Allen: Spring training storylines

With Spring Training starting this week, we're getting back into a familiar pattern and routine of things. Spring Training is long, and once the freshness and excitement of it wears off a little bit, the media will be digging for storylines and controversies to be able to debate endlessly on sports talk radio, television and even in print.

So to get a head start on these things, here's your list of storylines to look for from Red Sox spring training:

Where is Terry Francona's contract extension?

This will become a bigger story each week that goes by. In this case, the media is right on for making it an issue. Francona has won two World Series titles in Boston. Read that sentence again, and think about where we were when Grady Little was fired and Francona was hired. There could be a very good reason why this hasn't been done yet. I haven't thought of one. Old friend Chad Finn noted an interesting theory on this in his post earlier this week. (Read item #3 in that post.) It's as good a theory as any, other than the one that say that Francona and the Red Sox management are so comfortable with each other that they can just sit down and hammer this thing out any time they set their minds to it.

Curt Schilling's shoulder and contract status.

There will be some speculation on this front. Does he retire? Does he have the surgery and hope to make a late season run? When exactly did it become an issue? He got his deal for this year done pretty quickly after the World Series last fall, so you've got to believe he was healthy when it was signed. One caller to WEEI has already wondered if Curt will just walk away and willingly give all the money back to the Red Sox. The most knowledgeable sports fans in the country...don't call WEEI.

The trip to the far East

The Red Sox open up the 2008 regular season with a pair of games in Japan against the A's. Talk about this trip has begun already, but as it gets closer, watch for speculation about whether this trip will be a drain on the Red Sox energy levels early on in the season, especially if they struggle at all in the beginning of the season. Will Dan Shaughnessy be going? The Globe columnist is already banned from China, this might as close as he gets.

What do they do with Coco?

Jacoby Ellsbury lit up New England with his play late last season, becoming the latest Red Sox prospect to earn poster boy status. No rookie since Nomar Garciaparra has garnered similar adulation so early on. The Red Sox spent much of the offseason trying to include a centerfielder in a trade for Minnesota ace Johan Santana, before he was dealt to the Mets. Now the Red Sox are forced to find another solution to decide whether Coco Crisp or Jacoby is patrolling centerfield when the season begins. Will Coco accept being a fourth outfielder? Will Ellsbury start the season in Pawtucket after starting during the World Series? This is already a WEEI topic, having been discussed vigorously on Tuesday afternoon.

The Rotation

Beckett and Daisuke are locks. Wakefield would appear to be one as well, but with his age, you never know what could happen this spring. Lester would seem to be in there, and if Schilling can't go, you would think Clay Buchholz would get the call. But who knows? Does Julian Tavarez get another shot at this role? Do they trade Coco for a pitcher? Lots of potential for debate here.

Which Manny will show up?

Will we get the 2007 regular season, silent Ramirez? Or the 2007 postseason, talkative, ("I'm a bad man...") hitting out-of-his-mind Ramirez eager to prove his worth and get the Red Sox to pick up the first of the option years of his contract? Aside - can you believe that we're in the option years of Manny's deal? The Ramirez signing and ESPN documentary following around Dan Duquette during that process seem like just yesterday...

There you go. There might be other stories to pop up, like if someone gets injured, or if there is a surprise in camp, but those should be the storylines that you see and hear plenty of between now and the start of the season.
 

Bruce Allen is the creator of Boston Sports Media Watch, which has recently been recognized by SI.com as one of the best non-corporate sports web site's on the Internet.