General manager: Theo Epstein Manager: Terry Francona (fifth season with Red Sox; ninth overall, 660-636) 2007: 96-66, first place, World Series champions
Outlook: They're obviously ahead of the Yankees in both teams' desires to become "player development machines." The Sox have a rich farm system featuring both potential contributors and potential trade chips. They'll try to become baseball's first repeat champion since the 1999-2000 Yankees, and see if their pitchers work through fatigue from last year's extended workload. If they don't -- and the projection here is they'll peter out in the ALCS -- then they, like the Yankees, will face questions over whether they should have acquired Johan Santana.
Parting shot: Two interesting "walk-year” scenarios here: team captain Jason Varitek and Manny Ramirez. But the better Manny plays, the more likely that the Sox will exercise his $20-million team option for 2009.
Projected lineup
C: Jason Varitek
1B: Kevin Youkilis
2B: Dustin Pedroia
SS: Julio Lugo
3B: Mike Lowell
LF: Manny Ramirez
CF: Jacoby Ellsbury
RF: J.D. Drew
DH: David Ortiz
Projected rotation
Josh Beckett
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield
Jon Lester
Clay Buchholz
CL: Jonathan Papelbon
SU: Hideki Okajima
SU: Manny Delcarmen
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