Another year begins tomorrow when the Boston Red Sox opens their Spring Training season in a split squad doubleheader against Northeastern and Boston College.
The questions entering the season are as follows:
Will David Price buck the trend about pitchers being done after 30?
Will Hanley Ramirez be able to make the transition to first base?
Will Pablo Sandoval eat himself out of a job?
Will Craig Kimbrell be able to handle the stress of closing in Boston?
Can Dustin Pedroia stay healthy?
Can David Ortiz have one last good year before retiring?
Can Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart and Carson Smith built on their successes last season?
Will Christian Vazquez' arm be able to stand the strain of a full season?
Is Rusney Castillo the real deal?
Can Jackie Bradley Jr hit above his weight to balance his wizardry in the field?
Can Clay Buchholz stay healthy?
All these questions will be answered eventually. In the the meantime, there are Spring questions that will be ask.
Who will be the "next man up" in the rotation if someone gets hurt or falters?
Can Brandon Workman return to his 2013 form?
Who will win the long relief role?
Who will be the 25th man?
Is Eduardo Rodriguez' knee okay?
With the split squad games tomorrow, the Sox have a month to get their act together. We're going to find out real quick if Hanley can play first base, if Vazquez' arm is sound and if Sandoval's weight will be a problem. The real purpose of the next month will be to take a look at the top stars of Pawtucket and see if they can hang with superior competition.
Let the games begin!
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