Allegiance

This Hot Stove season is like any other for me: I pay some attention to what the Red Sox are doing, cursing certain moves (letting go of closer Jonathan Papelbon), happy with others (keeping Big Papi on board, signing Ellsbury for another year), clueless about some (is Cody Ross any good?) and confused by a few (why so many potential closers...when you could have held on to Cinco Ocho?!?!).

I learned years ago not to get too wrapped up in what happens during the off-season. On Opening Day...