It was a relatively quiet off-season for the local nine. The one notable subtraction was the loss of Jacoby Ellsbury to free agency, who agreed to sign with Boston’s division rival, the New York Yankees. Also gone from the team are two other key cogs from last season’s machine: catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (signed with the Miami Marlins) and shortstop Stephen Drew (currently unsigned). There were also a few notable additions, too, including catcher A.J. Pierzynski, outfielder Grady Sizemore, and reliever Edward Mujica, all of whom made the Opening Day roster.

Otherwise, the team taking the field this afternoon at Orioles Park at Camden Yards is for all intents and purposes the same one that we saw playing for postseason glory this past October. The starting rotation carries over from last season, as does the right side of the infield, the corner outfielders, and the key bullpen components.

Defending a championship is not easy and, in fact, nearly impossible: the last team to win back-to-back championships were the Yankees, who won three straight titles between 1998 and 2000. Only time will tell if the 2014 Red Sox can match the success of last season. With that, here are five thoughts on this year’s club as the season opens.

1. Will Middlebrooks will rebound from his sophomore slump.

After an eye-opening rookie campaign in 2012, cut short by a wrist injury, Middlebrooks got off to a poor start offensively last season and was optioned to Pawtucket in mid-June. He returned in early August and, over 41 games, had a BAbip of .320 and an OPS of .805 but factored little into Boston’s postseason run, batting .160 with one RBI over three playoff series. Bill James projects that he should bat .266 with 32 home runs, 104 RBI, and an .800 OPS, which if healthy should be attainable since they closely match what he was on pace to do in 2012. Signs were promising this spring, with four home runs and 1.056 OPS in 19 games this spring.

2. Koji Uehara will not repeat his performance from last season.

Uehara had an unbelievable season in 2013, posting a WHIP of 0.57 in 74.1 IP during the regular season. He was just a filthy during the postseason, combining for seven saves and a 0.51 WHIP in 13.2 IP and earned ALCS MVP honors. It would be hard for any closer, whether it’s Uehara, Mariano Rivera, Dick Radatz, or Dennis Eckersley, to match those totals in back-to-back seasons, but it’s going to be even more difficult given that he turns 39 years old this week. Farrell and pitching coach Juan Nieves will need to manage the bullpen more effectively this season and keep his innings down if he is to be effective as the team’s closer; Mujica, who had 37 saves for St. Louis last season, is the team’s backup plan.

3. Xander Bogaerts will make us forget the name “Stephen Drew.”

I mean no disrespect to Drew, who was a solid performer in the field and held his own at the bottom of the order, but Bogaerts, ranked second in the 2014 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects and eighth the previous year, is the real deal. His sample size at the major league level is small but he did prove himself in the 2013 postseason, taking over for Middlebrooks at third and posting an OPS of .893 while scoring nine runs in 34 plate appearances. In 2012, he was rated the best power hitter in the Boston farm system, so he and Middlebrooks should add some power to compliment Ortiz and Napoli in the middle of the lineup. It will be to no one’s surprise if he walks away with AL Rookie of the Year honors at the end of this season.

4. Jackie Bradley will be back in Boston sooner than later and to stay.

Grady Sizemore, who had been limited over the past four seasons due to injury and has not stepped on a baseball diamond since 2011, signed a contract with the Red Sox this January much like the one Mike Napoli signed last winter where his salary increases as performance goals are met. Then he played like a man possessed this spring, making some sensational outfield plays and  posting an OPS of .784 in 13 games played. Meanwhile, Bradley, the supposed heir apparent to Ellsbury, struggled at the plate and finds himself starting the season in Pawtucket. However, part of the reason for this was because Boston has a glut of outfielders and Bradley has options to burn. With the health of Shane Victorino in question to begin the season and questions still lingering about Sizemore’s durability, do not be surprised to see the young prospect back with Boston before long.

5. Jon Lester will have the best season of his career.

This may not be a stretch since Lester will become a free agent at season’s end. After contract negotiations this spring failed to bring about an extension, his agents and the Red Sox agreed to revisit talks at season’s end. It’s a risk both sides are willing to take at this point and I believe that it will be more to Lester’s benefit. True, his last two seasons have seen a dip in his ERA+ (87 and 109 in 2012 and 2013, respectively) but he was solid in the stretch last season and was almost lights out in the 2013 playoffs, pitching into the eighth inning in three of his five starts and winning four of those starts. In three starts this spring — granted a relatively small sample size — he posted a WHIP of 0.79 and allowed just one run in 12.2 IP. With something to prove, he is geared to post big numbers this season.

The 2013 squad features many new faces, including starting pitcher Ryan Dempster, closer Joel Hanrahan, first baseman Mike Napoli, who will be making the transition from catcher for the Sox, and outfielders Jonny Gomes and Shane Victorino. Another new face is rookie Jackie Bradley, Jr., who impressed coaches and fans alike this spring and, with the absence of David Ortiz due to injury, has been given the opportunity to start the season on the 25-man roster, having never played higher than Double-A in his brief minor league career.

Of course, several familiar faces remain, including pitchers Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, and southpaw Jon Lester, who will square off against CC Sabathia at 1:05 PM this afternoon, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, second baseman Dustin Pedroia, third baseman Will Middlebrooks, and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.

Former Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, who piloted the rival Toronto Blue Jays over the past two seasons, takes over for the departed Bobby Valentine as manager.

Here is the complete Opening Day roster for Boston (asterisk denotes today’s starters):

Pitchers (12)
Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, Clay Buchholz, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront, Joel Hanrahan, John Lackey, Jon Lester*, Andrew Miller, Clayton Mortensen, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara

Catchers (2)
David Ross, Jarrod Saltalamacchia*

Infielders (6)
Mike Carp, Pedro Ciriaco, Jose Iglesias*, Will Middlebrooks*, Mike Napoli*, Dustin Pedroia*

Outfielders (5)
Jackie Bradley*, Jacoby Ellsbury*, Jonny Gomes*, Daniel Nava, Shane Victorino*

On the disabled list to begin the season are outfielder Ryan Kalish (right shoulder surgery), shortstop Stephen Drew (concussion), designated hitter David Ortiz (right heel inflammation), and pitchers Craig Breslow (left shoulder tendinitis) and Franklin Morales (back).  Breslow, Morales, and Ortiz begin the season on the 15-day DL, while Drew is on the 7-day DL and Kalish is on the 60-day DL.

Play ball!

Two telling statistics in this instance are on-base plus slugging (OPS) and walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). For positional players, OPS represents a batter’s ability to get on base and hit for power, two key hitting skills; for pitchers, WHIP represents a pitcher’s ability to keep batters from reaching base.

To be considered for selection, batters needed to have a minimum of 16 plate appearances (PA), projected starters needed to have a minimum of eight innings pitcher (IP), and projected relievers needed to have a minimum of three IP. Players were also given more consideration if they had the potential to make the Opening Day roster with Boston.

Batting

Mike Napoli – 16 PA, 3 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 HR, 3 XBH, 6 RBI, 1.429 OPS

Jackie Bradley, Jr. – 35 PA, 7 R, 15 H, 5 BB, 1 HR, 3 XBH, 4 RBI, 1.343 OPS

Jarrod Saltalamacchia – 24 PA, 1 R, 8 H, 3 BB, 5 XBH, 3 RBI, 1.077 OPS

Dustin Pedroia – 29 PA, 4 R, 8 H, 4 BB, 1 HR, 2 XBH, 6 RBI, .894 OPS

Lyle Overbay – 28 PA, 3 R, 6 H, 4 BB, 3 XBH, 4 RBI, .835 OPS

Starters

Ryan Dempster – 8.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 0.69 WHIP

Jon Lester – 14.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K, 0.71 WHIP

Clay Buchholz – 8.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 0.96 WHIP

Relievers

Koji Uehara – 5.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 WHIP

Daniel Bard – 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0.67 WHIP

Andrew Miller – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1.00 WHIP

Clayton Mortensen – 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.15 WHIP

Junichi Tazawa – 5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.31 WHIP

Ouch!

Ryan Lavarnway – 25 PA, 3 R, 4 H, 5 BB, 1 XBH, 3 RBI, .408 OPS

Brock Holt – 34 PA, 6 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 XBH, .454 OPS

Mauro Gomez – 29 PA, 4 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 1 XBH, 2 RBI, .476 OPS

Jacoby Ellsbury – 29 PA, 2 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 1 XBH, .550 OPS

Joel Hanrahan – 4.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 3.25 WHIP

Andrew Bailey – 5.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.80 WHIP

Pitchers (13)
Alfredo Aceves, Matt Albers, Scott Atchison, Daniel Bard, Josh Beckett, Michael Bowden, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, Jon Lester*, Mark Melancon, Franklin Morales, Vicente Padilla, Justin Thomas

Catchers (2)
Jarrod Saltalamacchia*, Kelly Shoppach

Infielders (6)
Mike Aviles, Adrian Gonzalez*, David Ortiz*, Dustin Pedroia*, Nick Punto, Kevin Youkilis*

Outfielders (4)
Jacoby Ellsbury*, Darnell McDonald, Cody Ross*, Ryan Sweeney*

On the disabled list to begin the season are outfielders Carl Crawford (left wrist) and Ryan Kalish (left shoulder) and pitchers Andrew Bailey (thumb), Chris Carpenter (right elbow), Rich Hill (left elbow), Daisuke Matsuzaka (right elbow), and Andrew Miller (left hamstring).  Crawford, Hill, Matsuzaka, and Miller begin the season on the 15-day DL, while Bailey, Carpenter, and Kalish are on the 60-day DL.

The Opening Day lineup includes two of the newest Red Sox players, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford, as well as several familiar faces, including second baseman Dustin Pedroia, third baseman Kevin Youkilis, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, and designated hitter David Ortiz.  On the mound will be Jon Lester, who is another pre-season media favorite as the 2011 Cy Young Award winner.

Here is the complete Opening Day roster for Boston (asterisk denotes Opening Day starters):

Starting Pitchers: Lester*, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka

Relief Pitchers: Matt Albers, Daniel Bard, Bobby Jenks, Jonathan Papelbon, Dennys Reyes, Tim Wakefield, Dan Wheeler

Catchers: Jarrod Saltalamacchia*, Jason Varitek

Infielders: Gonzalez*, Jed Lowrie, Pedroia*, Marco Scutaro*, Youkilis*

Outfielders: Mike Cameron*, Crawford*, J.D. Drew, Ellsbury*, Darnell McDonald

Designated Hitter: Ortiz*