2007 Champs! 2008 Champs?

The Red Sox have won the 2007 World Series! Thank goodness my preseason picks were so spectacularly wrong! My sincere congrats go out to the Beantown boys, but what kind of a Boston fan would I be if I wasn't already thinking about next year?

First things first: baseball is a fickle, fickle sport. Anything I write here can be nullified in heartbeat due to injuries, trades, or what-have-you. That said, I have to say that on paper the Red Sox are looking pretty damn good for next year. Considering that this year's roster (with some tweaks along the way) was good enough to bring the trophy back to Boston, and also the fact that almost all of those key pieces will be returning next year, 2008 looks to be just as special a year as was 2007. Compared to this past off-season, the Sox will have almost no holes to fill in the roster, but there will still be plenty of matters of discussion this winter.

1. Who will play third base?
This is the biggest question for next year, the answer of which could perhaps have the biggest affect on the 2008 roster of any move the front office makes this winter. Mike Lowell made a big name for himself on the big stage in his contract year, and as a result he looks to make some big money. Despite (or perhaps because of) the presence of of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez in front of him in the lineup, it was Lowell who had the most production for Boston this season with his career-high 120 RBI. If it weren't for that other AL East third-baseman, Lowell would probably be named the AL MVP, but I'm pretty sure he'll take his World Series MVP award quite happily while A-Rod sits at home with his hardware. Theo Epstein has said that he can't see the Sox not re-signing Lowell, but that will really be up to big Mike himself as he stands to make himself a lot of cash on the market. And speaking of A-Rod, the Yankees third baseman and likely 2007 AL MVP has announced that he will indeed opt out of his ginormous contract with the Yankees (of which the Texas Rangers were still paying a sizable chunk of his contract), and he stands to break his own unbelievably high record contract this winter. The Yankees, meanwhile, have said that should Rodriguez opt out of his contract they will not pursue the free agent. Who else besides the Yankees could afford A-Rod? Mayyyyybe the Angels. Clearly the Red Sox. And, um, that's about it. So the way I see it, the third baseman for Boston next year is bound to be either Lowell or A-Rod. Or let me put it this way: if the Red Sox fail to sign either Lowell or A-Rod, it will be seen as a huge failure by the front office to fill that hole over at third base. That is unless they make some spectacular deal for a David Wright or a Miguel Cabrera. That's not to say that the Sox couldn't sign both Lowell and A-Rod either. I have my suspicions that the Sox may trade Manny Ramirez (more on that later) and I could definitely see A-Rod playing left field. It's not that far fetched. He's made a position change before, and plenty of infielders have successfully moved to the outfield (see Robin Yount, Pete Rose, Alfonso Soriano). The biggest obstacle to that scenario would probably be the money being put forth by the Red Sox rather than Rodriguez having to change positions. But a Boston boy can dream about a lineup that goes Ortiz-ARod-Lowell with names like Yooooooooouk, Pedroia, and Ellsbury sprinkled in for good measure.

2. Manny being Manny in...Anaheim? or New York? or Elsewhere?
How could I think that the Red Sox would trade the beloved Manny Ramirez away from his fans in Boston. The front office would never think of it! Oh wait...they've thought about it just about every off-season and trading deadline since Ramirez came to Boston. And Manny has requested a trade just as many times. Manny had a down-year, but was spectacular down the stretch and in the playoffs, which will add a lot to his trade value. There's also the fact that in the current market, the twenty million Manny will make next year is a lot, but not unreasonable for a player of his caliber. The Angels lacked a huge bat in their lineup to protect Vladimir Guerrero this season, and they have lots of talent to trade and a comparably large budget to work with. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Manny go to the Anaheim... or is it Los Angeles? Whatever. Other teams that the Sox could work with are New York (the Mets, not the Yankees silly!), Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis, Texas, or Houston. This scenario bumps up about ten notches in likelihood if the Sox do indeed manage to sign Alex Rodriguez, as A-Rod will more than provide the ever-needed protection for Big Papi in the lineup. For years Ortiz and Manny have been known as the best 3-4 combination in baseball, but one would be hard pressed to argue that Ortiz and A-Rod wouldn't be even better.

3. Starting rotation: talented youth or... old, fat, and full of douche-baggery?
Will Curt Schilling be a bloody Red Sox next season? For God's sake, let's hope not. Those one of you who actually read this blog know that I'm simply not a fan. Sure he's had a great career, best post-season blah, ultimate blah blah blah, but let's face facts and just admit that this guy's a gigantic douche. He seems to think the Sox owe him a contract for next season, but it appears as if Boston holds all the leverage in this case. They have the likely Cy Young award winner in Josh Beckett to fill the number one slot, a Daisuke Matsuzaka who is sure to improve on his drastically underrated 2007 season, a Tim Wakefield that always seems to win 14+, Jon Lester who is back from chemotherapy with a vengeance and just happened to win the clinching game of the World Series, and oh yea a kid that threw a no-hitter but didn't manage to make the post-season roster in Clay Buchholz. Guys like Julian Tavarez and Kyle Snyder can capably spot-start, and minor leaguers like Davern Hansack, David Pauley, and Abe Alvarez can fill in in the event of an injury. And I still wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox pick up another starter (probably a veteran free agent) this winter. Curt Schilling is fat and out of shape. He proved that with his injury plagued 2007. When he came off the DL he was suddenly this "changed" pitcher, which basically just meant that he threw his fastball at 89 instead of 94. He can't make it through a whole season in the pressure packed and fastball-smashing AL East with that kind of stuff. If he does pitch in 2008 it will probably be in the National League. Maybe a reunion with Randy Johnson in Arizona? Stranger things have happened.

4. Better years for the new guys?
Much of the reason I feel that the 2008 Red Sox are going to be as good or better than the 2007 World Champs is that I'm a firm believer in the idea that new guys to a team get better in their second year. We all saw it with Josh Beckett and even Mike Lowell. Most ball players with successful track records (like J.D. Drew, Julio Lugo, and Daisuke Matsuzaka) don't simply become mediocre players while they're still in their prime. I see Drew's RBI numbers, Lugo's batting average, and Dice-K's ERA improving by leaps and bounds in their second years in Boston. It makes sense. The AL East is a pressure cooker, and Boston is right in the middle of the pan (does that analogy make sense?). It takes some getting used to. But now these guys know what to expect and what's expected of them, and they all showed some flashed of brilliance at some point in the season. We may even see some improvement from Coco Crisp, though that might be difficult with Johnny Damon II AKA Jacoby Ellsbury knocking on/down the door.

5. The Bullpen
There honestly isn't too much to discuss here, because it was the best bullpen in baseball in 2007 and there's no reason to think it won't be in 2008. One guy who isn't on a lot of people's radars and who I think is primed for a huge year is Manny Delcarmen. Shuttling back and forth from Pawtucket can make a player (especially a pitcher) uncomfortable, and I think Delcarmen is ready to turn heads in his first full year. He's throws some heat and has a mean curveball, and had an ERA under 3.00 this season. Another guy I think will have a huge impact on next year's bullpen is also gonna surprise some: Eric Gagne. Simply put, the Sox are NOT going to re-sign him. Addition by subtraction, hurrah! Face it: Boston won the World Series, so trading for Gagne was not such a disaster as a lot of people thought. Theo Epstein even said on the day of the trade that a big factor in making the deal with Texas was the compensation draft picks the Sox would gain by not signing Gagne at the end of the year. Again, they won the Series, so I can't argue with his logic.

6. Miscellany
Gabe Kaplar will try to make a comeback next year, and I'm sure the front office wouldn't mind signing him to perhaps fill the roster spot vacated by Bobby Kielty this winter. --- Terry Francona ought to have his contract extended, as he's now won two World Championships in his four years as manager. He stands to make a lot of money, and Luchino and company better not hesitate to give it to him. --- Doug Mirabelli's contract is up. Will the Sox re-sign him or let him go away and then panic and trade away half the bullpen to get him back when George Kottaras can't catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball? --- Josh Beckett is the man. So is Jonathan Papelbon. Together, they are the men.