Countdown to Opening Day #4 Boston Red Sox

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Lansdale Reporter

Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

#4 Boston Red Sox: Fighting for four in the Decade

PROJECTED LINEUP
CF Grady Sizemore
RF Shane Victorino
2B Dustin Pedroia
DH David Ortiz
1B Mike Napoli
SS Xander Bogaerts
3B Will Middlebrooks
C AJ Piersynski
LF Jackie Bradley Jr.

PROJECTED ROTATION
Jon Lester
Clay Buchholz
John Lackey
Jake Peavy
Felix Doubront

PROJECTED BULLPEN

Closer: Koji Uehara

Set-up: Junichi Tazawa

Top Prospect: Xander Bogaerts

The Red Sox are good. That's the obvious statement of the season considering they are coming off 97 wins

Koji Uehara

and a World Series title. But how good are they? This is not 1927, or 1977 for that matter. This is not Murderer's Row or the Big Red Machine. Chances of repeating in my mind are slim to none.
Everything has to fall into place to raise the trophy high and parade down Lansdowne Avenue. Koji Uehara cannot be perfect again, he can be good, but not 101 strikeouts-to-9 walks good. They are trying to replace leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury with some combination of unproven or recclamation stories. Grady Sizemore is having one hell of a spring, but that is a small sample size. I'm not sure the once face of the Indians can stay healthy for a long summer.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is going to get another crack at the major leagues. His OBP was 100 points higher than his batting average, but .189 is just not going to cut it for an everyday player. The Red Sox may have a few tricks up their sleeve in rookie Xander Bogaerts, Brandon Workman, and Allan Webster. The Red Sox are not going to pull a "Bobby V" and finish in last place, but winning their fourth title in the decade? Good luck. 

CALL ME MR. SUNSHINE - Whenever you have a clubhouse full of hard-nosed leaders like Dustin

Dustin Pedroia

Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Napoli, and Jonny Gomes you are going to play hard every night. That group gets their teammates to play to their full potential because they don't allow anything else. John Farrell is more of a quiet leader, letting the players control themselves, and resurrecting a pitching staff in need of a ressurecction. This year a healthy Clay Buchholz wins Cy Young.

REAL TALK - No doubt the Red Sox will be in the mix for another division crown in another AL East chalked full of contenders. They will be the best of the best for the regular season. The playoffs are another question. I'm not sure they will be as hungry as other teams looking for the first championship. But I would not be shocked to see them back in the Fall Classic.

Breakout: Clay Buchholz (RHP)

Bust: Grady Sizemore (OF)

Fantasy Baseball Sleeper: Xander Bogaerts (SS)

LAST YEAR'S RECORD: 97-65 (1st in AL East)

PROJECTED 2013 FINISH: 94-68 (1st in AL East)

**Check back tomorrow for the Los Angeles Dodgers*