[imported_The Vibesman]

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no disrepect intended towards the 4 great remaining teams, but I need to start talking about the Red Sox again!

Key points to discuss:

is there really a chance the Trio will be without Theo next year?

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I hear they're already working on an extension. I imagine he'll be back, if he doesn't ask for the moon.

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Is Manny coming back? (ie will the Mets cough up enough money for him)

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Unless they can get value on a trade - not likely - Manny will be back. He is too hard to replace in the order to just dump him.

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Who's gonna be 3rd? Youk?

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I expect so. It's possible Mueller resigns, but they probably want to get younger, and that's one of the obvious ways.

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What about 2nd? Will Pedroia be MLB ready? in a platoon with Cora?

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They are saying Pedroia might be ready, but that would be quick if he was. I would expect a stopgap-type player to platoon w/ Cora.

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Can we make a run at Konerko? Is this dependent on Manny being gone?

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I would expect them to go for someone younger than Konerko, but I really don't know who's available. I think regardless of the Manny situation, they will upgrade at 1st somehow.

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Will Damon take a 4 year deal, and if not, who's our CF? Any chance Hanley Ramirez could be a fit?

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I think Damon ends up elsewhere, w/ a team that wants to spend money/years. Hanley could be a possibility, but all signs point to him starting at AAA next year. I think they will address this through some sort of trade, possibly involving the subject of your next question.

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(Same question as last year): What of Kelly Shoppach?


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Stuck behind "Captain" Varitek, and Doug Mirabelli (whom I keep hearing is the best backup catcher in baseball, I don't know if its true), Kelly is between a rock and a hard place. I think he ends up as trade bait, and would have already but has not been able to show himself as ML ready.

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And, does any of this matter if we can't shore up our pitching? (no). Can we pencil Papelbon in as a starter? Foulke as a reliever? Hansen as a set-up man? Delcarmen?

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Papelbon as the fifth starter, Foulke will start the season as the closer if healthy. Hansen and Delcarmen will be given chances in spring training to play their way onto the team along with as many scrap-heap relief arms as Theo can find. We will start the season with a sub-par bullpen, a mix of inexperience and washed-up ancientness, which may or may not be improved as the season progresses. This is if the past seasons have been any indication.

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What about Sanchez and Lester - will they be next years Papelbon and Hansen, or will they be MLB ready come opening day?

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More likely to be next years Papelbon/Hansen, rather than contributors from Day 1.

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Good luck to all remaining teams...but go Sox (in the offseason [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img])

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Well, I'm rooting for the ChiSox to win it all, so good luck to them. I always root for the team which eliminated mine from the playoffs, unless that team is the Yankees.