Across All Sports

Last Game: 6-7 Loss vs Los Angeles Angels – Angels win series 3-0
Next Game: Pitchers and Catchers Report to Spring Training February 18

Current Team Situation: The Red Sox finished last year painfully with Jonathan Papelbon blowing the game in the 9th and allowing the Angels to break through and sweep the ALDS. The Red Sox have retooled in the last couple of weeks though, brining in free agent center fielder Mike Cameron and starting pitcher John Lackey. The Sox staff is now one of the best in baseball with Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buccholz, and Tim Wakefield. With Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, the Sox have two terrific centerfielders. The likely scenario is that Cameron takes over in left field which he has said he will agree to. The Sox tried to trade Mike Lowell (eating 3/4 of his $12 million salary) to the Rangers for backup catcher Max Ramirez, but the Rangers discovered that Lowell needed thumb surgery and backed out of the deal. The Sox offense is still not up to par with the Yankees and could use the addition of an elite bat.

My Take: The Sox do need help, but the farm system is absolutely loaded. The Sox pitching staff is capable of winning the World Series, the pitchers will need to play up to their level. Lester, Beckett, and Buccholz all have excellent stuff, but they will all have to be in top form to make this team great. Dice-K is still a big question mark while Wakefield is injury-prone. The Red Sox have the potential to be the best team in baseball and giving away the farm for Adrian Gonzalez or Hanley Ramirez just isn’t necessary. Ellsbury, Buccholz, Casey Kelly, Daniel Bard, and Ryan Westmoreland have too big of an upside. Gonzalez isn’t that young though he has a great contract while Hanley Ramirez does not fit into a position with the signing of Marco Scutaro. The Sox three signing fill holes with marquee players without tying the team down financially or giving up the future. I don’t think the Sox will win the World Series with this roster, but in two years, look for the Red Sox to be the best team in the league.

Sox Stats and Standings
2008 Red Sox Mid-Season Grades
2007 Red Sox Mid-Season Grades