5 Questions with Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe

As the Red Sox players are reporting to Fort Myers, I am starting a new series called 5 Questions. We are lucky in Boston to have a large media presence filled talented writers and reporters who are willing to devote a few minutes to answering questions about the Red Sox. To debut this series, I posed 5 questions to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe and he graciously offered his opinions on topics ranging from Tim Wakefield to Jed Lowrie. Enjoy!

"Peter joined the Boston Globe this past September. He is a native of New Bedford, MA, and went to UMass-Amherst. He’s covered the Yankees for The Journal News since 2005, and spent four years prior to that covering the Mets. Before coming to New York in 1999, He covered the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team for the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin. (Boston Sports Media Watch)"

Q: Recently you mentioned the awkward situation it must be in camp for Tim Wakefield because he “wants to pitch and believes, with good reason, he has earned that right to start.” What role do you think Wakefield will have going into 2010, assuming the other 5 starters are healthy?

A: Good question. I think there’s a chance he starts the season on the DL or in some sort of in-between role as an occasional starter/long reliever.

Q: With Manny Delcarmen’s inconsistency over the past few years, what role do you think he will play in the 2010 bullpen?

A: Same role he did last season. His inconsistency last season was apparently due to a shoulder injury. Manny has a big arm and I don’t see the Sox giving up on that.

Q: During your chat on Boston.com on Monday, you mentioned that the last two bullpen spots were still up for grabs. Who do you think will ultimately take those final two spots?

A: [Brian] Shouse and [Boof] Bonser. Of course that depends on what happens to Wakefield, too.

Q: Do you think Jed Lowrie will finally be healthy and be a consistent contributor off the Sox bench in 2010?

A: I wish I knew. I do think he’ll start the season in Pawtucket so he can play every day and prove his health.

Q: Do you think the 2010 Red Sox team has the talent and chemistry to win the AL East and then World Series?

A: Talent, sure. Chemistry remains to be seen. As of this writing, pitchers and catchers haven’t reported yet.

As Spring Training progresses, my hope is ask a variety of Red Sox writers a series of 5 Questions. If you have any questions you would like me to ask in the future, feel free to send them to me via email or leave a comment on this post.