It's getting harder to justify the trade

I admit it, I don't know who David Pauley is. But then, I would bet that 97% of the Boston Red Sox fanbase has no idea who David Pauley is, either. But that's who is going to start tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays.

David Wells is going back onto the DL with a knee contusion after being hit in the knee in his rehab appearance. Most expected Abe Alvarez to come back up and pitch in his place. But it seems that since Abe was sent down less than 10 days ago, he can't come back up, yet. And so, David Pauley (do you know who he is, yet?) will be heading to Toronto to stop a two game slide for the Red Sox.

Who is David Pauley?
David Pauley is currently in the starting rotation for the Portland Seadogs (AA). He is a 22 year old who is 2-3 with a 2.39 ERA for Portland this year. He pitches right, btw. He was acquired from the Padres in the Dave Roberts-Jay Payton trade back in December, 2004. (Have you ever wondered who the 'player to be named later' was?) He has never pitched in a big league game, but he is taking heart in his three starts back in spring training (0-2, 8.18 ERA).

Who knows
Maybe having an unknown pitcher will be good for the Sox. Having never seen a pitcher before can be very detrimental to big league pitchers these days. They all study film and learn the habits of who they are facing each night. They learn their pitches and their tendencies before stepping up to the plate. So, hopefully, David will do well tonight, giving the bullpen a chance to rest a little bit.

But the trade for Bronson is looking worse and worse as time goes on. I would rather wait a few years to evaluate the trade. After all, that's why we traded for Wily Mo. Theo was looking for a big bat for next year and the year after. But if the Sox pitching woes continue all year long...

Source: BostonHerald story on David Pauley

DL the pitching staff?

The knee of David Wells can't be blamed. It's been put through a lot through the years. Pitching is never easy on a body, but carrying some extra weight around is sure to shorten the lifetime warrant on a body's knees, so I don't blame Wells nknee for giving out now.

Matt Clement has been suffering from something lately and may just end up on the DL, as well. I, unlike a lot of people on the radio lately, don't think Matt's problem is in his head. I think there's something else going on that's rendering his pitching a little awkward.

Oh, and in case you missed it, Timlin is on the DL as well.

But where does that leave the Red Sox? With two of their starting pitchers likely to be on the DL next week, how are they going to make up the difference? Alvarez is likely to be called up to fill in for Wells and Manny Delcarmen will replace Timlin in the bullpen. But will that be enough?

I'm beginning to wonder if trading away Arroyo was the best idea, after all. I have stated before that I thought it was a good deal for the Red Sox. I just didn't like the way they treated Bronson. But now?

Red Sox are where they need to be

And it all comes down to pitching. They have a great 1-2 punch in Beckett and Schilling, along with a great closer in Papelbon.

I have to admit, I never saw the possibility of Jon Papelbon becoming a star closer, but that's because I was (and still am, btw) wedded to the idea of Papelbon becoming a starter. I want him out there for more innings than he's getting now. He could be the next Roger Clemens, not the next Mariano Riviera.

But the possibility of him moving back into the starting rotation gets slimmer every day. After Foulke blew up the other day and with Hansen getting 'stretched' out, it looks like the Red Sox have no plans to move Pap out of the bullpen.

So, is that ok? Will Red Sox Nation be alright with a rookie closing out games in the final days of the season? If we make it into the playoffs, will Jonathan make it all seem easy. Only time will tell. I have to admit, it makes me nervous, but not as nervous as I would be with Foulke out there closing out important games.

Clement says it all

I would have to say Clements quote on last night's game sums it up completely.

BostonHerald

“When you get runs off Randy Johnson, you’ve got to win the game because he’s not going to struggle very long, and you’ve got to take advantage when you can,” Clement said. “Give him credit. He righted the ship and I wasn’t able to.”

But the good news is the sky hasn't fallen, the sun came back up this morning, I managed to get to work in less than an hour,... all good things are still possible. Clement was hit by a ball in the second inning and never really recovered (he was limping after the game).

But if you listen to the radio this morning, you would think the Sox are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs. Some perspective is needed on last night's game. Our number four starter got blown out by a very good lineup. Why is this shocking? I'd rather have Clement pitch better, but it's really not a big deal. He'll get his wins for the season and we'll be right there in the playoff race at the end of the season.

What I thought was important about last nights game was two fold. Manny showed some power and our lack of long relief was exposed. Manny seems to always come around eventually, but this slump of his has lasted longer than it normally should. I expected him to turn it around two weeks ago at the latest, so its really nice to see his return to form. As for the long relief, I'm not sure what they can do about that.

Red Sox T-Shirt: Fenway Faithful

I just found out about a new t-shirt from Todd Muchmore from SportsBlogs. If you're looking to show off your allegiance to your Boston Red Sox, you may want to check out fenwayfaithfultees.com.

They currently have Boston and New York tees available, but are hoping to add Florida and California t-shirts soon. And as we all know, there are a lot of dislocated fans in California who might be interested.

I'm getting tired of the Yankees

It seems like all people can talk about lately is how Randy Johnson is falling apart from age. And if it's not about Randy, it's all about ARod and how he is being blamed for all things bad in New York.

And I don't understand it at all. Yes, Randy Johnson is struggling right now, but that happens to everyone. I expect he'll figure it out and pitch well in a few games (just not tonight!). Then everyone will forget it and move on.

And the whole ARod/Jeter thing is ridiculous. ARod may be the best player in baseball right now. Of course he's going to get blamed for losses. That's what happens. In Boston, we blame Manny for not carrying the Red Sox, for being in a slump, for not legging it out, etc... While Ortiz gets all the credit in the world.

And the reason is simple. Manny is better than Ortiz. ARod is better than Jeter. So we put more responsibility at their feet. More responsibility comes with more flack. That's just the way it goes.

Do I think it's ARod's fault that the Yankees are 'struggling' right now? No. I put the blame squarely onto the pitching staff and those responsible for assembling it (Cashman/Torre).

Schilling is only one game away from 200

Curt Schilling put away the Yankees last night to win his seventh game this season.  That win puts him one away from #200.

Schilling is scheduled to pitch against Tampa Bay on Saturday.  It's hard to believe that Curt will come back to form in back to back outings against the Yankees and TB.  These two teams have weak pitching, but big hitters.

Based on the stories: Curt reverts to form: Schilling dazzles as Sox batter Yankeesand Schill finds a way: Ace dominant again but in different form; you would think 1) Schilling is coming out of retirement for one more season and 2) all is well now.

I listened to Curt this morning on the radio and he'll be the first to tell you that one win doesn't solve anything. He needs to be more consistent in his pitching and that's what he expects to do going forward. He may not be able to rear back and throw it past major league batters, but he can still get it done.

Of course, all of this talk about struggling is a little funny given Curt is tied for the league leading number of wins.

In a side note: Coco is only a few days away from rejoining the Red Sox. He'll take batting practice again today, then go on for a few rehab starts. At the most, he'll be back in the saddle in just one week.

Red Sox update

David Wells pitched well in his rehab start, too bad he won't have another one. After throwing a total of 66 pitches, is he really ready for a pro team?

Although, and this is a big admission for me, he may be better than Dinardo out there every fifth day. DiNardo may have looked horrible yesterday, lasting only 3 innings, but the Red Sox did win 3 of the 5 games he pitched. That's about what I want for my fifth starter.

In the meantime, Coco Crisp is taking live batting practice for the first time in six weeks today.

Looking ahead to the Red Sox - Yankees matchup: Curt Schilling(6-2, 4.17) vs Chien-Ming Wang (4-1, 2.79); Tim Wakefield (3-5, 4.17) vs Jaret Wright (1-3, 4.94), and Matt Clement (4-3, 5.36) opposes Johnson (5-4, 5.62). If you look just at those numbers, this series isn't exactly a clash of the titans. But if you look at all the background stories, these three games are of great interest.

Is Johnson done (i.e. not an ace anymore?) Has Curt figured out how to pitch into the sunset, as he claims to have done? Are we looking at the future pitching star for the Yankees in Wang? Will the best pitched game be Wakefield vs Wright?

And that's just some of the stories surrounding the pitching staff. This should be good.

Coco Crisp should be back soon

According to Crisps agent, Coco will be back in the lineup for the Red Sox soon. Coco had surgery last week to alleviate a painful kidney stone condition that developed complications.

How soon is soon? Who knows. He should take care of himself first, then worry about returning to the team.

Unfortunately for Crisp, his replacements have been doing well... Almost too well. Youkilis has become one of the most effective lead off hitter the Sox have ever seen. And keeping Pena in the lineup has become a priority for every fan who enjoys the long ball. When Pena sits on the bench and Youkilis gets sent to the bottom of the lineup, some fans are going to start screaming if Coco's swing is off even a little when he comes back.

Francona is confident in Ortiz

In the coming series, when the Red Sox play against Philadelphia, David Ortiz will probably sit one game, but play first base in the other two. Youkilis will play first and third one game and Mike Lowell will also sit one game. It's a tough situtation for a coach and a DH player to be in anytime interleague play comes up.

And I completely understand you want to be honest in your dealing with the media. But I think Tito should have thought a little bit more before making the following statement:
BostonHerald

Sox manager Terry Francona hasn't decided which two games Ortiz, Youkilis and Lowell will play.
"We'll do the best we can and hope (Ortiz) doesn't hurt himself," Francona said. "I hope he doesn't make errors and I hope he doesn't embarrass himself."

I know Ortiz struggles playing first base. I know he's a DH and that's where he is the most comfortable. But to come out and say "I hope he doesn't embaress himself" seems a little harsh coming from the manager.

In another note, if you're a bench player, your not supposed to take risks. If they tell you to hold on the first pitch, I don't think you should just assume the hold is off on the second pitch.

Technorati Tags: Red Sox, Ortiz, MLB, DH, Boston, baseball

Hansen is being stretched out

I'm with Michael Silverman on this one. I think Craig Hansen is being stretched out for a possible role as a starter, rather than just being a closer. Given how shaky the starting rotation has been, the Red Sox may need to go to Hansen late in the year. He should be able to start a few games by then in the bigs.

Also, with Papelbon being rated as one of the best closers in the league this year, the Red Sox are no longer in desparate need to fill Foulke's ailing shoes, not that he's ailing all that much this year.

BostonHerald.com - Boston Red Sox: New start for Hansen

Craig Hansen’s four-inning stint for Triple-A Pawtucket Monday night may be the start of an interesting twist in the development of the 22-year-old right-hander.
Believed by most to be a closer in waiting, Hansen started Game 2 of a doubleheader and allowed five hits with four strikeouts in a 4-0 victory. The Red Sox believe his progress is best served by longer outings so he can use all his pitches, including a promising changeup.
“He may get some more starts not only to guarantee his innings but also because starting may be the best way to address some specific developmental goals,” general manager Theo Epstein said in an e-mail yesterday.

Rain, rain and more rain

I guess the rain has been good for something. Instead of coming back (assuming his knee holds up that long) to face the Yankees on May 23rd, it looks like Wells won't be ready until May 25th when he'll face Tampa Bay instead. Source:BostonHerald.com - Boston Red Sox: Rain sinks Wells’ plan to face Yanks

In case you can't tell, I have no faith in David Wells arm or body holding up and I don't want him pitching in such an important game.

But the rain hasn't brought all good news. It looks like one of the games the Red Sox had rained out will be held as a double header when the Rangers come back in June. The other game might not be made up until July 20th. The other choice is to play four games in two days June 9-11. That won't be easy to handle and chances are good they would end up bringing up someone from AAA to pitch at least one of those games.

Coco Crisp may be out of a job

Coco may be back on the field in a few days, but he may be out of his lead off spot. Looking at how well Kevin Youkilis has done, its going to be hard to justify moving Crisp back in.

Youkilis is currently hitting .318 with and OBP of .423. According to cbs.sportsline.com, he was ranked first in OBP for lead off hitters on 5/8, so how can you justify moving him out?

So, when Crisp comes back, look for him in the two-hole, a more natural fit for Coco. He batted 2nd most of his career, so it should be a great spot for him to come back to after being out for six weeks (he may be back on the 22nd?)

That will let Loretta fall back to the back of the line-up shoring up what has been a weak back-end for the Red Sox.

Francona has stated that Crisp will return as the lead-off hitter. I can't understand why he wouldn't look at how the players are playing and adjust his thinking, but that seems to be Tito's style.

What may be more important is locking up that CF position. In the last 5 games, the Red Sox have played Pena, Mohr, and Harris at center field. It will be nice to just see one name settle in and play well out there.

What we learned from the Yankees - Red Sox series

Or should I say re-learned.

Don't believe the weather report. Weathermen predicted a rain out all three nights, and yet all three games were played.

Ortiz doesn't know what a slump is (see 2nd game: 4-4).

It's going to take everyone on the team to score runs this year. And without that, they just aren't going to win (see Loretta last night).

Schilling may be 'back', but he's not perfect. Also, given Curt's run to the hospital last night (probably to visit a sick kid, but it's still not certain) shows how shaky the starting pitching situation is. How many people got extremely worried about the season when you heard the words Schilling and hospital in the same sentence.

The Red Sox do not have confidence in Clemente this year. Matt's start was shuffled to after this series.

Pitching, hitting and defense are needed to win big games (see A-Rod and the Big Unit, game one).

Yankees and Red Sox are fairly even. The Red Sox may have taken three of the first four, but it wasn't a given.

Yankees are prone to injury (see Matsui and Sheffield).

I wouldn't want to work for the Yankees boss.

You thought you had problems

I heard this one last night one the radio, and I just had to check it out.  The Northern League, subsisting of teams such as the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks, and the Edmonton Cracker Cats posts all transactions in the league.  Most look like : Edmonton signed ... to a 2006 contract.  And then other players are exchanged for cash, future considerations, or other players.  But one of these transactions does not look like the others:

Northern League

05/01/2006 Schaumburg Assigned the contract of RHP Nigel Thatch (Rookie) to Fullerton of the Golden Baseball League in exchange for 1 pallet (60 cases) of Budweiser beer.

And you thought you were unwanted at work!

Craig Hansen as a starter?

A story in the Rhode Island news is suggesting the Boston Red Sox are looking to 'stretch out' Craig Hansen, turning him into a starter.

Source: projo

"I'd say it's a bit of a longshot, but it's been discussed," general manager Theo Epstein acknowledged when asked yesterday. "Some things would have to happen, but it hasn't been totally dismissed."

Why create a starter out of your future closer? Because Papelbon has been so successful as a closer this year. What started out as an experiment out of doubt regarding Foulke's effectiveness may be turning into a permanent situtation.

At the beginning, it was suggested that Papelbon would close until Hansen was ready to come up later this year. But with Jonathan 11-11 in closing situations, Hansen would need to wait until Papelbon failed.

Hansen threw 53 pitches on Wednesday night for Pawtucket after being promoted a few weeks ago to AAA. "Hansen throws his fastball in the mid-90s and has an above-average slider. If he can master and command a changeup, he would have the necessary three pitches to start." If he continues to build up his arm strength, he may be ready to throw five innings for the Red Sox in as soon as three weeks.

Ortiz fires back at challenger

Yesterday, a fool in New York published a story telling the Yankees pitchers to throw at Big Papi. Obviously, Ortiz was less than pleased.
BostonHerald.com - Boston Red Sox: Big Papi takes umbrage: Ortiz riled at paper’s plea for brushback

“They say you’ve got to drop Ortiz,” he said. “That’s not the game. The game is either get me or I get you. You don’t put stupid (stuff) in people’s heads like these people are putting out there. I respect everybody in the game and I get a lot of it from people because I try to do my thing right. I don’t like that (stuff).”

Ortiz, who went 1-for-4 last night and is 2-for-24 in his last five games, said that throwing at him isn’t necessary.

“I’m hitting .250. Somebody’s obviously doing something right,” said Ortiz, who’s average has fallen to .256.

Which is a good point by David. Pitchers should be studying their opponents and finding their weaknesses, not trying to hit them.

Throwing at Ortiz

You know what, if you're going to call out your players to throw at someone:
IT'S ABOUT TIME THE BOMBERS DROP DAVID By MIKE VACCARO - New York Post Online Edition: sports

THE Yankees have to droppy Papi. They need to brush the beast back. They need to pick out one of David Ortiz' chins and let a little music dance across the whiskers. And they need to do this immediately.

At least have the guts to admit that's what you're suggesting.

Look, no one is suggesting the Yankees aim at Ortiz' head, or his ribs, and nobody is suggesting they should be looking to injure Ortiz - or even give him a free base by plunking him in his posterior.

I think throwing at players is a disgusting part of the game, but I also understand it. If you need to move someone back off of the plate, and if you have the control to do so, fine. So, be it. It's part of the game of baseball. As long as you're not throwing at someone's head (aim for the thigh or something), it's understandable.

Especially if you're defending your own teammates. If someone throws at your guys, you should have the right to throw one right back at them. But to initiate it? That's a different story.   Especially only as a retaliation for someone hitting a home run off of you.  That's childish and smacks of revenge, not competition.

In a related story, I have to admit I thought that once Pedro entered the National League and had to face his own music, he wouldn't be throwing at people as much. Looks like I was right. In 2004 with the Boston Red Sox, Pedro hit 16 batter. In 2005, with the New York Mets, Pedro hit only 4. He hadn't hit so few since back in 1996 when he played for Montreal. To be fair, he has hit 3 batters already this year, but I would expect he won't be letting that number climb much higher.

Back to the Yanks

A nice recap of all that happened just a short week ago when the Yankees came to town:BostonHerald.com - Boston Red Sox: Sox get to the good part: Finally can build on first Yankees chapter

To recap, former Sox cult hero and fan favorite Johnny Damon was treated like a villain, booed mercilessly as he returned to Fenway in pinstripes after days and weeks of hype and speculation about how the crowd would react.
Then, Doug Mirabelli was added to the scene. Who hasn’t seen that highlight of him arriving at the park in a police SUV by now?
The knuckleball-catching specialist was re-acquired by the Sox from the San Diego Padres, flown across the country in a private jet, and whisked from Logan Airport by his police escort with flashing lights and sirens. He changed into his uniform in the back seat of the SUV and emerged at Fenway with only a few minutes to spare to catch Tim Wakefield’s first pitch.
And, of course, there was vaunted Yankees killer David Ortiz cranking a three-run home run into the Sox bullpen against a forboding 25-mph wind in the bottom of the eighth inning. The blast came off former Sox reliever Mike Myers, the lefty specialist the Bronx Bombers signed with the intention of getting Ortiz out in such situations.

And that was just the first game of the season.

Ortiz was just being Ortiz, and I've talked more than I needed to about Doug Mirabelli's return. As for Johnny Damon being booed, well.. duhh.

What all the writers who are chastising the fans for is that the fans understand what's going on better than the writers do. The writers look at the players as people who are out there doing their jobs. The players may even be their friends.

But what fans understand, nowadays, is that nothing is permanent about players in your uniforms. We are no longer attached to players beyond their contract years. We root for the team first, players second. Too many players have come and gone in free agency. Too many shirts have been bought and then put away when the player who's name is on the back leaves town.

Nowadays, its all about the rivalries between teams. That's why A-Rod got booed when he came to town, despite the fact he was willing to accept less money to come to Boston. Yes, some players get cheered when they come back. But that's because we don't care about the team they are playing on.

And that's why Johnny got booed when he came to town.

State of the Red Sox

Let's cap off the Red Sox season so far. They started off at a ferocious pace. On April 18th, they were 10-4. Since then, they've gone 4-8 to find themselves at 16-12. There's been a lot of focus on the pitching situation, but it's really about the run support.

Coco Crisp, who became a folk hero in only 5 games, has been injured and will stay on the DL until mid May.

Josh Beckett had a torrid start, but has slumped in his last three games. I'm wondering if he's injured again, but with the tight lips policy at Fenway, we might not know until after he goes on the DL.

Ortiz has started off hot and has remained so. David has 11 HR so far and has shown no sign of slowing.

Manny has been the April/May Manny and will hopefully pick up his productivity soon. Especially since I traded away Crisp for Manny in a multi player deal in my fantasy league.

Wily Mo Pena still doesn't have any errors credited to him. But Francona has started avoiding letting him play in the field. In the meantime, because of the injuries, he's been productive at the plate. He's currently hitting .322 with a slugging percentage of .559.

Lowell has been hitting better than expected with 13 doubles so far. I can't figure out if this is a good thing or not (as far as what we should expect from him for the rest of the year). He may have 13 doubles, but only 2 hr. Does this mean he's hitting it long, but having trouble hitting it out?

Kevin Youkilis has been the 10th man of the team so far. Curt Schilling may have predicted it, but I wasn't expecting it.

I really wish Wells would just retire. He's going to have a rehab game, can't we just leave him in the minors until we know he's going to get out of the third inning in a start?

I still want Papelbon to get out of the bullpen. Yes, he may become the next great closer. I'd rather he become the next great starter.

Wakefield has suffered from the lack of run support, not because Josh Bard was having trouble catching the knuckleball. Maybe the rest of the team will be more confident going into his starts with Mirabelli in the lineup, but we'll have to wait and see.

Foulke has 15 games so far and has a high ERA at 4.26, but that's misleading. He's been doing a lot better this year and batters are only hitting .224 against him. Only Wakefield, Schilling and Papelbon are doing better.

Mirabelli's flight

Some interesting quotes from Mirabelli in today's Boston Herald.

There's been some controversy (albeit a small one) on whether using a police officer to rush a catcher was a good use of public resources. Well, the Sox paid $160 to do it, and they do it all the time (even if it's usually in the other direction).

Also, the plane landed in Kansas City to refuel and they kept the load very light:

"We had to keep the weight down," Mirabelli joked. "God forbid Curt Schilling were on that flight, we never would have made it."

Mirabelli’s house had been occupied by outfielder Gabe Kapler, but the catcher said that "when he heard I was coming back, he packed up."

Mirabelli gets warm welcom

Damon did not.

Normally, you expect police will get involved at a Yankees Red Sox game eventually. Last night, they were involved even before the game started as Mirabelli got a police escort from Logan to Fenway.

From the Boston Herald:
Mirabelli has probably never felt so appreciated or important. Last night, the backup catcher emerged from his police escort, after flying in from across country, and jumped out of the car in full uniform. He had touched down at Logan at 6:48 p.m., arrived at Fenway at 7:00, and took Wakefield’s first pitch at 7:13.

And yet, Wakefield still didn't get the win, since the bats didn't arrive until late in the game. I think the focus on Bard was a little overstated. Yes, he did have 10 passed balls in five games. But the real reason Wakefield (1-4) didn't get the wins was the hitting for the Red Sox. They haven't been punching the runners in. In his 5 previous games, the Red Sox scored a total of 10 runs, 8 of which occured in the first two games.

Was trading for Mirabelli a good move? You bet. Every little bit helps and I'm sure the whole team feels better about having someone who knows how to catch the knuckleball behind the plate for Tim. But don't fool yourself. There was a reason the Red Sox were willing to trade away their back up catcher.

The bigger deal last night, despite the police lights, was the 7 run performance by the hitters.

Mirabelli coming back to the Red Sox?

Big news from Boston Sports Media Watch (who is listening to WEEI this morning). If true, Wakefield may have his catcher back.


Boston Sports Media Watch

After Mike Adams called into Dennis & Callahan this morning to say that he had information that Doug Mirabelli was trying to arrange transportation from San Francisco to Boston today, Buster Olney of ESPN appeared with Dale & Holley to report that the Red Sox have traded Josh Bard, Cla Meredith, a player to be named later and cash to San Diego for Mirabelli.

He also said that the Yankees got involved in this trade, trying to prevent the Red Sox from getting Mirabelli back...

Patriots make a surprising move

Well, just as I predicted, the Patriots can't be predicted. I certainly wasn't expecting them to trade up in the second round to get a wide receiver! With 7 of their 10 picks, the Patriots took offense over defense, and their first pick a running back.

Strange things are happening in Foxboro.

Corey Dillon and Kevin Faulk are aging half backs with plenty of issues. So, perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that Belichick and Pioli went for a running back with their first choice. And with Givens leaving in the offseason, a new wide receiver was a necessity.

But there were a lot of holes in the secondary last year. Admittedly, most of the holes came from a slew(sp?) of injuries, not talent. But once injured, most players have trouble staying on the field.

It was definitely an interesting draft this year.

PATRIOTS DRAFT BOARD
Round	Pick	From	Name
1	21	Assigned	Laurence Maroney, RB, Minnesota
2	4	Assigned	Chad Jackson, WR, Florida
3	22	Assigned	David Thomas, TE, Texas
4	9	Detroit	Garrett Mills, TE/FB, Tulsa
4	21	Assigned	Stephen Gostkowksi, K, Memphis
5	3	Oakland	Ryan O'Callaghan, OT, California
6	22	Assigned	Jeremy Mincey, DE, Florida
6	36	Compensatory Pick	Dan Stevenson, OG, Notre Dame
6	37	Compensatory Pick	Le Kevin Smith, DT, Nebraska
7	21	Assigned	Willie Andrews, S, Baylor

And, BTW, I really, really don't understand the Patriots obsession with drafting tight ends.