Boston Red Sox

Southpaw Jon Lester has evolved into the ace of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff. 

Two winters ago, there were many fans who urged the Sox to trade a package of players including Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury to Minnesota in exchange for then-Twins lefty Johan Santana. Potential, they argued, was not as valuable as production. Many of us pleaded with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein from afar to hold onto Lester in the belief he would develop into an ace. 

Few teams in Major League baseball enter Spring Training dealing with both sky-high expectations and lingering scrutiny . But after an off-season makeover eschewing thump for pitching and defense, the Boston Red Sox begin their quest to return to the top of the Major League mountain with plenty of uncertainty. Do they have enough to overtake the Yankees?

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Now that Spring Training has started and Opening Day is just around the corner, agents are scrambling trying to find a home for their clients. If they can’t find a major league deal for their client, a lot of agents will suggest taking a minor league deal.

After all, a minor league deal and an invitation to Spring Training is better than no deal at all.

On Thursday, we saw a couple of minor league deals that involved some known players.

Here is a recap:

Mike MacDougal Signs With the Florida Marlins

The Boston Red Sox have a familiar problem heading into spring training. Too many quality starting pitchers.

Back in 2005 the Red Sox were confident that, even though they had parted ways with consummate ace Pedro Martinez, there were plenty of pitchers to send to the mound to construct a rotation that would be effective. However, an injury to Curt Shilling had the team scrambling to find its ace, and its identity.

He is the longest-tenured player on the Boston Red Sox roster. His knuckle-balls have fluttered in the Boston breeze for over a decade. He is only 17 wins shy of tying the franchise's all-time win record.

However, entering spring training, Tim Wakefield's place within the Red Sox pitching staff is still unknown. 

Like Babe Ruth calling his shot, so do I now set forth ten bold predictions for which the Internet will forever hold me accountable.

Actually, there's very little similarity there, but so much of the Babe's appeal is in his name. Hopefully, I can similarly mask the actual substance of my predictions in a cloud of stylish hyperbole.

This is that time of year nearly all baseball fans can enjoy. The first pitch yet to be delivered, the first out yet to be recorded, each fan can boast of future victories and records, however possible or impossible.

The Spring breathes life into us.

Baseball is almost back in full bloom for the Boston Red Sox, as their pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The franchise made several big moves in the offseason in order to make up for their early exit in this year's post season.

One of their biggest acquisitions will arrive with the pitchers and catchers, that is John Lackey.

John Lackey was probably the biggest free agent pitcher out on the market, this offseason. The rival Yankees made an attempt to sign the pitcher, but the Evil Empire fell short.

As Yankee fans, we think we know everything about the Red Sox. Unfortunately, what we think we know is that it’s going to be another 86 years until they win another World Series. In reality, not only do the Red Sox have a chance to win the American League East this year, but they’re not going away thanks to the fact that they’re being run by one of the better front offices in baseball.

Foresight is blind.

David Ortiz is an established veteran. He’s also, suddenly, an unproven rookie. After a tumultuous 2009, the Boston Red Sox DH can’t afford to take anything for granted in 2010—which would be worse news if taking things for granted hadn’t always been the essence of earthly folly.

Clairvoyance means pretending that you can really see the future in a crystal ball.

Candor, on the other hand, means admitting that you can only glimpse the present through a dusty glass.

One-time Red Sox ace Josh Beckett enters the 2010 season knowing that he does not have a deal in place for 2011. He arrived in camp yesterday with the knowledge that he’ll need to have an excellent season if he hopes to land the kind of contract that former teammate A J Burnett signed with the NY Yankees last winter (five years, $82.5 million) and current teammate John Lackey signed this winter (five years, $85 million).