Shouldering the Load

Well, it's never boring, as we approach the dawn of the 2008 season. Curt Schilling, All-Star, World Series hero, blogger, and political pundit appears headed for the shelf, with the only question being, for how long. Schilling has a combination of shoulder and biceps injury, which accoompanying greybeard status, can't be a good career prognosticator.

Will the Red Sox regret not trading for Johan Santana under these circumstances? I hope not, because they continue to maintain control of young talent at the major league level, and have been ranked as the number two organization (behind Tampa Bay) in minor league talent.

If Schilling is done, that certainly promotes much better opportunity for Clay Buchholz to join Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and Jon Lester as frontrunners for the starting rotation.

Recent Sox acquisitions of Sean Casey and resigning of Bobby Kielty have firmed up the overall roster.

Varitek
Mirabelli
Youkilis
Pedroia
Lugo
Lowell
Casey
Cora
Ortiz
Ramirez
Drew
Ellsbury
Kielty
Crisp

Beckett
Matsuzaka
Lester
Wakefield
Buchholz
Papelbon
Okajima
Delcarmen
Timlin
Snyder
Tavarez
Corey
Schilling (DL)

The obvious short and long-term issues include:
1) What is the future of Coco Crisp?
2) Will Theo Epstein be able to find additional reliable lefthanded bullpen help?
3) Does Schilling's injury make Julian Tavarez more important?
4) What's the long-term catching situation?
5) Will the Red Sox pick up Manny Ramirez's option after the season?

Baseball fever? Does Brian McNamee really have the goods on Roger Clemens? The timing is certainly suspicious, waiting until Clemens' deposition on Capitol Hill to spring the 'bloody sponge' gambit.