Boston

Ever since Theo Epstein took over as the Boston Red Sox GM, he has made sure the Red Sox have gone into each season with a quality starting rotation.

Starting with moving Derek Lowe into the starting rotation back in 2002, Boston has always had two upper-level pitchers at the top of their rotation.

The 2010 version of the Red Sox rotation might be their best ever under Epstein. With the addition of John Lackey in the offseason, Boston will go into the season with three potential No. 1 starters.

Southpaw Jon Lester has evolved into the ace of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff. 

Two winters ago, there were many fans who urged the Sox to trade a package of players including Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury to Minnesota in exchange for then-Twins lefty Johan Santana. Potential, they argued, was not as valuable as production. Many of us pleaded with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein from afar to hold onto Lester in the belief he would develop into an ace. 

Few teams in Major League baseball enter Spring Training dealing with both sky-high expectations and lingering scrutiny . But after an off-season makeover eschewing thump for pitching and defense, the Boston Red Sox begin their quest to return to the top of the Major League mountain with plenty of uncertainty. Do they have enough to overtake the Yankees?

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Like Babe Ruth calling his shot, so do I now set forth ten bold predictions for which the Internet will forever hold me accountable.

Actually, there's very little similarity there, but so much of the Babe's appeal is in his name. Hopefully, I can similarly mask the actual substance of my predictions in a cloud of stylish hyperbole.

This is that time of year nearly all baseball fans can enjoy. The first pitch yet to be delivered, the first out yet to be recorded, each fan can boast of future victories and records, however possible or impossible.

The Spring breathes life into us.

One-time Red Sox ace Josh Beckett enters the 2010 season knowing that he does not have a deal in place for 2011. He arrived in camp yesterday with the knowledge that he’ll need to have an excellent season if he hopes to land the kind of contract that former teammate A J Burnett signed with the NY Yankees last winter (five years, $82.5 million) and current teammate John Lackey signed this winter (five years, $85 million).

The Red Sox front office decided not to give free agent LF Jason Bay a four-year contract due to a suspicion that he might experience a knee or shoulder injury during the life of the contract; yet, in the next breath, the Sox gave RHP John Lackey, who HAS suffered injuries during each of the last two seasons, a five-year deal worth $85 million.

A little more than a year ago, I interviewed Josh Reddick for more than an hour out in Arizona. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly we talked about hitting. He spoke at length about how the ballclub was working with him to modify his approach at the plate.

Philosophically, the organization preaches plate discipline, but Reddick was (is) a self-described free swinger.

As the Boston Red Sox' recent flurry of transactions seems to be dying down, there is still one hole remaining on the roster: another reliever.

The Red Sox lost two solid veteran relievers in Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner this offseason, the Red Sox' current bullpen seems to be missing one piece.

The Red Sox have not been linked to anyone mentioned in the article, this is just hypothetical.

This article is in no particular order.

If you think I've left off a reliever, leave me a comment and I'll add him.

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