Red Sox CLoser Situation SOLVED!

[Rob The Long Island Cowboy]

when theo realizes that joel pineiro sucks it will be about 30 days before papelbon is closing again and lester is the five.

Can't count out the Hansen kid yet either.

i'm a little gun shy on hansen yet.  i'd like to see him with a full year of aaa under his belt.  he's still trying to get out of trouble with his heater which is getting him killed all too often with the stuff he has. 

i agree with you...i think hansen should start at aaa....he's got the stuff but not the head....and papelbon is the closer without a doubt

I worry about Jonny-P's shoulder, and I think the team does too. (thus the back to starting gig)

That said I really am VERY keen on Lester, as a Starter.  If he could get his pitch count down a bit he has the chance to be special, and sticking a lefty in the middle of the rotation would be nice.

TomC

The exact reason for Papelbon in the rotation is that it would prolong his career.  Yeah.  No kidding.  Don't need to be an m.d. to see that.  Trick is three things. 

A.  The Dave Rightetti factor.  You can take a successful starter and make him a successful closer for several years without incident. 

B.  Papelbon's success in the bullpen may not translate into being a successful starter.  He will certainly need to develop another pitch and the majors is not the place to do this.

C.  Need.  This team is built for now.  No sense in wasting a season playing the bullpen by committee joke that we've done in the past.