Key Additions:
John Lackey (SP)
Adrian Beltre (3B)
Mike Cameron (OF)
Boof Bonser (SP)
Bill Hall (OF/IF)
Marco Scutaro (SS)
Key Departures:
Jason Bay (OF)
Casey Kotchman (1B)
Billy Wagner (RP)
As I have opined on a fairly regular basis on this blog, I am no fan of the Boston Red Sox. I love Fenway Park and think it's the best stadium on the east coast, but my admiration does not extend to the players on the field. That being said, the Red Sox look poised once again to make a run at the postseason this year.
The 1-2-3 of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey is probably the best top of the rotation in baseball. With all due respect to the 1-2-3 of Sabathia, Burnett, and Vazquez, I'd prefer Lester and Lackey to Burnett and Vazquez if I was building a team. When All-Star Tim Wakefield and former 18 game winner Daisuke Matsuzaka are your fourth and fifth starters, you've got something good going on. The Red Sox have also changed the emphasis of their team from being offense first, defense later, to being a team that wants and could be able to catch almost every ball put into the field of play. GM Theo Epstein's signings prove as much. Scutaro and Beltre are massive defensive upgrades on Jed Lowrie and Mike Lowell, and Mike Cameron can play a better left field than Jason Bay. The big key for the Sawx this year is whether or not they will be able to hang with the Yankees when it comes to scoring enough runs to win games. Beltre will be helped by the move to Fenway as Safeco Field is not great for right-handed hitters.
One of the biggest questions going into the 2010 season is David Ortiz (pun definitely intended). Big Papi's (or alternately known as Big Pop Up) slump at the start of 2009 was all people talked about throughout the first half of the season. He ended up with 28 homeruns and 99 RBIs, but for the first time made people wonder whether or not he was reaching the end of the road in Boston. The second question is whether or not this new defensive emphasis will yield higher win totals and success in October. I just don't think that it will lead to more wins against the hated Yankees, but it ought to put them in second in the division and make them almost a lock for the AL Wild Card.
Projected Starting Nine
1. Jacoby Ellsbury (LF)
2. Dustin Pedroia (2B)
3. Kevin Youkilis (1B)
4. Victor Martinez (C)
5.David Ortiz (DH)
6. Adrian Beltre (3B)
7. J.D. Drew (RF)
8. Mike Cameron (CF)
9. Marco Scutaro (SS)
Projected Starting Rotation
1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. John Lackey
4. Tim Wakefield
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka
Best Reliever: Hideki Okajima
Closer: Jonathan Papelbon
Predicted Finish: Second in the AL East.
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