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Felger & Mazz: Red Sox Have Most Ridiculously Average Starting Rotation

BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Red Sox will not have Jon Lester toeing the rubber next season, so they've been busy in Winter Meetings picking up the pieces, which resulted in a flurry of transactions Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Boston traded Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa and a minor leaguer to Arizona in return for Wade Miley. They then traded outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, right-handed pitcher Alex Wilson and minor league left-handed pitcher Gabe Speier to Detroit in exchange for starting pitcher Rick Porcello, and to top it all off they signed Justin Masterson to a one-year deal.

98.5 The Sports Hub's Tony Massarotti expects the starting rotation 1-5 to be Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, Justin Masterson and Joe Kelly.

In his opinion, the Sox won't add a big arm to the front of the rotation and thinks Clay Buchholz will be their opening day starter. But believe it or not, he's not that upset about it.

"I'm not as bent out of shape as a lot of people are. I said this yesterday, once they didn't get Lester, it might not be the worst thing to go in the opposite direction and get yourself a bunch of No. 3 starters and, they haven't done this yet, load up on the bullpen."

Mazz is pleased with the Masterson signing, and thinks he can be an excellent reliever for the Red Sox.

Michael Felger on the other hand wants an ace for the front of the rotation, and won't be happy if the Sox have don't get one.

"That is so awful, it's not even debatable," he said of the projected rotation.

"An ace-less rotation, you're OK with this plan because you think it's not a championship year?" Felger questioned Mazz. "[If I'm the Red Sox] I effort myself to contend this year with a top of the rotation guy; there is no excuse for a team like the Red Sox, with their resources, not to have a top of the rotation guy. I didn't need it to be Lester, but I need it to be somebody."

MORE RED SOX COVERAGE FROM CBS BOSTON

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