That's surely to be the case for new Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. It's no secret that Cherington will have his hands full this offseason, trying to touch up his roster, and he could certainly use these few days in Dallas to do so.
The offseason to-do list remains the same for Cherington and the Red Sox.
The David Ortiz situation has yet to be resolved. The free-agent DH spoke with manager Bobby Valentine this weekend in the Dominican Republic, and Ortiz has made it clear he'd like to remain in Boston. However, Cherington will have to decide if he wants to commit the money — and years — that Ortiz, an aging DH, will command.
Cherington also needs to fill a couple of holes in the roster. Jonathan Papelbon didn't wait for the winter meetings to flee Boston, signing a four-year deal with the Phillies upon the opening of free agency. Now Cherington must find a replacement for Papelbon, and with increased chatter about Daniel Bard moving to the starting rotation, it's becoming a little more apparent that an outside hire may be the path Cherington must go down. Also, J.D. Drew's contract is up, so the Sox front office will have to replace his spot in right field.
Finally, you can never have too much starting pitching, something that was painfully apparent in Boston's ugly September collapse. There are decent options out there, both big names and strong value options, that could be attractive for the Sox.
What would you most like to see the Red Sox do during the winter meetings?
