In 2001, the Sox were in first place, 10 games over .500, when Varitek broke his elbow and was lost for the year. They finished 82-79. In 2006, the Sox were again in first when Varitek suffered a knee injury at the end of July, then crumbled in August and September to finish at 86-76.

Over the years, we’ve said it countless times: just for what he gives the Sox in terms of stability behind the plate, Varitek may have been the most indispensable player on the team during those years. Is he still?

Nobody is suggesting that Varitek alone is reason for the team’s success. He isn’t. But the Sox look like a much better team when Varitek is catching, which would be if the Sox could assume good production from him offensively. They can’t. And if Varitek catches more, that means that Martinez is relegated to designated hitter, which means that both Lowell and Ortiz would sit.
How many bats can a team take out of the lineup before the cost becomes too great?

We all know the score here. Ortiz is a true DH. If he can’t hit lefties or righties, there is really no point in carrying him on the roster - he’s not a plus defender and no one would use him as a pinch-runner. Still, Ortiz hit .281 with a .946 OPS against righthanders after May last season, suggesting there’s a reasonable chance the Sox can get more from him. As the year progresses. But how can anyone expect improvement if Ortiz doesn’t get at-bats?

But if Lowell is the full-time DH, then Victor Martinez must catch a large majority of the time. Based on what we’ve seen so far, that hardly seems like a good way to go. Aside from Varitek’s defensive abilities – and we’re talking about receiving and game-calling, not throwing – the surest thing the Red Sox have in this revolving foursome at the moment is Martinez’s ability to hit. He has to be in the lineup somewhere.

If you’re confused by all of this, you should be. At the moment, these are the decisions Francona is facing on a nightly basis, before the game even starts. As such, there is great instability in the lineup. The manager is being forced to make educated guesses – but guesses nonetheless – on what matchups and skills will best serve the Red Sox on any given night, which is a difficult way for any skipper – and any team – to successfully negotiate an entire season.

Nine years ago, as the Red Sox slunk their way through a disappointing 2001 season, there was great instability in the lineup. Players openly complained about manager Jimy Williams’s unwillingness to settle on a regular lineup, the manager instead opting to play matchups. Williams supporters at the time argued that Williams was forced to platoon players because the Sox didn’t have enough complete players on their roster, which led to instability on the field and in the clubhouse.

Now, several years later, the Red Sox find themselves in a similar predicament with too many moving parts.

Round and round they go. Where it stops, nobody knows.