The search for a new Red Sox manager appears to be coming to a close, according to several news sources. But the team will not be making a decision on who will be Boston’s new manager this holiday weekend, according to The Boston Globe’s web site.

Similar news was reported Friday on mlb.sbnation.com. The web site also noted that Boston is currently the only team in the major leagues currently without a manager.

That’s because the Chicago Cubs hired Dale Sveum and the St. Louis Cardinals selected Mike Matheny to manage their teams.

The leading candidates for the job in Boston are reportedly Bobby Valentine and Gene Lamont, with Torey Lovullo also in the running.

Valentine previously managed the New York Mets and currently works as a baseball analyst for ESPN television.

Lovullo worked as the Blue Jays’ first-base coach this past season. Last year, he served as the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Lamont currently works as the Tigers’ third base coach. Previously, he managed the Chicago White Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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The Boston Red Sox named two new assistant General Managers on Tuesday.

But the search for a manager for the team continues.

Recent rumors have former New York Mets manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine as the leading candidate to replace Terry Francona. Valentine interviewed for the job on Monday in Boston.

Reportedly, there are two other leading candidates for managing the Red Sox: Torey Lovullo and Gene Lamont.

Lovullo worked as the Blue Jays’ first-base coach this past season. Last year, he served as the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Lamont currently works as the Tigers’ third base coach. Previously, he managed the Chicago White Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Personally, I think Valentine would be the perfect pick for the Red Sox. The reason? He managed a major league team in a town with some of the toughest fans in the brightest media spotlight. That’s one of the reasons why I think Francona did so well in New England. Before coming to Boston, Francona managed in Philadelphia, where the fans and the media can be just as unforgiving as Boston’s die-hard supporters and relentless critics.

Because whoever Boston hires to manage the team, you can be sure everyone in New England will have something to say, especially if the team starts – or finishes – the way they did this past season.

That’s all the news for today.

There is the quick update of the day.

BOSTON – Lost in the late inning drama of Saturday afternoon was another gem of a start by Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, as well as the fact that another one of his outings will end up classified in the ‘no-decision’ column.

The Boston righty went six-plus innings, allowed three runs on three hits, walked three and struck out four.

It marked the first time since April 27 that he has surrendered more than two runs in a contest, yet he now has six no-decisions in 12 starts.

“I do not have an arbitration case in February, so it doesn’t matter to me,” Beckett said. “It doesn’t matter to me who gets the win.”

Still, with a 2.01 ERA, having a 4-2 record appears to be a bit a disservice, and even with the three runs, Beckett pitched well enough to win Saturday.

Beckett threw four clean innings before coughing up a pair of runs in the fifth inning due to a bout of wildness. He hit the first batter, walked the next, allowed them to move to second and third on a wild pitch, and then surrendered a single to Josh Willingham that scored two.

In the seventh, he gave up a walk and a single to start before giving way to Matt Albers, who loaded the bases with a single and then gave up a sac fly to make it 5-3.

“He pitched great, he’s been pitching great,” catcher Jason Varitek said. “We have to find a way to win for him.”

Buchhed back: Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz could potentially have his scheduled start in New York Thursday pushed back if it’s found that he needs extra time to rest his tweaked back.

Buchholz threw 4 2/3 innings in a no decision Friday night against Oakland and said that the stiffness in his lower back was on his mind throughout the outing.

Francona said that he’ll sit down with the pitcher this weekend to determine if he’s able to make his scheduled start Wednesday in New York against the Yankees.

Tim Wakefield, who has a 4.25 ERA in five starts this season, threw a bullpen session Saturday and is inline to start Wednesday if Buchholz cannot go.

Scutaro goes south: Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro (strained left oblique) will join the Pawtucket Red Sox in Durham, where he will play shortstop, second base and designated hitter.

He is expected to rejoin the team in New York by Tuesday. When he returns, he will likely serve as a utility infielder since Jed Lowrie has cemented himself at short (.304, .349 on-base).

Short hops: Alfredo Aceves will move back to the bullpen with the return of John Lackey. Lackey is slated to throw around 90 pitches Sunday … Brett Anderson (3-5, 3.68 ERA), who will start against Lackey, is 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox …

That’s all the news for today.

The Boston Red Sox placed pitcher Rich Hill on
the 15-day disabled list Friday with a left elbow sprain.

Hill, 31, has not allowed a run in eight innings over nine relief appearances
this season for the Red Sox. Hill has 12 strikeouts, while only allowing three
hits and three walks. Hill began the 2011 season with Triple-A Pawtucket of
the International League, where he went 1-0 with a 1.13 earned run average,
one save and 18 strikeouts.

To fill the roster spot, the Red Sox have selected the contract of left-hander
Tommy Hottovy from Pawtucket.

Hottovy, 29, has yet to appear in a major league game. The southpaw compiled
a 1.67 ERA with 28 strikeouts between Pawtucket and Double-A Portland this
season.

To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Hottovy, the Red Sox transferred
pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to the 60-day disabled list.

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Boston Red Sox reliever Bobby Jenks worked the first inning Sunday in what is expected to be his second and final rehab appearance with the Pawtucket Red Sox, The Providence Journal reported.

Jenks, on Boston’s 15-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis since May 5, allowed a run in his only inning of work, but he threw hard—in the mid-90s, according to the stadium radar gun—and pain-free. He bought his teammates dinner from a local steak house and was gone before the game was finished.

“He’s fine. He got his pitches in, did what he was supposed to do and headed out of here,” Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler said, according to the newspaper.

Jenks needed 20 pitches, 11 strikes, to retire the side. His inning included one hit, a walk, two stolen bases and a strikeout.

His pitches clocked as high as 96 mph on the McCoy Stadium radar gun as he mixed in a half-dozen breaking pitches, including one that bounced in front of the plate.

The veteran is expected to be activated in the next day or two by the Red Sox, according to The Journal.

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The Associated Press

Posted:

May 26, 2011 4:03 PM ET

Last Updated:

May 26, 2011 4:03 PM ET

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Kevin Millwood(notes) has now had his name inserted into the annals of the never-ending rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

The man who pitched a no-hitter in 2003 for the Philadelphia Phillies has also pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles since entering the league in 1997. This last offseason, the 36-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Yanks, pitched three games, and then opted out of his contract on May 1.

Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons now reports that Millwood has joined the Boston Red Sox, which currently have both John Lackey(notes) and Daisuke Matsuzaka(notes) on the disabled list. Millwood, who has won 159 games and lost 137 in his career, is being sent to Triple-A to play for the Pawtucket Red Sox, Gammons notes.

Last year, he started 31 games for the Baltimore Orioles and went 4-16 with a 5.10 ERA.

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Source: Peter Gammons

Related: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers

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FORT MYERS, Fla. — This could not have been an easy day for Hideki Okajima. After four seasons as Boston’s No. 1 left-handed option out of the bullpen, the one-time “hero in the shadows” was optioned Monday to Triple-A Pawtucket as the Red Sox made their final roster decisions.

The Red Sox announced that Alfredo Aceves also was optioned to Pawtucket, with Dennys Reyes retained as the bullpen’s only left-hander and former Oriole Matt Albers kept as a right-handed long reliever.

The decisions had as much to do with contract manipulation as performance. The Red Sox have options left on Okajima and Aceves. Albers was out of options, while Reyes had an opt-out in his deal that became moot when the Red Sox on Saturday purchased his contract, which will pay him $900,000 at the major league level.

By handling the roster in such a fashion, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein maximized the number of arms in camp that will be available to Boston during the season, including Scott Atchison, who also spent much of last season with Boston but was optioned to Pawtucket over the weekend because the Red Sox held options on him, meaning he did not have to be exposed to waivers.

“A big part of the decision was the preservation of pitching depth,” Epstein told reporters Monday. “Pitching attrition is usually the biggest culprit in destroying an otherwise promising season.”

Still, while Okajima was always aware this was a possibility, especially given how the Red Sox waited until late in the winter before re-signing him, this had to come as a major blow to the ego of a pitcher who is 35, spent 11 seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, the Japanese equivalent of the Yankees, and first made it to the Japanese big leagues in 1995.

Manager Terry Francona had spoken a couple of days earlier about not wanting redundancy in the ‘pen, but it appears the Sox were unable to avoid that altogether. Albers and Tim Wakefield both project as long men, but the Sox want to keep Wakefield for starting depth; he made 19 starts last season despite beginning the year in the bullpen.

Okajima’s ERA has increased each of the past four seasons, from 2.22 in 2007 to 4.50 last year. He had a 6.00 ERA in six spring innings.

The Red Sox signed former Yankee Aceves in February and even gave him a look as a starter. He went 0-1 with a 4.05 ERA this spring.

Albers sported a 1.80 ERA and struck out 11 without walking a batter in 10 spring innings. The 28-year-old had a 4.52 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 34 walks in 75 2/3 innings pitched for Baltimore last season.

Reyes also dominated this spring with a 1.29 ERA, with seven strikeouts and two walks in seven innings. The 33-year-old pitched for the Cardinals last season and had a 3.55 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 21 walks in 38 innings.

Boston’s 25-man Opening Day roster:

• Catchers (2): Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Varitek

• Infielders (6): Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Marco Scutaro, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie

• Outfielders (5): Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, Mike Cameron, Darnell McDonald.

• Starting pitchers (5): Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka

• Right-handed relievers (6): Jonathan Papelbon, Bobby Jenks, Daniel Bard, Dan Wheeler, Albers, Wakefield.

• Left-handed relievers (1): Reyes

• Disabled list: Felix Doubront, Junichi Tazawa

Gordon Edes covers the Red Sox for ESPNBoston.com.

Follow Gordon Edes on Twitter: @GordonEdes

What are your opinions.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Let the world debate whether Tim Wakefield’s spot on the Boston Red Sox roster is in doubt.

The 44-year-old knuckleballer treated the question as out of hand Thursday after pitching five innings in a Triple A minor league game.

“I don’t think I need to answer that,” Wakefield said when asked if anyone from the organization had told him he was safe.

But somebody does, either now or when the roster is finalized. Until the Red Sox declare Wakefield is one of the chosen 25, speculation will continue that he’s on the bubble with one year left on his contract.

Last Friday, manager Terry Francona would not commit a roster spot to Wakefield, though obviously, he also did not rule him out.

If Wakefield is safe, it’s not because of his recent results. He allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in five innings against Minnesota Twins prospects at the Sox minor league complex.

Five runs came in the fifth, when a botched double play contributed to the big inning.

He gave up a home run. He also walked a man in his stint, hit another and did not record a strikeout.

Last Friday, Wakefield allowed four home runs, two doubles and six runs in three innings against Tampa Bay.

Four pitchers are considered locks for the seven-man bullpen – Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler. Unless Wakefield is as safe as he seems to feel, he’s in a battle with righties Alfredo Aceves and Matt Albers, along with lefties Rich, Hill, Hideki Okajima and Dennys Reyes.

One of the aforementioned three left-handers would make it, locking up a fifth spot. The Red Sox might keep a second left-hander as well.

Okajima has been considered a favorite for the first lefty spot, but he said Thursday he is fighting for a job.

If two lefties are kept, only one spot would remain open for either Wakefield, Aceves or Albers Righy Scott Atchison was one of seven Red Sox pitchers to throw in minor league games Thursday, but he has minor league options and has struggled of late, so he may be on the Pawtucket side of the equation.

In Wakefield’s eyes, he accomplished his goals in Thursday’s 78-pitch, 52-strike outing.

“I got up and down five times and got my pitch count up. It’s different pitching down here (at the complex), there’s not a lot of adrenaline, but I take it seriously and you’ve got to get your work in,” he said.

Wakefield mixes in a fastball and curve with his knuckler, but used only his primary pitch in this workout.

Wakefield said the Red Sox have not told him when he will pitch next. After 16 seasons with Boston, he says he is ready for the season in whatever capacity they need, be in starting, long or short relief.

If he does make the team, it will be in the bullpen. That remains a question of great debate, to all but one man.

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Pawtucket president Mike Tamburro, left, introduces new manager Arnie Beyeler, right, Friday at McCoy Stadium. (Staff photo by Mike George)

PawSox manager moves up from Portland

PAWTUCKET – Development has always been the buzzword among the teams in the farm system of the Boston Red Sox over the past two decades, especially under the regime of General Manager Theo Epstein.

And while the Pawtucket Red Sox were the rescue wagon for Boston, plugging in a player here and there when need be, the true prospects were always stashed in Portland at the AA-level. With Ron Johnson in a coach’s box in Boston and with 2010 manager Torey Lovullo having taken on a similar major league position in Toronto, Boston looked north, to its SeaDogs manager Arnie Beyeler to assume leadership of the AAA club.

After four seasons at the AA level, Beyeler is dumbfounded at the number of players in Boston that he has managed. “To be around Clay (Buchholz), (Jacoby) Ellsbury, (Justin) Masterson, Michael Bowden, Jed (Lowrie), jeez, the list keeps going, (Josh) Reddick, all of them – it was a lot of fun with those guys,” said Beyeler upon his first visit to McCoy Stadium as the PawSox manager.

The 46-year-old Beyeler will be in his second tour of duty with the PawSox, having served as their hitting coach for the first half of the 2000 season. “I’ve never heard anything bad about this place,” said Beyeler who intends to “keep the wheels rolling up to Boston. Most of them (at AA and even at AAA) are still prospects. I’m familiar with all these kids. When they go to Boston, it’s all about performance.”

“We all take pride in that (the success of Boston). If we’re not moving those guys up, moving them along, then I’m not sitting here.”

Beyeler could have a very good pitching staff in his first year with the PawSox, Felix Doubront and Andrew Miller fronting a rotation that will also include eight-year major-league veteran Brandon Duckworth. Michael Bowden, Robert Coello and Rich Hill could be the mainstays of the bullpen corps.

“At the end of the year, you’re going to win a lot of games (with good pitching),” said Beyeler. “But the whole goal of what we do is to get those guys in there and get them better and move them onto the next level, try to get them better and keep moving to get to the big leagues. That’s what it’s all about.”

While Beyeler was not often in contact with Boston manager Terry Francona, he will be now on a daily basis, “more from a performance standpoint. (The difference) is that you’re just dealing more with veteran players, the constant communication with Boston.

“I’ve bounced things off coaches up there (Boston), game stuff, situational things,” of routine calls to former PawSox manager Ron Johnson and last year to Lovullo. “Our scouts did a great job of giving us players. Guys were getting them up to that level, and we just tried to not mess them up.

“The whole Red Sox nation thing is kind of crazy, the intensity of that is pretty neat. I don’t think people in other parts of the country experience something like this. We’ve got a great staff, and the organization, everybody from the top to the bottom, spends a lot of time putting plans together for all these guys.

Beyeler remembers the first time that he had a player (Masterson) called up to Boston or two seasons ago when the Portland staff had to give Reddick a haircut to rid himself of a mohawk style upon his promotion to Fenway Park.

“Our job is just to keep them on the path, keep them on track, and see things through. With the staff, the quality of guys they want to have, how they want to get better and keep improving. It makes it pretty easy.

“The players know what’s going on too. For them, they know what to expect (from a manager and coach), how we do things. From an organizational standpoint, it’s pretty consistent.”

And if the PawSox win, even better. “I’ve always believed that if you do things right, play the game right, with the guys that are working hard and getting better, that you are going to win games.

“It’s fun when you win. Winning is definitely part of the development. If you don’t have very good players, you’re not going to win many games. We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty good group of players to come through (Portland) and make us competitive.

“I try to be honest with guys, they know that – they want to know where they stand.”

“The baseball on the field is baseball,” and by the way, looking out over a snow covered infield and outfield at McCoy Stadium, the PawSox open the 2011 season at home April 7 against Rochester.

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