Bolster Bullpen depth

The Red Sox need to add depth to their bullpen, you can never have enough relief pitchers and that seems like it's proven over and over again every year. 

There are a number of relievers, both lefties and righties on the free agent market this off season that the Red Sox should be looking at and then signing. 

Year by Year with Ortiz

At 38 years old, it would be a huge risk for the Sox to sign David Ortiz to any type of long term deal. He is signed through 2015 and then there are $10 million team options for 2016 and 2017 which he will have to, and should, earn based on his play in the upcoming seasons. 

This is a fine way to go for the Red Sox and it's also a safe way to go. 

Ortiz had 35 home runs and 104 RBI last season. 

Sign Cespedes Long term

The Red Sox traded Jon Lester to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes last season and after the trade, the A's nearly had a complete collapse, which tells you how important Cespedes was. 

Yoenis Cespedes is under contract for 2015 but then is a free agent. The Red Sox need to make every effort to lock him up long term, they need outfield help and a bat and this guy brings both.

In 51 games for the Sox last season, Cespedes had 5 home runs, 54 hits and 33 RBI.

Re-Sign David Ross

The Red Sox need a back up catcher and bringing back 37 year old David Ross on a one year deal would be a good move. Ross only played 50 games last year for the Red Sox and that's all they need out of him again this year. 

He knows the pitching staff, he was a big part of the last Red Sox World Series win, at least defensively, and would continue to be a great mentor to the young catchers in the Red Sox system (see next slide). 

Make Vazquez catcher

Christian Vazquez is one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system and is the top catching prospect. Last season the 24 year old Vazquez was called up and played very well in his 55 games with the Red Sox. He posted 42 hits and 20 RBI for a batting average of .240. Defensively, he made five errors in just over 458 innings behind the plate. 

This upcoming season the Red Sox should give him the starting job, or at least give him the opportunity to earn it in spring training. 

Trade Shane Victorino

Shane Victorino only played 30 games for the Red Sox last season before having major season ending back surgery. He will likely be on the Sox roster to start spring training one way or the other but once they show that he is healthy, the Sox should look to move him. 

He will have some value for teams and the Sox could get some prospects or maybe a relief pitcher in return for him. 

Brock Holt and or Daniel Nava are ready to take over the right field position. After what Holt did last season, there is no way the Sox can keep him out of the lineup. 

Sign a 3rd Baseman

The Red Sox need a third baseman and rumors are that they are eyeing free agents Pablo Sandoval of the Giants and Chase Headley of the Yankees. 

Pablo Sandoval is coming off a World Series win with the Giants where he batted .429 with 12 hits in the series. Red Sox need another bat, this would be a really nice pick up and he would be great in Fenway Park.

Headley played well for the Yankees last season after being traded from San Diego, batting .262 in 58 games in the Bronx with 50 hits and 17 RBI. 

Current third baseman Will Middlebrooks may be on the roster to start the season but its hard to see him getting his job back after the Red Sox asked him to play winter ball this off season and he refused. Middlebrooks has not been able to stay healthy, he's never played more then 100 games in a season, and when he has played, he has been inconsistent. 

Koji Uehara

The Red Sox announced late Thursday afternoon that they signed 39 year old closer Koji Uehara to a two year deal. Uehara pitched tremendously for the Sox in their 2013 World Series Championship run and pitched well  at the beginning of last season as well but then his play dropped off.

After a stretch where he allowed 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings in early September, the Red Sox removed him from the closer role and considered shutting him down. 

The Sox brought him back on a two year deal, which is fine, but the should have a back up plan just in case his problems last year were more then fatigue.

Explore trade with Philly

The Phillies are and have been looking to trade ace pitcher Cole Hamels for a couple of months and the Red Sox are one of the teams rumored to be one of the teams interested. 

The Red Sox would likely have to give up two or three good prospects for him but this trade is worth looking at, especially if the Sox can't sign one of the three aces on the market (see next slide). 

At 30 years old, Hamels went 9-9 with a 2.46 ERA for the Phillies last season.

Sign an Ace. At least one

There are three ace pitchers on the free agent market this off season and the Red Sox need at least one of them to solidify their rotation. 

Jon Lester had a combined record of 16-11 last season between Boston and Oakland with an ERA of about 2.40.

James Shields went 14-8 this year in Kansas City with an ERA of 3.21 but he did not pitch well in the World Series (0-2, 7 ERA). With that said, the 32 year old Shields was a huge reason why the Royals even got there. 

Max Scherzer is the third pitcher available to the Sox to sign at the age of 29. Last season with Detroit, Scherzer went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA. He also did not pitch well in his one post season game, giving up five earned runs in a little over 7 innings. 

Either of these three would be great pick ups for the Sox, though Red Sox fans would likely prefer to have Lester back.