Hot Stove season is upon us again.
The Sox have seven (I think) players who are eligible for free agency this off-season.
Matt Clement
Eric Gagne
Mike Lowell
Doug Mirabelli
Curt Schilling
Mike Timlin
Julian Tavarez
My personal opinion is that probably five of them can go and we should try to get Timlin back for another season (I know he's getting on a bit now but he provides the experience in the bullpen), and Lowell at third base. I'm still wavering on the idea of getting A-Rod and if we keep Lowell and try for A-Rod he'd have to move back to his SS position and we'd have to find some way of trading off Lugo (I know he's not had the greatest season with the bat but his speed has been very useful this season).
I hope Clement does find a team for next season and remains uninjured - I'm sure he would have been a good #3 or #4 starter for us if he hadn't been out.
Does Gagne get a WS ring because he played in the series? If so, he is possibly one of the least deserving recipients of one in history (based on his time at the Red Sox - if the Rangers had ever won a WS with him as their closer he would have earnt it, but with us all he did was add a bit of excitement
to the run-in, and any game where we were less than 10 in the lead at the 8th!!)
If Wakefield can get himself back to full fitness for next season then maybe keep Mirabelli, but otherwise I wouldn't bother with resigning him. Either Cash or Kottaras could spend the winter and spring working with Wake and learn to catch the knuckleball, along with some batting practice for Cash.
I think Tavarez has potential if he's given a fair run at the game. He wasn't great but then he wasn't that bad either.
If Schilling has got any sense he'd make 2008 his last year, and even though he'll be 41, the fact he now has 3 World Series rings will allow him to command a high salary demand. And is it worth a risk on a high salary when he may only play a half/two-thirds of a season?
I think the bullpen (and potentially #5 starter) is the only area where the team needs strengthening next season if we re-sign Lowell. The starting rotation is pretty well set (Beckett and Dice-K as #1 and #2 and probably Lester, Buchholz, and Wakefield in the 3-5 spots).