After weeks of anxious speculation about the three least important spots on the roster, it appears that at last we have the final picture of what the Red Sox 25-man roster will look like to begin the year- and it's probably a surprise to very few people.
Today, the Red Sox optioned Alfredo Aceves and Hideki Okajima to Pawtucket (according to Alex Speier of WEEI), clearing the way for Dennys Reyes and Matt Albers to make the 25-man roster. As it was revealed a couple of days ago that Wakefield will definitely be on the 25-man roster, it appears that the composition is complete.
These moves should probably come as no surprise to anyone familiar with how Theo and the Sox like to work- they've gone the route of the most depth, insuring that they have as many relievers available in the minors as possible. They would have had to let either Reyes or Albers go if they didn't want them to make the team, so this is pretty much what has been expected the last few days. Full 25-man roster after the jump.
1. Jarrod Saltalamacchia- C
2. Adrian Gonzalez- 1B
3. Dustin Pedroia- 2B
4. Kevin Youkilis- 3B
5. Marco Scutaro- SS
6. Jed Lowrie- UT
7. Carl Crawford- LF
8. Jacoby Ellsbury- CF
9. J.D. Drew- RF
10. Mike Cameron- OF
11. Darnell McDonald- OF
12. Jason Varitek- C
13. David Ortiz- DH
14. Jon Lester- SP
15. John Lackey- SP
16. Clay Buchholz- SP
17. Josh Beckett- SP
18. Daisuke Matsuzaka- SP
19. Jonathan Papelbon- RP
20. Daniel Bard- RP
21. Bobby Jenks- RP
22. Dan Wheeler- RP
23. Dennys Reyes- RP
24. Matt Albers- RP
25. Tim Wakefield- RP
If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that this will not be the roster come September 1st.