Entering camp, health Sox's key issue - 美國職棒

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Entering camp, health Sox's key issue



Triple play: Three questions that need answers


1. Will they stay healthy?

If not for so many untimely injuries, the Red Sox might well have won a second
successive World Series championship in 2008. To win its third title in six
years, Boston will need healthy rebounds from Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Josh
Beckett. All three players are said to be doing well after an offseason of rest
and rehab, but the true test will come during the dog days of the season.


2. Who will start at shortstop?

In recent years, the Red Sox have generally been set at just about every
position at the outset of Spring Training. That will change this year, with
Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie expected to spend most of camp battling to be the
shortstop on Opening Day. Lugo blew out his left quad last July and didn't play
again for the rest of the season. If not for his underperforming in his first
season-and-a-half with the Sox, it would probably be a given that he would get
his job back.

Then there is Lowrie, who filled in nicely for Lugo in the heat of a pennant
race. If Lowrie hadn't struggled down the stretch with his bat, he might have
been the clear front-runner entering camp. Instead, both players will get a
chance to prove themselves during the six weeks in Fort Myers, Fla.


3. How will the new guys perform?

General manager Theo Epstein took a different approach this offseason, focusing
on established players coming off injury or illness. John Smoltz, a
near-certain Hall of Famer, is returning from right shoulder surgery. How much
of an impact can he make? The Red Sox want him mainly for big games down the
stretch and into October. Brad Penny was one of the best pitchers in baseball
in 2006-07, but he was injured and ineffective last season. Can he make a
comeback? Ditto for another ex-Dodger in Takashi Saito, who was a dominant
reliever before suffering arm woes last season. Then there is Rocco Baldelli,
who is hoping medication will dull the severe muscle fatigue that has limited
him the past two years.



2008 record

95-67, American League Wild Card berth, eliminated by Tampa Bay in American
League Championship Series



Projected batting order

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury:

.280 BA, .336 OBP, .394 SLG, 9 HR, 47 RBI, 50 SB in 2008

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia:

.326 BA, .376 OBP, .493 SLG, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 20 SB in 2008

3. DH David Ortiz:

.264 BA, .369 OBP, .507 SLG, 23 HR, 89 RBI in 2008

4. 1B Kevin Youkilis:

.312 BA, .390 OBP, .569 SLG, 29 HR, 115 RBI in 2008

5. LF Jason Bay:

.286 BA, .373 OBP, .522 SLG, 31 HR, 101 RBI in 2008

6. RF J.D. Drew:

.280 BA, .408 OBP, .519 SLG, 19 HR, 64 RBI in 2008

7. 3B Mike Lowell:

.274 BA, .338 OBP, .461 SLG, 17 HR, 73 RBI in 2008

8. SS Julio Lugo:

.268 BA, .355 OBP, .330 SLG, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 12 SB in 2008

9. C Jason Varitek:

.220 BA, .313 OBP, .359 SLG, 13 HR, 43 RBI in 2008



Projected rotation

1. Josh Beckett 12-10, 4.03 ERA in 2008

2. Jon Lester 16-6, 3.21 ERA in 2008

3. Daisuke Matsuzaka 18-3, 2.90 ERA in 2008

4. Brad Penny 6-9, 6.27 ERA in 2008

5. Tim Wakefield 10-11, 4.13 ERA in 2008



Projected bullpen

Closer: Jonathan Papelbon, 41/46 saves, 2.34 ERA in 2008

RH setup man: Justin Masterson, 3.16 ERA in 2008

LH setup man: Hideki Okajima, 2.61 ERA in 2008



The new guys


Baldelli: The right-handed-hitting outfielder could play an important role if
his health holds up. Baldelli has the type of power the Red Sox need off the
bench, and he has the versatility to play all three outfield positions. His
health, however, is anything but a certainty. If he's healthy and produces, the
Rhode Island native has the potential to be a fan favorite.


Penny: He could be one of the best bargains of the winter. Penny began 2008 as
the Opening Day starter for the Dodgers before developing arm problems that
made him a shell of his typical self. If Penny is healthy again, he could be
one of the best No. 4 starters in the game.


Smoltz: Yes, it will be strange to see Smoltz in a uniform besides the Braves.
But he has the perfect mentality to thrive in Boston. The big question with
Smoltz is whether his right arm will hold up after extensive surgery. The Red
Sox envision him as someone who can win big games for them in the later months
of the season, just as Curt Schilling used to.


Saito: Considering how dominant Saito was until his injury, it's amazing there
wasn't more of a market for his services this offseason. If the 39-year-old
Saito can stay healthy, the Red Sox will have the luxury of never having to
overuse Papelbon. Saito has been an All-Star closer in his own right, but more
often than not, he will be a setup man for Boston.


Ramon Ramirez: The righty was Boston's first acquisition of the offseason,
coming over in a November trade for Coco Crisp. Though unheralded because of
the market (Kansas City) he was pitching in, Ramirez looked like a blossoming
setup man in 2008.


Josh Bard: Epstein always said that trading Bard for Doug Mirabelli after the
first month of the 2006 season was a mistake. Epstein has righted his wrong by
giving Bard another chance in Boston -- and perhaps another shot at catching
Wakefield's knuckleball. Like most of Boston's new acquisitions, Bard is coming
off an injury-marred 2008. In his first two years with the Padres, he was
becoming a solid hitter.



Prospects to watch


Lars Anderson: The first baseman could become the first true slugger the Red
Sox have developed in many years. Barring injuries, Anderson likely won't
surface at Fenway until September at the earliest. He has plenty of
personality, which isn't a bad thing for a market such as Boston.


Daniel Bard: The flamethrower from the University of North Carolina found
himself after being moved to the bullpen last season. Don't be surprised if
Bard is called upon by the Sox by July or August, a la Papelbon in 2005 or
Masterson last year.


Clay Buchholz: Remember him? Buchholz, who has electric stuff, went through
severe growing pains in 2008. His fastball command was shaky, as was his
confidence. But the Red Sox still believe that Buchholz can turn into a
front-line starter. This year, they just hope he can be a contributor.



On the rebound


Lowell: Last year at this time, Lowell was the toast of town, coming off his
World Series Most Valuable Player performance. But in 2008, Lowell was hobbled
by right hip woes, forcing the gritty third baseman to shut himself down in the
middle of the postseason. He hopes that his October surgery will allow him to
get back to an All-Star level.


Beckett: Whether it was the right elbow, the back or the right oblique,
injuries were a constant theme for the ace in 2008. Beckett hopes to get back
to where he was at in '07, when he was one of the best pitchers in baseball.
The righty probably deserved more credit than he got for his victory in Game 6
of the ALCS, as his injured oblique made virtually every pitch hurt.


Varitek: The captain is back, after an offseason of frustratingly-slow contract
negotiations. The switch-hitter is coming off the worst offensive season of his
career and is on a mission to prove he still has something left with the bat.
Everyone knows what a rock Varitek is behind the plate, and as a leader of the
pitching staff. But the Red Sox can't afford another season in which Varitek is
a near-automatic out.



Long gone


Coco Crisp: The center fielder was a professional in handling a bench role in
2008. But Crisp will now get a chance to play every day again in Kansas City.
His game-tying hit in Game 5 of last October's ALCS was one of the best at-bats
any Boston player had all season, and it sparked the team back from a 7-0
deficit.


Mike Timlin: After six years as a core member of the Boston bullpen, Timlin is
a free agent. He struggled through most of last season, prompting the Red Sox
to go in another direction. However, Timlin was an important member of the 2004
and '07 World Series championship teams and was a mentor for the other
relievers.


Sean Casey: Boston proved to be the final stop for the classy first baseman,
who announced his retirement and subsequent move to the MLB Network. Casey hit
.322 over 199 at-bats in his last season.


Alex Cora: The utilityman was nothing but a complete professional in three-plus
seasons with the Red Sox. Thanks to the overflow at shortstop, the Red Sox had
no spot for Cora in 2009. The left-handed hitter wound up with the Mets.




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