Comeback magic absent for Red Sox, who shift to offseason

Oct 22, 2008 - 5:50 AM By Tom Covill PA SportsTicker Assistant Baseball Editor

At some point, the tightrope becomes a little too thin.

It just wasn't to be this season for the Boston Red Sox, who fell one hit short of their third dramatic American League Championship Series comeback in five years.

The Tampa Bay Rays had enough magic during the regular season to ensure that Game Seven would be played at their place, and they had just enough heart to pick themselves up off the mat in time to enjoy that advantage.

After holding a seven-run lead with seven outs to go in Game Five, which would have punched their ticket to the World Series, the Rays watched as Boston finally strung some at-bats together and posted the largest postseason comeback since 1929.

"It was a display of resiliency that was impressive, I think, throughout most of the year and probably symbolized best by the comeback in Game Five, which, I think none of us will ever forget," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. "At this moment, it's bittersweet because of falling a couple of runs short at the end."

A 4-2 Red Sox triumph in Game Six had Tampa Bay against the wall, but that was where it would stop.

The Rays fought back, knocking off Boston, 3-1, in Game Seven on Sunday.

So what does the offseason hold for the Red Sox?

A trip to the ALCS and a loss in Game Seven can hardly be considered a disappointment, and the Red Sox won't overreact by making major changes to the roster or coaching staff.

"I think resiliency and character and overcoming obstacles really, those characteristics are what I'll remember from this season," Epstein said. "It seemed like all year we were having to deal with one thing or another, as most teams do. From our perspective, this is what we go through, so we have to focus on it.

"A lot of players rose to the occasion, played through pain," Epstein said. "The minor league system, our scouts and player development staff all deserve to be applauded. Player after player came up to contribute and fill holes. Players came from outside the organization, did a great job integrating into our culture and performing well on the field. The manager and coaching staff did a phenomenal job keeping the team focused and afloat through all of this."

Epstein will go into the offseason will a new three-year contract extension, free to mold the future of the club as he sees fit.

The biggest question mark is behind the plate, where captain Jason Varitek has held down the job since 1998. The three-time All-Star finished up the final year of a four-year, $40 million contract and has slowed considerably, batting a career-low .220 with a .313 on-base percentage.

The unquestioned leader of the team, the pitchers swear by Varitek, who is lauded for his preparation and game-calling skills.

If he were to come back at age 37, it would probably be on a one-year, incentive-laden deal - an unlikely proposition given that his agent is Scott Boras.

"He's an important part of the organization - there's no doubt about that," Epstein said of Varitek. "Obviously, he's coming off a year that wasn't his best, but he's important, nonetheless. Now, he's a free agent and we'll be talking to him. We have an obligation to explore all our options. We do that with every position."

With little in the way of catching talent in the system, the Red Sox may have to look outside of the organization to fill that void.

As for the rest of the infield, Mike Lowell is underwent hip surgery on Monday but should be back to play third base by spring training, pushing Kevin Youkilis back to first. Dustin Pedroia has emerged as one of the best players in the league and will be back at second base.

Julio Lugo, who missed most of the second half with a quad injury, may be moved in the offseason after rookie Jed Lowrie emerged as a capable replacement. If not, one or both could serve as a super-sub around the infield.

"I think we have some depth and some options, which is not a bad place to be," Epstein said. "We'll monitor Julio's recovery. There's no reason to believe he'll be in any way affected by the injury. He was going to potentially be available for the World Series had we won (Sunday) night. I think he's got a lot to offer. I think he's also got a lot to prove. I think he and Lowrie can also complement each other very well.

"We'll see what the offseason brings, what direction is best for the organization or if it's best to let it play out on the field."

In the outfield, Jason Bay and J.D. Drew are locked in on the corners, while Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury form a nice center field tandem. With depth there, either Ellsbury or Crisp could be moved.

The rotation will once again be headlined by Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka next season, with veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield likely returning as the fourth starter. Youngsters Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson could compete for the No. 5 spot, though Masterson served the club well out of the bullpen down the stretch.

"You look at our starting pitching. We can bring back our starting core and make minor tweaks, and I think we can be strong with that," Epstein said. "That said, is there an opportunity potentially to improve our starting pitching? Absolutely. We'll probably spend a great deal of our time this winter trying to figure out how to improve."

With nearly limitless resources, a creative front office and a strong farm system, Boston is dealing from a position of strength on both the free agent and trade markets.

Whatever the offseason brings, the guess here is that the Red Sox will be playing deep into October again next season, and for many seasons to come.