Will the 2010 Red Sox score enough runs?
The philosophy of the 2010 Boston Red Sox is centered on pitching and defense – run prevention. With that being said, Jason Bay’s 119 RBI, and Mike Lowell’s 75 RBI (expect him to be traded sometime this spring if healthy) will be sorely missed. Other than the rapidly aging David Ortiz, only two players in the Red Sox lineup have ever produced more than 30 homeruns in a single season
Red Sox Ace John Lackey
– both in 2004 – six years ago when Mike Cameron hit 30 for the Mets and Adrian Beltre hit a fluky 48 for the Dodgers in a contract year (his next highest total is 26!). Ortiz surely cannot be expected to produce at the clip that the once did, and the other two occurrences happened back when John Kerry was running for president. It remains to be seen if the perceived defensive improvements of Cameron and Beltre will make up for the lack of punch in the offense.
How will John Lackey pitch at Fenway over a full season?
There is no doubt that the Red Sox acquired a legitimate front-line starter when they signed former Angel Jon Lackey to an $82 million contract. However, Lackey will probably tell you that Fenway hasn’t exactly been friendly to him. In 9 career games at Fenway, Lackey has been beaten to the tune of a 5.75 ERA, a .314 batting average against, and a WHIP of 1.67. In the postseason, has been slightly better with a 4.15 ERA in 2 starts at Fenway. Granted, these numbers came against some Red Sox offensive juggernauts, but Lackey will certainly have to put up with the vaunted New York Yankees offense at home at some point this year being in the AL East. Lackey is a fiery competitor and will certainly take this challenge to heart.
Is David Ortiz done?
Coming off his worst year since joining the Red Sox, David Ortiz enters the final year of his contract as a huge question mark. Can he be relied upon in big spots? Probably not. Last season his bat appeared to be slow vs. fastballs high and tight, and there is no reason to expect that this quality will improve with age. When he struggled, he appeared disinterested. Pitchers no longer fear Big Papi, who will more than likely bat 6th in the order between J.D. Drew and Mike Cameron. It will be up to Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez to provide the big hit. Ortiz seems to be a relic from a time gone by, where the designated hitter would be a specialized offensive threat. Nowadays most teams use the position to rest position players without granting them a day off.
How will Jason Varitek being a supporting cast member affect the team?
After seeing the team captain become a virtual automatic out over the last two seasons as well as having his defensive game slip, one could certainly argue that this will have a positive effect. Although he has been long-celebrated as the man who “handles the pitching staff very well” once Victor Martinez stepped in last year, there did not seem to be much difference in the staff’s performance. The fact is that Varitek is a consummate professional who has constantly put the team’s interest before his own, and accepting the backup catchers’ role is another example of this.
