The Boston Red Sox 2009 Pitching Rotation...Who, What, Where & When

The Boston Red Sox 2009 starting pitching rotation, as it stands now, consists of Josh Beckett (be healthy, Josh), Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield. There is a wide open spot for that fifth man, with the Sox talking to the agents of Derek Lowe, who has expressed a desire to come back to Boston, and AJ Burnett, a move I would not like. But where will Justin Masterson end up? Will he reprise his vitally important late inning relief role along with newly acquired Ramon Ramirez and the veteran Manny Delcarmen and lefty Lopez, all part of the bridge to ninth inning savior Jonathon Papelbon, or will Boston put him into that last spot of the rotation? Here's what he had to say...

"As far as where they put me, I think it continues to leave me in the same spot that I have always been in," Masterson wrote in an e-mail addressing the Ramírez trade. "That whether I will be starting or relieving is still up in the air. I don't really think I'll have much of an understanding of what it will be until I get to spring training and we go through that process. I will be coming in with the mindset of a starter just because it's easier to go from that to reliever than think I'll be a reliever and then move to a starter."

Peter here, and as the Stones wrote and sang, "TIME IS ON OUR SIDE..YES IT IS." The next ten days will prove to be momentous over at the winter meetings in Las Vegas. Boston has money to spend and deals that WILL be done. That much is certain. But who, where and when...we'll all know in less than two weeks. If you ask me, and I just did, I would leave Masterson right where he excelled last year...coming out of the 'pen in the late innings and inducing ground ball outs. With Ramirez, Delcarmen and lefty Javie Lopez, the bridge to Paps never seemed so sturdy. Let's keep it that way. What do you think? Let me know with a comment if you can...comments have been few and seldom, but I have a feeling that when the winter meetings begin, it will again get "lively" here. Until then, I'll be here...everyday. With a smile.

Please click on the title to read more about all the who, what, where and whens of this important upcoming week in Nevada and as always, BE WELL.