Red Sox Have Huge Talent Edge over the Yankees

Mike Bauman writing for MLB.Com baseball perspectives says the the Red Sox signing of Matsuzaka was needed to even the field with the Yankees, who- over and over let it said- have more money. Bauman is a great writer but on this point he is so very wrong. The Red Sox started the off-season with a dominant advantage in talent over the Yankees. There is no doubt: Schilling over Johnson; Beckett over Mussina; and Papelbon over Wang. The only Yankee advantage is Rivera and you need a lead for that to work. The Sox have the same formula that Detroit used to destroy the Yankees in the playoffs- dominant starters with or without pine tar on their hands. The Yankees should not do well head to head against the Red Sox--but last season they destroyed Boston -head to head- because Boston didn't play hard enough to win. In 2007, the Yankees will be less imposing without Sheffield- Abreu is not the same caliber hitter and cannot handle an elite fast pitch. Boston started with an advantage and then broke the bank to sign Matsuzaka away from the Yankees because they had more money to spend--They can find bullpen help from their deep, minor league system--also loaded with talent. The Sox now have an insurmountable paper advantage in talent--only they can mess up the season and lose to the Yankees--despite their talent --AGAIN.