Kennedy Coke and Aceves, has more expierience in bullpen

Burnett Smoltz / Wakefield, right now you have to give edge to the more healthy and younger lefty, but if everything goes well, Smoltz could have better numbers than anybody on this list. That´s a big IF. It`s still advantage Yankees if Wake takes this turn in the rotation

Sabathia > Beckett, LH and more durable. Beckett has more question marks.

Wang < Lester, I´ll take Lester in my team first because of age and better record in post-season, but they could end having the same stats this year.

Burnett Smoltz or Wakefield, right now you have to give edge to the more healthy and younger lefty, but if everything goes well, Smoltz could have better numbers than anybody on this list. That´s a big IF. It`s still advantage Yankees if Wake takes this turn in the rotation

Joba > Penny, even if both are healthy, wich is a bigger question mark for Penny. Right now this is a BIG edge to Yankees.

Hughes = Buchholz right now, higher ceilling for Buch

Kennedy Coke, Aceves, has more expierience in bullpen

I`d take Boston defense, pen and bench over the yankees, but they have better offense.

1) Buchholtz looked lost last year just like Hughes so they are a wash… Buchholtz threw a no hitter, Hughes through almost threw a no hitter before he got hurt….. again, a wash
2) One could argue that Kennedy is better than Bowden as has one or two decent major league starts compared to zero.
3) Smoltz and Pettitte are a wash….. I want to see an old Smoltz pitch in the AL East
4) Chamberlain would be rated above Penny
5) Wang and Lester are close… but man, one could go with Lester but the stats wouldn’t support it as Wang has a larger statiscal sample size
6) Dice K and Burnett – even
7) Sabathia and Beckett – even

So then you need throw in Wakefield and Masterson (No slouch) against the Yankees second tier SP prospects Aceves, Coke, and Horne… you have to give that to the BOSOX although Aceves had a solid run last year.

They both have rotations to compete in the AL east… the difference is the Yankeees lineup is far superior offensively…

Lester – key to success was flipping his gb% and fb%. Can he do that again ? He also had a huge innings spike which makes him an injury risk

Beckett – His skill set is actually improving , but he is coming on 3 different injuries so he also is a question mark

Dice K – He is on a 2 consecutive year skill set decline who walks a ton. He is also going to pitch in the WBC. Shilling recently expressed concern of the Red Sox that he would be playing with Japan whose pitching style the Red Sox have spent 2 years trying to have him unlearn .. ?

Wakelfield – consistant Mediocrity with occasional DL stint .. as long as the Red Sox can score 5 runs a game and has the right catcher he’s good for 15 wins

Penny – Huge injury risk , but that’s the good news because his skill set is eroding as well.

Smoltz – at 41 he is still one of the top pitchers as far as skills go. Unfortunately he is 41 and coming off of major should surgery.

Buckholz – forget about last year, he is still going to be excellent

Bowden – He is probably looking good as well , but who are the Red Sox trading to get a catcher

Masterson – He demonstrates much better skill set after move to the bullpen. I don’t think he makes it to the rotation.

so this is the Red Sox pitching

upside

1) beckett rebound – cy young type year
2) lester healthy and repeating skill gains
3) Buckholtz emerges
4) Smoltz heatlthy
5) Dice K regains 2006 skills and reduces walks and stays healthy

downside

1) beckettt , but with injuries 12 wins
2) dice K with the walks and a high era 10 wins
3) Lester – great start but then the innings spike catches up and he is shut down for the season
4) wakelfield – steady
5) Penny – stays healtty but his mediocre stuff translated to the AL east result in a 5+ ERA

smoltz never makes it back
buckholtz never emerges
etc..