There have to be major changes in the starting pitching. I predict that Lackey will be traded, along with a chunk of money. I'm not sure any of the starters is safe from a trade, and none should be.

Scutaro should be re-signed. He's been one of the team's best players down the stretch. His defense is sketchy but he's better than Lowrie, whose record of physical unreliability makes it a huge risk to count on him as a starter.  I'm not sold on Iglesias as a starter for the Sox. He has to hit a whole lot better than he has so far. I don't think the Sox will play a light-hitting SS even if he is the greatest fielder who ever lived.

Unless the Sox can magically find another top-flight RP, then they almost have to re-sign Papelbon, if they can. They may not be able to. He's going for the biggest paycheck.

Reddick's stock clearly dropped along with his BA and his fielding. Perhaps on reflection Sox management will realize that he went through a period that most young players go through, and thus will give him a shot at the RF job next year. The pitching needs of the team are so great that they really can't spend much on additional OF help. Kalish is well on his way to being another Lowrie, and they certainly are not going to have him high in their plans until he shows that he isn't. A low-cost RH OF pickup probably will happen.

We have to be concerned that Youk no longer has the resilience he once had. He may be best suited to being a DH, and would slot in there nicely if Ortiz is not re-signed.  However, I think Ortiz will be re-signed, and should be. That means that 3B could be a problem next year with Middlebrooks not ready and Youk maybe not 100%.

Lavarnway should be the starting catcher. I don't buy keeping him in the minors because he needs to learn more about catching. He'll learn faster in the majors, and the team needs his bat.

Gonzalez appears to have somthing wrong. Let's hope it is not chronic.

I'm older than most of you on this site, and my memory of Red Sox teams goes back to the 50s. For many years the Sox were a team of good to great hitting, mediocre fielding and generally poor pitching. That's what the Sox have today.  It is much better to have better pitching, even if the hitting is a little less. That's what the Sox had in 2004 and 2007, although I think we'd have to admit the defense wasn't any better, especially in 2004. The Sox just have to have better pitching.  That has to be the number one priority of the off season.