If there's a concern going into spring training, it's the age of some of the starters. If Kenny Rogers doesn't sign somewhere, Tim Wakefield will go into 2009 as the American League's oldest starting pitcher - he turns 43 in August - and when he's cleared to pitch, newcomer John Smoltz will be right behind.

Still, the Red Sox believe that the signing of Smoltz and fellow NL veteran Brad Penny will provide adequate, experienced depth. The presence of Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden at Pawtucket also should serve as a hedge against injuries.

Further, the organization has done a superb job the last few seasons ensuring that the starters aren't overworked during the course of the long regular season.

If there's a perceived weakness, it's the lack of another lefty beyond Jon Lester. Then again, the Sox won two World Series titles without much in the way of contributions from lefty starters.

Once more, Josh Beckett will be the staff ace, with the hope that he can stay healthy for the entire season and return to his 2007 form, when he was the best pitcher in the game. Last year, Beckett's season was continually interrupted by injuries. He finally seemed ready to reclaim the mantle of ace in September (2.16 ERA in four starts), but an oblique pull on the final weekend of the season reduced his effectiveness greatly in the postseason.

While Beckett struggled, Lester blossomed. By the time October arrived, Lester was pitching as well as anyone in the league and he continued his dominance in the Division Series. Should Lester continue to grow, he could be elevated to 1-A status in the Boston rotation.

It's hard to know exactly what to expect from Daisuke Matsuzaka in his third season. Matsuzaka was unhittable at times - in eight starts last year, he allowed just two hits - but he also was inefficient. His soaring pitch count often limited him to five- and six-inning starts. The trick for the Sox and pitching coach John Farrell will be to get more innings out of Matsuzaka without limiting his effectiveness.

The front three of Beckett, Lester and Matsuzaka, in fact, can stand with any starting trio in the league - including the Yankees' group of CC Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang and A.J. Burnett.

Toward the back end of the rotation, Wakefield returns for his 15th season with the Sox. One of the more intriguing subplots of the spring will be the identity of Wakefield's designated receiver. With Kevin Cash gone, the Sox appear set to give Josh Bard another chance at catching Wakefield's knuckleball. Bard vows that he'll be more successful than he was in 2006 when he was charged with 10 passed balls in a month.

It's essential for Wakefield to feel confident in his catcher, so if Bard fails, the Red Sox again may have to scramble to find a replacement.

Penny, too, comes with risks, to say nothing of questions about conditioning and attitude. But healthy, he's a valuable, experienced addition. How much Smoltz has left following another shoulder procedure is open to question, but there's no doubting his competiveness and work ethic. At the very least, he should be a terrific role model for the younger pitchers; at best, he could be a valuable second-half addition to an already talented staff.

The presence of Smoltz and Penny may block Buchholz and Bowden, but the latter needs more time to develop in the minors - Bowden's made just seven career starts above Double A - and the former needs to dominate at Triple A before proving himself worthy of a permanent spot on the big league staff.

THE STARTERS:

Name: Josh Beckett

Position: Starting pitcher

Years with Sox: 4th seaso

2008 Key Stats: 12-10, 4.03 ERA

Contract Status: $10.5 million for 2009. Can vest a $12 million option with 28 starts this season. Red Sox hold a $12 million option for 2010, with a $2 million buyout

The Skinny: Beckett's 2008 season was frequently interrupted by injury, beginning with his very first spring training start and culminating with an oblique pull on the last day of the season which limited him in the postseason. For the Sox to win it all, they need Beckett to be more consistent during the regular season, and, of course, to be healthy in October.

Name: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Position: Starting pitcher

Years with Sox: 3rd

2008 Key Stats: 18-3, 2.90

Contract status: $8 million for 2009, the third year of a six-year deal which runs through the 2012 season.

The Skinny: Matsuzaka led the staff in wins (18) last year and his ERA was third-best among American League starters. But he pitched just 167 2/3 innings, placing a burden on the bullpen. Ideally, the Red Sox would like to find a way for Matsuzaka to be more pitch-efficient - walk fewer hitters, contribute more innings - while still maintaining his effectiveness. His .211 batting average against was astounding.

Name: Jon Lester

Position: Starting pitcher

Years with Sox: 4th

Contract Status: To be determined. Lester is not yet arbitration eligible.

2008 Key Stats: 16-6, 3.21

The Skinny: Fully recovered from cancer, Lester enjoyed a breakout season last year and established himself as one of the best young lefty starters in the game, especially in the second half when he was 9-3, 2.95. It will be interesting to see what further strides he can make this year.

Name: Tim Wakefield

Position: Starting pitcher

Years with Sox: 15th

Contract status: $4 million for 2009, part of a rolling, open-ended option with the Sox.

2008 Key Stats: 10-11, 4.13

The Skinny: Wakefield's won-loss was highly misleading, as he pitched better than his record indicated. He contributed 18 quality starts - second-most on the staff behind Lester - but lost five of those because of poor run support. He's likely to become the franchise leader for starts by a Red Sox pitcher this season, eclipsing Roger Clemens.

Name: Brad Penny

Position: Starting pitcher

Years with Sox: 1st

Contract Status: $5 million for 2009; can earn another $3 million in incentives for games started and innings pitched.

2008 Key Stats: 6-9, 6.27

The Skinny: Penny missed half of last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers because of shoulder issues. The Red Sox put him through a battery of tests and are convinced he's healthy. If he holds up physically, he could be a nice, affordable, back-end starter. His post-season history (two wins in the 2003 World Series) could be a nice bonus.

KEEP AND EYE ON...: Clay Buchholz, John Smoltz, Michael Bowden.

The 2008 season was a lost one for Buchholz, who struggled with command and consistency. He finished up well in the Arizona Fall League and his shoulder strength has improved. He'll likely open the season at Pawtucket, but could earn a promotion if others falter or get hurt.Smoltz, who underwent shoulder surgery last year, will be brought along slowly, with a target date of June 1. At 42, the Sox want to preserve the veteran for the second-half of the season, and, they hope, the postseason.Bowden could use additional development time at Triple A, but could contribute in the second-half of the season. Expect to hear his name in trade talk as the Sox continue to seek a young catcher.

- COMPILED BY SEAN MCADAM