Boston Red Sox: Projecting the 2012 Roster

As we move further into August, the AL East race is heating up and it looks like it will come down to the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, yet again. 

But, it's always fun to think about next year, right? Which 25 guys will be on the Sox come April 1 next year? Which prospects will be called up to the big leagues? Will Jacoby Ellsbury be given a new contract? What about Jonathan Papelbon?

Let's take a look.

C: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

The man with the longest name ever has shown that he can be an everyday catcher who produces at the plate and is able to throw people out.

Expect to see "Salty" as the starting catcher for the next few years.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez

Possible MVP. Batting .350. Seven-year deal.

See ya' next year.

2B: Dustin Pedroia

No explanation necessary.

Who's next?

3B: Kevin Youkilis

I'm not sure how much longer Kevin Youkilis will be playing third base for the Sox, but for now the bag belongs to Yoooooooooouuuk.

SS: Jed Lowrie

Shortstop is the first position that isn't obvious on this list.

Will they bring back Marco Scutaro? Will Jose Iglesias finally be called up for good? Will Theo Epstein explore other options in free agency?

I see Scutaro's tenure with the Sox ending this year, and because Iglesias still needs to develop his bat, Lowrie is the guy playing between second and third in 2012. 

LF: Carl Crawford

Crawford has been a disappointment this year and everybody knows it.

But will that affect his place on this team?

Of course not. He is here to stay and hopefully he can turn it around and get rid of the bad jitters in 2012. 

CF: Jacoby Ellsbury

WHERE DID THIS POWER COME FROM?! Could this be a 30/30 season?

If the Red Sox do not give Ellsbury a big deal, then they are idiots. Jacoby has made a case to be the team MVP, and possibly the American League MVP as well. 

I can almost guarantee that we see the best leadoff hitter in the big leagues back with the Sox next year.

RF: Josh Reddick

One year a go, I would have given this spot to Ryan Kalish.

But after the consistent and productive year that Reddick has had, I say that Josh will be starting in right field on opening day. 

Bye JD!

DH: David Ortiz

Big Papi was not given an extension on his contract in the offseason, and he hits the free-agent market this November. He could potentially leave Boston, but I really don't see that happening.

Countless players on the Sox have said how the team wouldn't be the same without him and his numbers this year have earned him another year or two with Boston.

Bench Players

Ryan Kalish: Kalish showed in 2010 that he had a lot to offer to the Sox, becoming one of their top prospects. Next season he should be ready to step up and compete with Reddick for playing time.

Darnell McDonald: Darnell has shown that he can come in and be a productive hitter whether he is starting or pinch-hitting. He can play anywhere in the outfield, which should make Theo want to re-sign him.

Mike Aviles: When Epstein traded away Yamaico Navarro for Aviles, he didn't plan on only keeping him for the rest of the season. Expect Aviles to get playing time at just about every position next year.

Ryan Lavarnway: Lavarnway, who was just called up on Wednesday, will fill the spot of Jason Varitek as the backup catcher next season. He hit 30 home runs for Portland and Pawtucket this year in 110 games, and he could end up being Papi's replacement at DH in the future.

SP: Josh Beckett

Beckett has ended any doubts about whether or not he is washed up.

His sub 3.00 ERA has earned him the spot of Boston's No. 1 starter just ahead of...

SP: Jon Lester

...this guy. 

Lester has become one of the most dependable aces in the MLB today, posting ERAs under 3.50 for four straight years now.

He is definitely No. 2, just behind Beckett.

SP: Clay Buchholz

Buchholz has only gotten to start 14 games this year, and he did so with a 6-3 record and a 3.48 ERA.

Not bad numbers, but we were not able to see an entire season out of him like we did in 2010 when he posted his stellar 17-win, 2.33 ERA season.

He wasn't able to prove that he was better than Beckett or Lester this year, so expect him in the 3-spot. 

SP: John Lackey

Fans of Red Sox Nation continue to hang their heads at one of Theo's worst decisions as GM. 

John Lackey is locked up for two more years, and unless another team is stupid enough to trade for him (which they won't be), Lackey will be remaining in Boston as a starter, hopefully improving upon his current 6.02 ERA this year.

SP: Felix Doubront

This spot could go to several potential pitchers who the Sox have stored up. Pitchers like:

• Erik Bedard
• Andrew Miller
• Kyle Weiland
• Tim Wakefield
• Felix Doubront

Wakefield is old. Very old. His contract is up this year and as long as he gets that 200th win, I see him retiring once the season ends.

Bedard was a smart trade by Theo, but I don't really see his services required beyond this year. He will play a pivotal role in the playoffs this year, but will then most likely be departing from Boston.

Miller is a very debatable option. He has started several games for the Sox this season, but his control issues, I believe, have removed him from the race for a starting pitcher spot.

Weiland made his MLB debut this season and pitched decently, but he definitely needs a little more time to develop at Pawtucket.

Doubront makes the most sense to me. He has made good starts with Boston, and he looks MLB-ready. At the very least he can fill in the fifth spot in 2012 while the Red Sox wait for pitchers like Weiland, Andrew Wilson, Junichi Tazawa and Anthony Ranaundo to get called up to the majors.

Bullpen

Jonathan Papelbon: Despite rumors of Papelbon leaving after this season, I see Theo re-signing him for another two years after the quality season that he has had.

Daniel Bard: No doubt here, the flamethrower isn't going anywhere—he will continue to set up Papelbon in the eighth.

Bobby Jenks: Jenks has been awful this year, but he has another year in the contract and he will probably get another chance in the 'pen (at least at the beginning of the year).

Alfredo Aceves: Aceves has been spectacular this year, coming in for short relief, long relief and even starting some games. His versatility and great pitching is a valuable asset.

Matt Albers: Coming over from Baltimore, Albers has found a groove with the Red Sox, where he has posted a 2.84 ERA in 41 appearances.

Michael Bowden: Bowden might finally be ready for a permanent position in the Red Sox bullpen, as he has had a great year for the Paw Sox, posting a 2.50 ERA in 38 appearances. He even pitched in six games for Boston, keeping an ERA under 2.00.

Andrew Miller: If he isn't starting games, he will definitely be used in the bullpen while waiting in the wings to fill in for any starters who may get injured.

Conclusion

We could be looking at the departure of several familiar faces this upcoming year. Players such as Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka, J.D. Drew and Marco Scutaro could be seeing their final months with the Red Sox. 

This lineup looks to be a recipe for success, and as long as Boston doesn't start like they did in 2011, they should be looking to another tight race for the AL East title.