Now that the Red Sox 2009 season is over, it’s time to start setting things up for a run in 2010. I think Red Sox fans are getting a little tired of watching the Yankees make all the moves in the offseason. There are some quality free agents out there, and also some decent trade bait. Here’s what Theo should do:
- Sign Matt Holliday
- Sign Brandon Webb, but make sure the contract is laden with incentives so we only pay top dollar if he plays well and stays healthy
- Trade for Prince Fielder. This move is going to be costly. We’ll probably have to give up some young pitching, maybe even Clay Buchholtz. We need more left-handed power in the lineup.
- Let Papelbon go. I know, this one is going to get me tarred and feathered. Papelbon has been fading as a dominant closer in recent years, and no, I’m not just mad at him for what happened in game 3. He’s been lucky a lot over the past season, constantly getting bailed out of jams he created with slick defensive plays. Way too many walks for a closer. We’ll save a lot of money by not paying Papelbon the big bucks.
- Transition Daniel Bard into the closer role. I see a great future for this kid. His fastball is high-90’s, and he’s thrown cutters with better break than Mariano Rivera’s (if you don’t believe me, ask Jorge Posada. Bard struck him out on a ball that broke so hard it hit Jorge in the foot). All he has to do is refine his control and be more consistent with his pitches and he can tear opposing hitters up one inning at a time.
- Sign a solid middle reliever like John Grabow.

So far I haven’t even inflated the Red Sox payroll by a significant amount. The 2009 Red Sox were $30 million under the budgeted payroll Theo Epstein was given. He probably gets a fat bonus for that, but he’ll get a pink slip if he can’t get our team back in the World Series soon. With the moves I’ve suggested above, the Red Sox should still have enough money left to sign one or two big free agents. I think one of those should be spent on an ace-quality pitcher. Unfortunately, there aren’t the big names like Sabathia who were out there last year, but there are still some options.

Tags: 2010 boston red sox, boston, free agents, jonathan papelbon, prince fielder, red sox, theo epstein, trades