FORT MYERS, FLORIDA (CBS) - For a day that was just a day for pitchers and catchers to undergo physicals, Monday proved to be pretty busy.

Red Sox principal owner John Henry spoke to the media for roughly 25 minutes and addressed any and all issues from the potential sale of his team to Liverpool FC to Ben Cherington to PED use.

The biggest thing I took away from Henry is just how adamant he was about NOT wanting to sell the team. He has zero interest and called any and all reports “erroneous.”

After Henry spoke, many members of the Red Sox took to the field for an informal workout. Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava as well as catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ross did some hitting and took the field for a bit as well.

Roche: Breaking Down The 2013 Red Sox Infield

The first official workout for pitchers and catchers is slated for Tuesday.

Rochie On Gresh & Zolak: [cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/d5/dO/dN/125ON_3.MP3" size="340px" download="true" name="Gresh & Zo: Dan Roche Live From Red Sox Spring Training" artist="Gresh & Zo"]

9:54 a.m.: Red Sox pitchers and catchers are piling into the JetBlue complex today here in Fort Myers.

John Lackey, Joel Hanrahan, Andrew Bailey, and Clay Buchholz were among the pitchers that showed up early on Monday morning. Catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross, and Ryan Lavarnway are all here as well as a few position players like Dustin Pedroia and Will Middlebrooks.

Read: Rochie’s 2013 Red Sox Preview

Principal owner John Henry arrived here as well. He greeted reporters with a “you guys are here early!”

The pitchers and catchers have physicals in the morning and may workout informally after that. The first official workout for pitchers and catchers is slated for Tuesday.

Sorry to bring this up again, but it’s another glorious day here in The Fort with temps in the 70′s and a nice breeze. Again, sorry to bring that up…

Rochie On Toucher & Rich: [cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/d5/dK/dL/125KL_3.MP3" size="340px" download="true" name="Toucher & Rich: Dan Roche Live From Red Sox Spring Training" artist="Toucher & Rich"]

Follow WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ. Tune in to his updates from Red Sox Spring Training in Fort Myers, Florida all week on WBZ-TV, WBZ NewsRadio 1030 and 98.5 The Sports Hub!

Part One features a look at the infield, including catcher:

First Base

- Mike Napoli, Lyle Overbay, Mauro Gomez, Mark Hamilton

Ben Cherington had originally agreed to a three-year, $39-million deal with Mike Napoli, pending a physical. And that “pending” turned out to be a problem. Avascular necrosis was found, a major problem with his hip. Thus, a one year deal worth $5-million with incentives that can get it up to $13-million was struck. Let’s hope Napoli doesn’t go the way of Bo Jackson and can be productive for a few more years… or in the Red Sox case, at least one more year. The 31-year-old Napoli has hit at least 10 home runs in each of his seven big league seasons. He’s also hit 20 or more homers in each of the past five seasons, including 30 in 2011. In other words, Napoli provides power. He will help David Ortiz and Will Middlebrooks in the middle of the Sox line-up. The question is can he provide decent enough defense as a full-tine first baseman? He seemingly has done a good job over there the past two seasons, but you just don’t know.

Read: Dan Roche’s Red Sox Preview

The other question is: who will be the player that shares time with him? Is it an aging Lyle Overbay? At 35, he had a .339 OBP and a .412 Slugging vs RHP in 116 plate appearances last season for the Braves and Diamondbacks in 2012. .

Might it be Mauro Gomez? He finally got a shot in the bigs at age 27 last season and had great numbers vs RHP (.315 avg, .356 OBP, .556 slugging) as opposed to LHP (229, .288, .271).

Another name to watch is 28-year-old Mark Hamilton, signed as a free agent out of the Cardinals minor league system. He had a down year last season, but put up solid numbers from 2009-11 in the minor leagues.

Anlaysis:

If Napoli can stay healthy he will help fill a power void for the Sox as well as bring some plate discipline to the line-up. One of the biggest mysteries for the Sox in 2011 and 2012 was what happened to Adrian Gonzalez? He was still great defensively, but instead of taking his numbers to an MVP level, he slightly declined — especially in his OBP, and thus plate discipline. Maybe he just tried to do too much, as can happen in a pressure-packed place like Boston.

Second Base

- Dustin Pedroia

The only question about Dustin Pedroia is can he play 150-plus games? If he does then he’ll be among the elite at his position when the season is over. In 2012 he played in 141 games and scored 81 runs with 39 doubles, 15 home runs, 65 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. Solid numbers, but he should be better for two reasons: John Farrell over Bobby Valentine, and the team in general will be much better.

Analysis:

Pedroia is a rare breed. He shows up at the park ready to do one thing: win. The team didn’t do that last season and he hated every second of it. Because he plays so hard and cares so much all I worry about is whether or not his body can handle the force he plays with.

Shortstop

- Stephen Drew, Jose Iglesias, Xander Bogaerts

Ben Cherington says Stephen Drew is his starting shortstop. He backed that up by paying Drew $9.5-million on a one year deal. Over a three season period from 2008 through 2010, Drew averaged around 81 runs, 34 doubles, 12 triples, 16 HRS, and 64 RBI per season; fantastic numbers for a shortstop. However, the past two seasons were limited due to a horrific injury in July of 2012 when broke his leg and tore ligaments in his ankle while sliding into home plate. He didn’t return until June of last season and was criticized by his Diamondbacks owner for not coming back earlier (a complaint lodged against his brother J.D. often in his career — including here in Boston). He was traded to Oakland last August and was OK hitting .250 with an OBP of .326 and a Slugging percentage of .382 (well below what he slugged from ’09-’11).

Jose Iglesias is at a crossroads in his young career. He is as gifted defensively as any player in the game, period. He can do things few others can a short. However, he had just eight hits in 77 plate appearances last season in Boston and has only a .626 OPS in three minor league seasons. And, yes Dustin Pedroia hit only .191 with a .526 OPS in his first call-up, but he had much, much better hitting credentials in the minors. I would still like to see Iglesias play the first half in Pawtucket to see what he can do.

Top prospect Xander Bogaerts could also see time in Boston as a September call-up. Head to Soxprospects.com for a good look at this 20-year-old, who has shown great power in his brief journey in the minors. The kid from Aruba should start the year at Portland and we’ll see from there.

Analysis:

This is a pretty good one-year gamble by Cherington. After missing nearly a full season recovering from his injury Drew can go either two ways as he hits the age of 30: either he’ll regain his 2009-11 form because he simply needed at-bats after being out for so long or he’ll be average because he’ll never recover from such a gruesome baseball injury. If he struggles, you can always bring in the defensively brilliant Iglesias or stud prospect Bogaerts — or even top draft pick Deven Marrero out of Arizona State, who put up solid numbers at Lowell last season. The Sox are deep at this position, which is a great thing for an organization that has gone through way too many shortstops since Nomar Garciaparra was traded in 2004.

Third Base

- Will Middlebrooks

I will be curious to see how Middlebrooks returns from the broken right wrist he suffered last August. He had a sold start to his big league career prior to that, hitting .288 with 15 HRs and 54 RBI in 75 games in Boston. His defense should get better too as he adjusts to playing on this level. Question is, how does he handle year two?

Analysis:

I’ve written this before, but it deserves repeating. There have been two players in the past decade or so that wowed me with their raw power the first time I ever saw them take BP in Fort Myers in February: David Ortiz and Will Middlebrooks. How Middlebrooks handles pitchers, who now have a book on him, will be interesting to watch in 2013. But, he also has a feel for what it’s like on this level. A lot may hinge on how the rest of the Sox line-up fares around Middlebrooks. If Ortiz, Napoli, Gomes, etc hit, then there will be less pressure on him.

Utility

- Pedro Ciriaco, Brock Holt

Pedro Ciriaco was one of the interesting stories of the 2012 Boston Red Sox, but in a good way. In 76 games at third base, shortstop, second, DH, and in the outfield he hit .293 with a .315 OBP and a .390 Slugging percentage while scoring 33 runs and stealing 16 bases. With those numbers he projects well as a solid utility player. And, he did similar things in Pittsburgh in 2011 so there’s no reason why he can’t do it again.

Brock Holt is another ex-Pirate who comes to Boston as part of the Joel Hanrahan deal. In 24 games in his first taste of the bigs last year, Holt hit .293 while playing some second base. In four minor league seasons the 24-year-old lefthanded hitter has shown some decent pop (.808 OPS) while playing both second base and shortstop.

Analysis:

The Sox should be able to find room for Ciriaco again and/or Holt. Ciriaco can play more positions, but Holt can be insurance in case Pedroia gets hurt. Also, the Sox signed soon-to-be 28 year-old infielder Jonathan Diaz, who can play third, second and shortstop. He was also in the Blue Jays system, where John Farrell has got a good look at him.

Catcher

- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross, Ryan Lavarnway, Dan Butler

Ben Cherington said this past weekend that Salty and David Ross will be his catchers to start the season. That could certainly change if a trade occurs, but for now Salty is the number one guy. Last season he hit just .222 with a .288 OBP and a slugging percentage of .454 while belting 25 home runs and driving in 59 runs. After a decent April where he hit .240 with four homers and nine RBI in 16 games, Salty took off in May as he hit .308 with a .345 OBP and a .628 slugging. However, it went rapidly downhill from there as he hit .208 in June, .182 in July, .205 in August, and .180 in September. It appeared that Salty couldn’t adjust to off-speed stuff as pitchers stayed away from throwing him fastballs. As for his catching ability, he is still learning. Having David Ross with him should be huge.

The David Ross signing could turn out be Ben Cherington’s best move of the off-season. Everyone in and around the game raves about his clubhouse presence/leadership and his ability to handle a pitching staff. That’s exactly what this team needs and lost once Jason Varitek was done playing. The soon-to-be 36-year-old Ross, who played in eight games for the Sox in 2008, has averaged about 50-60 games behind the plate for each of the past four seasons with Atlanta. He’s hit 6-10 homers while driving in 20-30 runs each season, but can call a game with the best of them and threw out 44-percent of runners last year last year — good for fourth in the National League. Ross should be a big help behind the plate this season.

Ryan Lavarnway appears to be the odd man out heading into this spring. The 25-year-old Yale graduate was a near hero in 2011, but in 46 games last season really struggled at the plate hitting just .157 with a .459 OPS. He believes he can — and will — hit on the big league level and got rave reviews from now retired bullpen/catching coach Gary Tuck as far as his improvement on defense is concerned. He’ll start the season in Pawtucket again, but it’s hard to think of giving up on a kid who is so young for a catcher.

Dan Butler is one if those kids who just keeps steadily improving while everyone else is talked about. Last season between Double-A and Triple-A he hit .247 with a .746 OPS in 95 games and threw out 8-of-18 would-be base stealers in Pawtucket. He’s a guy that’s simply waiting in the wings.

Another kid to watch is 2011 first round pick Blake Swihart. He hit .302 with a .702 OPS for Single-A Greenville last season while throwing out 31-percent of would-be base stealers. Keep an eye on him.

Analysis:

I am curious to see a lot of things from this catching corps this season. Can Salty improve enough defensively and in calling games where he locks down the number one job for years to come or is he traded away? Can David Ross help Salty and the pitchers improve from a season ago? What happens to Ryan Lavarnway? Lots of intrigue with a group that could be big difference-makers in 2013.

Follow WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ. Tune in to his updates from Red Sox Spring Training in Fort Myers, Florida all week on WBZ-TV, WBZ NewsRadio 1030 and 98.5 The Sports Hub!

Like John Lackey really is a good guy.

As much as I look forward to Spring Training, I am not a big believer the games tell one much of anything meaningful.

For instance, the Red Sox biggest question – and most important factor in their success or failure – is the starting pitching.

And how Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Lackey and the other starters do in Florida will have practically no bearing on how they fare during the season.

So here is what this blog will be watching in Spring Training.

Medical Report

Have to admit it’s a little disheartening that David Ortiz is still not at full speed – and will take things slowly.

And who knows what to expect from Mike Napoli – despite the pronouncements from manager John Farrell that Napoli is ready to go.

Watch for whether Ortiz and Napoli are both ready to go without restrictions when the bell rings on Opening Day.

Leftfield

Newcomer Jonny Gomes says he wants to be more than a platoon player who only plays against lefty pitchers.

Watch if the Red Sox give Gomes at-bats against lefties as an indication of what they may do during the regular season.

Also watch for who emerges as the platoon partner – Daniel Nava or Ryan Sweeney.

Catcher

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he expects Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ross to be the team’s catching combination. With Ryan Lavarnway headed back to Pawtucket.

There are still a bunch of teams that may be looking for a catcher – like the Cubs and White Sox.

It’s unlikely the Sox would deal Lavarnway because Saltalamacchia is a free agent at the end of the coming season.

So if Salty jumps ship and Lavarnway is gone, they would be thin at catcher.

Watch if some team jumps forward with an attractive offer – for instance, something involving Saltalamacchia and Cubs starter and also free agent to be Matt Garza (if he looks healthy) may be of interest.

Bullpen

Boston has ten pitchers competing for seven bullpen slots.

The Red Sox had a pretty good bullpen last season.

If Joel Hanrahan delivers like he can, they will have a great bullpen. And depth matters because stuff happens during the season.

You can never have too much pitching – especially if the starting staff pitches like it did last year.

Watch for how the bullpen shapes up – and if the Red Sox decide to trade the surplus or stash it in Pawtucket.

Bogaerts

Looking forward to seeing uber-prospect Xander Bogaerts play against the big boys – in Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic.

While he is still a work in process, watch to see if Bogaerts holds his own against major leaguers.

That may provide some insight on whether we might expect to see Bogaerts in Fenway Park some time in 2013.

What are you watching for this Spring Training?

Matt Wieters – Baltimore Orioles  #32

            Matt Wieters is a 6-5 240 lb switch-hitting catcher from the Georgia Institute of Technology who was drafted by the Orioles in the 1^st round 5^th overall pick of the 2007 draft.  He was the #1 prospect in baseball in 2009 when he debuted.  He agreed to a 1-year deal in 2013 to avoid aribitration making $5.5 million in 2013 hitting 5^th in the order for Baltimore.  He Is a 2 time all star and 2 time gold glove award winner heading into his age 27 season.

            Up until now Weiters has been a disappointment of sorts after all of his hype with a career wOBA of .327.  Many of his struggles were coming from an uncharacteristically low walk rate which improved to above league average in 2012.  He has been lacking in average and power compared to his projections.  He was touted as a Joe Mauer with power but hasn’t shown this combination to a huge extent yet in the big leagues.  He hit 22 and 23 home runs the past two years but did it while only hitting .262 and .249.  His 300+ minor league batting averages all came with BABIPs of over .352 which he equaled in the big leagues only in 2009 when he debuted hitting .288.  Since then he hasn’t posted a BABIP of over .287 which has led to his average struggles.   Part of the reason for a low BABIP is that he chases pitches outside of the zone more often than most major leaguers and also makes contact with those pitches more often which typically leads to weak contact.

            He has been showing his power in the big leagues but maybe not quite to the extent that we were expecting.  His HR/FB ratio has been rising but his ISO has remained only slightly above average.  The one scary thing though is that his home runs are not getting very deep into the seats.  ESPN Home run tracker shows that 41% of his homers in 2012 were classified as “Just Enough” which helps to explain his career high HR/FB rate but he has hit an even amount of home runs at home and on the road over his career.

            Hopefully the rise in walk rate sticks around and he can keep his on base percentage above league average.  His home runs should stay around 20 but we should see a rise in his average to at least the .265 range as long as he selects better pitchers and increases his LD% and FB%.   Despite being a switch hitter we see that he hits for a higher average against lefties but this for much more power off of righties.  He finds himself slightly above average in all categories, but we are still waiting for that break out season.

            Still he has managed 4 and 5 WAR seasons over the past 2 years mainly due to his outstanding defense.  He has an excellent throwing arm and is great at stopping balls behind the plate.  He manages the rotation very well and gains a lot of respect from his pitchers and opposing teams who steal on him less than anyone in baseball second to Yadier Molina.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia – Boston Red Sox  #39

            Salty as known in Boston will be the starting catcher against Right handed pitching this season platooning low in the order possibly the 9 spot with David Ross for Boston.  He is 6-4/235 drafted in 2003 in the first round of the supplemental draft 36^th overall by Atlanta out of West Palm Beach, FL.  He agreed to a 1 year deal for 2013 making $4.5 million – nearly double his 2012 salary.  He was the #36 prospect in baseball in 2007 and the best in Atlanta’s system.  He was traded in 2007 to Texas along with Beau Jones, Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison for Ron Mahay and Mark Teixeira.  Then in 2010 he was traded to Boston for three minor leaguers and cash.

            Salty put up career numbers in 2013 with Boston except for AVG and OBP and he was rewarded but the addition of David Ross makes things more complicated.  They also have Ryan Lavarnway coming up for good soon.  Jarrod’s advantage is power with a 2012 ISO of .232 and 25 HRs with 19 clearing the fence with plenty of distance.  He does, however, have a very high strikeout rate and low contact rates.  His average has been bad at .235 and .222 the last two seasons and every one before that.  His power helps to elevate him to an average producing offensive player but his average needs to come up to make him a solid every day option.

            Defensively he is very inconsistent.  In 2011 he was great with his arm but awful at stopping balls and these numbers seemed to switch in 2012.  Overall he is not a great contributor defensively behind the plate but he has his moments.

            Despite being a switch hitter he has hit 50 points higher against right-handers than against leftys over his career while hitting over 3 times as many home runs.  He loses his value when hitting from the right side so a platoon with David Ross makes sense for this season.

David Ross – Boston Red Sox

            David Ross was drafted in the 7^th round of the 1998 draft by the Dodgers and is now going into his age 36 season.  He just signed a 2 year deal with Boston at $3.1 Million per year.  He has played for the Dodgers, Pirates, Padres, Reds, Braves, and Red Sox over his career.  He is a 6-2/238 Right hander from the University of Florida.

            David Ross has been one of the best backups in baseball to Brian McCann over the past 4 years never having more than 176 at bats but hitting for an average of .269 over those years with an above average OBP and SLG percentage as well.  He walks at a rate slightly above average but also strikes out a great deal.  His line drive percentage has been very high over the past 2 years though which is a positive that could mean great things if he gets more plate appearances.  He also has good power and hits home runs at a high rate despite the low number of plate appearances.

            He is not platooning due to his own splits as he has been pretty consistent over his career against all pitchers, but more to fill the void that Salty has against lefties despite him being a switch hitter.  Ross actually hit for a higher average against rightys in 3 of the 4 seasons he spent in Atlanta wih 80% more home runs off of right-handers over his career than left-handers. He could benefit from the shorter right field in Boston, but in 2012 he hit exactly 3 home runs to each field so he is not a dead pull hitter who will benefit greatly.

Ryan Lavarnway – Boston Red Sox  #20

            Lavarnway is a 6-4 225 catching prospect entering his age 25 season.  He was drafted in the 6^th round of the 2008 draft by the red sox out of Yale University and will be arbitration eligible in 2016.  He has hit very well in AAA but has not been able to turn that into big league success.  In 192 at bats in MLB over the last two seasons he is hitting .172 with 4 home runs.  Last season he was lasted in Adjusted Runs Created of all 400+ players with at least 150 at bats.  It seems his patience is not translating to the majors.  His walk rate in the minors has been consistently above 10% but was only 6.6% last year in his longest stint in the majors.  His ISO also took a huge hit dropping well over 100 points.  Even in the minors his power had a huge drop off last season.  The sample sizes are very low, but it is clear that he needs to show some improvement before ever having a chance to make a legitimate splash for the Red Sox.

Chris Stewart – New York Yankees

            Chris Stewart is a 6-4/215 Right handed hitting catcher drafted in the 12^th round out of a community college in Riverside, CA by the Chicago White Sox in 2001.  He bounced from the White Sox to the Rangers to the Yankees then back to the White Sox then back to the Yankees then to the Padres and Giants and now he returns to the Yankees in a trade for George Kontos.  He is entering his age 31 season making league minimum.  He will be fighting for time with Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine and anyone else the Yankees could sign before the season starts.  Any of these 3 would find themselves very low in the order.

            Stewart should see some playing time with Cervelli’s injuries and Romine’s inexperience but over 394 career plate appearances in the bigs he has hit .217/.281/.302 with a career wOBA of .259.  He is good at putting the ball in play but his walk numbers are quite low.  He has been above average in both throwing runners out and blocking pitches while showing some of the best pitch framing numbers in the game so he does seem to have a solid defensive showing which could give him a leg up in the race but he has to find a way to do something with the bat.

Francisco Cervelli – New York Yankees  #17

            Cervelli is a 6-1/210 Right handed hitting catcher entering his age 27 season with the Yankees.  He was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2003 still making league minimum.  He is a .271/.339/.353 hitter over his career making him a better offensive option than Stewart but not by much and still below average.  He is average at blocking balls with a below average arm behind the plate.  He strikes out and walks slightly less than league average.   He does have the longest tenure with the Yankees and probably the best relationship with the staff.  He was a part of the 2009 championship team but only had one at bat in the post season that year.

Austin Romine – New York Yankees  #71

            Romine is the youngest of the Yankees’ options at catcher going into his age 25 season.  He was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2007 draft out of a high school in Lake Forest, CA.  He is 6-1 195 and a Right handed batter.  He has ony 19 at bats in the majors from the 2011 season with 3 hits and 5 strike outs.  Through his 6 year minor league career he is a .278/.333/.414 hitter and has been flirting with the top 100 prospect rankings.  He probably would have been the Yankees backup this past season except for some back problems

            He is the fan favorite in New York for the starting catching job based on a pool conducted by Mike Axisa.  His scouting report says that he has flashed good power and has the chance to develop into a good hitter with 15-20 HR potential while hitting to all fields.  The breaking pitch has been beating him recently.  His skills defensively are behind his offensive growth, however.  He projects as an average arm and has to improve greatly in receiving balls.

Jose Molina – Tampa Bay Rays  #28

            Jose Molina is entering his age 37/38 season drafted in 93 by the cubs in the 14^th round out of Puerto Rico.  2013 marks the end of a 2-year deal with the Rays at $1.5 million per year.   He is 6-2/235 and hits Right handed. He has also been with the Angels, Yankees, and Blue Jays during his major league career earning 2 World Series rings in 02 with the Angels and 09 with the Yankees.

            With Molina behind the plate the Rays are continuing their focus on defense.  There are few better than Jose Molina defensively, but this comes with poor offensive performance as well.  He is a career .238 hitter with very low power numbers and very little value anywhere else – he also strikes out more than league average and walks less.  He did put up his career high average of .281 over 55 games in 2011 with the Blue Jays and had a career high in games (102) HRs (8) and steals (3) in 2012, but we can’t take this as signs of trending upwards when he is nearly 40.  Despite the respect he gets for his defense he has been below average at blocking balls since this stat has been kept starting in 2008.  He will fill the 9 hole for Tampa Bay and try to use his defensive skills to keep his WAR on the positive side. 

J.P. Arencibia – Toronto Blue Jays  #9

            JP is entering his age 27 season after being drafted in the 1^st round 27^th overall in the 2007 draft by Toronto.  He will be arbitration eligible in 2014.  He is 6-1/210 low-contact power hitting right handed catcher.  He strikes out at a very high percentage and walks extremely rarely.  He will be surrounded by a much better lineup in 2012 so he will have the chance to drive in some runs in the 8 hole, but he is still a below average offensive player even though he has hit 23 home runs in 2011 and 18 in 2012.  His above average power is his only asset with the bat as he has hit .222 over his career with his all time high average coming in 2012 when he turned in .233.  Overall, he is also a below average defensive player but these skills are projected to improve.

Perhaps due to the fact that 2012 was one of the worst — and strangest — years we’ve seen around here, we enter 2013 with questions, questions, and even more questions.

So here we go:

- How will the ownership trio turn their image around? I write this with the premise that John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino have done everything a fan could want and more since their arrival in 2001. However, when you lose, some fans get angry. We’ve been spoiled around here with how good it’s been. Patience will be important while the Sox try to rejuvenate the organization. The best thing the trio did was ridding themselves of $250-million of bad contracts to give themselves a fresh start. It may take a while, but it was a brilliant move.

Watch: Dan Roche Sits Down With Larry Lucchino

- How will Ben Cherington be in year two as Sox GM? Can’t go any worse than year one. The hiring of Bobby Valentine was a disaster from day one and got worse. Cherington made some good moves (signing Cody Ross, dumping that quarter of a billion dollars in August) and some bad ones (the Andrew Bailey-Josh Reddick swap). How this winter’s signings of Mike Napoli, Shane Victorino, and Stephen Drew impact 2013 and beyond, and how the young players grow, will decide Ben’s fate.

- Is John Farrell the right guy to manage this team? On paper, yes. I think when Terry Francona left the plug was pulled on the entire rhythm of the organization; when Farrell was named, it was plugged back in. I know the Sox were impressed with Brad Ausmus, but Farrell’s familiarity with the organization makes this seem like the best move.

As for the players, there are even more questions:

- Can Mike Napoli handle every day duties at first base? I think he will be adequate, but I think the Sox may need better defense. Will Middlebrooks and Jose Iglesias struggled with throws to first, and Napoli will have to make those plays. The question is can he? His bat should be a welcome addition to the middle of the lineup, as he provides some pop and protection for David Ortiz.

- Can Stephen Drew stay healthy? He can be very good, but needs to stay on the field. If not, Iglesias can field, but will he ever hit?

- Can Middlebrooks avoid a sophomore slump? He’s got incredible power and should be a middle of the order guy for years to come. He’ll just need to start making the adjustments as pitchers get a book on him.

- Who will man the corner outfield spots? The candidates include Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava, and Ryan Sweeney. If healthy, it can work out. Losing Ryan Kalish didn’t help, so any addition injury will put further strain on Boston’s outfield depth.

- Which Jacoby Ellsbury will show up? The 2011 edition that was an MVP-caliber player, 0r the 2010 and 2012 edition that was hurt? Just remember, Ellsbury is in a contract year and looking to make some big bucks next winter.

- Can Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia be a solid, productive number-one catcher? Both have the potential and having David Ross around is arguably the best move Ben will have made when we look back at 2013.

- Can David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia stay healthy?

- There are plenty of questions with the starting rotation as 2013 gets underway. Can Lester and Buchholz bounce back, and can newcomer Ryan Dempster pitch in the American League? Can John Lackey return from Tommy John surgery and be anywhere near the guy we saw with the Angels? And, can Felix Doubront take the next step?

Watch: Terry Francona On Sports Final

- In the bullpen, can Joel Hanrahan close in Boston? He did a fine job in Pittsburgh, but this will be a whole different beast.

- Can Daniel Bard ever regain his form? He sounds comfortable after taking some time off during the off-season, and is feeling confident, but can he return as a dominant set-up that man he once was.

It is awesome that Spring Training is finally upon us — even if it comes with a truckload of question. But that adds another element of fun to the equation, and it will be nice to actually start watching for answers.

As always, enjoy the ride!

Follow WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said David Ortiz, who missed the last three months of the season last year with an Achilles injury,  is expected to be ready by opening day. But should Red Sox fans be concerned with the 37-year-old Ortiz’ health?

“I’d be pretty concerned about it. It’s a very large man with a foot injury; those tend to take time as we saw last year,” said Heyman. “They’re giving what seems like a loose deadline of early April, and we’re still in early February. I was a little surprised to hear it’s even stretching to April.”

“He should be ready by opening day… but I would be concerned about it,” Heyman added.

The Red Sox signed backup catcher David Ross in the offseason, but were unable to trade Jarrod Saltalamacchia to clear way for Ryan Lavarnway to take over behind the plate. So how will the Red Sox’ catching situation play out?

“It looks like Lavarnway is the odd man out at this point, but Salty didn’t have that great of a year,” said Heyman. “I think they were unable to get anything for him in the trade market, so he’s the starter. And that hurts Lavarnway.”

Reports out of Fort Myers say John Lackey is in great shape as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. What can the Red Sox expect out of Lackey in 2013?

“Guys have come back from Tommy John and been themselves. If that means being the guy with the Angels, that’s great. If it’s the guy in Boston, that’s not so great,” said Heyman. “I think it’s pretty much up in the air what Lackey is going to be.”

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According to WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Jonny Miller, Pitchers Daniel Bard, Jon Lester, Andrew Bailey, Andrew Miller, Clay Buchholz, Franklin Morales and John Lackey have already arrived at “Fenway South,” with catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Daniel Nava also joining the pack.

Read: Red Sox Sign 1B Lyle Overbay To Minor League Deal

New manager John Farrell is also down in Fort Myers, getting a jump on his first season at the helm.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report next Monday according to the team’s website, but it’s good to see a few of them getting an early jump on things.

View: Red Sox Schedule

The first full-squad workout is February 15th, with Boston’s annual double-header against Northeastern and Boston College scheduled for February 21.

2013 Catcher Rankings

1. Buster Posey
2. Carlos Santana
3. Yadier Molina
4. Matt Wieters
5. Joe Mauer
6. Victor Martinez
7. Jonathan Lucroy
8. Miguel Montero
9. Mike Napoli
10. Wilin Rosario
11. Ryan Doumit
12. Salvador Perez
13. Alex Avila
14. Carlos Ruiz
15. Brian McCann
16. A.J. Pierzynski
17. Jesus Montero
18. Jarrod Saltalamachhia
19. J.P. Arencibia
20. Russell Martin
21. Wilson Ramos
22. A.J. Ellis
23. Jason Castro
24. Rob Brantly
25. Derek Norris
26. Yasmani Grandal
27. Travis d’Arnaud
28. John Jaso
29. Tyler Flowers
30. Chris Iannetta

UPDATED 3/20/13:
Alex Avila rises from #14 to #13.
Salvador Perez rises from #15 to #12.
Yasmani Grandal falls from #23 to #26.
Rob Brantly rises from #29 to #24.
Jason Castro rises from #30 to #23.

Overall Thoughts

There is a clear cut number one catcher headed into 2013 and that man is Buster Posey. It still amazes me the way Posey came back in 2012 from a very serious ankle injury and basically dominated the position. In a standard 12-team draft, he’s definitely worth a mid-2nd round pick. I’d likely even snag him at the end of the first.

Carlos Santana is going to break out in 2013. This is his year. Those of you in OBP leagues know how much value he carries for that category alone. He has real pop, walks a ton, and is going to be hitting in a pretty decent, albeit strikeout prone, lineup. I have a lot of confidence in him this year and luckily for those that draft him, you should be able to grab him in the 6th or 7th round. I’m confident enough in Matt Wieters to predict a true breakout in 2013. I think he will boost his average over 20 points from his 2012 campaign and have a slight power increase as well. He’s a stud, and he’s going to produce big this season.

A professional hitter in every aspect of the term, Victor Martinez is coming back from a completely lost 2012. He tore his ACL late in 2011 and didn’t play in a game last year. Luckily for fantasy owners, he’ll strictly be Detroit’s Designated Hitter. I have full confidence that he’ll have a typical V-Mart year with a ling something like .300-18-85. Be confident, he’s still a great hitter. My catcher breakout candidate is Jonathan Lucroy. He had an above average BABIP of .338 which led to a rather high overall average (.320). His BABIP should regress, so I see something closer to an average of .280-.285 over a full season. He should provide decent pop and produce his fair share of runs. In most leagues, players such as Salvador Perez and Wilan Rosario will be drafted before him. I think Lucroy has a better season than either of those players.

Is Brian McCann still a solid fantasy catcher? Yes! He’ll bounce back in 2013. Don’t sleep on Ryan Doumit. He won’t catch everyday, which is a good thing for the Twins and fantasy owners alike, but he’ll provide solid numbers out of the catcher position. Of course, that’s if he stays healthy! As long as he is the DH on most days, he should be fine. Carlos Ruiz will miss 25 games to start the season, but I still think he puts up good numbers in 2013. He should fall in most drafts.

Can A.J. Pierzynski repeat his 27 home run performance from 2012? Doubtful, but he is headed to a home ball park that could net him 20. There are certainly worse options out there. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and JP Arencibia will hit their fair share of home runs, but will both be average killers. They are both good as number two catchers in a two catcher league, but I wouldn’t want either of them as my number one. Russell Martin won’t hit 21 homers in 2013, in fact, I think 15 may be pushing it.

Yasmani Grandal is going to miss 50 games to start the 2013 campaign. I would avoid him in 10-12 team redraft leagues and pick him up closer to when his suspension ends. He will have value, so don’t forget about him. Travis d’Arnaud may not begin the season as the Mets starting catcher, but I expect him to take that spot by June. He should be a solid number two in two catcher leagues.

Thanks for reading! Agree with my Rankings? Disagree? Please leave a comment. I’d love to interact with you. Look for First Base Rankings tomorrow! Click below to follow me on Twitter!

My latest quilted fabric portrait is of Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamaccchia – the guy with the longest name in the league. The quilt is made of 100% cotton fabric and is machine quilted. It is 22″ x 28″ and was signed by Salty on the bottom of the number 9.

If you’re looking to gauge what the 2016 Red Sox will look like, the 2013 roster is not a good place to start.

GM Ben Cherington unexpectedly and creatively unloaded three lucrative long term contracts last August. Josh Beckett (signed through 2014), Adrian Gonzalez (signed through 2018), and Carl Crawford (signed through 2017) were suddenly no longer in the fold, leaving the Red Sox a roster bereft of talent but provided the organization with plenty of financial flexibility.

Improvement was undoubtedly needed, but they were not going to put their newfound fiscal flexibility in jeopardy this offseason.

That resulted in a revamped roster that includes several newly signed veterans who have experienced success in the past but are coming off disappointing seasons. Cherington exhibited discipline by staying away from the Josh Hamilton‘s and Zack Greinke‘s of the free agent world. Instead, he set his sights on players with less raw talent who were willing to accept shorter term deals–guys who have something to prove.

Acquisitions via trade and free agency, combined with a couple of team controlled, soon-to-be free agents, have left the Red Sox with several key players who will enter 2013 with a tremendous amount of — let’s face it — money riding on this season.

And we all know that there is nothing wrong with a small fire being lit under a player, even if the flame is fueled by the dollar bill. In fact, that is often when the results are the most fruitful.

——

Jacoby Ellsbury is the most obvious and the most important player that falls into this category. The 29-year old center fielder recently agreed to a one-year deal worth $9MM, successfully avoiding arbitration during his final year of eligibility. Following the 2013 season, Ellsbury will be a free agent and quite an enigmatic one. We know the damage he inflicted on opposing pitchers in 2011, a year that saw him post a .321/.376./.552 line. Ellsbury was a hardware hoarder that year as he appeared in his first All-Star game, took home the Silver Slugger Award for his position, and nabbed his only Gold Glove. Do you want to make a case that he, not Justin Verlander, was the American League’s Most Valuable Player? Good. Do it. You can certainly make a sound argument. Scott Boras definitely will when Ellsbury officially hits free agency.

But he has a lot to prove. Ellsbury’s critics will point to 2010 and 2011 and claim he’s injury prone. And if he’s not injury prone, he is certainly a slow-as-molasses healer. It would be hard to debunk that theory. When healthy, the talented center fielder has the ability to carry a team for a long period of time. Barring any ailments during the spring, Ellsbury will enter 2013 with the opportunity to solidify himself as a legitimate candidate to receive a nine-figure deal in free agency. Should he spend a great deal of time on the disabled list or simply struggle to produce at the top of the Red Sox’ lineup, it will further muddy the water on Ellsbury’s value as a free agent. It is officially put up or shut up time.

Like Ellsbury, closer Joel Hanrahan is entering his final year of arbitration eligibility and is eyeing a big payday next offseason. Hanrahan was traded to the Red Sox from the Pirates earlier this winter in a swap that cleared some clutter on the 40-man roster for Boston, while giving Pittsburgh some salary relief. The power righty has already been given the keys to the car by manager John Farrell who swiftly and shrewdly made his decision to unseat Andrew Bailey as the closer apparent in favor of Hanrahan. That is good news for a player entering the most important season of his career. It also comes with added pressure. Bailey, as injury prone as he may be, is a proven commodity. He can close ballgames. If Hanrahan struggles early, Farrell may look to make a change. He is keenly aware of how badly the bullpen meltdowns of yesteryear affected the Red Sox in April. The pressure and spotlight are on Hanrahan. The stage is Boston. His response will dictate whether or not he receives the fat, multi-year contract offer he will undoubtedly seek next offseason.

Hanrahan’s likely battery mate, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, will have plenty of motivation this season to build on his 2012 campaign. The soon-to-be 28-year old switch hitter had a breakout year of sorts last season, establishing himself a legitimate power hitting backstop. Saltalamacchia is hardly a player without warts, however. He managed to post a .288 on-base percentage in each of the past two seasons, a miserable, yet consistent feat. He strikes out too much and is starkly better when hitting from the left side of the plate. Despite his flaws, Saltalamacchia is a catcher who has pop, and that’s valuable. If he can find a way to not fade as the season wears on, retain his power, and improve his on-base skills (even marginally), Saltalamacchia could be in line for a multi-year deal from a team following the season.

Saltalamacchia isn’t the only player with catching experience on the Red Sox who will be looking to parlay a productive 2013 into a big contract next offseason. Last week, Mike Napoli officially signed a one-year deal worth $5MM, a far cry from the original three-year, $13MM agreement the two sides agreed to on December 3. The reason for the hold up and subsequent $34MM reduction in guarunteed salary? Avascular necrosis–a condition that destroys bone due to lack of blood supply to the specific area. It sounds bad, and it is. But it was caught early, and according to doctors, should not get worse. Still, it cost the 31-year old a ton of dough this offseason. Naturally, Napoli will look to respond with a productive 2013 and prove to clubs that he deserves a multi-year deal. He is in the right lineup and the right ballpark to bounce back.

Stephen Drew is looking to repair his stock as a free agent that, like Napoli, has been marred by injury. Drew, a Boras client, agreed to a one-year deal with the Red Sox that will pay him $9.5MM in 2013. Once a top level performer at his position, Drew, due to a vicious ankle injury that occurred in July of 2011 and forced him to miss the first three months of 2012, did not garner a great deal of interest in free agency. With a strong performance in 2013, Drew will almost certainly see more teams bid on his services next time around. As long as Drew leaves camp healthy, it is hard to envision a scenario where he will not be the Red Sox’ Opening Day shortstop. He will have an opportunity — not unlike Adrian Beltre in 2010 — to capitalize on the ever-intense baseball environment in Boston. His ankle issues seem to be behind him. Health and productivity at a shallow position are all that stands between Drew and a much more memorable crack at free agency.

Cherington and the Red Sox are hoping to take advantage of the motivation that comes naturally with a player operating on a one-year deal. One-year pacts are essentially wagers entered into by both the player and the team. If the bet works out, the player almost always has a big payday waiting, and the team receives the benefit of a playoff run.

In 2013, the Red Sox will gladly go all in.

I’m hopeless.  I realize that.  I was mad at the Red Sox in 2011; then again in 2012.  But you can only be mad for so long.  I love the Red Sox again.  In fact, I never stopped.  You can be mad at someone with whom you love, right?   I bought tickets.  I’m ready for April and a new season.  Don’t worry – I won’t be buying any Fenway bricks.  I’m not that hopeless.  Yet.

I believe that women view sports differently than men.  No, I don’t mean that our favorite athletes must be sexy (but some are).  I don’t mean that they have to look good in baseball pants (but some do).  Women are not only interested in the play on the field.  We are also interested in the person on the field.  Personality matters.  Character matters.  Who are these people we watch so intently…that we cheer…and sometimes not.

This past week I heard that certain players and Wally would be out and about in downtown Boston giving away pre-sale ticket vouchers.  I packed my commuter tote bag with a camera and some quilt squares just in case there was a sighting.  By late-morning I heard that Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish, Jonny Gomes and David Ross would be at Faneuil Hall in Boston at noon.  I hesitated only a moment.  The crowds!  The pushing and shoving!  The vying for space!  I went.   I walked into the historic rotunda and saw a few cameramen sitting down having lunch and a few people in Red Sox winter hats and coats.  It was freezing cold and everyone was bundled up.  There were some people sitting at a long table eating pizza – along with tourists and downtown office workers.  I sat down to text my friend that there was nothing happening, feeling a little disappointed.  Then I realized that among people sitting at the table next to me were the four players along with other team employees.  I sat and I waited, resisting the urge to make eye contact or disturb them while they ate.  (I hate when my bosses interrupt my lunch hour.)  All at once they got up, spoke quietly to each other, stood around and handed out a few vouchers.  Wally showed up and created the biggest stir.  Most people there were tourists and did not have a clue who they were.  Sadly, many fans would not recognize them without a number on their backs (and baseball pants on their trunks). There were no introductions, no muss, no fuss.  It was the perfect storm!  Armed with courage, a camera and my quilt squares, I approached.  First, Daniel Nava.  His big, open smile is very approachable.  We chatted a few minutes about the quilt I was making and who had signed and who I would like to have sign.  He could not have been nicer.  Then I approached Ryan Kalish for more pleasant chatting with a nice young man who happens to be a major league baseball player.  I wished him a great season.  His reply was, “I hope so.”  I remember thinking that he looked wistful.  Two days later, the news broke that his other shoulder requires surgery for a torn labrum and that he will again miss part of the season.   I am so sad for that nice, hard-working young man.  Feeling courageous, I set my sights on Jonny Gomes and welcomed him to Boston along with David Ross.  I am sure they felt like fish out of water.  Crazy Boston fans.  Each player cordially signed my quilt squares.  Four more!!!  I went back to work happy and excited about the experience.

Little did I know that the next day would only get better.

I went to the Boston Baseball Writers Annual Awards Dinner.  Not expecting anything but some rubber banquet chicken and a couple of decent photographs, I came away with the mother lode.  I was carrying my commuter tote bag with Tito Francona’s new book, Francona: The Red Sox Years, which I was reading on the train.  Suddenly, Tito appeared in the room with a flurry.  He greeted several people and bellied up to the bar for some liquid courage – probably in order to see Larry Lucchino who did not exactly come off smelling like a rose in Tito’s book.  I sidled up to him at the bar and told him that I miss him.  It just came out.  When I saw him, I realized that I do miss him.  Maybe it is just a Bobby Valentine hangover.  Anyway, I pulled the book out of my magic bag of tricks and VOILA!

At the urging of my friend, Kate, I packed my latest Red Sox portrait quilt of Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  I did not think it was an appropriate venue to seek autographs but I rolled it up and stuck it in my tote.  Kate convinced me that if there was an opportunity and I did not have it with me, I would regret it.  She was right.  Salty was there receiving the Tim Wakefield Community Service Award.  There was not an appropriate time to approach him throughout the cocktail hour or dinner, but good things come to those who wait.  And so I waited.  Out came Salty into the lobby and walking past me.  He almost got away.   I approached.  “Excuse me, Salty.  May I show you this?”  Unfurl quilt.  He blinked.  He looked at me.  He said, “Did you make that?”  Yes. “You made that of me?”  (How unassuming!)  It took him by surprise.  “I’ve never seen anything like that!”  Well, I said, may I ask you to sign it?  “I’d love to!”  That’s just plain awesome!

Jonny Gomes, who accompanied Salty, had signed my quilt block the day before.  He piped up, “Hey, I signed something for you yesterday.  She makes Red Sox quilts!”  He remembered!  Priceless!

As if the evening wasn’t great enough, we also spoke to relief pitcher, Andrew Miller, for a moment.  Andrew was voted the Fireman of the Year by the BBWAA.  What an open face and friendly manner!  Mike Aviles, who was voted the Jackie Jensen Award for his hustle, was there and he walked by, said hi, and flashed that magnificent smile.  I hope he does well and enjoys being with Tito in Cleveland, but I’ll miss seeing that smile on the HD screen at Fenway.

I went home clutching my magic tote bag.  What a haul!  I’m quite sure I was glowing.  I love my team again!  They are nice!  They are fan-friendly!  They may or may not be a winning team but right now, I don’t care! I got home and looked through my mail.  I could not believe my eyes.  My lucky day continued!  (No, I did not win the Publisher’s Clearing House.)  In the mail was one of my quilt squares sent out weeks earlier.  This one was signed by John Farrell.  It was the perfect ending to the perfect day.

I couldn’t sleep.  I tossed and turned and thought of those moments…those brief conversations…Tito’s book and the terrific speech he gave…those signed fabric pieces…the signed Salty quilt!

I feel renewed.  I’m ready for “Truck Day”, ready for pitchers and catchers to report to spring training, ready for April 1.

Other people can worry about lineups, pitching rotations, wins and losses, playoff contention, quests for the World Series.  I cannot do anything about that stuff.  I can only watch and hope that I like the people on the field, that they play hard and put on a good show, that they appreciate the fans – especially loyal fans like me – and that they occasionally acknowledge our presence.  I can only control the arrangement of my signed quilt blocks and decide which player is the next to have his likeness stitched into my portrait quilts.

Last fall, I was talking baseball with a woman who suffers from crippling bouts of depression.  We were speaking passionately about what had gone wrong and what had gone right with our Sox.  She said something that I will never forget.  “Isn’t it wonderful to care about something so much.”   So, I will leave the angst to the sports writers and commentators who get paid to wring their hands.  Me?  I’ll just celebrate the art of caring. And wait for spring.

Big Names. Big Contracts. Ready to do battle with the Yankees and all other contenders.

Of course, that strategy has not worked so well the last two years.

So this off-season, GM Ben Cherington has retooled the club, signing a bunch of 30+ year old free agents to fill the team’s holes. All on short-term deals (compared to previous free agent contracts).

It appears Cherington’s intention is fielding a club that’s in the pennant hunt, rather than building.

The player acquisition results have been pretty underwhelming for Red Sox Nation.

But it may be wise to withhold judgment on Boston’s roster when the season starts on April 1.

Look for the Red Sox roster to be more of a work-in-process during the season – much more than previous years.

What if it Works

Let’s suppose Cherington has accomplished what he set out to do – transforming a 69 win team into a 90+ win team (AL teams needed 91 or more wins to grab a wild card spot in 2012).

By going the free agent route as opposed to building through trades, Cherington has held onto his top prospects – including ones who could be major league ready soon.

Young players who could provide Boston a turbo-boost during the season.

It’s possible that Jackie Bradley Jr. or Bryce Brentz starts off on fire in Pawtucket and moves into position to play a role on the big league club.

How about a Jonny Gomes – Bradley platoon in left? (I am going to pretend a Jacoby Ellsbury injury replacement may not be necessary.)

Or Brentz emerges – setting up Brentz, Gomes and Shane Victorino to share starting duties in left and right.

And maybe Xander Bogaerts really is the next Hanley Ramirez, and bursts into the majors in 2013.

On the pitching side – Allen Webster or Rubby De La Rosa could be big league ready sometime during the season – adding a boost to the Sox staff either as a starter or in the bullpen.

Or perhaps Steven Wright goes Tim Wakefield on us – and rides his knuckleball into a hot streak.

Another option could be: Boston finds itself needing another veteran bat or (more likely) pitcher around the trading deadline.

So the team packages some of these prospects in a trade that attempts to put the Red Sox over the top.

What if it Doesn’t Work

Let’s suppose Cherington has failed at creating a pennant contender; he has great flexibility to make some in-season moves.

Boston can become a seller and move veterans to teams battling for playoff positions for young talent.

Cherington could transform himself into a modern day Frank Trader Lane.

• Stephen Drew is on a one year deal. If he comes back but the team doesn’t, move him. Contenders like Detroit, Oakland, St. Louis and San Francisco all could be looking for a shortstop during the season.
• Ryan Dempster was a hot commodity last mid-season – and he has no no-trade clause this year. Pennant contending teams are always on the prowl for starters at the trading deadline. If Dempster’s second year on his contract is an obstacle, Boston has payroll room to eat some money if the talent the team gets in return is worth it.
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia. While his pending free agency may limit the return on trading him, teams like the White Sox, Yankees and Rays may be looking for a short-term catching solution. The Sox could get a little younger by moving Ryan Lavarnway into a starting role – provided he demonstrates, he’s ready.
• Mike Napoli is a crapshoot going into this season. But if the bat returns and the hips hold up, Napoli is on a one-year deal and could be the type of power-hitter teams are looking to add. Clubs like Baltimore, Tampa Bay, San Francisco and maybe even Texas may buy into a short-term risk.
• Joel Hanrahan. Another pending free agent, Boston could sell this power arm to the highest bidder at the trade deadline. Options could include: Detroit, Los Angeles and Cincinnati. And that doesn’t take into the consideration the one or more teams which eventually have some type of bullpen injury and need to hit the market.

And we have not even mentioned Ellsbury in a trade scenario. The thinking here is Boston wants to make a run at keeping Ellsbury long term. So if that’s the case, the team may want to hold onto him.

What’s your prediction – will the Red Sox be sellers or buyers at the 2013 trading deadline?

Even when you move down the list and start talking about potential replacements for some of the older guys at the position, outside of the two top catching prospects (d’Arnaud and Zunino), all of the other minor league catchers are either low upside, light years away or staring down a potential position switch. On the major league side, there are some former top prospects hanging around the list, but it’s mostly a bunch of guys for whom you’d be constantly searching for replacements if you owned them.

The complicating factor of this position, however, is that once you get beyond the top couple of names (or even just the top name, depending on how you feel about that second tier), there is potentially very little differentiating value between the middle of the top-10 and the outskirts of the top-15. What you lose in upside at this position, you gain in depth – with names like Grandal, Napoli and Lucroy residing in the mid-teens. You could make a legitimate argument to put any of these guys in the top-10 and you wouldn’t get a huge argument from me. The difference between Wieters at #5 and Lucroy at #15 is much less than the 10 or so spots would indicate.

And now your top 50 dynasty league catchers, with commentary:

#1 – Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

There’s really no contest here at the top spot. He just hit .336/.408/.549 with 24 HR and 103 RBI in his age-25 season – and while this may turn out to be Posey’s career year, you won’t be able to find a consistent threat to put up a .300 average with 20 HR anywhere else on this list.

#2 – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
#3 – Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians
#4 – Yadier Molina, St Louis Cardinals

Depending on how you feel about these guys individually, they could constitute this tier in almost any order. Santana is the youngest of the group, at only 26-years old, but he’s not going to hit for the same average that Mauer and Molina will (or even steal as many bases). I have Santana ahead of Molina because I do think that he has a couple of 30 HR seasons before his prime is over.

#5 – Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles
#6 – Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners

I go back and forth on these two, settling on Wieters only because he’s much more likely to retain his eligibility for future seasons. However, with that said, Montero could develop into one of the premier hitters in baseball, which would make the potential lack of catcher eligibility merely a bummer. But if he reaches his peak, he’ll be more valuable at 1B (or even DH) than Wieters is at C.

#7 – Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
#8 – Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks

Another tight pairing, this is a battle of the steady performer versus a younger, and potentially better, version of himself. Montero (Miguel, this time) has been a very reliable source of average, HR and RBI from a very weak position – and still likely has a few more years of performance left. But I’m going with the 22-year old who burst onto the scene in 2012 after missing the first half of the year with a knee injury. Not only did he hit .301 with 11 HR in only 305 AB, but he struck out in a miniscule 8.9% of his plate appearances. Remember what I said about Buster Posey at the top? Perez has the best shot of anyone on this list of being a .300, 20 HR hitter (I’m excluding Jesus Montero because he’s not going to be at the position long-term).

#9 – Travis d’Arnaud, New York Mets

#10 – Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

The shoulder injury is going to be a concern all of 2013, and he was starting to decline even prior to getting hurt, but he’ll still only be 30 years old in 2014. There are more good seasons left in that bat of his.

#11 – Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies

People want to dock Rosario for playing in half his games in Coors Field, and while that’s fine if you’re talking about real baseball value, he’s still going to be playing there for a while. This party may not stop until the Rockies stop putting him behind the plate – which, unfortunately, could be soon as his defense borders on unacceptable.

#12 – Mike Zunino, Seattle Mariners

#13 – Yasmani Grandal, San Diego Padres

The 50-game suspension certainly hurts his 2013 value, and is likely sending his owners into backup plan mode. However, his value received some good news over the winter, as the fences are moving in at PETCO – so while it’s still likely to play as a pitcher’s park, the dimensions should be less extreme. I like Grandal’s chances to be a .285 hitter with around 15 HR once he’s able to play a full season, with even more upside down the road.

#14 – Mike Napoli, Boston Red Sox

There’s something very unsettling about the strikeout rate Napoli posted in 2012, not only because it was 30%, but because it was both a career high and more than 50% higher than his 2011 rate. However, this elevated strikeout rate was not accompanied by a career high swinging strike percentage (which you might expect to see) – in fact, his 11.5% rate for 2012 was both below his career average and the third-lowest of his career. With Napoli, the power’s not much of a question, but I see his batting average bouncing back into the .260 range for the 31-year old. Unfortunately, there’s now the question of his hip to add into the equation, which further complicates the issue.

#15 – Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

Lucroy really broke out in 2012, hitting .320/.368/.513 with 12 HR and 58 RBI in only 96 games. And while that power might be real, don’t expect Lucroy to maintain that type of batting average going forward. Though, if he can keep his strikeout rate below 15% (in his three seasons, it’s been 14.8%, 21.2% and 12.7%), he could be a .275+ hitter. Of course, it’s all a moot point if his wife doesn’t stop dropping luggage on him.

#16 – Derek Norris, Oakland Athletics
#17 – Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Reds

These former well thought of prospects are still hanging around, trying to get a full-time shot. Norris looked like he would one in 2013 before the A’s traded for John Jaso, but I still don’t believe the A’s will let Jaso “catch” for more than around 50-60 games. One of these years, Norris is going to hit 25 HR and steal 10 bases – which would make him a fantasy stud, if he wasn’t also likely to hit .230 or so. Mesoraco’s path to playing time is more muddled as he’s directly behind Dusty Baker’s favorite toy, Ryan Hanigan. But he will get his shot at some point, and he still has the potential with the bat to run with it.

#18 – Victor Martinez, Detroit Tigers

I believe in Martinez as a top-10 catcher (if he’s eligible in your league) for the 2013 season. Unfortunately, he’s this far down the list because he’s an absolute lock to lose that eligibility when the year is through. He can still carry some value as a 1B/DH type, but his helpful power is a distant memory at this point (I’d be pretty surprised to see him hit even 15 HR this year). Though the batting average and RBI should be among the tops at the position.

#19 – Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees

#20 – Blake Swihart, Boston Red Sox

#21 – Stryker Trahan, Arizona Diamondbacks

#22 – J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays
#23– A.J. Pierzynski, Texas Rangers

Both initialed catchers found their values increased by off-season activity. With Arencibia, it was the player who left town (Travis d’Arnaud) that gave him the boost. And with an improved lineup around him, following the addition of Jose Reyes, Arencibia could put up substantial RBI numbers for a catcher. With Pierzynski, it’s the new surroundings in Texas which make him more appealing for fantasy. But asking a 36 year old catcher to repeat a complete outlier of a season is paramount to doubling down a bet on a roulette table. The track record speaks for itself.

#24 – Jorge Alfaro, Texas Rangers

#25 – Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals

In deeper leagues, don’t forget about Ramos. He’s coming off a torn ACL, but did hit .267 with 15 HR in only 113 games during the 2011 season.

#26 – Ryan Doumit, Minnesota Twins

It’s at least one more season of eligibility at catcher for, by many accounts, the worst framing catcher in baseball. He’s fully capable of more .275-18-75 seasons, if he can just stay healthy, but as an OF, those stats would be much less interesting.

#27 – Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers

Another example of the newfound depth at the position, a disappointing season pushes Avila from a top-10 catcher heading into 2012 to this point on the list. I just have a sneaking suspicion that Avila still has one pretty great season left in him, but it’s a complete crap shoot as to when it will happen.

#28 – Carlos Ruiz, Philadelphia Phillies

This is very little about the suspension and more about his baseline of power going forward. Ruiz was a 33-year old who posted a HR/FB rate of twice his career average (15.1% vs 7.6%). That is not going to end well. And I say was because he turned 34 today. Happy birthday Carlos!

#29 – Chris Iannetta, Los Angeles Angels

I still believe Iannetta can be a catcher who hits 25 HR with an average that won’t destroy you (though the glimmer of hope gets smaller and smaller with each passing year). Unfortunately, time’s running out on him, and he’s not exactly in a ballpark which is going to aid him on that journey.

#30 – Clint Coulter, Milwaukee Brewers

#31 – John Jaso, Oakland Athletics

Very quietly, Jaso hit .276/.394/.456 with 10 HR and 5 SB in 361 AB in 2012. The ranking is all about whether you think the power is for real, as he hit 10 HR in 2010 and 2011 combined – and I’m not convinced.

#32 – Austin Hedges, San Diego Padres

#33 – Russell Martin, Pittsburgh Pirates

Going to a park that crushes RH power (park factor of 68, where 100 is average) will not help Martin maintain the surge he saw at Yankee Stadium.

#34 – Hank Conger, Los Angeles Angels

At some point, a .298/.371/.470 line in 202 Triple-A games is going to convince some team (if it’s not the Angels) to give Conger a full-time shot. His defense may not be great, but it’s good enough to find out if he can hit major league pitching.

#35 – Ryan Lavarnway, Boston Red Sox

Lavarnway is going to have to hit a lot better than he did in 2012 in order for the Red Sox (or any other team) to put up with his defense. Of course, the obvious fact is obvious, since a .459 OPS might not get him into many lineups even with near-elite defense. He’s a long shot at this point to both maintain this eligibility and hit the way he hinted at in the minors, but as long as the possibility is still there, he’s worth a flier.

#36 – Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston Red Sox
#37 – A.J. Ellis, Los Angeles Dodgers

Desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s really a coin flip between the former top prospect who strikes out in more than a third of his at bats or a 32 year old whose career year was only good enough to finish 17^th on the ESPN Player Rater.

#38 – Wellington Castillo, Chicago Cubs

Can we just take a second, step back and appreciate how amazing of a first name Wellington is? OK, let’s move on.

#39 – Will Swanner, Colorado Rockies

#40 – Rob Brantly, Miami Marlins
#41 – Jason Castro, Houston Astros

Brantly is a sneaky pickup in deeper dynasty formats (18+ teams and two catcher formats). He could be a steady .280 hitter with 8-12 HR power. And Castro is an older, and more weathered, version of Brantly, who should be ready to run with the Astros starting job in 2013.

#42 – Nick Hundley, San Diego Padres
#43 – Kurt Suzuki, Washington Nationals
#44 – Geovany Soto, Texas Rangers

Will any of these guys ever get a starting job again?

#45 – Ryan Hanigan, Cincinnati Reds

Hanigan’s fantasy importance lies much less in his own value than the extent to which he acts as the governor on Devin Mesoraco’s value. Hanigan is who he is, and that’s a solid second catcher in NL-only leagues.

#46 – Kevin Plawecki, New York Mets

#47 – Jake Realmuto, Miami Marlins

Regardless of what Realmuto does the rest of his career, I will always remember him as the guy who hit a HR off Stephen Strasburg in his first rehab start back from Tommy John surgery. It’s only one of two HR that Strasburg ever allowed in the minors.

#48 – John Buck, New York Mets

#49 – Erik Kratz, Philadelphia Phillies

#50 – Ramon Hernandez, Free Agent

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As usual, we avoided arbitration with quite a few guys.  Salty signed a one-year contract with no guarantee.  Ellsbury signed a one-year deal worth nine million dollars, which is an extra-criminal steal.  He’ll be a free agent after this year, so this is probably the last time in his career that he’ll earn less than ten million dollars per year, and even that’s low.  Breslow signed a multi-year deal.

Vicente Padilla has signed a one-year deal to pitch in Japan.  Lastly, Terry Francona, who now manages the Cleveland Indians, will have a memoir coming out tomorrow about his time with us.  It’s called “Francona: The Red Sox Years” and was co-written with Dan Shaughnessy.  An excerpt published earlier painted a less-than-rosy picture of Francona’s relationship with the brass, which he now says is a misrepresentation of his book overall.  Oh, the drama.

In other news, our Super Bowl drought continues.  The Pats beat the Texans in the division playoff, 41-28, but lost the conference championship to the Ravens last night, 28-13.  So that’s it.  Our season is over.  Yet another example of the fact that our offense, outstanding as it is, was a bad match against Baltimore’s defense, and our defense a bad match against Baltimore’s offense.  It was agonizing to watch and painful to recall.  On the bright side, the Bruins have come to the rescue! We beat the Rangers, 3-1, on Saturday in the first game of the shortened season.

The Joy of Sox

But I wouldn’t have to wait very long. In fact, a few seconds later, I checked out the MLB news of the day- something I probably should have done first- and found that Hart will be out for 3-4 months with knee surgery.

Yep, we can’t catch a break. This is the third straight ST in which Hart will have been injured for at least part of the time, and the second time over the past three years that he’ll miss at least the first month of the season.

Anyway, this injury certainly affects how I view the possibility of the Brewers extending Hart. While he’s been a power-threat in the Brewers’ lineup ever since his break-out 2010, I don’t know how much longer the team can put up with his constant early season injuries. Also, if Hart misses more than just the first month of the season- which some speculate he will- it’ll hurt the sort of deal he gets, should he hit the free agent market at the end of 2013.

As for the Brewers, though, it would appear they’re going to give Mat Gamel yet another chance to start at first base. First base prospect Hunter Morris might get a closer look during ST, but it’s unlikely the Brewers would burn one of his options just so he could fill in for Hart for a month or so. Another internal option is Taylor Green, who, along with Gamel, was supposed to be fighting for a bench role going into ST.

Bottom line is, though, that this was a year Hart should have been a bit more careful. There’s evidently chronic issues with his knee that should have been fixed for good by now.

> The Brewers’ list of World Baseball Classic players grew after the rosters for each country were announced on Thursday. 14 players were chosen: Ryan Braun (USA), Jonathan Lucroy (USA), Yovani Gallardo (Mexico), Marco Estrada (Mexico), Martin Maldonado (Puerto Rico), Hiram Burgos (Puerto Rico), Carlos Gomez (Dominican Republic), Jeff Bianchi (Italy), Hainley Statia (Netherlands), Mike Walker (Australia), John Axford (Canada), Jim Henderson (Canada), Green (Canada), and Rene Tosoni (Canada). All but three of the players- Statia, Walker, and Tosoni- are currently on the Brewers’ 40-man roster.

> The club has also avoided arbitration with all of its eligibles. Gomez received $4.3 million, Axford $5 million, Estrada $1.955 million, and Burke Badenhop $1.55 million. All were one-year deals. The Brewers had already avoided arbitration with their other eligible, Chris Narveson, a few weeks back.

> The Brewers signed catcher Robinson Diaz to a minor league deal.

> Former Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan is going to be inducted into the Brewers’ Walk of Fame.

> Today was an extremely sad day for baseball: former Orioles manager Earl Weaver and Cardinals legend Stan Musial both passed away. Weaver was 82 while Musial was 92.

> Minor moves: 

Padres: Re-signed Will Venable, Joe Thatcher, and Everth Cabrera to one-year deals; signed Brad Hawpe and Lucas May to minor league deals.
Red Sox: Signed Mike Napoli to a one-year deal; re-signed Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joel Hanrahan, and Jacoby Ellsbury to one-year deals; re-signed Craig Breslow to a two-year deal.
Rangers: Signed Matt Harrison to a five-year extension; re-signed Neftali Feliz to a one-year deal.
Twins: Re-signed Drew Butera to a one-year deal.
Pirates: Designated Zach Stewart for assignment; re-signed Garrett Jones to a one-year deal.
Diamondbacks: Re-signed Tony Sipp and Ian Kennedy to one-year deals.
Astros: Signed Rick Ankiel to a one-year deal.
Mets: Re-signed Bobby Parnell and Ike Davis to one-year deals; signed Landon Powell to a minor league deal.
Reds: Re-signed Logan Ondrusek to a two-year deal.
Nationals: Re-signed Drew Storen and Craig Stammen to one-year deals.
Yankees: Re-signed Joba Chamberlain to a one-year deal; signed Bobby Wilson and Reegie Corona to minor league deals.
Athletics: Re-signed John Jaso and Seth Smith to one-year deals.
Angels: Re-signed Alberto Callaspo to a two-year deal; re-signed Jason Vargas to a one-year deal.
Cubs: Re-signed Matt Garza to a one-year deal.
Giants: Re-signed Jose Mijares, Hunter Pence, and Buster Posey to one-year deals.
Indians: Re-signed Drew Stubbs and Chris Perez to one-year deals; signed Ryan Raburn to a minor league deal.
Orioles: Re-signed Matt Wieters to a one-year deal.
Blue Jays: Re-signed Josh Thole to a two-year deal.
Tigers: Re-signed Rick Porcello to a one-year deal.
White Sox: Signed Tony Pena Jr. to a minor league deal; signed Matt Lindstrom to a one-year deal.
Marlins: Singed Matt Downs to a minor league deal.

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for the 2013 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration. Terms were not disclosed. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

Saltalamacchia, 27, hit .222 with 25 home runs and 59 RBI in 2012. He led the Red Sox in home runs, the first catcher to do so since Carlton Fisk, who in 1973 and 1977 hit 26, the club record for a catcher.

The switch-hitter set career highs in home runs, RBI, games (121), runs (55), and walks (38). Nearly half (43) of his hits (90) went for extra bases. He ranked third among major league catchers in home runs and finished with the fourth-best slugging percentage (.454) among American League catchers (minimum 375 PA). As a catcher, his 104 games and 852 innings ranked fifth in the league, and his 95 starts tied for fifth. His .991 fielding percentage ranked sixth.

Acquired by Boston from Texas for three minor leaguers (and cash considerations) on July 31, 2010, the native of West Palm Beach, FL, has hit 41 homers over the past two seasons, tied for the fourth-most among AL catchers. Saltalamacchia, who hit 16 home runs in 2011, is the fourth Red Sox catcher to hit at least 16 homers in back-to-back seasons, joining Carlton Fisk (1972-73, 1976-78), Rich Gedman (1984-86) and Jason Varitek (2003-05).

Active in the community again in 2012, he was among team leaders with 26 appearances, served as co-captain of the Jimmy Fund, and earned the BoSox Club’s “Man of the Year Award” for community service.

Originally a supplemental first-round selection by Atlanta in the June 2003 draft, Saltalamacchia owns a .239 average with 81 doubles, 5 triples, 64 home runs and 210 RBI in 474 career games over six seasons with the Braves (2007), Rangers (2007-10) and Red Sox (2010-12).

The Red Sox have eight arbitration-eligible players remaining: right-handers Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, and Joel Hanrahan, left-handers Craig Breslow, Andrew Miller and Franklin Morales, and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 27-year old Saltalmacchia hit .222 with 25 home runs and 59 RBIs in 2012. He was the first catcher to lead the team in home runs since Carlton Fisk accomplished the feat in 1977 with 26 homers — the club record for a backstop.

The deal with Saltalmacchia comes on the same day the Red Sox reportedly agreed to a one-year, $5-million deal with free agent first baseman/catcher Mike Napoli, who the club had been trying to come to terms with for over a month.

The Red Sox have eight arbitration-eligible players remaining: right-handers Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, and Joel Hanrahan, left-handers Craig Breslow, Andrew Miller and Franklin Morales, and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Courtesy: seattletimes.com

Last year, the Seattle Mariners finished 75-87, last place in the AL West, a spot that they have held for seven of the last ten years. What are the Mariners doing to build a contender?

Not much.

The club is loaded with pitching prospects, like Taijuan Walker, Danny Hultzen, Brandon Maurer, and James Paxton, and they have collected some fine offensive prospects, like Mike Zunino, Nick Franklin, and Brad Miller along the way. With Jesus Montero being added last season and the ascension of Dustin Ackley to the majors, you would think that the Mariners were building for a run in 2015.

However, that can’t be the case after the club has traded for Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse, both free agents after the 2013 season. While the club gave up John Jaso to get Morse and Jason Vargas to get Morales, the Mariners left themselves with some question marks.

With Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Erasmo Ramirez, and Blake Beaven penciled into the rotation, the club may have to rely on Hector Noesi, Hultzen, or Paxton in the rotation to start the year. Noesi was 2-12 with a 5.82 ERA for the M’s in 2012, Hultzen was just 1-4 with a 5.92 ERA in 12 Triple-A starts in 2012, and Paxton would be jumping to the majors from Double-A. While Vargas isn’t close to being considered an ace, the Mariners will have a tough time replacing the 217 innings and 3.85 ERA that he provided last year.

After trading Jaso to Oakland, the Mariners only have Jesus Montero at catcher. Montero, who turned 23 in November, caught in just 56 games in 2012, throwing out 17 percent of base runners and posting a -8 Rtot (runs below average that he was worth defensively). While his bat has great potential, Montero is not an everyday catcher at the major league level.

Add in the Jason Bay and Raul Ibanez signings to the trades that Seattle has made, and the club is loaded with mediocrity.

There are two examples of their everyday lineup that I have found:

Example 1                                                                     Example 2

C: Montero                                                        C: Montero

1B: Morse                                                          1B: Smoak

2B: Ackley                                                         2B: Ackley

3B: Seager                                                         3B: Seager

SS: Ryan                                                            SS: Ryan

LF: Ibanez                                                         LF: Morse

CF: Gutierrez                                                    CF: Gutierrez

RF: Saunders                                                    RF: Saunders

DH: Morales                                                     DH: Morales

Example one is eliminating Justin Smoak from the equation. Smoak has over 1,200 at-bats and has a career slash of .223/.306/.377 line, but he is just 26 years old and he posted a .341/.426/.580 in September, showing a glimpse of what he can do when he is healthy, and he has battled a thumb issue for the last couple of seasons.

Example two eliminates Raul Ibanez from the lineup. Ibanez has had great success in Seattle, having played 10 of his 17 seasons with the Mariners, but at the age of 41, he may just be a situational talent.

The Mariners could really use a catcher. If the club was able to deal Smoak to Boston for Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway, the Mariners could then move Montero to DH, Morales to first, and Morse can play left field. The Red Sox only have Mauro Gomez at first base right now, so the deal would make sense for both clubs, as the Sox have David Ross and whatever catcher they don’t trade to roster.

The M’s could also rush Mike Zunino, who was the top college player in last year’s MLB draft. Zunino could take over at catcher, allowing for the same moves with Morales and Morse as above, while the club could keep Smoak around in case of an injury. Zunino had 51 at-bats in Double-A last year, so he could use some more seasoning in the minors, but he could be a better option behind the plate than Montero already.

Regardless of the moves at catcher that the Mariners could make, the additions that the club has made have not been stellar.

Morse has a powerful bat but he has issues making contact, having posted a 223:52 K:BB while hitting 49 home runs over 928 at-bats over the last two seasons. Turning 31 years old in March, Morse has two seasons with a WAR over 1.0 (1.2 in 2010 and 3.1 in 2011), so one has to wonder if his 2011 season (with 31 home runs and a .910 OPS) was his peak.

Ibanez is not a player that a rebuilding team needs. His age and declining skills limit his potential.

Morales rebounded nicely after missing nearly two years due to injury, posting a .787 OPS. In 2009, Morales posted a .924 OPS and he had an .833 OPS in 2010 prior to his celebratory injury. Is the drop in production due to his injury, timing issues due to being away from the game, or pressing to hit at the levels that he did in 2009? Can he reach those numbers when he is playing half of his games in Seattle?

Add in the interest that the Mariners have in Justin Upton and the supposed offer (Taijuan Walker, Nick Franklin, Stephen Pryor, and Charlie Furbush) that they made, and the team seemingly has no long-term or short-term direction. The Mariners pitching, as it stands, is questionable at best. If the team is rebuilding, why would they offer two of their top five prospects instead of cashing in on any of their veterans that have value, even Felix Hernandez?

While John Jaso and Jason Vargas aren’t superstars, you have to wonder if the club would have been better off with the two players still on their roster. While they wouldn’t have made many moves to improve upon their last place finish from 2012, the Mariners wouldn’t have question marks all over the field like they do right now.

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Sunday, January.06, 2013

Will Victorino help point the way out of the cellar?

It has become trendy in recent weeks for experts to declare the Red Sox not only big players during the recent flurry of off-season transactions, but also big winners.

This may be wishful thinking, however, since it’s hard to imagine another season as dreadful as the 69-93 last-place debacle of 2012. It’s true Boston picked up strong character guys in Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes, along with a few streaky power-hitter types in Stephen Drew and Mike Napoli. But the revamped Boston lineup still has plenty of uncertainties with spring training a little over a month away.

Let’s take a look around the diamond as things currently stand (projected starters in bold):

At First Base – the newcomer Napoli, who can also catch, will likely get the nod provided Boston and his agent come to terms over his contract. Health may be an issue; while Napoli hit HRs last year and 30 in 2011, he’s played more than 114 games just once in seven MLB seasons (140 in 2010). Current backup Mauro Gomez was the International League MVP at Pawtucket last summer, but in 102 at-bats with Boston posted only 2 HRs. Mark Hamilton has shown bursts of power in the minors but has hit .197 in two call-ups with St. Louis.

Mike Napoli Highlights from 2012:

Second Base remains a strong suit with Dustin Pedroia returning, but while the three-time All-Star and former AL MVP is still Gold Glove-worthy in the field, his OPS and slugging numbers have dropped off each of the past two seasons. He’s also been injury-prone and missed 21 games in 2012. Pedroia will turn 30 in August, an age where he may soon become more prone to breakdowns (think Kevin Youkilis) if he continues playing in his aggressive, dirt-dog style. 

When the Red Sox signed Shortstop Stephen Drew to a One-Year, $9.5 Million Contract this winter, it surprised a lot of people who thought all-glove, no-bat Jose Iglesias was going to get a crack at starting in 2013. Iglesias has hit above .235 just once at any level, and checked in at .118 in 68 At-Bats for Boston last year. Now it’s likely Drew, a veteran who has had some very strong offensive seasons, will get the nod, but he is no sure thing either after a .227 year in which he missed 80-plus games with a severe ankle injury.

Third Baseman – Will Middlebrooks was perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2012 Red Sox season, as the rookie exploded on the MLB scene with a .331 Average and 9 HRs in his first 142 At-Bats after taking over for injured-then-traded Kevin Youkilis. Middlebrooks eventually reached 15 HRs and 54 RBI before being felled for the year by a broken wrist on Aug. 11, numbers that while very impressive marked a considerable drop-off from his torrid start. 

Most expect Middlebrooks to continue growing as a hitter and fielder in 2013, but a sophomore slump can’t be ruled out given his .194 September. Fan favorite Pedro Ciriaco, another pleasant surprise in 2012 as Middlebrooks’ end-of-year replacement, will be itching to jump in again if the need arises.

In Right Field – Victorino gives the Red Sox Gold Glove-caliber defense, but his offensive numbers (including just 11 HRs and 55 RBI last year) look very J.D. Drew-esque. Since J.D.’s  strong fielding was taken for granted and his hitting over-analyzed, it’s not too hard to imagine Victorino will start hearing catcalls from Conig’s Corner if he doesn’t come out swinging strong.

Center Fielder – Jacoby Ellsbury was a 32-HR, 39 SB  man and AL MVP runner-up in ’11, but had almost no power (4 HRs in 303 At-Bats) upon returning in mid-2012 from a dislocated shoulder. By not (yet) adding Hamilton or another big-name outfielder to the roster this winter, Sox management appears to be gambling that Ellsbury will bounce back strong in his free agent year and become either blue-chip trade bait or a contract extension candidate late in the summer. His fate likely depends on Boston’s place in the AL East and Wild Card races come July.

As a hitter, new Left Fielder Jonny Gomes won’t have anybody thinking of Ted, Yaz, Manny, or even Mike Greenwell, but on defense he may remind folks of butchers like Manny and Jose Canseco. Look for Daniel Nava to get the bulk of the reserve at-bats should Gomes or another outfielder falter, with Ryan Kalish, Drew Sutton, and Alex Hassan also in the mix. If Ellsbury is dealt, of course, another starting slot will open up.

At Catcher there is a logjam. It’s still unclear whether Jarrod Saltalamacchia can be a 140-game-a-year receiver; after setting a 30-HR, .280 pace in the first half of 2012, he was one of the easiest hitters in the AL to strike out down the stretch and finished at .222 with 25 dingers. Doubts about Salty’s durability led the Red Sox to sign David Ross (a solid back-up for Atlanta) and likely Napoli (who caught 72 games for Texas last year).

Throw in young Ryan Lavarnway (a standout in the Minors who struggled after a second-half call-up), and it’s clear this position is anything but set. The chances are at least one of these four catchers — all of whom could likely start for a big-league team — will be dealt before spring training.

Designated Hitter – David Ortiz provides another big question mark. Not because of the numbers he put up when playing in 2012 — they were outstanding — but because of the fact the Seven-Time All-Star missed 71 of the last 72 games with a Achilles injury and turned 37 in November. Even the svelter version of Big Papi we saw last year is a big-boned, Mo Vaughn/Boomer Scott body type who like these former Sox sluggers could lose his skills in a flash. Management showed its appreciation for Ortiz’s place in club history with a new two-year contract; if he manages to keep hitting that long, he also needs to keep healthy.

The concerted effort by Boston GM Ben Cherington and his crew to pursue solid and steady pick-ups rather than A-List superstars like Josh Hamilton should help the Red Sox avoid long-term contract headaches like the Yankees now face with A-Rod. What Ben and Co. must hope is that they have not created a team without enough sure things.

Next week: A look at the pitching staff.