Boston Red Sox: Complete Guide to Blowing Up Boston's Roster for 2013

The 2012 Boston Red Sox are the most dysfunctional, underachieving, dramatic team in the history of sports. The only way to return to glory is to blow up the roster for next season.

Where do I even begin?

This team was doomed from the start. No one gets along with anyone, and no one is playing playoff baseball as of right now—and don’t expect them to go on some type of magical run and make the playoffs on the last day of the season. Trust me; it’s not going to happen.

There have been so many disgruntling reports about the Red Sox this year that I’ve lost track. They have all built up a lot of frustration among the fans, players, front office, etc. No report has done more damage than Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan’s most recent article that described meetings between management and the players.

Change has to happen, and owner John Henry must make those changes if he ever wants to see his beloved Red Sox in the playoffs anytime soon.

I’ve done Mr. Henry the favor of laying out what needs to happen after this season concludes. I’ve outlined who needs to go and who needs to stay. Please note that I do suggest that players be traded, but do not predict player-for-player deals. Although I’m “playing” general manager here, acquiring new players isn’t nearly as important as getting rid of some.

So here are my thoughts on what Mr. Henry must do in order to fix what has become a gigantic mess at Fenway Park. 

Fire President Larry Lucchino

Many of the issues with the Boston Red Sox have started from the top of the management chain, and thus Larry Lucchino who’s currently the president of the team.

Lucchino runs this baseball team; there’s no question about that. He makes the major decisions, whether they’ve worked out or haven’t.

But how long will he even be with Boston? The status of his contract is unknown, according to Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe.

Is that a little strange that no one knows if he’ll even be with the team next year?

What John Henry needs to do is just rid himself of the headache that is Larry Lucchino. He didn’t let first-year general manager Ben Cherington choose his own manager, and we all know how that’s worked out. We’ve heard both Henry and Cherington talk about the issues regarding this season, but Lucchino has stayed quiet. Is that to save face, or is it just that he doesn’t care since anymore?

In order to get this team back on the right track, everyone has to be on the same page. It’s especially important that the president and the GM have a good relationship and trust each other, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

First order of business once the season ends is to fire Larry Lucchino and find someone new to run this team.

Keep Ben Cherington as General Manager

There’s blame to be put on everyone’s shoulders this season, including Ben Cherington. There were high hopes that he could come in and bring this team to the postseason to the postseason for the first time since 2009. That’s clearly going to have to wait at least another year.

Cherington hasn’t done a bad job, but he hasn’t done a good job either.

He made minimal changes to this team compared to the one that ran out at Fenway Park in 2011. He barely did anything during the trade deadline, too. Is that because he didn’t want to or that those above him didn’t want him to? That’s up for debate.

In my opinion, Cherington did a pretty good job at the MLB draft, but we won’t know how that really turned out for a few seasons. That was his forte in the past, though.

His first season as GM hasn’t gone smoothly, but that doesn’t mean that his second season couldn’t be a success. He deserves a second chance in what truly is one of the hardest jobs in baseball. If the Red Sox decided to give him another shot at it, he needs to be the busiest GM during the offseason.

As you’ll see, I’ve given him quite the checklist.

Fire Manager Bobby Valentine

This is an obvious move that shouldn’t need much explaining, but I’m going to elaborate on this issue just a little bit.

This season is not Bobby Valentine’s fault. No one should blame him for what has happened this season, but for some reason the players allegedly have. You can’t argue that he’s playing the wrong players because he’s put out a solid lineup with whomever has been healthy every single night.

Valentine has done a great job with the Boston bullpen, whether you’ll admit it or not. He made somebodies out of nobodies.

There’s really no good reason why he shouldn’t be the manager next season aside from the fact that he doesn’t really have the respect of some of his players, which is a little disheartening.

Valentine has gotten the short end of the stick in 2012, and unfortunately, it’ll be the first and only season that he gets to manage the Boston Red Sox. 

Let Cherington Choose New Manager

One of the biggest problems that the Red Sox encountered this season was the relationship between Ben Cherington and Bobby Valentine.

As Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes, Cherington wanted now-Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum to be his manager, not Bobby Valentine. Larry Lucchino overrode Cherington’s choice and told him to hire Valentine.

Disallowing Cherington to make his own decisions doesn’t help anybody. It takes away his power as the GM, which makes you question why he’s even the GM in the first place. It doesn’t make any sense. Why hire a GM who wants to make changes that you don’t want to make? I digress.

Cherington needs to be given the reins of this team. Henry and his team need to have faith that he’ll make the best decisions going forward.

One of the managers that I think Cherington should consider is former Red Sox coach and now Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell. He’s still under contract with the Jays but could be swayed to come back to Boston. Who should replace Valentine is also up for debate, but it should be completely Cherington’s decision.

Let New Manager Choose Coaches

Another major problem this season: the relationship—or lack thereof—between Bobby Valentine and his coaching staff.

The problem, you ask? Valentine never got to choose his own coaches; he was given them.

About a month ago, Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston told us of some of the issues between Valentine and “his” staff. Some of them involved conversations with pitching coach Bob McClure, Gary Tuck and others.

Again, why couldn’t he choose his own staff? What about these coaches made management think that he would gel with them? He hasn’t.

In order for everything to work out next season, the new manager must be able to bring along whomever he wants to Boston. I don’t care if he wants his personal pitching coach, hitting coach, bench coach, bullpen coach or training staff. Let him have whoever he wants, and things will get better.

If a manager cannot communicate effectively with his staff, things aren’t going to work. Bobby Valentine and his staff are prime examples of how things can go terribly wrong.

Trade Josh Beckett

Josh Beckett is arguably the biggest clubhouse cancer that plays for the Boston Red Sox, and he must go before the start of the 2013 season. There’s absolutely no way that this team can win with him on their roster.

Beckett has pitched worse than any other Boston pitcher this season—and it’s not even really close. He’s lost twice as many decisions as he’s won and has an ERA of over 5.00. It’s incredible how awful the former All-Star and “ace” of the staff has been.

Getting rid of Beckett is the only option that the Red Sox have, even if they have to eat a chunk of his remaining salary. He’s owed $15.75 million in each of the next two seasons, which truly is a shame considering his recent performances.

Some team will make an offer for Beckett if he’s on the market. He still has a good track record and a very good postseason resume. I’m not expecting a big return for him, but at least it will be something that might be better for the future.

Whether Boston can get prospects back—no matter how high their ceiling is—or another piece of the puzzle, Cherington has to pull the trigger.

Trade Jon Lester

The decision to trade away Jon Lester is one that I believe Red Sox Nation is split on. Some think he’s good enough to stay while others believe he has to go. I think that in order to rebound from the last season and a half, Lester has to be traded.

Lester has been very inconsistent this season—more inconsistent than any Boston pitcher I’ve seen in a while. One start he’ll look like an ace, and the next he’ll look like a rookie. It has to stop. He isn’t an ace pitcher. He’s a middle of the rotation guy that happens to be one of the more experienced pitchers on Boston’s staff.

Lester has pitched very similarly to Beckett this season, holding a 6-10 record and a 5.20 ERA. The good part about Lester is that Boston should be able to get a pretty good return for him. He isn’t paid that much for a usually solid pitcher and he could be under contract through the 2014 season—he has a $13 million team option on his contract.

I’m thankful for what Lester has done for this team and this town, but it’s time to say our goodbyes. Boston will be better off without him and with good prospects instead. It’s a move that has to be done.

Keep Clay Buchholz

Wondering who will be the Opening Day starter for the Red Sox after Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are gone? That man will be Clay Buchholz.

Buchholz has pitched like an ace this season, as he’s the winner of a team-high 11 games. His 4.19 ERA could be lower, but as long as he’s winning games, I don’t think that’s something to harp on. He’s shown great command of his pitches and is capable of going deep into games. If Lester and Beckett were pitching like Buchholz has, Boston would be a lock for the playoffs.

In fact, Buchholz has really only had one bad full season with the Red Sox and that was in 2008. Since 2008, he’s 41-17 with a 3.41 ERA. Those are the kind of statistics that deserve a contract extension. The good thing about Buchholz is that he won’t need one for a while as he won’t be a free agent until 2016 at the earliest.

Buchholz should be able to handle the pressure of Boston’s top pitcher. He’s clearly pitched well when the Red Sox are out of contention so there’s no reason to doubt him going forward.

Keep Felix Doubront

I’ve been surprised as to how well Felix Doubront has pitched this season. He’s shown good command and doesn’t seem to be fazed by the circus surrounding him. With a 10-6 record and a 4.70 ERA this year, he’s a lock to be in the rotation at the start of 2013.

There are some things that Doubront has to continue to work on though. He’s only 24 years old, but is having a lot of trouble with his pitch counts, which could be troublesome for the remainder of his career. That’s definitely something that a pitching coach can help with during the offseason.

Doubront won’t be a free agent until 2018, which means that there’s plenty of time to find his niche on the mound. He’s pitched well, but I still think that he can pitch better and be one of the rotation’s leaders.

Next season will be his second full season in the Boston rotation, and that will tell us a lot about where he’ll be going forward.

Keep Franklin Morales as a Starter

Franklin Morales has been one of Boston’s best pitchers this season, pitching in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen. Next year, however, he needs to be strictly a starting pitcher.

The potential is there for Morales to become a full-time starting pitcher. He’s shown that his pitch count can get close to 100 when needed and that he can handle the pressure of being a starter. His pitches have been great and striking out batters has been an easy task for him.

As a reliever, Morales is usually restricted to just an inning or two. Sometimes, he only gets to face a batter. That’s not using Morales to his fullest capability. Making him a starting pitcher would do that.

The Red Sox are going to need solid starting pitchers after dealing Beckett and Lester, and Morales should be one of their guys.

Let Daisuke Matsuzaka Walk in Free Agency

The decision whether to re-sign Daisuke Matsuzaka or to let him walk in free agency will be the easiest of Ben Cherington’s career.

You absolutely let him walk. I don’t think I need to dispute this too much, but I’ll talk a little about his career in Boston.

Signing Matsuzaka was a big deal. But he was grossly overpaid, and it never worked out. He’s been critically injured and rarely pitched well when he was healthy. He helped in some spots, but most of the time he was hurting the team instead of helping it.

Thankfully, his contract will expire at the end of this season, and we’ll never have to see him in the Red Sox dugout again.

Trade John Lackey

Trade John Lackey to any team that wants him for cash considerations, a player to be named later or anything to get him out of Boston.

He’s another “Daisuke” in a sense. He signed to a big deal, and it never worked out. Now, he’s just a distraction in the clubhouse as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Lackey is owed $15.25 million in each of the next two seasons and has a vesting option for 2015, which will be a club option at the minimum since he’s missed significant time with an elbow injury. That’s a boatload of money for a very average right-hander with elbow issues.

Lackey’s contract and injury status is going to make him very hard to move, but they can’t win with him whether he’s on the mound or not. He was recently seen in the clubhouse drinking a beer, which was banned from the Red Sox home clubhouse but not on the road.

Even still, why is he on the road with the team, and why does he need to drink after a game? It makes no sense.

Don't Bring Aaron Cook Back

The Red Sox do not need Aaron Cook past this season. The only reason he’s pitching this season is because Daisuke Matsuzaka has been hurt. That’s the only reason. It’s not because he’s a good pitcher because, clearly, he isn’t.

Cook has had his ups and downs in a Red Sox uniform and really just rolls ground balls. He doesn’t strikeout anyone out and hasn’t shown Boston a good reason why they should keep him on the roster.

If anyone can make a case for why Cook will be back in 2013, I’d love to hear it.

Keep Andrew Bailey as Closer

If it weren’t for a thumb injury, Andrew Bailey would’ve been the Red Sox closer for the entire season. Instead, he’s been rehabbing his way back after having surgery and just found himself back in the bullpen—only as the setup man and not the closer.

This shouldn’t be a permanent move for Bailey, though. He’s a closer by trade, and although Alfredo Aceves has done a nice job filling in, he really isn’t a closer. He’s more of a utility pitcher who can pitch in any situation. Bailey will be Boston’s closer once spring training starts next season.

In three seasons with the Oakland Athletics—a team who has been pretty bad over the last three years—Bailey saved at least 24 games in each of them. His career ERA is just over 2.00, a pretty solid number, if you ask me, when looking at a closer.

The good part about Bailey being injured for the majority of the season is that he’s being transitioned into a major market in a smart fashion. He isn’t the closer for a contender so he won’t feel the pressure of the Boston fans and media. Next season he could be, but he should already be adjusted to the way things go around here—or at least the way things are supposed to go.

Keep Alfredo Aceves as Setup Man

After all that Alfredo Aceves has been through this season—starting spring training as a starting pitcher and now as the team’s closer—he deserves a lot of credit. He’s pitched pretty well over the course of the entire season with the occasional hiccup.

Aceves has saved 24 games for the Red Sox this year, but he wouldn’t have nearly as many if Andrew Bailey hadn’t been injured for most of the year. Next year—as I just said on the previous slide—Bailey will return as the team’s closer, and Aceves should move to the regular eighth inning guy.

It’s not that Aceves isn’t capable of closing games because he is. It’s that Bailey has a better track record, and that’s what he was brought here to do.

Aceves can be used as a flexible reliever who could go multiple innings if necessary. I don’t think that he should have a problem with that because he clearly loves to pitch and allowing him to pitch more often and longer at times should make him happy.

Keep Daniel Bard as 7th Inning Reliever

I’m one of the people that believe Daniel Bard can come back strong in 2013. Many of you might not, and for good reason, but the Red Sox should put him in the seventh inning, instead of any other role.

Bard failed as a starter. He hasn’t been consistent in the minors as a reliever either. Things have to get better for this guy eventually, right?

I think so. I think that after basically a full season in the minor leagues working on his stuff, he can return to form for 2013. A full spring training as a reliever should help too.

There is little to no pressure of pitching in the seventh inning. That should really help Bard since we all know how he reacted when put into pressure situations this year—mainly his starts.

Another way to get him back into the swing of things is to just use him against left-handed batters for little while. Play the matchup as Bobby Valentine has done plenty of this season.

Bard doesn’t have to be a closer or starter to make an impact on this team. He just needs to be reliable like he once was.

Keep Clayton Mortenson and Junichi Tazawa

The two bullpen arms that I’ve been very fond of this season are Clayton Mortenson and Junichi Tazawa. If I’m Ben Cherington, these are two guys that I definitely bring back for 2013.

Mortenson gives Boston a lot of flexibility because he’s capable of going multiple innings per outing. In fact, he averages more than two innings per outing and has thrown as many as five innings this season. He has a sub 2.00 ERA and can get out of jams. What’s not to like about him?

Tazawa is one of the younger relievers on the team that’s split time between Triple-A Pawtucket and Boston frequently this season. Next season, I think he gets a spot in the bullpen from the start and takes advantage of the opportunity to shine. In years past he hasn’t been too impressive, but in 2012 he certainly has. He has a great ERA and has stranded over 91 percent of baserunners.

Both Mortenson and Tazawa have proved their worth this year and deserve to be on the roster next season. 

Let Every Other Reliever Go

I know that some of the other players who’ve pitched out of the Red Sox bullpen this year have done great jobs, but they’re all replaceable. Boston has the opportunity to, but shouldn’t, bring back Andrew Miller, Scott Atchison, Rich Hill, Mark Melancon or Vicente Padilla.

There’s no doubt that Atchison and Padilla have been major parts of the Red Sox bullpen this season, but with Bailey and Bard back, they wouldn’t have the same roles or opportunities. Atchison and Padilla have really pitched in the seventh and eighth innings this season which won’t be up for grabs next season.

Hill has had arm issues since coming to Boston, and Atchison might need Tommy John surgery, which pretty much eliminates them from the picture. Melancon has been an absolute disaster, and Miller is easily replaceable.

Padilla is the one guy out of the aforementioned relievers whom I could consider keeping, but according to whom I’m keeping and letting go already Boston would already have five right-handed relievers. They don’t really need six. 

Keep Jarrod Saltalamacchia as Starting Catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is having a season that no one expected of him. Going into the year, I thought it was going to be a very average season for him, but he’s clearly exceeded my expectations as well as those of many who have seen him play.

Even with Ryan Lavarnway in waiting, Saltalamacchia has earned the opportunity to start next season as the starting catcher. He’s played great offensively, pretty well defensively and has formed some good relationships with the pitchers.

Saltalamacchia might lose his job during the season or maybe even gets dealt towards the trade deadline, but he will begin 2013 as the starter.

Use Ryan Lavarnway as Backup Catcher and Starting DH

That being said, it’s best for Ryan Lavarnway to be the backup catcher and play when the Red Sox are facing a left-handed pitcher. The issue is that Lavarnway really needs to be in the lineup on daily basis in order to continue to develop as a major league hitter.

It makes the most sense if he’s the everyday designated hitter when he’s not behind the plate. That way, he gets the at-bats he needs and doesn’t start to regress before he gets a full-time shot. Playing him sporadically doesn’t make a lot of sense if he’s one of the future pieces of this team.

When Lavarnway is slotted to DH, Boston can give other players days off, much like they’ve done during David Ortiz’s absence this season.

Keep Adrian Gonzalez as Starting First Baseman

Adrian Gonzales is not the problem in the Red Sox clubhouse; he’s just a leader. A leader is exactly what Boston is going to need next season, and he looks to be the guy.

If it weren’t for a slumpish first half, Gonzalez would be an MVP candidate. He’s been on fire during the second half. He cannot afford to get off to another slow start for next season, though. Boston needs a full season of the recent Gonzalez, the guy who hits a ton of doubles and drives in a bunch of runs.

The fate of the Red Sox kind of relies on Gonzalez. He hits in the heart of the lineup, and if he’s not producing, they aren’t winning games. He has too big of a contract to trade him away, and I don’t think that would be a smart idea at all.

Gonzalez should continue his hot hitting throughout the end of the season and hopefully into next season. Trading him would basically be giving up the next 10 years instead of regrouping with new guys and making a run for the playoffs.

Keep Dustin Pedroia as Starting Second Baseman

Dustin Pedroia might be one of the players who as an issue with Bobby Valentine this season, but without Valentine in the manager’s seat next season, there’s no reason why Pedroia shouldn’t be back.

Boston cannot trade Pedroia; he’s much too valuable, and they don’t have a prospect lined up for the future at second base.

Despite Boston’s poor 2012 play, Pedroia is one of the guys who still plays his heart out every time he steps on the field. Boston needs more of these types of players. The last thing that they need is more players who make excuses for not playing well. Taking responsibility for your actions is a very admirable trait.

Pedroia did have injury issues during the middle of the season but has still played well. I’m still not sold that he’s completely healthy, but he should be with some time off during the winter. All he needs to focus on is staying healthy and coming into 2013 with a vengeance, looking to prove everyone wrong that Boston can’t be a playoff team.

Keep Pedro Ciriaco as Utility Infielder

Pedro Ciriaco has hustled and played his way onto the Opening Day roster for 2013. He is one of the few players who truly has played hard and well throughout his time with the big league club.

Ciriaco is the ultimate utility player who can play nearly every infield position and the outfield as well, if necessary.

Another reason that the Red Sox should bring Ciriaco back is because he excels when playing against the New York Yankees.

How many veteran bench players have success against the Yankees? Not many.

Use Jose Iglesias as Starting Shortstop

It’s finally time for the Jose Iglesias era to start. We’ve waited and waited until he became a better hitter in the minor leagues, and he’s relatively progressed this season. There’s no point in keeping him down in Triple-A Pawtucket any longer.

Mike Aviles has down a fine job at shortstop this season, but he’s a year-to-year player whereas Iglesias could be the future. Iglesias is an outstanding fielder who will end up hitting at the bottom of the Boston lineup for years to come.

I don’t see any way that Iglesias goes into next season in the organization and not as the starting shortstop to start the year. We should be getting a preview of next year in a few weeks when they call him up in September.

Don't Bring Mike Aviles Back

Obviously if you’re keeping Ciriaco and promoting Iglesias, there’s no spot on the roster for Mike Aviles.

No one, not even Bobby Valentine or anyone in the Boston front office, could’ve predicted that Aviles would play so well this season. The guy has double-digit home runs. He has more long balls this year than Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford.

Aviles has been sound defensively, and if Iglesias wasn’t looming in the minors, he’d probably be back for at least 2013. But since the Red Sox do have Iglesias, it’s time to part with Aviles.

Keep Will Middlebrooks as Starting Third Baseman

Will Middlebrooks was everything and more that we could’ve hoped when he came up during the middle of the season to replace the injured—and later traded—Kevin Youkilis. He’s been very good at the plate and very solid at third base as well.

Middlebrooks would be a contender for American League Rookie of the Year if Mike Trout never existed and if Middlebrooks hadn’t been hit in the wrist by a pitch that basically ended his first season in the big leagues. Hitting 15 home runs is just a preview of what to expect in the future, and that was in limited time this year. A full and healthy season could have that number rise to the mid-20s.

I’m not concerned about Middlebrooks’ wrist—yet. Did anyone think that Carl Crawford’s wrist was going to cause this many problems? I’m hoping that this is a completely different situation, but that could be something to look for.

If all goes well with his recovery, though, Middlebrooks will be the starting third baseman next season. 

Don't Bring Nick Punto or Danny Valencia Back

How Nick Punto made this team out of spring training, I’ll never know. Why the Red Sox felt the need to trade for Danny Valencia, I’ll never know.

Punto hasn’t been good at the plate, and even though he’s been good in the field at times, there’s no need for him to come back next season. The Red Sox will use Ciriaco in every situation that Punto could’ve played in. Yes, Punto provides a left-handed bat off the bench, but it’s not worth it to bring him back.

The trade that sent Valencia to Boston made Ben Cherington very smart after Middlebrooks went down for the season. He’s been playing third base sporadically since Middlebrooks hit the disabled list, but once Middlebrooks is healthy next season, there’s no role for Valencia to play. I think that he ends up playing in Triple-A Pawtucket next season unless something crazy happens. 

Keep Carl Crawford as Starting Left Fielder

The drama surrounding Carl Crawford over the last season has really been astonishing. Crawford’s poor play last season and lack of playing time due to injury this season hasn’t gotten his seven-year deal off to a good start.

Crawford will have Tommy John surgery on Thursday, according to ESPNBoston’s Joe McDonald, which is something that should’ve been taken care of months ago. It’s unclear how long Crawford will need to recover and whether he’ll miss the start of the 2013 season or not.

The Red Sox discussed trading Crawford to the Miami Marlins as the trade deadline approached, but nothing ever got done. Now that he’s going to have surgery, I don’t think there’s any way that he gets traded in the offseason, nor do I think that it would be smart to trade him even if he was healthy.

Crawford was playing pretty well once he finally made it back to Boston despite the elbow issues. He was finally back to what looked like his old form. He seemed like a completely different player from the one we saw in 2011. In 2013, I think we’ll see the Carl Crawford from his days with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Trade Jacoby Ellsbury

I am one of the people that would rather trade Jacoby Ellsbury while the Red Sox have the chance rather than see him walk in free agency after the 2013 season. It’s still up in the air as to what Ellsbury plans to do once his contract is up, but that’s a major concern going forward for this team.

The Red Sox could get top dollar back in return for a star like Ellsbury. He’s had his fair share of injuries—whether they be flukes or not—but is still capable of putting up great numbers atop a contender’s lineup.

If Boston had an offer where they would get two or three top prospects for Ellsbury, they should jump on it. It doesn’t seem like he will be repeating his miraculous 2011 campaign, which is another reason to trade him. Another team could think that he has another year like that in him, but the truth is that he doesn't.

Ellsbury has been good, if not great, while playing for the Red Sox. However, if I’m Ben Cherington, I’m dealing him away before he spurns me.

Sign Cody Ross to Contract Extension

This should be a very easy decision for Ben Cherington and the Boston front office. Signing Cody Ross to a one-year deal during this past offseason has been one of the best deals in all of baseball.

Ross has been a great addition to Boston’s lineup, especially with all of the injuries that have occurred this year. He’s hit in the middle of the lineup for most of the season and has really excelled. He’s hit 18 home runs in less than 100 games which is pretty good considering the pressure that’s been on him.

Going into the season, I and many others though that Ross would platoon in right field with Ryan Sweeney. That clearly hasn’t happened due to the injuries, but Ross has really played a solid right field and has been able to hit right-handed hitting.

The Red Sox should offer him a nice one- or two-year deal that will keep him happy. I doubt he’s one of the issues in the clubhouse since he’s a newcomer to the team, so there’s no need to cut him loose.

A couple million dollars should be enough to keep him in Boston for the near future, and he definitely deserves it.

Bring Ryan Sweeney Back as Potential Starting Center Fielder

When Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford were both out with injuries, Ryan Sweeney is one of the players that took up a good bulk of the playing time. He wasn’t unbelievable like Cody Ross, but he got the job done.

Sweeney is a player that will be good to compete for the starting center fielder’s job. He’s sound defensively, and although he doesn’t have any power whatsoever, he’s not a bad hitter. He probably would fit better as a platoon player, like he would’ve been with Ross in right field. The next slide will show whom I think he should platoon with in center.

Sweeney is a cheap, in-house option that shouldn’t go unnoticed. If anything, he’s a good backup outfielder coming off of the bench.

Promote Che-Hsuan Lin as Potential Starting Center Fielder

Che-Hsuan Lin deserves a shot in the majors like so many other Triple-A Pawtucket outfielders have this season. Six games in the majors isn’t a real shot; it’s a short-term deal that was never expected to go very far.

If Lin could platoon in center field with Ryan Sweeney, that would make for a solid duo to roam Fenway Park. He isn’t going to hit for a ton of power, and neither will Sweeney, but he’s not an awful hitter in general and is great defensively. He has a very strong arm, which is something you couldn’t say about Jacoby Ellsbury.

Improving his hitting during spring training would clearly make him a favorite to make the team, as it’s virtually the only thing holding him back. He’s kind of like Jose Iglesias, only not as bad offensively.

Don't Bring Back Daniel Nava, Scott Podsednik or Ryan Kalish

I’m tired of waiting around for Ryan Kalish to come around. Scott Podsednik is an injury replacement, and Daniel Nava’s shot at the majors has finally come to an end. It’s time to part ways with these three outfielders.

I’ve said again and again that Kalish is not a long-term solution in right field, even with the injuries that he’s had to overcome. I just don’t think he’ll ever be a very good major league outfielder or a great major league hitter. Fight me if you must, but I’m pretty confident about that one.

Podsednik has had a couple of chances with the Red Sox this year and has done a nice job of playing while others have been on the disabled list. He just doesn’t seem like the type of player that comes back after next season. If anything, he’d start the year in the minors and come up should something happen to a starter, but that’s all.

Nava was crazy good for a short period of time during the start of the season. Apparently that grand slam on the first pitch of his career wasn’t too big of a fluke. He played as well as anyone could’ve hoped, but eventually started to flatten out and got back to his old ways. He could be the guy out of these three to get one last shot just because he’s a switch hitter, but he’ll almost definitely start the year in Triple-A Pawtucket.

Let David Ortiz Walk in Free Agency

In order to complete this “blowing up” of the Red Sox roster, Boston needs to let David Ortiz walk once his contract expires at the end of the season. It’s time to focus more on the future and leave the past and Ortiz behind.

Ortiz has been one of the best players of all time to play for the Boston Red Sox, and I can’t thank him enough for that. He brought a World Series to this town when I thought I’d never see it happen. But his tenure as a member of this team has to end, unfortunately.

Ortiz’s best years are behind him, even though he had a solid year when healthy this season. That’s the point, though. Injuries are going to start catching up with him, and he isn’t going to be worth the money that he thinks that he’s worth. It’s just going to create more drama if he and the Red Sox go to arbitration.

Boston is better off giving Ryan Lavarnway the full-time DH role and seeing what happens from there. It’s a tough decision to make—parting with a fan favorite and a huge part of this team over the last 10 years—but it’s one that absolutely has to be made.

Acquire Two Starting Pitchers

The one thing that the Red Sox should not do is sign a pitcher to a monster contract, thinking that it will work out.

John Lackey didn’t work out. Daisuke Matsuzaka didn’t work out. The third time is not the charm in this case.

Boston will employ Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront and Franklin Morales in their starting rotation, meaning that there are two voids. One of those should be filled by Oakland Athletics starter Brandon McCarthy, who will be a free agent after this season. He isn’t a big-name pitcher, but could win 12 to 15 games with some run support.

Some other names to consider include Shaun Marcum, Ervin Santana or Jake Peavy—whose $22 million team option must be declined.

The Red Sox don’t really have any major league ready starting pitchers in the minor league system, so signing free agents or acquiring two via trade are their only options. The good part is that they should have some top prospects ready by the end of 2013 or the start of 2014 so short-team deals are likely.

Acquire or Promote Two Left-Handed Relievers and One Right-Handed Reliever

I’ve eliminated all of the left-handed relief options for the Red Sox, and clearly they’re going to need at least two of them for 2013. One should be free-agent-to-be Mike Gonzalez. I’ve liked Gonzalez for a long time, and he’s definitely a pitcher you sign for lefty-lefty matchups.

There’s a lack of left-handed options in the organization, which makes a promotion unlikely. The only lefties in the minor leagues are mainly starters who are still in the lower levels. Having them skip a level and transforming then into relievers isn’t a smart option.

The problem there is that there’s also a lack of left-handed options on the free agent market. Boston may be forced to bring back one of the lefties that I originally wanted to let go. If I had to bring one back, it’d be Andrew Miller.

The last spot in the rotation goes to Chris Carpenter, who came over as compensation for Theo Epstein. He’s pitched in the minors while rehabbing injuries and should be ready to go by the end of this season. Alex Wilson is another name you could see in the conversation during spring training.

Acquire or Promote Another Hitter

Going off of my choices, the Red Sox will have a couple of voids that they should fill.

They could acquire another bat by trading Jacoby Ellsbury, but I think that they’re more likely to receive prospects instead. Also, by letting David Ortiz walk in free agency, there’s a lack of power in the lineup.

Boston doesn’t really need another infielder, as their infield is pretty set. I think that they will end up going after an outfielder who could move the current outfielders around a little bit. One name that I’d like to throw out there is New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher. Swisher will be a free agent at the end of the year, and I don’t see the Yankees re-signing him. He has good power and wouldn’t cost a ton to sign.

By signing Swisher—and with Carl Crawford likely out to start the season—Ross would likely move to left field so that he could play right. There are some other scenarios that could work out should Boston get their hands on the Bronx Bomber, but keeping him in right field would be a safe move.

Other potential free agents that Boston could consider include Torii Hunter and B.J. Upton, among others.

Final Organization Structure and 25-Man Roster

Organizational Structure:

John Henry, Owner

Tom Werner, Chairman

TBD, President

Ben Cherington, General Manager

TBD, Manager

25-Man Roster:

Catchers (2): Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Lavarnway

Infielders (5): Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Pedro Ciriaco, Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks

Outfielders (5): Carl Crawford, Ryan Sweeney, Che-Hsuan Lin, Cody Ross, Acquisition/Promotion

Starting Pitchers (5): Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, Franklin Morales, Acquisition, Acquisition

Relievers (8): Andrew Bailey, Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Clayton Mortenson, Junichi Tazawa, Left-Handed Reliever, Left-Handed Reliever, Right-Handed Reliever