Countdown to Opening Day

Here's my prediction: the Sox are better than everyone thinks they'll be.

But, will it be good enough? I don't know. Look, the lineup is far improved from last season.  Nick Swisher may hit 40 dingers at the Cell.  Cabrera is a solid batsman who can do all the little things that no one on our roster could do with any consistency last season.  Paulie, Dye, and AJ are unlikely to have horrible years again.  And, in the "addition by subtraction" category, these guys will not be getting at bats: Erstad, Gonzalez, Cintron, and Terrero.

The bullpen now has some veteran arms--pretty good ones at that. It may not be the best bullie in the AL, but it won't be the worst like it was last year. Of course, the biggest question is the rotation.  Can the Sox withstand losing Garland? Maybe.  Can Contreras rebound, eat some innings, and be effective? Perhaps.  Are Danks and Floyd ready-for-primetime? Some think so.

The point is that I expect our lineup to produce more runs this season--and that may be enough to cover up the question marks at the back end of the rotation. Maybe.