If the Sox had won the series in '09 how would the offseason have went? I would assume it would have went a lot different. Ever heard the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it"?
Here is my guess as to how the roster may have looked going into the 2010 season.
1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Victor Martinez C
4. Kevin Youkilis 3B
5. Jason Bay LF
6. David Ortiz DH
7. JD Drew RF
8. Nick Johnson 1B
9. Marco Scutaro SS
SP Josh Beckett
SP Jon Lester
SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP Tim Wakefield
SP Clay Bucholz
SU Daniel Bard
CL Jonathan Papelbon
The first thing anyone will notice is that Jason Bay is in Boston and John Lackey is nowhere to be found. Who knows where Lackey went but he didn't come to Boston. The Sox could not let go of their top HR-hitter and RBI-man from their WS Championship team. Lucchino would certainly have been lynched by Boston fans. Once the Sox decided to get rid of the horribly inadequate defensive (even though he didn't make an error, he still sucked) player in Bay it snowballed into defense all the way (i.e. adding Beltre, Cameron). I tinkered with the SS position between Gonzo and Scutaro. Gonzo hit pretty well down the stretch for the Sox and of course is solid defensively, however the $6 million option was too much to pay. Nick Johnson is signed in order to move Youk to 3B. Kotchman is let go. Johnson can play decent D at 1B I am assuming since he must have done something in the NL for all those years.
My professional opinion is that in a 7-game series the real 2010 Sox would beat this team 4-2. Lackey would outduel Dice-K easily in games 3 & 6 (3 horses can take the 4th starter out of the equation).
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That roster seems likely. This is what I think it would have been:
ReplyDelete1. Juan Pierre CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Victor Martinez C
4. Adrian Gonzalez 1B
5. Kevin Youkilis 3B
6. David Ortiz DH
7. J.D. Drew RF
8. Alex Gonzalez SS
9. Jeremy Hermida LF
SP:
1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. Daisuke Matsuzaka
4. Jeff Niemann
5. Tim Wakefield
CL Daniel Bard
SU Chan Ho Park
This is how it all went down...
Ellsbury exploded in the playoffs, batting .415 and stealing multiple bases almost every night. His head swells like a teepee full of peace pipe smoke and he signs with the Yankees as Granderson is forced to settle with the Cubs. The Red Sox brass, desperate for speed at the top of the lineup, acquire Juan Pierre and stick him in center. Jason Bay, in a move eerily reminiscent of what his alternate self did in a parallel universe (hyperspace, etc.), cries for more and more money, while the Red Sox nation demands that the Sox secure their best slugger irregardless of the cost. His price is driven up, up, and up some more, until the Mets sign him for 9 years, $412 million. The Sox splurge for Adrian Gonzalez, exchanging Clay Buchholz, a handful of minor leaguers, and another hand full of cash to get the Padres bopper.
But it's pitching that wins championships, and the Sox know that, so they keep their rotation nearly intact. Unfortunately, Papelbon- coming off another untouchable post season performance- demands to be made a starting pitcher, and refuses to pitch another inning of relief. The Sox agree to deal him to the highest bidder, which turns out to be the Rays, who in return hand over the rights to former top pick Jeff Niemann, along with some cash, and Jeff slides in as the 4th starter for the Sox. Bard is made closer, and the Sox pick up Chan Ho Park from the Phillies because they have a feeling that his career is finally going places.
Or, perhaps:
ReplyDelete1. Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
2. Dustin Pedroia, SS/2B
3. Victor Martinez, 1B
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. Mike Lowell, DH
6. J.D. Drew, RF
7. Placido Polanco, 2B / Jose Iglesias, SS
8. Mike Cameron, CF
9. Jason Varitek, C
Valuable Handyman: Nomar Garciaparra
SP:
1. Josh Beckett
2. Jon Lester
3. Brett Anderson
4. Clay Buchholz
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka
SU Daniel Bard
CL Andrew Bailey
Jason Varitek hits three home runs in the World Series, taking home the MVP award. Irritated Sox fans and executives begrudgingly agree to let him start for one more season. Martinez moves to first, Youkilis to third and Pedroia to shortstop. Placido Polanco is brought in for second base until mid-season when Boston replaces him with Jose Iglesias, touting him as Hanley Ramirez 2.0. The Athletics approach the Red Sox about acquiring a big, slow DH to replace Frank Thomas, Jack Cust, Jason Giambi, etc. The Sox oblige and hand over Ortiz, Papelbon and Ryan Westmoreland, receiving Brett Anderson and Andrew Bailey in return. Nomar tricks Theo into signing him to a 1-decade contract and spends most of the season moping around the clubhouse.