Bartolo Colon: Key to a Boston Red Sox Repeat in 2008?

A Triple-A pitcher who tends to fade in the second half of the season.  The club has been reluctant to use him in anything other than spot starts at the big league level.  At best, a serviceable fifth starter.

Devern Hansack

There must be a reason that the team is not willing to give him a shot after throwing the five-inning no hitter on the last day of the season in 2006.  Should not be counted on to shoulder a major load. At best, a serviceable fifth starter.

Justin Masterson

Masterson is an unproven kid who may start the year off in double-A.  It is not unheard of to jump from AA to the majors and dominate, but putting the fate of a team on one kid’s back can prove to be disastrous.

Michael Bowden

Same goes for him as Masterson.

This brings me back to my main point:  We have four fifth starters waiting in the wings and three unproven kids to count on. 

If there is either more than one injury to the staff or if one of the aces goes down for an extended period of time, the Red Sox could look at having more than one average or below average pitcher in the rotation at the same time. 

Colon—the 2005 Cy Young Award winner—was, at one time, the ace of the Angels staff.  He is battle tested and a proven winner.  He has the type of talent and experience that can be counted on to carry a staff for a period of time.  Yes, he has the same injury concerns as everyone else, but if he is as healthy as advertised, then the Sox could look to him to shoulder a major burden for the team in a time of need. 

This was the main problem with the team in 2006.  When injuries decimated the staff, there was no one to turn to who could be counted on to consistently win ballgames every five days.  Without a stabilizing force in the rotation, the team wilted and finished in third place in the AL East. 

With the American League having so many talented teams this year, the Red Sox cannot afford to fall behind or they will be left out of the playoffs. Bartolo Colon just might be the key to the Red Sox repeating as World Champs in 2008.

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