2012 Boston Red Sox Offseason Blueprint

The Boston Red Sox went 69-93 in the 2012 season.  Their worst record since 1965.  Like most Red Sox fans, I was miserable all summer.  In fact, I was miserable since late November, when the Red Sox brass inexplicably decided to hire the worst man possible for the job in Bobby Valentine.  This wasn’t just hindsight being 20/20. If you comb our archives, there is a post I wrote on November 4, 2011 titled “The Search for a Manager” after Terry Francona left Boston. The basic gist of that post was making sure the Red Sox hired anyone but Bobby V.

11 months later, I am here at my laptop, and the Red Sox are again without a manager. A lot has changed in Boston though.  Adrian Gonzalez, who was supposed to remind us of Manny Ramirez, is out in LA along with Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett.  There are more holes in the lineup card that accompany the vacancy on the top step of the dugout.  Will they give David Ortiz the contract he wants? Will they re-sign Cody Ross?  Are they going to go into an all out youth movement?  Will they explore trading Jacoby Ellsbury?

The manager search doesn’t really concern me much because Bobby V is no longer available.  Dave Martinez, Sandy Alomar, and Bill Mueller are all guys that I would really like to see manage the Sox.  John Farrell and Mike Scioscia will either have to get fired or the Red Sox would have to trade for them. I can’t really think of any candidates that I absolutely don’t want like Bobby V last season.  I trust that the franchise is okay this time around with whomever they decide to hire.

Midway through the 2012 season, I started to think the Red Sox should give David Ortiz a Kevin Garnett like contract.  3 years $30 million would shut Ortiz up for a while, it would allow him to retire a Red Sox, and at the time he was performing at a high enough level to warrant that type of offer.  Then he injured his Achilles running the bases and was essentially out for the season.  This injury changed my mindset on Ortiz.  He is only asked to DH and he can’t stay on the field.  I would offer him a 2 year deal for $18 million.  I only offer him the multi-year deal because of what he has meant to the Red Sox organization the last 10 years.  The Red Sox are wise enough to know there isn’t much of a market for Ortiz being jus a DH.  The fact that he wasn’t able to play a whole season also plays into the Red Sox favor when they sit down at the contract table.

If Ortiz digs his heels in and proves difficult to re-sign, the Red Sox do have fall back options.  There have been numerous reports out of Arizona that GM Kevin Towers will explore the trade market for Justin Upton.  The 2005 first overall pick is just 25 years old.  He is a five tool player.  Put Upton in right field. This would allow you to move Cody Ross to left once you re-sign him, or he could even become your DH.  Because Upton is just 25 years old I feel its ok to give up your prospects.  Upton would be a part of the youth movement.  In my eyes only Matt Barnes is your truly untouchable prospect.  Go ahead and trade Xander Bogearts, Jackie Bradley, Allen Webster, and Bryce Brentz.  I believe the return you are getting here is much more valuable than question marks that are in the farm system.

It was no secret the Red Sox pitching this season was terrible at best.  The staff ERA was over 5.  In fact the staff was so bad, there were people actually excited that John Lackey was coming back next season.  As it stands right now the Red Sox will head into Spring Training with a rotation of Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Felix Doubront, and Franklin Morales.  The nice thing about that last sentence is it didn’t include the name Daisuke Matsuzaka.  Daniel Bard will have the entire winter to get over his mental breakdown in 2012.  It is my hope that whoever manages the Red Sox will keep Bard in the 8th inning to set up Andrew Bailey where he belongs.  Morales will be in the rotation depending on the development of Rubby De La Rosa.

Zack Grenike is available in free agency and the Red Sox should avoid him like the plague.  Greinke’s mental health issues are well documented and we have seen many players come through Boston and show they could not handle the environment.  Imagine what will happen to Grenike?  The only free agent pitcher that genuinely interests me would be Dan Haren but I fear his price tag will be a bit exorbitant.  As far as trade targets, a guy I have wanted for years might be available in Matt Garza.  Garza proved when he was with the Rays that he can pitch in the toughest division in baseball.  Garza is just 28, so he might command a similar package to that which would be required to land Justin Upton. The other interesting trade target is Josh Johnson.  My problem with him, however, is the man just can’t stay healthy.  I have real reservations sending away top prospects for someone who isn’t reliable.

While there is a part of me to see Adrian Gonzalez gone, I have to be realistic and acknowledge his departure leaves a rather large hole in the lineup and at first base. James Loney came to Boston as a part of the AGone deal and in 30 games he just .230. with 2 home runs and 8 RBI.  His best season was in 2008 when he hit .289 with 13 home runs and 90 RBI.  There isn’t much else out there in the first baseman market.  I am not excited about James Loney coming back to Boston, but I think the Red Sox can get him back dirt cheap and he will be serviceable for them.  I’d say sign Mike Napoli to play first base just so the Sox don’t have to oppose him any longer but that theory proved wrong with Carl Crawford. He also suffered a major regression the second half of the season. The other options are Adam LaRoche (who will be overpaid by someone this winter) and Nick Swisher. Truth be told, I would love to see Swisher in a Red Sox uniform but I know that won’t happen.

I hope the Red Sox don’t get involved in the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes.  I don’t care about his history and all that jazz.  I am more concerned about paying someone top dollar from the ages of 35 and on.  Alex Rodriguez is a prime example of why not to give massive contracts to athletes in the twilight of their careers.  Hamilton will turn 32 next season and he figures to command at least an 8 year contract in the neighborhood of $175 million.

Lastly, the Red Sox will need to figure out what they want to do at shortstop.  I would like to see them give Jose Iglesias the nod in 2013.  I can probably hit better than him but his defense is outstanding.  I believe in run prevention and Iglesias in my opinion could help out that starting rotation quite a bit.  He gets to balls that he has no business getting to.  I’ll tolerate the .200 batting average if it means outstanding defense.  Bat him ninth, let him sacrifice bunt whenever he can, and let him learn how to hit big league pitching on the job.  There is no one really available via free agency either.

I expect this offseason to be interesting for the Red Sox.  I am hoping management is just as sick of losing as the fan base is.  I miss the days of 2004 and 2007.  The Red Sox have not made the playoffs since 2009 and in that year they were swept by the Angels.  I sincerely hope that the Boston Red Sox are at rock bottom right now because I can’t imagine it being any worse.

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

Ranking the Boston Champions

There is no doubt the last 10 years have been the greatest 10 years of any sports town in history for Boston.  No other city comes remotely close to having 7 championships in ten years.  So where do I rank those 7 championships? Let’s have a look.

7) 2004 Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers

Tom Brady was a stud in this one as he threw for 354 yards and 3 touchdowns leading the Patriots to a 32-29 win over the Panthers.  Adam Vinatieri was the hero again as he hit a 41 yard field goal to with 4 seconds left to put the Patriots ahead for good.

Memorable Moments: Vinatieri’s game winning field goal; Vrabel’s 2 sacks and touchdown reception; 37 total fourth quarter points

6) 2005 Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles

The Patriots winning this Super Bowl cemented the theory that the Patriots were the 2000′s dynasty in the NFL.  Tom Brady started to draw comparisons to Joe Montana.  And perhaps best of all the Patriots beat loud mouth Terrell Owens.  The Patriots also became the first team since the Denver Broncos to win back to back Super Bowls.

Memorable Moments: Branch’s 11 receptions; Rodney Harrison flapping his arms like an eagle after his second interception; Another Vrabel TD reception

5) 2007 Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies

The Rockies were the hottest team in baseball going into the World Series in 2007 after winning 15 of their last 16 just to make it into the playoffs.  They then swept the division series and league series and were forced to wait as the Red Sox finished their series with the Indians.  This 2007 team was a lot different from the 2004 team as it was a team that was led by Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.  Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury arrived on the scene as well while old friends David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Curt Schilling were still doing their thing.

Memorable Moments: Pedroia’s home run off Francis; Sox come back from 3-1 deficit against Indians in ALCS; Papelbon’s Irish Jig

4) 2008 Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers

While I am more of a Celtics fan than I am a Bruins fan, this championship has to fall just below the Bruins.  The Celtics were able to stack their team by trading their roster away to acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  Quite frankly, if the Celtics hadn’t of won the championship in 2008 I would have been incredibly disappointed.  But it was pretty sweet to embarrass the Lakers on their home court.  I was also very happy to see Paul Pierce win a title after all the years he put in with the Celtics.

There may not have been a more deserving athlete in Boston than Paul Pierce when he was finally able to raise that trophy high above his head.  Pierce had been in Boston his whole career and never publicly spoke out about how bad the team was or publicly complained.  Sure, he was mad when they stunk, but Pierce stayed quiet and he was rewarded when Danny Ainge got him a true supporting cast for the first time in his career.

Memorable Moments: Pierce in a wheelchair; Mike Breen:”And the Celtics are embarrassing the Lakers”; Ray Allen crossing over Vujacic

3) 2011 Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks

The Stanley Cup hadn’t been in Boston since 1972.  The Bruins were able to win in overtime of Game 7 against their archrival, the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round, sweep a Flyer team that came back from a 3-0 lead the year prior, and beat the Lightning in Game 7 on their home ice, before capturing the Stanley Cup in Game 7 in Vancouver.  They did it without their best player, Nathan Horton who was knocked into next week by Aaron Rome in Game 3.  They won it with perhaps the most dominating playoff performance ever by a goalie in 37 years young Tim Thomas.

During these playoffs, Zdeno Chara missed time with a dehydration illness, Nathan Horton missed time with his concussion, and they were down in the Montreal and Vancouver series but showed how resilient they were after a season of fans questioning the team’s heart.  These Bruins most certainly had heart.

Memorable Moments: Tim Thomas’ overall performance; Horton’s concussion; Recchi’s last game; Thornton the enforcer; Bergeron getting bit by Burrows

2) 2002 Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams

No one expected the Patriots to stay within 15 points of the Rams in 2002.  Hell, the argument could be made the Patriots weren’t even suppose to be there after Brady fumbl- I mean tucked the football in against the Raiders in the AFC Championship.But Bill Belichick pulled off his best coaching performance in his first Super Bowl win as he was able to slow down “The Greatest Show on Turf.”  The Patriots were able to completely neutralize Marshall Faulk and from there, rookie Tom Brady was able to manage the clock and not turn over the football enabling Adam Vinatieri to kick a game winning 48 yard field goal.  While Brady was named MVP, (16-27 for 145 yards) I will forever argue JR Redmond, Jermaine Wiggins, or the Patriot Defense was far more deserving of the honor than Brady.

The coolest part of this Super Bowl was Bill Belichick having his whole team introduced instead of individual introductions.  This set forth the value of unity amongst a team and started the trend that continues today of teams being introduced rather than individual players.

Memorable Moments: Vinatieri’s field goal; Patriots’ entrance; Madden suggesting Patriots run out clock; The final drive; Wiggins; Redmond; Troy Brown

1) 2004  Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals

It took 86 years for the Red Sox to win the World Series.  They suffered the dreaded Curse of the Bambino.  A stretch that saw Bucky bleepin’ Dent hit a lazy fly ball that landed in the netting of the Green Monster to win the division for the Yankees, they saw a routine ground ball trickle through the legs of Bill Buckner off the bat of Mookie Wilson to push the 1986 World Series to a seventh game, and they saw Aaron Boone hit a walk off home run in 2003 that sent the Yankees to the World Series.  The Red Sox didn’t only not win, they put their fan base through through the most painful of losses.

2004 was especially memorable because they were able to do what no other team in baseball had done before: Come back from a 3 games to 0 deficit to win the ALCS against, yes, the New York Yankees.

Memorable Moments: Roberts steals second; Schilling’s bloody sock; “Don’t let us win this one”; (Fully recognize all the memories are from the Yankee series but can you say you have any memories from the actual World Series?)

***A previous version of this post had Tim Thomas listed as 36 years young.  Thanks to a faithful reader for pointing out that he is 37 years young.

I can be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNTCF

Mumbles: Blizzard Edition

After shoveling for nearly two and a half hours, I feel the need to rant.  It is usually ideal therapy for me so I figured there is nothing better than to sit down at my computer and just let it have it.

* First and foremost, all you people out there who love snow and are the outdoorsy type were either dropped on your heads as children or should make an appointment to get your head examined, pronto.

*Yesterday, the Patriots took care of business by dismantling the Bills giving them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  While this is an obvious advantage for the Pats, let us not lose sight of the fact that the Pats just last season were blown out on Foxboro turf by the Ravens 33-14 in the first round of the playoffs.  The Patriots could play host to any number of teams as the AFC playoff picture hasn’t quite come into focus yet.  To be honest there isn’t a clear cut team that I am “comfortable” with the Pats facing after their first round bye as each team poses it’s own set of problems.

*Going into this season I was hoping the Patriots would use the Raiders pick to scoop up Alabama’s Mark Ingram.  Now with one week to go in the regular season, that is no longer the case.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been incredible for the Pats this year.  He has carried the ball 209 times this year for 928 yards and 12 touchdowns, without a fumble.  In fact during his 3 years in the league spanning 309 carries he is yet to fumble.  (Lord, I hope I don’t jinx the man).  He has also been great in the back field in picking up blitzes to protect Brady.  He along with Danny Woodhead have been a very pleasant surprise this season.  What’s even better is they are both young and can share backfield duties for years to come.  Their success has enabled the Patriots to concentrate on other areas come draft time.

*I am really hoping that the Celtics aren’t about to partake in their annual swoon after Christmas.  Last season the Celtics were 23-5 going into Christmas day, eerily similar to this season.  Last season they played the Lakers and lost, much like they did with the Magic this season.  Last season, after Christmas the Celtics played less than .500 ball and got a 5 seed in the playoffs.  I am hoping the Celtics can maintain the dominance they have showed this season because I feel home court advantage will be important to them come April as evidenced by their 13-1 home record, best in the NBA.

*Many fans are wondering if the Celtics will make their usual trade deadline move as they have the past 3 years (PJ Brown, Mikki Moore, Nate Robinson).  Such a move will be unnecessary as they will actually be getting healthy around that time.  Expect Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West, Jermaine O’ Neal and Rajon Rondo to all be fully healthy come mid- February.  I have long said this is the deepest team I can remember in the NBA.  For that very reason I think they are the best team in the NBA.

*There has been a lot of discussion as to what the Boston Red Sox batting order will be come 2011.  Some writers (Gordon Edes) actually think that Dustin Pedroia will bat 5th or 6th.  Now what bothers me is that he is a so called expert and gets paid to offer his opinion on such matters.  But how can one man who has his amount of access to the club even think this?  Why would anyone bat the league leader in runs scored when healthy (2008-118 runs 2009-115 runs) deep in the lineup and not have him set the table for the big boppers?  His logic escapes me and if anyone can help me understand what he is thinking it will be greatly appreciated.

*In regard to the Sox lineup, here is something that hasn’t really been brought up.  Why not bad Carl Crawford ahead of David Ortiz? If Crawford was to bat in the 5 hole and Ortiz 6, there would be no more Ortiz shift.  A walk to Crawford would soon turn into a triple if teams were to employ the dreaded shift.  With the shift out of play, Ortiz is looking at 15 to 20 more hits this season.  At the same time I see the flaw in having back to back lefties in the lineup,  but I think it is more valuable to get rid of that shift as many times as possible.

*Last week I wanted Claude Julien fired and was calling for Santa to give him a shake weight to occupy his time.  Don’t get me wrong I still want him canned.  But how cool was it to see Shawn Thornton drop the gloves 2 seconds into the game against the Thrashers last Thursday night? I was calling for some kind of spark that would show me the Bruins did have heart.  Thornton produced that and then found the twine twice in a 4-1 win over the second best goalie in the NHL, in Ondrej Pavelec.  Hopefully Bruins fans will look back to December 23 as the turning point in the season, that got the boys in black and gold going.

*Speaking of the Bruins, I appreciate Marc Savard’s effort in trying to drop the gloves toward the end of the Atlanta game.  But what the hell was he thinking?  This is a man who was knocked out for an extended amount of time last season after a cheap shot by Matt Cooke.  Then missed the first few months of this season with post concussion syndrome.  I never want to see one of my guys turtle but that was an exception.  I understand he didn’t want to be the only one on the ice not dropping his gloves, but he has to realize common sense.  Don’t put yourself at obvious risk of furthering your injury!

I can now be followed on Twitter @ ScottieNtcf.

Who Will Step Up in June?

April wasn’t the best month for the Boston Red Sox.  We can all do ourselves a favor and forget about it.  We were too busy paying attention to the Celtics and the Bruins anyways.  It also helps that pennants aren’t won in April.  However, it is fair to say, there was nervous tension throughout April as many fans questioned the approach of pitching and defense.  David Ortiz and JD Drew had sub .200 batting averages and there was panic, although no one was paying attention.

May came.  And with it the emergence of Big Papi, JD Drew, and Adrian Beltre.  Papi showed that slow starts happen and he was a man possessed in May, hitting 11 home runs with 27 RBI’s and hitting over .360.  Screw the shift!  JD Drew who has the prettiest swing in all of sports actually used it to hit the ball and not just look pretty.  He upped his average from sub.200 to .280.  Beltre has quietly produced all season long hitting over .340.  Not bad for an acquisition that was used purely for defensive purposes.  Jason Varitek has made the Sox faithful happy he came back for one more year.

Also in May the starting pitching has come up big.  Jon Lester showed why he is the true ace of the Sox and possibly the best left handed pitcher in baseball.  Clay Buchholz has been a stud, tied for first in the American League in wins.  Dice-K has even shown glimpses of what he is capable of.  Because of this the Sox are 5 back of the Rays in the toughest division in baseball and 2 back of the Yankees for the wild card.

Now it is on to June.  Who will step for the team this month?  John Lackey has 5 wins coming into June but an ERA north of 4.50.  Josh Beckett hasn’t shown why he was worth his contract extension as he has struggled prior to going on the disabled list.  These are the two prime candidates to turn things around from the pitching staff and help shoulder the load that Lester and Buchholz have managed thus far.

Victor Martinez is having a 5 for 5 night at the time of this writing and is showing signs of heating up along with the weather.  Dustin Pedroia is in the middle of his annual slump but history has told us he will catch fire and tear up the league at any given point.  Jacoby Ellsbury will never be confused with Trot Nixon.  But whenever he decides to play through his nagging ribs injury he will help out the team greatly by just being in the lineup, allowing Marco Scutaro to go to the nine spot.

The June schedule is a soft one, one in which the Sox can make up significant ground in the Pennant Race.  Someone is bound to step up just like Ortiz and Lester did in May.  The Sox will be in the thick of things come September which is dangerous for Major League Baseball.  I hate to use the cliché but this team is built for the playoffs and we have seen what a solid rotation and timely hitting has done before.  Twice actually.

April Mumbles

*In my effort to broaden my horizons and experience new things, I actually sat down and watched the third round of the Masters from beginning to end.  I tuned in to see how my main man Tiger would do and if he could keep up his stellar comeback going into moving day.  In all honesty it was one of the most exciting sporting events I have witnessed and I am talking about golf here.  Not because of Tiger, but seeing Phil Mickelson play unconscious for 3 straight holes, eagling 2 of them, one being a 149 yard shot, and missing a 3rd eagle in a row by mere inches.  Seeing 50 year old Fred Couples hang tough with a few chip in’s for below par scores and staying in contention. And seeing leader Lee Westwood hear roar after roar from the patrons all over the course and being able to maintain his focus to keep the lead going into Sunday.  I tuned into see Tiger and left marveling at everything else.

*The Red Sox season is a week old and we have already learned a few things.  1) Count me as one of the Papi nay-sayers.  Not because he is hitting below .200. I understand slow starts happen in baseball.  My problem is that it seems that in every at bat he has been ahead 3-1, 2-1, and 3-0, has gotten batting practice fastballs in those counts and has more often than not swung and missed.  I am usually very patient with my athletes, however it is time for Francona to call a spade a spade and platoon Lowell and Ortiz.

2) To no one’s surprise the starting pitching has come as advertised.  It is the bullpen that is the concern.  Daniel Bard can’t pitch with runners on base and Papelbon can no longer throw a clean inning.  Delcarmen’s velocity is way down from 96 a year ago to 90-91 this season.  On a positive note I like what I have seen from Scott Schoenweis and Scott Atchison.  I admit I am rooting hard for both of them because of different family situations they have faced, but they have pitched well in their roles.

3) The bottom 3 in the order are not Nick Green, Jason Varitek, or David Ortiz from a year ago which seemed to be automatic outs at times.  Newcomers Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron, and Marco Scutaro have shown that there is at least hope that they will get on base when they come to the plate.

*After getting into the NHL playoffs in thrilling fashion yesterday with a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, it is fair to say that any damage the Bruins do in the playoffs should be seen as an added bonus.  But I must give them props for the way they won yesterday; 3 short handed goals and a great hustle play by Patrice Bergeron saving the game by preventing an empty note goal off of a delayed penalty.

*While I am excited for the Bruins, I could really give a damn about the Celtics.  Maybe my expectations are too high for them. But then again, my only expectations are that they play quality basketball and they can’t even do that.  It should be noted that the team has been diagnosed with a rare cancer known as "Rasheed Wallace."  It symptoms include laziness, slow motion, and aging 10 years faster than what you actually are.

*If you havent seen Law Abiding Citizen yet you are doing yourself a great disservice.  I also have come to believe that Jaime Foxx is one of the most underrated actors of this generation.  No, he is not Leo, Denzel, or Hanks.  But he always delivers a quality performance.

*With the NFL Draft fast approaching, I am still unsure which way I’d like to see the Pats go.  The most obvious need is a pass rusher but I have long been a fan of drafting the best player available.  I think that at 22, there will be slim pickings at pass rusher positions.  Check back in throughout the week as the Mattyoshow will have his mock draft up.  After all he is the better looking Mel Kieper.

*With the Yankees missing Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Melky Cabrera, their lineup is less scary to me for some reason.  I understand Granderson is solid but he is still a sub .250 hitter.  But it is entirely possible the Yankees might have improved over last year simply because they are doing what fans would have done all along.  Put Joba in the bullpen as the eighth inning guy.

*Count me as one that is excited that LOST is coming to an end.  The buildup to the last episode has been great and I think that the producers realized that while it as quite a following, it was time to wrap up the sensation.  After all there was only so much more they could do without providing answers through 6 seasons.  Michael Emerson (Benjamin Linus)  is my runaway pick for best actor on a television show.

*John Lackey approached Dustin Pedroia status with me when he drilled Derek Jeter earlier this week.  I don’t care what anyone says.  It was a purpose pitch after Pettite dinged Youkillis in the dome.  The pitch prior to hitting Jeter, Lackey missed way inside as well.  Lackey showed he will be a great teammate and I was excited to see that out of him.  I have been waiting for 3 years to see some sort of retaliation for this nonsense.  If he could have done it differently however, I hope he’d hit Teixeira instead of Jeter.  Lackey has earned his "B" if you ask me.

Papi, Please Clean up!

A little more than a week away from opening day, and for the first time in almost a decade there are questions surrounding the Redsox offense. They have the pitching and defense all set ready to go. However can this line-up stay consistant all season. Can this line-up score runs when they need to. The way this line-up is set up right now i don’t see the redsox being in any type of “slug fests”. Sure 1 through 4 is still one of the best in baseball. Especially if Jacoby Ellsbury really steps up into that lead off role. You know what your gonna get out of Pedrioa and Youkalis. Victor Martinez should be pretty consistant aswell. He is gonna take on more of the catching load this season so that may have an affect on his offense. It has in the past. The Biggest question in this line-up comes from the biggest man in the line-up David Ortiz.

The Redsox now need David Ortiz more than ever. He has to return back to steriod form. Oh i mean 04-07 form. Now it’s ridiculous to think he’s gonna get back to hitting over .300 and hitting over 50 homeruns. However if Papi can get his act together and hit somewhere between .270 to .280 with 30+ homeruns that makes the line-up a whole lot better. The fear that Papi used to install into pitchers is now gone. We can’t settle for Papi hitting 5th or even 6th this year. He absoutly has to get back in that clean-up spot. Him in that clean-up spot gives Ellsbury ,Youk, and Pedrioa some protection. Also with him hitting 4th they can move victor in the 5th spot and give Papi a little of protection. In order for this to happen David Ortiz has to produce. With Papi in that 4th hole producing like he can that makes EVERYONE better. The three players I mentioned before batting infront will see better pitches. You won’t be able to pitch around Youkalis.  Ellsbury and Pedrioa will score a lot more runs. Something the Redsox will be in need of this year.

As of right now I see this offense in the middle of the pack in the American League. That’s a far cry from what we have been spoiled with in the past. However this offense is one bat away. They need someone like  Papi or  Manny to put them on their backs. We have seen Ortiz do this in the past. If he can’t do it anymore then a move has to be made. They need someone to put fear into pitchers so they can’t pitch around hitters like Pedrioa, Martinez, or Youkalis. David Ortiz can be that guy. We have seen a Glimpse of his old power this spring, and he looks to be in better shape. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.