We have many great articles planned leading up to the 2010 Fantasy Baseball season including sleepers, busts, rookies, strategy, full player rankings and projections all wrapped up into a nifty draft kit to help you win your league next year. Stay tuned for more, but for now, here's a team preview for you.

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2009 RECORD: 95-67, 2nd in AL East, Won Wildcard, ALDS losers 3-0 (LAA) 

By most standards, the Red Sox had an excellent 2009 season. However, their first-round playoff loss and the rival Yankees World Series victory made 2009 a year to remember for Red Sox fans. Fans are expecting the Sox to compete with and ultimately advance deeper than the Yanks in 2010.

Stat table note: The better the ranking number, the better the stat, in all categories. For example, for the SO cat for hitting, a #2 ranking means that the team tallied the second fewest strikeouts. For the BB and SB cats for pitching, the #1 teams allowed the fewest bases on balls and steals.

LINE-UP

1. Ellsbury, Jacoby LF
2. Pedroia, Dustin 2B
3. Martinez, Victor C
4. Youkilis, Kevin 1B
5. Ortiz, David DH
6. Drew, J.D. RF
7. Cameron, Mike CF
8. Beltre, Adrian 3B
9. Scutaro, Marco SS (heel, should be ready for spring training)

The Red Sox 2009 line-up was amongst the best in the majors. They ranked in the top five in the majors in nearly every significant offensive category, including both home runs and stolen bases. The Red Sox' ability to hit for power and their willingness to run on the basepaths are big reasons why their line-up was so effective in 2009. Pedroia and Ellsbury are both excellent table setters and the source of most of the Sox stolen bases. Martinez, a great in-season acquistion, Youkilis, and David Ortiz give the Sox a lethal middle of the order. The loss of Jason Bay this off-season may hurt the Red Sox some, but the 2010 line-up seems more balanced and deeper than the 2009 group. The Sox signed Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, and Marco Scutaro to fill the holes left by Bay, Mike Lowell, and Alex Gonzalez. The Red Sox line-up will be hard for anyone on the bench or in the minors to crack, but the Red Sox do have some interesting options coming off the bench. Jeremy Hermida figures to play a big role, should an injury strike in the outfield. Captain Jason Varitek will be available to catch when Martinez, Youkilis, or Beltre need a day off due to the position flexibility of Martinez and Youkilis. Mike Lowell is currently on the roster, but it seems likely that he will be dealt before the season begins.

STARTING ROTATION

1. Lester, Jon LHP
2. Beckett, Josh RHP
3. Lackey, John RHP
4. Matsuzaka, Daisuke RHP
5. Buchholz, Clay RHP
6. Wakefield, Tim RHP (back, should be ready for spring training)
7. Tazawa, Junichi RHP (groin, should be ready for spring training)
8. Bowden, Michael RHP

The Red Sox rotation was average last year, finishing in the middle of the pack in ERA. Beckett and Lester held down the first two spots in the rotation, but the Sox had a lot of question marks after that. Daisuke Matsuzaka was hurt and ineffective, Tim Wakefield also struggled through injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness, and nobody ever really grabbed and held onto the fifth spot in the rotation. The signing of John Lackey is a huge move for the Red Sox because it gives them the third starter they lacked last season. If Matsuzaka can bounce back and be, at the very least, an adequate fourth starter, and Clay Buchholz builds off of the late-season success he had in 2009, the 2010 Red Sox rotation should be much improved. If injuries strike again in 2010, the Sox have Wakefield and Junichi Tazawa in reserve.

BULLPEN 

1. Papelbon, Jonathan RHP
2. Bard, Daniel RHP
3. Okajima, Hideki LHP
4. Ramirez, Ramon RHP
5. Delcarmen, Manny RHP
6. Bonser, Boof RHP (shoulder, should be ready for spring training)
7. Shouse, Brian LHP
8. Nelson, Joe RHP
9. Sosa, Jorge RHP
10. Ramirez, Ramon A. RHP

The bullpen was one of the strengths of the Red Sox in 2009. Closer Jonathan Papelbon is among the best in the game, and his supporting cast is deep and talented. Bard, Okakima, and Ramirez were all arms that manager Terry Francona could confidently turn to last season. The bullpen should be a strength of the Sox again in 2010. The key pieces all return, and Manny Delcarmen should be more effective after a poor 2009. The Sox also added some new faces to the pen in Boof Bonser, Brian Shouse, Joe Nelson, and Ramon A. Ramirez that will only increase their depth.

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