The 2011 Cardinals offer an image of hope to the Red Sox (among other teams). (AP)

JUPITER, Fla. — The 2011 Cardinals represented one of the more improbable champions in World Series history. The team went through a staggering degree of change en route to a title.

There was turnover at the shortstop position from Ryan Theriot to the trade deadline acquisition of Rafael Furcal, something that manager Bobby Valentine has referenced in discussing the Sox’ willingness to trade Marco Scutaro and commit to Mike Aviles and Nick Punto. There was the rotation, which lost co-ace Adam Wainwright to Tommy John surgery last spring but managed to fill in, in part, with a trade deadline acquisition of Edwin Jackson. There was the bullpen, in which Ryan Franklin opened the year as the closer only to lose his job in the early days of the season, with Jason Motte emerging as the closer in October.

For a Red Sox team that does have some questions as it faces a period of uncertainty and/or transition in its rotation, bullpen and shortstop situation, there is some reassurance to be drawn from last year’s Cardinals, even if the model of massive in-season changes isn’t exactly a blueprint that a team tries to follow.

“[The 2011 Cardinals are] a little bit of an outlier,” Valentine said on Thursday morning from Roger Dean Stadium, where his team is getting ready to play an exhibition game against the Cardinals. “I don’t think that formula can repeat itself continuously, but it’s out there that it can be replicated every once in a while.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Red Sox are unlikely to sign free agent starter Roy Oswalt. (AP)

WORCESTER — The Red Sox have been engaged in talks with any number of free agents throughout the offseason, and according to a team source, the team continues to talk to pitchers Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson. That said, Sox GM Ben Cherington said that he does not expect the team to add either pitcher in the coming days.

“We wouldn’t rule out adding a starter, but I think it’s unlikely at this point,” said Cherington. “I think we’re going to keep looking for ways to improve the team, including the pitching staff, but I wouldn’t expect any major changes between now and the [spring training] report date.”

Cherington is comfortable with that approach. While there are parts of the roster that remain undefined, and several jobs (the last two spots of the rotation, the division of labor at shortstop and right field, the roles in the bullpen) will be subject to spring training competitions, the Sox GM feels that his team is in good shape with the reporting date for pitchers and catchers now less than three weeks away.

“There’s elements we feel really good about and elements that we’d like to be stronger, just like any year,” said Cherington. “We think the lineup is, we hope, a pretty balanced lineup. We think we have some options with the bullpen. That can be a strength. We like the front of the rotation. We’re going to find out more about the end of the rotation in spring training and see which guys step up. That will be a big focus of spring training.” Read the rest of this entry »