The Boston Red Sox are reeling. Two-thirds of the starting outfielders are on the disabled list. The club’s two best starters have each turned in a horrendous game already, barely two times through the rotation. There has already been a confrontation between the new manager and a couple of veteran players.

But the most glaring problem with the Red Sox, just 4-7 and mired in last place in the American League East Division following an 18-3 drubbing by the Texas Rangers on April 17, is their wreck of a bullpen.

The ineptitude of the Boston relief corps is epitomized by Mark Melancon, the right-handed reliever acquired in the offseason as a possible replacement for departing free agent closer Jonathan Papelbon. Melancon was coming off a 20-save season for the Houston Astros and, after the Red Sox traded for Oakland A’s closer Andrew Bailey, was projected to be the eighth-inning set up man.

Melancon took the loss for Boston on Opening Day. Then he blew a save by allowing an 11^th-inning walk off home in the third game of the season. He allowed a home run again in the opener of the series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Three appearances, three bad outings. But they were just a preview of his historic meltdown against the Rangers.

In the eighth inning, he faced six batters. All of them scored. He allowed three home runs. He recorded no outs. His ERA for the year is fractionally less than 50.00.

After the game, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine was open to the possibility that Melancon may have to go to the minors to get straightened out.

“At this time you have to consider everything,” Valentine said. “He’s very concerned. I’m very concerned, obviously. He’s not getting the swings and misses. It seems like he’s searching right now. And so are we. It’s tough when you don’t pitch on a regular basis. He threw a bullpen earlier today with (pitching coach) Bob McClure trying to work something out. I guess it wasn’t the right thing.”

Things are not significantly better in the Red Sox bullpen beyond Melancon. Bailey is likely out until the All Star break. Closer Alfredo Aceves has settled down, but blew his first two save opportunities of the season. Righty Michael Bowden was designated for assignment last week. Lefty Andrew Miller is rehabbing in Florida and pitching very poorly.

The answer to Boston’s bullpen issues may actually be in the rotation. Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard have been as effective as one would expect for fourth and fifth starters. Both have earned the chance to stay where they are. But circumstances may dictate otherwise. With starters Aaron Cook and Daisuke Matsuzaka due back from the injuries over the next month or so, the Red Sox might have no choice but to move both Doubront and Bard back to the bullpen to stabilize the relief corps.

It’s a mess, and it needs to get cleaned up before the Red Sox fall even further behind in the standings. Not that you can get much further behind than last place.

More from Yahoo! Contributor Network:

It’s Red Sox players vs. Bobby V already

Rick Blaine, an award-winning broadcaster and columnist, is a lifelong Red Sox fan. Follow him on Twitter @RickBlaineCT.

Opening Day 2011 at Fenway Park went off without a hitch, even though the Red Sox had started their season at 0-6. This was, after all, the Greatest Team That Ever Was and fans acknowledged that the slow start was attributed, perhaps, to the growing pains of acquiring superstars Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford – and perhaps a little bad luck.

So when the gates opened on April 8, the requisite excitement was in full force and, eventually, the disappointment over the start faded as the Sox became the best team in baseball.

Opening Day 2012 at Fenway – Friday – however, is likely to be something else altogether. The Red Sox return from their season-opening 1-5 road trip and it doesn’t appear that anyone’s willing to cut them a break. This could be a disaster not only for the players, who likely will be feeling the heat from the people who normally adore them, but also for the organization, which was hoping to go into this season on a wave of good feelings and nostalgia.

The only nostalgia it’s feeling is about six months old.

The pitiful start by the team they have assembled could serve to scuttle not only the opening-day goodwill that’s usually oozing, but it could also hit them in the pocketbooks, where they’re looking at a 712-game sellout streak that dates to May 2003. Make that 713 after opening day, but lingering resentment by the fans over last September’s collapse and the subsequent charges of player indifference, coupled with the current start, aren’t going to make the natives very happy.

This season’s opening day is clouded by a ton of issues, ranging from the club’s poor play to the revelation Wednesday that former manager Terry Francona will not be on the field for the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park. Francona’s attitude – very much justified, by the way – of being totally upset with the reprehensible conduct of Red Sox management soon after his dismissal following last season goes into the same basket as the unapologetic attitude of some of the players, the hiring of Bobby Valentine as manager, the departure of general manager Theo Epstein and the subsequent botching of the compensation issue, not to mention that the club continues to ask the highest admission prices in the major leagues for this mess.

It’s tough to dress up a pig, but the Red Sox have made further improvements to the old ballpark, which opens this year on Friday the 13th, a couple of days prior to the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. What the Red Sox would have liked was a 5-1 road trip, with their starting pitchers firing on all cylinders, their hitters smacking the ball all over the place. The strong start of the team would make a nice segue into the April 20 anniversary party commemorating the first game played in the park. The Yankees will be in town, each club wearing throwback uniforms, dozens of former Red Sox players attending.

Now, attention has been diverted to this injured, flawed team, starting with a failure by the relief staff, which featured an opening-day walkoff loss thanks to Meltdown No. 1 by closer Alfredo Aceves, starter Josh Beckett surrendering five home runs in Game 2, a twin blown save situation by Aceves and Mark Melancon in a third straight loss to Texas in Game 3 and then two losses at Toronto.

Beckett will get a chance to redeem himself Friday, but there’s such a heavy burden on him with everybody and his sister knowing that he saw two thumb specialists prior to the start of the season. Meanwhile, Clay Buchholz showed little in his first start. Jon Lester (0-1, 2.40), who lost at Toronto Wednesday despite going eight innings and retiring 15 straight batters later in the game, hasn’t won in his two starts and Daniel Bard gave up eight hits and five runs in five innings of his first start for the club.

Red Sox bats aren’t exactly booming, either, with a .236 batting average, only two home runs, 51 strikeouts and a 38-22 run disadvantage. Kevin Youkilis is 2-for-20, Jacoby Ellsbury 3-for-23, there isn’t much backup on the bench, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield are gone (as is closer Jonathan Papelbon) and the Sox are now looking at the well-oiled Tampa Bay Rays in the first home series, followed by the Rangers and the Yankees.

This is what we’ll be faced with as the Sox line up along the first base line at 2 p.m. Friday. This is one Opening Day that’s not going to be all fun and games.

Mike Fine may be reached at mikefine@ledger.com.

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FORT MYERS, Fla. ? 

Aaron Cook is headed to the minors. But if he keeps pitching the way he did yesterday, he might not stay there long.

Cook threw five solid innings, Adrian Gonzalez had two hits, and the Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals, 4-2.

Cook allowed only two hits, including Danny Espinosa’s leadoff homer in the fourth. He struck out two, walked one and finished the spring with a 1.88 ERA.

Boston signed the veteran right-hander to a minor league contract in the offseason to provide pitching depth and another option at the back of the rotation.

The Red Sox were cautious with Cook early in the spring because of past health issues. His outing yesterday surprised manager Bobby Valentine.

“Coming in, I did not expect him to be giving us five pretty good innings the last day of spring training,” Valentine said. “So it’s a very pleasant development. I thought his sinker was really good today. And it’s great to have that kind of depth in our starting rotation. I think a few handful of outings like that where he builds up his pitch count and maintains his strength will be a pleasant happenstance.”

Cook is slated to go to Triple-A Pawtucket and work as a starter there.

“There’s always disappointment when they tell you you’re going down, but I took it all in stride,” Cook said. “I knew the situation when I signed here. And I’m just going to go out there and be the same pitcher whether it’s at Boston, Pawtucket, no matter where I’m at. I’m going to go out there, try to get ground-ball outs, and be very efficient.”

Franklin Morales worked a perfect ninth for the save.

Jordan Zimmermann tossed five innings for the Nationals in his final exhibition tuneup, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned). He dropped to 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA in spring training but was satisfied with his outing.

“Yeah, I’m definitely ready,” Zimmermann said. “I felt pretty good today. Missed a few balls, made a few bad pitches, and I mean, these guys are some good hitters. Adrian Gonzalez is probably one of the best hitters in the league, and he showed it again today. I mean, I threw him the kitchen sink, and he still got two hits and a walk. Overall, I feel good and I’m ready to get going.”

The teams meet again today for another exhibition game in Washington.

Beckett being checked

Josh Beckett went to Texas yesterday to have his injured thumb examined, but Valentine said he expected the right-hander to make his scheduled start at Detroit this weekend in Boston’s second game of the season.

“He’s had a little situation that he was taking care of today … just for peace of mind,” Valentine said.

Still, right-hander Alfredo Aceves said he has been told to be ready to pitch Saturday’s game against the Tigers and the home opener against Tampa Bay on April 13 if Beckett is not able to start.

Beckett has a history of blisters on his pitching hand. Valentine said that was not the issue.

“Just been a little situation,” the manager said. “Think I might have mentioned it 10 days ago. It was a situation we were dealing with. I feel really good right now. But, as in all cases, you have to be prepared. I think we are. I think we’re covered whatever happens.”

Beckett threw 100 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday.

“Felt great. Hit location,” Valentine said.

Valentine said he “totally” expects Beckett to start Saturday.

Beckett was 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in five spring training starts. He was expected to rejoin the team in Detroit for Opening Day rather than for today’s exhibition at Washington.

Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey was scheduled to have his right thumb examined in Boston yesterday.

Diamond Dust

Nationals infielder Steve Lombardozzi and outfielders Tracy, Carroll and Xavier Nady have all won spots on the Opening Day roster. Washington outfielders Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel, along with closer Drew Storen and right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, will begin the season on the disabled list. … Gonzalez raised his spring training average to .357. … Injured Red Sox players who will stay behind in Fort Myers to continue working out and rehabbing at the team’s training complex include pitchers Rich Hill, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Andrew Miller, John Lackey, Chris Carpenter and Bobby Jenks, left fielder Carl Crawford and outfielder Ryan Kalish.

In the spirit of sending out vital press releases for events such as the departure of the equipment truck to spring training, the Red Sox Monday sent out one regarding the status of Jon Lester as the opening day starter on April 5 in Detroit. Such an announcement was surely seen as one that all of New England, perhaps much of the free world, was clamoring to read. Tomorrow, presumably, the Sox will release information on the status of the No. 9 batter.

Undoubtedly, the opening day starter is regarded as an honor among many major leaguers, but Josh Beckett didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it, just as he didn’t last season. Manager Bobby Valentine, in Fort Myers, Fla., Monday, expressed relief that Beckett felt that way, and did admit that the decision had weighed on him in recent days.

For Lester, it’s a relief, because as he said Monday, he can get his first start out of his mind and he can get right into the season. It’s an honor because he becomes the first left-hander since Mel Parnell (three years, 1952-54) to make back-to-back opening-day starts.

It’s just that there are 162 games in a season and somebody’s got to kick it off. Truthfully, the Sox want their best on the mound to oppose reigning American League MVP/Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, but was it such a big deal a year ago when Lester was also accorded the honor – and promptly gave up six hits and five runs in 51/3 innings at Texas? This isn’t like Jacoby Ellsbury leading off so he can get extra at-bats over the course of a nine-inning game. A pitcher who starts opening day isn’t likely to accumulate many more starts over the course of the season than the fifth starter, given injuries, rest, etc.

So that brings us to the real concern for Valentine and the Sox: Who’s going to start in succeeding days? Beckett will likely follow, which also puts him in line to pitch the Red Sox’ home opener April 13 against the Rays. That might be an even bigger honor than starting on the road. Clay Buchholz will undoubtedly follow as the third starter.

After that is where the Red Sox rotation gets a little iffy. It’s pretty obvious at this time that Daniel Bard is being groomed as the fourth starter, and the former set-up man has looked mostly good thus far in spring training. If you look at general spring training stats, you might be tempted to dismiss pitchers such as Bard being able to get the starting job done. Bard had a tough go of starting his first season in professional ball and was immediately converted to a reliever, where he met with great success. His spring stats, though, indicate an 8.22 ERA, yet that was because, of his three appearances (two starts), he gave up seven runs in his third outing.

As in many spring training situations, though, there were extenuating circumstances. Often, pitchers will work on one or two particular pitches in a spring training game rather than use their entire repertoire. In Bard’s case, he was looking at a rain-delayed game against St. Louis last Thursday and he didn’t start.

The real problem that Valentine faces is finding a fifth starter … or perhaps a sixth. The most competent starters could be Alfredo Aceves, who had also pitched in three games, starting one (four innings, one run). But Aceves was so valuable last season in a variety of jobs that Valentine seems to be leaning toward keeping him in that utility pitching role.

The fifth starters could come down to a couple of options. Felix Doubront, the hard-throwing, young left-hander, might have the inside track off his 3.00 spring training showing thus far. He started against the Twins Monday, but he gave up two runs on eight hits, needing 79 pitches to escape jams in 42/3 innings. Former Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla has been fascinating, as well, but he hadn’t started in four spring appearances.

The Sox also have former Rockies starter Aaron Cook in the wings. Cook has been set back and will start the season in Triple-A Pawtucket, but could be seen as an option down the road. An even greater option could be Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is showing great signs of progress as he rehabs from last season’s Tommy John surgery. A healthy Matsuzaka would certainly shore up the starting unit somewhere around June.

So, it’s nice that Lester is starting opening day, and that everyone’s happy with the honor, but until the Sox can establish a solid, complete rotation, opening day is just another blip on the season-long radar screen.

Mike Fine may be reached at mikefine@ledger.com.

The Boston Red Sox make final preparations for the 2012 season; one that the team and their fans help diminishes the bad memory of last season’s September collapse. The team has made several significant moves this off-season; the most dramatic of which was severing ties with two-time World Series winning manager Terry Francona and bringing in the services of former New York Mets manager and ESPN analyst, Bobby Valentine. In a strange twist of fate, it is now Francona that occupies the role of baseball analyst for ESPN; replacing the departed Valentine.

When a team begins to fail in meeting front office and fan expectations, they must go in an opposite direction to shake up the roster and regain their players’ competitive edge. Valentine is just that, an outspoken manager, but one that is solid strategically. Valentine’s prior success with the Texas Rangers and New York Mets speak to that.

Make no mistake, Valentine is no Terry Francona; neither in style or approach. Francona is a winning manager with two World Series titles, but some of his veteran players began to drown out his voice. Valentine is far more likely to not only maintain the players’ attention, but also occasionally irritate his team as he did with Carl Crawford. Back as an analyst with ESPN, the free-speaking Valentine criticized the speedy outfielder’s batting stance and how it may be contributing to his struggles at the plate. It took several weeks after Valentine’s hire for him and Crawford to speak; hinting that the player’s memory of the criticism still resonated.

The hiring of Valentine was a dramatic move by the Red Sox front office to send a clear message to the team and its fans that the atmosphere in the clubhouse was going to change. With ownership’s full support, Valentine will have free reign to set the tone in his locker room as he sees fit; and will not shy away from public statements that will likely get a rise from fans and opponents like. In fact, the first order of business was the elimination of beer in the clubhouse; something that was abused by several players and to blame for the late season struggles of the team.

The new skipper’s willingness to get into name calling against the New Yankees is another example of his outspoken nature. While occasional trading of barbs through the media helps to fuel a sports rivalry, Terry Francona always positioned his comments with a level of respect for his opponents; while also not being one to call out a player, which was an endearing quality of his during his tenure in Boston.

Being brash and in command at all times does not always end with positive results. At times, a manager needs to handle matters in-house. During the span of his eight year managerial tenure, Francona had many opportunities to deal with some of baseball’s biggest egos; including Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez. Through it all Francona mostly kept internal strife within the walls of the clubhouse and always deflected external inquiries on player issues as they arose. His ability to handle some of the sport’s biggest egos while winning two championships was a testament to his approach.

Bobby Valentine does bring another element to his approach that differs form his predecessor. The new Red Sox skipper has introduced more skill drills to practices; another deviation from the prior regime. While bunting and fielding drills appear to be of minor consequence; in professional sports it can be difficult to get multi-millionaires to put in the extra effort. Through this spring, Valentine has succeeded in getting the players to put in the extra work and no dissention seems to be emanating from t he clubhouse.

Granted that every team eventually faces the need to move on from one leader to another; that a manager’s voice will eventually be shut out by the players and a change is needed. There are few candidates that could have been considered that offer such a strong contrast in personality and style than Valentine and Francona.

For the benefit of Red Sox fans everywhere, here is hoping that the desired result is achieved and Boston will regain their standing as a team to contend with and the unfortunate outcome of the 2011 season can move far in the distance. There is little doubt that the talent on the field will help make this season a relative success in Boston, but the change in manager will not change the health and depth of the roster; which is something that this team will be faced with. In a highly competitive American League, Boston will find it more difficult to make the playoffs this year than last. Teams like Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Texas Rangers are loaded with talent; and division rivals New York and Tampa Bay bring back solid rosters for another playoff run.

A move was necessary; and as much as I respected Terry Francona as manager, it was clear that it is easier to change one man than 25. I do not have complete confidence that the 2012 season will be as successful as most Red Sox hope, but the team has talent to content. Regardless of this season outcome, there will be no lack of attention drawn to this team; from the play on the field to the man in the dugout. If nothing else, 2012 will be entertaining.

Scott Duhaime is a life-long Boston Red Sox fan with a career statistics/analytics background. His passion for baseball and his quantitative skills translate into a deep analysis of player statistical contributions both to their respective teams and the sport in general.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports: Boston Red Sox Home Page