Red Sox Mailbag: Will Daisuke Matsuzaka Be Moved If He Starts Slow in 2011?

The equipment truck left town Tuesday, the surest sign that spring training is upon us. Surely, baseball is on our minds more and more as the weather warms, giving you each more and more reason to ask those questions that have been dogging you all offseason.

We have another set of solid inquiries for our second edition of the mailbag. Without further ado, here is the cream of the crop. If you do not see your question here, keep sending them to me here, or feel free to drop me a tweet here. Thanks to all those who took part this week.

1. How big of a role will Mike Cameron play this year? And who do you predict will be the fifth outfielder on the MLB roster come Opening Day?
— EL

Obviously, 2010 was a difficult season for Mike Cameron, who admirably tried to press through abdominal issues from the get-go. Not only does he figure to be healthy once again, he may be in a perfect role as the primary backup to two left-handed bats who have injury concerns of their own.

If Jacoby Ellsbury has any issues with his health or needs a day off, Cameron will play center field. The temptation may be to put Carl Crawford there, but Crawford is such a fantastic left fielder that the Red Sox will want to keep him put. And even a 38-year-old Cameron in center is better than a lot of other options.

Where we may see Cameron play most is in right field. Whenever a tough lefty is on the mound, Terry Francona will have Cameron available to spell J.D. Drew. Although last year was an odd sample, consider that Cameron’s OPS vs. lefties (1.128) was nearly twice that of Drew (.611).

Drew has already hinted that his hamstring issues of last season are lingering. It’s a near certainty he will need 20 to 40 games off, at least, and Cameron will get the lion’s share of those starts. Overall, I see Cameron starting 60 games or so and playing several more off the bench.

Simply having a healthy Cameron around will help as he is a wonderful clubhouse presence.

As for your second question, Darnell McDonald is the likely fifth outfielder. He fit like a glove in the clubhouse last year and provides another solid right-handed bat off the bench, as well as a guy who can play all three outfield spots. With Cameron and McDonald, the Red Sox have some nice depth and flexibility in the outfield.

2. Do you think Daisuke Matsuzaka will be moved by July if he sputters from the gate again this season?
— Jason

We always have to remember that Daisuke Matsuzaka has a no-trade clause in his contract and would need to OK a move. There are teams out there that would like to have him and if he has a third straight poor season for the Red Sox, they might like to get rid of him. It’s just a matter of finding a workable partner, perhaps someone on the West Coast that would be willing to take on a guy that hasn’t been consistent since 2008 and is due another $10 million in 2012.

Boston has some options to pick up Matsuzaka’s starts, if it comes to that. Tim Wakefield and Felix Doubront are at the top of that list.

3. There has been a certain amount of Ellsbury bashing from last season, but no definitive talk from the front office. Are they still sold on their CF?
— Fan50years

Last season was such a wash that we forget that Ellsbury is just 27 and is a year removed from batting .301 with a franchise-record 70 steals. Surely, the front office is aware that one lost season does not kill his career and they are hopeful that the speedster will rebound just fine in 2011.

With Crawford in left field, Drew in right and Cameron backing him up, Ellsbury has plenty of support on the defensive end of things. And with a lineup as loaded as Boston’s is, he will not need to light the world on fire to satisfy Francona, Theo Epstein and others. Simply showing some of what he did from 2007-09 will make last season a memory.

4. There is a lot of talk about which one of our Triple-A outfielders will replace Drew next year. How much of this is just talk and how much of a surprise would it be if Theo re-signs Drew?
— Stan

Certainly, with Drew entering the final year of his contract with the Red Sox and already 35, it is a distinct possibility he will be elsewhere in 2012, if in fact he is still playing. Therefore, it’s reasonable to think about who might replace him down the road. That’s not just talk.

At the minor league level that list obviously begins with Ryan Kalish. A guy who has been compared to Trot Nixon many times already, Kalish will start out the 2011 season at Triple-A Pawtucket but showed last year he is capable of performing at the highest level. His range and exceptional arm could translate very well to the spacious right field at Fenway Park, and an outfield that includes Kalish, Ellsbury and Crawford would be among the most athletic you will ever see.

Josh Reddick, who has had several call-ups over the last two seasons, remains on the radar as well. The organization would like to see him develop more consistency at the plate.

I would classify a Drew re-signing, if it happened, as very surprising. If he has a big year and wants to parlay it into that last big deal, it’s doubtful the Red Sox would give him what he wants. If he doesn’t, it’s doubtful they will have a need for him going forward.

5. What is the official/unofficial reaction to the Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon signings?
— Norman Freedman

It certainly seems that among the fans in New England, it was mixed. Very few seem to think that Ramirez and Damon have much to offer the defending AL East champs, but there is no denying that it makes the Red Sox-Rays rivalry that much more interesting.

As for the reaction among players, we will certainly be learning more about that this spring. The two teams are separated by a short drive in Florida and play one another four times in March. Look for some interesting comments to come out of the clubhouses down there. Of course, use NESN and NESN.com as your source.

6. Haven't heard much about Dice-K this off season. What has he done, baseball-wise, to be ready for 2011 and how have the Red Sox kept track of his activities in preparation for spring training?
— Jim Ouellet

Another Matsuzaka question, and a good one. He is a key component to that rotation. If he is anything like he was in his first two seasons in a Red Sox uniform, it very well could be the best quintet in all of baseball.

General manager Theo Epstein has contended that Matsuzaka’s stuff was better in 2010 than the numbers (4.69 ERA, 1.373 WHIP) might suggest. He also indicated that the right-hander has been working out extremely hard this offseason and may have altered his throwing program just a bit in order to be more prepared once spring training begins. Remember, Dice-K was a physical mess to start out the 2009 season, and began 2010 on the disabled list due to a neck strain suffered last March. Keep an eye on Matsuzaka’s progress during Grapefruit League action for an indication as to how prepared he is. That may sound elementary, but with Dice-K it really is an important time for him.

7. Why do you think the Red Sox haven’t retired Dwight Evans’ number?
— Rich

The Red Sox have a policy to only retire the numbers of players who not only played at least 10 years with the team but also are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Dwight Evans, of course, satisfies just one of those criteria.

However, don’t count him out. For one, the organization did bend the rules a bit to put Johnny Pesky’s No. 6 up there. Pesky is not a Hall of Famer. This is not to compare Evans to "Mr. Red Sox," a guy who was involved with the club for decades, but at least the precedent has been set to allow for some wiggle room. As it is, Evans was a 19-year member of the Red Sox and is still a fixture at Fenway Park.

Dewey stayed on the Hall of Fame ballot for three years before dropping off when he received just 3.6 percent of the voting in 1999. He will be eligible to receive induction by the veterans committee beginning in 2013. With career numbers on par with those of teammate and Hall of Famer Jim Rice, and eight Gold Gloves to boot, Evans has a case.

Don’t be shocked to see Evans get his day several years down the road. For now, however, he remains on the outs.

8. Can the Red Sox trade for Michael Young and use him as the everyday shortstop, trading Marco Scutaro, and using Jed Lowrie as utility infielder?
— Josh 

It’s an interesting thought, Josh, but I wouldn’t bank on it. The Red Sox have liked Michael Young and he is obviously interested in moving on from Texas, but he is due $16 million in each of the next three seasons and is already 34. If he begins to slow down at any point in those three years, it would be difficult to move him in order to make room for Jose Iglesias, the shortstop of the future. Also, Young was not the greatest defender at shortstop even before he was moved to third base before the 2009 season.

As tempting as it is to put that kind of bat in the Red Sox lineup, it may not make the most sense to bring on another big contract for a shortstop in his mid-30s. Lowrie and Scutaro won't give you Michael Young numbers, but they should be fine to hold down the position until Iglesias is ready.

9. Will all the chatter about the Red Sox being the favorite to win the World Series in 2011 be disruptive to the team?
— Sonoma Dave

That’s an interesting question from Sonoma Dave. Certainly, there have been loads of players and teams throughout the course of professional sports history that have succumbed to expectations. But the Sox are loaded with veterans who have been there before. More than half of the expected 25-man roster has either been to or won a World Series (more than a dozen remain from the 2007 title team) and many others have at least appeared in the postseason.

In addition, the optimism that many of the players have after a difficult 2010 season may overwhelm any degree of pressure that might exist. They are excited to get to work, and much of that has to do with the fact that the talent is there to win the whole thing.

To submit a question to Tony Lee for future mailbags, click here.