Meanwhile the 31yearold Lackey went 118 with a 3

Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and Paul Byrd were not the answers to filling out the back end of the rotation. Tim Wakefield started off hot but broke down in the second half of the season and wound up on the DL, as did Daisuke Matsuzaka who was injured the majority of the year and struggled when he returned.Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Lackey went 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA, had 139 strikeouts in 176.1 innings pitched, and was the ace on the AL West-winning Angels’ staff.Adding the best pitcher available gives the Sox considerable depth in their rotation. Whether or not Lackey is the ace is questionable, but having opponents face a top three of Lackey, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester is quite an arduous task.If the Red Sox do make it back to the playoffs, having the ability to rely on those three is a huge advantage, much like the Yankees showed this previous postseason when they used the three-man rotation of C.C Sabathia, AndyPettitte, and A.J Burnett.It also provides much-needed flexibility. After this season Josh Beckett is a free agent, and Lackey could be insurance if Beckett decides to flee or is deemed too expensive (although signing Lackey to such a large deal not only would seem to drive up Beckett’s price tag, but also makes one wonder if there is such a thing as “too expensive” for the Red Sox).There is also the possibility that, now with Lackey in the fold, Boston could trade young stud Clay Buchholz in a package to acquire a big bat, something the Sox were in desperate need of all season.That offensive firepower is now even more desperately needed because the Red Sox have cut ties with left-fielder Jason Bay, who refused to accept their four-year, $60 million contract.Boston already needed to upgrade their offense, but the departure of Bay makes their lineup much less intimidating to opposing pitchers.Bay led the Red Sox in home runs, RBI, total bases, and walks, was second on the team in runs, and was in the top five in hits, doubles, triples, and even stolen bases.Bay was the only Boston player to reach 30 home runs (36) and 100 RBI (119) last season. Again, he was the only one to reach those figures, and now he is gone.He is replaced in left field by Mike Cameron The 36-year-old signed a two-year $15.5 million contract.

He is a good fielder, earning three gold gloves over his career, but those did come in center field and without the Green Monster behind him, a big adjustment to any new fielder.Cameron is also a solid hitter, belting 27 home runs last year to go along with 70 RBI and an average of .250.He is likely to platoon with earlier acquisition Jeremy Hermida. However, the combination of these two is still not an upgrade, or even an equal replacement, to Bay’s production.The Red Sox offseason continues to twist and turn They add the best available pitcher but lose their best bat. It should be anticipated that there is still at least one more big move to be made.. Who will President Obama host at the White House with the Stanley Cup in 2010 That will be determined by a few short weeks of exciting playoffs.But how we get to those playoffs is where a lot of drama has yet to unfold.As the 2009 calendar year comes to a close, let's take a look forward at the 2010 portion of the NHL season and highlight some of the top games and dates to watch as we get ready for those playoffs..

An easy starting point for any preview of a calendar year is the first day of the year. And this year the NHL will continue their growing tradition of playing a game outdoors by visiting Fenway Park in Boston, where the Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers in this year's Winter Classic.Last year's game at Wrigley Field was amazing, and the fact that it was between two great rivals in the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings only added to the unique history of the day. The Bruins and Flyers at Fenway should be a great event to watch (or attend)!. A game this early in the calendar year could go a long way in determining who walks away with the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.Young New York Islanders C John Tavares and Buffalo Sabres D Tyler Myers will both play this Saturday in a marquee game that will showcase a great young offensive player against a strong young defenseman. This year has a quirky schedule, but the final game of the year between these two teams who are fighting for the top spot in their division is in mid-January, and that could make for a lot of scoreboard watching in California.. This is another game that could shape up to mean a lot in the futures of two good teams, and the last time the Coyotes face the Red Wings is before the Super Bowl.Phoenix and Detroit could be two teams fighting for a playoff spot in April, and their final head-to-head game is on Jan 26. It's hard to say a game carries weight with over two months of season still remaining, but this game could play a major role in the Western Conference in April..

On Super Bowl Sunday, if you're not feeling the football groove, the NHL puts two of the top young superstars in the game on the ice on national television.Sidney Crosby and the Penguins visit Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in a game that should be worthy of primetime...and I'm not referring to Deion Sanders.. The USA plays Canada in the Olympics.Find a bar, or buy a television, because this could be a great game!. I'm not going to put it on the line for which countries (cough, Canada, cough, US) will be playing for the gold, but the NHL is sending their best players to Vancouver for the tournament.Not only is this game important to those playing in it, but the final horn sounding will either relieve general managers all over the league or make some work their phones furiously to replace an Olympic injury. In the first game for the entire NHL the day after the conclusion of the Olympics, the Detroit Red Wings might be at full strength for the first time in months.Johan Franzen is aiming for the Olympics as his deadline to be ready to compete, so this might be our first look at a healthy Red Wings team. On Mar. 2, the Carolina Hurricanes play at the Toronto Maple Leafs the day before the NHL trade deadline. Will this be the last time either of these teams skates together as they're currently put together, or will the two rosters be dramatically changed already This might be one of the few times you're checking the scratch list for a game involving a last place team.. Ryan Miller should be the starting goaltender for the USA's team in Vancouver, and the Sabres restart their season in Pittsburgh and then home against Washington on consecutive nights.Ouch! On Mar.