I don't like all this trash talking about A-Rod. He's too good a player. The last thing the Sox need to do is get him fired up.

I figure the most important thing is the staff. I'm as confident about Schilling as I am about any 38 year old pitcher. Which is to say, pretty confident, but not for sure. I really like the pickup of David Wells. But then again, I thought signing Ramiro Mendoza was a brilliant move a couple of years ago and that turned out to be a disaster. And Wells is even older. Matt Clement should be solid, coming in as a #3 starter. I think Charles Bronson Arroyo has progressed really well. How can you not love a guy with cornrows? Wakefield at #5. I dunno. It's a little old, but then again it doesn't seem any worse, on paper, than last year's staff. But to me, that's the biggest mystery. I like the Wade Miller signing. He was cheap, and if he's healthy, he's a #2 starter.