Where Does Cherington Begin?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Decisions, decisions, decisions. New general manager Ben Cherington has lots of important decisions to make now that he is in charge of trying to clean up the mess that is the Boston Red Sox.

Hiring a new manager is obviously a top priority and rumors about just who the Sox might be interested in are quite intriguing.

According to the Boston Globe, former Red Sox pitching coach and current Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell is the team’s preferred choice. The problem is that Toronto is very unlikely to give him up to a division rival. If the Blue Jays were to consider such a move, they would likely want significant compensation in the way of minor league prospects and possibly even cash in return for Farrell. However, Farrell returning to Boston seems like a long shot at this point.

Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin, Tampa Bay bench boss Dave Martinez and hall of famer Ryne Sandberg who manages Philadelphia’s triple-A club Lehigh Valley are also strong possibilities.

Next on the list of priorities for Cherrington will be which of his own free agents-to-be he’d like to keep. Some believe that the answer may be “none” after what happened at the end of this past season, but that’s not necessarily true. The two names that will be debated at great length by Red Sox brass are Jonathan Papelbon and David Ortiz.

Despite blowing things in the 9th against Baltimore to end the season, Papelbon is coming off of a great season as the team’s closer and has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he has the stones to pitch in the pressure cooker that is Boston. While Daniel Bard was once thought to be his replacement, the evidence suggests otherwise. Letting Papelbon walk could turn out to be a move that Boston regrets which is why it is likely that he will be offered a lucrative deal to return.

Ortiz’s case is a bit more interesting. The greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history is coming off of a fantastic year (.309 avg. 29 HR 96 RBI). His .953 OPS was, by far, the best of any DH in the game. Ortiz is also one of the most beloved Red Sox because of his fun-loving attitude with the media and the fans which is why many would like to see him return. But, Ortiz will turn 36 next month and big sluggers can sometimes lose it quickly later in their careers. We also can’t forget about his petulant performance at Terry Francona’s press conference in the middle of the season where he busted in to complain about an RBI that was not credited to him by the team’s official scorer. That smacked of the selfishness this team is trying to rid itself of. If I were a betting man, I’d say that the chances of Big Papi returning are 50-50 at best.

Cherington will also have to decide which free agents to pursue during the offseason. While it’s unlikely that the team will make an aggressive play at some of the top free agents, you can never rule the Red Sox out because of the money they have to spend and the fact that they are so PR conscious.

Albert Puljos and Prince Fielder are the biggest names available but Boston has its first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez so don’t expect them to make a play at either one. What seems more likely is bringing in someone to play right field and to join the starting rotation.

Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer and Oakland’s Josh Willingham could be two options to replace JD Drew in right while a pair of World Series pitchers could be targets for the starting rotation. C.J. Wilson of Texas and Edwin Jackson of St. Louis are two definite options as is the Dodgers Bruce Chen.

How aggressive Boston is in pursuing starters may depend upon the final and, arguably, most important order of business for Cherrington and the Red Sox which is: what to do with the beer drinking, chicken eating Three Stooges?

Jon Lester isn’t going anywhere. But Josh Beckett and John Lackey may be a different story. The Sox would love to dump Lackey but no team will take him and his ridiculous contract. The only way that Boston would be able to dump Lackey on someone would be to eat most of that contract themselves which they may be willing to do.

Parting with Beckett will be a more difficult decision because he still is a quality starter. However, Beckett is viewed as the ring leader of the three renegade pitchers and if the organization is hell bent on making wholesale changes in that clubhouse, moving him may be a priority. Finding a taker for Beckett should not be difficult.

Whatever moves he decides to make, Ben Cherington’s first offseason as Red Sox general manager will be a very interesting one that will be watched closely by everyone in Red Sox Nation.