Spring Is Here! (Sort of...)

By "sort of", I mean it's February and can you really call February "spring"? Only if you're a baseball fan. Spring Training Fever has descended upon The Nation as our boys report to camp at Fort Myers ready for a brand spankin' new season. For the sake of cutting right to the chase, here's the lowdown on the 2009 Boston Red Sox:

Pitchers

Josh Beckett: Becks sporting a much healthier bod this time around and he's determined to be the Beckett of 2007, the fearsome 20-game winner who just missed winning the Cy.

Jon Lester: He's the early bird, arriving at camp first, a week early and ready to follow up a breakout 2008 season with an even better 2009. If he can even duplicate his 2008 numbers, he will be well on his way to the cream of the AL pitching crop.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: Dice is training for the WBC in Japan and will not be at the Red Sox camp. Hopefully, pitching in the WBC won't wear him out down the stretch. If he can do what he did last season, but cut down a little on the walks and high pitch counts, 2009 should be another great year for him.

Tim Wakefield: Wake's back again with his enigmatic knuckler. The big question is how will his endurance hold out as the season goes on. The back and shoulder tend to bark loudly from late August on, but with the team's pitching depth, they can afford to rest Wake when needed.

Brad Penny: One of the team's new West Coast imports, ex-Dodger Brad Penny is one of the low risk/high potential reward signings Theo made this off-season. If all goes well, he's a very solid #4 starter who is as good as many team's #1's and #2's.

John Smoltz: Smoltzy is one of those pitchers who seems to defy Father Time. He's 42 and if his rehab goes well and his history of bouncing back from injury holds up, he will be a fierce weapon down the stretch and into October.

Clay Buchholz: He threw a no-no his second major league start, but couldn't recapture the magic in '08. Things seemed to go from bad to worse for him last season and it really messed with his head. He turned to the team sports shrink in the off-season to work out some of those mental kinks and he's looking for a chance to get back on track this year.

Michael Bowden: He made his major league debut last summer and he's coming to camp with the goal of making a strong case for being the first one called up if a starter goes down.

Ramon Ramirez: The Sox traded Coco to the Royals for this guy, who put up some pretty nice numbers last year and now has the chance to play for a contender. He could be the eighth inning guy the team has been looking for.

Takashi Saito: He came over from L.A. with his former teammate Brad Penny in another low risk/high potential reward move and he could also be that eighth inning guy if he bounces back from his shoulder injury.

Justin Masterson: He's one of last season's rookie success stories, having succeeded both as a starter and a reliever. With the abundance of potential starters, the young bald one is most likely staying in the 'pen and he's another contender for the eighth inning role.

Javier Lopez: The lefty specialist of the Boston bullpen is back for another season. If both Ramirez and Saito keep putting up the low ERAs, Lopez and Oki could be competing for who will be facing the lefties.

Hideki Okajima: Like Javy, Oki is back for a third season with the Sox. Oki ran into some roadblocks last season, especially with inherited runners. He is still a very talented and solid reliever and if he's on his game, he may be the first choice out of the 'pen to pitch to lefties in the later innings.

Position Players

Jason Varitek: The Captain is back and he's hoping to lift some of those numbers out of the cellar after a rough season both on the field and off. He's still one of the most knowledgeable and prepared catchers in the game and it would be nice if he could be around to groom his successor, whomever that may be.

Josh Bard: Not to be confused with pitching prospect Daniel Bard and [hopefully] not to be confused with the guy they had to dump in a hurry three years ago because he couldn't handle the knuckler. Bard had a successful run with the Padres and he may see more playing time with the Sox this time around, to give Tek more rest and to face the toughest righties.

Kevin Youkilis: YOUUUUK had quite a season last year offensively, banging 29 homers and knocking in 115. His defense was also stellar. Was last year a career year or is Youk entering his prime and we can expect more of the same this year?

Dustin Pedroia: MVPedey has been unstoppable for two straight seasons. In '07 he was named AL Rookie of the Year and he followed that up last season with the AL MVP. What he lacks in stature, he makes up in swagger. But the swagger is hard-earned, having had to deal with naysayers his whole life who told them he would never make it as a major leaguer. He certainly showed them!

Julio Lugo: Dude's been pumping some IRON! Lugo is prepared to fight for the starting shortstop job, having gained 10 lbs of muscle in the off-season. Let's hope he has spent some time in the batting cage and in fielding practice as well.

Jed Lowrie: Most likely the reason there is 10 more pounds of Lugo, Jed Lowrie did an excellent job at short in the second half of last season. He tailed off at the end, but now we know he was battling a wrist injury at the time. It will be interesting to see who occupies the space between second and third on Opening Day.

Mike Lowell: He's had a challenging off-season, recovering from major hip surgery and having his name listed in trade rumors had the Sox landed Teixeira. His recovery is progressing well, however, and there's an excellent chance he'll be ready to play on Opening Day.

JD Drew: So what IS the deal with his back? There have been differing reports coming out of training camp about the status of his stiff back and how much he'll be able to play this season.

Jacoby Ellsbury: There's a little bit more of Jacoby this year too. He's been working out at API with Pedey, which bodes well for his performance this season. Could this translate to more pop in his bat? Possibly, but we'll take more consistency first and higher OBP first. If he gets on base, he gives the pitchers fits and opens the door for the offense to pounce.

Jason Bay: The Green Monster's new best friend (although you won't see him venturing INTO it during a coaching visit to the mound) is Jason Bay. He's in the final year of his contract and we're hoping he continues producing like he did when he came to the Sox in August of last year.

David Ortiz: Is the "pop" back in Big Papi's bat? He has come to camp in great shape and that's a good sign for a bounceback year. What kind of pitches will he see? Well, if Youk and Bay continue to mash as they did last year, he should be seeing some pretty good ones. Consistent production in the #4 hole will be key to keeping Papi's intentional walks to a minimum.

Mark Kotsay: JD's brother in back woes will be out for the first month or so of the season after going under the knife last month. This could give minor leaguers like Bailey or even Lars Anderson a chance to keep his bench spot warm until he's ready to come back. Someone's gotta back up first.

Rocco Baldelli: The Woonsocket Rocket is now where he belongs, in a Red Sox uni. His diagnosis has been changed to the less serious and more treatable channelopathy. How much he'll be able to play remains to be seen, but when he can play, that bat has some pop!

In a nutshell, the pitching's deep and could prove to be best in the league this year. The offense is not quite as fearsome as it once was and might be a concern. The team does have the means to land a bat via trade during the season if need be.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Congratulations, Jim Rice!!!

He finally got his due! He's made it to Cooperstown! I regret never seeing him during his playing years, from '75-'89. He was friends with The Monster long before it had seats on top. Over his career, #14 batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBI. Like Hall of Famers Ted, Yaz, and Doerr before him, he spent his entire career as a Red Sox. As a Sox fan, him being a lifetime Red Sox makes his induction all the more special. Congrats, Jim Rice! You deserve it!

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

Sox Go for Low-Risk/High Reward with Baldelli, Smoltz, Penny, & Bard.

Ok, I'm over the not signing Teixeira thing. It happened and it's time to move on. That said, the signing of a guy who WANTS to be in Boston, Rocco Baldelli, is a welcome one. He's from New England (Woonsocket, RI, to be precise), he has some pop in his bat, and his agent is not Scott Boras. Baldelli may not be a switch-hitting .300-plus hitter like Tex, but now that his illness has been re-diagnosed as something less severe, perhaps he can begin to realize his potential, both as a hitter and a fielder. His durability is still a question mark, but he will be the 4th outfielder, not required to play every day and his contract has incentives built into it, so it's a low-risk/high-reward deal for the Red Sox.

John Smoltz could be another really good pickup for the Sox. When healthy, he's a force on the mound and the team appears to be optimistic that he will recover fully from his shoulder surgery. He could serve as a fine mentor to the younger pitchers as well. Brad Penny is another pitching acquisition with a high reward potential if he has a bounce-back season. Josh Bard didn't really get much of a chance the first time around. A few more years experience could make a big difference for him.

A big gaping hole still remains at catcher. Will Tek be back for a short-term deal or will the Sox pony up a few prospects for Salty or another young catcher with a high upside?

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

The Evil Empire Strikes Again

The Good News: The overblown, Bora$$$$$-driven Teixeira drama is over. The Bad News: The Red Sox' worst-case scenario came true and Teix is spending the next 8 years in pinstripes. More Bad News: The Sox still don't have a legitimate power threat in their lineup. Papi has been battling one injury after another lately and Lowell and Drew are DL stints waiting to happen as well. Bay has pop, but some holes in his swing. Youk's probably the best, most consistent power hitter on the team and he's a 5-hole hitter at best. I don't believe there's anyone on the team now that can hit 40 or more home runs in a season. Papi, legend that he is, is no longer a #3 or #4 hitter, even though it's a safe bet that Francona will let him keep the #3 spot as long as he's on the team. As it is now, the lineup really doesn't scare any halfway decent AL pitcher. There are guys on this team who have done great things for the team in the past, but they need to think a little more about the present and the future. Lars Anderson is a promising power-hitting first baseman, but he's still in AA and is a September call-up at the very soonest. If the Sox don't want a 2009 that is reminiscent of 2006, then it's time for them to find somebody who can send a chill up a pitcher's spine. If they aren't willing to pony up the $$$ on the free agent market, they're going to have to give up some talent in a trade. They say pitching wins championships, but no team won anything without scoring some runs.

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

All I Want for Christmas is Teixeira in a Sox Uniform

Long time, no blog. Lots of stuff happened since I last blogged. Pedey won a slew of hardware, including the coveted A.L. MVP and a Gold Glove, Youk tied the knot, the Sox inked a deal with another pitcher from The Land of the Rising Sun, 'Tek declined arb and hit the open market, Coco gets shipped to Kansas City for reliever Ramon Ramirez, and Julio Lugo, Big Papi, J.D. Drew, rental player Mark Kotsay, and yours truly all turned 33. Gotta love it when they talk about baseball players my age as OLD... Ok, well it's sort of true for ballplayers that performance peaks in the late 20s to around 30 or 31, so by 33 some guys are beginning the south end of their career, but last year's World Series MVP, Mikey Lowell had a career year at 33.

Now I'm gonna sound like a big ol' hypocrite for advocating the Sox' shipping Lowell to make room for one of the most complete players in baseball, Mark Teixeira, but come on, it's Mark frickin' Teixiera! Do we really want to see this power hitting switch-hitter with a Gold Glove to boot in pinstripes, facing him 18 times a year? Sure, he's only one player, and the Sox now have Gold Glovers at three out of four infield positions, but the Sox offense could use that powerful bat when we don't know how Papi or Lowell will do next year on the staying healthy front. Both had injury-ridden seasons this year and Papi had offensive struggles both before and after his wrist injury. Bay and Youk have pop, but they're not quite to the level of a healthy Papi, Teixeira, and, yes, Manny in his eight years as a Red Sox. Teixeira hits for both power and average and he's in the prime of his career at 28.

There are other issues the Sox need to address this off-season. Most importantly, a starting catcher. If 'Tek walks, the Sox need to find his replacement and fast. Even if 'Tek stays on, it would be in the team's best interest to find a young catcher for him to mentor. Then there's starting pitching. Buchholz and Bowden are question marks, at least for the start of the 2009 season, so a solid #4 (with Wake being the #5) is needed. If it so happens that filling these other holes precludes the Sox from shelling out the dough for Tex, then I hope the Nationals find a way to sign him. Though I'm a Sox fan through and through, the Nats are actually my hometown team and they could really use a player like Tex to build their young, struggling team around. Maybe he can help turn things around for them. Plus, it keeps him out of the A.L. and, most importantly, not in pinstripes.

Unless there's any earth-shattering Sox news (like, if the Sox actually ink Teixeira) I probably won't be blogging until the start of Spring Training, so Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Go Red Sox in 2009!

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!

Youk wins Hank Aaron Award

Last night, Youk made an appearance in Philly to receive the Hank Aaron Award for best offensive player of the season in the AL. With a .312 average, 29 homers and 115 RBI, he is very much deserving of this prize. Congrats, Youk! I hope the next award you win is the AL MVP!

Filling In The Blanks: What do the Sox need in 2009?

The Red Sox' 2008 season was long and arduous and it pointed to some areas where they need to improve in the offseason to remain competitive in what has to be the toughest division in all of MLB:

1. Catcher: This is 'Tek's walk year and to say the Sox have a huge decision to make would be an understatement. The stats back up his value behind the plate, particularly with the pitching staff, but offensively he's just plain out of gas, especially from the left side. Seeing as the majority of his at-bats are from that side, that's trouble. An automatic out's worth of trouble, sadly. The Sox are hurting for a catcher with some pop in his bat who can also call a good game and throw runners out. The best prospect they have at this position, Mark Wagner, is at least a year away from being ready for the majors. If they let 'Tek walk, they're going to need a catcher who can step in and be effective right away. Even if 'Tek re-signs, they'll need to bring on a new catcher to learn the ropes from 'Tek and relieve him of some starts.

2. Wake: Tim Wakefield is a class act and he has given so much to the Red Sox in his 13 years on the team. That said, his effectiveness is declining and he requires a personal catcher to handle the knuckler. Given the situation the Sox are in with catchers (see #1), they really can't afford to carry Wake and Cash, especially if 'Tek stays on and mentors a new, young catcher. Also, if the Sox add another starter via free agency or trade and they also want to bring either Buchholz or Bowden into the rotation, there wouldn't be enough room for Wake in the rotation. The catcher situation makes moving him to the bullpen an undesirable option. The Sox need to have four pitchers that can perform well in the post-season and, unfortunately Wake has not been able to do that in the past two years.

3. Starting Rotation: It looks like the Sox could use a fourth (or better) starter and rumors are flying about Peavy, Sabathia, Burnett, etc. Each of those options have their pros and cons, but that's another blog entirely. Assuming Beckett comes to spring training in better shape than he did this year (API calling!) and is able to remain healthy and regain his 2007 form, he's the #1. Lester is a solid #2 A 2007-ish Beckett and a 2008-ish Lester would be a formidable 1-2 righty-lefty punch. Dice-K and possible trade/FA acquisition can duke it out for #3 and #4 and either Wake (see #2) or Buchholz/Bowden/Masterson for #5.

4. Bullpen: If Masterson remains a reliever, he and Oki can share set-up duty for Paps. That leaves us with Lopez, Delcarmen and Aardsma. I'm not sure how long Aardsma's contract is but if it was only for a year, the Sox will hopefully let him walk, since he never could establish location, though he had good velocity. One possibility to explore in spring training is Hunter Jones, currently with the Pawsox. Finding good relievers via trade or FA can be tricky, so if they can get a bullpen arm or two internally, a la Masterson, that would help them a lot.

5. Offense: Game 7 of the ALCS was lost by lack of offense, plain and simple. Getting rid of the distraction that was Manny was a very good thing, absolutely the right thing to do for the team, but the offense did take a loss when it comes to a bat that sends a chill up a pitcher's spine. Bay, Youk, and, when they weren't injured, Lowell and Drew are all great hitters with power, but the Sox could use that awe-inspiring bat, especially with a diminished Papi who has been fighting more than his share of injuries lately. Teixeira would be that kind of bat, but acquiring him would take some maneuvering of the Sox infield. Teix is a first baseman and I don't believe he'd want to come to a new team and have to play a new position. That would mean moving Youk to third and Lowell's the odd man out. Lowell is another class act and great team player that the Sox would be loath to lose. Since he only plays one position and is still a starter-quality player, the bench doesn't seem like a good option.

Holliday is another possibility, especially if either Coco or Ells get moved. Move Bay to center and have Holliday play left. Coco/Ells (whoever stays) is the fourth outfielder. Of course, you sacrifice a little speed on the base paths, especially if it's Ellsbury who stays. Holliday would require giving up a good bit, especially in terms of prospects. Let's just say I don't envy Theo's position. There will be a lot of tough choices to make this off-season, but if they make the team more competitive, especially against the young, healthy, and powerful Rays, then so be it.

LET'S GO 2009 RED SOX!!!