Today’s season preview of the Boston Red Sox was written by a guest. He has a stellar knowledge of baseball and knows the Red Sox Organization inside and out.
Projected Lineup
1.) Jacoby Ellsbury (CF)
2.) Dustin Pedroia (2b)
3.) Adrian Gonzalez (1b)
4.) Kevin Youkilis (3b)
5.) David Ortiz (DH)
6.) Carl Crawford (LF)
7.) Cody Ross (vs. LHP)/Ryan Sweeney (vs. RHP) (RF)
8.) Mike Aviles (SS)
9.) Jarrod Saltalamachia (C)
Bench
Nick Punto (INF)
Kelly Shoppach (C)
Darnell McDonald (OF)
Projected Rotation Projected Bullpen
1.) Jon Lester Andrew Miller
2.) Josh Beckett Felix Dubront
3.) Clay Buchholz Matt Albers
4.) Daniel Bard Michael Bowden
5.) Alfedo Aceves Mark Melancon (Setup)
Andrew Bailey (Closer)
Strengths
This is still the best offensive team in baseball and nothing should change with offensive stars like Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, and Jacoby Ellsbury. This offensive could be even better with an improved/normal Carl Crawford and a healthy Kevin Youkilis. Kelly Shoppach should provide some punch off the bench, and a healthy Ryan Kalish could prove to be the everyday RF when all is said and done. In the meantime Cody Ross could be a sleeper hitting in Fenway, considering he is a pull guy who should beat up the Green Monster.
Their starting pitching at the top could be as good as anyone with Lester, Buchholz, and Beckett. If the Daniel Bard experiment proves successful you are looking at one of the better rotations in baseball, although that is a big IF.
I really like their bullpen with Bailey at the end of the game. Melancon has power stuff and could easily be a closer on many other teams. Dubront, Albers, Bowden, and Miller provide different looks and styles to get them to the back end of the game.
Weaknesses
The biggest question marks going into the season are the depth of the starting rotation, health, and SS. Daniel Bard needs to step up and be a reliable 4 starter, while Aceves is a solid 5 with good stuff and a knack for getting outs. Can Buchholz stay healthy? If he does, he has ace stuff. Will they get the 2010, even year Beckett or the 2009/2011 guy who grinds out innings with power stuff and can dominate?
Mike Aviles provides some offensive punch, but I think the Red Sox would be better off having a defensive first SS such as Punto or
Jose Iglesias in the lineup given the fact that they do not lack at all in their ability to put runs on the board.
But without a doubt the biggest question mark is can they stay healthy. A healthy Youk and Crawford could make this one of the best offenses of all time. A healthy Buchholz gives them two legitimate frontline starters with him and Lester. Only time will tell if they can stay healthy, but if they can, watch out!
Prediction
95-67, 2nd Place AL East, Wild Card Seed #1. If health prevails this is a team that is capable of winning a World Series, but realistically (despite the fact that I am a homer) they are a Wild Card team, I think the Yankees did enough with their pitching to be the favorites that will eventually lose in the ALDS. The Sox will win 90+ games regardless and should find themselves in the playoffs once again. Lets not forget, despite the collapse, this was a team that was one game away from the playoffs despite Youk missing 40 games and losing Buchholz for half the season. It will be interesting to see the effect new manager Bobby Valentine will have and what these guys can do if health prevails.
Bold Predictions
Very Bold – Ellsbury wins the MVP, Lester the CY Young, and Gonzalez a batting title and they still fall short of the playoffs.
Very Bold – The sox trade Youk for starting pitching and bring up their top prospect Will Middlebrooks.
Bold – Bard works out as a starter, Buchholz, Crawford and Youk stay healthy, they win 100 games and win the world series.
The 2012 season should be a good one with plenty of teams with new faces and a chance to win the world series. Go Sox!…..and Niners!
-Andy Kiriakedes
