Baseball Will Be Here Three Months From Today

As winter is on its way with the speed of lightning, the Hot Stove is heating up in baseball. The Marlins recently blew up their team, sending many of their highest-priced played to the Toronto Blue Jays in a 12-player deal.

The Red Sox will be doing some major overhauling as well, and they have made just two significant moves: resigning David Ortiz and signing veteran backup catcher David Ross, both to two-year deals. Ross was a bit of a surprise, as most people thought that the Sox were settled at the backstop with Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway. Now it appears one maybe traded.

John Farrell has most of staff in place, with Torey Lovullo as bench coach, Brian Butterfield third base coach, Juan Nieves pitching coach and former Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler first base coach. Gary Tuck returns as the bullpen coach. No word yet on who will be the hitting coach. (With thanks to John F for the correction on Tuck's return.)

The Sox also this week announced their Spring Training schedule for 2013. It's starting a week earlier this year, as the World Baseball Classic will be played in early March. (Pitchers and catchers report on February 12.) It kicks off with the usual suspects on February 21, the traditional games with Northeastern and Boston College. But the Sox usually start with the crosstown rival Twins when they start playing the MLB teams, but they will begin with the Tampa Bay Rays on February 23. The Sox play the Yankees twice and finish with the Twins at Ft. Myers on March 30.

Here is the complete Spring Training schedule, courtesy of Extra Bases:

Feb. 21: Doubleheader vs. Northeastern and BC, 1:35 p.m.
Feb. 22: Off day
Feb. 23: Rays, 1:35 p.m.
Feb. 24: At Cardinals, 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 25: Split squad at Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m.; Split squad at Toronto, 1:05 p.m.
Feb. 26: Cardinals, 1:35 p.m.
Feb. 27: At Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Feb. 28: At Pirates, 1:05 p.m.
March 1: Pirates, 7:05 p.m.
March 2: At Twins, 1:05 p.m.
March 3: Yankees, 1:35 p.m.
March 4: Rays, 1:35 p.m.
March 5: Team Puerto Rico, 7:05 p.m.
March 6: Pirates, 1:35 p.m.
March 7: At Twins, 1:05 p.m.
March 8: Twins, 7:05 p.m.
March 9: Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
March 10: At Rays, 1:05 p.m.
March 11: At Marlins, 1:05 p.m.
March 12: Blue Jays, 1:35 p.m.
March 13: Off day
March 14: At Twins, 1:05 p.m.
March 15: Split squad at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m.; Split squad vs. Twins, 7:05 p.m.
March 16: At Rays, 1:05 p.m.
March 17: Rays, 1:35 p.m.
March 18: At Pirates, 1:05 p.m.
March 19: Orioles, 1:35 p.m.
March 20: At Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
March 21: Phillies, 7:05 p.m.
March 22: At Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m.
March 23: Pirates, 1:35 p.m.
March 24: At Phillies, 1:05 p.m.
March 25: At Orioles, 1:05 p.m.
March 26: Off day
March 27: Marlins, 1:35 p.m.
March 28: Twins, 7:05 p.m.
March 29: At Twins, 1:05 p.m.
March 30: Twins, 1:35 p.m.