The Red Sox re-stocked their offense over the offseason, adding big bats in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval.
They added some pitchers, too, though not of the caliber that some had hoped.
While the lack of an "ace" dominated the headlines over the offseason, the lack of bullpen depth went under the radar. Not only that, but the health of the bullpen has come into question already, as closer Koji Uehara started the season on the DL with a strained hamstring.
Of course, Uehara isn't the only injury to start the year. Starter Joe Kelly is also on the shelf, and catcher Christian Vazquez will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That left the Sox without their starting catcher for the season, as they now will rely on veteran Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon behind the plate.
Red Sox CEO/President Larry Lucchino was asked Thursday on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show whether he's more concerned about the catching situation or the closer situation.
“I would say closer just because having Koji Uehara at his best in ’13 was a very powerful weapon for us," Lucchino said. "When in doubt I tend to lean towards the importance of pitching versus any other position. Now I would agree that losing Christian Vazquez was a serious blow. We have said all along that is this going to be a fun, interesting, entertaining baseball team and season. Christian’s development was a part of that, but we’ve also said that so much of how we finish this year will be dependent on two factors that we can’t control — health and randomness or luck. Every team will have some bad luck and some bad health. We just gotta rely on our team to have the depth necessary.”
Uehara is slated to pitch an inning in Single A Greenville over the weekend and the Red Sox hope he'll be ready for Monday's home opener. But will he stay healthy and effective? That's to be determined.