VORP. Baseball Prospectus looks at the change in starting pitchers:

Added            VORP      Status

David Wells      40.3      2 yr/$8MM ($10MM incentives)

Matt Clement     36.9      3 yr/$25MM

Wade Miller      21.8      1 yr/$1.5MM ($3MM incentives)

 

Lost             VORP      Status

Pedro Martinez   51.2      Mets; 4 yr/$53MM

Derek Lowe      -11.5      Rejected arbitration

BP calculates the VORP of the 2004 rotation -- Schilling, Martinez, Lowe, Wakefield, Arroyo -- at 146.7 and a projected 2005 rotation -- Schilling, Wells, Clement, Miller, Arroyo -- at 196.6.

Adding Wells, Clement and Miller gives the Sox a much deeper rotation, as they can move Wakefield or Arroyo to the bullpen and have insurance if Wells or Miller breaks down at some point (which is a pretty safe bet heading into '05). There is a steep drop from Schilling to whoever is tabbed as the number two man, but little decline in quality moving from the two through five spots, especially if the Sox keep Arroyo in the rotation and move Wakefield into the swingman role.

Is it February 20 yet?