quickly. He also quit the 225-pound bench press after 14 reps, even though he obviously could’ve done more.
Overall, Bryant’s disappointing day likely will lead to him falling on a number of team’s draft boards because personnel men now must question his work ethic. He had six months to prepare for this workout and still failed to shine.
Bryant once could’ve been the first receiver drafted. His only hope now to regain some lost draft stock is in private workouts for teams, hoping he can make that one team forget this disappointing performance.
Former NFL scout Russ Lande evaluates college players for Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room and GM Jr. Scouting LLC.
Published on: 30th March, 2010
Red Sox, Beckett nearing contract extension |
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Sporting News staff reports
Contract negotiations between the Red Sox and ace Josh Beckett have progressed enough that a deal could be reached in the next week or two, according to ESPN.
According to the report, the Red Sox have offered the righthander a guaranteed four-year deal comparable to the contract they gave free agent righthander John Lackey this past offseason. However, ESPN reported the Red Sox won’t guarantee a fifth season in talks with Beckett.
Beckett, the team’s opening night starter Sunday against the Yankees, is in the final season of the contract he signed in 2007.
Beckett, 30, went 17-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts last season and is 65-34 with a 4.05 ERA in four seasons with Boston. In eight postseason starts with the Red Sox, Beckett is 5-1 with a 3.88 ERA.
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