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Boston Red Sox
Team Page | Roster | Spring Training Schedule | Regular Season Schedule
On this page: Arrivals | Departures | Spring Cleaning | Team Breakdown | Prospects | Predictions

In three seasons as the Red Sox ace, Pedro Martinez is 60-17 with a 2.25 ERA. AP

By Lonny Krasnow, CNNSI.com

Coming off consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 1915-16, the Boston Red Sox took a step backward last season.

The Sox squeezed only 38 wins out of starting pitchers not named Pedro and averaged fewer than five runs per game. Fenway's finest finished near or at the bottom of the American League in nearly every important offensive category -- 11th in homers (167), 12th in slugging percentage (.423), 13th in batting average (.267) and 14th in stolen bases (43).

Enter the Manny. It will cost $160 million over eight seasons, but no other team in baseball made as dramatic an improvement as the Red Sox did by adding cleanup hitter Manny Ramirez to their lineup.

"He's the top RBI man in the business," said general manager Dan Duquette. "And we believe, at 28, that he hasn't had his best year yet. Adding his bat to the lineup helps the entire ballclub, pitchers included."

Ramirez hit .351 last season with 38 home runs and 122 RBIs -- in 118 games. It's scary to think what he can accomplish in a full season sandwiched between All-Stars Nomar Garciaparra and Carl Everett.

Top Guns Red Sox 2000 team leaders Avg.  Nomar Garciaparra  .372  HR  Carl Everett  34  RBIs  Carl Everett  108  SB  Carl Everett  11  Wins  Pedro Martinez  18  ERA  Pedro Martinez  1.74  Ks  Pedro Martinez  284  Saves  Derek Lowe  42    Go Figure 140 Different lineups used by Jimy Williams last season, the most of any manager.

The Red Sox struck out looking in the Mike Mussina sweepstakes and failed in other attempts to land a legitimate No. 2 starter to follow Pedro Martinez in the rotation. Instead, Duquette rolled the dice on David Cone and Hideo Nomo, who combined to go 12-26 with a 5.71 ERA last season.

Cone and Nomo will compete for starting jobs with holdovers Rolando Arrojo and Tim Wakefield, free-agent pick-ups Frank Castillo and Kent Mercker, as well as youngsters Paxton Crawford, Sunny Kim and Tomo Ohka.

Veterans Bret Saberhagen and Pete Schourek also are expected in camp when pitchers and catchers report Feb. 17. Saberhagen is throwing "completely pain-free" without the twinges that hampered his comeback last season from reconstructive shoulder surgery. Schourek underwent elbow surgery to remove some bone spurs from his left elbow in October.

After a busy offseason, the Red Sox are vastly improved -- on paper, anyway -- and probably aren't done dealing. Since the team is up for sale, the current ownership plans to win now and let the next owner worry about the payroll, which is approaching $100 million.

Arrivals
Pos.	Player	From	Via
LHP	Frank Castillo	Blue Jays	Free agency
RHP	David Cone	Yankees	Free agency
INF	Craig Grebeck	Blue Jays	Free agency
RHP	Kent Mercker	Angels	Free agency
RHP	Hideo Nomo	Tigers	Free agency
OF	Manny Ramirez	Indians	Free agency
INF	Chris Stynes	Reds	Trade
RHP	Brian Williams	Indians	Free agency

Departures
Pos.	Player	To	Via
INF	Manny Alexander	TBA	Free Agency
RHP	Hector Carrasco	TBA	Free Agency
OF	Michael Coleman	Reds	Trade
LHP	Rheal Cormier	Phillies	Free Agency
OF	Midre Cummings	Diamondbacks	Free Agency
LHP	Jeff Fassero	Cubs	Free Agency
OF	Bernard Gilkey	Cardinals	Free Agency
RHP	Tom Gordon	Cubs	Free Agency
RHP	Ramon Martinez	Dodgers	Free Agency
RHP	Steve Ontiveros	Mets	Free Agency
INF	Donnie Sadler	Reds	Free Agency

Spring Cleaning

Trot Nixon GM Dan Duquette ran 53 players through the clubhouse last season. Manager Jimy Williams started 16 designated hitters, eight cleanup hitters and eight third basemen -- all to little avail. More quality and less quantity is a priority in 2001. This is the year, right Trot? Right fielder Trot Nixon has yet to develop into a productive regular (21 RBIs after the All-Star break). A shaky spring and the former No. 1 draft pick will be trade bait or find himself splitting time with Darren Lewis and Troy O'Leary. A lack of team chemistry may have cost the Red Sox a postseason berth last season. At the center of every controversy, it seemed, was Carl Everett. Everett's first season in Boston featured confrontations with an umpire, a coach, two teammates and the manager. It's time to zip it, Carl, and let your considerable ability do the talking. David Cone, who is 16 wins shy of 200, plans on being the Red Sox No. 2 starter. How much he has left remains to be seen. Memo to Coneheads: The last pitcher who left the Yankees as a free agent and migrated to Boston lives in Red Sox infamy -- Mike Torrez. Torrez allowed Bucky Dent's home run in the one-game playoff against the Yankees in 1978.

Team Breakdown
Projected Lineup		Projected Rotation
2B	Jose Offerman	RHP	Pedro Martinez
3B	John Valentin/Chris Stynes	RHP	Rolando Arrojo
SS	Nomar Garciaparra	RHP	Hideo Nomo
DH	Manny Ramirez	RHPs	Frank Castillo/David Cone
CF	Carl Everett	RHPs	Tomo Ohka/Bret Saberhagen
LF	Dante Bichette	Bullpen
1B	Brian Daubach	RHP	Derek Lowe (closer)
RF	Trot Nixon	RHP	Rich Garces
C	Jason Varitek	RHP	Hipolito Pichardo
Key Reserves		RHP	Rod Beck
OF	Troy O'Leary	RHP	Tim Wakefield
OF	Darren Lewis	RHP	Kent Mercker
2B	Mike Lansing	RHP	Bryce Florie
INF	Lou Merloni	LHPs	Sang Lee/Jesus Pena

Prospects to Watch
RHP Paxton Crawford -- Crawford, 23, is a finesse pitcher who has shown exceptional control in the minors (499 K, 207 BB). He also looked poised in two emergency starts for the Red Sox last summer. 1B Juan Diaz -- Diaz, 25, is one of the most promising power hitters in the farm system. The Cuban defector had 24 homers and 70 RBIs in 63 games last season in the minors before he dislocated his ankle in July. RHP Sunny Kim -- Kim, 23, has the highest ceiling of any of the Asian pitchers in the Red Sox system. He is coming off a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League during which he posted a 3-1 record with a 2.66 ERA. C Steve Lomasney -- Lomasney, 23, is a strong-armed catcher with power -- when he makes contact. Boston's 1999 minor league player of the year is expected to bounce back from an injury-riddled season. 1B/OF Dernell Stenson -- Stenson, 22, has the tools to be an impact hitter but is still a work in progress. He led all minor league first basemen with 34 errors, so a move to the outfield is likely.
Best-Case Scenario
Pedro takes his turn every fifth day and continues his amazing run of dominance. Cone and Nomo, aided by the higher strike zone, are nasty again and combine to win 25 games. Rolando Arrojo and Frank Castillo eat 200+ innings; Saberhagen and Ohka have moments of brilliance on the mound. Rich "El Guapo" Garces and Derek Lowe shut the door just as effectively as last season. Meanwhile, the 3-4-5 combo of Garciaparra, Ramirez and Everett combine to hit .340 with 120 homers and 400 RBIs. Do the math, it's not inconceivable. Offerman regains his wheels, Nixon has his breakthrough season and Varitek establishes himself as one of the top all-around catchers in baseball. In the division series, Ramirez single-handedly beats the Cleveland Indians, while Cone and Martinez mow down the Yankees in the ALCS. You know how this ends, right? Yup, Babe Ruth rolls over in his grave as the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918 -- in seven games, of course.
Worst-Case Scenario
All bets are off if Martinez sustains a serious injury. Cone goes 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA ... again. Nomo shows why he is with his fifth team in as many years. Saberhagen hangs it up and the Sox are left with Arrojo, Castillo, Ohka, Wakefield and Mercker to pick up the pieces. Garces explodes. Ramirez hits his weight in April and Red Sox Nation turns on him as if he was a narc at a biker rally. Mount Everett erupts and Jimy Williams looses it. Mike Lansing, Chris Stynes and Darren Lewis are forced to play everyday. Lou Merloni leads the team in homers at the All-Star break at which point Steven King buys the club and trades Lowe and handful of prospects for Tom Gordon and a bag of magic beans. The Red Sox finish in the basement for the first time since 1992.
Bottom Line
The Red Sox made a huge economic commitment to improve their offense. Ramirez will make a big difference, but the Sox are still looking up at the Yankees. A third wild card berth in four years will have to suffice.

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