• Last year was a quiet Thanksgiving day, but there was plenty to talk about. If you recall, we were just one day removed from the four-player Brewers/Padres swap that saw Trent Grisham and Zach Davies land in San Diego. MLBTR readers weighed in on Thanksgiving with more people preferring the Brewers’ side of the deal. The Brew Crew landed promising infielder Luis Urías and potential rotation arm Eric Lauer. A year removed, my guess is the public sentiment may have changed. This one might need more time to gestate, however, before a final determination can be made.
• On this same date and day in history, the Cleveland Indians signed an amateur free agent that changed the fortunes of their franchise. Jose Ramirez – a 17-year-old amateur free agent out of Dominican Republic – signed on Thursday, November 26, 2009. He would debut in the Majors just four years later as a 20-year-old.
• On the same day, the Toronto Blue Jays struck in free agency signing shortstop Álex González to a free agent contract. Of course, this isn’t the Alex Gonzalez most Blue Jays fans will remember best. This A-Gon spent just a few months north of the border. He was traded to the Braves on July 14th of the following season as part of a four-player deal that sent Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes to Toronto. Escobar would net 8.6 bWAR across 2 1/2 seasons with the Jays, while Reyes would be claimed off waivers by the Orioles later that season.
• In 2007, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim invested heavily in a free agent centerfielder who had spent the entirety of his career to that point in the Twin Cities. Torii Hunter signed for $89.5MM over five years to roam the grass in Anaheim. He’d win two Gold Gloves and make two All-Star teams while racking up 20.7 bWAR as an Angel. They got their money’s worth as Hunter would post the best two seasons of his career by bWAR while with the Angels (2009, 2012).
• The Cincinnati Reds signed Miguel Rojas as an amateur free agent on November 24, 2005. Rojas would stay in the Reds’ minor league system for a full six seasons before being granted free agency and joining the Dodgers in 2012.
• That same season, the Marlins did some work with two significant trades on Thanksgiving. The first sent Carlos Delgado and cash to the Mets for Grant Psomas, Mike Jacobs and Yusmeiro Petit. Delgado spent just one season in Florida, but he did grab a 6th-place MVP finish that year for slashing .301/.399/.582 with 33 bombs.
• Their other deal helped bring the second title of the century to the Red Sox. The Fish traded Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to Boston for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez would have a number of solid years with the Fish, while Hanley Ramirez developed into a cornerstone shortstop and the face of the franchise.

8:45 pm: The Red Sox are one of three teams surprisingly on the hunt for a manager in January. Unlike the Astros and Mets, to whom some early names have been tied, Boston’s search for a skipper has been quiet the past few days.

It seems Boston may not name a replacement for Alex Cora any time soon. Speaking to reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive), Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy allowed that Boston could enter spring training without a manger in place. The Sox “would like” to have the position settled by then, Kennedy said, but it’s not a mandate. Indeed, as of Friday, the Red Sox had yet to reach out to other clubs to seek permission to interview external candidates (via Cotillo). Boston is vetting its internal candidates first, Kennedy explained (Twitter link), but the club plans to cast a wide net in its search.

If the Red Sox were to hire from within, bench coach Ron Roenicke seems a logical option. The former Brewers’ skipper has been Cora’s bench coach the past two seasons. He’s no doubt familiar with much of Boston’s current roster. (The 2018 Red Sox are themselves under investigation related to sign stealing allegations, of course, but there’s no reason to believe at this point that Roenicke will be implicated). Red Sox coaches, in fact, seem to believe Roenicke would be the frontrunner if Boston stays internal, notes Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).

Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell would have interest in the position, he tells Rob Bradford of WEEI, but only under a unique circumstance. Lowell’s interest would be conditional on his serving as a bridge to a Cora return in 2021. “I would love to (manage) if I knew it was just for a year and Cora was guaranteed to come back,” Lowell told Bradford. Of course, such a scenario seems far-fetched at the moment. Cora hasn’t yet been disciplined by Major League Baseball for his role in the respective sign stealing scandals, but a suspension is almost certainly forthcoming. Further, there’s no indication the organization would have interest in exploring such an arrangement.

The situation is no doubt a difficult and unexpected one for first-year chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. The next steps for the Red Sox (and the Astros and Mets, as well) will be fascinating to follow. It seems Bloom and the rest of Boston’s front office are prepared to take their time sorting things out.

This isn't the first time the Marlins have torn things down and rebuilt from scratch, of course. They did it immediately following their 1997 World Series win, then again a few years after bringing home the 2003 World Championship. On this date in 2005, the team officially swung a pair of trades sending three of their highest paid players elsewhere.

Trade #1: Boston Red Sox
Josh Beckett, then just 25, was coming off a 3.38 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 178 2/3 innings for Florida. He earned $2.4MM in 2005 and was due a significant raise in his second trip through arbitration, plus the team was unlikely to re-sign him long-term when he hit free agency after 2007.

Beckett had significant trade value, so the Marlins took advantage by attaching then-31-year-old Mike Lowell to him in talks. If a team wanted Beckett, they had to take Lowell as well. The third baseman slipped to .236/.298/.360 with eight homers in 558 plate appearances that year, but more importantly he was scheduled to earn $18MM total from 2006-2007.

Few teams could meet Florida's demand for a young shortstop, but the Red Sox were one of them. The two sides worked out a seven-player trade that sent Beckett, Lowell, and Guillermo Mota to Boston in exchange for prospects Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Harvey Garcia, and Jesus Delgado. The Marlins saved all $18MM owed to Lowell in addition to second- and third-year arbitration salaries for Beckett and a third-year arbitration salary for Mota. The trade worked out well for both teams as Beckett and Lowell helped the Red Sox to the 2007 World Championship while Ramirez developed into an MVP candidate and Sanchez became a rock solid innings-eater for the Marlins.

Trade #2: New York Mets
During the 2004-2005 offseason, Florida landed the top free agent slugger by signing Carlos Delgado to a four-year, $52MM contract with a fifth-year vesting option. The then-33-year-old hit .301/.399/.582 with 33 homers in the first year of the contract, good enough to earn him a sixth-place finish in the MVP voting. However, like the contracts of Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle, Delgado's deal with the Marlins was heavily backloaded. He earned just $4MM in 2005, then his salary was scheduled to jump to $13.5MM in 2006, $14.5MM in 2007, $16MM in 2008, and potentially $12MM in 2009 if the option vested ($4MM buyout).

Rather than pay him that huge salary over the next three years, the Marlins traded Delgado to the Mets for three minor leaguers: Yusmeiro Petit, Mike Jacobs, and Grant Psomas. The Mets also received $7MM from Florida in the trade, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the $48MM left on the contract. Delgado hit .265/.349/.505 with 100 homers during his first three years with New York, which was enough for the team to exercise his option even though it didn't vest. Jacobs had three decent years with the Marlins while Petit and Psomas flamed out, but the real get for the club was the $41MM in payroll savings. Combined with the Red Sox swap, the Marlins shed more than $59MM in contract obligations with these two moves seven years ago today.

• Mike Redmond will interview with the Marlins for their managerial opening tonight, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel reports (on Twitter). Redmond and Bryan Price are in the running for the job, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reported last night. Redmond, a minor league manager for the Blue Jays, appears to be an early favorite for the position, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com writes.
• Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr hasn't been contacted by the Blue Jays about their vacancy, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The Blue Jays are still in information gathering mode, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Sandy Alomar Jr., Tim Wallach and DeMarlo Hale are among the names in play.
• The role of the manager has changed with the increased use of social media, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. Outspoken skippers like Guillen and Bobby Valentine risk alienating their players in today’s media environment.
• Jason Giambi blew the Rockies away in his interview for the team’s managerial opening, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. The veteran power hitter left no doubt about his preparation and desire to get the job. Wallach, Alomar, Mike Gallego and Brad Ausmus are among the external candidates the Rockies are expected to contact, according to Renck.
• President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said the Marlins will consider candidates without previous experience managing at the MLB level, Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald reports. Valentine is not a candidate and former Marlins Mike Lowell and Jeff Conine have indicated they aren't seeking MLB managing jobs.

• The Rockies will not have a decision on Jim Tracy's future until Monday, report Troy Renck of The Denver Post (Twitter links). The parties will remain in contact, and the big issue is finding a comfort level in all aspects moving forward.
• Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen is in "real jeopardy of losing his job," reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Owner Jeff Loria is always able to change course.
• “No, I haven’t been contacted," said Mike Lowell when asked if he had been contacted by theMarlins about their manager's position during a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show (audio here). “It would be a very interesting scenario, but I don’t know if this is the time in my life right now.”
• During an ESPN broadcast last night, Terry Francona said that his only two options right now are to manage the Indians or return to the network for another season according to Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 (on Twitter). Francona interviewed for the Cleveland opening this week.

• Former Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he knows he'll miss playing this year, though his transition to retirement has been smooth so far.
• Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun explains that Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail wanted to sign Vladimir Guerrero and that Guerrero wasn't wavering on his $8MM asking price. The sides agreed to a deal last Friday.
• Derek Jeter tells Brian Costello of the New York Post that that he's "done with" feeling hurt by his contract negotiations with the Yankees and not worried about potential position switches.

The New York Yankees drafted Lowell in the 20th round of the 1995 draft, and he quickly climbed the prospect lists, crushing a combined 56 home runs in 1997-1998. But with Scott Brosius manning third base, the Yankees viewed Lowell as surplus and dealt him to Florida on February 1, 1999 for three pitching prospects: Todd Noel, Mark Johnson and Ed Yarnall.

The deal turned out to be a massive win for the Marlins. The three pitching prospects amounted to very little. Brosius, meanwhile, posted a 121 OPS+ in 1998 and managed a combined mark of 86 in 1999-2001 before retiring.

Lowell beat cancer in the spring of 1999 and came back to post an OPS+ of 90 that season before achieving stardom in 2000. From 2000-2004, his age 26-30 seasons, Lowell had an OPS+ of 117 with tremendous defense at third base. In 2003, Lowell had an OPS+ of 128 for the World Series-winning Marlins, hitting 32 home runs and finishing 11th in MVP voting.

But in 2005, Lowell, now 31, appeared to lose his ability to hit. His season line of .236/.298/.360 was good for an OPS+ of just 77, though he did win a Gold Glove. Eager to shed his salary, the Marlins worked out a deal with the Red Sox. On November 24, 2005, Florida traded Lowell, Josh Beckett and Guillermo Mota to the Boston Red Sox for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.

Once again, the team that acquired Lowell turned out to be a big winner, though this trade wasn't one-sided. Florida, after all, received a no-hitter from Anibal Sanchez, and Ramirez has blossomed into one of the game's best shortstops.

Beckett, the centerpiece of the deal, performed as expected, but Lowell's resurgence surprised the baseball world. His 2006-2009 in Boston included three seasons of above-average offense and strong, though regressing defense. His 2007, naturally, stands out from the pack.

That year, Lowell's OPS+ was 124. His age-33 season included 120 RBI, a fifth-place showing the the regular-season MVP voting, and a World Series MVP trophy. And Fitzgerald said there are no second acts in the American League. (That may be a paraphrase.)

Lowell gradually broke down, however, with his troublesome hip merely one of many injuries. This past winter, the Red Sox made a deal to send him to Texas for catching prospect Max Ramirez, because Theo Epstein loves grabbing decent prospects when their value is artificially low. The deal was called off, however, when Lowell needed surgery on his right thumb.

Barring a late comeback by Boston, Lowell's career will end when the regular season does. With nine seasons of 103 OPS+ or better, a strong glove for most of his career, and the postseason heroics, it is hard to believe that two teams sold low on Lowell. Stranger still, perhaps, is that Lowell played for three organizations – the Red Sox, the Marlins, and the Yankees – and made postseason appearances with everyone but New York.

“I’m retiring,” Lowell said. “I just don’t want to make it a song and dance because I don’t think that’s necessary, but if someone needs something official, yeah, I’m going to retire. This is going to be my last year.”

Lowell, 36, said that he still believes he can still play and platoon somewhere, but he doesn't enjoy it and is not willing to make the transition. He also indicated that staying around to compile numbers was never in his plans. 

Plagued by hip issues over the last several years, Lowell has hit just .231/.297/.357 in 202 plate appearances this year, and lately he's lost playing time to younger players. A career .279/.341/.464 hitter, Lowell will retire as the Marlins' all-time leader in doubles (241), RBI (578), total bases (1,641), and extra base hits (387). According to Baseball-Reference.com, he's earned more than $76MM in his career. 

4:38pm: The Rangers and Red Sox are discussing Mike Lowell again, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Rangers, who are also discussing Jeff Francoeur with the Mets, are "pushing hard" to acquire a right-handed bat by tonight, according to Sullivan, who says Lowell appears to be the Rangers' main target.

The Red Sox placed Lowell on waivers earlier in the month and he presumably cleared. If he had been claimed and the Red Sox had pulled him back, no trade would be possible at this point. About $2.2MM of Lowell's $12MM salary remains. That figure has been an obstacle all season, but the Rangers showed that they have some money to spend when they claimed Manny Ramirez.

As WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports, the Red Sox are not giving up, despite the fact that they traded Manny Delcarmen to the Rockies. Lowell hasn't hit much this season (.234/.309/.373 line), so perhaps the Red Sox believe they have an equally good chance of heating up and re-entering the playoff picture without him. Lowell has a career .841 OPS against lefties, which presumably contributes to the Rangers' interest.

"I'm pretty much set in knowing what I'm going to do after this year," the four-time All-Star said.  "It will be fun.  It will be fun enjoying my kids."

Injuries caused Lowell to play just 47 games this season in which he hit .226/.305/.380 with four homers.  That slash line is a far cry from his career posting of .279/.342/.465 across 13 big league seasons.

The 36-year-old has been involved in trade rumors since the last quarter of 2009 when he was nearly sent to Texas for catcher Max Ramirez.  However, a torn radial collateral ligament in Lowell's right thumb caused the Rangers to get cold feet and back out of the swap.  There's still a possibility the veteran could finish the year elsewhere as he cleared waivers in early August.

Lowell has earned roughly $76.5MM in his career thanks in large part to the three-year, $37.5MM contract he signed with Boston in November of 2007.

• Rangers hurler Cliff Lee says that he isn't thinking about his impending free agency, writes Jeff Wilson for The Dallas Morning News.
• Darrell Covey, the father of Brewers first-round pick Dylan Covey, says that he expects an over-slot bonus offer, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  As the 14th overall pick, Covey is slotted to receive a bonus of $1.7MM.  The Coveys have told the Brewers that they expect $2MM.
• Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says that he now understands why the organization thought so highly of Jason Repko, writes John Barone of MLB.com.  The Twins picked up Repko in April after he was released by the Dodgers.
• Paul Konerko and manager Ozzie Guillen are fine with the White Sox standing pat in August, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Reds twelfth-round pick Kyle Waldrop has signed on for a $500K bonus, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  This is the highest bonus given to a player outside of the first ten rounds so far.
• MLB.com's Mark Sheldon writes that speculation was rampant that today would mark Aroldis Chapman's big league debut.  Instead of Chapman, the Reds tabbed reliever Carlos Fisher to fill in for Russ Springer, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
• Mike Lowell didn't have much of a reaction to Boston's signing of Carlos Delgado, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Alex Speier heard from a source that the Sox were simply "doing their homework" by working Delgado out today.

FRIDAY, 3:02pm: Delgado worked out for the Red Sox today, agent David Sloane told Mark Hale of the New York Post. Sloane says Delgado has worked out for multiple clubs.

THURSDAY, 7:06PM: Daric Barton could be another possible pick-up for the Sox, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets that the Oakland first baseman was put on waivers today.  Barton's .377 OBP fits right in with Boston's patient plate mentality, though he only has a .741 OPS against right-handers.

6:17PM: Two sources tell WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that Delgado "seems a reach" for Boston and that "he is worth a dice roll, but not for the Sox" given both Delgado and Lowell's lengthy injury histories.

5:56PM: With the news of Kevin Youkilis' season-ending thumb surgery breaking today, the Red Sox are suddenly in the market for a left-handed first baseman to platoon with Mike Lowell.  Boston GM Theo Epstein said that while the team is looking, a move won't come too quickly since the team first wants a chance to gauge Lowell's effectiveness, reports the Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin (via Twitter).

Carlos Delgado, who has been linked to Boston already, will be working out for the Red Sox "in the next couple of days," according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Delgado might be the most realistic option on the market given that the free agent slugger is available for a reasonable price and can be acquired without the hassle of the waiver wire.  Tomase's Herald cohort Scott Lauber tweets along word from Delgado's agent that the veteran first baseman "would be thrilled" by any interest from the club.

Nate Taylor of the Boston Globe posits Casey Kotchman's name as another potential fit.  Kotchman, who was dealt from Boston to Seattle for Bill Hall last January, has a .656 OPS in 296 plate appearances for the Mariners this season and just a .232/.300/.405 line against right-handers.  Given Kotchman's struggles, his M's teammate Russell Branyan (and Branyan's .868 OPS against right-handers this season) might be the more attractive option for the Red Sox, though the club might have a difficult time picking Branyan up without another AL team putting in a claim first.

As for internal replacements for Youkilis, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Epstein didn't seem enthused about calling up Lars Anderson.  "Right now, the things Lars is working on and the adjustments he's making, that type of work is best done at Triple-A," Epstein told MacPherson.  Anderson, ranked as the 87th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's preseason rankings, has not stood out at the Triple-A level this year, managing just a .740 OPS in 338 PA for Pawtucket.

However, the move could be a prelude to a trade. Since Lowell is likely to clear waivers, the Red Sox will presumably have the option to trade him to any MLB team. We'll know within a couple days whether a team claims Lowell and if no club makes a claim, the Red Sox will be free to deal.

At this point, Kevin Youkilis is hurt, so Lowell is a valuable piece for the banged-up Red Sox. If Youkilis returns to form and David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre are still healthy and hitting, the Red Sox could consider dealing Lowell. The Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Twins, Tigers and Blue Jays are among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in Lowell this year.

Here's our primer for August trades.

• Chat today, 2pm CST.
• Players on the disabled list can't pass through waivers in August, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
• The Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox nearly reached a deal on Friday that would've sent Mike Lowell to New York, Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Boston, and prospects to the Rangers, reports WEEI's Alex Speier.  A Lowell deal with the Blue Jays had been discussed in April and June, but both potential trades were killed due to health concerns.
• Lefty Jack Taschner filed for free agency, according to MLB.com's transactions page.  Taschner had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Friday.
• First-round pick Chris Sale will join the White Sox today as a reliever, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis, making the lefty the first to reach the bigs from the 2010 draft class.
• With Thomas Diamond's MLB debut yesterday, Joe Pawlikowski of FanGraphs looks at what's come of the DVD trio.