There are some back-end starters still out there: Benson, Colon, Lohse... Blanton is overrated and I think he'll get found out this season: it's unlikely he'll be worth the cost Beane gouges out of us.

Wait - what am I thinking?  You cannot blackmail a man who has no shame.

What appeals to me would be an incentive-stacked one-year contract for one of the better FAs. Not saying it's vital for our success, but the insurance would be useful.

Really, I think Joo-lian Tavarez and assorted youngsters present the best option for the Red Sox in terms of cost and quality. We won't do any better in a trade or in free agency.

  However I think Sox fans would had been extremely disappointed with the best pitcher in baseball, given the huge expecations of Santana in the rotation, Unfriendly confines of Fenway Park for southpaws, and Santana showing some signs of vunerability in Sept 2007, I think more home runs were hit off Johan during that month than any other time, which means his infamous change up is showing signs of being tipped..

  I am curious how Johan performs at Shea, and how the NY Media deals with him.

  I also think Lester is showing signs of being a good pitcher, and even a better pitcher in 2008

  Theo has made some bad trades, whether it is Arroyo for Wily Mo Peña, Gabbard for Gagné, (which is probably more of a wash) All that is minor compare to picking up David Ortiz on waivers, along with getting Okajima for $2.5 million a year.   Even though Schilling is a royal pain in the butt, that  trade gave the Red Sox a leader who won crucial games, (Game 1 of the 2004 ALCS not withstanding, but Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS is already folklore)

    The Beckett/Lowell trade happened when he was on hiatus, and getting JD Drew is questionable, given he is okay but not worth the $15 million.  Signing Renteria didn't turned out to be the killer deal compare to signing Orlando Cabrera, nor signing David Wells and Matt Clement and not making any effort in retaining Derek Lowe, (even though Lowe showed to be a basket case in LA)) was also in hindsight not the best move..

  However he refused to give Pedro a four year deal, which in hindsight was smart and save the Sox a bundle, and Lowe had some personal problems he needed to overcome..

  I give Theo a huge amount of credit  for making the very tough trades, like the Garciaparra trade, but he was pretty close in trading Lowe for Clement in that deal, which in some ways could had change some playoff games, given Lowe came through when the Sox needed him the most, 2004 ALCS Game 7.

  He also offered Pavano more money than the Yankees, and if it wasn't for Carl Pavano's mom, Theo would had been tar and feathered in Brookline for that signing.

  There has been alot of luck, and alot of chance, Most of the trades/signings haven't worked out for the Sox.  The ones that have, well they are almost Ruthian in success.

  However, I think what Theo Epstein has shown, is that Boston wasn't curse by the Bambino, but by bad management for eighty three or so years, like having Fisk, Lynn etc go when Haywood Sullivan bungled their contract negotiations.   Theo also has been stressing pitching since 2005, and it finally paid off last year, with the best bullpen in the majors.  He has shown he is much more balance and more adaptable to annual changes than someone like Dan Duquette, who had some baseball smarts, but was so freakin arrogant, that it showed some serious flaws in his managment skills.