Red Sox Bloggers:

Evan from Firebrand of the AL
Ian from Sox & Dawgs
Dan from Red Sox Monster
Matt from Fenway West
Troy from Yawkey Way Academy

Question 1: What is the most pressing need this for the Red Sox this offseason?

Evan: Their most pressing need is to bring in high-impact players on offense. Will they do it? Who knows. However, there is no one in the lineup currently that really makes an impact. Can you win without that player? Sure -- Boston did that to an extent this past season, although they had Jason Bay along for the ride. Without Bay and an appropriate replacement, it would be difficult.

Take a look at the participants of the championship series. The Dodgers had Kemp, Ethier and Manny. The Phillies have Utley and Howard. The Yankees have their version of the Bronx Bombers. Only the Angels don't have hitters on the level of the other teams -- like Boston -- but unlike Boston, is deep.

Ian: The most pressing issue for the Red Sox is to get Jason Bay under contract. With Matt Holliday as the only free agent left fielder worth going after and his lack of success in the AL, Bay is the better fit. Plus with Bay, he’s already acclimated to Boston and knows what to expect.

Another pressing issue is shoring up the shortstop position. I know they want to see how Jed Lowrie progresses with his health. But with Alex Gonzalez’ option being relatively cheap, why not exercise the option and have Lowrie be the backup infielder for the year. He can play short, third and second if need be. Gonzalez did a great job in a short time with the Red Sox and you know what you’re going to get with him.

Dan: Clearly, they need to add a bopper in the middle of the lineup. Adrian Gonzalez has been discussed as a commodity worth pursuing more often than the plot of "Glee," but that's only because he is. I think all Red Sox offseason plans revolve around him. Get him, and you can make another run with minor retooling. Don't, and you need a significant alternative to upgrade the lineup, like finding a shortstop who can actually hit.

Matt: They need a big bat. With Big Papi past his prime the Red Sox need an RBI machine.

Troy: Obviously left field is the most pressing need this offseason. There are ways they could improve third base, DH or short stop, but none are as needed as finding the right option to fill left field. I'm a fan of Matt Holliday as the replacement, but I wouldn't bid to astronomical numbers.

Q2: Name your top TWO choices among the list of Free Agent starters: Ben Sheets, Mark Mulder, Erik Bedard (Type B), Rich Harden (Type B), John Lackey (Type A), Randy Wolf (Type A) and explain why you think they are the best fits for Boston.

Evan: 1) Lackey. If we shell out for Lackey -- which we won't, but I picked him anyways because he's the best of the bunch -- it will be because of his hard-nosed nature that would be a fit in Boston. He and Youkilis together would probably send baseball bats scurrying in fear. He is a lot like Josh Beckett, only more firey and a tick lower in talent. Who wouldn't want this guy? 2) Harden is similarly superbly talented, and it seems as if he would fit in Boston where the team will both take very good care of him physically and make sure they have enough reserves in place to step in and replace Harden. The team will not ask Harden to pitch hurt and their medical program is reportedly top-notch.

Ian: I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t sign anyone of these guys other than John Lackey and I’m not sure I’d want to give up my draft pick on him. The Red Sox value their draft picks as we’ve seen the fruits of their labor recently so to sign a TYPE A or TYPE B free agent, he would have to be something special. I just don’t see it in that group. I might be willing to take a flier on Ben Sheets or Mark Mulder if the price is right.

Dan: John Lackey fits in best from the list of pitchers you named, but I think that's also because he doesn't fit in there. Unlike Sheets, Mulder, Bedard and Harden, there shouldn't be any major injury concerns about him right now -- just look at him in the playoffs. He'd fit right in and give the Sox an imposing rotation. However, I find it unlikely Epstein would spend the money on him, not to mention burn the draft pick.

Bedard intrigues me, if only because Sox fans had such a good look at his dominating 2007 season with the Orioles, when he struck out 221 batters in 182 innings and posted a 1.088 WHIP. Harden would also fit in, and has a boatload of talent. I'd also suggest that onetime Oakland A's ace Justin Duchscherer should be considered. A 1996 Red Sox draft pick, he's already a two-time All-Star and a proven talent -- when he's healthy. His "buyer beware" free agent warning is big, however. He missed the entire 2009 season not only because of injuries, but because of clinical depression. Makes you wonder how he'd do pitching under a microscope in Boston.

Matt: Ben Sheets and Rich Harden would be my two choices. Sheets will be ready to go at the the start of the season and will not have to be slowly brought along like Smoltz. The team would know what they had in spring training before it counts.

Rich Harden could be a spot starter and might avoid his usual injury if he is not a full time part of the rotation. He would also come much cheaper than Sheets.

Troy: Ben Sheets and Erik Bedard are my top two choices here. We don't need a Type A free agent signing this year with a starting staff that is full with Tim Wakefield returning from surgery. I would also look into Rich Harden, but he maybe looking for the longest contract of the group. Sheets and Harden seem like solid bets on one year deals with possible options for more years.

Q3: Ignoring the unlikelihood of this actually happening, if the same package of young talent would land EITHER Adrian Gonzalez or Felix Hernandez, who would you trade for and why?

Evan: I would trade for Felix Hernandez. He is a year younger than Buchholz and look how much he has already accomplished! He would set the Sox up with a no-doubt-about-it ace who could rack up multiple Cy Young awards over the next ten years. How often does that person come around?

Alternatively, A-Gon does provide the juice that Boston needs. Age 30 isn't all that far away, though, and who knows if he would regress given the pitching style in the American League? It's become very clear over the years that while some National League players can definitely adjust to the style of pitching, some simply cannot. Is Gonzalez that guy? Do you want to risk that?

Ian: Both would be good fits in Boston and I can argue for both. With Gonzalez, you have Mike Lowell in the last year of his contract and Kevin Youkilis who can play third base. You can always try to move Lowell and pay part of his contract. If Jed Hoyer gets the job in San Diego, he’ll know who he wants if he decided to trade Gonzo.

#1 starters are a dime a dozen. If you’re presented with an opportunity to get a pitcher of King Felix’s stature, you most definitely have to consider it. The Red Sox lucked out in getting Josh Beckett and we all know what he’s done in a Red Sox uniform. He’s also in the last year of his contract and with Roy Halladay possibly hitting free agency after the 2010 season, Beckett’s price could go up. But with both of these, it all depends on what you’re giving up. If Daniel Bard is part of these trades, I say NO. With Papelbon being Papelbon and wanting to set the market for closers, Bard could simply step in and close after the 2010 season.

Dan: I take Gonzalez, since he feels the more immediate need. Hernandez would be wonderful to have, but I wonder if it's short-sighted to burn most of Boston's good prospects if it leaves David Ortiz playing every day. A trade for Hernandez would do that.

Matt: I would rather have Felix Hernandez. He is one of the best pitchers in the game and with Beckett in his last year of his contract the Red Sox would be well served to have another great pitcher on the team for the long term.

Troy: I would prefer Adrian Gonzalez. The reason is the Sox now lack a power threat in the minors since Lars Anderson has taken a step back. The Sox have plenty of solid outfielders and lots of pitching talent, but power hitters will need to be acquired from outside of the system.

Q4: Personally, I think the Red Sox NEED to sign one of the two... but if the prices for Jason Bay and Matt Holliday get too high, who do you think should be/will be the back up plan? Note: You can choose to simply agree with me if you think the Sox can't afford to NOT sign Bay or Holliday.

Evan: I just wrote about this at Fire Brand of the American League. If the prices are too high, I selected Jermaine Dye as the likely backup option. If you look at his first half, he was just as good as Holliday was and better than Bay. Of course, his second half was so terrible that it's an enormous risk to sign him. That said, Theo has always coveted Dye and I can see Dye launching some bombs at Fenway. It comes down to this. Do you trust Dye's career and half-2009, or is his second half in 2009 indicative of his advanced age?

If the Sox refuse to bite on Bay or Holliday and elect to stay competitive but not drop a ton of money on the team (alternatively, if they elect to go 'cheap' in left after acquiring Gonzalez) then I think Jermaine Dye makes a lot of sense. If he fails, you drop him and you look to pick someone up on the cheap or see if Brian Anderson or Josh Reddick can handle advanced playing time.

Ian: The Red Sox need to re-sign Jason Bay. The market for left fielders sucks. And given Holliday’s relative lack of success in the American League with Oakland, I’d rather give my top money to Bay. If they can get him for 4 years around 12-15 million or even add a 5th year for $12 million, I say do it. You know what you’re going to get with Bay in the outfield and at the plate as he knows what it takes to play in front of the Fenway Faithful on a nightly basis.

Dan: I actually went into this at some length the other day at Red Sox Monster. Yes, my first preference is to re-sign Bay. He's proven he can play in Boston and appears to be comfortable there. However, if he demands a five-year deal worth, say, $80 million, I'd be understanding if the Red Sox walked away. Given all the buzz on Holliday -- prefers to play in New York; prefers to play in the National League -- and his likely price tag, I find it unlikely he ends up in Boston (another Scott Boras client -- YAY!).

That leave us with the other lesser options. Bobby Abreu? Jermaine Dye? Shoot, man, I dunno. I just hope we're not looking at 2006 all over again.

Matt: If the Red Sox can get Adrian Gonzalez then Bay or Holliday can be passed up if the price gets too high. Reddick could take Bay's spot in the outfield. Jason Bay is a good player but he is not a break the bank guy. Sometimes you wish the Red Sox could just be like the Yankees and sign both Bay and Holliday.

Troy: My first thought is moving Jacoby Ellsbury to left field where his defense has been much better. You can then look into potential options like Carlos Beltran or just promoting Josh Reddick to center field. The Sox are not quick to promote youngsters so I doubt we'll see Reddick full time this year, but his defense alone would be a plus.

Q5: I heard an interesting debate on the radio the other day: Seeing the staggering financial flexibility that the new stadium has allotted the Yankees (see Teixeira, Sabathia, Burnett, etc.), do you think the Red Sox need to bite the bullet and finally build a bigger stadium to compete? Considering all the angles, do you think it would hurt or help the fanbase?

Evan: On one hand, I think that a new stadium would open up a ton of new revenue streams for the team -- as it has for every team who has moved into a new park. Adding 10,000 to 30,000 more seats wouldn't be too much of an issue.

However, look at it another way. Look at the appeal of Fenway Park and how many people that draws. Can we quantify how much scramble for tickets because it's Fenway? If you say that the amount is negligible and the new ballpark is built with that many more being able to be seated, what happens to demand? If it becomes too easy to get tickets, are you as motivated to get out to the game? I can tell you from varied experience that no, you aren't.

That doesn't really answer the question, though. I think, eventually, the team has to, but that time will come when the stadium cannot support the team from an infrastructure standpoint, not a financial standpoint. Clearly, the team has no issues with payroll right now. Does building a new stadium allow the team to expand payroll? Yeah, but who says they have to? Boston has ponied up when the time is right -- remember the $145 million payrolls of years past? Their 2009 payroll of $121 million is not because of the stadium, but because of opportunities and decisions afforded them.

Ian: This is a tough question to answer. I’d love to see a new Fenway Park in Boston that’s bigger given the demand for Red Sox tickets. But to me a new stadium wouldn’t be the same. I really think you’d lose that Fenway mystique. Fenway Park gives the Red Sox an advantage for 81 games a year. Do you really want to give that up? Yeah, me neither.

Dan: No. No. Absolutely not. Never.

For all of its "magic," the old Yankee Stadium really wasn't that old. It was remodeled in the 1970s, when I assume a David Ortiz jersey was buried in cement somewhere. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field shouldn't be touched, regardless. Fans are relatively understanding of its, uh, quirks, and management has done a good job of adding revenue generators like the seats on the Monster. I don't even want to think about the team playing somewhere else. Ugh.

Matt: I personally would rather see the Red Sox play in Fenway with a smaller payroll than sell out for a bigger stadium. Henry and Co. are finding new ways to generate money (NASCAR etc.) so I think they can be competitive at the Fens. The Yankees are not selling out their new stadium even in the playoffs so their predicted revenue may not pan out. The Yankees also get most of their money from TV so building a new stadium in Boston would not give them the same revenue as New York.

Troy: Having been to several new stadiums I have to say the continued push to keep Fenway has really dragged the Sox down. They are missing out financially with a new stadium as well as the failings of Fenway (grandstand seats looking at CF). The location of a new stadium would still be a problem, but even dismissing the financial a new stadium is really needed for aesthetic purposes.

Q6: Since we don't know how much Theo had to do with the Beckett & Lowell for Ramirez deal... what is Theo's best move (or non-move if you like) as GM of the Red Sox?

Evan: Theo's best move is clearly the David Ortiz signing. However, I'll focus on best trade to shake things up a bit. Unfortunately, that would disqualify Kevin Millar, which was a great move. However, let's push on ahead and say the best trade -- or non-trade, I suppose -- was Alex Rodriguez.

After seeing him struggle in New York from 2004-8 I severely question how those times would have gone in Boston. In addition, do you really think Boston would have been able to justify signing him to a 10 year, $275 million contract through 2017 at which point he wil be 41? Come on! He'd have ended up with the Yankees regardless. He just happened to get there a few years earlier.

And who were we going to move? Nomar Garciaparra for Magglio Ordonez, and Manny Ramirez and Jon Lester for A-Rod. As hindsight shows, Nomar was responsible for the Orlando Cabrera/Doug Mientkiewicz trade which single-handedly shored up the defense and clubhouse en route to a title. Manny gave us 2004 and 2007 before easing our pain with Jason Bay, who has been awesome. And Lester... need I say more?

Ian: Honestly, the best move I think was going out and getting Alex Gonzalez this year. It didn’t cost them much as far as prospects and with the shortstop position being a blackhole, Gonzo came in and solidified the position and that enabled the Red Sox to make the postseason.

Dan: Numerous reports (Seth Mnookin's "Feeding the Monster," for one) would suggest Epstein had almost nothing to do with the Beckett trade. I assume he was probably robbing a bank in a gorilla costume at the time. I actually find it unlikely that he would have made the deal, considering the injury risk associated at the time with both Beckett and Lowell. Some days, it's better to be lucky than smart, I guess.

I don't see how this discussion moves past Epstein's 2004 deadline deal, to be honest. Making a trade that spurs a historic championship? Even if Orlando Cabrera had come with a truck-full of hobos who sat in the bullpen, the deal worked. Case closed.

Matt: His best move was bringing in Ortiz. Without Big Papi the Red Sox would not have had nearly as much sucess this decade. Not only was bringing him in great but the low $ they had to pay him in his first few years allowed the team to sign some pricier players like Curt Schilling.

Troy: Theo Epstein played a big part in the addition of Curt Schilling. If not for adding Schilling the Sox would likely not have won the 2004 World Series. After that I am starting to think the addition of Victor Martinez might take second place. We'll see in 2010, but I think a full season from him will really add to this team.

There you go! Tell us what you guys thing about these issues and the answers from outr blogger buddies in the comments section!