It’s been tough watching Boston’s sports teams (aside from the Patriots) slowly fading away from the successes they enjoyed during the 2001-2010 decade, one during which the city became known to many as “Title Town.” And while Patriots fans are rejoicing following the signing on cornerback Aqib Talib – he very well could be the difference maker this time ’round- I can’t help myself in being more excited about the resigning of David Ortiz. The man is finally getting his due from the Red Sox.

Many have been critical of Ortiz’s public statements about his displeasure with the Red Sox front office – given his leadership role on the team, they see it as being inappropriate. I have always vehemently disagreed with this sentiment, although I understand it. Few players on any team, ever, have meant to their organization what Ortiz has meant to the Red Sox. In his 10 seasons in Boston, Ortiz has been an All-Star 9 times. He’s won the Silver Slugger at his position 5 times, and has come in the top 5 in MVP voting 5 times as well. Not to mention the fact that he almost single-handedly delivered the Red Sox their first World Series title in 86 years – that’s right, without David Ortiz the Red Sox are still the Cubs.

Given his production, the fact that Ortiz is viewed as an all-around good guy, and the fact that he is revered by teammates, the Red Sox front office’s treatment of him was inexcusable. If ever a player was to be given a “respect” contract based on his past contributions to the club, Ortiz would have been the perfect candidate. But given that his production hasn’t slowed one bit, Ortiz was owed a multi-year deal. Thank God he finally got it. You want to talk about “culture” issues with the Red Sox? It starts in the front office. Ortiz wasn’t making absurd demands, and it’s a telling sign that the Red Sox are finally showing him the appreciation he deserves.

Ortiz’s 2012 campaign was shortened to 90 games due to injury, but he still managed to put up numbers that would be a solid 162 game season for most of the league – a .318 average, 23 home runs, 60 RBI, 26 doubles, and a .415 OBP. But his own offensive contributions aside, Ortiz is the perfect fit for the rebuilding Red Sox. Will Middlebrooks recently said to ESPN, “He (Ortiz) always said if you’ve got any questions, call me. Any questions in the offseason — non-baseball-related, baseball-related – call me. It’s awesome. That’s why he’s loved like he is, he’s an open book to everyone. He’s been a huge help to me.” If the next generation of Red Sox hitters is learning from Ortiz, the future is bright.

Finally, there are the actual terms of Ortiz’s deal. He’ll be paid $26 million over 2 years, with incentives that can push his total pay to $30 million. Frankly, $13 million is a steal for Ortiz – and dangling a $4 million carrot in front of him for performance is a wise move as well. I would have been heartbroken if Ortiz had gone elsewhere, and I wouldn’t have blamed him given how he has been treated by the front office. I’m happy to say this worked out as well as it could have – I like your style, Ben Cherington.

By Jimmy Cunningham, howiGit New York Writer, Manhattan, NY

When Derek Jeter hit his 3000 hit last summer Mr. HowiGit tried to play devil’s advocate by saying that Jeter’s 3000th hit was “…at the end of the day a celebration of … a singles hitter with longetivity.”  Yankee fans have also been criticized for treating Jeter like a “God” even if none of us have ever said that he is. However this past weekend Jeter hit his 250^th career home run against the 4 games under .500, 3^rd highest payroll in baseball, 4^th place in the AL East side show that is the Boston Red Sox. By doing this Jeter put himself in elite company, very elite, as in only one other player has done it elite. That player is baseball “God” Willie Mays. With Jeter’s 250 home runs, only Jeter and Mays have hit 250 home runs, 3,000 hits, stolen 300 bases, and had 1,200 RBI. Not bad for a “singles hitter.”

Will Middlebrooks, simply put, has been the biggest surprise for the Boston Red Sox this year. Many in the Red Sox front office actually aren’t surprised at all, but few expected Middlebrooks to be this good. But what goes up must come down, right? Maybe. But I think there’s 5 solid reasons to believe that Middlebrooks won’t succumb to a second-half slump.

1) His performance thus far – Middlebrooks, in Tom Brady-esque fashion, finally got his opportunity in the bigs when Kevin Youkilis hit the disabled list. He came in and excelled to the point that Youkilis was traded, claiming third base as his position in the process. With the competition for spots in the Red Sox organization and the pressure cooker that is the spotlight in Boston, very few rookies come up and immediately have an impact for any sort of extended period of time. We saw it with Josh Reddick last season, and he’s on track for a 40 home run campaign this season in Oakland. Not only has Middlebrooks’ performance been better than Reddick’s, but the sample size has been more than sufficient to rule out any “flukiness.” In 48 games this season, Middlebrooks has 51 hits, 11 doubles, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs, and a .298 batting average. That’s seizing your opportunities.

2) Scouting report – As I mentioned, Middlebrooks’ performance isn’t all that much of a surprise to many. He was rated as the Red Sox #1 prospect entering 2012. He’s 6’4 and 225 pounds, with a scouting report claiming home run power to every field. As a former pitcher he’s got a gun of an arm, with the ability to throw well over 90mph and he’s light on his feet defensively. In other words, the scouts see this guy as a stud in the making.

3) He’s developed in the minors – After being drafted by the Red Sox at 19 years old in 2007, Middlebrooks was admittedly way behind his teammates with regards to his development as a baseball player. Why? Because he was an All-State football player (in Texas) and didn’t really turn his attention fully to baseball at any point in high school. He’s already bounced around the minors, further developing his skills, for 4+ years. In 2011 Middlebrooks would split time between Portland and Pawtucket, putting together a .285 average, 23 home runs, and 94 RBIs in 116 games. This season during his time in Pawtucket Middlebrooks has racked up a .333 average, 9 home runs, and 27 RBIs in 24 games. He’s clearly ready for this next step, and he’s still only 23 years old.

4) Bragging rights – As I previously mentioned, Middlebrooks was something of a jock in high school with football being his other game of choice. He’s been friends with former Arkansas quarterback and current Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallet since he was a child, and he’s currently dating a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. You better believe than Middlebrooks and Mallet are rooting for each other as they make their way up through Boston’s sporting ranks. As of now Middlebrooks has the bragging rights, something I’m sure he’s enjoying chiding Mallet about.

5) Fearless – Will Middlebrooks is 23 years old, and he seems completely unfazed by the hype in Boston. Youth often creates an ignorance is bliss situation, and it appears to be working. Middlebrooks seems too excited and focused on the opportunity in front of him to be bogged down mentally. Much as golfers tend to putt better as they’re coming up in golf’s ranks, Middlebrooks isn’t over-thinking his game as a rookie, instead relying on his natural abilities and allowing himself to continue to develop his eye at the plate.

All in all, I tend to be very reserved when it comes to getting excited about Red Sox prospects – I’m far more inclined to jump on the bandwagon of  an experienced free agent’s signing. That said, I’ve seen enough of Middlebrooks to feel more than comfortable with him owning third base at Fenway Park. I think he’ll be a centerpiece of the Sox offensive attack for a long time to come – a key piece to the new generation of Red Sox that is just starting to bloom.

When the 2012 Boston Red Sox season began, there were few doubts despite 2011′s collapse about the team’s ability to score runs. It made sense – in 2011 the Red Sox scored more runs than any team in major league baseball. And despite missing some key pieces, this year’s Red Sox team in currently second in Major League Baseball in runs scored.

But we collapsed last year! We’re doomed for the 2012 season and likely the next decade, remember? Still, many of those scrutinizing the Red Sox accepted that a rotation led by John Lester, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buchholz could be semi-decent, all that chicken and beer aside. Felix Dubront showed potential, and the Daniel Bard experiment was, well, the Daniel Bard experiment. In the wake of an epic collapse and the loss of Boston’s all-time best closer, the bullpen was seemingly decimated. The reality is that Josh Beckett didn’t  blow 20 games for the Red Sox last September – many of those losses fell firmly on the bullpen. What were the lowly Red Sox to do? Sign old, overweight Nicaraguan pitchers? Rely on the likes of Andrew Miller?

While it seemed like a second disaster in the making, the 2012 Red Sox bullpen has been outstanding. And better yet, they’re only going to get better in the second half. So much so that I’ve come up with 5 compelling reasons why the Red Sox pen will be the best in the AL after the All-Star break.

1) The return on Andrew Bailey – Simply put, Andrew Bailey was brought in to replace Jonathan Papelbon as the closer. But we’ve been without him all season now. This is a guy who came into the league and won the Rookie of the Year award. He’s been an All-Star in two of his first three seasons, and he owns a career ERA of 2.07. He’s 6’3, 240 pounds and throws primarily three pitches; a fastball of up to 97 mph, a splitter of up to 92 mph, and a curve – all of which he locates well. With Bailey’s return imminent in the second half, the Sox pen will get a huge boost – whether he immediately slides into the closer role or not.

2) The return of Daniel Bard – Daniel Bard was not effective as a starter. He limped to 5-6 with a 5.24 ERA as a starter this season. His fastball was down in the 93-94 mph range, and he averaged 5.6 strikeouts per nine innings. As a closer Bard was routinely hitting 98 or 99 mph, and his K’s per 9 ratio fluctuated between 9.1 and 11.5. Give him some 7th and 8th innings, and he’s a secondary boost.

3) Statistics – “The Red Sox bullpen hasn’t been that good this year,” you might say. Well, statistics show they’ve been very impressive in a couple of hugely important statistical categories – ERA and Batting Average Against (all statistics as of 7/2/12, ESPN.com).

Clayton Mortensen, 1.20 ERA, .170 BAA

Scott Atchison, 1.47 ERA, .208 BAA

Andrew Miller, 1.89 ERA, .172 BAA

Matt Albers, 2.53 ERA, .216 BAA

Rich Hill, 2.63 ERA, .240 BAA

Vicente Padilla, 3.64 ERA, .267 BAA

Alfredo Aceves, 4.17 ERA, .223 BAA

Note I did not include Franklin Morales or Aaron Cook – both have pitched well, but I’m assuming they’ll remain spot starters considering Bard is heading back to the pen and I’m not sure whether or not Daisuke Matsuzaka even has any interest in playing baseball. Mark Melancon, who was supposed to be a major new addition to the pen along with Bailey, started the year with an ERA higher than my average score on 18 holes. He’s finally returned to the line-up, so he has nowhere to go but up at this point. If he pitches well,  he’s just the cherry on top.

4) Competition – Bobby Valentine and Ben Cherington haven’t been given much credit for anything they’ve done with the Red Sox yet – but I think there’s one area where they’ve really been fabulous. When these guys started talking in the off-season about creating an atmosphere of competition in spring training and throughout the clubhouse, I thought “Yes! That’s exactly what we need to do!” The competition largely began as the staff competed for the 4th and 5th spots in the starting rotation, but it’s obviously permeated through the pen as well. We’ve also seen it with Cody Ross, Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish, and Ryan Sweeney in the outfield. These guys are all driving each other to do better, and they’re competing for innings. Which reminds me of another thing Bobby Valentine has actually done very well – spread the ball around. As of July 5th, Scott Atchison was leading all relievers on the Sox staff with 43 innings pitched… meaning those arms should all be relatively fresh heading into the second half of the season.

5) They’re battle tested – Think of what the Red Sox bullpen has been through, between the September collapse and the slow start this year. They’ve heard everything any critic could possibly say, and they’ve still come out and gotten it done. They’ve taken losses, they taken some heat, and they’ve rebounded and played better. Few staffs have dealt with what this staff has been through in the past 12 months or so. They’ve been hit repeatedly on the chin and they’ve weathered the punches. Ultimately, they’ll draw strength from it in the future.

Still don’t see this staff being the best in the AL after the break? Well then I’ve got another angle for you to chew on. We gave Bobby Valentine some due props earlier, so now let’s give it up for Ben Cherington (with an assist to Theo). The Red Sox pen of Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves, Scott Atchison, Matt Albers, Mark Melacon, Andrew Miller, Vicente Padilla, Clayton Mortensen, and Rich Hill (that’s 10 players) will earn $12,098,000 this season. That’s about $3 million less than Mariano Riveira’s salary, and only $98,000 more than the Yankees pay their replacement closer Rafael Soriano. Talk about money ball!

I’ve gone to dozens of Red Sox games the past couple of seasons, yet somehow sitting atop the Green Monster has managed to elude me – until last night. It’s one of those experiences I feel like any Red Sox fan wants to have, yet it often gets put off because let’s face it – there are seats a heck of a lot closer to the action.

I must say that I really dug the view from up there – it’s such a short porch in left field that although you’re high up, you actually feel much closer than I expected to the action. It’s not as crowded, you’ve got a bar and concessions to yourself, and it’s very much the experience I imagined it would be. The only real negative that I saw was that your view of balls hit deep to left and center field are somewhat obstructed depending on where you’re sitting – and it’s definitely only a matter of time until some drunk Bostonian in the front row reaches a little to far over the rail in an effort to snag a souvenir and tumbles the 37 feet to the ground.

While the view from atop the Monster is nice, what I was seeing on the field last night was maddening once again. Any 2-1 loss to the Orioles is no fun, but once again Josh Beckett pitched a great game and this time didn’t even get a no-decision; instead he took the loss and moved to 4-6 on the season. I wrote extensively last year about how Beckett’s 13-7 season with a 2.89 ERA last year conservatively could have been 20-3 if the man had gotten even average run support. Last night the trend continued, with Beckett pitching 8 inning, allowing only 5 hits, 2 runs, and no walks in a loss.

This has to be maddening for Beckett, who has been nothing short of a stud in his last several outings (stick that in your pipe and smoke in Gammons) yet hasn’t seen his record reflect how he’s been pitching. We all know that Beckett has lost the support of the majority of Red Sox fans, but he needs at least some support from his team. David Ortiz tried late in the game, eventually having the bat taken out of his hands by a third base umpire making the worst strikeout call I’ve ever seen on an obviously checked swing. Daniel Nava pinch-hit and was the last chance the Red Sox had – he promptly watched two strikes go by right down the middle, then swung at a curveball in the dirt and missed by a foot. Game over.

Score some runs for Beckett you bastards. And if you have a chance to, check out the Monster seats. They’re pretty cool.

In the past couple of days it has come out that following Josh Beckett’s start on May 10th – the now infamous 2-inning outing in which he allowed 7 earned runs after playing golf – David Ortiz called a mandatory players-only meeting. Ortiz, who has shouldered a lot of unwarranted blame along with Dustin Pedroia for failing to be team leaders (they couldn’t stop the collapse last September all by themselves!) apparently gave the team something of a tongue-lashing and specifically called for the pitching staff to step up.

It seems as though the staff, and Josh Beckett in particular, took Ortiz’s words to heart.

Beckett has been lights out in his past two starts, throwing a 7-inning shut out with 9 strikeouts in his previous outing and throwing 7 2/3 innings last night while allowing only a single run. Perhaps more importantly, he out-dueled Cliff Lee. As one of Beckett’s only proponents left here in the Boston area, this is absolutely a “told you so” moment for me. Peter Gammons called Beckett a 4th starter last week, my roommate is calling for him to be traded, and the entire city sees this guy as being lazy and unmotivated. I for one see an incredibly talented pitcher – a pitcher with the type of talent that doesn’t grow on trees. Once again I will cite my favorite Beckett stat from last season – the man had a 2.40 ERA entering September, and he still finished the season 5th in the league in ERA (and better than the Yankees’ ace) at 2.89. If he had also received the “average” run support that the Red Sox gave to their other pitchers last season, he would have been 19-3 on the season. In other words, the man still has it.

My Beckett ranting aside, the Red Sox are now one game below .500 which also happens to be one measly game behind the Yankees, who seem to have put a very mediocre season together without much criticism of their own. But enough about the Red Sox and the Yankees, THE Baltimore Orioles continue to reside atop the AL East standings and are even the second best team in baseball at the moment behind the LA Dodgers.

Let’s just say I think there will be some shuffling as the season continues. What are we going to get out of Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Daisuke Matsuzaka once they return?

Calm yourself Yankees fans – yes, the Red Sox have won three straight, but we all know that this team still has a long way to go. Yesterday’s 12-1 route of the Indians was much-needed, but frankly Daniel Bard’s game wasn’t nearly as good as his pitching line suggests. That said, I was turned on to a pretty amazing stat during the course of the game.

In the American League, the top 4 league leaders in doubles are all on the Red Sox. David Ortiz is leading the league, with Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, and Ryan Sweeney all tied for second most. Perhaps even more impressive is the Red Sox performance in terms of doubles as a team; the Red Sox lead the AL with 100 doubles on the season, with the second best team (Kansas City) managing only 72.

All of this only reinforces what we already knew – that the Red Sox can crush the ball but need to pitch better. Regardless, I thought it was a pretty interesting stat.

Will Middlebrooks… easy does it killer. Trust me, you’ve got our attention. Ben Cherrington must be perusing Match.com these days, because since the day you showed up on Fenway’s doorstep you’ve really hit it off. Youk goes down, your stock goes soaring up. Thank you Will. Thank you for being you.

Typically I don’t hop all over new Red Sox prospects who have 4 games of major league experience under their belt. But you need to know who Will Middlebrooks is given the start he’s off to in his major league career; 21 at bats, 8 hits; 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 RBI and a .381 average thus far. In the last two days alone he’s hit a 2-run home run, a 3-run home run, and a Grand Slam. This man may have a future here in Boston.

So now the real question – who the hell is this guy? Middlebrooks was drafted in the 5th round of the 2007 draft by the Red Sox, a selection taken straight out of a Texas high school. Middlebrooks already agreed to play both baseball and football at Texas A&M, but instead signed with the Red Sox to the tune of a $925,000 signing bonus. Perfect; the guy has had an opportunity to wet his whistle, hasn’t screwed it up at a young age, and has an incentive ahead of him to make a whole lot more money.

Middlebrooks’ scouting report reads quite well – a shortstop converted to a third baseman, 25+ home run power, light on his feet with a strong arm. He’s 6’4, 200 pounds, and an extremely hard worker. Sounds to me like the Red Sox need to clone this guy.

I am always hesitant when it comes to signing praises on young guys with little experience – Shane Spencer is my eternal example of this. But that said, it’s hard not to get excited about this kid after watching him go yard then watching Darnell McDonald flail around in the spot behind him.

In a season with very few bright spots except for Boston’s Sun and Moon – David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia – Middlebrooks is giving us something to be excited about. Will Middlebrooks… hell it even sounds like a ballplayer’s name.

Happy to have you.

Last year, it was a 2-11 start. This year, it’s 5-10. Let me tell you, from a fan’s perspective, it looks pretty damn similar. Yet for all the yelling about a depleted roster and Bobby Valentine being a laughable replacement for Terry Francona, the team is actually off to a better start this year. The question now is simple – there’s no more fried chicken, there’s no more funneling in the clubhouse. So where did things go awry?

I’ll start with Valentine, the man tasked with righting the ship. Unfortunately I was with some Yankee-humpers at Fenway this past Saturday – yes, the now infamous 16-9 game – the one that saw the Red Sox take a 9-1 lead, only to have the Yankees reel off 15 un-answered runs in the later innings. Now, I’m the first to admit that Bobby Valentine didn’t pitch the 7th or 8th inning – the bullpen did. But after the traumatic loss, it was Bobby Valentine who was looking much like a third base coach giving signals as he tugged on his ears, rubbed his teeth, and chewed his nails while stating that the team had reached rock bottom; rock bottom a whole 14 games into the season. Terry Francona could be storming the beach in Normandy and he wouldn’t consider it rock bottom – he’d try to battle back. Valentine appears to me to be sorely lacking in one regard – leadership.

He’s terrible with the media, he seems unintelligent, and he’s lost his clubhouse this early into a young season. In my eyes, and I know I’m quick to the trigger, but Bobby Valentine needs to go. The Red Sox need to begin their search for a new manager, as it’s apparent to me that Bobby Valentine is not comfortable under the Fenway lights. Yet for all this Bobby bashing, I’m also the first to admit what has become a common argument in Boston over the last week or so – it’s not all his fault. Regardless of who was given the reigns to the Red Sox this past offseason, it’s very likely that this team would be struggling.

To me, this speaks volumes about the real problem with the Boston Red Sox – President and CEO Larry Lucchino. Lucchino has developed something of a mob boss aura, as if he sits in his suite overlooking the park and rules over the team while puffing on a cigar. I don’t know the inner workings of the Red Sox ownership or front office, so I won’t pretend to – but that said, there’s been a lot written and said about Lucchino throwing his weight around. It seems as though the departures of Theo Epstein and Terry Francona and the appointments of Ben Cherington and Bobby Valentine had a lot to do with Lucchino, who apparently feels as though he can trump the opinions of the baseball people around him. Whether he’s been heavily involved in specific player negotiations I don’t know, but it seems as though his influence is largely responsible for the new clubhouse culture that is now permeating the Red Sox organization; a culture of losing despite having enormous talent.

It’s sounds very much like scapegoating, blaming any team’s performance on an executive – I hear that. But I think Lucchino’s role has been significant in creating the present situation, and I think his shoulders are owed much more of the blame that Bobby Valentine’s. All of this said, it seems unlikely that Lucchino or Valentine will go anywhere, so we’re left with a team that needs to hold it together and salvage what they can of this season until help comes – and the good news is help is on the way.

The real weak point of the Red Sox is the bullpen, and Andrew Bailey and Daisuke Matsuzaka will be returning to the pitching staff at some point not soon enough. As for the offense, it should be bolstered plenty by the return of Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford. Better yet, there have been unexpected bright spots in Red Sox lineup – David Ortiz is hitting .441, Ryan Sweeney is hitting .400, Cody Ross is hitting home runs, and Felix Doubront is pitching like Boston’s 2011 Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Too many will forget that after starting 2-11 last year, the Red Sox won 81 or their next 120 games – far and away the best record in baseball over that period. I’ll acknowledge that this is a team in turmoil – but I think they’re only a new manager and a pitcher away from being a true contender.

While Major League’s baseball’s Opening Day was “officially” yesterday, the majority of the league doesn’t start playing until next week. For the Red Sox, next Thursday is the day. With one week left to go before the 2012 Red Sox officially take the field, it’s time for my annual season preview and a closer look at the lineup. Here we go…

My 2012 Boston Red Sox Lineup – If I was Bobby Valentine, here’s how I’d pencil them in.
1) Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2) Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3) David Ortiz, DH
4) Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
5) Kevin Youkilis, 3B
6) Carl Crawford, LF
7) Cody Ross, RF
8)Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
9) Mike Aviles, SS

Starting Rotation
1) Jon Lester
2) Josh Beckett
3) Clay Buchholz
4) Daniel Bard
5) Felix Dubront

Relievers
Alfredo Aceves, Middle Relief
Aaron Cook, Middle Relief
Mark Melancon, Set-up Man
Andrew Bailey, Closer

Utilty Players/Other Potential Contributors
Nick Punto, Utility Infielder
Ryan Kallish, Darnell McDonald & Ryan Sweeney, Utility Outfielders
Kelly Shoppach & Ryan Lavarnway, Back-up Catchers
Jose Iglesias & Lars Anderson, Minor League Call-ups
Rich Hill, Franklin Morales, Daisuke Matsuzaka & Andrew Miller, Pitching Depth

Now that you have a sense of the role I see each of these guys playing, here are some general “managerial” thoughts – starting with the biggest off-season addition the Red Sox made, Bobby Valentine.

Bobby Valentine
When Bobby Valentine was first hired, I swallowed hard and decided to give the guy the benefit of the doubt. He certainly isn’t Terry Francona 2.0, and he certainly has a track record of turning teams around. I have been pretty mum on the Bobby Valentine front so far this spring, and to be truthful, they guy will not have been given a fair shake until he gets some games under his belt that actually count.

So what’s my point? The point is, the verdict on Bobby Valentine is still out. That said, I will tell you that as of right now I hate just about everything about this guy. Maybe he’s great with the team in the clubhouse, I don’t know, but he needs to shut his mouth when talking to the media. This whole notion of “there’s nowhere to hide” doesn’t fly with me.

My Starting Lineup
I don’t think there are too many surprises in my starting lineup, with the exception of David Ortiz hitting third. My argument here is simple – I don’t buy into the whole lefty-righty-lefty-righty ordeal as much as most people do. This lineup is otherwise very strong in this regard, and I think that Ortiz and Gonzalez are true 3 or 4 hitters so I want them to hit back to back. I think that Gonzalez hitting behind Ortiz will more greatly benefit Ortiz than if the roles were reversed.

The other area of possible contention with this lineup is that I sided with Bobby Valentine (or Ben Cherington, who knows) and started Mike Aviles over Jose Iglesias, who will start the season in Triple-A. I don’t care if Iglesias is Ozzie Smith with the glove, if you’re hitting .200 in spring training you aren’t Major League ready. Hell, you better be hitting .280+ in Triple-A  if you even want to smell the big leagues. Give him some time to work on his hitting and move him up when he’s ready – what’s the rush?

Starting Rotation
The starting rotation has been the big topic of discussion with the Red Sox this spring. I for one am not a fan of Daniel Bard being in the rotation, but I left him in this spot because I think it’s inevitable. That said, the fact of the matter is that Bard struggled, very much so, as a starter in college and in the minors. While his stuff is devastating, guys that throw that hard are never as tough the second and third time through the opposing lineup. He just doesn’t seem like a great fit for me, but I do love having both Aaron Cook and Alfredo Aceves available for long relief as opposed to starting them.

I am putting my faith in Felix Dubront. He’s lefty, has good stuff, and the scouting report on him actually reads well. The knock against Dubront is that he doesn’t have a devastating strikeout pitch, but he’s young and shows a lot of potential. I’m very happy to give him the opportunity to start in the fifth spot.

Relievers
This is certainly the short-list of relievers, but these guys will all need to play a big role for the Sox this year. Frankly, Melancon or Bailey could be the closer. Aceves was a stud last year, and I love Cook even though he semi-sucks because I think sinkerball pitchers are valuable in their ability to produce ground ball outs(remember Derek Lowe?).

Utility Players/Other Potential Contributors
Who knows what the hell we’re going to get out of Dice-K this year? He could go 18-3, or he could spend the season folding origami on the bench. Nick Punto does nothing for me, but I think Ryan Lavarnway in particular and Ryan Kallish as well both have a large upside if they’re given some time to develop. Lars Anderson is also an exciting prospect to me, although there’s not much room for him at the moment.

Season Prediction
I’m not going to sit here and yell to everyone in Boston about how great the Red Sox are going to be this year. I’m just not. In general, I think this is a wait and see season, and that’s what I’ll do. That said, I am very optimistic. This team does have a ton of talent on it, too much to stink unless Bobby Valentine really loses control of the reigns. Do I think the Red Sox will make the playoffs? Absolutely. But I’ll leave it at that, at least for now. I think this season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive season’s in recent baseball history, especially in the American League. The Yankees will be good. Detroit will be awesome. So will the Angels. And as we learned last year, you can never forget the Rays.

This is a big year for the Red Sox after last year’s collapse – it’ll undoubtedly set the tone for the new direction of the club. I for one am looking forward to it.