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The bridge to somewhere by Jared Carrabis
Theo unveils his new toys

So much for it being a "bridge year" here in Red Sox Nation.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending Christmas at Fenway. At the event, newly appointed assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox, Ben Cherington, took questions from the fans. Most were from the younger audience who asked simple questions such as, "What’s it like to work for the Red Sox?" and, "Are you friends with David Ortiz?” I chose to mix things up a bit and posed a real question. I asked Mr. Cherington what others might have hesitated to ask, "Were Theo Epstein’s comments about 2010 being a 'bridge year' taken out of context, and if so, could you clarify what he meant by that comment?"

Cherington responded by saying that the Red Sox strive to put a World Series contender on the field every spring. He went on to say that Epstein’s comments of 2010 being a “bridge year” were misinterpreted and that they were referring to the development of the Red Sox’s highly touted prospects. He assured everyone that it had nothing to do with the Red Sox’s chances of competing at a championship level in 2010.

The Hot Stove season kicked off in the first week of December when Boston general manager Theo Epstein inked his eighteenth shortstop since joining the Red Sox. The current generation of baseball fans may be accustomed to the shortstop position being one that fields a superstar player. Some of us grew up with the likes of Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez as shortstops being the biggest names in the game in the late 90’s and into the start of the new millennium, but times have changed.

Marco Scutaro was introduced at Fenway Park as Boston’s newest shortstop after signing a two-year $12.5 million deal. He may not be a superstar, but the Red Sox got him for all the right reasons. A leadoff hitter in Toronto, Scutaro will likely hit ninth in the Red Sox lineup. In 2009, the shortstop had a career year, hitting .282 with 12 HR, 60 RBI and a .379 OBP. He’s the type of player that is going to get on base for the big bats to drive him in, as Scutaro scored 100 runs during his ’09 campaign.

Defensively, there isn’t much to complain about. Red Sox fans will be treated with a solid middle infielder, as his .984 fielding percentage ranked third among all American League shortstops.

When the Red Sox left the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis with close to nothing, many fans began to question the front office’s commitment to putting a winning team on the field in 2010. I did my best to try and explain that the Winter Meetings are overrated, over-hyped and that there was still plenty of winter left for work to be done.

Sox fans were disheartened when they had first learned that Mike Lowell was involved in a trade that would send him, along with $9 million to help pay for the $12 million in which he’s owed in 2010, to the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher, Max Ramirez. Although the deal is still pending, sources have said that the deal is 85% done. The only thing keeping this swap from happening is Lowell’s health issues with both hip thumb and his hip. Lowell was rumored to have needed surgery on his thumb and is scheduled to take a physical with the Rangers this week, so we will know sooner than later what uniform he’ll be wearing next season.

On Monday, a sleeping giant awoke, as the Red Sox began to make move after move. First we learned that free agent pitcher John Lackey was taking a physical with the Red Sox. Later, it was confirmed that the Red Sox and Lackey agreed to a five-year deal worth $85 million.

It may be too soon to tell, but this signing may be one of Theo’s best. Not only did he make what was already considered one of the best rotations in baseball even better, but he also took away the ace of the staff from the team that has become Boston’s perennial postseason foe, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. A postseason rotation of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and John Lackey would be far and above any other rotation that a team in October could counter Boston’s with. Of course, it’s also worth noting that this signing makes pitcher Clay Buchholz expendable, making him a very attractive trading chip should the Red Sox look to explore a trade for a big bat.

For those who aren’t familiar with Lackey, here’s something that will bring you some optimism:

Player A (career): 106-68, 3.79 ERA. Postseason: 3.07 ERA
Player B (career): 102-71, 3.81 ERA. Postseason: 3.12 ERA

If you’re keeping score at home, Player B is John Lackey and Player A is his new teammate, Josh Beckett. Their numbers are nearly identical.

On a side note, the Red Sox also made a $15.5 million offer to lefty pitcher, Aroldis Chapman. Chapman is a Cuban defector who came to the United States in August of this past summer. The 21-year-old’s fastball has clocked in at speeds as high as 102mph.

Before the sun set on Monday, Epstein addressed the void in the outfield by signing veteran outfielder Mike Cameron to a two-year, $15.5 million deal. One of the top defensive outfielders in the game, the 36-year-old Cameron brings a career .250 batting average with him to Boston. In 2009, the right-handed hitter stroked 24 HR and drove in 70 runs, while posting a .342 OBP.

So, I think it’s safe to say that the Red Sox are countering the Yankees’ potent lineup with great starting pitching and above average defense. Is their work done here this winter? Probably not. Be on the lookout for trade talks to heat up with the Padres, as the Red Sox attempt to pry superstar Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego to solidify what would be one of the best infields in all of baseball, both defensively and offensively.

In Theo we trust.

Bonus material: My interview with former Red Sox GM, Dan Duquette this past Tuesday. In two parts, Duquette discusses how the 2010 Red Sox are shaping up, his thoughts on the 2004 Red Sox World Series championship, his proudest moment in Boston and if he would have pulled the trigger on a Nomar trade back in '04!

To order Jared's debut book, One Fan's Story: If This Hat Could Talk, click HERE!