Open Thread: 2006 Starting Lineup

So it seems that a lot of people have interest in this...but i am going to give it a shot.
1B: Howard (from the Phills in a deal that includes Manny getting out of Boston)
2B: Pedroia
SS: Rent
3B: Youk (but maybe Mueller)
RF: Trot
CF: Damon (a three year deal, like posted before)
LF: Han-Ram
DH: Papi

Rotaion:
Clement
Wells (i think we have him for another year)/ Wake
Arroyo
Schilling
Paps
(NB: Miller will be traded along with Manny in a deal to Philly for atleast Howard)

Bullpen:
RP: Delcarmen
RP: Hansen
RP: Timlin
C: Foulke

I close with a prediction: John Lester and Abe Alvarez will be in the starting rotation by the end of the year. Also, Foulke will go down, and Hansen will fill the closer roll and dominate.

That is it, go ahead and rip away.

CF - Damon
SS - Renteria
DH - Ortiz
1B - Thome
RF - Nixon
LF - Brian Giles
C - Varitek
3B - Mueller
2B - Pedroia

Rotation
Clement
Burnett
Wakefield
Wells
Arroyo

Pen
Foulke
Delcarmen
Bradford
Timlin
Gonzalez
Myers

Damon will be back. He's backed off a bit on his demands and the Sox will talk him down some more. The Sox need a lead off hitter and they need a centerfielder. Damon is one of the best to fill both roles. He's well liked in Boston and he seems to like it here.

absolutelax395 gave me an idea with Manny. Philly would never take him in exchange for Howard. But I think they'd move Thome for Manny. We need a first baseman next year. I don't like the move. I think it weakens the team, but it'd free up some money to get some other guys. Like Giles and Burnett.

Giles, I believe, is a free agent this year. He has a fantastic eye and gets on base with the best of them. His power isn't what it was a couple of years ago, but he can still knock the ball around. I think he'd be exactly the kind of guy the Sox are looking for to fill Manny's shoes.

I'd love to see Youk start. I don't think he will. The Sox seem to really not believe in him. At this rate I think they'd bring Bill Mueller's rotting corpse in to play as they extend his contract all the way until 2105.

Burnett won't be going anywhere this year. Dontrelle Willis has been sucking up the joint and with Beckett on and off the DL (stupid Becket...I gave up JD Drew and Jose Reyes to get him and he's been on the DL ever since. At least Drew is done for the yeaer), the Marlins need Burnett. I have heard plenty or rumors, however, that he wants to sign with Boston. I say let him. We only signed Wade Miller to a 1 year deal, didn't we?

Schilling will never be the pitcher he once was. He'll be on the DL for most of next year. We basically paid the guy $36 mil for 2004. And boy was it ever worth it. He'll go down a legend in Boston, but he's in the middle of going down real hard.

With the bullpen I mostly just guessed and used the names that we already have because I have no idea who's out there or who's available.

Papelbon will come up in the middle of next year when one of the starters goes down. Abe Alvarez will be moved sometime between Dec 05 and July 06. He's not a bad pitcher and could hold down a spot in the middle of the rotation for many teams, but Boston will demand more from a starter.

1B Dan Shaughnessy
2B John Dennis
SS Gerry Callahan
3B Bob Ryan
C Gordon Edes
RF Jerry Remy
CF Tom Caron
LF Howard Bryant
DH Ted Sarandis