"We're a veteran team and we're built to win, so that's the way it's supposed to be," manager Terry Francona said on the final day before his team starts to officially report to preseason camp. "If we showed up and we had eight spots open, I'd say Theo [Epstein] had a rough winter."
Time will tell if general manager Epstein had a rough winter, but he certainly didn't have a quiet winter. He has added at least three position players expected to start in the coming year, a top-flight starter and a host of arms that could work out of the bullpen this summer.
And if there's one thing the Red Sox have certainly learned, it's that you can't have enough pitching.
"Guys get banged up, guys go down for a month or six weeks and if you don't have somebody that can come and pitch those innings, you can get nicked up a little bit," said Francona. "There's going to be another group of pitchers in this camp, that even if they don't make this team [out of camp], will pitch for us this year. We're very aware of that, and getting the right guys is usually important."
The Red Sox are hoping Boof Bonser is the right guy, and he has a very good chance to make the club now. The team essentially has one opening in the bullpen, and Bonser appears to be the front-runner to fill the spot.
"We really liked him before," said Francona. "It'll be interesting to see. And the idea is not to rush into him either. He has had some things go on in that shoulder, we know that, but he is very intriguing. He's going to be a fun guy to watch."
Twins fans expected to be watching Bonser pitch for a long time, especially after he burst on the scene with a 7-6 rookie season in 2006. The former first-round draft pick was going to join Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano as cornerstones of the Minnesota pitching staff.
All that changed last winter when doctors found a torn labrum and a torn rotator cuff in Bonser's right shoulder. Boof's season went "poof!" and he missed all of 2009.
The timing couldn't have been worse for Bonser. He was once penciled in as the No. 2 starter behind Liriano in the Twins' rotation, but after a mostly mediocre run, he was moved to the bullpen. He struggled there, too, until late in the 2008 season, when he appeared to find his form. He was averaging better than a strikeout an inning, and he was expected to rejuvenate his career out of the ‘pen.
Now he will get his chance.
The big question surrounding Bonser was whether he would develop into a starter or a reliever. In Boston, he won't get a chance to start. There are already six quality starters on the roster. If he's going to stick with the team, he will pitch middle-inning relief.
For now, Francona will keep Bonser pitching on a starter's schedule, with a close eye on that shoulder.
"We want to keep him stretched out, [because] he's been a starter in his past," said Francona. "He's also had an injury. He's an interesting guy. We'd like to get him lengthened out as much as we can, just to keep our options open."
Bonser won't just be interesting because of his first name (which he legally changed from John Paul Bonser in 2001 — he had been called "Boof" by his family almost since birth). He could be the latest addition to a bullpen that has become one of the league's best over the past three seasons.
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NESN.com will be answering one Red Sox question every day through Feb. 23.
Wednesday, Feb. 17: Can outfielder J.D. Drew stay healthy?
Friday, Feb. 19: Who should bat in the No. 3 and No. 4 holes?
