OPINION

By Stan McNeal

updated 12:51 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2007

Your lineup includes arguably the two best hitters in the American League. Your rotation features four guys with 95-mph fastballs. You've upgraded your lineup at its two weakest spots, shortstop and right field.

And your closer was as dominant as any pitcher in baseball last season. Check these ridiculous numbers: 0.92 ERA, .167 batting average against, 0.78 WHIP in 59 games.

With those ingredients, surely you've got a team just waiting to print World Series tickets. Right, Red Sox Nation?

Only there's a catch: That lights-out closer, Jonathan Papelbon, won't be closing. He's now one of those four starters who hits 95 on the speed guns. The closer will be ... well, really, the Red Sox have no idea. Among the options:

• Joel Pineiro, who is considered the front-runner. He was dumped by the Mariners in December after six seasons, when he mostly was a starter. His ERA the past two seasons: 5.96.
• Mike Timlin, who blew eight of his 17 save opportunities in 2006.
• Former Angel Brendan Donnelly, 4-for-14 lifetime in save chances.
• Craig Hansen, considered the club's closer of the future.
• Someone who's not even on the club at this time, though the Nationals appear to be in no hurry to trade Chad Cordero and the Rangers can't deal Akinori Otsuka until they know Eric Gagne is back or close to being back.

It will not be a combination of any of the above. The Red Sox gave up on the closer-by-committee approach in 2003.

And it will not be Papelbon, the Sox insist. To preserve his valuable right arm, specifically a shoulder that physicians believe is subject to injury, the club has Papelbon preparing to start. As part of the rotation, he can spend four days strengthening his shoulder and one game exerting it in competition. As a closer, his shoulder could be tested three or four consecutive days, which would leave little time for conditioning.

The Sox's big shots readily admit that if doctors felt Papelbon's shoulder was suited for closing, he would be working the late shift. So credit the club for placing a priority on the health of one of its young employees. Or maybe it's merely protecting an investment.

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Either way, the Sox essentially are saying that Papelbon's career is more important than winning a World Series in 2007. But should they? Curt Schilling willingly sacrificed a year of his career to help the Sox win in 2004. Many -- probably most -- players would risk injury to play in the Series, Papelbon included.

He already has said he would return to late-inning duties if called on.

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There's also the possibility that the suspect state of Papelbon's shoulder is overblown. The Sox, a front-runner in the pitching prehabilitation field, have hired a top medical staff and supplied it with the latest technology. Given the stakes, being overly cautious would be understandable. The club has set up a routine that has allowed Papelbon to build shoulder strength so well that one of his brothers, Joshua, a Red Sox farmhand, told The Boston Globe that his shoulder ached after a run through the program, but "Jonathan can do those exercises like it's nothing."

General manager Theo Epstein admits there are circumstances that could change the club's thinking: Papelbon's shoulder is shown to be sound for the long haul; the Sox struggle coming up with a closer; and Papelbon proves to be a mediocre starter.

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Epstein says all three must occur, but at least he has left the Sox an out. Come later this season, if a World Series actually is in the cards, you can bet they'll be quick to push Papelbon back to the bullpen. Exactly as they should.

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