DEPARTURES: RHP Mike Timlin (free agent, unsigned), 1B Sean Casey (retired), RHP Paul Byrd (free agent, unsigned), RHP Curt Schilling (free agent, unsigned), C Kevin Cash (free agent, signed with the Yankees), OF Coco Crisp (traded to Royals), SS Alex Cora (free agent, signed with Mets), RHP Bartolo Colon (free agent, signed with White Sox), RHP David Aardsma (traded to Mariners).

SPRING FOCUS: Much of this spring's focus will be on players coming back from injuries suffered during the 2008 season (3B Mike Lowell, RHP Josh Beckett, DH David Ortiz) and on a key group of players potentially away from camp (RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2B Dustin Pedroia, 1B Kevin Youkilis, DH David Ortiz) for World Baseball Classic. The health focus will be largely on getting Lowell back from his surgically repaired right hip and ready for the regular season; the 35-year-old veteran is a key part of the team's offense and defense.

PROJECTED ROTATION:

1. RHP Josh Beckett

2. LHP Jon Lester

3. RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka

4. RHP Brad Penny

5. RHP Tim Wakefield

The rotation again is expected to be a prodigious strength, and there aren't any better trios in the big leagues than Beckett, Lester and Matsuzaka in terms of youth, power and production. Penny could be poised for a big comeback year at 30 years of age and coming off shoulder issues last season. Pitching coach John Farrell also has to be considered a huge plus working with this talented and diverse staff.

RHP Clay Buchholz and RHP Michael Bowden could be available to help if injuries or ineffectiveness strike any arms, and RHP John Smoltz will give this staff -- no pun intended -- a shot in the arm when he's expected to return in May or June.

PROJECTED BULLPEN:

RHP Jonathan Papelbon (closer)

LHP Hideki Okajima

RHP Ramon Ramirez

RHP Manny Delcarmen

RHP Takashi Saito

LHP Javier Lopez

RHP Justin Masterson

The bullpen staff was once a source of frustration for the Red Sox front office, but the staff put together for the 2009 season could and should be the real strength of the club. Papelbon has put up some of the best seasons for a closer in major league history and should have more help at the back end if Saito's right elbow can return to health. Okajima has been an All-Star caliber setup man over the last two seasons, and Ramirez and Delcarmen boast the kind of stuff that can make a hitter shake his head in amazement. Ramirez, after coming over in a trade with the Royals, could be in competition with Okajima for the main setup role with the Sox. The sinkerballing Masterson and Lopez, the lefty specialist, round things out and make this among the deepest bullpens in baseball.

PROJECTED LINEUP:

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia

3. DH David Ortiz

4. 1B Kevin Youkilis

5. OF Jason Bay

6. 3B Mike Lowell

7. OF J.D. Drew

8. SS Jed Lowrie

9. C Jason Varitek

The projected lineup is pretty much the exact same lineup that the Red Sox went into the playoffs with last season, with Bay and Lowell both capable bats behind the cleanup-hitting Youkilis. The Red Sox will need huge offensive seasons from Youkilis and Pedroia if they're to keep pace with last season, and a 30-homer, 100-RBI season from Ortiz is badly needed.

The only potential positional battle this spring could be at shortstop, where Julio Lugo undoubtedly will be looking to win back his position after a torn quad muscle and defensive mistakes led to him losing his job. Lowrie is healed after playing with a fractured bone in his hand last season.

PROJECTED RESERVES:

C Josh Bard

OF Mark Kotsay

OF Rocco Baldelli

SS Julio Lugo

OF Brad Wilkerson

Bard is expected to play more than he did during his last tour with Boston in 2007 and help give Varitek more days off if the 37-year-old requires a lightening of his workload. Bard will help give them more offense than they got out of the catcher spot last season. The versatile Kotsay will miss at least the first few weeks of the season after undergoing back surgery, and Wilkerson was brought aboard to give the squad depth.

It is hoped Baldelli can provide depth and athleticism at all three outfield spots, but it's pretty unknown how much he will actually provide after his bouts with an energy-sapping illness the last two years. Lugo is expected to start the season in a reserve role, but there's some question about how feasible it is to have a player used to starting instead function as a backup around the infield.

TOP ROOKIES: RHP Michael Bowden dominated at Class AA last season, had a brief spot start at the big-league level against the Chicago White Sox, and struck out 133 batters in 149 1/3 innings through three organizational stops. The 22-year-old will be among the first pitchers recalled from the minors if there's an injury. Heat-throwing 23-year-old Daniel Bard boasted a 1.99 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings pitched at Class AA last season and could potentially be ready for big-league middle-relief work next season if he wows them at Class AAA this season.

MEDICAL WATCH:

3B Mike Lowell (arthroscopic right hip surgery in October 2008) started hitting off a tee in January and is aiming to be ready for regular starting duty by Opening Day.

SS Jed Lowrie (left wrist sprain and non-displaced fracture) underwent an MRI exam after the season that revealed the injury. With rest and a strengthening program underway, he reported that he was all healed up and ready for spring training.

RHP Josh Beckett (torn right oblique) needed roughly six weeks to heal from an injury he was pitching with through the 2008 postseason, but he proclaimed himself healthy and ready for spring training.

SS Julio Lugo (torn right quad) was recovered enough that he would have been put on any potential World Series roster for the Red Sox last season, so he should be full strength for spring training.

OF Mark Kotsay (back surgery for displaced disk) underwent the procedure in January and figures to be sidelined until May.