It's all about the pitching.

Boston.com is busy this morning. The Web site reports that Byung-Hyun Kim has been traded to the Colorado Rockies. Great.

Everyone seems happy. Charles Johnson who was part of the deal was soon released. The Tampa Bay Tribune reports he may join the Devil Rays as soon as Thursday.

The Rocky Mountain News reports "Jerry Dipoto, who left the Red Sox this past off-season to become the Rockies' director of pro scouting, is convinced Kim is worth the risk, especially considering the uncertainty in the bullpen and Kim's age, 26."

What do the Rockies really have to lose? In that thin-air they have plenty of other pitching worries. Chin-hui Tsao can't close games from the disabled list. Plus the Sox will pay $5.7 million of Kim's $6-million contract. But as I said, he had to go at any cost. I guess $5.7 million was the cost.

Boston.com also says contract negotiations between Tim Wakefield and the Sox have been put on the back burner. This is a little upsetting. Wakefield has done nearly everything a team could ask of a pitcher. There's still many years left for the knuckleballer. Heck Charlie Hough pitched until he was 46.

While next year the Sox will have Schilling, Clement, David Wells and probably Miller and Arroyo, I think there is stlll room on this club for one more pitcher. Perhaps Wakefield can be used in a different role.

I've always thought that the best way to use Wakefield is in the 7th and 8th innings nearly everyday. Leaving the ninth for the closer. This would ensure saving your starting pitchers' arms.

Wakefield would be the perfect set-up man. Whether or not Wakefield would accept that role is unclear, but based on his willingness to do anything for the team in the past, I can't see why he would pass it up.

If he were to leave where would he go - back to Pittsburgh? Perhaps Steinbrenner would take another opportunity to stick it to Boston fans.

So let me get this straight. The Sox are willing to eat Kim's $6 million but can't seem to find $4 million-a-year for a stand-up player like Wakefield. Hmm, baseball is a curious business.

Reader comments: Do you think Tim Wakefield's contract should be extended?

E-mail this entry to a friend