Countdown to Opening Day: #9 Boston Red Sox

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#9 Boston Red Sox: My worst Valentine

PROJECTED LINEUP
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2B David Pedroia
DH David Ortiz
1B Mike Napoli
3B Will Middlebrooks
RF Shane Victorino
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
LF Jonny Gomes
SS Stephen Drew

PROJECTED ROTATION
Jon Lester
Ryan Dempster
Clay Buchholz
Felix Doubront
John Lackey

BULLPEN

Closer: Joel Hanrahan

Set-up: Andrew Bailey

Top Prospect: Jackie Bradley Jr. (OF)

This is not the first time in Major League Baseball that a team of high hopes did so little with their talent. Yes, the Red Sox were hindered by injuries all season, but you cannot deny the impact Bobby Valentine had on the group.
He called out the team leaders and sped up the Kevin Youkilis leaving town process. Time and time again he said and did the wrong thing. Even the talented and healthy lost motivation during the season. Decision after decision failed to be correct and Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett were also out the door.
It seems moving those big contracts will not hurt the Sox, but it is still up in the air. What's not up in the air is the firing of Bobby Valentine. He'll probably never coach in the majors again. I mean his only job offer was an athletic director at a small college.
New manager John Farrell, former pitching coach for the Red Sox, does not promote himself as a miracle worker, but he should be able to get struggling pitching in the right direction. Anything is better than Bobby V.

THEY CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - It is amazing what a clear mind and healthy body can do for a clubhouse. The Red Sox make the biggest win total jump in the Major Leagues behind a revamped rotation and a few emerging bats. While Pedroia and Ortiz are still doing their thing, it is third basemen Will Middlebrooks and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. that put the Sox back into the playoffs one year removed from a 69 win season.

REAL TALK - It is going to take gutsy performance to go from worst to first, but I do believe it is doable, barring health setbacks to key players such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester. The bullpen was fixed in the off season with additions of Joel Hanrahan and Koji Uhera and the starting pitching can only go up. Another A.L.East team that could finish first or fifth, but I'm leaning toward a team in the Wild Card mix.

Breakout: Will Middlebrooks

Bust: Stephen Drew
Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Jon Lester

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 69-93 (5th in AL East)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 89-73 (2nd in AL East)

**Check back tomorrow for the San Francisco Giants**