We have entered the worst time of year for sports. Football is finished (and, no, the Pro Bowl doesn't count). Baseball has yet to begin. (Basketball and hockey are in the middle of very long seasons so their games feel unimportant to the casual fan.) March madness is still weeks away. During such times, raved sports fans look for signs of hope and The Foul Pole gladly brings you some: pitchers and catchers report in one week.
Ah, pitchers and catchers...It is one of the best times of the year. Hope springs eternal as leather and wood is flashed under the Florida and Arizona skies. For many teams, there is less discussion of who will make the team out of spring training but there is often a few slots up for grab that lead to extended discussions in bars and bodegas across the country (or, at least, in those parts of the country where baseball is king). To that end, I thought I'd start a series of rather uninsightful pieces that highlight the roster battles on the Red Sox. There are only three that are up in the air (and the uncertainty is much less with the Sox than most teams): Starting Rotation (Lester v. Buchholz), Bullpen (carrying 6 or 7 relievers and who those people should be), and Bench (there is only a personnel debate if the Sox carry 5 on the bench because of carry 11 pitchers).
Let's start with the rotation: Spring training performance could determine whether it is Lester or Buchholz who starts the season in the rotation. Going in to spring training, Lester has to be the favorite. Rumors coming out of the Santana trade stated that the Sox increasingly did not wish to part with Lester and, given his experience in the rotation last year, he will likely get the nod. The biggest knock on Lester is his inconsistency. His K/BB ratio was 1.61 last year and not pounding the zone tends to limit the number of innings Lester can complete. No one doubts his stuff and, if he shows greater consistency, he'll be a lock for the rotation.
However, should Lester start in the majors, it can be argued the second best arm on the Sox will start in Pawtucket. Baseball Prospectus recently rated Clay Buchholz the second best prospect in all of baseball and his no-hitter last season spoke to how good his stuff is. Buchholz has also added some meat to his frame in preparation of being in the rotation all season. The Sox may want to start him in the minors to limit his innings so that he will be relatively fresh for the second half of the season. And, given that the Sox have two 40+ year old starters, there is certainly a possibility that injury could bring Buchholz to the rotation earlier than July.
Likely Rotation on Opening Day: Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Wakefield, and Lester.
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