Pitchers and catchers will report on Sunday. As the rest of the team trickles into Fort Myers in the coming days, one last reflection on the September meltdown will undoubtedly take place before the Red Sox officially start anew.
Before the madness begins, let's go over the last mailbag of the offseason. And make sure you stay with NESN.com for your Red Sox coverage as we make the trek to Fort Myers on Friday.
As a follow-up to your piece on A-Gon stepping up and becoming more of a leader in the Red Sox clubhouse this season, do you think he is a logical choice to replace "Tek" as team captain if the team's long-time captain doesn't make the final roster coming out of spring training? Or should manager Bobby V or the team look to Sox veterans like David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia or Youk to fill that important slot?
— Mike Galloucis, Silver Spring, M.D.
During the winter meetings, Bobby Valentine mentioned that he didn't plan to tab a captain anytime soon. Right now, he's just trying to learn his roster, let alone learn his players' personalities.
Hypothetically, I suppose, Dustin Pedroia would be a likely candidate to become an eventual captain since he's posted enough service time with the Red Sox and has the credentials that would merit the honor.
But when I wrote the column, I wasn't calling for Adrian Gonzalez to become the next captain, I was simply calling for him to shoulder more of a leadership load now that he's entrenched in the Boston market. Last year was his chance to adjust to the environment.
Gonzalez has the traits to lead on and off the field, so he would be a great complimentary voice in the clubhouse alongside Pedroia, especially with David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis growing older.
Any chances of the Sox making a move for Jorge Soler? He could be a long-term answer to our outfield, and has been compared to Mike Stanton in terms of power. If the Sox don't, do they have any plans for Dustin Pedroia's buddy Andre Ethier next season, he seems like a reasonable move. What do you think?
–Jack Delaney, McKinney, Texas
The Red Sox have been reportedly linked to Jorge Soler, but they'll be competing against the Yankees, Phillies, Orioles, Cubs, White Sox and Blue Jays, who have all also been connected to the Cuban slugger.
Andre Ethier, however, could be an option in the long-term. It just depends on the Dodgers' desire to lock him up past this season. If they wait and Ethier sustains his All-Star caliber success, the outfielder could elect for free agency and could be scooped up by the Red Sox or Yankees next offseason.
You should be ashamed of yourself for that travesty of an article on NESN.com! [Robinson] Cano ahead of Pedroia? Really dude?
–@RRich70 and @A_ROY_85, via Twitter
As I sorted through my second basemen rankings heading into 2012, I strictly looked at the numbers from 2011. Obviously, Pedroia and Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano were the headliners coming into the debate.
By strictly looking at the 2011 season numbers, Cano had more home runs and RBIs while possessing a greater slugging percentage and OPS. The disparity between Pedroia's numbers and his was pretty large.
Plus, with better plate discipline, Cano is capable of becoming a 40-home run threat and has been overshadowed by Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira on his own team.
Pedroia owned a higher batting average, but by only .005 points. The Red Sox second baseman does have a Gold Glove to his credit, though, but I went with the numbers in my projections. Either way, you're talking about two All-Star players.
I know it is probably very likely that [Jason Varitek] is gone I know that we got Salty and Shop and a very good catcher in [Ryan] Lavarnway in the minors. I think that the latter needs a little more time in Pawtucket, so if the two already here in the majors happen to falter, do you see them bringing up the kid again or do you see them maybe trading for a catcher if they are in the pennant hunt as we all think they will what are your thoughts.
–Jim, Denver
In that scenario, if Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Kelly Shoppach struggled, I believe it would accelerate the Ryan Lavarnway era in Boston. With Lavarnway chomping at the bits for a chance, I just don't see any trade materializing.
Lavarnway is established offensively and is still sharpening his skills when it comes to game management. If there was an emergency, the Red Sox wouldn't hesitate to call him up.
I'm really concerned with Bard's transition into a starting role in terms of arm fatigue over the course of the whole season. Can you help me not be so worried?
–Evan, Folly Beach, S.C.
Conversions from the bullpen to the rotation are always tricky — see Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain — so there's no way to predict it.
As I wrote in December, it helps Bard that new pitching coach Bob McClure made that transition during his own major-league career. After five years as a reliever for the Brewers, McClure made the transition into a starter, totaling a 12-7 record with 99 strikeouts in 26 starts.
Not dazzling numbers, but he provided the necessary stability. As a result of that experience, I expect McClure to cautiously guide Daniel Bard through the process to avoid any pitfalls.
Have a question for Didier Morais? Send it to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
