Nagging Boston Red Sox Questions...

A Saturday morning hello from good old (not) me. The Boston Globe ran an article which clearly and point by point highlighted the questions that the Red Sox are facing right now. With their permission, I'd like to list them with my comments (in parenthesis) following each one. OK? Here we go...

1) Find a starting and a back-up catcher. (Peter here...this is essential. Boston needs TWO catchers...I'd like Jason Varitek to be our number one guy but play less games. He'll get his hitting stroke back...I just know it).

2) Find a starting pitcher? (This is a tough one. Our rotation as it stands now is a great one, right up until the number five guy. That rotation would be Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Wakefield and...Buchholz?...Masterson? I say no to Masterson...he's much more valuable coming out of the bullpen and inducing ground ball outs, especially to right-handed hitters. Buchholz would be better off with another half year or year at the minor league level. When he harnesses all his skills, he'll be a super starter. Jake Peavy is an intriguing option...see question number four).

3) Find a fourth outfielder. (No Coco, remember? The Sox will find someone and he won't cost a lot of money).

4) Make a blockbuster trade? (Like question number two, this one also had a question mark after it. If the Red Sox were to acquire a big money player, I would hope he would be a starter, a member of the pitching rotation. Jake Peavy comes to mind. Doing that will let Masterson back into his late inning bullpen role and Buchholz to further improve in the upper minor league system.)

I'd love to hear what you think...just leave a comment and I'll answer them. I hope your Christmas was great and that your New Years will be even better. Nostrovia. Cheers. See ya.