Sox have all the tools to make a title run

Not only could this be the year, it will be the year for the Boston Red Sox.

I guarantee it.

For the new baseball season is virtually hours away, and there are plenty of reasons to believe the Olde Towne Team should win it all in 2007.

Not that it will come easy, particularly when the Sox get to the World Series and find the St. Louis Cardinals – the reigning champions – standing in their way.

And yes, there are the questions that trail every team before the first pitch of a 162-game marathon, followed in the best of seasons by a month of postseason play.

The bullpen is a bit of a mystery beyond Jonathan Papelbon’s reinstallment as closer, as is unproven second baseman Dustin Pedroia, a lack of quality depth at catcher behind the aging Jason Varitek, and whether center fielder Coco Crisp is an emergent star or mere enigma.

Then there are those more subtle uncertainties – whether $70 million right fielder J.D. Drew eventually will succumb to injury or $100 million pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will live up to the hype or the money, or how the Red Sox will respond to the inevitable Manny Ramirez moment at some point during his annual run toward 40 home runs and 120 RBIs.

But those latter issues are fodder largely for the pessimists among Red Sox Nation, or for Yankees fans trying to change the subject from their own team’s travails – injured pitchers, A-Rod’s contract and the pending divorce of George Steinbrenner’s daughter from the Boss’s apparently non-heir apparent to his corporate throne.

The Red Sox have plenty of answers elsewhere on their roster. Their top six hitters – Julio Lugo, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, Ramirez, Drew and Mike Lowell – should be a run-producing machine.

The pitching rotation boasts quality and depth, with three aces capable of producing between 15 and 20 victories and contending for the Cy Young Award in Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Matsuzaka.

The ageless Schilling seems healthy and motivated given his uncertain contract status for next year. Beckett perhaps has learned a bit of pitch-selection humility after winning 16 games in his American League debut last season despite a 5.01 earned run average.

And Matsuzaka seems to have fit in nicely, leaving even the best opposing hitters in the Grapefruit League wondering what’s coming next. Gyroball, anyone?

Tim Wakefield will consume his typical 200 innings as the fourth starter, and Julian Tavarez inherits the fifth spot after some solid outings late last season while Jon Lester continues his comeback from lymphoma in the minors.

The bullpen inspires less confidence, but a healthy Papelbon will answer the overriding question facing the Red Sox during the offseason – how could they have a $160 million roster and not have a closer?

It’s hard to expect the righthander to match his 2006 brilliance (35 saves, 0.92 ERA before shoulder woes ended his season prematurely), but if he can come close there will be few end-of-game worries.

In front of him the Red Sox hope several options among a corps of veterans will step up in the middle- and long-reliever roles as the team waits for Mike Timlin and Lester to get healthy and youngsters Craig Hansen and Manny Delcarmen to live up to their potential.

But don’t worry about little questions like that, there’s 162 games to answer them all.

And they will be answered. I guarantee it.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or at eclark@bangordailynews.net