Now on to next year. I like what I see in the Red Sox organization, lots of young talent and some seasoned vets. Apparently it's a hard combination to beat. Sox fans have much to be happy about, besides the World Series victory and the Yankees' season ending in ignominy, let's look shall we?
- Dustin Pedroia - Probable AL rookie of the year. This 5 foot nine inch Goliath can flat out play, both on the field and at the plate.
- Jacoby Ellsbury - Probable AL rookie of the year 2008. After watching this kid play it occurs to me that speed on the base paths is an under rated commodity, with Ellsbury we have some for the next several years.
- Josh Beckett - Probable AL Cy Young winner. This man is lights out. He was decent last year, but this year he took his game to a new level and he's still pretty young.
- Clay Buchholz - This Cinderfella rookie pitcher threw a no hitter in his second game in the bigs, even a blind man could see this kid has great potential.
- Daisuke Matsuzaka - He was good this year, I bet he will be much better next year.
- Hideki Okajima - Who had heard of this guy before last year? And yet he managed to be one of those all important pieces to the Red Sox season. I love it when the Sox pick up no name giant killers like this.
- Kevin Youkilis - No batter in the major leagues sees more pitches per at bat then Kevin Youkilis. These patient, selfless at bats are essential to Boston's success because they get us to the opposing team's bull pen sooner then they would like.
- Jonathan Papelbon - Yet another lights out pitcher. Papelbon probably has more personality than all the CPAs in the world combined, but who cares? He could have the personality of Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off for all I care, as long as throws that godawful heat in the eighth and ninth.
- Jon Lester - Red Sox scouts weren't sure who would be the better pitcher, Jonathan Papelbon or John Lester. Now that he's healthy I look for some great things from this young man.
- The Sox front office - At this point you start to think that maybe these guys know what they're doing, as in seeing a need and filling it with a quality player. They'll spend and they'll develop. In combination you get to see a line up that contributes from top to bottom.
True, some of our veteran pitchers are free agents this year, Schilling, Wakefield, Timlin, Tavares, even Gagne, but I trust the Red Sox management to make the right decisions on who to bring back. With that said, I hope they manage to bring back Mike Lowell. Outstanding defense and great offense are a tough package to replace. I hope A-Rod stays the hell away from the Red Sox and they stay the hell away from him. I know he's good, that's not in question, but he brings more baggage than Brittany Spears checking into yet another rehab. Plus he's far too expensive. No one is worth that sort of money, unless of course he opens up lucrative foreign markets for your team ala Daisuke Matsuzaka. Plus that bush league psych-out stuff Scott Boras pulled during game four should be met by a league wide boycott of A-Rod. It won't be, but that 'd be great to see.
4 comments:
I'm guessing Timlin will retire. Gagne's gone. (THAT'S a trade that didn't work out.) Schilling's gone too. I'd love to have him back and so would the Sox but other teams are likely to offer more than what the Sox think he's now worth.
They should resign Tavares and definitely Lowell - DEFINITELY. If Coco isn't traded over the winter, he will be by All Star break. I love his defense but there's no question Ellsbury is a more complete package.
But all this speculation is just that. It's for tomorrow. Today, we're world champions - AGAIN!!! To celebrate I'd like to express myself with an interpretive dance.
Not Tavares !!!!
Why not Tavares? He's not going to command a lot of money. It's not like they're building the staff around him but he certainly filled a role and filled it well this year. When he was the number 5 starter he kept getting matched up against some of the best pitchers in the league. He more than held his own in those matchups.
I seem to remember Tavares winning a few games against the opposing teams number one starter.
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