Stories To Watch In Red Sox Spring Training
BOSTON (CBS) - As the Red Sox get set to kick off Spring Training with pitchers and catchers reporting on Sunday, here are a few of the many storylines to follow as they get ready for Opening Day.
The Rotation
The top three spots in the rotation appear all set, with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. After that, it's an open competition. Daniel Bard and Alfredo Aceves are out of the bullpen with the spots in their eyes, and Ben Cherington brought in a few other potential starts to vie for slots in Aaron Cook and Vicente Padilla. Young guns Andrew Miller and Felix Doubront could also make some noise in the spring.
Bobby V In Charge
After eight seasons of Terry Francona calling the shots from the bench, Bobby Valentine comes in to right the ship. The Red Sox have not been to the postseason in two years, and haven't won a playoff game in three. Can Valentine change the atmosphere in the locker room that was so tattered at the end of 2011? Only time will tell, but he already has a new spring plan in place to make sure the players are in shape when the season begins. Now he just needs to make sure they're still in shape come September.
Valentine will certainly be fun to watch; there is no doubt his press conferences will be a little more lively than ones Red Sox fans are used to. He hasn't managed since 2002, but the Sox brass felt he was the guy to come in and get the players back together as a full unit.
Answering For 2011
"What happened in September?" will be asked numerous times when all the players get down to Florida, and the Sox will eventually have to answer it. Some already have, like Jon Lester saying the drinking in the clubhouse was the wrong thing to do in October, but others have said it is time to move on already. It will be interesting to hear all the different answers, and non-answers, given.
Read: Lester Says "Rally Beers" Blown Out Of Proportion
Ellsbury's Follow-Up
Jacoby Ellsbury put up MVP-like numbers in 2011, batting .321 with 32 homers and 105 RBI. He finished second in the MVP voting and took home a gold glove for his defense. How will the Red Sox center fielder follow that up?
The Outfield
The Red Sox know Jacoby Ellsbury will be there in center, but who plays the two corner positions in the outfield? Carl Crawford is expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season as he recovers from offseason wrist surgery, so it looks like Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney will get the honors for the interim. Both have been solid utility players, and the kind of players that Bobby Valentine usually gets the most out of. Look for Darnell McDonald and Ryan Kalish to pop up throughout the spring, and season, as well.
Situation At Short
Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie are gone, and the Red Sox are left with Mike Aviles and Nick Punto at shortstop. Both are very viable candidates but have been utility players most of their career. Who will ultimately win the role as starter, or will it be SS-by-committee?There is even the chance Julio Iglesias makes an appearance at some point this season.
Behind The Plate
Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach will be the two calling the shots at the dish this season, meaning pitcher-favorite Jason Varitek won't be around. Salty and Shoppach are both fine options, but the pitchers loved the chemistry they had with Tek. Look for the two young guys to spend all spring getting to know the pitchers (getting to know them better in Saltalamacchia's case) and form that battery relationship that is so important.
The New Guys
The Red Sox have a new closer in Andrew Bailey, set-up man in Mark Melacon, outfielders in Ross and Sweeney, and a new backstop in Shoppach. After a two-year playoff drought, they are not entering the best situation in Boston, but we'll see how they handle coming from smaller market teams, minus Ross who comes from the San Francisco Giants, to one of the brightest spotlights in the game.
Bouncing Back
How will Clay Buchholz rebound from his back injury? Adrian Gonzalez says his shoulder is 100-percent, will we see the first-half Gonzalez for a full season? Will Kevin Youkilis make it through a full season? And what are the odds of Daisuke Matsusaka making a late-season appearance? All questions that will be answered, eventually.
WBZ-TV's Dan Roche's Live reports from Red Sox Spring Training begin Sunday February 19 on WBZ-TV. Hear him all week as he checks in on 98.5 The Sports Hub and WBZ NewsRadio 1030 as well!
