Red Sox Playoff Roster Questions

The roster for the ALDS is starting to take form for the Red Sox. Players with definite roster spots include:

Starting Line-up:

CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
C Martinez
1B Youkilis
DH Ortiz
LF Bay
3B Lowell
RF Drew
SS Gonzalez

Bench:

C Varitek
1B Kotchman
INF Lowrie (Announced a definite roster spot after Nick Green was declared not healthy)

Rotation:

1. LHP Lester
2. RHP Beckett
3. RHP Buchholz
4. RHP Matsuzaka (unless it's Lester on short rest, also if you did not know, Wakefield will not be on the roster due to continued discomfort in his back)

Bullpen:

C RHP Papelbon
SU LHP Wagner
SU LHP Okijima
SU RHP Bard
MR RHP Ramirez
MR RHP Saito (Assuming he is a definite, especially because Delcarmen is still hurt from a car accident)

That is 22 players that will almost certainly comprise the 25-man roster.

The first question, will the Sox keep 10 or 11 pitchers? I have 10 listed above, but the team is lacking a significant innings eater. We don't want to pitch any of the top four in a blow-out game, so they may want to consider an innings eater (Bowden? Byrd?). A guy that can throw 3+ innings would be sufficient.

The bench is very questionable. One glaring whole is backup OF. Rocco Baldelli, the obvious choice, is very questionable with a hip injury. The Sox face two lefties in games 3+4, so his presence would be beneficial. If Rocco is not on the roster other options include Brian Anderson (who we picked up for Kotsay midseason), Josh Reddick (the rook who struggled at times this year, but never really got a chance), and Joey Gathright (more of a speed option). If Baldelli isn't healthy, look for Brian Anderson to get the nod. He is a right-handed hitter and plays above-average D.

So we are at 23 if it's 10 pitchers or at 24 if we keep 11. Will the 24th/25th spot be another INF or OF? Most likely it will be one of each if we keep ten pitchers. However, if it comes down to one of those two positions the Sox are faced with a tough choice. Gil Velazquez has reportedly been summoned from Mexican Fall League to Anaheim as a possible addition to the roster. This makes sense because Lowrie has struggled batting right-handed at times, and Gil is a righty. The other option in my eyes is Gathright, Joey could serve as a pinch-runner. Not to be discounted is the fact that the Sox carried three catchers each of the past two postseasons. This seems less of an option because of the restrictions we have with how the roster will be put together.

It'll be interesting to find out who rounds out the roster. Check back at Inside Boston Sports where you will see it first.

Also be sure to check in for a Angels vs. Red Sox series preview in the next day or two.