ROTATION

CHRIS SALE, LHP, 28 JAMES PROJECTION: 15-8, 206 IP, 22 HR, 43 BB, 259 K, 3.05 ERA

Skinny: James also projected exactly 259 strikeouts for Sale last year, when the cy young Award runner-up finished with 308. Keep Sale fresh all year and an ERA in the mid-2s should not be surprising.

DAVID PRICE, LHP, 32 JAMES PROJECTION: 12-9, 184 IP, 21 HR, 44 BB, 181 K, 3.73 ERA

Skinny: James projects 28 starts, enough space for Price to take a pair of 10-day trips to the disabled list. Will his elbow hold up? if it does, Price could opt out of his contract at season's end.

DREW POMERANZ, LHP, 29 JAMES PROJECTION: 11-9, 175 IP, 21 HR, 68 BB, 173 K, 3.96 ERA

Skinny: He walked off the mound with an injury three times last year and still finished with a 3.32 ERA. Like Buchholz, he's inconsistent with endless potential. Like Price, he has pending free agency to motivate him.

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 29 JAMES PROJECTION: 12-10, 196 IP, 27 HR, 41 BB, 166 K, 4.09 ERA

Skinny: James almost nailed the projection on Porcello last year if not for one stat: Porcello allowed 43 homers; James projected 24. Three more homers were tacked on this year.

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ, LHP, 24 JAMES PROJECTION: 10-8, 161 IP, 19 HR, 55 BB, 160 K, 3.90 ERA

Skinny: James isn't in the business of projecting a breakout from a young player who hasn't shown the consistency to become the star so many evaluators think he can be.

STEVEN WRIGHT, RHP, 33 JAMES PROJECTION: 8-8, 146 IP, 19 HR, 47 BB, 106 K, 4.50 ERA

Skinny: coming off knee surgery and expected to be healthy for spring training, the knuckleballer could play a key role as a swingman.