Alex Sponseller
Connector Contributor

The 2014 Boston Red Sox’ campaign for another World Series title began last week in Baltimore. There are many questions and story lines surrounding this team and their offseason moves, but one thing that is for sure is that they are poised to once again be competitive in not only the American League East, but all of Major League Baseball.

As expected, the Red Sox lost some core players this offseason. The Yankees were able to win the bidding war for Jacoby Ellsbury, and the Marlins were able to lure away Jarrod Saltalamacchia with the three year deal he was looking for.

Still, with a healthy blend of veteran free agent signings, as well as added responsibility placed on the younger prospects, the Red Sox had an efficient offseason in terms of replacing lost talent.

The three most notable free agent signings were catcher AJ Pierzynski, center fielder Grady Sizemore and relief pitcher Edwin Mujica.

Aj Pierzynski, once hated throughout the MLB for his poor attitude and on field antics, is now considered to be mellowed out at age 37, and has become a respected leader in the recent clubs he has played for.

In terms of production, he will have a comparable offensive output as Saltalamacchia, but more importantly may even provide an improvement at fielding and game calling. Also having a healthy David Ross splitting time with him will help maintain his health at an older age.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the signings was 31-year-old Grady Sizemore. Sizemore, once an up-and-coming star in Cleveland, had not played a major league game since 2011 due to injury and is looking to resuscitate his dying career. With a strong spring training, hitting .333 and flashing a solid glove, Sizemore began the season in center and has started the regular season strong.

Lastly, there is Edward Mujica, a 29 year-old relief pitcher coming off of his first ever all-star season for St. Louis. The Sox were in a bit of a hole after losing bullpen pieces such as Andrew Bailey and Joel Hanrahan, so signing Mujica makes sense.

Although his first appearance for the Red Sox against the Milwaukee Brewers was horrible, Mujica will hopefully channel his all-star ability in his next appearance.

There are two notable young players that the Red Sox will rely heavily upon this year.

First is third basemen Will Middlebrooks, who began his rookie year hot until a broken wrist prematurely ended his season. He then struggled throughout most of last season, spending time between Pawtucket, the team’s AAA affiliate, and the big club.

Next is Xander Bogaerts, a highly regarded prospect who broke out in last year’s postseason, becoming a key part in the World Series victory over St. Louis. Bogaerts looks like the surest bet for starting at shortstop and making an immediate impact.

Overall, the Sox were able to fill most of the gaps left after last season. They have a strong starting pitching rotation, along with a solid bullpen. They also had the best offense in all of baseball last year, and should continue to dominate considering the amount of familiar faces.

The overall success of this team depends on how these young players contribute. If they fail to meet expectations, then the Sox may see a decline, however if they are able to produce at a high level this team may be right back in the same spot in October.

For an initial prediction, I project the Red Sox to win the AL East with a record of 92-70.