BANGOR – The Boston Red Sox’s off-season acquisitions are cause for optimism, according to Sox radio play-by-play man Joe Castiglione and Boston Globe senior sportswriter Gordon Edes.

Castiglione, who will be starting his 25th season behind the microphone, and Edes, who has covered the team for 10 years, were the featured guests at WZON radio’s annual Hot Stove banquet Tuesday night at the Bangor Civic Center.

“I like the idea of them getting a number one pitcher [Daisuke Matsuzaka]. They’re so tough to find,” said Castiglione. “And every scout I talked to said he’s a can’t miss [prospect]. Normally, Japanese pitchers enjoy good health because they are so well-conditioned. I don’t think that’s a concern. He’s 26, he has been durable and he’s been spectacular. There could be an adjustment period, we never know. But that’s a great cause for optimism.

“I think it’ll be a better hitting team. They should score more runs with [Julio] Lugo at short although the Red Sox did have the best defensive shortstop they’ve ever had in Alex Gonzalez. [Second baseman] Dustin Pedroia will be interesting. They believe in him. He’s a product of the farm system. I think he’s going to be a pretty good hitter,” added Castiglione.

“The big question now will be who will close. We’ll find out whether somebody comes out of the woodwork or if somebody not here is given the job or, although they’re saying it’s not going to happen right now, they go back to Jonathan Papelbon if he proves healthy. There’s so many options out there.”

Edes also believes Matsuzaka is a top-shelf acquisition although he warned that “you don’t know how he’s going to handle the assimilation.

“People like [Hideo] Nomo, Ichiro [Suzuki] and Hideki Matsui handled it beautifully but Hidek Arabu wound up being called a toad by [Yankees owner] George Steinbrenner and the last I knew he was running a noodle shop in Los Angeles,” said Edes.

Edes said he expects right fielder J.D. Drew to sign soon and that the Red Sox are just being cautious after learning that the surgery he underwent in 2005 to repair his throwing shoulder was significantly more than just a minor procedure. They want a clause to protect themselves if his shoulder acts up.

If he is healthy, he can supply them with a No. 5 hitter in the order they have been lacking in recent years.

“There have been only seven guys over the last three years who have hit at least .290 with an on-base percentage of .400 or better and a slugging percentage of .500 or better,” said Edes noting that Drew and Manny Ramirez are two of them.

As for Ramirez, Edes expects him to return to the Red Sox although he feels that the left fielder “quit on the team” after the Yankees swept the Red Sox in a five-game series last season. Ramirez played in just 10 of the Red Sox’s final 38 games claiming he had a knee ailment.

” As great a player as he, and I think he’ll be a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, you still have to get him out on the field,” said Edes.

Edes shared Castiglione’s belief that Alex Gonzalez is the best defensive shortstop he has seen in the Red Sox uniform but, like Castiglione, he also likes Lugo.

“The Red Sox made the determination that they need more offense from that position than Alex Gonzalez gave them last year,” said Edes referring to Gonzalez’s .255 average.

“Lugo’s among the toughest hitters to strike out, which is good,” said Castiglione.

As for other topics:

. Castiglione and Edes both feel the Red Sox will make a strong bid for righthander Roger Clemens but think he is more likely to end up staying with his hometown Houston Astros.

. Castiglione considers Clemens, righty Pedro Martinez and slugger Mo Vaughn to be the most influential Red Sox players during his 24-year career.

. Edes called Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein “very smart” and said he is a tireless worker. He also said manager Terry Francona is a “players manager” and a communicator.

. The State Class A champion Bangor High School Rams; the two-time America East baseball champion University of Maine Black Bears; Husson baseball coach and former Maine coach John Winkin, who collected his 1,000th career win last spring, and the Eastern League (AA) champion Portland Sea Dogs were honored for their accomplishments.

. Castiglione will have two alternating partners sharing the booth with him for the first time ever: Glenn Geffner and Dave O’Brien. They will replace Jerry Trupiano, who didn’t have his contract renewed by the team. “I know them both. It’ll be a little different but I think it will work,” said Castiglione.

. Castiglione said knowing “baseball is the only entertainment” for a lot of people like the elderly, shut-ins and invalids and the fact he is “providing a little light in their day” represents his greatest sense of joy and accomplishments.