Sox Well Loaded.

Now the talk around baseball heading into spring training has been about National League East with the Philadelphia Phillies and their pitching staff, but what about the American League East and the Boston Red Sox? It's clear to say if you’re a Sox fan you are just as excited as Phillies fans are to start spring training. During the 2010 offseason the Red Sox have made a lot moves with adding players to their team and now are picked to win the AL East Division title and go to World Series but as we know we should never expect anything. Last year the Sox with favorite to win the AL East Division because of signing free agent pitcher John Lackey and make a shot at returning to the Fall Classic but injuries played into roll in the 2010 season and from there, their season went down the drain. As for this year the Sox have re-loaded their guns and are ready to fight back for the division title in 2011.




The Boston Red Sox pitching rotation is almost just like the Philadelphia Phillies rotation. Almost every pitcher they have can be used as an ace for a team. The ace of this pitching staff is Jon Lester who was one of many players that didn't get hurt during the 2010 season. This guy is a power pitcher has already thrown a no-hitter in his career and he has also won a World Series title with the Sox in 2007. Lester was one of the runner ups for the 2010 AL CY Young award and he could also possible take home the award this year.

He is a leader on and off the field and knows what it's like to be a strong pitcher. In 2006 Lester was diagnosed with cancer and doctors didn't know if Lester would ever be able play the game of baseball ever again but he recovered from it at a good pas and by 2007 Lester found himself back on the baseball diamond where he would find himself being the winning pitcher in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series to win the World Series against the Colorado Rookies. His story is an amazing comeback story in baseball and people all around the world should be reminded to stay strong and never lose hope. In 2010 Lester had one of his best seasons in his career having a 3.25 ERA, 19 wins, 9 losses, and 225 strikeouts in 2010. To follow him is the young kid Clay Buchholz who really proved that he could be the ace of this pitching staff someday but for right now he is proved to be their number two starter on this staff. Buchholz is only 26 years old and will only get better as time goes along. He still may have to work on a few things but I think he has figured it all out after having a breakout season in 2010 having a 2.33 ERA, 17 wins, 7 losses, and 120 strikeouts.

He could maybe even win the AL CY Young award this year if he puts up number like that again. The number three starter is Josh Beckett who in 2010 started out as a mess with having back problems and just never fell into a grove on the mount and everyone is wondering will he be healthy come opening day. Beckett at one point was the ace of this pitching staff and was the ace opening day in 2010. Beckett was one of 19 players on the DL last year and messed a good amount of the season having a 5.78 ERA, 6 wins, 6 losses, and 116 strikeouts in 2010. The number four starter is the pitcher they signed in the 2009 offseason, John Lackey. Now Lackey didn't prove that he was going to be everything the Sox hopped he would be but he had an OK year. Lackey is an inning eater and if you give him the ball he always gives your team the best chance to win and there's really nothing more you can ask for out of a pitcher than that. In 2010 Lackey had a 4.40 ERA, 14 wins, 10 losses, and 156 strikeouts. The number five starter is Daisuke Matsuzaka who at one point was there number two starting pitcher in 2007 and in 2008 he almost won the AL CY Young award. But he is another guy on the list that has been on and off the DL with battling arm injuries. But if you had to ask me Matsuzaka isn't a bad number five starter to have on your team when healthy. In 2010 missing part of the year he posted a 4.69 ERA, 9 wins, 6 losses, and 133 strikeouts.




The Red Sox bullpen last year was pretty healthy but it wasn't all that great either and during this year's offseason they added two more arms to join the bullpen in former closer from the Chicago White Sox Bobby Jenks and set-up man Dan Wheeler who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays. Now the Sox do have a pretty good closer in Jonathan Paplbon who last year didn't really have that great of a year for a closer. It just looked like he didn't really have it and in 2011 the Sox are going to need to him to get back to his old ways in saving ball games. In 2010 he posted a 3.90 ERA as a closer, 37 saves, 8 blown saves, and 76 strikeouts. As for Bobby Jenks moving from closer to set-up man he had a Jenks kind of year. Jenks isn't that power type closer that Paplbon is, he just knows how to get outs when needed and that's why I think the Sox signed him just in case they need him to get outs, Jenks posted a 4.44 ERA, 27 saves, 4 blown saves, and 61 strikeouts.

Now Dan Wheeler on the other hand will still be used as a set-up man but more likely to be used in the 6th or 7th inning. Wheeler isn't a bad arm to have in your bullpen; he is one of the better known bullpen pitchers in the game. Wheeler's ERA was a 3.55, 9 HLD, 46 strikeouts in 2010. Next they have a guy who can be used as a starter or bullpen pitcher in long time pitcher Tim Wakefield. Wakefield will most likely be used in the pen, but if they need another starter he will be called on, last year he posted an ERA of 5.32, 4 wins, 10 losses, 84 strikeouts. Last in the Sox pen is Hideki Okajima who can also be used as a starter, but never really got the chance to start a game yet? Okajima brings a lot of off speed stuff to the table to throw off hitter and their timing; in 2010 he had an ERA of 4.50, 11 HLD, and 33 strikeouts.




With the Sox infield and outfield is what really killed them last year having most of their key players put on the DL but in the offseason they signed a big free agent in left fielder Carl Crawford who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays and traded for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who came over from the San Diego Padres. With both of these players it makes their line-up more dangerous than it's ever been. I start off with Crawford because he was the second biggest free agent outfielder on the market and the Sox locked him up for 7 years $148 million dollars and will most likely finish his career in B-Town.

Crawford who was a long time member of the Tampa Bay Rays was one of the first original players on the team decided it was time for a change. Crawford brings speed, power, and great ability to the outfield. Now we don’t know if he will be playing left or center field yet, but where ever he plays he will be a factor nonetheless. Last year Crawford had one of his best seasons in his 9 year career batting .307, 19 home runs, 90 RBI's, and stealing 47 bases. He is going to be an impact on this team a whole lot. Next is the player they traded for in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who came over from the Padres. He is another player who is going to help them out a whole lot with having power and hitting left handed with the short foul pole in right field. A-Gon brings that number four sport in the line-up and will have players who can hit in front of him and in back of him and he fits this line-up very nicely. Now Gonzalez is recovering from shoulder surgery but should be ready to go come opening day. A-Gon hit .298, 31 home runs, and 101 RBI's in 2010.

Next is long time veteran catcher Jason Varitek who is the captain of this team and is getting up there in age and the Sox still don't know if they will use him as their catcher or DH in 2011. He is another player who was put on the DL with a broken foot that he still recovering from it. But Varitek when he is healthy he is one of the best catchers in the league and is a great contact hitter. In 2010 where he missed most of the season he batted .232, 7 home runs, and 16 RBI's. Over to second base where they loss their key player in Dustin Pedroia who was put on the DL and missed the second half of the 2010 season with a broken foot. This was the main reason the Sox had trouble in the infield with not having him over at second. When this kid is healthy he can do damage for a guy who 5'9, I mean he didn't the 2008 AL MVP award for noting. He is a great hitter and a good power hitter for a small guy. When he played in 2010 he posted a .282 batting average, 12 home runs, and 42 RBI's and told his general manager Theo Epstein that he is ready to go this spring training and that always good news to hear. The Sox have a guy in "Big Papi" David Ortiz who has been the heart and soul of this team just as much as Captain Jason Varitck is. As we know Ortiz has been the DH for this club for some time now and I think it might stay that way. The problem with Ortiz is in the last 3 years he has gotten off to a slow start but always finishes off strong. Ortiz is a clutch hitter in a key moment when the Sox need runs and despite him having a slow start he did finish off strong with a .270 batting average, 32 home runs and 102 RBI's.

Over at third base is probably one of the only players who didn't get hurt all of last year is Kevin Youkilis. Youkilis is either used at third base or first base either one doesn't matter. He is a great low ball hitter and never really strikes out; he always makes contact with the ball. He is also a great fielder as well winning a Gold Glove in 2007. Youkilis batted .307, 19 home runs, and 63 RBI's. Over in right field they have J.D. Drew who was another player battling an injury with a pulled hamstring and missed a good amount of the season but still played threw it. He will be the Sox number five or six batter in the line-up and has a really good arm in right field, Last year when he played he batted .255, 22 home runs, and 68 RBI's. Last but not least is a guy they are happy to have back is left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury who missed the whole 2010 season with a major rib injury and played in maybe 5 games but they are happy to have him back and ready to go. He brings speed to line-up and will most likely be their number two hitter in the line-up and if manager Terry Francona feels that he is healthy enough to lead off again then that's where he will be. Now with having new outfielder Carl Crawford in the mix one of these guys will be playing center or left field this year, guess will find out come opening day 2011.




Now as we know the Red Sox had to deal with a lot key injuries during the 2010 season and they didn't make the postseason and this year they are the heavy favorite yet again to win their division and make a trip back to the World Series. If they do make it the World Series and win it again it will be second time in team history the Red Sox would win three World Series titles in 8 years. It’s “GO TIME” in B-Town!