Passing the Torch

For the first time in his career, Jon Lester (above) will be the Red Sox Opening Day starter. Josh Beckett had previously gotten three of the last four Opening Day nods.

When the Red Sox acquired Josh Beckett from the Marlins in November 2005, the immensely talented righthander was touted as the ace of the future. Sure, the Sox surrendered blue chip shortstop prospect and future star Hanley Ramirez in the deal, but at the time Beckett was exactly what Boston was looking for.

At 25-years-old, Beckett was entering the prime of his career and looked like he was only going to get better. He had just pitched the Marlins past the Yankees in the 2003 Fall Classic and been named World Series MVP, solidifying his reputation around the league as a big-game pitcher capable of elevating his game to the next level when he needed to most.

Then, after a mediocre first season in Boston (Beckett went 16-11 in 2006 but had a bloated 5.01 ERA and gave up 36 homers, second most in Baseball), Beckett showed us all exactly why the Red Sox gave up so much to acquire him.

In 2007, the former #2 overall pick (Josh Hamilton went first overall to the Rays) put together a spectacular season, going 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA. In the playoffs he was unhittable. Against the Indians, Beckett went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA to win the ALCS MVP before leading the Red Sox in a clean sweep over the Rockies to secure the 2007 World Series title. All in all, Beckett went 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA in the playoffs.

Since then, Beckett has been a model of inconsistency. In 2008 he went just 12-10 but then rebounded to go an impressive 17-6 in 2009 for a Red Sox club that lost Game 7 of the ALCS to the up-start Rays. The following April GM Theo Epstein rewarded Beckett, inking him to a four-year, $68 million extension. However, Beckett's 2010 season was a bust. Plagued by back woes that landed him on the DL numerous times, Beckett went 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA in just 21 starts. Not exactly the kind of production you expect out of a $17 million player.

As a result, it should come as no surprise that manager Terry Francona announced on Thursday that Jon Lester, not Beckett, will be his Opening Day starter against Texas on April 1.

While many Sox fans will argue that Lester has been Boston's best pitcher for the past three seasons, Lester will be making his first career Opening Day start. The decision represents a passing of the torch.

Jon Lester is now officially the ace of the Boston Red Sox.

Talk about a great story and a guy who deserves it. After being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2006, Lester's career and life were both in jeopardy. But, almost miraculously, Lester beat cancer and has grown into one of the game's elite left-handed starters. He won the clinching Game 4 in 2007 to win the World Series against the Rockies. In 2008 he went 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA and pitched a no-hitter against the Royals. In 2009 he went 15-8. Last season he made his first All-Star team and nearly won the Cy Young Award, going 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA.

Over his sparkling career, the 27-year-old Lester has gone 61-25. Over the past three seasons, he's been one of the most consistent and dominant pitchers in the game, winning an astounding 50 games. The Red Sox will now go as far as Lester takes them.

But what do we make of Beckett? With John Lackey tabbed as the number two starter and Clay Buchholz number three, Beckett is now a $17 million number four starter. You certainly can't argue with his demotion, as Beckett has been frustratingly inconsistent and unhealthy for going on two seasons now.

However, Beckett's demotion could prove to be a great move for both Beckett and the Sox. As a proud Texan whose been an ace his whole life, Beckett could get a chip on his shoulder and use it as motivation to regain his dominance. In addition, as the fourth starter, Beckett feels far less pressure to carry the rotation and could thrive in a supporting, not leading, role. Also, a result of being pushed back in the rotation, Beckett will be matched up with other team's fourth starters, which no doubt gives the Sox a supreme advantage over their opponents.

The question with Beckett has never been talent. He's got loads of it. It's always been about consistency.

And for the past three seasons, no one has been more consistent on the mound than Lester. That's who you want taking the ball in the Opener.