Well, it's that time of year again, when you begin to hear about pitchers and catchers reporting to sun-drenched fields in Arizona and Florida to kick off the baseball season. Even though it's unseasonably warm here in Cincinnati right now, I'm still jealous that I am not there (as any good baseball fan north of Atlanta should be).
Even though most springs are reason for optimism as a Sox fan (at least since 2001 anyway), I have not felt this excited about any Sox team heading into Spring Training since 2006. Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf has opened up his wallet again, pouring money into the team by signing Adam Dunn and Jesse Crain, while re-signing Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski. Even better is the fact that they improved themselves by not only adding talent, but by shedding dead weight in letting Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay and Bobby Jenks walk.
Taking a gander at their position players and starting rotation gives me reason to hope that they can not only de-throne Minnesota, but go far into the postseason. Here's how they look heading into this spring:
1B: Paul Konerko
2B: Gordon Beckham
SS: Alexei Ramirez
3B: Brent Morel/Mark Teahen/Omar Vizquel
LF: Juan Pierre
CF: Alex Rios
RF: Carlos Quentin
C: A.J. Pierzynski
Starting Rotation:
Mark Buehrle
John Danks
Gavin Floyd
Edwin Jackson
Chris Sale?
Jake Peavy?
There's obviously question marks regarding the last two because of the health status of Jake Peavy. Although it seems as if Peavy won't be starting the season with the team, he will be back with them sometime during the first couple of months. Perhaps the biggest question though, will be how he performs once he returns from shoulder surgery. Recovery from shoulder issues are typically more difficult for pitchers to return from, and in Peavy's case, he's returning from a shoulder injury in which the muscle detached from the bone. I'm sure the Sox are holding their collective breaths on this one.
Another thing that comes with a raised payroll is raised expectations. Even though manager Ozzie Guillen has been extended through the 2012 season, the team is in a "win now" position more than ever before. I love Ozzie to death, but if the team cannot come through with the amount of talent they have on their roster, it may be time to explore other options. Here's to hoping that scenario never happens!
As a whole, I will confidently put that roster up against anybody else's in the American League. I know that Texas is still strong heading into this year, Minnesota and Detroit will still be tough, and that the Red Sox are poised to be monsters. However, if everybody plays up to their capabilities, the Sox can stand toe-to-toe with anyone. Remember Boston may look good, but they aren't invincible.
No comments:
Post a Comment