Your Opening Day 25-Man Roster

[BoSox21]

Seeing as today is the start of ST, what do you think the 25-man roster will look like on April 6th vs. Tampa?

 

Batting Order

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2B Dustin Pedroia

DH David Ortiz

1B Kevin Youkilis

LF Jason Bay

RF JD Drew

3B Mike Lowell

C Jason Varitek

SS Jed Lowrie

 

Bench

2B/SS Julio Lugo

C Josh Bard

OF Rocco Baldelli

1B Chris Carter

 

Rotation

Josh Beckett

Jon Lester

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Brad Penny

Tim Wakefield

 

Bullpen

Ramon Ramirez

Javier Lopez

Manny Delcarmen

Takashi Saito

Justin Masterson

Hideki Okajima

Jonathan Papelbon

[TheKilo]

Batting Order

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2B Dustin Pedroia

1B Kevin Youkilis

DH David Ortiz

3B Mike Lowell

RF JD Drew

LF Jason Bay

SS Jed Lowrie

C Jason Varitek

 

Bench

IF Julio Lugo

OF Rocco Baldelli

C George Kottaras

IF/OF Mark Kotsay

 

Rotation

Josh Beckett

Jon Lester

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Tim Wakefield

Justin Masterson

 

Bullpen

Jonathan Papelbon

Takashi Saito

Manny Delcarmen

Javier Lopez

Ramon Ramirez

Hideki Okajima

Brad Penny

[diony]

That's exactly how is going to look like. It wasn't so hard.

[italstallianion]

Batting Order

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2B Dustin Pedroia

1B Kevin Youkilis

DH David Ortiz

3B Mike Lowell

RF JD Drew

LF Jason Bay

SS Jed Lowrie

C Jason Varitek

 

Bench

IF Julio Lugo

OF Rocco Baldelli

C George Kottaras

IF/OF Mark Kotsay

 

Rotation

Josh Beckett

Jon Lester

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Tim Wakefield

Justin Masterson

 

Bullpen

Jonathan Papelbon

Takashi Saito

Manny Delcarmen

Javier Lopez

Ramon Ramirez

Hideki Okajima

Brad Penny

 

 

 

Just switch Penny and Masterson and that's mine. I might also have the 5-6-7 go Bay, Lowell, Drew.

[BoSox21]

isnt Kotsay out for awhile?

[Dojji]

THat's one heck of a lineup if Bay's hitting 7th.

 

Lowell's going to start out pretty low in the lineup simply because he's being "eased in." Also not convinced the Sox are just going to hand the SS job to Lowrie, not even after last year. Lugo's stay will be very probationary but he will be the starting SS at the beginning of the year. If he sucks he won't get much time before Lowrie takes over though.

 

This also has the advantage of allowing the team to put Lowrie out there quickly if something goes wrong with Lowell. Otherwise it's Youk at third and whoever the compromise candidate 1B is at first, and I think that's probably worse.

 

Lineup:

 

Ellsbury, CF, L

Pedroia, 2B R

Ortiz, DH L

Youkilis, 1B R

Drew, RF L

Bay, LF R

Lowell, 3B R

Tek, C S

Lugo, SS R

 

Benchh:

 

Kottaras, C, L

Lowrie, IF, S

Baldelli, OF, R

Wilkerson, OF/1B, L

 

Rotation:

 

He might not finish there but Penny starts there. THere is no controversy in any of the other rotation starts -- the day he can't hold down a regular rotation spot anymore Tim Wakefield will probably just retire.

 

Beckett

Daisuke

Lester

Penny

Wake

 

Papelbon

Saito

Oki

MDC

Ramram

Lopez

Masterson (swing)

[Cocos Disciples]

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Ortiz

Youkilis

Drew

Bay

Lowell

Lowrie

Varitek

 

Kottaras

Bailey

Lugo

Baldelli

 

Beckett

Lester

Matsuzaka

Wakefield

Penny

 

Papelbon

Okajima

Delcarmen

Saito

Ramirez

Masterson

Lopez

[Ray10]

I'm guessing no1 thinks Smoltz will make the team I would think he will make this team at least into the pen.

[msubulldogs21]

I'm guessing no1 thinks Smoltz will make the team I would think he will make this team at least into the pen.

 

They're talking about the opening day roster. Obviously Smoltz will still be rehabbing and won't be available to start the season.

[Cocos Disciples]

He should be there in June.

[BSN07]

CF Ellsbury

2B Pedroia

DH Papi

LF Bay

RF Drew

1B Youkilis

3B Lowell

C Varitek

SS Lowrie

 

Bench

Wilkerson

Lugo

Bard

Baldelli

 

SP

Beckett

Dice-K(There not going to throw the hard styles of Beckett and Lester back to back. Dice-K will used to break that up)

Lester

Wakefield

Penny

 

Masterson

Oki

Delcarmen

Ramirez

Saito

Lopez

Papelbon

[TheKilo]

If Wilkerson sees any kind of action for the Sox this season we're in trouble.

[BSN07]

He will be around until Kotsay is healthy. But maybe it will be Carter, or Bailey instead.

[BoSox21]

I don't see how anyone in the organization can think Wilkerson is a better alternative at first base than Bailey or Carter

 

Wilkerson is an emergency reserve for the outfield if/when Drew, Baldelli or Kotsay and down

[BSN07]

I don't see how anyone in the organization can think Wilkerson is a better alternative at first base than Bailey or Carter

 

Wilkerson is an emergency reserve for the outfield if/when Drew, Baldelli or Kotsay and down

 

Kotsay is down. That's why i put him on my 25 Man. But I said it could very well be Bailey or Carter as well. I'd like to see Carter get some AB's and see what he does at the ML level.

[Dojji]

I don't see how anyone in the organization can think Wilkerson is a better alternative at first base than Bailey or Carter

 

Wilkerson is an emergency reserve for the outfield if/when Drew, Baldelli or Kotsay and down

 

Wilkerson is able to play 1B and all 3 outfield positions. He's well suited for the role that the team seems to want its 25th man to fill, which if you were paying attention is the Hinske/Moss/Kotsay role, not a pure 1B or one that can just play LF in an emergency.

 

Is he the most talented option? Probably not. Is he the best fit anyway? Very possibly.

[BoSox21]

Bailey can play LF and I'm sure can do a better job in right than Hinske ever did and at this point, Wilkerson is only a corner outfielder himself. He's played like 7 games at CF since 2005 and Fenway's CF isn't for everyone

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

If Wilkerson sees any kind of action for the Sox this season we're in trouble.

Conjecture.

[Dojji]

Conjecture.

 

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/dontbewillful/tournament/inigo_montoya.jpg

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r234/dontbewillful/tournament/inigo_montoya.jpg

Okay then how's this:

 

 

We haven't even seen Wilkerson yet and season doesn't start for another month and a half, so Kilo trying to speculate how Wilkerson will do is pure baloney and shouldn't be discussed. We only discuss facts here.

 

 

Better?

[BoSox21]

It's a message board, it's about discussing opinions.

 

You want to discuss facts? You're a jackass. Let's discuss that.

[Cocos Disciples]

http://www.creepygif.com/images/full/384.gif

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

It's a message board' date=' it's about discussing opinions.[/quote']

 

I know.

 

You want to discuss facts? You're a jackass. Let's discuss that.

 

Okay.

[BSN07]

This site would be fairly boring if all we discussed was fact.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

More sarcasm FAILs. Terrific.

[BSN07]

More sarcasm FAILs. Terrific.

 

Merely stating a point.

[a700hitter]

Conjecture.

Boy, I really got your underwear twisted in a knot! You are spilling your anger into multiple threads. Have a nice day.

[TheKilo]

Okay then how's this:

 

 

We haven't even seen Wilkerson yet and season doesn't start for another month and a half, so Kilo trying to speculate how Wilkerson will do is pure baloney and shouldn't be discussed. We only discuss facts here.

 

 

Better?

 

No because Wilkerson has a shredded shoulder and has been s*** for years.

[riverside sluggers]

Lineup

Jacob Ellsbury cf

Dustin Pedroia 2b

David Ortiz dh

Kevin Youkilis 1b

J.D. Drew rf (Tito seems to favor this spot for him)

Jason Bay lf

Mike Lowell 3b

Jason Varitek c

Jed Lowrie ss

 

Bench

George Kottaras c

Jeff Bailey 1b

Julio Lugo if

Rocco Baldelli of

 

Starting Rotation

Josh Beckett

Jon Lester

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Brad Penny

Tim Wakefield

 

Bullpen

Javier Lopez

Ramon Ramirez

Manny Delcarmen

Justin Masterson

Takashi Saito

Hideki Okajima

Jonathan Papelbon

[Dojji]

BTW -- just for S&G there's a 5th option for that 25th man and backup 1B spot -- Pawtucket 1B/2B Jeff Natale. He's not much of a 2B but he adds a bit of infield versatility and the guy is an on base machine. I could see him being at least an upgrade over Kotsay or Wilkerson with the bat, and if he's willing to try out in right field he might make a dark horse run for the job.

 

He'd be more of a candidate if he hadn't gotten injured on a HBP last year but the guy does have a fantastic eye, he doesn't strike out much, and he has a bit of Pawtucket power. I could see him impressing enough to get a look.

 

http://www.soxprospects.com/players/natale-jeff.htm