Dustin Pedroia is on the comeback trail

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Dustin Pedroia has had a tough time with injuries in his career, particularly last season, but all reports suggest he's ready to come back better and healthier this season. Dave Dombrowksi told Pedroia to emphasize quickness in the off-season, per Masslive.com, noting how it worked for Ian Kinsler:

"We talked about emphasizing quickness, and I think at his age, you end up being where you need to do that," Dombrowski said in December. "I heard the same thing about Ian Kinsler a couple years ago, (then he) had his best two years defensively that he's ever had. Part of that was he changed his program in that he worked more on his quickness at that time. I've seen that work with guys."

Pedroia himself said that he's trying to expand his game and be more well-rounded:

"I'm training to be an athlete, not do (just) certain things," Pedroia said. "I'm not trying to just hit home runs or drive the ball. I'm trying to whatever is thrown at me be able to acclimate and make a play. Just training to be an athlete instead of more sports-specific." Pedroia has put an emphasis on building his strength the past two offseasons. "I want to beat teams 10 different ways, man: stealing bags, hitting singles, doubles, making plays," Pedroia said. "That's what I'm trying to do. That's my focus — not on just one thing."

Last season, Pedroia started out well, hitting at a .306 clip with 9 home runs, 14 doubles, and 33 RBI's, but went down with a hamstring injury in June. The key for Pedroia will be staying healthy, and it sounds like he's been working on that this off-season. And that spells trouble for other teams - if Pedroia is healthy, he'll be a big factor in our success this season.

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Wade Boggs to have number retired, but should he?

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Wade Boggs played a grand total of 11 seasons in Boston, amassing a .338/.428/.462 slash line and 200 hits every season from 1984-89. He was a part of the 1986 team that was a Bill Buckner freak play away from breaking "The Curse of the Bambino" 18 years early. No doubt he was one of the great players in Red Sox history, but was he good enough to have his number retired? I would have to say yes.

Now, I'm too young to have seen him play with the Red Sox - I was born in 1990, and Boggs left for the Evil Empire (and ultimately won a World Series there in 1996- ouch!) in 1992. The first time I saw him play, in the late 90's, was with the Tampa Bay Rays. But, when your name gets thrown around with Ted Williams, that's worth something. Boggs is right behind Ted Williams in batting titles with the Red Sox (5), and average at Fenway Park (.338). Pretty impressive in my books.

Ultimately, Wade Boggs never brought a World Series championship to Boston, and that affects some of the perception surrounding Boggs. If he had been on the team that had broken "The Curse," I don't think there would be any doubts about him getting his number retired. But there will always be doubts about this, especially since he left for the Yankees, then proceeded to win a title there. That couldn't have been a pleasant feeling for Red Sox fans. For me, though, he was a model of consistency while he was with the Red Sox and that's why he should have his number retired.

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Roster Projection 1.0 - what will the Red Sox look like in April?

Photo Credit: Over the Monster

Before the Red Sox kick off the season in April, I'm going to try and project what the Red Sox roster will look like when Opening Day finally rolls around. This will be the first of several throughout Spring Training since players could get hurt, under- or over-perform expectations, etc. Without further ado, I give you my pre-Spring Training roster projection.

 Outfield: The outfield is the toughest projection to make as far as starters go, because there is such a logjam of talent in the outfield, but here's how I see it shaping up at the start:  

Starters (Left to Right): Chris Young, Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo Betts was by far the easiest one to choose, as he is probably one of the most promising young players in baseball right now. Aside from his .291 average and 18 home runs, he also posted his highest fielding percentage in center field (.990), so barring an injury. Chris Young, the new signing from New York, will likely start in left. He posts his best fielding percentage in left (.996), but he's also only played 152 games in left, compared to 947 in center field. However, I do see the center field job as Mookie Betts' to lose at the moment, so I think the team will build around that assumption going into Spring Training. Rusney Castillo will likely round out the outfield. He showed flashes of what he can do last season, and I also think the Red Sox will want to avoid making him the most expensive minor leaguer in history. I think Castillo will start the year as the Red Sox right fielder, where he's played the most in his young Red Sox career.  

Bench: Jackie Bradley Jr., Brock Holt
Bryce Brentz and Jackie Bradley Jr are the two guys are the only other outfielders on the 40-man roster right now. However, the Opening Day roster will be trimmed to 25 and, at the moment, Jackie Bradley is the one assured of a major league spot - his glove is fantastic, even if his hitting needs some work. If any of the 3 starters go down with an injury, he'll be the first one off the bench. Right now, Brentz should spend another year down in AAA Pawtucket, and maybe next year, he'll be ready to start at a major league level. The Red Sox also have Brock Holt, who can fill in just about anywhere, so there's really no room for Brentz at the moment.  


Infield:
  
Starters: Hanley Ramirez (1B), Dustin Pedroia (2B), Xander Bogaerts (SS), Pablo Sandoval (3B) This one was pretty simple. Barring a major injury between now and Opening Day, this is what the infield will look like. 3 of those guys have big contracts (Pedroia, Ramirez, Sandoval), and Xander Bogaerts is the most promising young shortstop in the game. As far as Ramirez goes, management has made it clear he'll start at first, so that's beyond a doubt at this point. Sandoval should get another shot, assuming the rumors of him losing weight are true.

 Bench: Brock Holt, Travis Shaw Brock Holt, as I mentioned above, can play just about anywhere, and Travis Shaw will be the first off the bench if the Hanley at 1st experiment goes wrong, so not much question there.  

Catcher: Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez I do think Swihart gets the Opening Day nod, at least until Vazquez is 100%. And even then, I think they'll be platooning it during the regular season, depending on who's pitching and how they develop with each individual pitcher. DH: David Ortiz. No questions there.

Starting Lineup: This is what the lineup would look like, assuming this holds true: 1.) Mookie Betts, CF 2.) Xander Bogaerts, SS 3.) David Ortiz, DH 4.) Hanley Ramirez, 1B 5.) Pablo Sandoval, 3B 6.) Dustin Pedroia, 2B 7.) Rusney Castillo, RF 8.) Blake Swihart/Christian Vazquez, C 9.) Chris Young, LF

Starting Pitchers: David Price, Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, Roenis Elias I already tried my hand at projecting the rotation, and I stand by what I said in that. To read that, click here.  

Bullpen: Koji Uehara, Craig Kimbrel, Carson Smith, Joe Kelly, Junichi Tazawa, Stevan Wright, Robbie Ross Right now, 5 of those guys are locks to be on the Opening Day roster - Koji, Taz, Kelly as a long reliever/spot starter, and the new acquisitions, Kimbrel and Smith. As for the other guys, they all had their struggles last year - but, then again, who didn't last year? However, I do think the bullpen will be the most improved part of the team, with Kimbrel taking over the closer slot from Koji. That will take the pressure of Koji, and I think he'll return to his 2013 form.

So, there you have it. That's my 25 man Opening Day roster projection for the Red Sox. This isn't close to perfect, and I'll do at least a couple more during Spring Training, as I see how players are doing.

Playoffs or bust in Ortiz's final season

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson/AP

The Red Sox are preparing for their final season with David Ortiz as a player, and John Henry has set the bar pretty high for David Ortiz's final season, per Masslive:  

"Given his track record in the postseason, it would be a disaster, that's a strong word, I guess, a big disaster — it would be terrible if he doesn't end his career in the postseason," Henry said here at the Red Sox Baseball Winter Weekend at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Friday.  

Ortiz has a .295 career playoff average, 17 home runs and 62 RBI's in the playoffs, and is also responsible for many of the most memorable moments in recent Red Sox playoff history. He single-handedly brought the team back from the brink in 2004 and ran away with the World Series MVP in 2013, leading some (myself included) to christen him the new "Mr. October."

 John Henry would be absolutely correct in saying that it would be a disaster if they can't make the playoffs this season, even more so given how aggressive the team has been in the off-season. Aside from it being Ortiz's last season, this team should be in a
great position to win the Wild Card at minimum, if not win the AL East. Right now, I'm cautiously optimistic about this season given recent performances (3 last place finishes in 4 years), but fans absolutely have a right to expect the Red Sox to contend this year. Ultimately, I think disaster will be averted and the team will send Ortiz out on a high.

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Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek selected to Red Sox Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Winslow Townsend

The National Baseball Hall of Fame inductions are past, but the Red Sox announced that Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, both 2-time World Champions with the Red Sox, are among 4 guys inducted into the team Hall of Fame.

Jason Varitek holds the team record for games caught (1488 from 1997-2011), was a 3-time All Star and Red Sox captain from 2005-11. Tim Wakefield spent 16 years with the team (1995-2011), starting 430 games, winning 186 games and striking out 2,046 hitters among other things. Both guys are very deserving of the recognition, as both had excellent careers with the Red Sox. I grew up with these guys, and they were 2 of my favorite players to watch. Both guys were great team players and exemplified what being a Red Sox player should be.

On a personal note, I had the good fortune of meeting Tim Wakefield on 2 separate occasions, once back in 2004 and once in 2014. I had the pleasure of interviewing Wake in 2014, and he couldn't have been nicer. It was a brief encounter, but he was thorough and thoughtful with the questions I asked (the whole interview is below). He was a real pleasure to sit down with and talk to, and I can think of no one more deserving.
Ira Flagsted and Larry Lucchino were also named to the team Hall of Fame. Flagsted played for the team for 6 years, and led the league in assists (115). Lucchino has owned the team for 14 years and presided over an 820-game sellout and 3 World Series Championships (04,07,13). Congratulations to all, and I can't wait to see the ceremony. The formal induction takes place on the 19th of May, with a ceremony before the Red Sox home game the next day.

PED's & the Hall of Fame: My thoughts

Photo Credit: FiveThirtyEight

I've been a baseball fan since the mid-1990's when I was a young kid and I grew up in the peak of the steroid era. One of my fondest memories of the early years of my watching baseball was the home run race of '98 between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. As a kid, it was exciting to watch the rivalry between the 2, but it was also one of the biggest letdowns to find out that it was all bogus and they were using PED's. I also remember Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds play in their peak, but I was disappointed because they were also 2 of the more prominent guys connected to the Mitchell Report. I also appreciate that these were 2 great players without steroids. Even without PED's, I'm sure both would have been on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Which brings me to the point of this article: My thoughts on PED's and getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This has always conflicted me because taking PED's is obviously wrong, but at the same time, should that really bar guys like Clemens and Bonds from getting in, since they were likely good enough to warrant a Hall of Fame induction anyway? This is a question I've wrestled with as a fan for some time, but ultimately, I think the guys like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens should get in. It ultimately comes down to "Were these guys good enough to warrant selection without using PED's?" As I mentioned above, I think Bonds and Clemens both were talented enough without PED's. It's hard to say for sure, but that's just my personal opinion.

However, I do think the Hall of Fame and the Baseball Writers Association of America, who votes on who gets in, might want to put something out along the lines of "We don't condone steroid use, but we felt that the players in here who were connected with the Mitchell Report would have merited selection without steroids." Or something like that. Because there are guys still active like Alex Rodriguez, David Ortz (who never actually failed a test, but was connected with the Mitchell Report), and Manny Ramirez who aren't eligible for selection yet, but who could be on the ballot when their time comes shortly, and this whole debate will start again. That is, if it ever stops.

Well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens, but ultimately, if they were good enough to get in without PED's, they should be at least given their fair shot. That's my 2 cents on the matter.

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Hanley Ramirez should be ok at first...maybe

AP/Charles Krupa

For all their off-season moves, the Red Sox have some questions that still need answering. Primary among said questions is how Hanley Ramirez will adjust to first base. His defense in left field last year was shaky, which is putting it nicely. John Farrell went on WEEI and expressed his confidence in Hanley Ramirez's ability to adjust to playing first base during Spring Training:

"A 30-game schedule in spring training, we feel like we'll have ample time to get him adjusted over there," Farrell said. “We’re talking about a longtime career infielder that granted, we made the move to put him in left field and now we’re coming off that and putting him at first base, but we’re also taking a career-long infielder and moving him across the diamond,” Farrell said. “As far as the footwork and fielding a groundball, we feel that’s kind of a pickup from where he’s been his whole career. Now his footwork around the bag, and the responsibilities with cutoffs and relays and understanding certain game situations, yes, that’s going to be different.”

Well, I wish I had his confidence. Hanley had 4 errors in left field over 92 games, but misplayed balls off the Green Monster, while giving up on other plays. That's what worries me about him - his apparent laziness last season wouldn't translate well to first base, and I wonder if it will result in him getting traded eventually. Red Sox Nation is sure hoping it happens and Travis Shaw gets more playing time. Either him, or Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles free agent slugger, is also a nice fantasy. I'd say go with Travis Shaw personally, but first Hanley would have to be gone because you know as long as he's on the team, he'll be in the lineup as much as possible due to his contract.

One can only hope that Hanley gets his act together, because a trade likely means the Red Sox would be stuck with a good chunk of his remaining contract. Hanley, if you are reading this (slim, I know), please get your stuff together. Do it for the kids.

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Xander Bogaerts isn't done developing yet..and that should scare the league

Bob DeChiara/USA Today

Xander Bogaerts is good. I mean, really good. From showing the ice in his veins in the World Series in 2013 to his .320/.355/.421 line in 2015. But, according to Over the Monster, there's still more that he could do:

Not necessarily. Although Bogaerts' season had the look of a breakout, a closer glance at his performance indicates he is still very much developing and honing his approach at the plate. As many pointed out this summer, Bogaerts took an aggressive strategy against opposing pitchers last year. He wasn't afraid to swing early in the count and was even less fearful of using the whole field, often going the other way to pick up easy base hits.

Over the Monster also posted a graph showing how he's been using the whole field:


However, he only had a 4.9% walk rate last year, so he could definitely improve his patience. His performance in September and October showed that (a .393 average during that span), and as long as he continues to work on that, he should be fine. And he's only 23, so keep that in mind. If I was a fan of any other team in the league, I would be worried about facing this kid knowing that he still has work to do. As it is, I am a Red Sox fan, and I'm really excited about seeing him in 2016. He's still hitting his prime, and he'll be fun to watch.

He's also a key part of the Red Sox young core that they have been so patiently developing these past few years. He and guys like Mookie Betts, Brock Holt, Eduardo Rodriguez, and others will be the driving force of the team in the next few years. That'll be fun to watch.

Stats from Over the Monster.

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Ken Griffey, Mike Piazza elected to Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame class of 2016 was announced today, and it was a small class, with only Ken Kriffey Jr. (99.3)and Mike Piazza (83) gaining entry into Cooperstown. Ken Griffey set a new record for the highest voting percentage, with only 3 voting members not voting for Griffey.

Jeff Bagwell (71%) was the 3rd leading vote-getter, but fell just shy of the required 75 percent needed.

Congratulations to 2 legends of the game on the deserving honor. Both guys were guys that I admired growing up and loved to watch play. I personally wasn't surprised by either selection, but I was surprised that only 2 got in this year after 5 got in last year. I guess the Baseball Writers Association was feeling tough this year.

Congrats again to Griffey and Piazza.

Picture and info from MLB Network.

What my HOF Ballot would look like...if I had one

Photo credit: AP

Hall of Fame voting is underway with 15 new players on the ballot this year for consideration. Prominent among them is outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who is a certainty, and ex-Red Sox 3rd baseman (and World Series MVP with us) Mike Lowell. Other new faces on the ballot include closer Trevor Hoffman, Jim Edmonds, Garrett Anderson, Brad Ausmus, and Billy Wangner. There are 32 players total up for consideration this year. Without further ado, here are the guys I would put in:

1. Ken Griffey Jr - This is a no brainer. He is one of the top 3 players who never won a championship, and would have easily had 3,000 hits if he hadn't had injury problems in his career. As it is, he did finish with 2781 hits, 630 home runs, 13 All Star selections and 10 Gold Gloves with the injuries. To me, that should be enough.

2. Mike Piazza - One of the best catchers to ever play the game has been hovering near the requisite 75% needed to gain entry (69.9% last year). I think he finally gets in this season.

3. Curt Schilling - For me, this is about arguably the gutsiest play-off performances in history with the bloody sock. His stats don't jump out at you with regards to the Hall - 216-146 record, 3.46 ERA, 3116 strikeouts in 3261.0 innings, but I would still put him in because he was best on the big stage.

4. Jeff Bagwell - He finished his career with 2314 hits and 449 home runs, as well as a .297 batting average. He also finished his career with a .993 fielding percentage, only committing 129 errors in his entire career. And he did it all with the Houston Astros, which was impressive. To me, he was a great all around player and he deserves the nod.

Well, there you have it. Those are the guys I would put in. You could make a case for all 32 guys on the list, but not all 32 guys will get in. I welcome your thoughts on this.  

All stats from baseball-reference.com.

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Red Sox unveil new mascot, Tessie the Green Monster

Photo Credit: Red Sox Twitter Page

The Red Sox unveiled a new mascot today called Tessie, the younger sister of current mascot Wally:

That's right, @Wally97's sister is joining us at Fenway this season! 👏 https://t.co/TuvSpJAnBJ

— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) January 5, 2016

The Red Sox announced the new addition in a video which they posted on their official Twitter page (also posted below).

.@Wally97's little sister is coming to Boston! Meet @TessieTGM! https://t.co/gGhGsenee0

— Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) January 5, 2016

Put it this way - I'm not crazy about the new addition to the Red Sox family, whatever the name of this blog might suggest. Watching the video, it looks like she has some baseball skill, but as far as mascots go, I'm good with just the one. I guess it wouldn't make any difference to me, since I go to games to actually watch the game being played, but I guess it would be good for the kids. I just hope Mom & Pop Monster are back in Florida. Wally and Tessie will both be at the Red Sox Winter Weekend from January 22-24th.

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3 Keys to the Red Sox Playoff Hopes

Photo Credit: Monstah Mash

The Red Sox head into 2016 with a new-look roster, which has given the fans new hope after 3 last place finishes in 4 years. As we move closer to baseball season (43 days until pitchers and catchers report, 90 until Opening Day, but who's counting?), I'll look at the 4 keys for the Red Sox heading into the young season.  

1.) The Young Core: The Red Sox core of young talent, including guys like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and others, are finally starting to come into their own. These guys are homegrown players for the most part, who came up through the Red Sox farm systems, and will prove to be huge contributors in 2016.  

2.) David Price: Price was the big money acquisition this off-season, so naturally the Red Sox and the fans expect the price the team paid to be worth it. The one major knock on Price is his postseason performance, but it's hard to worry about that if the team doesn't make the playoffs in the first place. Earlier, I projected 19 wins for Price, which should be enough to propel the team to a first playoff birth since winning the World Series in 2013. One way or another, the acquisition of David Price will play a huge role in how the team ends up.  

3.) The bullpen: Every team that aspires to make a run at a championship needs a good bullpen (see: the Kansas City Royals). The Red Sox bolstered their bullpen big time with the acquisitions of Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel. These guys will take some of the pressure off guys like Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara, both of whom felt the strain of heavy usage last year, especially in the second half. The starters can only take a team so far, and if the Kansas City Royals proved anything, it's that you won't win a championship without a bullpen, so that'll be something to watch for the Red Sox.

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Mookie Betts: Young stud, ranked bowler....and a moose hunter?

Photo Credit: Andy Marlin/USA Today

Mookie Betts is a man of many talents. He's one of the best young outfielders in baseball, he can bowl, and he is looking to expand his horizons and go moose hunting, he tweeted out:

All i want to do is go moose hunting. Anybody kno somebody that can help me out?

— mookiebetts (@mookiebetts) January 2, 2016

Well, if he's serious, he could always go to Maine. He would be in good company, according to the Bangor Daily News:

If only there was a state within striking distance of Boston where a guy could… wait a minute, he could come to Maine! It wouldn’t be the first time a Sox star headed north to take advantage of Maine’s rich hunting or fishing bounties. In 2006, All Star closer Jonathan Papelbon came up on a moose hunt as a guest of the Passamaquoddy tribe, and Hall-0f-Famer Carl Yastrzemski was known to enjoy striper fishing on the Kennebec River. Avid fisherman and all-time Sox great Ted Williams can be seen in a 1947 photograph celebrating a catch from a fishing trip to Aroostook County. So Betts would be following in the footsteps of some top Boston baseball players if he made the trek, and he’s already somewhat familiar with Maine due to his time playing for the Red Sox’ Double A team, the Portland Sea Dogs.

Well, as long as he doesn't take out any of my moose relatives - I may or may not have a little moose DNA from the 4 or so years I spent in Maine as a kid - I'll be good with him learning how to hunt moose. Twitter - @C_Frederick1016 @FlyingGM_Blog Facebook: Flying Green Monsters

Red Sox resolutions: How much is left to do?

Matthew West/Boston Herald

With 2 of the Red Sox major needs addressed after acquiring an ace and strengthening their bullpen by acquiring Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel, how much is left for the team to do? According to the Boston Herald, there are a few things left the team could do.

1.) Drop Hanley Ramirez and sign Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis.  From the Herald:

Is it really that crazy of an idea? The Baltimore Orioles already appear tired of waiting for an answer from Davis after reportedly offering him a seven-year contract for $154 million, which would pay Davis $22 million per season, the same annual salary Ramirez will be paid over the next three years. Boras doesn’t appear to like that offer. And it’s no slam dunk the Orioles will increase it. They don’t want to bid against themselves when the market for Davis appears to be nonexistent.

Is that really a good idea, though? We already overpaid for Hanley Ramirez last season, and we'd most likely have to eat a hefty chunk of his remaining contract in addition to meeting Chris Davis' contract demands. And Chris Davis is a Scott Boras, so he'll be looking for top-dollar. So, I think I'll pass on this idea. I'd rather see Hanley at least be given a chance at first before I'd want Chris Davis on the team, as good as he is.

2.) Trade Hanley and sign Justin Morneau. The Herald:

Morneau could be a one-year stopgap while the Sox wait for 22-year-old Sam Travis, who hit .344 with a .900 OPS in the prospect-loaded Arizona Fall League. It would also allow catcher Christian Vazquez to take his time making a full recovery from Tommy John surgery in 2016, then the Sox could take a look at Blake Swihart at first base in 2017, assuming Swihart hits well enough to influence such a change. Morneau hit .319 and .310 in Colorado the last two years. His concussion history is a concern, but he knows how to play first base, is a former MVP, hits left-handed and, as an irresistible bonus, hails from Canada.

I'll point out again that trading Hanley would likely involve eating his salary, unless they can find a team crazy enough to take on a good chunk of his salary. At least in this case, they would just be signing Morneau to a one-year deal until their young guys are ready, so they wouldn't be taking on a lot in addition to Hanley's contract. In that regard, this would make more sense than Davis, but I still don't see it happening. If they trade Hanley, they'll likely hand over the reigns at first base to Travis Shaw, rather than try to bring in external help.  

3.) Trade Rusney Castillo and sign Alex Gordon. The Herald:

Dombrowski might need a black top hat and magic wand to pull this one off, but it’s worth considering. With Pablo Sandoval, Castillo, Jackie Bradley and Swihart penciled in to hit No. 6-9 in the batting order, the Sox lineup will finish with four aggressive hitters who had 83 walks to 273 strikeouts last season. The highest on-base percentage in that group belonged to Bradley, who had a .335 OBP last year (but a .265 OBP in 2014). There’s certainly some untapped potential in those four hitters, but adding Gordon (.377 OBP last year) to lengthen the lineup and provide elite defense in left field, even if that defense is negated at Fenway Park, would make the Sox much more dangerous.

As unlikely as this is, this one is more appealing because it involves bringing in proven championship-caliber talent in Alex Gordon. The key word, though, is unlikely. Why? Again, it would involve moving Rusney Castillo's contract, which is pretty hefty, and replacing it with another hefty contract. Make no mistake: Alex Gordon will likely get a more than the $12-13 million a year (as reported by the Herald) that the Kansas City Royals reportedly offered. I don't see the Red Sox pulling this off. So all of these scenarios seem like pipe dreams, but what fun is baseball if you can't dream? I certainly don't blame Red Sox fans if they dream about having these guys on their team.

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Projecting the Red Sox starting rotation

Photo Credit: Charles Krupa/AP

The Red Sox starting rotation will have a whole new look with new acquistion David Price set to headline the staff in 2016. So, how will the rest of the rotation look in 2016? The #1 position should be set, but the rest of the rotation is less certain, but I'm going to try and predict it anyway. Because early predictions are fun, right?  

1.) David Price: This is the only certainty on the rotation, since the Red Sox gave him top dollar to come to Boston. I project that he'll put up similar numbers to last year's 18-5 record between the Detroit. At least, I hope he will give the investment.

Final Prediction: 19-3, 2.35 ERA, 199 strikeouts, 50 walks, 210.2 innings pitched  

2.) Clay Buchholz: This is where things start to get murky. Clay Buchholz has #2 ability, but every time he appears to get some momentum, he suffers some major setback, so this is far from certain. My guess is he'll pitch well for 3-4 months, start teasing us, then suffer a season-ending injury right before the All Star Break, and Eduardo Rodriguez or Rick Porcello will be in this slot.

Final Prediction: 7-4, 3.00 ERA, 122 strikeouts, 31 walks, 115.2 innings pitched  

3.) Rick Porcello: I think Eduardo Rodriguez has the stuff to be a #2-3 starter, possibly a #1, but for the time being, I believe that John Farell will keep Rodriguez at the back of the rotation and let him observe. That means Rick Porcello will be the #3 at the start of the year, where I think he'll feel more comfortable. He was a middle-to-back end rotation type in Detroit before he was traded he, so I think he'll function better as a #3 starter this season and start to pay back the 4-year/$82 million investment the team made in him last season.  

Final Prediction: 15-11, 3.35 ERA, 150 strikeouts, 65 walks, 196.1 innings pitched.  

4.) Eduardo Rodriguez: As I said above, he could be higher on this list, but he'll probably learn more from being at the back end of the rotation for the time being. Make no mistake, though: This kid has serious potential, and could benefit from an injury later in the year (cough* Buchholz *cough). For now, though, I think there will still be an innings count on him, as the organization doesn't want to lose a promising young talent to a serious injury.  

Final Prediction: 16-9, 3.50 ERA, 175 strikeouts, 70 walks, 180.2 innings pitched

5.) Roenis Elias: For now, I think the team sees Roenis Elias (acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Wade Miley) as the #5 starter. It could be Joe Kelly or Stephen Wright, but ultimately, I think those 2 go to the bullpen for the time being and Elias takes the #5 slot.  

Final Prediction: 10-13, 4.20 ERA, 135 strikeouts, 75 walks, 165 innings pitched Well, there you have it. That's how I see the rotation shaping up this season. I have no idea if I'll be close, but there you have it. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

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Poll: Does David Ortiz Belong in the Hall of Fame?

Photo Credit: Darren McCollister/Getty Images

David Ortiz is retiring after 2016, which has brought up the debate about whether David Ortiz should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. On one hand, he has had a great career, especially with the Red Sox. No one can deny that if it hadn't been for his heroics in the playoffs, the Red Sox might still be suffering from a "Curse," not sitting here with 3 World Series rings this century. His clutch hitting in 2004 brought the Red Sox back from the brink against the New York Yankees, and in 2013, he did it again with a grand slam against the Detroit Tigers, then carrying us single-handedly against St. Louis in the World Series that year. Not to mention he broke the Red Sox single season home run record in 2006, and hit his 500th home run this past September.

On the other side, you could point to the argument that he only was a designated hitter and he rarely had to play the field outside of the World Series, which is fair to say, but you could almost say the same in reverse about pitchers, and 3 pitchers were inducted into the Hall of Fame this past year. So, I leave it up to you: Should David Ortiz be a Hall of Famer? Answer the poll below and let me know what you think.

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