Boston Red Sox: 13 Big Questions That Still Need to Be Answered

The tumult of the September collapse; the chicken and beer fiasco; the departure of both the GM and the field manager; the loss of Jonathan Papelbon; the controversial hiring of Bobby Valentine—this has certainly been an offseason to remember.

And it hasn't even really started yet for new GM Ben Cherington and his team. Other than re-signing David Ortiz (which is a great move, in my opinion), many of the questions that were unanswered at the end of the season are still not answered.

That is not necessarily bad. I, for one, totally agree with Cherington's approach of avoiding the highest-priced free agents this year. I agree with his tactic of waiting for the feeding frenzy to die down, then picking up some very serviceable parts to supplement a very good team (which many forget was the best team in MLB for a good part of last summer).

But it is human nature to fret when things move slowly, so to give you nail-biters out there a scorecard, I'm providing this list of 13 questions which still need to be answered.

1. Can Bobby Valentine Win over the Clubhouse?

Unlike Terry Francona, Valentine shoots from the hip, and has no qualms about letting everyone know exactly how he feels.

While this approach may be refreshing for a while, it has the potential for backfiring if he repeats his history of criticizing his own players in public.

Former Red Sox pitcher Dick Drago is concerned that Valentine’s reputation for criticizing players will make it more difficult for him to accomplish what he needs to in that clubhouse.

"Tony La Russa, Lou Piniella and others were tough managers, but you didn't see them ripping their ballplayers in public the way Valentine has," Drago told me. "Whether it's deserved or not, Valentine has a reputation for being publicly critical of his players. If that does not change, he will not succeed in Boston."

As George Vecsey wrote in the New York Times recently, “Bobby V…was never shy about critiquing his own players.”

Likely confrontation candidates in his new clubhouse are Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford, for starters.

As an ESPN analyst, Valentine took every opportunity to criticize mistakes, bad plays and what he considered to be poor judgment on the playing field.

According to the Boston Herald, Valentine criticized at least two of his key players on-air. During a Rays-Angels game in 2010, he criticized Carl Crawford's outfield play, saying, "I was probably a little faster, at least a half-step faster, than Carl, maybe a full step." 

Later the same year, Valentine decried Josh Beckett’s glacial pace on the mound, saying, "That’s a half-hour added to this game of him standing around, and us sitting around, watching him do nothing."

I would not put it past Valentine to intentionally instigate such a confrontation in an effort to reinforce his standing as the “new sheriff in town” with the rest of the clubhouse.

We're going to guess that Red Sox ownership hired Valentine because (a) He's a relatively "big name"; and (b) because he has a reputation as a hard-ass who can come in and grab an allegedly dysfunctional clubhouse by the throat and turn it in a new direction.

Good luck with that.

Tim Britton of the Providence Journal hit the nail on the head when he wrote that the more important aspect of managing in the 21st century is "how one handles his clubhouse—a talent that is subtler, more difficult to gauge and, as we discovered at the end of this Red Sox season, not necessarily consistent over time."

Subtle? Bobby Valentine? Hmm. That could be a problem.

And the first test will be…

2. What Will It Take to Reel in Carl Crawford?

The one player who can have the greatest impact on Valentine's success or failure as a manager in 2012 is Carl Crawford. Even the best starting pitcher can only win every fifth day; a multi-tool star like Crawford can help a team win every day.

Valentine should bend over backwards to help get Crawford's head on straight for spring training. He can end up being the new skipper's biggest ally in the clubhouse. If managed properly, Crawford can become a conduit to reaching the rest of the team.

However, recent news reports indicate that Crawford has not responded to Valentine's initial outreach. Crawford is apparently still smarting from Valentine's 2010 on-air criticism of Crawford's outfield play.

"Bobby Valentine is being dissed by one of his key players." wrote Ian Browne of MLB.com. "Carl Crawford…has ignored all of Valentine's attempts to contact him this offseason...and Valentine himself doesn't seem sure Crawford would talk to him even if he showed up on the left fielder's doorstep."

Art Martone of Comcast Sportsnet New England writes, "Crawford's not looking very good in all this; he appears petty and small, overreacting to the sort of thing a professional athlete is supposed to be able to handle. Valentine, after all, was just doing his job at the time."

Whether Crawford is being unreasonable or not, Valentine must be relentless in mending that fence.

Unlike some other players whose long track records of injury and/or mediocrity can reasonably be expected to predict future performance, Crawford’s 2011 results are a stunner. 

I’m not going to rehash here the oft-repeated litany of his underperformance. I think it’s more important to focus on the monster seasons he had in Tampa, because they are more likely to be repeated than 2011 will.

Former Red Sox pitcher Dick Drago and I were discussing Crawford’s unexpectedly bad year. Drago, who now lives in Tampa, said that Crawford in Boston did not look like the same player he was in Florida.

Drago believes the attitude in the clubhouse may have had more to do with Crawford’s difficulties than most people think. In Tampa, Crawford was one of the leaders on the team. Crawford had once confronted Pat Burrell about his lack of professionalism and poor attitude and threw Burrell up against a locker to make his point.

Crawford’s opinion was so well thought of that management got rid of Burrell shortly thereafter. 

When he came to Boston, however, he was the new guy—an outsider in someone else’s clubhouse, and was apparently unable to affect the existing culture.

Mike Giardi of ComcastSportsNE did an excellent story about Crawford. He wrote, “Finally, late in the season but before the team entered its death spiral, Crawford had had enough. He launched into an impassioned speech, imploring teammates to get it together. It fell on deaf ears.”

So far, Valentine has done all the right things, but he must walk the extra mile to get his superstar back.

3. Who Will Play Right Field?

As one after another of the veteran outfield prospects signs with other teams, Red Sox options diminish.

Should Red Sox Nation be worried?

After all, one of the top items on the offseason wish list was another outfielder with some pop, preferably someone who could play right while the BoSox sorted out the Ryan Kalish/Josh Reddick situation (both are left-handed hitters, and neither sports good numbers against left-handed pitching).

The Phillies traded for Ty Wigginton and the Indians re-signed Grady Sizemore. Josh Willingham has signed with the Twins and Michael Cuddyer agreed to terms with the Rockies, and David DeJesus went to the Cubs.

Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti told ESPN's Jim Bowden in October that he isn't inclined to trade Andre Ethier, and even if he did, the asking price would probably be more than the Red Sox would be willing to pay. Besides, Ethier hits left-handed, and the Red Sox would prefer a right-handed bat.

Now that Carlos Beltran and Jason Kubel have also signed deals, the biggest name still still out there is Carlos Quentin, coming into his seventh big-league season. The White Sox control his rights for one more year. He is third-year arbitration-eligible, and earned a little over $5 million for 2011. He projects to earn in the vicinity of $7.5 million for 2012.

Although he did not hit for average, he did hit 107 home runs in his four years with Chicago, so he has some pop. He has a career slugging percentage of .490, and an OPS of .836.

The Sox went hard after Quentin before this year’s trade deadline—although some of that interest undoubtedly stemmed from the fact that Quentin had an excellent first half.

Therein lies the rub. His last two months were funk-like and forgettable, and his season ended after he suffered a nagging injury (sprained AC joint in his left shoulder) which just never completely healed. He played only seven innings of Chicago's last 37 games.

Multiple trips to the DL over the last four years should make the Red Sox extremely cautious about Quentin, especially given the injury problems they had with J.D. Drew.

So, I think it's time to look beyond those names and find alternatives. The suggestions to follow may not be ideal long-term solutions, but each offers a short-term benefit.

Besides, the outfield free-agent class for 2012 is particularly strong (Quentin, Curtis Granderson, Josh Hamilton, Torii Hunter, B. J. Upton, Shane Victorino, among others), so the best solution for the Red Sox might be to mark time for a year…or at least until the trading deadline.

Here are my five favorite options.

Matt Murton, Hanshin Tigers

In his first year in Japan, this former Red Sox prospect became only the fourth player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to have a 200-hit season, and he broke Ichiro Suzuki's single-season record by stroking 214 hits in 144 games. Not surprisingly, he won the NPB batting title that year with a .349 average.

He also contributed 17 home runs and 91 RBIs, to go along with an on-base percentage of .395, a .499 slugging percentage and an .894 OPS.

With the powerful Red Sox lineup surrounding him, Murton's ability to constantly get on base could make him an intriguing option. He is an above-average corner outfielder who could step right into the Red Sox lineup. He's an on-base machine, and there are a lot of similarities with Wade Boggs—another talented hitter who languished in the minors for several years before being given his chance. 

He continued to hit well in 2011, his option year, and Hanshin wants him back. There are reports out of Japan that he has agreed to return, but every indication is that Murton hopes that his performance in Japan has earned him another shot at MLB.  

Cody Ross, free agent

One of the rare birds who bats right and throws left, he became an instant hero in San Francisco when he virtually single-handedly dismantled the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2010 NLCS, hitting .350 with three HR and three doubles in the six-game series to earn the series MVP award. He had hit an earlier home run against Atlanta in the NLDS and added one in the World Series against Texas for good measure.

Ross was originally signed by Detroit, but he has played all but six of his 757 career games in the National League. He has been with five teams in the past eight seasons. Ross, who made $6.3 million last year, was not offered arbitration by the Giants.

After a pretty good 2010 season, when he hit .269 (.288 with the Giants) with 28 doubles, 14 HR and 65 RBI, the 30-year-old outfielder regressed in 2011—as did many on the Giants roster. 

He hit just .240, with injuries at the start and close of the season that took him out of the lineup. However, he showed his flexibility by playing all three outfield positions. 

While Ross wanted a long-term extension with the Giants at the start of the 2011 season, that did not happen. Some team will probably take a flyer on him on a one-year deal—especially a team looking for a right-handed bat. Ross has hit relatively well in the clutch, and he has also done well against lefties in his career, compiling a .912 OPS against southpaws.  

He would not be a bad option on a one-year deal.

Marlon Byrd, Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have a logjam in their outfield, and while they would love to dump Alfonso Soriano's contract, that is unlikely to happen. In order to make room for major league-ready prospect Brett Jackson, Theo Epstein might be willing to trade veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd.

Byrd will be a free agent at the end of the 2012 season, so moving him now makes sense. He is 34, a career .281 hitter with a .759 OPS. He's above-average defensively, and perhaps more important for the Red Sox, he is viewed as a leader and a very positive force in the clubhouse. He is also well liked and respected by Cubs fans and the Windy City media.

While his production has slowly dropped off in recent years, he could hold down right field in Fenway (and add a positive presence in a troubled clubhouse) for the 2012 season.

Yes, he is a center fielder by trade, but he has played 100 games in right (and 134 games in left) in his career. In fact, he has hit .309 while playing right field.

On his "Byrd's Nest" blog, Byrd recently expressed a willingness to move to right to make room for the youngster Jackson if that was deemed to be in the best interests of the team. Satchel Price of SB Nation.com/Chicago has suggested the Cubs trade Byrd now to open up a spot for Jackson.

Andruw Jones, free agent

Last year, Jones provided some right-handed pop while sharing time in the Yankees outfield. He hit .247 with 13 home runs, 33 RBI and a .356 on-base percentage in 222 at-bats, although he came on strong after the All-Star break: .291 average, .416 on-base percentage, nine homers and 21 RBI.

Boston would be a good fit for Jones, where he could platoon with the two youngsters, Ryan and/or Kalish. Jones hit .286 with a .384 on-base percentage and eight homers in 126 at-bats against lefties last season.

Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News wrote, "The Yankees loved what Jones brought to the clubhouse."

Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

Here's my favorite. The way Ichiro comes to Boston is as part of a deal for Felix Hernandez. 

Hear me out on this one before you dismiss it.

I know that every previous offer for right-handed starter Felix Hernandez has been rebuffed by Seattle, and he supposedly wants to finish his career there, but here’s a road map for getting a deal done. 

The Red Sox & Mariners Should Do a Deal for Felix Hernandez

A key incentive for the Mariners to do such a deal is for the Red Sox to take on the last year of Ichiro's contract, which could make it easier for Seattle to sign Prince Fielder.

Ichiro had a sub-par season in 2011, he is 38 years old, and he is due $17 million for 2012, the last year of his contract. While the Mariners will be careful not to diss one of the best players in franchise history, they would welcome the chance to get out from under Ichiro's huge contract.

As a 10/5 player (10 years in MLB, five with the same team), Ichiro can't be traded without his consent. But the opportunity to win a World Series before he retires may cause him to accept a trade.

Dealing Ichiro would require Seattle to do it in a way that saved face, both for Ichiro and the team, especially since the principal owner of the Mariners is Japanese. Hiroshi Yamauchi, the largest shareholder in Nintendo Corporation, would have to be able to justify the trade.

The solution to that problem is…Daisuke Matsuzaka goes to Seattle as part of the deal.

By including Daisuke in the deal, the Red Sox could soften the blow to the large Japanese community in the Pacific Northwest. Matsuzaka is also in the final year of his contract, under which he is due $10 million. 

Daisuke has started six games in Seattle and has posted an ERA of 3.05.

Yes, he is on the disabled list, but that is not an obstacle to a trade. So long as the receiving team is willing to accept a disabled player, the commissioner's office can approve the deal.

The Red Sox could include a performance clause to protect Seattle in case Matsuzaka does not come back as hoped from Tommy John surgery. If he does come back, Seattle will have gained another, younger, Japanese icon with some upside.

There are 17 million reasons for Seattle to part with Ichiro now. Also, he’s nearing the end of the road, and there are questions about his clubhouse role with a decidedly younger roster. But he still has a rocket arm, and is a superb defender.

I would love to see him patrolling right field in Fenway for a year or two.

4. Will They Make a Blockbuster Trade for a Starter?

To help overcome the bitter taste in the mouths of Red Sox Nation, the Red Sox should make a play for at least one highly-ranked star. J.D. Drew and his five-year, $70 million deal will finally come off the books this year.

Even including raises for Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and a big arbitration bump for Jacoby Ellsbury, the Red Sox should still be about $52 million better off this year salary-wise than last year, so there is conceivably room for at least one big acquisition.

A stud starting pitcher should be the Red Sox target.

I've advocated since the season ended that the Red Sox make an all-out effort to get the Seattle ace, Felix Hernandez. One scenario that might work involves the Red Sox also absorbing the burdensome contracts of Chone Figgins and Ichiro Suzuki, as described here:

MLB Trade Scenario: The Red Sox & Mariners Should Do a Deal for Felix Hernandez

Yes, I know that Seattle would want a king's ransom for Hernandez, but by shedding the burdensome contracts mentioned above, a lot of money would be freed up for them to pursue the left-handed bat they most covet, Prince Fielder.

If the Mariners won't budge on Hernandez, the next priority would be to come up with an equally creative scenario to pry Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain loose from the Giants.

Again, a deal that includes the Red Sox absorption of burdensome contracts (such as Barry Zito and Aubrey Huff) would have to be at least considered in San Francisco.

Yes, I understand that both these moves are highly speculative, but the Red Sox should test them out before moving on to trade targets that ARE clearly available (Matt Garza, Gavin Floyd, Wandy Rodriguez, etc.).

5. Will Daniel Bard Be Effective as a Starter?

I've been beating the "Bard as a starter" drum since the season ended.

Point one: It's a lot harder to develop (or find) good starting pitchers than it is to find relievers.

Point two: I doubt Daniel Bard has the makeup to be a closer.

After all, he was 2-9 for the year, and his eighth-inning appearances (56 of them) are not as overpowering as many think. Yes, he had that lights-out midsummer stretch, and for the year, batters hit only .205 against him.

However, Bard allowed 22 runners to score, in addition to giving up 25 runs of his own, with a very average eighth-inning ERA of 4.38. 

His disastrous September (ERA of 10.64 with nine walks in 11 innings pitched) adds to the concern.

What many forget is that the Red Sox drafted Bard as a starter, and he made 44 starts (with admittedly terrible results) in 2007.

Bard himself has said that starting wasn't the problem; he just was not pitching well that year, and the results would have been the same no matter what inning he pitched. At the start of the 2011 season, he expressed an interest in returning to a starting role. 

To those who suggested that the Red Sox should pursue C.J. Wilson, I remind you that Wilson was a reliever for five years before transitioning to a starting role in 2010.

I also believe it's a much shrewder investment for the Red Sox to make Bard a starting pitcher.

The Rangers have signed Joe Nathan so that they can convert their closer, Neftali Feliz, into the starting rotation—so there are two recent precedents for you.

One of the perceptions of Bard is that he is a one- (or at most two-) pitch pitcher. That's not true. If you go back to Bard's scouting report at redsoxprospects.com, it says:

"

Bard also mixes in an 80-82 mph slider with some nice bite. His slider really keeps hitters off balance. It can also dip down to about 76-78 mph with more slurve action. He also has a few other pitches in his arsenal that aren't used very often, including a high-80s cutter, a low-90s two-seamer, and a circle change.

"

The Red Sox will need to revamp the bullpen again this year, and if Bard can succeed in the rotation, they can plow the starting pitcher free-agent money they will save into the pen, and perhaps into a right-handed hitting outfielder.

Bard is arbitration-eligible, having earned $505,000 in 2011. Even with an arbitration bump, the Red Sox are not going to be able to find many starters with Bard’s stuff available at that price.

Let's face it, a top-four rotation of Beckett-Lester-Buchholz-Bard would not be bad.

The low-risk, high-reward potential seems to fit right in to GM Ben Cherington's plan.

6. Will Daisuke Come Back and Be Effective After the All-Star Break?

Daisuke underwent Tommy John surgery in June. He began playing catch at the beginning of October, and his recovery seems to be on schedule.

He could be back by the middle of 2012, and if he can overcome his frustrating inconsistency (brilliant one start, shaky for the next two) he could be an internal solution to the problem of starting pitching depth.

New manager Bobby Valentine managed against Matsuzaka numerous times in Japan, and his experience with Japanese pitchers might well rejuvenate Daisuke's game.

Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that the two have spoken to each other; Valentine in Japanese, and Matsuzaka in English:

"

"When I saw him on TV, he was nothing like the pitcher I saw when he was being one of the best pitchers in Japan. I'm going to try to get him to pitch the way he understands he can be successful, and not the way either guys on the TV, on the radio, guys in the clubhouse or even maybe some guys on the coaching staff might envision him to be."

"

Granted, in the “What have you done for me lately?” category, Matsuzaka falls short. Over the past three seasons, he has compiled a 16-15 record with a 5.03 ERA. In 2011, he posted a 3-3 record and a 5.30 ERA before his surgery.

However, let’s not forget his 2008 season, when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. While there’s no way to tell if he can ever regain that form, the Red Sox have invested so much in him already that it’s silly not to try to find out.

Despite his frustrating tendency to nibble, thus elevating his pitch count, he has averaged almost six innings per start during his Red Sox career, with an above-league-average ERA.

He is entering the final season of his six year, $52 million contract. His salary is already on the books, and he’ll get it whether he returns to the Red Sox rotation, so it makes sense to hang on to him.

Wouldn’t you have preferred to see Dice-K pitching every fifth day down the stretch this past year, instead of the likes of Weiland or even Bedard?  

I think he will prove to be another pleasant surprise.

7. Who Will Replace Jonathan Papelbon?

The Red Sox should not be in a hurry to answer that question.

In fact, they may be better off waiting for the buying frenzy to subside, then sign one or more of the remaining free-agent arms on their terms.

An even more attractive option might be to trade for a closer. 

My thoughts are that the Red Sox should consider three closers who are more low-profile than Ryan Madson, and who would be affordable as well. They would fit the "low risk, high reward" philosophy espoused by Ben Cherington in his initial press conference as Red Sox GM.

I'm speaking of Joel Hanrahan of the Pirates, Brandon League of Seattle and Joakim Soria of the Kansas City Royals.

Matt Conner of SB Nation Kansas City writes, "…entering his prime, Soria is still millions below market value for the best closers on the market. Simply put, Soria is the best closer for the money on the market."

Still only 27, he has a career ERA of 2.40 with 160 saves.

Conner also points to Soria's very favorable contract situation. There is a $6.5 million club option for 2012 that the Royals already exercised. In 2013 it becomes $8 million and in 2014, $8.75 million. 

Another thing working in the Red Sox favor would be the perceived devaluation of a closer on a 90-loss team. Soria may be viewed elsewhere as a setup man, particularly in light of the fact that he relies on four pitches instead of an overpowering fastball to get batters out.

Brandon League has performed well out of the Seattle bullpen (37 saves in 2011 with a 2.79 ERA), but, as with Soria, some people think that a closer on a team buried in the cellar isn’t pitching under pressure.

The Mariners also know that League would be viewed elsewhere as a setup man, thus reducing his trade value.

Hanrahan might be the most intriguing option of all. For one thing, the Pirates appear to be aggressively trying to improve their team this year. 

Tim Williams of PirateProspects.com writes, "The Pirates currently have needs at catcher, first base, and shortstop.  They have a third baseman who had a horrible season in 2011, and no one really knows what they’re going to get from the young outfielders…" 

The Red Sox match up well in all those areas except catcher. Kevin Youkilis might be part of a multi-player trade, and he would make a nice first-base option for the Pirates. Either Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish could strengthen their outfield.

Hanrahan is under team control for two more years, Even though his 40-save performance in 2011 will earn him a nice bump in arbitration, he would still be affordable at the $4 million number projected by MLB TradeRumors.com.

8. What About Jenks?

OK, so I'm really going out on a limb on this one. But I think Bobby Jenks could be a sleeper who stars in the Red Sox bullpen this year.

Eyebrows were raised around MLB when the Red Sox signed the former White Sox closer to a two-year, $12 million contract at the end of 2010. The impression at the time was that GM Theo Epstein had acquired both insurance and leverage with reference to Jonathan Papelbon's upcoming free agency.

I also seem to recall that Jenks was promised the opportunity to compete for the closer’s role when and if Papelbon departed; this is borne out by the fact that his contract includes incentives for games finished.

Although several teams had shown interest in Jenks, he jumped at the opportunity to join the Red Sox. “It wasn’t a matter of money or years. I wanted to play baseball for the Red Sox. I got that opportunity and I jumped on it,” he told Alex Speier of WEEI last April.

Jenks' signing was immediately followed by a well-publicized feud with former Chi-Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Jenks said: "Why would I come back to that negativity? I'm looking forward to playing for a manager who knows how to run a bullpen."

Both Guillen and his son Oney responded in kind, and the resultant feud was well-described by David Brown of Yahoo.com: "The soap opera divorce between Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and right-hander Bobby Jenks—in which there seem to be only children and no parents—keeps deteriorating."

If for no other reason than to prove the White Sox made a mistake by non-tendering him, Jenks wanted to do well in Boston.

All those plans blew up, however. After being crucified by the fans and local media for his performance (15.2 innings, ERA of 6.32), Jenks went on the DL in July with an undisclosed back problem.

He was advised to have surgery, and in the process of being evaluated for that surgery in mid-September, he was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. This is a potentially very serious; it involves a sudden blockage of an artery in the lung.

The treatment starts with blood thinners, and no surgeon will operate on his back while he is taking that medication.

Fortunately, the blood thinners worked, and Jenks was cleared for back surgery.

Even though his status for spring training (and the first part of the 2012 season) is very much up in the air, I have a hunch he will be a pleasant surprise.

Reading between the lines, I sense that the back surgery is not that complicated as surgeries go. Jenks himself insists that he will be ready for spring training.

“As far as the recovery, the doctors are talking about weeks and not months,’’ Jenks told Michael Vega of the Boston Globe in September.

Jenks is still relatively young, and assuming he comes through his medical issues without complications, there is every reason to hope that he could surprise everyone. 

The 30-year-old right-hander still has a good arm and good stuff (Baseball Almanac reports that his fastball was clocked at 102 mph in Seattle in 2005). His career ERA of 3.53 with 173 saves is not too shabby, and there is one other intriguing possibility.

At the end of 2010, the Texas Rangers considered signing him as a starting pitcher. He started 142 games in the Angels minor league system between 2000 and 2004; it was not until the White Sox picked him up just prior to the 2005 season that he became a reliever.

This potential flexibility may be an ace in the hole for his future.

9. Will Youkilis Be Traded?

Youkilis has serious credibility; at the start of last season he was 35th on the Sporting News list of the 50 greatest current baseball players.

But he also poses a dilemma for the Red Sox.

The way he plays the game has taken a toll on his body, as the series of recent injuries shows. Long-term, he needs to play first base or DH to keep his body from breaking down. 

He won't be playing much first base in Boston with Adrian Gonzalez there. Assuming the Red Sox re-sign David Ortiz as DH, Youkilis doesn't really have a position to play full-time.

Youk will be 33 in March, and for a player of his caliber, he is relatively affordable at $12 million for 2012. This is the fourth and final year of a contract he signed in 2009, although there is a $13 million team option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout.

No one plays the game harder than Youk, and I would hate to have to play against him. But Youk is the best (and most expendable) trade chip the Red Sox have.

A number of teams need corner infielders, and I could see Youkilis involved in a trade for pitching with clubs such as the A's, Braves, Giants, Rockies or Pirates.

10. What About Jason Varitek?

Varitek joined the Red Sox in 1997 in the famous trading deadline deal of Heathcliff Slocumb to Seattle for Tek and Derek Lowe. He played a key role in the 2004 and 2007 World Series wins, was a three-time All Star and also earned a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger award in 2005.

But this is 2011, and the team is clearly at a crossroads. Boston may well gratefully acknowledge his past contributions and respectfully bid adieu to this aging warrior, who will turn 40 in April.

According to Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, however, the signing of catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one-year deal worth $1.35 million does not necessarily mean Jason Varitek is out of the picture for the 2012 Red Sox.

Last week agent Scott Boras told Silverman, “Jason Varitek wants to play for the Boston Red Sox.”

Boras argues that when Varitek started in 2011, the Red Sox had a .656 winning percentage. When he did not start, they won less than half their games (.490 winning percentage). The pitching staff’s ERA when Varitek caught was 3.57, but it was 4.65 with Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway (two starts).

I believe the Red Sox will make him a good-faith contract offer out of respect for his years of past service, but it will be lower than what he might make elsewhere.

The Tigers may be seeking a backup catcher, and according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, both the Orioles and the Mets have shown some interest in Varitek.

His longevity has been due to his unquestioned ability to work with pitchers and his ability to call a game. However, the rest of his skills, both offensively and defensively, have eroded dramatically in recent years.

In 2011, Varitek hit .176 in the second half (.077 in September), even though he played in considerably fewer games than the first half (26 to 42).

His ability to hit in the clutch has all but disappeared; in 14 chances with the bases loaded or runners on second and third, he did not get a single hit and he struck out eight times.

This year he only threw out only one of 20 base-stealers in September. For the year, he threw out 14 percent—half the rate of success he had in his best years.

Some have suggested keeping him on the roster to mentor the younger catchers. However, that would eat up another valuable roster spot; he could mentor younger catchers by agreeing to coach.

11. Whither Tim Wakefield?

Wakefield is the oldest active player in the majors (he turned 45 on Aug. 2), and is the longest-tenured Red Sox ballplayer. He wants to return to Boston for an 18th season.

On Dec. 3, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe quoted Wakefield as saying, “I have a strong desire to pitch one more year for the Red Sox.” 

Abraham added that GM Ben Cherington "has been cautious in discussing Wakefield, saying only that the team owed it to him to explain exactly what role he could fill next season—if indeed any."

The problem is that his once-fearsome knuckleball has lost much of its flutter, and American League batters are getting more familiar with his stuff—at least as familiar as a batter can ever get with such an unpredictable pitch.

Complementing his 65 mph knuckleball is a 73 mph fastball (he has usually led the league in slowest average fastball) and a curveball that usually chugs up to the plate at less than 60 mph.

After the 2011 season, Wakefield is the Red Sox career leader in innings pitched and nine other pitching categories–some good, some bad. 

He is also second in games pitched (behind Bob Stanley) and also second in strikeouts to Roger Clemens. He is third in wins, six behind Clemens and Cy Young.

In addition to being well-regarded in the clubhouse, Wake is also one of the most generous and community-minded players in the game.

The Red Sox nominated him eight times for the Roberto Clemente Award, presented to the player who best reflects the spirit of giving back to the community. He finally won it in 2010.

But from a baseball and a business perspective, it does not make sense for the Red Sox to bring him back.

This past season, Wakefield was not a clutch performer. With two outs and runners in scoring position, batters hit .306 against him. In "late and close" situations, batters hit .417 against him. He also posted a second-half ERA of 5.55.

The added stress on the catching staff of corralling his knuckleball (which is clearly not as unhittable as it used to be) may simply no longer be worth it.

Wakefield also lost me with his untimely statement that he should be kept around so that the fans could see him become the winningest pitcher in Red Sox history. I don’t think those fans want to watch the Red Sox lose a dozen extra games trying to achieve that milestone.

It is quite possible that Wakefield could play a year for another team, however, especially in the National League. Abraham wrote that Wakefield nodded affirmatively when presented with that option.

I think that is what will happen.

12. Will the Ghosts of 2011 Be Exorcised by the Time Spring Training Starts?

Hiring Bobby Valentine is the application of lipstick to the pig of clubhouse dysfunction.

His high-profile, volatile personality and relative accessibility will distract the media during the hot stove winter. Red Sox management, sensing a reduction in the flow of rumor, innuendo and criticism long prevalent in New England media (especially sports-talk radio), may think the 2011 problem has gone away. 

But come spring, that will change, and the problem will manifest itself again, just like the thawing carcass of some frozen critter lying under your porch.

Reporters will get their first crack at most of the players since the 2011 collapse. If the sticky questions about the end of last season are still unanswered, they will be asked again.

The launch of spring training will become a media circus, with the focus being on the end of 2011 instead of the beginning of 2012. 

This could become a major distraction from preparing for a new season.

13. Who Will Replace Heidi Watney?

Theo Epstein, Tito Francona, Jonathan Papelbon, Jed Lowrie, Kyle Weiland. All are names that will not be with the Red Sox on Opening Day 2012.

That list will undoubtedly grow over the coming weeks, but one name stands out as perhaps the most difficult to replace of all.

Heidi Watney.

As NESN's on-field reporter for all Red Sox TV broadcasts, the lovely and sexy Ms. Watney was bright enough and capable enough to overcome the initial "eye candy only" snickers. Yes, she is stunning to look at, but she was also a National Merit Scholar and went to the University of San Diego on an academic scholarship, graduating with honors in 2003.

While there, she became Miss San Diego, and was the first runner-up in the 2002 Miss California pageant. 

Prior to joining NESN, Watney was a weekend sports anchor for KMPH in Fresno. She was also a sports talk radio host for 1430 ESPN Radio KFIG Fresno.

At NESN, she hosted The Ultimate Red Sox Show and The Red Sox Report, and also became the on-field reporter for TV broadcasts.

The sad news of her departure was reported in mid-November by CSN New England's Sean McAdam, who announced that Watney was heading back to California to cover the sidelines for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Media and fan reaction was immediate, and certainly stronger than the mere ripples created by the departure of Lowrie and Weiland.

"Say it ain't so!" wrote one Yahoo! Sports blogger. "The post-collapse exodus from the Boston Red Sox has officially gone one person too far."

"Heidi is the latest departure from NESN’s pulchritudinous lineup of jock talkers," bemoaned the Boston Herald.

If they can let Heidi go, can anyone in the lineup really be considered safe?