When Ben Cherington was officially introduced Wednesday at Fenway Park, it was like getting a bedtime story from your grandfather.

Epstein and Cherington are very much alike, and fostered a friendship and a strong working relationship over the years in Boston. But the latter, while much more unheralded than his predecessor, is stepping into the general manager's position at Fenway Park as a seasoned pro. While the seas around the Red Sox have been incredibly stormy of late, the club has in Cherington a calming presence who knows the organization top to bottom, has thrived in several roles and is perfectly primed to make the transition into Epstein's old role.

Epstein said as much in his farewell to Boston piece in The Boston Globe on Tuesday, adding that Cherington is "infinitely more prepared than I was when I took over nine years ago."

When it became official Tuesday afternoon at Fenway Park and Cherington got the pat on the back from team president/CEO Larry Lucchino, the 11th general manager in Red Sox history could reflect on his long, measured ride to this moment.

"I'm going to treat the job a little bit differently [than Epstein] because I’m at a different level, a different point in my tenure," said Cherington, who has been in the game since first interning with the Red Sox in 1997.

"I'm really excited about this job. I've thought a lot about this job in recent years as I hoped I was getting closer to this opportunity and thought about all the challenges that come with it. And my eyes are wide open that there are going to be tough days that come with this job but there's so much enormous upside. And look, at the end of the day, this is what we love to do. This is what I love to do."

Because of his opportunity to take part in almost every significant aspect of the organizational structure, Cherington has a keen awareness of his support system, and what it will take to get the Red Sox back to the top of the baseball world. The 37-year-old New Hampshire native indicated as much in a determined portion of his opening remarks Tuesday on Yawkey Way.

After referencing the turmoil of the previous two months and what it did to the loyal fans of the Red Sox, Cherington began the soliloquy that may one day be referenced when those same fans assess what he meant to the organization:

"What I'm left with is an incredible conviction that the Red Sox will be the best organization moving forward. I’m convinced of that because I know John [Henry], Tom [Werner] and Larry care more than any other ownership group. They've shown that over and over in different ways. I look forward to working with them more closely. I'm convinced of that because we have a baseball operations staff that is going to continue to strive to build advantages, to find better ways to do things. I'm convinced of that because I know we're going to have a scouting staff, domestically and internationally, amateur and at the pro level, that will help us identify and acquire the best players at every level around the world. I’m convinced of that because I know we’re going to have a player development staff that’s dedicated to getting the most out of every player we sign."

He continued:

"I'm convinced of that because I know we’re going to have the medical staff that's going to help our players reach their peak both mentally and physically. I’m convinced of that because I know we’re going to hire a manager that mirrors our values and our ideals and has a strong voice and will help shape the culture that we need for the next generation of Red Sox teams."

Then, he summed it up:

"And I'm especially convinced of that because I know that we have the players in our clubhouse who have the talent to win, who are committed to it and who are motivated to put 2011 behind them and prove to everyone that they’re worthy of the fan's trust."

Cherington can speak with such conviction and not sound fabricated in the least. Not only does he have that familiarity with all aspects of the operation, but he was one of the guys that Epstein confided in to build the culture that was in place during the most remarkable run of success in franchise history.

After Epstein took over, he and Cherington, who was then named director of player development, had extensive talks on how to create the scouting and player development machine of which Epstein coveted. It was Cherington who was front and center when many of the stars that currently occupy the clubhouse rose from promising draft pick to standout major leaguer, most of that process taking place under Cherington's watchful eye.

And one of the men watching over that dynamic duo saw the growth and development of the man perfect for the job.

"He's done the work, he has the respect, he is a leader. His background in scouting is immensely impressive to me," Lucchino said Tuesday. "I've always believed in hybrid baseball executives and Ben is a hybrid baseball executive. He is conversant with, comfortable with progressive thinking, statistical analysis, etc. He also has a healthy, sincere respect for traditional observational scouting. You put those two together, you get the best baseball evaluators, the best baseball executives."

Some would say, especially those in the Cubs ownership group, that Epstein is among that group. Cherington's opportunity to stake his claim has come. It was only a news conference, but if his first few moments in the role are any indication, he'll get there one day.

There’s undeniable talent in the room. There also has to be a sincere motivation to right wrongs, in whatever form that may come. In addition, there is one rather unheralded factor in the team’s ability to turn things around, something that rests in more inanimate objects like concrete and mortar and the smell of new carpeting.

Indeed, the opening of the club’s new spring training complex in the southern portion of Fort Myers, away from the dead end street in the rundown industrial portion to the north, could morph into a significant component in the ability to bounce back. It can only help the organization to wipe the slate clean, as all the bells and whistles that come with the all-inclusive project will serve to provide at least some distraction for the massive media contingent and the fans that are sure to come and gawk at last year’s circus act.

Everyone wants to see what kind of shape the players are in when they arrive the second week of February. Will they be smiling as they emerge from their SUVs and pickup trucks, or will we see game faces on that early date? What sort of vibe will exist? Will there be anger? Excitement? Embarrassment? All of the above? The term “pitchers and catchers report” will take on a whole new meaning, one that has much less to do with the optimism of a new spring and green grass, and more to do with how this team will rebound.

A change of scenery cannot hurt in helping to plot this necessary new course.

The old place on Edison Avenue was OK, and the picture-perfect playing fields were a beautiful sight to all those that had hopped a flight from chilly New England. However, it also felt a bit like the site of that American Legion tournament you played in. “Wow, there’s Jason Varitek, but where’s Mom? She was supposed to pick me up after our game, and promised McDonald’s!”

In Feb. 2011, that place took on a different feel. No, it wasn’t upgraded in any significant way. It was there that the foundation was put in place for what became the most disappointing season in the history of the organization. There wasn’t any sign of trouble. However, talk of 100 wins was rather consistent and whatever mindset that eventually sank the club was established in some form or fashion, even if it wasn’t entirely noticeable at the time.

Now, when each big name is marched out to face the music (one significant player is usually presented to the media each day for the first 10 days or so), talk of wiping the slate clean will be a bit more legit. There will be a new manager, a new general manager, likely a handful of new teammates, new lockers, new cardio equipment, new parking spaces, new water fountains, newly planted trees, new concessions. Out with the old and in with the new, new, new.

Nobody knew that 2011 would play out the way it did when the plans for a new training complex were set in motion. JetBlue Park at Fenway South is years in the making. Yet, in what may amount to one of the few positive developments in the past few months, the timing of it could not be more perfect.

Photo courtesy of boston.redsox.mlb.com

Theo Epstein

But in terms of overarching, big-picture items, he will forever be held to his spotty success with free agents and the way in which he left the farm system as a bottom-heavy one offering little help for the big club.

The first item has been discussed for years, or ever since J.D. Drew hit his first weak grounder to second base while wearing a Red Sox uniform. In addition to Drew, Epstein has given a lot of money to players who haven't completely worked out. Among the current players are John Lackey, Carl Crawford and Bobby Jenks, although Crawford has loads of time to make good.

Epstein admitted to some cracks in the system when it comes to free agents.

"When speaking about things that aren't exactly the way we want them to be in this organization, our decision-making process on expensive free agents, big-ticket free agents, has not been satisfactory," he said the day after the season came to an end. "Not at all."

However, any team with money to spend is going to throw it in the wrong places from time to time, and not every Epstein maneuver was entirely his. What was his was a concerted mission to build an organization from the ground up, one that supplied Fenway Park with the fruits of a fertile farm system.

He had incredible success in this venture, drafting and producing the core of today's team: Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Papelbon, Daniel Bard, Jed Lowrie.

Yet, upon his departure, Epstein has left the cupboards a bit bare, at least at the very top. Since Bard made his big splash in May 2009, nobody has made the leap from the farm to the bigs and stuck.

The trade for Adrian Gonzalez was a huge factor, thrusting from the fold two top-of-the-system studs in Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly and an electrifying young outfielder in Reymond Fuentes. Epstein got the player he coveted for years, but he tore into his stash of high-end talent, once considered among the most bountiful in the business.

Among those that remain, there is plenty of promise. However, not many of them made significant strides in 2011 and the top end of Boston’s system is left somewhat lame.

Ryan Kalish was hurt for most of the season. Jose Iglesias had his own injury issues and still had the look of a player that needed a bit more seasoning. Lars Anderson had a nice second half, but has yet to put up any eye-popping numbers at the Triple-A level. 

The relative dearth of high-level pitching talent was on full display down the stretch, when Kyle Weiland — a solid righty, but not a blue-chipper by any stretch of the imagination — was forced to make critical starts for a fading club. Had Felix Doubront not taken a step back in 2011, some of those starts might've been his.

The most help the club received from the Pawtucket pitching staff came in the form of older arms just looking to land a job: Rich Hill, Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Miller, Scott Atchison.

If not for the major strides made by catcher Ryan Lavarnway and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, this scenario would be more striking. 

In the 2010 first-year player draft, Epstein had four of the top 57 picks, and this year he had four of the top 40. That flood of talent joins a pretty good collection of players at the lower levels that may one day stabilize the system. But as Epstein leaves town, his "scouting and player development machine" is in need of some repair.

Think of the giants of the industry. Pat Gillick, the most recent of the position to reach Cooperstown, brought four different teams to the postseason as a general manager. Larry MacPhail established night baseball in Cincinnati before winning pennants with both Brooklyn and the New York Yankees. His son, Lee, served as GM of both the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles.

The name most relate with greatness at the position, Branch Rickey, served in the role for four teams. He is best known for signing Jackie Robinson, but is also credited with creating the idea of a full-fledged farm system while building the great St. Louis Cardinals teams in the 1920s and 30s. He also signed a guy named Roberto Clemente before leaving the post in Pittsburgh.

It is simply the nature of the position. Sure, there are outliers. A few. But just like John Henry said himself, there is a “certain shelf life” for general managers in baseball. Eventually, for one reason or another (but usually because of the need to be challenged), those lives end in one city and begin anew in another.

If anyone was going to test that theory, it was going to be Theo Epstein. He was a local boy who cut his teeth in other organizations before returning to the Fenway Park fold as the golden boy, the man who would help lift a beloved franchise to greatness that hadn’t been seen in generations.

Epstein succeeded, belying his youth and his relative lack of experience in the game to create a juggernaut, both on the field and off, that transformed the city. While doing so, he wed, had a son and put down roots that seemed at the time to dig deep into the soil from whence he came.

However, even Epstein is not immune to the lure of the next great challenge, for it comes calling to every GM who has had even a tiny taste of success in this game. And if he is successful in turning around the Chicago Cubs, he may one day be mentioned in the same breath as Rickey, Gillick and the MacPhails.

Realistically, Epstein couldn’t accomplish much more in Boston. Sure, he would’ve been lauded for cleaning up the mess that was 2011 (much of it due to his failures, he admits), but even if the 2012 team rose from the ashes and won it all, that trophy still might get tucked behind ’04 and ’07.

He succeeded in his mission of creating “a scouting and player development machine,” as he had promised when he stammered through his introductory press conference in 2002 like a middle schooler giving an oral report on a book he never read.

And while many of his free agent moves have failed, Epstein at least made his mark in closing deals. He was as active as they come and never shy about pulling the trigger, something he displayed early on with the nervy Nomar Garciaparra deal.

Those qualities do not translate as well when an organization is simply going through its ebbs and flows, trying to go from OK to good or good to great, or just searching for an identity. GMs with the acumen and ability like Epstein either need to take on that massive rebuild or have the opportunity to maintain dominance if and when the club achieves it. The Red Sox were in neither position.

With the Cubs, it’s so obviously the former scenario, but one that does nothing to deprive Epstein of the resources he needs and the attention he may covet. Despite annually ranking near the top in terms of payroll and fan adoration, Chicago is coming off its worst season since 2002, hasn’t won a playoff game since 2003 and, as you all know, is without a World Series title since 1908.

It has an improving but still substandard minor league system, a park about ready for a massive revitalization and a relatively new ownership group looking to build the Red Sox of the Midwest. All of these factors make Epstein the perfect hire. Essentially, he’s been here before.

While it ended with a thud, Epstein’s tenure in Boston had moments of greatness. He himself has not reached that level yet. Like those that came before him and left their indelible marks on the game, Epstein will need to do it again.

Although he had a two-month stint as a co-GM with the Red Sox over five years ago, Cherington is on the cusp of becoming the fourth man to go through the Amherst baseball program and gain the title of general manager at the major league level, an astounding fact given the sheer size of the liberal arts college which has a baseball team that toils in the Division III NESCAC.

“When you see this tree, it will blow your mind,” said current Amherst baseball coach Brian Hamm, who took the reins of “an instructional and teaching program” in 2010.

That list includes Harry Dalton (class of 1950), who served in the role with the Orioles, Angels and Brewers and stands as the solid base of “the tree” that continues to produce fruit for front offices league-wide. Dan Duquette (’80), who built the talent-laden Montreal teams of the early 1990s and served prominently as GM in Boston prior to Theo Epstein, was next.

An offshoot of the Duquette branch was Neal Huntington (’91), the current GM in Pittsburgh and the man who helped Cherington (’96) secure his first major league job with Cleveland back in 1998.

Now, those last two stand as symbols of a program that instructs and discusses as much as it hits and throws, fostering growth in the mental aspect of the game as well, or better, than any program in the country. Of the 29 GMs (Anaheim’s post is vacant), Amherst grads make up two. Stanford grads make up two. No other school has more than one.

In addition, more than a dozen more Lord Jeffs have spread out through other major posts in the pros, including former Red Sox bench coach Dave Jauss and current Boston player development staffers Duncan Webb and Jared Banner.

The common thread, other than their alma mater, is how quickly so many of them rose from college grad to high-powered executive, the path taken by the 37-year-old Cherington. That quick advancement is one of the many aspects of this amazing trend that brings a smile to the face of its architect, Bill Thurston, who coached baseball at Amherst from 1966-2009.

Thurston said Cherington was a quiet member of his team, but he became aware of the youngster’s leadership qualities when an injury altered the pitcher’s path. Cherington tore his labrum as a junior and was unable to throw his senior year. Thurston asked him to serve as a pitching coach, and then immediately saw something remarkable.

“[Cherington] took great pride in his work. A very quiet guy but self-confident,” Thurston said. “When he was working with our pitchers, they were all the same age, but everybody gravitated towards him.”

What stood out during those first few days as an instructor was not only this gravitational pull that Cherington had, but the fact that he never treated it as an excuse to talk down to anyone. That sort of demeanor would go against a good nature that has been one of Cherington’s calling cards during his successful climb up the Red Sox ranks.

According to Thurston, that ability to get along with others in a business loaded with egos will enable Cherington to find success running the baseball operations in Boston.

“He’s a real good evaluator of talent,” Thurston said of one of his many prized pupils. “Of course he knows the whole system because he’s been in charge of the system as player development director. I think he’s going the same road as Theo. I think there’s a lot of respect there.

“But I think [president and CEO Larry] Lucchino and he will really work well together because Lucchino is the kind of guy who plays the devil’s advocate all the time and questions things, and Ben will have good answers for him. He’s well thought-out. He’s not going to shoot from the hip with opinions. He’s going to make decisions based on information. Ben is a gatherer of information, a great listener, a great observer. He knows personnel. He will make decisions based on facts. A little bit of a Moneyball-type thing with the statistics and whatnot, but also he is able to evaluate talent like a scout.”

The complete game that Cherington possesses was engendered as a Lord Jeff, where rainy days are sometimes welcome, for a canceled practice turns into a tape room session where players might watch a major league game and debate pitching and hitting tactics pitch-by-pitch. NESCAC regulations limit the amount of actual on-field play (no fall programs, for instance). Players are forced to be thinkers from the start to make up for their relative lack of actual on-field work.

Playbooks several hundred pages long that Thurston and now Hamm constantly edit and use to instruct help to create clean play on the field, but also have fostered this passion for a full understanding of the game. And once that passion is in play, it’s often a natural progression for the brightest of the bunch to move into a front office capacity.

“We do as much in terms of talking about the game and learning about the game probably more so than other programs,” Hamm said. “As a result, it ends up that guys know the game incredibly well by the time they leave here.”

Duquette, fully aware of the mettle that is necessary to make it as far as he did, sees it as a way to allow the cream to rise to the crop.

“Amherst College does some pretty good pre-screening,” he said.

Thurston, who currently assists the Pirates draft process by doing video analysis of pitching prospects (Thurston is one of the nation’s experts in the biomechanics of the pitching motion), said that he never goes a week without hearing from a former player. It’s a cohesive network that led Huntington to Duquette and Cherington to Huntington and several others rising up the ladder alongside those GMs.

Soon, when Cherington checks in with his old coach, he’ll be doing so at the pinnacle of the profession, another product of the Amherst College pipeline, which has given the Red Sox two of their last three GMs.

Saying that, ownership will not stand pat after the way in which 2011 ended. Boston will be a player on the free-agent market this offseason, and some of it will be done to address any concerns regarding the makeup of the clubhouse. What we do know is that the team is largely set at first base, second base, left field and center field. Let's examine some free agents at the other positions that could appeal to Boston in the coming months, keeping in mind the potential need for standout men as much as standout performers.

Shortstop

The Sox still hope Jose Iglesias can be their future at this position and there are options that could keep Marco Scutaro around for one more year, but don't discount another search for a starting shortstop. Here are two names that would make quite a splash.

Jose Reyes
One of the big prizes this offseason will be linked to the Sox the moment they part ways with Scutaro, if they do. This is a risky road, however. As a premier talent at a position that lacks star power, Reyes will command big money, but he has missed a lot of games in recent years. Reyes may be a great fit, but the club has to be sure of things with the way some free-agent signings have gone in the past.

Jimmy Rollins
He'll be 33 in a month, hasn't hit as high as .270 since 2008 and hasn't OPS'd as high as .800 since 2007, but Rollins will be second to Reyes on many lists. The '07 National League MVP still has good pop and good speed (16 homers, 30 steals in 2011) and can still pick 'em at shortstop. What's perhaps more important than any of the numbers is what Rollins would do for this clubhouse. He's a top-notch personality who has been through the wars and would make a wonderful addition if you are looking for leaders. Many viewed him as the leader in Philadelphia all these years.

Other options: Clint Barmes, Alex Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria (just kidding, only wanted to see if you were paying attention)

Third base

This did not look like a position of need before the season began, but Kevin Youkilis has finished two straight years on the sidelines and he will be 33 on Opening Day. It's worth kicking the tires on a couple of guys.

Aramis Ramirez
If Boston wants to make a splash at the position, Ramirez is the only big name. He's also 33, but has hit 25 or more home runs in seven of the last eight years while hitting over .300 five times. Anaheim looks like a good landing spot for Ramirez.

Edwin Encarnacion
The Blue Jays may exercise their $3.5 million option on Encarnacion, who finished with a flourish this season. If not, the Red Sox might look at that finish as a sign that the inconsistent 28-year-old is hitting his stride. He hit .291 with 11 home runs after the All-Star break.

Other options: Nothing you want to think about. Just hope Youkilis can hold up for 162.

Right field

J.D. Drew is all but gone and those in the system waiting to replace him are interesting, but not slam dunks. Ryan Kalish, once thought to be a shoo-in to take Drew's place in 2012, will have to battle back from an injury-plagued season. Josh Reddick had some really nice moments in 2011, but it's unclear if he is the guy going forward. If not, here are some other guys.

Josh Willingham
When healthy, Willingham is a safe bet for some power that could help out near the bottom of the order. In each of the four seasons he has played at least 130 games he has hit at least 21 homers, topping out in 2011 with career highs in home runs (29) and RBIs (98). A right-handed bat, Willingham won't set the world on fire, but he is a steady contributor that could be a nice fit in an unsteady clubhouse.

Nick Swisher
The Yankees have a $10.25 million option on the Swishalicious one. If he's set free, Boston should consider taking on a guy who is overflowing with positivity. It's almost to annoying levels at times, but beggars cannot be choosers when looking for a positive effect on the clubhouse. Swisher helped transform New York's staid clubhouse when he came aboard in 2009 and he has produced at the plate, averaging 27 homers and 85 RBIs in his first three (only three?) years in the Bronx. He's been poor in the postseason and his defense is marginal, something to take into account with the quirky right field at Fenway.

Grady Sizemore
Another guy whose club has an option to retain him, Sizemore has been a physical wreck in recent years. However, he's still in his 20s and may have a second wind in him at some point. The Red Sox will want to have some backup plans if and when they go this route.

Jason Kubel
His numbers have fallen off from a breakout 2009 season, but something tells me Red Sox fans would love him. He has a blue collar vibe and is really committed to oral hygiene. Kubel made $5.25 million last year, during which he hit .273 with 12 homers in 99 games.

Michael Cuddyer
The other Twin who can play the position, Cuddyer was one of the better performers on a Minnesota team that completely came apart in 2011. He tied his career high with a .284 mark and reached the 20-homer mark for the third time, good enough to make the All-Star team for the first time. Cuddyer can also play first, second and third base.

Carlos Beltran
Heck, we've been talking about him coming to Boston for years. Now may be the right time. He's not really a center fielder anymore, and maybe he will want to return to an AL team to DH from time to time.

Other options: Coco Crisp, David DeJesus, Brad Hawpe, Ryan Ludwick, Cody Ross

Catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is your starting catcher, but if Jason Varitek walks and the organization wants to utilize Ryan Lavarnway in another role (designated hitter), then you may want a veteran backup. The pickings are somewhat slim, but a few names could surface.

Ryan Doumit
The Pirates are expected to decline an option on Doumit. He is not considered much of a defender and struggles to stay healthy, but in a part-time role could provide a nice bat. The 30-year-old hit .318 with 15 homers in 2008 and was a .303 hitter in 77 games last year.

Jose Molina
He's 36 but still a great option as a backup. Molina, who hit .281 with the Blue Jays last year, can still throw out runners at a steady clip, he knows the American League East and he caught John Lackey for several years in Anaheim. That can't hurt.

Kelly Shoppach
He began his career in Boston before moving on to Cleveland and Tampa Bay. At times, his reputation behind the plate was that of a marginal defender, but he drew rave reviews for his work with the Rays' staff this year. It's a good thing because his production with the bat continues to dwindle. Still, he has 49 homers in limited action over the last four years. A little pop and some quality D for $1.5 million or so might work.

Other options: Chris Snyder, Gerald Laird, Josh Bard

Designated hitter

Ortiz has already dropped some hints that he is thinking of moving on. Let's just leave you with one name as a potential replacement.

Johnny Damon
That's right, the man you so waywardly boo. Anyone not named Sully and three sheets to the wind knows that Damon gave everything he had to this organization, and continues to make fans and friends in clubhouses everywhere he's gone since leaving Boston. If a clubhouse cannot whip into shape with Damon in the middle of it, then the problems run deeper than we know. Also, he can still produce. Maybe not to Ortiz levels, but a .270 mark with 15 homers and 15 steals can't hurt.  

Other options: Vladimir Guerrero, Prince Fielder (if he was willing to be a DH), Albert Pujols (same as Fielder, and even less likely), Kubel, Cuddyer

Jacoby Ellsbury

Ellsbury is the first Red Sox to receive the honor in its short seven-year history after rebounding from an injury-ravaged 2010 campaign to become the first player in franchise history to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.

The 28-year-old Ellsbury played in just 18 games in 2010 due to broken ribs suffered in an early-season collision with Adrian Beltre. His remarkable turnaround in 2011 featured career highs in batting (.321), home runs (32), RBIs (105), doubles (46) and almost every other significant offensive category.

Ellsbury led the majors with 364 total bases and 83 extra-base hits and was the first Red Sox leadoff hitter to have 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in the same season. He was the fourth player in baseball history to reach 200 hits, 100 RBIs, 35 steals and 30 homers in a single season.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lance Berkman won the award for the National League. 

Cherington was recommended to Duquette by Amherst College baseball coach Bill Thurston, who had Cherington as one of his players and as an assistant coach for a year. A subsequent internship in the offices at Fenway Park set Cherington on his way, earning the respect of his first big boss.

"He had a good way about him," Duquette said of the young intern.

Cherington moved from Boston to his first professional gig in Cleveland alongside current Pittsburgh GM Neal Huntington, also an Amherst product who was the director of player development with the Indians. Huntington moved up the ladder and probably could have pulled Cherington with him, but Duquette was quick to pull him back, giving Cherington his first job with the Red Sox in 1999.

He's been there ever since, watching the club's rise in popularity under Duquette and helping to build the foundation upon which Epstein would claim two World Series crowns. And Cherington was still there when the organization reached its low point, a historic September collapse followed by a circus-like October that has transformed the face of the franchise.

Because of those experiences, Cherington is the right man for the job, Duquette said.

"Every market has its challenges but Ben grew up in New Hampshire so he’s familiar with the Red Sox market and has worked with the team for what, 12, 13 years now?" Duquette said. "He knows his way around the ball club. He gets along with people and is a good judge of talent, has good qualities and skill."

Cherington has served in various capacities with Boston. According to Duquette, Cherington's focus would not stray far from the one his predecessors stressed early in their tenures.

"Ben got the experience he needed at the major-league level, but he got a lot of exposure to scouting and development, which is a good foundation," Duquette said. "The training he got in scouting and player development should help him to be a good major league club exec."

Duquette was the architect of the farm system that produced a wealth of talent in Montreal in the early 1990s, and with the Red Sox he drafted and signed Nomar Garciaparra, Kevin Youkilis, Carl Pavano, Hanley Ramirez, Freddy Sanchez, Adam Everett and David Eckstein, among others. Epstein inherited and locked up Youkilis and Jon Lester and corralled Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard in the draft.

Both placed an emphasis on this portion of the position, and Cherington will follow suit if given the opportunity.

In that, and in all other phases of the operation, Ben Cherington is ready. So says the man who brought him into the field and once sat in that high-pressure seat at 4 Yawkey Way.

"Ben has a good mind," Duquette said. "He gets along well with people and he’s an accomplished talent judge. He loves baseball. He’s very passionate about it."

Speaking while on vacation in Mexico, Dustin Pedroia graced WEEI’s The Big Show with his usual gusto, railing against a Boston Globe article detailing the issues within the Red Sox clubhouse and throwing his support behind maligned ex-manager Terry Francona.

"It’s pretty much not fair, and it hurts man. It’s not good," Pedroia began the interview when asked if he read the Globe piece. "Listen, we’re all baseball players. I showed up to work every single day ready to beat the other team, and everyone else did that too. I mean, we’re a family. We had the best record in baseball up until September whatever. Then we ran out of gas. We didn’t play well in the end. That doesn’t have anything to do with Tito or Theo [Epstein] or any players or what went on in the clubhouse.

"The leadership was there. We had guys that cared. We just didn’t play well at the end. That’s it. The media can point fingers, oh some guys were out of shape, some guys were drinking in the clubhouse, some guys were doing that, but that’s not the case. We didn’t play well. That’s the bottom line."

Among the more shocking items in the Globe story was word from a team source that illustrated some personal problems for Francona, including marital issues and his use of pain-killers. Pedroia said that portion of the article hurt him more than anything.

"I’m not surprised about anything, but it hurts," Pedroia said. "I played for this guy for five years, and he’s had everyone’s back since day one. Yeah, he might take the hit for some things and the way the team’s playing and stuff like that, but from day one, he’s had my back and he’s had everyone’s back. He’s protected every single guy in that clubhouse, and that’s why I respect him like you can’t believe.

"Whatever job he gets, if he needs me for a couple of games, just let me know. I’ll go play for free. That’s how much I care about this guy. This guy’s my family and for him to have to deal with this. He’s the best manager in the history of the Red Sox organization. He won two World Series. Look at the run he’s had there. It’s pretty remarkable. I think that’s the part that hurts. Whoever the person is that’s saying that, I think they need to take a step back and kind of look in the mirror and understand what they’re saying about a guy because I think a lot of guys in this organization have his back and I’m definitely one of them."

Pedroia just turned 28 in August, but he’s been a leader on the team for years. He also took to the defense of another leader, captain Jason Varitek, who was deemed too lax as the clubhouse reportedly got out of control down the stretch.

“We try our hardest as players to police each other. Tek is the best," Pedroia said of Varitek. “I know, from what I’ve read, he’s taken some shots about how he wasn’t the captain and wasn’t being a leader. That’s false. Tek’s been there. He’s said things to me. He says things to everybody. He’ll say things to Jacoby [Ellsbury] to make him a better player. Everybody. Leadership, I know 7-20 in September looks bad and everybody’s saying, ‘Oh, lack of leadership.’ That’s not true."

Pedroia was also asked about some of the shenanigans rumored to have taken place, including beer-drinking during games.

"I don’t drink but we’re all grown men," he said. "The way I think about all the stuff that’s coming out, we’re all grown men. If you want to have a few beers after the game, that’s fine. If you go 0-for-4 with a few punchouts and you need to have a couple of beers, have a couple of beers. That’s after the game though. I didn’t play in three games this year … I don’t know what’s going on in the clubhouse, neither does a lot of guys, during the game. I don’t look down at the guys you are saying that about, by any means, I just hope it doesn’t affect our play on the field. If it affects our play on the field, we need to make an adjustment, but if it doesn’t, I don’t care what you do to get yourself right for the game."

And it's a shame. Baseball's postseason is producing an incredible degree of drama, the latest the walk-off win by the Rangers on Monday night in Arlington. Some are watching, but not enough considering the sheer entertainment value of the playoffs.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig told reporters Monday that he's OK with things.

"I'm satisfied. I really am," he said. "I think that having different clubs win is not bad at all. And I'm proud of that. But, you know, and I really mean this, what's better for ratings is something we just can't worry about. I think I looked at the last two weeks, it's been just miraculous. Produced great ratings, by the way, I might add. But that last Wednesday night of the season, only baseball — and I've said this before — could produce something like that."

And therein lies one of the three problems plaguing this year's mission to attract viewers, although it isn't Selig's or anyone else's fault. That final day of the regular season was so astounding, so wacky, so replete with edge-of-your-seat action that it has overshadowed much of what has followed.

By the time the postseason began two days later, we were only part of the way through retelling our stories to our co-workers and friends about how we wore out the batteries in our remote control.

Everyone who witnessed the events of Sept. 28, 2011, had to take a deep breath, step back and assess everything that had happened and what it meant in a game defined by its history. It made for a pretty tough act to follow.

So, when the postseason began two days later, it was little more than an afterthought to the discussion still raging about what some called "the greatest night in baseball history." Heck, in Boston we were saying goodbye to Terry Francona just as the Yankees and Tigers began their ALDS series that Friday night.

Fortunately for the New York or Detroit fans stuck at Yankee Stadium that night, the other problem reared its ugly head: Mother Nature.

Although the National League has remained untouched by the wet stuff, it disrupted the Yanks-Tigers series from the start and has sapped the Texas-Detroit ALCS matchup of any kind of momentum. Chances are that many thousands of people who planned on watching Game 2 of that series lost some interest after the rain-delayed series opener and then the 48 hours between contests. Thus, they missed Nelson Cruz's game-winning grand slam and all the nail-biting action that came before it.

Justin Verlander, the game’s best pitcher this year, has been in the middle of both rain events. He is now 1-1 with a 5.53 ERA in three starts, two of which were finished early because of rain. It just gives you this kind of feeling, doesn't it?

Some have made the point that the locations of the remaining teams hurt. They're all smaller or medium-sized markets in the central portion of the country, not exactly the type of teams that will light up sports bars in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

This is the third problem, although it goes beyond that. Even within most of these locales, there are great football stories taking place that have fought, and in many cases won, the fight for top billing.
The Brewers vie for attention alongside the undefeated Super Bowl champs and an unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers team that could be playing for a national title in a few months. Sure, those teams toil in Green Bay and Madison, but the state as a whole is a focal point for football right now.

It will be interesting to see how many TVs in the Detroit area were tuned to the Tigers game when Cruz hit his game-winner, for the Lions were in the process of improving to 5-0 for the first time in 55 years while playing in their first Monday Night Football game in a decade. Pick almost any year since Barry Sanders was in his prime and the Tigers would have center stage no matter what.

Indeed, the Packers and Lions are the only two unbeaten teams left in the NFL.

On the day that the ALCS began in Arlington, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns tangled in their annual Cotton Bowl meeting. Crimson and cream and burnt orange were the colors of the day, not the red, white and blue of the Rangers. If and when that series goes to a seventh game, it will compete with the Cowboys traveling to New England and the Lions hosting the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers.

Nationally, football is king. In most of the cities involved in baseball's final four, that is definitely the case. Combine that with just enough inclement weather to disrupt momentum and a regular season finale that's tough to beat and you have a situation where some wonderful drama is being swept under the rug.

1. I’m hearing the Indians are not going to pick up Grady Sizemore’s option? What are the chances the Red Sox pick him up so he can play right field? And do you think he will be successful here?
– Christian Gonzalez

It’s certainly worth thinking about. Sizemore was once one of the rising stars of the game, but he has broken down in dramatic fashion. He just had right knee surgery, his fifth major procedure in a three-year span. Perhaps playing some right field would reduce the toll on his body just a tad, but if the Red Sox were to go that route, they better have a backup plan and they won’t want to give Sizemore too much money. He’s just been a physical wreck of late.

Sizemore is still only 29, however. I guess there’s time for him to find a rebirth somewhere.

2. As for the future, what’s your take on David Ortiz? He slumped badly in September, not to mention his difficulty running out ground balls. Is it time to say goodbye and go cheaper and younger?
– Mike Ragoza

This is an intriguing one. The bottom line is that the team probably won’t find a designated hitter to produce like Ortiz did, unless they can convince Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols to take on that role, which is not very likely. However, opening that spot up could allow someone like Ryan Lavarnway or Kevin Youkilis to slide in and money saved on Ortiz could be used elsewhere.

I think they will find a way to agree to terms. Ortiz had a rough September, but he was a monster for the bulk of the season and alleviated concerns of his demise with incredible production against lefties. I wouldn’t go more than two years, though.

3. One problem that I have seen consistently get worse throughout the past three seasons is the difficulty the Red Sox have in turning hits into runs. It was a little problem in 2009, got worse in 2010, and by 2011 was the proverbial elephant in the room. For instance, they outhit the Orioles in Game 162 but still lost. It would seem that the Red Sox would benefit from a new point of view from a different hitting coach. I am sure all positions are up for review at this point. Or are they?
– Christa

Yes, there is a top-to-bottom review going on right now. No department will be skipped over.

Actually, the Sox ranked among the best teams in the league in clutch situations, which is no surprise given the fact that they scored more runs than anyone in baseball. In fact, the team average with runners in scoring position rose nine points from 2010.

Your primary issues involved some poor base running and bad pitching. If you have enough of that, it makes a wasted opportunity with the bases loaded hurt that much more.

4. Has anyone floated the idea of Carl Crawford playing right field where his speed could be better used. With that we can concentrate on bringing in a big right-handed bat to play left field.
– Roger

You have, Roger. You’ve floated the idea, and frankly it’s not awful, especially given the massive right field at Fenway Park. One area of concern lies in the fact that Crawford does not have much of an arm. You want someone with a hose out there.

5. Do you think John Lackey will be gone next year? Would the Red Sox be willing to eat up a large portion of his remaining contract to get rid of him?
– Mack

We discussed this last week, but it will continue to be a hot topic. With almost $50 million remaining on Lackey’s deal, it’s not easy. Boston would have to eat a ton of it, or take on an albatross of a contract in return. My thought is that this can be more palatable in another year when the numbers aren’t so astronomical.

6. Hello. How accountable is pitching coach Curt Young given the bloated Red Sox September ERA? If Francona is out, doesn’t that beg the question of how effective Young was with the pitching staff?
– Jordan

We had about 15 Curt Young questions this week. Jordan was our winner, even though he did misspell Young’s first name.

Young is certainly under the microscope. It would be hard to hide from a staff ERA of 5.84 in September (7.08 for the starters). And if the entire staff gets the heave-ho, he’ll obviously be gone. But let’s put a few things in perspective.

Many of you mentioned that Young is no John Farrell. Did you know that in Farrell’s first season with the team the staff had a 4.83 ERA, 11th in the American League? In Young’s it was 4.20, ninth in the AL.

In Farrell’s second season the team ERA was tops in the league, but then it was fourth, seventh and ninth in his final three seasons in Boston, certainly not heading in the right direction. If Young is kept around, just understand that one year under his belt here could help out in the second year, and so much of it goes beyond what the pitching coach provides.

7. Tony, this team looked so out of shape physically this season. How about a new training staff to whip them into shape?
– Mike Demske

We included this question as it relates to two others. First, you will recall the reference to a stem-to-stern overview, and the training staff is right at the top of the list. Also, going back to the September ERA referenced in the prior answer, it seemed as if much of that had to do with poor conditioning. Guys hit their respective walls way too early, especially for a team that had designs on playing well into October.

8. If Theo Epstein goes to Chicago and Ben Cherington takes over as Red Sox general manager, will he be a strong advocate for minor league development or free agent signings as his main agenda?
– Glenn Fisk

Cherington has called Epstein his “mentor,” and the former has cut his teeth in the organization for years now. There won’t be a massive shift in mentality if and when Cherington takes over. This is an organization that places an emphasis on building from within, and the system has been sapped a bit in the past year or so through the Adrian Gonzalez deal and the slow progress of some prospects. Out of necessity, there will be an emphasis on that aspect of the job, no matter who is at the helm going forward.

9. Hey! There are rumors swirling that if Epstein went to the Cubs then the Red Sox should ask for Starlin Castro or Matt Garza. How realistic do you think that this is? Would it be more likely that we could get one of the Cubs better prospects like Trey McNutt or Hayden Simpson? Also it worries me that Castro has very suspect defense. Do you think that his lack of concentration in that area is partly because he is still only 21 and playing on a losing team, and if so could that area improve being on the Red Sox with the influence of Pedroia and Gonzalez? Thanks.
– John

The Red Sox may ask for the world, but I think you;re looking at a prospect or two as compensation, rather than guys like Castro or Garza. Those are two players the Cubs can build their lineup and rotation around for the foreseeable future.

As for Castro’s defense, your instincts are right. He’s a kid. Most shortstops his age are making dozens of errors in the minors. If he ever found his way to Fenway, he’d have a great group around him. So will Jose Iglesias, the much more likely future shortstop.

10. Will the Red Sox stay with Marco Scutaro or will they give a chance to Mike Aviles?
– Hector Pantaleon

There’s a club option and a player option involving Scutaro. The way he played this year, especially down the stretch, he’s earned a chance to return. Also, Iglesias could use another year at Pawtucket. He’s had injuries interrupt each of his two seasons in the system. It would be nice to get him a little more seasoning. Scutaro’s a great guy to keep the seat warm.

11. Hi Tony, do you think the Red Sox will go after Prince Fielder to be the new DH? He’s much younger than David Ortiz.
– Andy

Fielder has said he would like to remain a first baseman, but has also indicated he just wants to win, so perhaps he would take a role as a full-time DH. However, with big money locked up in several other players (many of whom see their salaries jump quite a bit in 2012) and a good chunk of change needed for whenever Jacoby Ellsbury has to get paid, I’m not so sure the Red Sox will be the biggest players on the market this year. It just doesn’t seem likely. He’ll demand something on par with Gonzalez, Mark Teixeira and Ryan Howard, his high-priced peers.

12. There was a rumor about John Lackey being moved to the Padres. Do you see this happening? Who do you think they will get in return if this trade happens?
– Adam Phelps

Again, a Lackey trade, while appealing on the surface, would require the organization to eat a ton of cash. If the Padres had a really bad contract to send back, perhaps this could happen, but they don’t. It would involve an eight-figure payout for the next three years on the part of the Red Sox, all for a guy pitching in another league across the country.

That said, San Diego might be a good spot for Lackey. He would be matched up with his former pitching coach, Bud Black, who is the manager of the Padres. Petco Park is a pitcher’s park, so perhaps a club like San Diego can squeeze out something from the righty and get a few cheap years from a veteran that could help some of the young arms on their staff.

Then again, all three could come back and many of the remaining roster members will probably be around, barring any major offseason trades. 

In a lot of ways, that's a great thing. Few teams have as much talent and ability position-to-position as Boston. Many of the stars are still well within their prime years. And one figures there will be some motivation in that clubhouse after what occurred in September.

When the team makes any personnel moves between now and then, it may just be cosmetic. Perhaps the Sox can take on another veteran to bolster the bullpen or the back end of the rotation, or a candidate to compete for time in right field, or a new backup catcher — something along those lines.

However, those bit players could have a transformative effect if they have one thing: Personality.

Boston has players with personality. Spend five seconds around Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz and you know that to be true. As a whole, however, it never had the feel of a team that was onto something special, even during some of the hot streaks. It was business-like, which can be a good thing, but all too often, the club lacked the little doses of nuttiness that can make all the difference in a 162-game grind.

As Terry Francona said upon his departure, there was never a real galvanizing moment that brought this group together. That doesn't always need to come in the form of a dramatic walk-off win — they had eight of those. It can just be something introduced to the clubhouse in a quirky manner. It's not imperative, but it can't hurt.

There's no way to quantify the impact of quirkiness, but there are examples of how a little bit of levity goes a long way. The 2004 Red Sox were a wonderful example. The wackiness that is Nyjer Morgan has been a big part of what Milwaukee is doing. The club's "Beast Mode" is another.

San Francisco rode a flop-haired ace and a black-bearded closer to a 2010 World Series title over the Texas Rangers, who had the precursor to "Beast Mode" with their "Claws and Antlers" routine.

In 2009, the Yankees made the leap from third place to World Series champs after a vital (also expensive) influx of personality to a staid clubhouse. The very smiley CC Sabathia came aboard. A.J. Burnett has been an underwhelming addition to the rotation, but he did reintroduce the shaving cream pie, a staple of innumerable walk-off wins for that team. Nick Swisher, also brought into the fold for that first year in the new Yankee Stadium, has a motor that doesn't stop.

There are countless other examples throughout baseball history of wacky traditions on winning teams. The Rally Monkey, Sister Sledge, The Mustache Gang, the Rally Karaoke Guy, mullets, whatever it takes. Sometimes a team needs a galvanizing force. The Red Sox in 2011 had nothing of the sort. 

There was a Ric Flair presence. Pedroia had a new nickname for a bit (The Muddy Chicken), but even that dried up. Mike Cameron's departure is barely recalled, but it did deprive the clubhouse of its maestro. After he was gone, satellite radio was a popular choice, several times remaining stuck on a bland classic rock channel.

Before a big game on a Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park, "Hotel California" was often getting players pumped up. 

It is low on the priority list right now for the Red Sox, but finding some personality this winter, whether from within or without, cannot hurt the cause.

That gives you very few avenues for an answer to your Red Sox-related questions, unless you choose to drop your question into Tony Lee's mailbag. Doing so can yield that Christmas morning kind of feel if and when our Red Sox writer chooses your inquiry when he answers the best of the bunch each Tuesday.

You can also drop Tony a line on Twitter.

Terry Francona

Just over a week after Francona was fired … er … quit … er … parted ways with the Boston Red Sox, he was rushed into duty as a FOX analyst in Games 1 and 2 of the American League Championship Series when Joe Buck's traditional partner, Tim McCarver, was sidelined with a minor heart procedure. Francona's first assignment? A marathon meeting between Detroit and Texas that featured two rain delays and nearly five hours from first pitch to last.

Through it all, Francona was just fine.

Well, he wasn't taking home any Emmys after the broadcast, and some saw the assignment as a mistake in the first place, but for a first-timer just days removed from a quick training session (which was just days removed from a wild end to his Red Sox days), Francona performed very well.

To those who have seen and heard him around these parts for the past eight years, it's not a shock. Francona's media demands are beyond what most fans can comprehend. Aside from the occasional grumpiness the morning after a tough loss, he performed with gusto. He understands the whole song-and-dance that comes with a nationally televised affair. And when he didn't have a game in front of him and could put his uber-competitive nature aside for a moment, he was gold, filled with stories of his playing days that were laced with a self-deprecating wit. Some of the language might need to be cleaned up for the air, but those moments could translate quite well to the booth. 

Francona grew up in the game, first tagging alongside his father in several major league cities and then playing in many more of his own. Between them, they played with 12 different teams for dozens of coaches and managers. These experiences, first as a boy and later as a man, helped mold Francona into the kind of guy that could understand and handle a position like manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Many of those same qualities could make him handle a position like color analyst. In Texas on Saturday night, Francona told The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham that he belongs in a uniform, and he talks like a man who will be on a bench calling the shots very soon. Buck even ribbed him during the broadcast after Francona lauded a handful of coaches in the business, with Buck sarcastically wondering if Francona was secretly assembling his next coaching staff.

Francona responded by calling his temporary gig "a job search."

Chances are, Sunday's Game 2 is the last time you hear Francona in the booth. But life has a weird way of working itself out. When Francona's playing days came to an end in 1991, he was about to enter the real estate business before getting a call from Chicago to serve as a hitting instructor in the White Sox system. Twelve years later he was managing a World Series champion in one of the biggest markets in the game.

Who's to say that 12 years after Francona's days in Boston came to an end that he won't be one of the better analysts in the game. His first foray suggests it is at least possible.

You know what was missing from the first round? More games.

Although many Red Sox fans waywardly gloated when the Yankees were eliminated (yes, it's an annual rite to rip New York when its season ends, but this is the year you keep quiet, folks) and the way in which the Cardinals knocked off the Phillies was dramatic, it's not always in the best interest of baseball to see these results.

Sure, "upsets" are great in any sport, and seeing the Yanks fall in the Bronx and Roy Halladay get outdueled in Philly means plenty. But as long as the division series remains a best-of-five venture, the game will continue to have complete crapshoots decide who advances. The regular season means plenty, but once you're in, it's almost too much of an "anyone’s game" kind of thing. Winning the division, clinching early, finishing with the best record in your league, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Expanding the division series from five to seven games may not change things all that much, but it might create just enough of a difference to make the playoffs less of a random affair. Random is good, but this is just too random.

Baseball is a game that gives you opportunities to overcome your mistakes. The old adage "even the best hitters are out 70 percent of the time" applies all over the place. The best teams lose 60 times. The worst win twice that many. It's a game where champions have to lose many, many battles to win the war. The first round simply doesn't offer up enough battles.

Baseball decides its first round in a lightning-quick set that can turn on a dime.

In a way, this is a backward argument. If any sport needs a more level playing field, it's baseball. However, that is more of an over-arching issue best debated by labor bigwigs and the old commish. When it comes time for the cream of the crop to play for the right to win it all, the cream should have every opportunity to rise to the top, and home-field advantage in a best-of-five just seems like a small reward.

The NBA and NHL both play 82 games, and each requires its champ to run through four straight best-of-seven series. And those are sports where playing at home means so much more, a scenario that can weed out the weak. A team as stacked as the Phillies can suffer one letdown in Game 2 and before you know it, an opponent that needed a historic collapse to just squeak into the postseason not only has home-field advantage but can actually win that series at home. (Yes, that's not exactly what happened in the Phils-Cards series, but we're dealing in hypotheticals here.)

Thing is, hypotheticals aren't needed. There's plenty of proof that it's a complete crapshoot once the calendar turns to October. Since 2000, teams with better records have won less than half (48.9 percent) of the division series, and so many of those have involved lopsided matchups, at least in terms of win-loss records. For instance, the Phillies and Cardinals featured a disparity of 12 games in the standings. It just seems like Philadelphia and teams that dominated like it deserve a format that can allow them to take a few hits, overcome those obstacles and show what made them so successful for six months.

If lengthening the first round provides any advantage to the Phillies or Yankees or other teams that earned that top spot, it could allow for more dynasties to develop. That's a good thing. Not only is it notable when a team like New York can reel off four World Series wins in five years, but it makes it mean so much more when they get knocked off by teams like the Diamondbacks and Marlins. Had a 23-year-old Josh Beckett shut out the Athletics in Oakland Alameda Coliseum on Oct. 25, 2003, it simply wouldn't mean as much to the game.

Fans in Philadelphia are stunned today. They would be if they lost in seven games as well. But much of their shock has to do with how brief their playoff experience was. It doesn't quite jibe with a game that is built upon having margin for error. There's just so little of it in a best-of-five series.

However, there are just over 120 days until pitchers and catchers report and plenty to figure out personnel-wise before then. Many of the moves will be dictated by deadlines set forth by Major League Baseball.

Here is a look at those dates, and how each will impact the Red Sox as they assemble their 2012 edition:

End of World Series: For five days after the Fall Classic ends, teams have a window to negotiate exclusively with their free agents. This used to be a 15-day timeframe, but MLB condensed it. Players can talk with other teams during the five-day period, but not on contract matters (Movies? Politics?). Jonathan Papelbon, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, J.D. Drew, Tim Wakefield, Erik Bedard, Conor Jackson and Trever Miller are those affected by this.

November 23: Midnight on this day looms as the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to ranked free agents. This is a critical component to the offseason dance as it is how teams qualify for draft choice compensation if and when these players sign elsewhere. Papelbon and Ortiz will be Type A free agents, meaning if they sign elsewhere the Red Sox would get two draft picks in return (one is a supplemental round pick, the other is either a first-rounder or second-rounder depending on where the signing team ranks in the draft). Varitek could be a Type B. If he signs with another team the Sox get a compensatory round pick. If some options and buyouts play out a certain way, Marco Scutaro could leave as a Type B guy.

Because of the departures of Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez last offseason, Boston had four of the first 40 picks on the 2011 draft.

December 5-8: Winter Meetings in Dallas, Tex. The Red Sox stole the show at this event last season with the pre-meetings trade for Adrian Gonzalez and the out-of-the-blue signing of Carl Crawford. It was where they took on the role of preseason favorites.

December 7: This is the last date that a free agent can accept an arbitration offer. Almost nobody accepts and chooses instead to be free.

December 12: The final day that teams can tender offers to unsigned players. This involves arbitration eligibles and those still waiting to reach that phase of their career. Essentially, the Sox can choose to not tender a deal with a player, but by doing so they risk losing them to free agency. Players are sometimes non-tendered if the club feels they may be worth less than whatever they will get through the arbitration process.

The free agency list will greatly increase this day when players throughout baseball are non-tendered, although some have understandings or expectations that they will sign a minor-league deal with the team that chose not to tender them an offer. Rich Hill and Andrew Miller went this route last offseason.

There are often a few gems to be found once the dust settles. Among the notables that became available to the Red Sox through this process were Ortiz in 2002 and Bobby Jenks last year. The first obviously worked out pretty well. The second did not, at least not in the first year of Jenks' two-year deal.

January 5-15, 2012: Those headed toward arbitration file for the process during this time.

January 18: The union and MLB exchange salary arbitration figures.

February 1-21: Salary arbitration hearings take place during this time. The Red Sox have not had one under general manager Theo Epstein's watch. Players have filed during that earlier time period, but the organization has reached a settlement before it hits the court.

March 2-11: This is when unsigned players who have no say in their compensation (not yet eligible for arbitration) will receive new salary figures. On March 8 of last year, notables such as Daniel Bard, Clay Buchholz, Darnell McDonald, Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddick all signed, among others. All were inked to deals just under or just over $500,000.

It’s been that way for some time and it’s hard to argue with the results; Boston led the majors in runs scored in 2011 and has ranked in the top three in the American League for five straight seasons.

However, as baseball has morphed in its post-steroid era into a pitcher’s game once again, the gap between the big bashers and sisters of the poor has decreased in size. While the need to manufacture a run here and there pops up, teams have adjusted.

Just take the AL East, for example.

The Yankees were one of the more aggressive teams in baseball on the base paths this year. The Rays thrive on that style. As he had promised, John Farrell was largely successful in reducing the Blue Jays’ reliance on the home run — they hit 71 fewer homers yet climbed from sixth to fifth in the AL in runs scored.

The Orioles were a bit more of a plodding team, but they showed in some of those late-season beatdowns of the moribund Sox that they were willing to push the issue. You will recall Vladimir Guerrero stealing second base in a big moment in Baltimore, one of 17 thefts the O’s had against Boston this season (the Sox had eight in those meetings).

And that’s where it became even more notable. Whenever Boston played teams that wanted to be aggressive, they looked overmatched. Texas and Tampa Bay made a mockery of the Red Sox on several occasions. They took the extra base. They ran every opportunity they could. They bunted (not too often, but in the right spots and most of the time with great execution). They made the playoffs.

The Red Sox do not need to change their entire philosophy, but having the ability to adjust would do wonders once they get mired into one of those games. Pitchers are better, bullpens are more specialized and defense is a priority for many teams. Offensive outbursts are not a given.

This necessary shift goes beyond the offensive approach. Although Boston was largely a good defensive team this season, it continued to struggle in limiting the running game. There were improvements, but opponents still pressed the issue. Multiple pitchers, notably Jon Lester, struggled with pickoff moves. Most of the staff did a poor job holding runners on. Cutoff men were missed, often allowing trailing runners to take an extra base on an unwarranted throw home.

All too often it felt as if the Sox needed that three-run homer to right their wrongs in other areas. So often they got it, but in the end it didn’t hide some of the team-wide problems they had. They weren’t going to outrun you, they weren’t going to manufacture much and yet they were going to give you opportunities through their inefficiencies in the aforementioned departments.

As long as your pitchers limited mistakes, the Red Sox were a team of which you could take advantage. And in a game that is seeing scoring drop on a yearly basis, that can kill you. Boston was 2-10 in September in games decided by two runs or less. It was 3-1 in games decided by nine runs or more. Those were the games when they got that three-run homer.

Runs were down in baseball for the fifth straight season in 2011. They have dropped nearly 17 percent since the beginning of the last decade. Boston can still lead the league in runs scored, but it has to know that more 3-2 games will be on the docket than in years past. And when those games come at a considerable clip, doing the little things can make all the difference.

Make a good pickoff throw. Steal an extra base. Bunt a runner to third with no outs. Nail Vladimir Guerrero stealing second, or at least do enough to keep such a speed demon close.

Boston ranked last in sacrifice bunts. It was ninth in steals. Its pitchers, who led all of baseball in throwing errors in 2010, still had one of the league’s highest totals in 2011. Opponents were successful stealing bases 24 percent of the time, barely better than three other AL squads.

In metric rating systems, both Red Sox pitchers and catchers ranked as the worst in the league defensively.

All too often, especially down the stretch, each of these factors came into play.

Baseball in 2012 will be different than it was in 2002. Pitchers will remain in charge. Runs will continue to be at a premium. Therefore, the need to be aggressive and clean is paramount. Teams like the Red Sox can get by on pure offensive skill, but they need to be able to adjust and play small ball (both offensively and defensively) to become as good as they can be. 

The organization cannot dwell on that entirely. It cannot stare at eight months of hard work (most of it, at least) and see nothing but negatives. The club has to take something out of the season. We chose to do the same.

Click here for the top 10 positives to an otherwise negative season >>

As the Red Sox stare headlong at an offseason of doubt, let's examine where they stand on a position-by-position basis.

Catcher

Jarrod Saltalamacchia finished the season on a sour note, batting .162 with 27 strikeouts and just one walk in September. He was even on the bench the last two games after taking a foul ball off his right clavicle. But don't forget the improvement Saltalamacchia showed during the middle portion of the season. He overcame a dreadful start both at the plate and behind it, and figures to be a fixture here for years to come. Saltalamacchia, 26, is about to enter his first arbitration year.

It remains to be seen who Salty's partner will be (Pepper?). Jason Varitek may walk into the sunset, or perhaps he comes back for another year at around $2 million, the figure for which he signed last offseason. Ryan Lavarnway has shown he is ready to hit at the major league level. He could serve as Saltalamacchia's backup and the occasional designated hitter if things play out in a particular way.

First base

Adrian Gonzalez is signed through 2018, but he gets expensive next season. After the Sox got an MVP-caliber season from him for the nice price of $6.3 million, Gonzalez will make over $21 million for the next seven years. If he produces like he did for the bulk of 2011, it's worth it. 

Second base

Dustin Pedroia had a phenomenal bounce-back campaign, establishing career highs in home runs, RBIs, walks and stolen bases and playing phenomenal defense. His salary escalates a bit each of the next couple years before an $11 club option in 2015. Pedroia's the rock, and he'll need to assume an even greater leadership role in a clubhouse that needs a makeover.

Shortstop

Marco Scutaro will be 36 later this month, but he gave such an outstanding performance down the stretch that the club has to seriously consider picking up his $6 million option. If not, he can exercise a $3 million player option or get a $1.5 million buyout and hit free agency. There is a pair of Joses to think about as well. Jose Iglesias remains the shortstop of the future in the organization's eyes, but he may need one more year of seasoning in the minors. Jose Reyes figures to be one of the big-name free agents, although with salaries escalating at several other positions and perhaps new ones signed by guys like Jonathan Papelbon and David Ortiz, it remains to be seen how interested the Red Sox will be.

Jed Lowrie could be in the mix again, although he struggled defensively at the position and may be better suited elsewhere or in that super utility role once again. Lowrie will have to be tendered a deal. He could be a trade option.

Third base

One of the keys to the team-building for 2011 was Kevin Youkilis' ability to slide from first to third. However, he ended his second straight season on the mend after a physically demanding campaign that casts some doubt about his future at the position. Some feel he may be a good candidate to slide into the designated hitter role if Ortiz is not re-signed. Others sense he could be a trade chip. Youkilis makes $12 million in 2012 and there is a $13 million club option for 2013. Will Middlebrooks, one of the organization's top prospects, is waiting in the wings. He hit .285 with 23 home runs and 94 RBIs at three levels this year, including a handful of games at Pawtucket. Lowrie might be involved here as well. Mike Aviles is arbitration eligible and did some nice things.

Left field

Like others on this list, Carl Crawford's contract jumps in value next year when he will haul in $19.5 million, up from $14 million in 2011. The organization has to hope for a similar increase in his production.

Center field

The most-watched arbitration situation of the offseason in all of baseball will be that of Jacoby Ellsbury, who may win the MVP in a year in which he made $2.5 million. He may haul in three times that, although it will be interesting to see if it gets that far. Theo Epstein has never gone to arbitration with a Red Sox player and likes to lock up his homegrown talent at about this time in their respective career paths. If Epstein is still around, chances are he will attempt to do so with Ellsbury. Scott Boras is Ellsbury's agent and he likes his players to go year-to-year before hitting free agency.

Right field

J.D. Drew's $70 million deal has come to an end and it's extremely likely he is coming back to Boston, unless he is interested in a much cheaper deal for a reserve role. Josh Reddick ended the year on the bench and had some struggles down the stretch, but hitting .280 with seven home runs in 87 games cannot be taken lightly. He and Ryan Kalish, who recently underwent neck surgery, will be in the mix for the starting job as long as the club doesn't trade them or sign a free agent (Jason Kubel and Josh Willingham are among the more attractive names on the market). This position is very much up in the air.

Designated hitter

It would be nearly impossible to replace Ortiz's production at this spot, but if he wants more money (or years, or both) than the organization is willing to give, it could open up to someone like Youkilis or even Lavarnway. Guess who else might be available? His name starts with Johnny and ends with Damon.

Starting pitching

Josh Beckett and John Lackey are both signed to big-money deals through 2014. Jon Lester's deal takes him through 2013 (with one club option for 2014) and Clay Buchholz through 2015 (with two club options). Daisuke Matsuzaka, who hopes to return at some point in 2012, is entering the last year of his contract.

Altogether, those five will make well over $50 million next season. While some may want to get rid of Lackey, he has almost $50 million left on his own deal, so there may be too much salary for the organization to eat if they can find a trade partner. Expect some cheaper depth options to flood Fort Myers next spring as the club tries to prevent what occurred to its starting pitching down the stretch.

Bullpen

The construction of the pen rests largely on the club's plans for Papelbon, who hits free agency after a very solid season. Daniel Bard is entering his arbitration years. Bobby Jenks is hoping he can overcome a season mired by health issues and make good on the second half of a two-year, $12 million contract. The club has a $3 million option on Dan Wheeler. That may not be picked up.

Alfredo Aceves is in the same situation as Bard. He will be a bargain no matter what he gets, and could join that high-priced rotation.

Rich Hill is a great candidate to get re-signed to a minor league deal. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Other left-handed options are Felix Doubront and Franklin Morales, who impressed at times with some hard stuff that could get out hitters on both sides of the plate.

Matt Albers is going into his third year of arbitration. As bad as he was in August and parts of September, he was so good for three solid months before that. For about $1 million he could come back.

1. Out of all the potential managers, Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre are the only two I'm familiar with. I know that DeMarlo Hale is an option but I just don't see it. I doubt Torre will leave his MLB job so what would it take to get Bobby V. to leave ESPN, and would he even be open to it?
– Jackson

Valentine is a baseball lifer, and he seems to belong in a dugout. He has been linked to a handful of jobs during his days at ESPN and will continue to be as long as there are vacancies. Yes, he would be open to it, and all it might take is a generous offer. Personally, I think Hale would be a great choice, but the ownership will want to deviate from the old regime and Hale may be too similar. Your instincts on this are right.

2. What do you think about Tony Pena as manager? He does have the experience, as he managed the Royals.
– Dave Shevenell

Indeed, the 2003 AL Manager of the Year and current Yankees bench coach could be a nice fit. He was a leader on Red Sox teams from 1990-93 so he knows the scene around Fenway. I like the idea.

Side story. In 1990, I was at a game in Yankee Stadium between the Sox and Yanks. Pena, then the starting catcher in Boston, had recently called out his teammates for not giving their all. They were mired in a September slide that had seen all of a 6 1/2-game lead vanish (sound familiar?). A guy next to me (Red Sox fan) screamed an obscenity at Pena as he played catch in front of the Red Sox dugout, upset with Pena's words, but the Sox catcher thought it came from me. He glared at me for about five solid seconds while I envisioned life ending before I ever had a chance to experience a date.

Anyway, great choice Dave.

3. Would you allow Theo Epstein to go if the Cubbies offered compensation? As for the new manager, do you concur with my short list?: Dave Martinez, Jim Hickey, Tony Pena, Glenn Hoffman, Trey Hillman and Bruce Bochy? Lastly, who would you get rid of off of this present 25-man roster. Thanks for your time.
– Charles “Sportsbozo” Champagne

The mailbag's always a bit spicier when the Sportsbozo checks in. It's a good week.

I'll provide three quick answers to your three quick questions. If Epstein goes, that's his choice (after getting permission to speak with Chicago, of course), but the Sox would most likely get a prospect or two as compensation. If I was in the chair of the owners, I'd do what I can to keep him around and fix some of the problems.

I like the list. Those are some of the names being thrown around. We already discussed Pena, but I'm a big Martinez fan as well.

As for the roster, we're talking about a 40-man grouping. There are a handful of guys that will come off the books (J.D. Drew, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon among them). Some will return, possibly the last two. As for the others, I'd certainly kick the tires on possible John Lackey deals that do not cost the organization an arm and a leg. You will have to pay a hefty portion of his salary no matter what. That's an unlikely scenario, however. Give it another year.

4. Hey Tony! I'm a longtime Boston fan from central New York. After the free agent dilemma we have had the past couple of seasons with Lackey and Crawford, how are we going to handle free agency this year with dire needs in right field and starting pitching? Is C.J. Wilson a possibility? Also, do you agree Jonathan Papelbon is a must-keep for us seeing that Daniel Bard can't maintain consistency throughout the long baseball season?
– Ray Bennett

Funny you ask about Papelbon. I opined upon that on Monday afternoon.

I like Wilson a lot but it looks as if he will be the big-ticket starting pitcher on the market. With many millions of dollars already locked up in its rotation, Boston may not have the funds to dig deep. There will have to be some money moved around somewhere for that to be a possibility.

5. Tony, I don't know if this is a question or an observation from 2,500 miles away. For years we've heard what a great leader Jason Varitek has been both on the field and in the clubhouse and how valuable he is to the pitching staff. Yet, we have heard very little from him during this debacle. Has his reputation been over-hyped or is he now part of problem?
– Paul

Varitek is a great leader, but he is not the type that screams at guys in the clubhouse or makes big announcements to the media. He's a strong, silent, lead-by-example type who is a wonderful mentor to guys in one-on-one or small group settings. I don't think it is incumbent upon him to come out and say anything right now. If he is around in Fort Myers in February, you can be sure he will say some things to those who matter.

6. What are the chances that the Red Sox could go after Buck Showalter? I think that would be a great move. I'm sure he is still under contract but if there would be any way possible do you think the Sox would take a chance at it?
– Coop

Impossible. Showalter, who took his shot at Epstein this spring, basically has the choice to serve as the general manager or manager in Baltimore next season. He is central in the rebuilding process there.

7. Hello, Mr. Lee. Enjoy our mailbag. Do you think there will be a statement to Red Sox fans from ownership concerning the 2011 season? It would be nice to hear their thoughts and plans for 2012. We are planning a vacation trip to Boston next year, including some Red Sox games. If the owners don't plan to try to improve the team, it might be better so spend the money elsewhere.
– Ted Williams

I can't imagine a worse public relations nightmare than Teddy Ballgame himself threatening to skip some Red Sox games if the organization doesn't get its act in order. And Ted, I agree that more needs to be said. However, much of that will be said (hopefully) after a new manager is named and after the Epstein drama is settled. It doesn't make much sense to say something and then have things change dramatically a week later.

8. With the amount of free agents the Red Sox have on the market, what are the chances they can bring Varitek back, perhaps as bench coach or manager, and maybe shop Lackey for another starter? Will they start Josh Reddick in right field, and re-sign Jacoby Ellsbury?
– Rob

Not so sure the free agency situation has anything to do with where Varitek goes. If they want to bring him back and he wants to play, they can find a way to pay him $2 million, or thereabouts. My guess is Varitek will be a coach and/or manager sometime soon, but it may begin in the minors.

We addressed the Lackey issue in an earlier answer. They may need another year to go by the boards before the value of that contract gets low enough to where they can see moving him and still paying the bulk of the salary.

Depending on how the offseason goes, Reddick will have a chance to compete for that job. And Ellsbury will be entering his second arbitration year. He will get a significant raise and still be worth every penny in 2012.

9. What are the chances we could see Brian Daubach managing the Red Sox in 2012? He has managerial experience in the minors and in the process has dealt with "players with attitude" such as Bryce Harper. Not to mention he was one of the original dirt dogs and would really provide a lift for the team.
– Ed

It's an interesting thought, but Daubach may be a few years away from consideration for a big league job. Most guys do not jump from Single-A to the majors as a manager. He will have to cut his teeth in a few other roles before making that kind of a leap.

10. Mike Lowell?
– Kevin

The fans would love it, wouldn't they? It's about more than just making the fans happy.

11. What will the Red Sox do with the right field? Will they stay with Reddick or go to the market to fill that position? Will they stay with Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate or will they acquire another catcher?
– Hector

As he headed home for the winter, you know Reddick had his sights set on a starting gig in 2012. Drew won't be in the picture. Ryan Kalish might be. And yes, there could be a free agent signing, perhaps someone like Jason Kubel or Josh Willingham or Nick Swisher (if the Yankees don't pick up his option).

Saltalamacchia is your starting catcher in 2012. He ended the season on a bad note, but made great strides and has now been through a full season as a starter for the first time. That can only help. Also, Ryan Lavarnway is in the mix. With two young, slugging catchers in the fold there is no need to acquire another catcher except for depth purposes.

12. Why isn't Epstein being held accountable for his signing of players who do not bring good character and work ethic?
– Jim Punderson

Based on some public talks I've heard, he is. Maybe he hasn't had to swallow hard and move on like Francona, but Epstein is under pressure to make better decisions in a few areas, most notably with free agents. He said as much the other day at Fenway Park.

If you think of it, the Sox haven't had too many serious character issues among players that Epstein himself has brought into the fold. For whatever reason, the mix in 2011 didn't work. As long as he stays around, that will be a focus this offseason.

13. With the departure of Francona, stories surfaced about pitchers drinking in the clubhouse on their non-pitching days, inability to control some players and other incidents within the clubhouse. Will the Red Sox be more inclined to go for a hard-nosed manager? If so, do you think the players will respond or resent a manager with more rules?
– Ryan

While the club just had a miserable month and some lax attitudes on the part of the players may have been one problem, this is still a veteran group that should have done a better job of policing itself. They shouldn't need a taskmaster to be successful. Someone with a few more rules cannot hurt, but I don't see a massive climate change, otherwise you do run the risk of alienating some guys.

14. Terry Francona said in his interview the other day that one of the factors leading to his departure was the uncertainty he felt over whether team ownership stood behind him. Obviously there was a disconnect between him and the bosses. With all the success he and the team had enjoyed, how could one bad season have led to these problems? Or do you think Tito was reacting emotionally to what must have been for him the most difficult and disappointing season during his tenure?
– Chris

Speaking about 40 hours after the end of the worst stretch of Red Sox baseball in recent memory, there had to be some emotions in everything that was said, on both sides. I think he was frustrated with what happened in September, with his inability to get through to some players and probably with the fact that he did not have many options in terms of personnel down the stretch. My guess is there had been some seeds of a disconnect planted earlier than all of that, so it probably didn't take just one season. Sometimes things just run their course, and maybe it was just time for a change, just like Francona said.