The ankle, the blister, and the rock star

I talked about the Red Sox improved defense earlier this week, so now it's on to pitching.

The success of the pitching staff this year -- and in turn the team's overall success -- will depend largely on three things: the ankle, the blister, and the rock star.

Curt Schilling has had a whole offseason to rehab The Ankle, but he is old, and disliked. The team doesn't need the 2004 version of Schilling (227 IP, 3.26 ERA) to win, but it can't win if 2005 Schilling (93 IP, 5.69 ERA) shows up.

The marquee offeason acquisition is Josh Beckett, formerly of the Florida Marlins. He has tremendous upside, but also nagging blister trouble. He's had nine trips to the disabled list since 2002, two-thirds of them because of blisters. Blisters will not fly in Boston in September. The Red Sox must hire the world's foremost blister expert to head this problem off at the pass. I suggest the Violent Femmes.

The third key to the Sox success: improved production from the rock star who was moonlighting as a No. 5 starter last year, Bronson Arroyo. If he can focus on baseball instead of being in a crappy cover band (and stay away from twin extra long bunkbeds), his presence at the bottom of the rotation will take the pressure off the Nos. 3 and 4.