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No. 5 Boston Red Sox
2000 Record: 85-77 (2nd AL East) The Boston Red Sox hope to put an end to their run of second-place finishes by signing slugger Manny Ramirez. But to get over the top they'll need somebody other than Pedro Martinez to give them quality starts. You really can't say enough about Martinez. He's 41-10 over the last two years, and his .167 batting average allowed last season was the lowest of all time. The Red Sox tried to sign a solid No. 2 starter over the winter but they ended up with David Cone, Hideo Nomo and Frank Castillo. These three won just 22 games combined last season. It's a big if, but David Cone could give the Red Sox a reliable top of the rotation starter. The problem is, putting the 38-year-old In Focus shows that 2000 was easily the worst season of his career. Boston finished 12th in the AL in runs last year, but in Manny Ramirez, the Sox have a guy who hit .351 while smashing 38 home runs and driving in 122 in just 118 games. Ramirez teams with All-Stars Nomar Garciaparra and Carl Everett to give Boston a dangerous heart of the order.
Garciappara's wrist could be a lingering problem, but if he's healthy the lineup will be potent. That's why I rank them as the fifth-best team in baseball.
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