Choice of Peavy or Lackey, Any Paw(s) sox not on 40 man.
For
SS/CF/3B (any combination) in his walk year.
Not happening. If they haven’t made a deal for a CF by now, then they’re going to give Bradley every chance to make it there. Bogaerts is either the SS or 3B, depending on if they re-sign Drew. More likely, they’re holding out Middlebrooks, Lavarnway, maybe a pitcher (I’d rather deal Dempster), as a package for something big, maybe an LF with power.
Or maybe they’re just done until into the season, when they see how things are fitting together.
The Sox have 3B/SS locked up pretty well, with Middlebrooks and Bogarts, plus the new guy they signed as a backup and they’re still working with Drew. Even if they don’t sign Drew I think they’re good for the left side of the infield.
Bradley is going to be their starting CF unless something great shows up but I don’t think you’re going to find that on the market.
Of the pitchers you mentioned, I think they’ll stick with Lackey. I could see them trading Peavy if they could get some young players in return. I think it’s more likely they’d try to move Dempster.
I’m sure they’re sold on Bradley. I wonder if they think Bogarts is ready to play every day.
I’m NOT sure they’re sold on Bradley.
Nor should they. They should have some kind of insurance policy on the bench.
They thought so in the World Series, and they were proven right. As for Bradley, he was beaten out for a roster spot by Quinton Berry.
They have more system depth at SS than CF, anyway - Deven Marrero will be ready in maybe two years, the length of a prospective Drew contract. If Bradley isn’t The Man at CF, they’ll have to go outside. Victorino can do it but then they have to find a top RF instead.
Realistically, the entire Opening Day roster is probably set now, not just the lineup. Herrera is the backup infielder, btw, not a candidate to start.
The Red Sox are playing with house money entering the 2014 season, and I agree with Elvis that their roster is just about set for Opening Day.
Jackie Bradley Jr. will get every chance to prove that he can hold down a spot in an MLB lineup – at least through the All Star break. With his fielding skills in CF, all he has to do is to show that he can get on base a third of the time, and then wait-and-see if his power develops over the next couple of seasons.
With rookies at SS(Bogaerts) and CF, the Sox are risking a slow start to the year, but they are probably looking at the AL East and guessing that there is no breakout team this year. If they have guessed right then, if they’re able to stay just above .500 by July, then they’ll have enough flexibility to make a mid-season trade and make a run at it again. If they’ve guessed wrong, then they’ll use the rest of the year to assess the log-jam of prospects that are considered ready to succeed/fail at the MLB level.