Guest Post - Red Sox Three Biggest Organizational Needs for 2012

This is a guest post from Brett Pharis.  Hope you enjoy!

Red Sox Three Biggest Organizational Needs for 2012

Throughout the last couple months, the struggles in, and outside, the Red Sox clubhouse have been widely publicized. Blowing an incredible lead in the AL wildcard race, bullpen chicken & beer, and the loss of the organization’s heralded Manager and GM, to name the most blatantly obvious issues. Clearly, the Sox will need to make some changes in 2012 to return successful and give the loyal fan-base something to cheer about again. Specifically, the Red Sox will need to address these three needs in the off-season, in order of importance:

Finding a New Manager

Whether you agree or not with the recent decision to fire Terry Francona, the fact is the Sox desperately need to fill the open position. There have been a number of big names swirling around the rumor mill, and a number of interesting lesser-known names as well. Here are my top 5 picks for the open position; I’ve listed each with 1-5 stars representing the respective coach’s fit within the clubhouse:

1. John Farrell – Manager, Toronto Blue Jays (3 stars)

Farrell seems like a natural choice for the Red Sox, as he was the former pitching coaching and has an extremely stern coaching style. That sort of gruffness is exactly what the organization needs right now. Hey led the Blue Jays to an 81-81 season in 2011 in the very competitive AL East.

It seems, however, that Farrell is not a realistic choice any longer because of the recent amendment the Blue Jays organization has made to its employees’ contracts, restricting lateral moves within MLB. This is a shame because he clearly would have been a great fit for the Sox.

2. Dale Sveum – Former interim Coach (2008), Hitting Coach, Milwaukee Brewers (3 stars)

Sveum has come up in a number of recent press conferences held by current GM, Ben Cherington.

Cherington is clearly thinking outside the batter’s box on this one. Sveum has head coaching experience at the minor league level, with a fairly decent record, 213-211. Additionally, he’s been inside the Boston organization as the third base coach from 2004-2005, under former teammate Terry Francona’s management. His interim stint was extremely short – a mere 12 games – but he did go 7-5 with a team that was destined to sit out of the playoffs that season.

3. Mike Maddux – Pitching Coach, Texas Rangers (4 stars)

Another potential candidate mentioned by Cherington, Maddux has the insight and skills necessary to dial a pitching rotation in, and keep order in the clubhouse. With a deep understanding of AL game-play, it seems Maddux could be a legitimate front-liner in Cherington’s search. Maddux pitched for the Red Sox late in his career and is familiar with the pressure and commitment that come with managing in a large sports town like Boston.

4. DeMarlo Hale – Bench Coach, Boston Red Sox (3 stars)

Hale hasn’t been brought up much in these discussions, but his understanding of the current clubhouse chemistry and his ability to deal with the big-name talent that Boston has been able to retain during the past decade. He has significant head coaching experience within the Red Sox farm system and I see him as a legitimate candidate in this competitive race.

5. Dave Martinez – Bench Coach, Tampa Bay Rays (2 stars)

Currently Joe Madden’s most important assistant coach, Martinez has been integral in the success of

Tamp Bay organization over the past few years. He clearly has an understanding of the competition within the AL East, but has no head managing experience, and little input when it comes to pitching strategy and forming rotations (obviously both huge disadvantages for him getting a chance at this position)

Building a Pitching Rotation – Starters Needed!

The bullpen became the Achilles heel for the Sox late in the 2011 season. With the injury and impending surgery for John Lackey, it will be extremely important for Boston to replenish the bullpen, specifically the starting rotation. While there are a number of potential players the Red Sox will most assuredly look into, these 3 seem to be the best immediate free agent options:

1. Aaron Harang – San Diego Padres

Harang had a 14-7 season in 2011. He’s got a solid quiver of pitches that helped him throw 124 strike outs this season. With 28 starts and a season ERA of 3.64, Harang would add much needed consistency to a bull pen that has struggled recently. Harang does have a mutual option at $5 million for the 2012 season so the Sox would need to put more than that on the table to attract him to New England.

2. C.J. Wilson – Texas Rangers

This seems like a no-brainer – an AL pitcher with legit numbers, a consistent performer, and has legitimate 35-start potential. C.J. was an All-Star this year, went 16-7, and threw 200+ innings. In 2010, Wilson had 15 wins with another 200 inning year. The only downside has been his recent performance in the post-season, currently 1-5. However, he’s come through in some big games of late and Texas will definitely be looking to hold on to Wilson for 2012. His 2011 salary was $7,050,000 so this deal could thin the pocketbook. Note: If the Rangers win the World Series, consider this deal impossible.

3. Edwin Jackson – St. Louis Cardinals

Jackson had a decent season considering his late move to St. Louis. He finished 12-9 with 148 strikeouts. His aggressive style of pitching would work really well in the hitters-league. Jackson was an All-Star in 2009 and threw a no-hitter in 2010. His 2011 salary was $8,350,000 which is the most expensive opportunity in my list at the moment, although I would imagine Wilson’s salary potential will be increased dramatically if the Rangers win. Bottom-line: Wilson and Jackson will be more expensive to persuade in 2012. Will the Red Sox decide to lure either?

The final piece that the organization desperately needs to address is leadership. Leadership may come from hiring the new manager, but could come from retaining veterans like David Ortiz, or picking up a free agent or two to help drive focus on the bench or in the bullpen. There’s been talk about being more aggressive with conditioning and training which could clearly help endurance during the long season, but may also help establish more discipline in the clubhouse. I’m confident the storied organization will find a way to improve and move beyond a disappointing 2011 season. A good first step might be cutting out the chicken, beer, and Xbox!

Brett is a writer for CableTV.com. He typically writes about Sports and Entertainment. You can follow him on Twitter, @TeachFromSLC.