Theo’s Magnum Opus

The future of Red Sox post-season dreams are being determined right now, as Theo creates what we all hope to be his Magnum Opus of 2008-09, a work that will shine brightly for years to come.

The success of this Magnum Opus will depend largely upon the quality of players he adds to the Red Sox core in the next few months.
The Rays, Yankees, Phillies, Mets are tooling up, spending serious money to build serious contenders, and should perform at a higher level come April.

The deals Theo puts together now will determine, precisely, how the Sox compete with these re-powered teams. The 2009 off-season will either launch several more WS wins, or send the Sox back to 2003 with a slow recovery period in a tight division. The success of this offseason will determine if Theo creates a masterpiece, a powerful legacy . . . or a dud.

The World Series Sox were propelled by talent which has, in one way or another, moved on (Pedro, Schill, Millar, Damon, Manny, Timlin, Coco, etc.) Several current stars and starters continue to experience the same health and other issues (Mike, JD, Papi, Wake, Tek, Julio, D.Aardsma) which cost Boston the 2008 Pennant.

If these issues are not properly resolved, 2009 will be an even greater disappointment, because the tools to improve are readily available now.
At the start of 2008, following the heat of the J. Santana brouhaha, several areas of weakness were identified as needing serious repair. They represent the chapters which still need to be completed by Theo to create his Magnum Opus, a work in which the Red Sox return to the Championship. These chapters are:

Chapter One. REPLACE SANTANA. Still Not Complete.

 In 2008, the question became, if not Santana, who? Urgency spiked when Schilling’s legendary arm went missing. The series of answers were to push AAA Buchholz, AA Bowden, AA Masterson, AAA Pauley, AAA Zinc, rehabbing Colon, journeyman Byrd, none of whom worked as well as Santana’s replacement would have.

As the injuries to Beckett and Wake cost games and wins despite the heroics of Lester and Daisuke, the Sox Rotation became more promising than mighty. It still is.
Starting 2009, we need to replace Santana. The Sox have only FOUR starters in the Rotation plus Buchholz and Bowden who still have work to do before re-emerging. The Red Sox, right now, have little SP depth.

Pauley, who is out of options, and Zink (who combined for 28W in Pawtucket) will surely be traded in a package. There is no depth. Are Beckett and Wake fully recovered? What happens if they aren’t? The importance of completing this Chapter can’t be overstated. Sheets, Penny, Lowe are still available.

Chapter 2. REPLACE GAGNE, the Gagne we never had. COMPLETED.

Theo rightly went after a lights out set-up guy in 2007. In 2008, Hansen or Smitty were to have done that, but as joined Gagne, and Timlin faded, it became obvious we should have gone for Street, Qualls, Marte, Gregg, etc. as they became available. But Theo didn’t, and young rookie J. Masterson stepped into that tough role and succeeded.

Trading Coco for “RamRam” gave Crisp the starting job and leadership role he deserves, and brought, (when combined with Masterson & Oki), Gagne’s replacement. The first chapter in Theo’s Magnum Opus is complete. With Hansack, Aardsma, Littleton, Gronk, Jones, Bard fighting over the 7th spot and providing depth, the Sox again have one of the strongest Bullpens, including the Mets with K-Rod & JJ Putz.

Chapter 3. FIND A CATCHER. Still Not Complete.

This chapter has become an epic poem. If Tek is the hero, is Boras the villain? Did Boras become the villain because Theo trusted him, and Theo missed the reality of his catching options: that Tek’s contract was expiring, that neither George Kottaras nor Dusty Brown were quite ready to take over, although they are close, that the Sox’s own Kelly Shoppach was having a breakout year like Navarro, and that Posada would be back in 2009, that by July, R. Martin was fighting with the Dodgers FO and could be shaken loose, that the Texas Rangers had 4 catchers and were desperate to unload one or two, that Buster Posey was a remote possibility????

This is one of the most important chapters in Theo’s Opus. Bringing back Tek would be great. Not getting his understudy, one with a big bat and good arm, would be a disaster. Tek plus Salty, or Kelly plus Cash, Martin plus Brown, or Molina plus Kottaras are among a dozen workable scenarios, but whichever combination Theo scripts must provide great defense, 25HR from the 8-hole, and challenge the running game of the Rays.


Chapter 4. LAND ANOTHER BIG BAT. Still Not Complete.

Sean Casey provided wonderful BA and OBP, and decent defense at 1b while Youk played other positions. With concern regarding the rebound of Papi, JD, Mike and the departure of Manny, the Mayor’s bat isn’t enough. The next Big Bat must also compensate for lost power with RBI, HR, OPS. Theo has an opportunity to accomplish this in several ways:

• a. Sign Mark Teixeira who, at Fenway, protected by a an already powerful lineup, could go .330/40/100 for years to come.
• b. Sign a good hitting catcher like Shoppach or Salty with or without Tek.
• c. Rebuild the Bench for Power, Hustle and Speed as well as defense, not just kind of average players “because a trade seems OK”
  1b/OF. Bailey, Millar, Hinske, who?
  OF. Baldelli, VanEvery, who?
  IF/OF Lugo, Thurston, Bloomquist, maybe Mike, who?
• d. Extend Youk, Bay (and Lester and Paps)
  Footnote:
  Landing Tazawa, and some potentially valuable players like Littleton, McAnulty, etc. give promise and hope for 2009 and the future.

But if Theo fills this Opus with minor characters and “low cost options”, it will neither be Magnum, nor remembered, when the Sox fall behind the aggressive Yankees and Rays, and momentum shifts to these teams.

Summary:

Theo’s 2008-09 OPUS only becomes his MAGNUM OPUS, a body of work which will shine for years of Red Sox winning seasons, if the characters he chooses are the most likely to be larger than life on the field.

Candidates for this Opus are Mark Teixeira, CC (gone), AJ (gone), Ben Sheets, Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Rafael Furcal (gone), Kelly Shoppach, M. Montero, J. Saltalamarchia, Rocco Baldelli (gone?), Jeff Bailey, Mike Lowell, J. Masterson, C. Buchholz, M. Bowden.

Theo’s progress in creating this Magnum Opus during the Hot Stove Season is being closely monitored by the citizens of Red Sox Nation. Preliminary reviews are mixed.