Curt Schilling resumed his blog career at 38pitches.com and says the Red Sox remain his first choice for a 2008 employer. He also says he would entertain offers from Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, the Mets, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Arizona, the Cubs, St, Louis and Milwaukee.

The only team Schilling ruled out: The New York Yankees, not surprisingly. Of course, Johnny Damon also said he would never sign with The Empire.

The Red Sox may soften their stance against paying a No. 4 or 5 starter upwards of $13 million, which Schilling received for 2007, since his presence could prove beneficial for their corps of young pitchers. But don't bet the house on it.

It might make more sense for the Red Sox to search other, less expensive options via trades (with Coco Crisp surely on the block) than to keep Schilling around more for sentimental reasons than anything else. The current administration, to its credit, has proved its disninclination to let sentiment get in the way of good business decisions.

- Alan Greenwood