Outfield: Manny Ramírez, Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew, with Wily Mo Peña and Eric Hinske in reserve.
Starting rotation: Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Matsuzaka, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield.
There is little room for surprise there, outside the question of whether the Papelbon conversion to starter really will occur.
So, what are the spring's 10 most compelling story lines, beyond the one that will have 100 media members staking out Edison Avenue on a daily basis?
1. Trade winds The Sox have made only one trade of consequence this winter, the one that netted them veteran middle reliever Brendan Donnelly from the Angels for lefty Phil Seibel. Before last season, they made six deals, acquiring key pieces Crisp, Beckett, Lowell, and Mark Loretta while giving up the National League Rookie of the Year in Hanley Ramirez. The last deal made was the one that stirred up camp, sending pitcher/vocalist Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for Peña. Don't be surprised if newlywed Theo Epstein does it again. He has some movable pieces in Julian Tavarez, Lowell, Youkilis, Peña, and Crisp, and could revisit the Todd Helton talks or a deal for a closer.
2. The closer The house money is on Joel Pineiro to make a successful conversion from horrid starter (21-35, 5.60 ERA his last two seasons in Seattle) to reliable closer, but the Sox haven't gone all in on that one. It has been repeated many times and will be said here again: Francona did not pick his closer until the third game of the regular season last year, when Papelbon trumped Keith Foulke once and forever. Forever, that is, until Papelbon's shoulder popped out of its joint, which has the Sox citing medical reasons for converting the most electrifying closer since Dick Radatz into a starter. Maybe it will go down that way, and Pineiro or Devern Hansack, the one-time lobsterman, will emerge, but unless Epstein can shake a closer out of somebody in a trade, the pressure will build to give Papelbon last call.
