In response to seannybboi's comment:

Position players (13): 

DANIEL NAVA (OF) DAVID ORTIZ (DH) DAVID ROSS (C) DUSTIN PEDROIA (2B) JACOBY ELLSBURY (CF) JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA (C) JONNY GOMES (LF) MIKE NAPOLI (1B/C) PEDRO CIRIACO (IF) RYAN KALISH (OF) SHANE VICTORINO (OF) STEPHEN DREW (SS) WILL MIDDLEBROOKS (3B)

Pitchers (12):

JON LESTER (SP) CLAY BUCHOLZ (SP) RYAN DEMPSTER (SP) FELIX DOUBRONT (SP) JOHN LACKEY (SP) FRANKLIN MORALES (LR) ANDREW MILLER (LR) KOJI UEHARA (RP) CRAIG BRESLOW (RP) JUNICHI TAZAWA (RP) ANDREW BAILEY (SU) JOEL HANRAHAN (CL)

Aceves instead of Tazawa.  Tazawa has an option left.

How many players will be injured by the time the season starts?

Coaches are also looking at who comes to camp in great shape and deternimed.

It is not unusual to have an abundance of players in January , before Spring training begins. In fact , especially when your team has been a huge disappointment , you want multiple choices....hopefully when the time comes the decision is a tough one. Because if it's easy , it means somebody stinks.

Trading Ellsbury, since the great Shane is in place, will create a space on the 25 man roster. There's also the old Tim Wastefield space that used to make it a 24 man roster, every season.

Look at how good our bullpen is.  I just kind of feel like Tazawa is wasted there.  Bailey, Hanrahan, and Uehara will handle 8,9.

Bresolow is a good lefty specialist.  Miller as well.  

Morales for Garret Jones?

In response to Drewski5's comment:

Look at how good our bullpen is.  I just kind of feel like Tazawa is wasted there.  Bailey, Hanrahan, and Uehara will handle 8,9.

Bresolow is a good lefty specialist.  Miller as well.  

I think Miller is more the Loogy. Breslow has good splits with both RH and LHH.

I personally feel that Tazawa is too talented to be in a seventh inning role.  I'd put him in Pawtucket until a #6 starter is needed.  If he can combine his pre-injury location with his post-injury MPH, and improve his secondary pitches, we are looking at a potential #2 MLB starter.

In response to Drewski5's comment:

I personally feel that Tazawa is too talented to be in a seventh inning role.  I'd put him in Pawtucket until a #6 starter is needed.  If he can combine his pre-injury location with his post-injury MPH, and improve his secondary pitches, we are looking at a potential #2 MLB starter.

MLB is loaded w/ guys who look great for 1 inning and that doesn't always translate well to starting. Look no farther than Bard and Joba Chamberlin as perfect examples. Tazawa should be the 7-8 guy w/ Bailey. Having to much pitching before ST is never a problem, these things have a way of taking care of themselves i.e. someone gets hurt, someone pitching terribly, or other team needs bullpen health. By the end of March it will be resolved.

The  25 man roster is an issue as is the 40.

21 pitchers and 5 catchers on the 40. That leaves 13 position players and a DH and that's without Napoli on the roster. Pretty simple #1 move--DFA Alex Hassan. That still only gives you 13 position players.

The next step is for management to convince BenC having 5 catchers on the 40 is insane and to trade someone. The depth chart @ C after Salty and Ross: I'd say Lav, Vazquez and Butler. One of those 5 has to go.

Nava, Kalish, Hassan---one has to go (Hassan).

Then start paring away at the pitchers--which includes most pitchers that will be starters at AAA. They could option Taz and bring him back for the start of the season, maybe Kalish.

The issue is BenC has to really learn how to let players go through trades or being DFA'd. Then how to manage his 25 and 40 man rosters.

In response to garyhow's comment:

In response to Drewski5's comment:

I personally feel that Tazawa is too talented to be in a seventh inning role.  I'd put him in Pawtucket until a #6 starter is needed.  If he can combine his pre-injury location with his post-injury MPH, and improve his secondary pitches, we are looking at a potential #2 MLB starter.

MLB is loaded w/ guys who look great for 1 inning and that doesn't always translate well to starting. Look no farther than Bard and Joba Chamberlin as perfect examples. Tazawa should be the 7-8 guy w/ Bailey. Having to much pitching before ST is never a problem, these things have a way of taking care of themselves i.e. someone gets hurt, someone pitching terribly, or other team needs bullpen health. By the end of March it will be resolved.

except pre-TJS Tazawa was a starter. and a damn good one. He was relegated to the BP post-TJS to limit his innings and he did so well he ended up in the MLB. Its time to ramp up his innings and slot him in the spot we signed him for. Bard was a failure as a SP in the minors so it was reasonable to expect he would be garbage in the majors as a SP. Tazawa was extremely talented as a starter and now that he is fuly recovered from TJS he is ready to resume his role. Our BP is stacked without him in it. We need good starters and he can be a good starter. Stretch him out

In response to mef429's comment:

In response to garyhow's comment:

In response to Drewski5's comment:

I personally feel that Tazawa is too talented to be in a seventh inning role.  I'd put him in Pawtucket until a #6 starter is needed.  If he can combine his pre-injury location with his post-injury MPH, and improve his secondary pitches, we are looking at a potential #2 MLB starter.

MLB is loaded w/ guys who look great for 1 inning and that doesn't always translate well to starting. Look no farther than Bard and Joba Chamberlin as perfect examples. Tazawa should be the 7-8 guy w/ Bailey. Having to much pitching before ST is never a problem, these things have a way of taking care of themselves i.e. someone gets hurt, someone pitching terribly, or other team needs bullpen health. By the end of March it will be resolved.

except pre-TJS Tazawa was a starter. and a damn good one. He was relegated to the BP post-TJS to limit his innings and he did so well he ended up in the MLB. Its time to ramp up his innings and slot him in the spot we signed him for. Bard was a failure as a SP in the minors so it was reasonable to expect he would be garbage in the majors as a SP. Tazawa was extremely talented as a starter and now that he is fuly recovered from TJS he is ready to resume his role. Our BP is stacked without him in it. We need good starters and he can be a good starter. Stretch him out

I agree, Taz should be stretched into a starter again.

In response to moonslav59's comment:

In response to mef429's comment:

In response to garyhow's comment:

In response to Drewski5's comment:

I personally feel that Tazawa is too talented to be in a seventh inning role.  I'd put him in Pawtucket until a #6 starter is needed.  If he can combine his pre-injury location with his post-injury MPH, and improve his secondary pitches, we are looking at a potential #2 MLB starter.

MLB is loaded w/ guys who look great for 1 inning and that doesn't always translate well to starting. Look no farther than Bard and Joba Chamberlin as perfect examples. Tazawa should be the 7-8 guy w/ Bailey. Having to much pitching before ST is never a problem, these things have a way of taking care of themselves i.e. someone gets hurt, someone pitching terribly, or other team needs bullpen health. By the end of March it will be resolved.

except pre-TJS Tazawa was a starter. and a damn good one. He was relegated to the BP post-TJS to limit his innings and he did so well he ended up in the MLB. Its time to ramp up his innings and slot him in the spot we signed him for. Bard was a failure as a SP in the minors so it was reasonable to expect he would be garbage in the majors as a SP. Tazawa was extremely talented as a starter and now that he is fuly recovered from TJS he is ready to resume his role. Our BP is stacked without him in it. We need good starters and he can be a good starter. Stretch him out

I agree, Taz should be stretched into a starter again.

but with aceves (hopefully) resuming his 2011 long man role and Morales also getting extended inning stints idk where we could find consistent innings to stretch Taz out in the MLB.. It would likely HAVE to be in AAA (bummer) but would definitely help us in the long run and have an excellent reserve in AAA who can be subbed into the BP and starting roto (i would think RDLR would get a shot in the rotation before Taz though)

It seems clear no matter who we want on the 25 man roster, that we have extra depth in the bullen and at Catcher.....I was pushing earlier in the off season to look to get Ike Davis from the Mets....LH, IB fits perfectly with us(except for the plate discipline)....the Mets are desperate for relivers and before the Dickey trade also needed a Catcher......I would still approach them and see if Relievers, some catching depth and a prospect can interest them.

In response to moonslav59's comment:

In response to tomnev's comment:

It seems clear no matter who we want on the 25 man roster, that we have extra depth in the bullen and at Catcher.....I was pushing earlier in the off season to look to get Ike Davis from the Mets....LH, IB fits perfectly with us(except for the plate discipline)....the Mets are desperate for relivers and before the Dickey trade also needed a Catcher......I would still approach them and see if Relievers, some catching depth and a prospect can interest them.

I understand where you are coming from, but I still think our biggest weakness is SP, Power clean-up hitter, and a LF'er who can platoon with Gomes and maybe Victorino in RF at times.

If we pick up anyone before the season starts, it will probably be the platoon corner OF'er who maybe can play 1B as well.

I'd rather trade Doubront, Salty and a relief pitcher or two for a much better SP under team control for 3+ years, but I seriously doubt that can or will happen.

Agreed.  Brandon Moss or David Murphy would be perfect; however, i doubt either is available.

I'm interested in Garret Jones, but again, not sure if the Pirates would move him.  Notin threw the name Will Venable out there, which is very intriguing.  I would love to bring in Cocoa as well (very good friends w Gomes and Ortiz), but I have a Cocoa poster hanging in my office, so that may be my bias talking.  

To be honest though, I'm not necessarily against giving Nava or Kalish a shot.  Its just that this is 450 AB role, and I worry about Nava's power/defense w/ that many at-bats.  Also: Kalish has struggled (even in AAA) since 2010.

If Nava was the righty and Gomes was the lefty, Id be find w/ a Nava/Gomes platoon.

In response to moonslav59's comment:

In response to tomnev's comment:

It seems clear no matter who we want on the 25 man roster, that we have extra depth in the bullen and at Catcher.....I was pushing earlier in the off season to look to get Ike Davis from the Mets....LH, IB fits perfectly with us(except for the plate discipline)....the Mets are desperate for relivers and before the Dickey trade also needed a Catcher......I would still approach them and see if Relievers, some catching depth and a prospect can interest them.

I understand where you are coming from, but I still think our biggest weakness is SP, Power clean-up hitter, and a LF'er who can platoon with Gomes and maybe Victorino in RF at times.

If we pick up anyone before the season starts, it will probably be the platoon corner OF'er who maybe can play 1B as well.

I'd rather trade Doubront, Salty and a relief pitcher or two for a much better SP under team control for 3+ years, but I seriously doubt that can or will happen.

Agreed.  Brandon Moss or David Murphy would be perfect; however, i doubt either is available.

I'm interested in Garret Jones, but again, not sure if the Pirates would move him.  Notin threw the name Will Venable out there, which is very intriguing.  I would love to bring in Cocoa as well (very good friends w Gomes and Ortiz), but I have a Cocoa poster hanging in my office, so that may be my bias talking.  

To be honest though, I'm not necessarily against giving Nava or Kalish a shot.  Its just that this is 450 AB role, and I worry about Nava's power/defense w/ that many at-bats.  Also: Kalish has struggled (even in AAA) since 2010.

If Nava was the righty and Gomes was the lefty, Id be find w/ a Nava/Gomes platoon.

In response to Drewski5's comment:

In response to moonslav59's comment:

In response to tomnev's comment:

It seems clear no matter who we want on the 25 man roster, that we have extra depth in the bullen and at Catcher.....I was pushing earlier in the off season to look to get Ike Davis from the Mets....LH, IB fits perfectly with us(except for the plate discipline)....the Mets are desperate for relivers and before the Dickey trade also needed a Catcher......I would still approach them and see if Relievers, some catching depth and a prospect can interest them.

I understand where you are coming from, but I still think our biggest weakness is SP, Power clean-up hitter, and a LF'er who can platoon with Gomes and maybe Victorino in RF at times.

If we pick up anyone before the season starts, it will probably be the platoon corner OF'er who maybe can play 1B as well.

I'd rather trade Doubront, Salty and a relief pitcher or two for a much better SP under team control for 3+ years, but I seriously doubt that can or will happen.

Agreed.  Brandon Moss or David Murphy would be perfect; however, i doubt either is available.

I'm interested in Garret Jones, but again, not sure if the Pirates would move him.  Notin threw the name Will Venable out there, which is very intriguing.  I would love to bring in Cocoa as well (very good friends w Gomes and Ortiz), but I have a Cocoa poster hanging in my office, so that may be my bias talking.  

To be honest though, I'm not necessarily against giving Nava or Kalish a shot.  Its just that this is 450 AB role, and I worry about Nava's power/defense w/ that many at-bats.  Also: Kalish has struggled (even in AAA) since 2010.

If Nava was the righty and Gomes was the lefty, Id be find w/ a Nava/Gomes platoon.

To be fair, Kalish has been struggling with some fairly serious injuries the last 2 years. He's (relatively) healthy now and I fully expect him to come to ST and beat out Nava.