Fine or not, as a Yankee fan, I have to say I'm taking some pleasure, perverse as it may be, in seeing Drew's injury problems already effecting the Red Sox, and he isn't even officially a member of the team.

Exactly how is this affecting the team? As a Red Sox fan, this is good news. By increasing the incentives and decreasing the guaranteed years/dollars the team is protecting itself against overspending future dollars.

good news?! The best news for the Sox would be that Drew is completely healthy and doesn't have issues with his shoulder. If he does, well the contract might be changed accordingly, but then you have a less valuable player on your hands.

It's affecting the team because they already have to adjust their plan with Drew due to his questionable shoulder. I have to agree with Nick. If I was a Sox fan I'd much rather have a healthy Drew with the bigger contract than a potentially injured one with a smaller contract.
My commentary wasn't about the contract adjustment, it was about the fact that they already have to deal with his injury issues. An adjustment, in this case, would be a very smart move for the Sox.

That's all well and good, but if there were any Red Sox fans who weren't worried about injuries with Drew already, I don't know them (and hey, some of my best friends are Sox fans). Shoulder problems suck but I think there's something a little comforting about knowing about a problem upfront and having some guarantees built in, especially with a guy you know is going to have injury issues anyway.

It's better to have health concerns discovered and addressed in a contract BEFORE it's signed rather than after.
If his shoulder is healthy, he signs and the Red Sox get what they pay for. If the should is weak the $ is reduced and they get what they pay for. If the sides can't agree, maybe he goes elsewhere and Theo still comes out ahead.
In the case of option 3, they can sign Trot for a year or 2, then bring David Murphy up midseason and lets see what he can do.
Where is the bad news?
I prefer option 3 btw.

As a Yankee fan, the shoulder news on top of his recurring quad and knee issues makes me smile.

Typical skank fans take pleasure in someone else's problem. You guys are real sports fans. At least you didn't disappoint us, we would expect nothing less of a skank fan than to applaud someone else's misery.

Hey emains...I'm guessing you're a Red Sox fan?

Let me know where you go to say novenas for Carl Pavano and I'll meet you there to say a couple for JD, OK?

It's one thing not to enthusiastically hope for the recovery of an opposing player. It's quite another to be actively gleeful at the injury, or prospective injury, of an opposing player.

I daresay there was plenty of anger reserved for those fans -- Red Sox or otherwise -- who were classless enough to rejoice at Sheffield's injury troubles last year.

Red Sox fans have long since lost the right to deem any other club's fans "classless."

Look...I'm not, nor have I ever, wished injury on Drew. I do find it funny that the Red Sox are being burned by an injury to a player who has a long history of injury, and who isn't even under contract yet. It is especially funny to me considering the tampering allegations that were being floated a couple of weeks ago. If the allegations were true, they basically tampered to sign an injured player to a $70 million contract. Anyone but a Red Sox fan can see the humor in that.
Again, I'm not wishing an injury on anyone, and this isn't like David Ortiz having heart issue, or even Aaron Rowand running into a wall headfirst. This is a guy with a history of injuries having yet another one pop up. I'm sure fans of other teams have had similar reactions to similar situations. You're telling me White Sox or Cardinals fans don't smile to themselves just a little, when Wood or Prior make their annual trip to the DL? Let's be honest now.

i think that tampering stuff has been pretty well put to bed. see: http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/12/18/murray-chass-and-the-shaky-ethics-of-the-sports-section/

Hey Brian, actually I am a baseball fan. That is why I think it is really bush league to wish an injury on a player. As a baseball fan you want to see all teams compete at their highest level so that when you do beat them, you can say that you beat the best, not that you beat a team that had some of it's players hurt etc. Yankee fans seem to think that they have a corner on the baseball market. Only a neanderthal like Darthmiles or Adam would actually think that it is a good thing that someone is injured and may not be able to play. Do they really think that any victory that they may obtain is really that sweet if it is because of the misfortune of another team and another player? As a baseball fan don't you want to see your team beat another team when they are at their best? It would be typical of a Skank fan to complain and cry after that one of their players were hurt and that is why they lost. I want to eliminate that excuse and want my team (whoever you think that is) to be able to beat the other teams when they are at their best.

Hey Brian, actually I am a baseball fan. That is why I think it is really bush league to wish an injury on a player. As a baseball fan you want to see all teams compete at their highest level so that when you do beat them, you can say that you beat the best, not that you beat a team that had some of it's players hurt etc. Yankee fans seem to think that they have a corner on the baseball market. Only a neanderthal like Darthmiles or Adam would actually think that it is a good thing that someone is injured and may not be able to play. Do they really think that any victory that they may obtain is really that sweet if it is because of the misfortune of another team and another player? As a baseball fan don't you want to see your team beat another team when they are at their best? It would be typical of a Skank fan to complain and cry after that one of their players were hurt and that is why they lost. I want to eliminate that excuse and want my team (whoever you think that is) to be able to beat the other teams when they are at their best.

Hey Brian, actually I am a baseball fan. That is why I think it is really bush league to wish an injury on a player. As a baseball fan you want to see all teams compete at their highest level so that when you do beat them, you can say that you beat the best, not that you beat a team that had some of it's players hurt etc. Yankee fans seem to think that they have a corner on the baseball market. Only a neanderthal like Darthmiles or Adam would actually think that it is a good thing that someone is injured and may not be able to play. Do they really think that any victory that they may obtain is really that sweet if it is because of the misfortune of another team and another player? As a baseball fan don't you want to see your team beat another team when they are at their best? It would be typical of a Skank fan to complain and cry after that one of their players were hurt and that is why they lost. I want to eliminate that excuse and want my team (whoever you think that is) to be able to beat the other teams when they are at their best.

Red Sox fans have long since lost the right to deem any other club's fans "classless."

That's a hell of a thing to say in response to a post intimating that Red Sox fans who took glee in Sheffield's problems were classless. There's no shortage of classless Red Sox fans (and anyone who's ever been to Fenway Park will agree, if they're being honest), but I've encountered more than a handful of Yankee fans who qualify, too.

Then again, I have yet to meet anyone who's actually a fan of J.D. Drew. If I had to guess, I'd say some Red Sox fans are especially touchy on this subject because they hated the idea of signing the guy in the first place and are getting less thrilled with it by the minute. And who can blame them?

Whoa something wrong with this site, I did not post that 3 times ;-)

Neanderthal? Where does that come from? I am not wishing injury on anyone. My post, if you read it correctly, clearly states that its better to have health issues known before signing the deal. You can debate all you want on the value of Drew but the 70 mil was for a healthy (at least for now) player, if he is damaged goods it should be re-negotiated. The reason I prefer that they don't sign him is because I'd like to see Murphy given a shot, not because I hope there is an injury.