Players the Red Sox need to get rid of before next season

Who needs to go? Let's start with Josh Becket. Ok, so we've heard that Becket, John Lackey and Jon Lester were eating fast food, playing video games and drinking beer during games they weren't pitching. But did they ever drink before games they were pitching in? I have no hard evidence, but the way Becket injured his ankle in the September 5 loss to the Blue Jays is very suspicious.

First of all, how does a person who has been walking around the bump all his life suddenly take a dive in the bullpen and twist his ankle in the first place? Second of all, how does he not feel anything until the fourth inning? Was that when he sobered up?

And after he came back from the strange injury, he was just not the same. In fact, he was a major factor in the infamous September collapse. His reputation as a fierce competitor may no longer be warranted, as a result. If he can't be traded, the team should consider dumping him and eating the $45 million owed. It could be the best money they ever spent . . . except fpr the $45 million to dump Lackey.

Last season John Lackey went into the Red Sox record books as the worst pitcher in the long history of the team. What's worse is that he is the king of dirty looks and he saved is ugliest for manager Terry Francona, meeting his skipper with scorn every time he was yanked from one of his many dreadful starts. What, was Francona supposed just leave him in there to see if he could break some more infamous records?

Not only that, but Lackey would throw his hands up and act like his teammates were a bunch of losers whenever they couldn't come up with a play. What broke the camel's back in this fan's eyes was when he pulled that arrogant act on a rare Dustin Pedroia error. As if Pedey, of all people, wasn't trying.

Think about it. $90 million to be rid of two major sore spots is a small price to pay for team that hands out $20 million contracts for seven years to not one but two free agents in the same off season. And it needs to be done if they are serious about returning to the top.

Tim Wakefield, it's time to hang up the cleats and go coach little league. I am tired of seeing other teams score multiple runs without a single hit. Wake's time to walk off into obscurity has come.

Granted the lack of effort by catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on Wakefield's few good sinking knucklers was a big part of Wake's problem. For goodness sakes, anyone who watches baseball knows that a catcher is supposed to block a ball down low with his body, not stab at it with his glove. Salty is no major leaguer.

Jason Varitek, you will always be remembered for feeding Alex Rodriguez a richly deserved glove sandwich. However, with Becket gone, so goes the need for personal catcher. Thanks for the memories and may you have a long coaching career.

Time to let those minor league catchers have a chance.

This list doesn't address what acquisitions the Sox should make, but it seems less important than the deadwood that need to go.