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It might be a likely assumption that the Boston Red Sox are set with the team they hope to carry into spring training in 2014.

The Red Sox have seen a number of changes from the roster that won them the World Series the year prior—the most notable being the losses of Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia via free agency.

As quoted from Chad Finn of Boston.com, “All of their essential offseason business is done, other than waiting for Stephen Drew to inform Scott Boras (or is it vice-versa?) where he will play baseball in 2014.” 

Yet general manager Ben Cherington seems poised to defend Boston’s World Series crown with the current team on paper. 

By letting players like Ellsbury go, Boston is putting its faith in the development of young prospects like Jackie Bradley Jr. at the big league level.  The same could be said if Drew departs in regard to prospects like Xander Bogaerts.

Regardless of that faith in this current roster, the Red Sox still need to take some action before the commencement of spring training.  While there is not necessarily much to do, it is imperative that Cherington approaches these situations with prudence so that the benefits can be reaped during the course of the forthcoming season.

Let us take a look at three things that need to happen in Boston.

Backing Out of the Stephen Drew Discussion

There was a time earlier this offseason when the Red Sox were still interested in retaining Drew’s services.

Boston offered Drew a qualifying offer, and he subsequently turned it down.  Since then, Cherington and the Red Sox have been open to Drew returning, albeit on the team’s terms, per Peter Abraham of Boston.com.

Said Cherington via Abraham, ““We like Stephen and the job he did.  Because of that we’ve kept the door open.  We’re going to continue to listen and talk and see where it ends up.”

Since the holidays, Cherington and Drew’s agent Scott Boras have had zero contact with each other, per Ricky Doyle of NESN.

While the lack of action could be an indication that Boston is perfectly content with letting Drew sign elsewhere, it would be nice for Cherington to stand by his young players and reveal the final intention of this team regarding its future direction.

The primary beneficiaries?  Bogaerts and third baseman Will Middlebrooks.

As far as Bogaerts is concerned, there are few reasons to assume he will not be an impact player in the very near future.  His .298 batting average during Boston’s postseason run is a good indication of what type of player he may become.

A similar argument can be made of Middlebrooks.  While Middlebrooks’ 2013 campaign was not particularly awe-inspiring—he batted only .227 with a .696 OPS—one cannot overlook the fact that he was once touted as a high-level prospect within the Red Sox’s organization, especially through 2011 and 2012.

One year removed from his 2012 rookie season—where he hit .288 with a .835 OPS—it is safe to assume Middlebrooks possibly suffered from a “sophomore slump” and deserves at least one more season to prove his capability at the big league level.

If Drew is re-signed, that would likely force Bogaerts and Middlebrooks into a platoon role at third.  Neither would benefit from this scenario, Bogaerts most significantly.

Both are deserving of a full-time role in 2013 and would benefit from the knowledge that their roles would include being everyday infielders.

Thus, Cherington would be best off wishing Drew the best and sticking to what the Red Sox already have moving forward.

Perhaps this is exactly the direction toward which Cherington is heading.

Stay Out of the Masahiro Tanaka Sweepstakes

There is a strong possibility that Japanese star righty Masahiro Tanaka will be the big deal in the majors.

The interest Tanaka has garnered from a plethora of MLB teams speaks to this.  Where he winds up is anyone’s guess, according to Jesse Spector of The Sporting News.

Plenty of factors could inhibit Boston’s legitimate pursuit of Tanaka outside of the $20 million posting fee it would cost to negotiate a contract.

Paul White of USA Today describes why the Red Sox would be interested in the first place:

The champions have to think about any major free agent.  It would overload the already-crowded rotation but that only puts them in position to trade for other upgrades and guard against upcoming contract talks with the current staff.  It’s tough to beat the attraction of the World Series champs in an iconic ballpark with Japanese guys on the staff who are comfortable in the environment.

Herein lie some of the problems.  First, as mentioned by White, Boston’s rotation is already crowded—a total of six venerable starters under contract who will likely be on the roster by Opening Day.

While that does give the Red Sox some flexibility with their rotation, potentially to execute a trade, one has to wonder if this would thwart the chances of locking up contract extensions for starters like Jon Lester, whose contract expires after 2014.

It also could get in the way of some of Boston’s young pitching prospects—further described by Finn here.

Tanaka will likely receive a long-term and lucrative contract, which goes against nearly everything that Cherington has done with the Red Sox in recent years—short-term, more-expensive contracts without long obligations to many players.

Lastly, Tanaka is still an unproven commodity at the big league level.  Unlike minor league prospects who can be slowly worked into a big league role, Tanaka will likely be relied upon immediately rather than being worked into a rotation.

While the Red Sox have talked with Tanaka’s agent, per Doyle, nothing more has transpired.  This leads us to believe that Cherington is doing the proverbial “kicking of the tires” regarding Tanaka’s future landing spot.

Even if Tanaka is the real deal, Boston already has a bona fide lineup with plenty of talent waiting in the folds.

Banking on that should be the Red Sox’s priority here.

Finding an Insurance Policy for Jackie Bradley Jr.

Bradley’s impact at the big league level will likely be the direct result of Boston losing Ellsbury to free agency.

There are two ways to look at this.

If Bradley prospers in his first full season with the Red Sox, any concern over his development will likely be an afterthought.  If he struggles, however, Boston may be forced to deal with any ineptitude that transpires in 2014.

This is not to say Bradley will not amount to a major league talent.  On the contrary—Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus has Bradley ranked as the No. 2 prospect within the Red Sox’s organization.

Yet let us assume for a moment that Bradley emulates the type of hitter he was in a limited 2013 campaign—he had a .189 batting average and .617 OPS in 107 plate appearances.

As Bradley develops, are those numbers that the Red Sox want to count on from a starting center fielder?

Pending some outfield shuffling—which causes its own set of problems—the Red Sox could rely on in-house options like Daniel Nava, Jonny Gomes and Mike Carp to balance out the remainder of the outfield, complementing Shane Victorino.

A better option could be a short-term deal—something that the Red Sox are known for—for an already established center fielder that could provide an upgrade over Bradley in 2014. 

Who this could be, or how Cherington could make it happen, is anyone’s guess, but this option would at least give the Red Sox a chance to work in Bradley at a much more reasonable pace and not risk demolishing his confidence.

Plus, the added competition is always a noteworthy thing come spring training.

In all likelihood, the Red Sox appear all but set with their franchise heading into spring training. 

There are things they should do, things they should not do and certain elements that could use some tweaking.

Yet at the end of the day, Boston is in a strong position to defend their World Series title.  They boast a formidable rotation and bullpen and can rely upon steady defense.  The Red Sox offense is also in good position moving forward.

At any rate, we shall see how these issues pan out over coming weeks and months.  Spring training, after all, is only a short time away.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise indicated.  Contractual information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Boston Red Sox.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In 2013, the Boston Red Sox turned from a last-place franchise into a World Series champion.

This sort of transformation, while rare and difficult, was the direct result of a number of key moves from general manager Ben Cherington—moves that combined incumbent stars with the right type of free agents to solidify what would be a championship team.

Looking forward to 2014, Boston will once more rely upon some magic.

This time, instead of focusing heavily on free-agent acquisitions, a number of young and talented rookie prospects will likely be asked to fill the voids left by certain players who are no longer with the team—or at least pending departure as is the case with shortstop Stephen Drew.

Along with Drew, Boston lost a number of the players that helped it win its third World Series in the last nine seasons.  Gone is center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury along with catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

The Red Sox major free-agent acquisition to address these needs was catcher A.J. Pierzynski.  Other acquisitions landed bullpen depth as well as the needed retaining of first baseman Mike Napoli.

These losses open up the door for minor league and rookie prospects to have a shot at making the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster.

For the purposes of this article, we shall examine the top five Red Sox prospects and determine their chances of making the Opening Day roster.  This author shall use the rankings provided by Alex Speier of WEEI for Baseball America.

The report tells us much of what we already know—Boston has a very deep farm system and should be in excellent shape in coming years.  Yet, given the cast of incumbent Red Sox starters, many of these players will not have an impact in 2014, which leaves the door open for only a few guys to make the roster.

Some, like Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., have an excellent chance given the opportunity.  Others may have to wait their turn.

In any case, let us evaluate these top five prospects and determine whether or not we will see them at the start of the 2014 season.

Begin Slideshow

As the year that saw the Boston Red Sox win their third World Series Championship in 10 years winds to a close, fans and analysts are wondering what the franchise will do to back up their crown in 2014.

Boston has been relatively quiet this offseason, as shown by the team’s transactions provided by CBS Sports.

The heart of Red Sox Nation primarily has focused on the departures of a number of key figures from the 2013 championship team—most notably Jacoby Ellsbury and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Still, the Red Sox’s relative silence thus far into the offseason does not mean the team will remain inactive until Opening Day next year.  There is still plenty of time for general manager Ben Cherington to make some moves.

Let us take a look at some of the recent rumors surrounding the Red Sox and cash in on whether they are fact or fiction.

Trading for Outfielder Matt Kemp

There was a time, not so long ago, where the Red Sox were rumored to be involved in discussions with the Los Angeles Dodgers regarding a potential trade for All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp.

Perhaps it is time to put these rumors to bed once and for all.

While it would have been nice for Boston to add a vaunted offensive presence to their lineup—as well as a two-time Gold Glove recipient—a deal for Kemp is virtually out of the question at this point.

For starters, Kemp’s injury concerns have hampered any serious discussions with a number of teams that have reportedly been interested.

This aspect is elaborated upon by Ricky Doyle of NESN who states:

The 29-year-old has missed time in each of the last two seasons with a shoulder problem and an ankle issue, so there’s obviously going to be some concern about his health status for whichever teams consider making a deal.

That alone is reason enough to thwart any potential deal.

In addition, Kemp’s agent Dave Stewart stated that Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti informed him that the team has no intentions of trading Kemp this offseason per Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.

If you were hoping to see Kemp in a Red Sox uniform in 2014, you may want to back away from those prospects.  It is not going to happen.

Status: Sell

Re-signing Shortstop Stephen Drew

Unlike the aforementioned deal for Kemp, the retaining of shortstop Stephen Drew is a little tougher to disseminate.

The situation is relatively simple—if Drew signs elsewhere, Boston will roll with the upcoming Xander Bogaerts at shortstop and two-year veteran Will Middlebrooks at third.  The Red Sox will also receive a compensatory first-round draft pick if Drew signs with another team.

If Drew re-signs with Boston, there will be a slight logjam on the left side of the infield with Bogaerts and Middlebrooks competing for time at third.

Fortunately enough, the Red Sox are in a position to be patient.  Drew’s market has not been that hot as of late, and he remains a free agent.

If the Red Sox elect to go with the former option, they will be relying on a very young core of players, especially on the left side of the infield.  This facet is further described by Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Should Cherington re-sign Drew?

Marc Normandin of SB Nation does not think so.

Middlebrooks is likely the player who would suffer the most from Drew’s potential signing.  Normandin argues that Middlebrooks, at 25 years old, should receive at least a full year of everyday playing time.  This will at least give him the chance to showcase his potential.

If Middlebrooks flourishes, that puts Boston in a good position.  If not, the Red Sox could look towards having prospect Garin Cecchini eventually taking over at third.

Normandin writes:

This is true whether the Red Sox envision [Middlebrooks] as their third baseman of the future or not.  Giving him a full season in 2014 to show off what he can do—something he hasn’t had the chance to yet—could raise his stock enough that Boston could benefit from a huge trade in which they sell off his pop to the highest bidder, making room for Cecchini at third in 2015.  Having this option is something they can only do if Middlebrooks plays for the Sox in 2014, while Drew plays for someone else.

That is an interesting perspective to say the least.

In conclusion, the Red Sox appear to be in a much better position by letting Drew go than they would be if they re-signed him.  The fact that no deal has been made by this point suggests that Cherington is considering options outside of Drew’s services.

Status: Sell

Red Sox Interested in Left-Handed Pitcher Mark Mulder

According to a report from Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe, veteran lefty Mark Mulder has drawn interest from the Red Sox, as he attempts to make a comeback in the majors.

Mulder has not pitched since 2008 after a shoulder injury ended his major league tenure.

The report, which was also listed by Al Melchior of CBS Sports, suggests that Boston might be interested in Mulder’s services to some regard.

Yet, the Red Sox already have a plethora of starting pitching, as well as young prospects in the folds, so signing Mulder makes little sense.

Cafardo also suggest that Boston will not likely make a deal.

Status: Sell

Boston Signing Japanese Right-Handed Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka

Let the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes begin.

Biddings from MLB teams on Tanaka‘s services began on December 26, per Drew Silva of NBC Sports.  The Cubs, Yankees, Angels and Diamondbacks were all reported to have interest in the same article.

Yet Cafardo also makes the claim that Boston should get in on the bidding.  He writes:

The 25-year-old Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander, who was 24-0 in the regular season in 2013, was posted and teams have begun to bid the new maximum $20 million fee.  The Red Sox are the least mentioned big-market team, but don’t be surprised if they quietly slip into this.  One American League scout suggested it’s the perfect time for the Red Sox to strike.

This is backed up by the fact that Boston has a number of pitchers with either one- or two-year deals left on their respective contracts—Jake Peavy, Ryan Dempster and Jon Lester most notably.

Tanaka could easily slide in as a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter for a Red Sox rotation that could see some significant changes in the next couple of years.

Yet, there are plenty of problems with this potential deal.

First, would Cherington be weary of an expensive deal that could thwart Boston’s future much like the deal the team struck with Daisuke Matsuzaka some years ago?

That is a legitimate possibility.

In addition, there is an argument that the Red Sox’s priority should be upon signing Lester to a contract extension after his current contract expires at the end of 2014.

Doyle backs up this claim and also states that the Red Sox, who currently have a surplus of starting pitching, don’t need to make a sizable financial commitment to an unknown commodity.

This is true in a number of ways.  There is a surplus of starters already.  In addition, Boston has some talented prospects waiting to make debuts.

From that vantage point, signing Tanaka makes little sense.

Status: Sell

The Red Sox look poised to enter the 2014 season with the team they currently have on paper.

While there may be continued rumors and stories that surround Boston in future weeks and months, all signs point to Cherington and the Red Sox front office being content with what they have moving forward.

As indicated, the aforementioned rumors have been classified as “sellers” and should not be given much credence regarding whether or not a deal will take place.

This author could be wrong of course, but that has yet to be determined.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.  Contractual information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Boston Red Sox.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It has been a wild offseason for the Boston Red Sox following their 2013 World Series title.

Boston has already endured a slew of transactions that have taken place since the team walked off with the World Series trophy.

Gone from the mix are players like outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the Yankees and Marlins, respectively.

The Red Sox have welcomed in players like catcher A.J. Pierzynski and relievers Burke Badenhop and Edward Mujica.  Boston also made sure to bring back first baseman Mike Napoli.

On paper, it would appear as if the Red Sox are poised to defend their team with a solid core of talent along with some young prospects like Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts.

In addition, the pitching—in the rotation and in the bullpen—is both talented and deep.  That alone makes the Red Sox formidable in 2014.

Yet Boston still has a few critical questions that remained unanswered. 

General manager Ben Cherington has had a relatively quiet offseason in comparison to some of the other deals made around the league.  Can the Red Sox expect much more this offseason?

Only time will tell.

Still, let us evaluate some of the key questions that Boston needs to evaluate between now and spring training.

Determining the Leadoff Hitter

The loss of Ellsbury hurts the Red Sox in a number of ways. 

Aside from Boston being forced to see its former center fielder in uniform with their chief rival, the team now has to consider the absence of production from the leadoff position.

Ellsbury owns a career .350 on-base percentage and batted .298 in 2013.  He also bolstered those numbers with a league-leading 52 stolen bases in the same season.

Those numbers are going to be difficult to replicate.

Nick O’Malley of Masslive.com sums up why replacing Ellsbury with a bona fide leadoff hitter remains one of Boston’s top priorities this offseason.  He writes, “The Red Sox have some in-house candidates to take up the full-time leadoff role.  Yet, there’s been little indication that the team is comfortable with any of them handling the duty as the primary option.”

He goes on to state that Bradley, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia are the most likely candidates on the roster to fill this void.

Out of that foursome, either Victorino or Nava appear to be the front-runners to take over the job—something that has been confirmed by Red Sox manager John Farrell, per Rob Bradford of WEEI:

Ideally, Boston would like to have Pedroia‘s bat further down in the lineup and also wait and see if Bradley can develop in what could be his first full season as an everyday player.

Cherington described Bradley’s chances to assume the role, via O’Malley:

Yeah, I mean, [Bradley’s] gotten on base his whole life—college and minor leagues, obviously, at a very high rate.  So, that’s what we see as the No. 1 criteria.  We expect that in time he’ll be a good on-base big leaguer and that would make him a candidate to do that.  But I think, you know, when we’re thinking about lineups in the offseason anyway, we’re focused on guys that we know will be on the team and have some history of getting on base in the big leagues.  I think that’s how John feels.

Unless a major move is made between now and the start of the season, Boston looks as if it will employ either Victorino or Nava in the leadoff role and hope for the best. 

Setting the table in front of the heart of the Red Sox’s big hitters—David Ortiz and Napoli—was a critical component to the team’s success in 2013.

Expect no difference this upcoming season.

Determining a Starting Center Fielder

Directly related to the aforementioned question, the Red Sox still have a looming concern in Ellsbury‘s wake.

Pending changes, it appears as if Boston will stick with Bradley in center and bank on him earning that everyday role.  The only question is whether or not he is ready for this challenge.

Bradley hit only .189 with a .280 on-base percentage in limited action last season. 

If the Red Sox plan on utilizing Bradley in this situation, he will have to post up numbers better than that.

This is further described by Ron Chimelis of Masslive.com, who writes:

Trusting Bradley to replace Ellsbury is the only part of the plan that makes me edgy, even though there is every reason to think he will turn into a quality major leaguer someday soon. … Mature for his age, he does not turn 24 until April.  Is he really ready to replace Ellsbury?  Defensively, there is no problem.  Bradley might actually be an upgrade because of his better arm.

Chimelis also notes that Boston has faith in Bradley becoming a great player.  The only question is whether or not that will happen next year.

There remains a possibility that the Red Sox acquire another outfielder—preferably one with a big bat that can help protect the middle of Boston’s lineup.

While the hype that surrounded a possible trade for Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp appears to have died down, there are other options.

Shin-Soo Choo remains an option, and the Red Sox have taken a serious look, but there has not been a lot of speculation that Boston is close to making him an offer, per NESN:

Barring any significant acquisition, it appears as if the Red Sox are comfortable with Bradley taking over the job.

Hopefully for his own sake, he will showcase his major league capability in 2014, which will make all the questions surrounding his readiness seem foolish.

What to Do with Stephen Drew?

Out of all the questions Boston has to answer this offseason, the curious case of Stephen Drew is, perhaps, the least critical.

In a way, the Red Sox are in a prime position regarding how they want to handle the now-free-agent shortstop. 

A compensatory first-round pick is associated with Drew if he signs elsewhere—given how Boston offered him a qualifying deal earlier this offseason. 

That has certainly discouraged some interest around the league and Drew remains a free agent.

Drew and the Red Sox continue to look for a deal, and Farrell has reiterated that he would like Drew to return, via Ricky Doyle of NESN.com:

“Both sides would like to see this come together,” Farrell said on WEEI’s Hot Stove Show (via Doyle). “But at the same time, as we all know, he’s looking to see what best opportunities would be out there for him.”

Yet if Drew does depart via free agency, Boston is perfectly capable of supplanting the void with Bogaerts at shortstop while giving Will Middlebrooks a chance to hold down third base in a starting role.

The team also traded for utility infielder Jonathan Herrera on Dec. 18. 

This unique situation is a good one to be in from the Red Sox’s vantage point.  They can afford to be diligent and see how Drew’s market shapes out. 

If they re-sign him, fine.  If not, the team is perfectly comfortable moving forward.

There is little wrong with that.

It is easy to be frustrated with a team that made relatively few splashy moves in the wake of what has been a wild offseason thus far.

Cherington and the Red Sox have not been actively involved in many of the bigger deals made in recent weeks—much to the chagrin of writers like Christopher L. Gasper The Boston Globe.

Gasper writes that Boston is doing too little this offseason and criticizes the hopes the Red Sox have in the formula that worked so well for them in the 2013 season—staying away from long-term deals and signing middle-class free agents.

He writes, “They may have reinvented themselves, but they didn’t reinvent the wheel.”

While no one would initially complain about a blockbuster deal that could still potentially be made, this Red Sox team is still in good shape.

The pitching, ever so important, remains intact.  Aside from a few questions which have been discussed, the batting order is sound.

Even if Boston’s “wheel” was not reinvented, there are few reasons to assume it will not continue to roll forward.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.  Contractual information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts unless otherwise specified.

Peter Panacy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the Boston Red Sox.  Follow him @PeterMcShots on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has tweeted that the Boston Red Sox have signed free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a deal. 

Sean McAdam of CSN New England reports that the deal is only for one year. The Red Sox’s ablity to sign Pierzynski to just a one-year deal is somewhat of a surprise, given the recent run on catchers receiving multi-year deals this winter. It’s a good low-risk move for the Red Sox. 

The 36-year-old Pierzynski, who will turn 37 this month, is coming off of a down season with the Texas Rangers. Pierzynski started to show some signs of decline, most notably posting the lowest OBP (.297) of his career in 2013 with the Rangers. He still managed to hit 17 home runs and knock in 70 runs, meaning that he should provide solid offense for the Red Sox. 

Durability has been one of Periznski’s career strengths, as he has appeared in more than 120 games in each of the past 12 seasons. The Red Sox know that Pierzynski will play through minor injuries during the course of the season. 

However, Pierzynski’s plate discipline may be an issue, with the veteran catcher only walking 11 times in 503 at-bats last season. The Red Sox like to work the count against opposing teams, meaning Pierzynski could be an odd fit in that regard. 

There are three immediate takeaways from the deal from the point of view of the Red Sox.

First, Boston must feel that top prospects Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez are both getting very close to being able to help at the major league level next season, with Vazquez potentially reaching the majors during the second half of next year. Both prospects provide a tremendous amount of upside, with the 23-year-old Vazquez’s defense being viewed as MLB-ready right now. 

The 21-year-old Swihart is likely being groomed to become the everyday catcher for the team, but that might not occur until 2015, at the earliest. Swihart looks like he could be the whole package, combining offensive potential with improving defense. 

The second takeaway is that the Red Sox were only interested in bringing back Jarrod Saltalamacchia on their terms, likely a two-year deal with a hometown discount. With the free-agent deals recently signed by Carlos Ruiz and Brian McCann already this winter, Saltalamacchia should have better options available on the free-agent market. 

The 28-year-old Saltalamacchia is easily the best catcher remaining on the market. Now that he knows he is not returning to Boston, his market should become much clearer during the upcoming winter meetings. 

It’s a disappointing end to Saltalamacchia‘s time in Boston. Saltalamacchia was a productive and improving player with the Red Sox, but he seemed to struggle during the postseason and the defensive flaws in his game become more pronounced. Boston made the decision to move on from Saltalamacchia‘s potential. 

Lastly, Boston looks likely to go into next season starting the year with a platoon between Pierzynski and David Ross, giving Boston two experienced, veteran catchers to lead the pitching staff.

Pierzynski has a career .290 batting average against right-handed pitchers and a career .322 hitter at Fenway Park in a small amount of at-bats. Prospect Ryan Lavarnway will again come to spring training having to open some eyes if he is not included in a deal this winter. 

If Pierzynski can produce anything close to his career slash line of .283/.322/.428 for next season, the Red Sox would take that immediately for the 2014 season. 

The bottom line is that Boston obviously valued roster flexibility and short-term contract length by signing Pierzynski, a blueprint that served them very well last season.

* Information from Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Sean McAdam/CSNNE, Baseball Reference, Sox Prospects

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The Boston Red Sox acquired right-handed reliever Burke Badenhop from the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. The deal was announced by the Red Sox on their Twitter feed. 

Dealing for Badenhop is not the type of move that will attract much attention in November, but it could get considerable notice come the middle of next season if Badenhop is a key part to next year’s bullpen.

Organizational pitching depth is partially what allowed the Red Sox to withstand injuries to closers Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan, as well as key reliever Andrew Miller. Boston was able to use Koji Uehara, Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa effectively, allowing the Red Sox to win the 2013 World Series. 

It’s another smart, solid move by Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. Instead of dipping into the free-agent market for a reliever who might command a two-year deal, Cherington was able to acquire a solid bullpen arm for very little in the way of trade cost and salary commitment. It is an area where Boston can use its large market payroll to its advantage. 

Badenhop is projected by MLB Trade Rumors’ Tim Dierkes to earn $2.1 million in 2014. Boston has the luxury of paying a middle reliever $2 million for next season, while it would be more difficult for the Brewers to spend that much when Milwaukee’s 2013 payroll was $88.8 million and it already has $75 million in salary commitments for next year. 

The 30-year-old Badenhop has been a generally effective reliever in his career, a ground-ball pitcher who can come into games in the middle innings and potentially get a double-play ball.

Right-handed hitters batted only .229 against him last season and have a .253 average against him for his career. Badenhop also has very good control, allowing only 12 walks in each of the past two seasons while appearing in more than 60 games each season. His career 5.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio against right-handed hitters means that he will likely be trusted to come in and get tough outs.

In 2012, Badenhop had an excellent season with pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, his 3.03 ERA showing that he could thrive in the AL East while pitching against tougher American League lineups. 

This deal also opens the door for other deals from the Red Sox, maybe allowing Cherington to package a pitcher or two in a deal for a catcher or an outfielder. Franklin Morales would likely have some value to other teams, especially as a starter to a National League team, and it is also unlikely that the Red Sox will tender former closer Bailey a contract this winter. 

Trading for Badenhop might not move the excitement meter much here at the beginning of winter, but pitching is the name of the game and the Red Sox have shown that they have learned their lesson well. 

Information used from Boston Red Sox, Baseball Reference, MLB Trade Rumors, Cot’s Baseball Contracts/Baseball Prospectus.

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It shouldn’t be surprising that the Boston Red Sox are expressing interest in the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ Matt Kemp as has been reported by the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.

Kemp is an excellent player when healthy, and Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington should be kicking the tires on any above-average player in MLB this winter. It never hurts to talk with anyone, especially when it is a player with Kemp’s skills. 

The 29-year-old Kemp has struggled to stay on the field the past two seasons, playing in only 179 of a potential 322 games and is coming off a season where he had ankle surgery that caused him to miss the playoffs this past season, as detailed by Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Kemp will also have to deal with a shoulder issue the entire winter, as discussed by B/R’s Rob Goldberg. It is an injury history that should give any team pause, especially the Red Sox. 

If the Red Sox do not re-sign Jacoby Ellsbury this winter, part of the reason will obviously be the money involved for the star outfielder but also concerns over Ellsbury’s injury history and ability to stay on the field over the course of a six- or seven-year deal. 

What would be surprising is if the Red Sox readily took back the remaining six years and close to $130 million remaining on Kemp’s contract. The Red Sox are in a perfect position right now, with very little in the way of long-term commitments on their payroll. 

Boston’s approach of signing veterans to short-term contracts and avoiding the big dollars for free agents proved to be an excellent strategy last year, resulting in a World Series title in 2013. It is a blueprint that is likely to be copied by other teams because it is becoming clear that long-term contracts have too much risk attached. 

Kemp could bring power to the Red Sox offense, looking at his career slash line of .293/.350/.493 in eight seasons with the Dodgers. In that time, Kemp has been an excellent player who has had one MVP-type season in 2011, but he has struggled to repeat those numbers since, mostly due to injury. 

If the Dodgers were willing to send $30 to $40 million back to Boston with Kemp, I’m sure that Boston would be all ears. Maybe the Dodgers would be motivated to do that in order to pursue a player like Robinson Cano this winter, especially if there is a soft market for Cano due to his price.

Boston could benefit from making a trade for Kemp, but they would have to be convinced that his injuries will be healed by Opening Day and that they are not an indication of a player who is starting to breakdown physically before the age of 30.

The Red Sox have the pitching and prospects to trade, but it would be somewhat ironic if Boston was the team taking on the big contract this time. 

Stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise. 

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One of the biggest things that came out of the 2013 World Series for the Boston Red Sox was the arrival of Xander Bogaerts.

With every at-bat and play in the field, Bogaerts showed all of the characteristics that people had been projecting for him during his minor league days.

The recently turned 21-year-old showed all of the maturity, natural instincts and ability that scouts had projected for him. The fact that he was able to do it on a stage as large as the playoffs and World Series only made it more spectacular.

More so than his hitting, his ability to work the count, know the strike zone and take walks really impressed. His patience spoke volumes about his readiness to play in the major leagues at such a young age. He didn’t seem overwhelmed by the moment at all.

In fact, he looked to be right at home. 

Bogaerts looks like something special—like something the Red Sox haven’t had since Nomar Garciaparra came to Boston in 1996.

Now the question is whether he can become the next Garciaparra: a homegrown superstar who burst onto the scene and injected life into the Red Sox lineup and fanbase.

Garciaparra got a taste of the majors in ’96 at the age of 22, collecting 87 at-bats and posting a .241 average with four home runs and 16 RBI.

Bogaerts managed to collect 19 hits in 78 at-bats in 2013 during the regular season and postseason. Most impressive were his deep at-bats; he worked the strike zone to the total of 11 walks and 22 strikeouts. 

When Garciaparra came back for his first full season, he was the best player on the Red Sox and one of the best in the league. He won the Rookie of the Year, a Silver Slugger award and an All-Star spot and also placed eighth in the ballot for MVP. It was an amazing year for the young shortstop who hit 30 home runs and knocked in 98.

It also made Nomar a household name throughout New England.

His rookie season sets the bar high for Bogaerts as he potentially enters his first full season in Boston. The minor league numbers show that Bogaerts just might be able to put up comparable numbers, even if he enters the 2014 season a full two years younger than Garciaparra was in 1997. Garciaparra hit .289 during his first stint in the minors, while Bogaerts hit .296 in almost twice as many at-bats. Bogaerts has also shown good power, hitting 54 homers with an OPS of .862.

Bogaerts is likely to go into camp next spring with an opportunity to win the third base or shortstop job. Much of his immediate future depends on whether veteran shortstop Stephen Drew returns to Boston next season or signs with another team.

Either way, the Red Sox are hoping that Xander becomes a household name next year in Boston, just like Nomar. 

Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference.

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The American League Division Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox has cast a spotlight on the Rays’ rookie right fielder, Wil Myers.  The Boston fans seem to have selective memory in how they have chosen to handle the situation.

Myers is one of the hottest young names in baseball.  A “can’t miss” prospect who was traded to the Rays by the Kansas City Royals, Myers has found himself in the middle of the postseason in Tampa.  His bat is a thing of beauty, and for the most part, his defensive work is fairly sound.  He has seldom failed to impress those watching his work on the field.

As the division series opened between the Red Sox and the Rays, Myers found himself at the scrutiny of all watching when a routine fly ball off the bat of David Ortiz would turn into a ground-rule double when the youngster inexplicably gave up on the catch.  The video from MLB.com.

Announcers assumed that foul play may have been involved from the Red Sox bullpen as there was no reason for Myers to suddenly pull forward and let the ball drop in.  Myers was quick to dispute that report, as Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com pointed out in her wrap-up:

“I saw [center fielder Desmond Jennings] out of the corner of my eye; [the] center fielder has priority,” said Myers, who didn’t lose his tracking on the ball but thought that perhaps Jennings had said something to signal he had it.

“It was totally my fault. I messed it up.”

An honest mistake from a young outfielder that eventually led to a big inning for the opposition.  Harmless as it may have been at the time, Red Sox fans enjoyed showing their appreciation for the young man’s miscue by greeting him with loud cheers as he was announced prior to the second game of the series.  

Noted: #Rays Wil Myers got mock cheer from Fenway fans during intros; still went over & signed some autographs before heading back to dugout

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 5, 2013

The crowd would once again rise to their feet in a mock ovation as Myers caught a routine fly ball later in that same game.  A Red Sox crowd, no doubt fueled by the resurgence of the team this year, found reason to repeatedly taunt the young outfielder for his gaffe the night before.

Myers handled himself with class, finding reason to laugh at the reaction of the crowd and allow himself a moment to enjoy the moment around him despite the uncomfortable nature.  Most surprising is that the Red Sox fans felt the need to ridicule the opposing player in this instance.

Because Red Sox fans have no idea how traumatic a defensive miscue in the postseason can be, right?

Follow me on Twitter to discuss baseball throughout the postseason.

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Smiles and high-fives have become commonplace around Fenway Park these days, but nobody has grinned wider and slapped hands more enthusiastically than the guy most often on the mound at game’s end.

Koji Uehara, the 38-year-old Japanese import acquired by Boston as a free agent in December, has been near-perfect during the past two months as a closer for the surprising Red Sox. He compiled a 0.00 ERA in both July and August, and after blowing a save against the Los Angeles Angels on July 6, he allowed just six hits in 23 innings over his next 20 appearances.

He now has 15 saves on the season and has been perfect in 13 of 15. He is so reliable and so economical with his pitches that last week he was twice called upon by Boston manager John Farrell in the eighth inning to register four-out saves.

He converting both perfectly.

As a result of his brilliant run, which came after three blown saves in his early days in the role, Uehara has lowered his season ERA to 1.17 and his WHIP to 0.630—numbers that along with his 82 strikeouts and nine walks over 60.1 innings compare favorably to Jonathan Papelbon’s stats during his All-Star career as Boston’s closer from 2005-2011.

In fact, Uehara‘s stretch of 20 scoreless games in relief is just one short of Papelbon’s best (21 in 2011) and five short of Daniel Bard’s club record, which was set the same year.

In contrast to Papelbon, who had a blazing fastball that neared 100 miles per hour in his heyday, Uehara relies primarily on a forkball and a four-seam heater that tops out around 90. Like Mariano Rivera’s cutter, batters know the forkball is usually coming but can do little with the knowledge. Batters swing and miss Uehara‘s offerings 17.2 percent of the time, which is the top mark in the league.  

Certainly nobody has as much fun finishing games as Uehara, who was primarily a starter during an excellent 10-year career in Japan. Each time he completes the final out of a contest, he pumps his fist, lets out a shout and then sprints over to his teammates to dole out high-fives. 

For those of us old enough to remember, he is a throwback to Mark “The Bird” Fidrych—who displayed similar mannerisms during his all-too-brief heyday with the Detroit Tigers in the late 1970s. But unlike Fidrych, who was a 21-year-old rookie when he emerged on the national scene, Uehara is grabbing the spotlight with his boyish energy at an age most pitchers are winding down.

Making his run even more impressive is that Uehara—more often a setup man during four previous big-league seasons—was Boston’s fourth choice as closer this season. Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey both suffered injuries, and fellow Japanese League veteran Junichi Tazawa struggled in the role.

Now that he’s gotten his chance to do his hand-slapping on the field at game’s end rather than primarily in the dugout after the seventh or eighth innings, Uehara would like to keep doing so for as long as possible.

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