The Boston Red Sox will be boring in 2010. There is no other way to put it.
In the offseason, the Sox front office went out and invested in pitching and defense. Therefore, run prevention will be the name of the game for Boston this upcoming season. And the days of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz both bopping 40 home runs are long gone.
The Red Sox lineup is undeniably weaker than that of the menacing New York Yankees. Boston, however, has made a strong statement in the offseason that it wants to win now. Free agent signings of a number of older players show a movement to more of an emphasis on defense.
It's a way of playing that may not lead Boston to the most wins in the AL East but could spell victory in October. The money is in the arms, and although the Red Sox lineup isn't anything special, exceptional pitching can lead a team to a championship.
The Sox have one of the most cohesive rotations in recent history. In the offseason, they signed right−hander John Lackey for five years at $82.5 million. Lackey, who could be an ace in almost any major league rotation, will hold down the third slot in Boston. Number two in the rotation is lefty Jon Lester who has come into his own over the last three seasons and very well could have a breakout, Cy Young−type year. And ahead of them both is the hard−throwing Josh Beckett who just got inked to a four−year, $68 million contract. All three pitchers are primetime number one−type guys. It is rare for any team to have two aces at the same time. The Sox have three.
The bottom of the rotation is pretty strong when compared to those of other teams. The Red Sox will begin the season with 25−year−old Clay Buchholz in the fourth spot. After being rattled in 2008, Buchholz displayed newfound poise at the end of 2009. He was in line to win game three of the 2009 ALDS before Jonathan Papelbon blew a two−run, ninth−inning lead. All signs point up with Buchholz, who will continue to slowly evolve into the solid No. 2 guy he should be in the near future.
Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield is back for another season with Boston and will log crucial innings at the beginning of the year. His contributions cannot be overstated, particularly as his knuckleball is so rare in the modern game in which hitters go out and see the same stuff every night from pitchers who rely on the fastball or the occasional breaking pitches.
With Wakefield, hitters must take a different approach than they would every other night. Sometimes the ball isn't moving that night, and he gets tagged for seven earned runs in two innings. Other nights, hitters can't touch him, and he can give the Sox a solid eight innings. Wakefield made his first all−star game in 2009 — deservedly so. He played consistently in the first half of 2009 and logged 10 wins before the break.
Daisuke Matsuzaka was a waste of money for the Red Sox. They were expecting an ace from Japan but instead got a mediocre bottom−of−the−rotation type. Dice−K uses so many pitches in each at bat that he reaches his pitch limit around the fifth inning, hurting the team by forcing the bullpen to log more innings and consequently not be as well−rested for the next night.
Matsuzaka is starting the year on the DL, but he will be on the mound soon enough. If he does poorly in 2010, it will simply reinforce everything that Boston fans have been saying about him since he got there. However, it is possible that he could have a breakout year. Matsuzaka is a head case who can seem to work out any jam. With extended preparation time this offseason, he could pitch some good innings.
One should not expect much from him while never underestimating how good a head case can suddenly be. He is a sort of ace in the back pocket of the Sox, unless he ends up be being a joker, of course.
The Red Sox will have a deep rotation this season to say the least. However, the Yankees have great pitching and a stronger lineup as well. Odds are, it will come down to a late−season battle between the two. The Red Sox may not be constructed to win more games than the Yankees, but they are made to be able to beat New York in the seven−game series.
On Sunday's opening night, the Red Sox defeated New York 9−7, doing it in the exact fashion they will need to if they are going to win in October. Selective Red Sox batters got CC Sabathia's pitch count high and forced the Yankees to turn to their rather weak bullpen earlier rather than later. And the Red Sox bullpen performed well enough to maintain the lead.
This is the last part of the pitching equation that people often overlook. Home runs make highlight reels. Quality starting pitching can put people in seats. However, games often come down to a consistent and well−rested bullpen. The Red Sox will have strong pitching for all nine innings in 2010.
