Spring Training Preview: The Bullpen

As noted before, the Red Sox have the roster largely set. However, the bullpen is somewhat up in the air. Schilling's injury may shuffle the bullpen further as, should one of the other five starters go down during spring training, Julian Tavarez may well start the season in the rotation. Since there are so many variables, I'm going to break this out into four sections: 12 pitchers; 11 pitchers; the Tavarez corollary; and the Lou Merloni-PawSox Shuttle.

12 Pitchers:

If the Red Sox start the season with seven relief pitchers, then there are five locks and two near locks. The locks are Papelbon, Delcarmen, Okajima, Timlin, and Tavarez. Snyder and Lopez are also likely sure things since it seems unlikely that the Sox would have bothered to sign them in the off-season if they weren't in the 2008 plan. (Yes, Sox fans, that means we get another year of a left-hand specialist who is lights out against righties but can't get lefties out. Nice LOOGY...) Those are the seven bullpen spots.

11 Pitchers:

If, for some reason, the Sox decided that they need a fifth outfielder (likely someone to spell Drew in right field), then they have a choice. Keep Snyder on the roster, who, in my opinion is more likely to be picked up off the waiver wire, or keep Lopez because you want another lefty on the staff (but, again, he doesn't get lefties out consistently enough to be a LOOGY). For the record, they make virtually identical salaries. I'd drop Snyder in favor of Lopez just because I think I can get him through waivers. I actually like Snyder more but I think the demand for a middle inning right hander is less than any lefty--even one that struggles against left hand hitters.

The Tavarez Corollary:

Should one of the starting five get hurt, Tavarez will likely start the season in the rotation. This opens up a slot that the Sox would likely fill with another pitcher. Spring training will likely prove who the next in line is but let me review the suspects. First, the Sox traded for David Aardsma in the off-season. Aardsma was a first round draft pick in 2004 out of Rice who didn't pan out the way the Giants (later the White Sox) hoped. (This is a trend with relief picthers out of Rice University. Sox fans will recall Bryce Cox's struggles in the minors last year.) Yet, Aardsma's stuff is quite good and the Red Sox obviously liked his potential. (Oh, and his sister is the former Miss Teen Colorado...so there's that.)

Second, the Sox invited Dan Kolb and Jon Switzer to training camp. Switzer is kind of a train wreck so he'd have to have one great spring training. Kolb is slightly more interesting as he has had a few good seasons in the past and he might be a solid option for getting right handed hitters out.

Third, Bryan Corey has performed fairly well in a Sox uniform and many Sox fans thought he should have made the post-season roster last year. He doesn't have dominating stuff so it is a harder case to make but his track record (and a strong spring training performance) could earn him an a slot. If you need the lefthanded version of Corey, Craig Breslow (who actually does get lefties out--at least in Pawtucket) is your man.

If I had to handicap this group, I'd go Corey 3:1, Aardsma 5:1, Kolb 8:1, Breslow 17:1; Switzer 28:1.

Lou Merloni-PawSox Shuttle:

The Sox have a few possibilities in AAA. Criag Hansen, who has yet to live up to the initial hype that surrounded him, was diagnosed with sleep SOMETHING and had surgery in the off season to correct it. Should this enable Hansen to rediscover the stuff that made him so highly touted out of college, he would be a candidate for promotion. Edgar Martinez struggled in AAA but, given that last year was only his third year pitching, we may see Martinez take another step forward and, if it is a big step, get a chance with the Sox.

On the whole the bullpen looks solid. But, to a large extent, this will depend on whether (1) Papelbon stays healthy; (2) Delcarmen continues to improve; and (3) Okajima doesn't regress greatly from last year.