Shopping Time

There are bargains to be had out there in the after-Christmas sales and the Red Sox need to join the masses and get busy shopping. Teixeira was really a luxury item for Boston, but the Red Sox have some absolute needs in the coming weeks and must fill these holes in order of importance:

1. Starting Catcher- whether it be Tek or a the catcher of the futre, the Red Sox need to fill this spot with a quality player.

2. 5th/Spot Starter- Right now the rotation is Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Wake and a question mark. Buchholz or Masterson could the guy but Theo wants to keep Masterson in the pen and I still don't have faith that Buchholz can step into the role just yet. Even if Buchholz is the 5th starter, the Red Sox still need a guy to step in when someone is hurt.

3. 4th Outfielder- there are multiple free agents out there who could fit in this spot or the Sox could go the trade route. There is also the slim chance that Lugo becomes the 4th outfielder.

4. Backup Catcher- with Cash gone the Sox need a backup catcher too. If Tek comes back it could a rookie they want to prepare for the future or a Mirabelli type to catch Wake.

5. Corner Infielder- this is not as urgent as Lowrie can play third and Papi can play first in a jam but the Sox still need to get a good hitting corner infielder to come off of the bench.