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Spring Training '08: The Repeating Starts Nowby Cameron on February 13 at 2:38PM | comments (3)
[ comments (3) ] [ BallHype ] By: Who Made You Mirabelli?Location: City of Palms Park -- Ft. Myers, Fla. Pitchers and Catchers Report: Feb. 14 First Game: Feb. 28th (Exhibition), Mar. 2 (Twins) Projected Opening Day Lineup 1) Dustin Pedroia (2B)Projected Rotation 1) Josh Beckett (RHP)Projected Bullpen Long Man: Kyle Snyder / Clay BuchholzKey Battles Amazingly, at least for the Red Sox, there really aren't many. In fact, one can make the case there's only two major notable tussles for playing time: 1) in center field and 2) for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. These are the bounties that come with winning the World Series and re-signing all your significant players. Now, among those two battles, the playoffs and World Series would seem to dictate that the center field battle isn't really that much of a battle after all. After struggling through patchy output at the plate in his first two seasons, followed by a dismal ALDS and ALCS, Coco Crisp appears bound for the bench and situational starts. In fairness, Crisp is still a bargain for a fourth outfielder, pulling down less than $6 MM per year as a switch hitter and legitimate Gold Glove defender. Still, Crisp's only shot at retaining his spot in center on a daily basis appears to be an injury to Boston's once and future king, Jacoby Ellsbury. The Navajo native of Washington state - Ellsbury is the first Navajo descendent to make the major leagues - was a breakout star in the World Series, and refusing to include him in potential deals likely cost the Red Sox any legitimate shot at landing Johan Santana from the Twins, their Ft. Myers spring training town-mates, in the offseason. In fact, the bigger reason to keep Crisp around might be for right field, where J.D. Drew struggled through one of his worst seasons after inking a massive deal in the offseason, then resurrected his fortunes with a monster postseason. IF the Red Sox hold on to Crisp - and the Rangers are reportedly pushing hardest among a quartet of potential suitors for Crisp - and IF Drew starts as woefully as he did last year, the Sox could move Crisp back into the starting lineup and turn Drew into the highest paid situational outfielder and pinch hitter in baseball history (he makes $14 MM per year). There are a couple potential scuffles for bench spots, although not many. The Sox inked Sean Casey, known as the Mayor for his status as one of the most beloved players throughout baseball, as insurance at first and third base. Casey started for the Detroit Tigers throughout last season, but was made expendable when the Tigers moved shortstop Carlos Guillen to first base after acquiring former Sox shortstop Edgar Renteria from Atlanta. Casey will spell Youkilis at first and provide a potent pinch hitting option for Boston, and may get significant time because because manager Terry Francona is openly enamored of the one-time Red and Pirate. Such a move would mean more time at third base for Kevin Youkilis, who came up through the Sox system playing at the hot corner but has evolved into a Gold Glove first baseman the past two seasons. The other bench spot, for a utility infielder, is tattooed in permanent ink with Alex Cora, who is in the final year of a two year deal. Cora has emerged as one of the game's most surehanded substitutes, and while his bat is typically anemic, his fielding is so impressive that the Sox are more than happy to trade his lack of hitting prowess for sure-handed fielding. If the extra outfielder spot isn't taken by Crisp, then Bobby Kielty will be the man on the spot. Kielty was re-signed to a minor league deal a little more than a week ago, after playing a vital roll down the stretch and during the 2007 postseason as a lefthanded pinch hitter and spot starter in right field, as well as a defensive replacement for Manny Ramirez in late innings. The Sox brass love Kielty - they had tried to pry him from Oakland more than once before picking him up off waivers late in the season last year - and would love to find a place for him, which could speed up a potential Crisp trade. This, of course, is before considering the one true significant battle in camp: the fifth starting pitcher slot. Rookie Clay Buchholz, he of the second-start no-hitter last year, enters as an almost prohibitive favorite, with the stuff to become an ace a few years down the road and a breadth of pitches to make him immediately competitive at the big league level. But Buchholz was shut down late in the '07 campaign with shoulder fatigue, and the Sox front office is openly wary of burning him out too early. That could mean a very cautious approach to his development, which could have him starting the season in the minor leagues and working his way back to the rotation, a la Jon Lester in '07. IF the Sox choose that road, an option which seems much less likely after the ever-emerging Curt Schilling shoulder-injury issues, then Julian Tavarez would be the man on the spot, just as he was in '07. If Tavarez can repeat the performance he put up last year, an impressive first half of the season followed by a slow meltdown in the second half and eventual demotion the 'pen, the Sox would be more than thrilled. Kyle Snyder remains a dark horse candidate, but he was one of baseball's best - and least-heralded - long men last year, making the entire bullpen significantly better as a result. It seems hard to believe that the Sox front office would mess with his past success, but then again, this is Theo Epstein, and he and his cohorts have never hesitated to make moves, regardless of past success. Two intriguing names to watch: 1) Craig Hansen, once seen as the Sox closer of the future, is coming off surgery for sleep apnea, which the team feels was effecting his past performance. If his What To Expect You never know when Theo Epstein is going to try to pull the trigger on a crazy trade, particularly with all of the redundant pieces the team currently has at its disposal. Crisp and Tavarez have been coveted by multiple teams in the past, and easily could be moved during training. Or they might not. The Manny Ramirez drama that has haunted past training camps is nowhere to be seen, and the only question mark surrounding the mercurial left fielder is whether the team will pick up his option years. Still, this is Boston and the Red Sox, so check back often to see what went down. Needless to say, at least one or two unexpected twists will emerge. Like Hideki Okajima becoming a superstar. Again, this is Boston. You never know. 3 CommentsBoth Baseball Cube and SoxProspects.com list Jed Lowrie at 6-0 so calling him mini me is hardly fair. I'm sure it was just a typo but Craig Hansen has a slider which was a dominant pitch in college and that he has been struggling to rediscover. He has never had a sinker. Ellsbury agreed pedroia could hit .320 between ellsbury and ortiz, he will have to cut down his ridiculous swing if ellsbury is on base and will get a lot of fastballs in the strike zone with ortiz on deck..lugo may be the most expensive 9 hole hitter in history |
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Francona said that he wants Pedroia hitting 2nd, and that he dosent want to put Youk leadoff,so I think you might want to adjust your projected lineup for that.
Ellsbury
Pedroia
Ortiz
Ramirez
Lowell
Drew
Youkilis
Varitek
Lugo
thats what I'd go with