With Jacoby Ellsbury’s new home-run power, does it make sense to lead off with Carl Crawford when he returns and bat Ellsbury in the third or fifth spot in the lineup?
— Bruce, Cheshire, Conn.
I would leave Jacoby at the top of the order. I hear you on the home run totals from last year. I just like his speed and ability to get on at the top. I am relatively sure you will not start the season with Carl Crawford healthy and it is not a comfortable spot for Carl when he comes back, or ever in the past. I also think there is plenty of thump that already exists in the middle of your order. I think Ellsbury is one of the best lead off men in the game because of all he is capable of doing. I leave him where he is.
If Daniel Bard or Alfredo Aceves becomes a starter, will the Red Sox limit their innings at the end of the season due to their history of being relievers?
— Marsha, Hopedale, Mass.
I would think that extra days would be built in during the year to help that process. I am sort of surprised that they are going in this direction with Daniel Bard. He is guy who has maxed out on 69 innings in the past and now will be asked to possibly jump upwards to 150 to 200. I also think you made an extremely strong area, the eighth inning, weaker by moving him to the rotation. There is a great unknown with Bard in that his MLB success is as a reliever. His past in the minors as a starter points in a different direction. He will answer a lot of these questions early in spring, but I will be curious to see if his 98 mph fastball is much less as he paces himself early in games as a starter and if he will use his third pitch, his changeup, more often. I think Aceves is better equipped to handle the workload over the long haul.
Who do you think will play more at shortstop this season, Nick Punto or Mike Aviles?
-– Brenden, Raynham, Mass.
Whoever establishes themselves in spring training will become the regular shortstop. I think this will be fun this spring. Very rarely in the 11 previous springs that I have been a part of has there been any kind of competition for jobs. It seems every year that the team is complete before we leave for Fort Myers. This year is an exception to that in many areas. Not only will players be fighting for jobs, they will also be trying to impress their new manager. It’s all new and different. If I had to pick right now, I would say Mike Aviles may have the edge. I am a big Nick Punto fan, though, having watched him over the years in Minnesota. His ability to move around makes him a great candidate to be the utility guy.
Hi Don, will we finally get to see Ryan Lavarnaway start to play a role on the major league club this season? I thought he showed a lot of promise last year, and his arm seemed to be as good — if not better — than anything on the roster?
— Jim, St. Cloud, Fla.
I think we will, but not initially. I think he will begin the year in Triple-A with the PawSox and make his way up as the season progresses. I think you have a good tandem in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach to start the year. I was very impressed with Lavarnway last year and his bat really stands out, especially from a power standpoint. I think his catching skills will continue to develop and it will be something to keep an eye on as the Triple-A season starts.
Is Jose Iglesias ready to hit major league pitching yet? Or are the Red Sox really content to play the entire season with a platoon of utility infielders?
— Craig Turcotte, via Facebook
By all accounts, is he ready to hit at the major league level? No. However, I am not sure you really need him too. His fielding abilities have been major league ready for the past few seasons. Many scouts have compared him to Rey Ordonez, formerly of the Mets. I had the opportunity to see Ordonez on a daily basis in Double-A Binghamton, and if Iglesis is anywhere near as good, the Red Sox have something very special. I think he will start in Triple-A and this platoon will begin the year in Boston.
