The San Francisco Giants are officially champions of Major League Baseball for the second time in three seasons, a feat the Red Sox did in four seasons just recently. Following a disappointing 93 loss season, general manager Ben Cherington has many decisions to make this off season in order to get his ball club back to championship caliber. The bad news is a lot remains unsolved. The good news is there are plenty of options.

Needs: First base, Corner outfield, Shortstop, Starting pitching

Big Free Agents: David Ortiz, Cody Ross, James Loney, Dice – K

The first route Cherington can take things this off season is to stay in house. A decade ago Boston was known for playing dirt dogs, guys who played for not a lot of money and played the game the right way to complement the superstars. In recent years we got away from that with the Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and John Lackey signings. With Mike Aviles being sent to Toronto in the John Farrell deal, there is a whole at shortstop. Cherington will have to evaluate whether Jose Iglesias is ready to take over. Ortiz is expected to re-sign and assuming Jacoby Ellsbury remains with the team this year, there are still the corner outfield spots to fill. Ross is due for a big payday after playing for only $3 million in 2012. Ryan Kalish and Daniel Nava would be solid options if someone is not brought in from the outside. The forgotten man of the season was Daniel Bard. Now that Farrell is back maybe he can help Bard. It’s uncertain whether Bard will be a starter or reliever but if he figures things out could be a huge impact performer.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox it is a very weak free agent class this year. The big name is Josh Hamilton but it appears the days of shelling out $100 million contracts are over for Boston. Some interesting outfield options are Nick Swisher and BJ Upton with Swisher also being able to play first base. Another multiple position guy could be Mike Napoli, a right handed power hitter. I think the most likely free agent signing would be Jake Peavy. He would be a serviceable number three starter behind Jon Lester and Clay Buccholz and his bulldog mentality would perfectly suit the Boston fans and media.

The final route the Sox could go is trades. This is the least likely route because the Sox would have to give up some of the farm and Cherington is very committed to rebuilding it. Boston has the next wave of “The Killer B’s” in SP Matt Barnes, OF Jackie Bradley Jr, and SS Xander Bogaerts but unfortunately they are all at least a year away. The positive with making a trade is that the Sox would receive young, controllable major league talent. The most interesting options are Justin Upton, Josh Johnson, Alex Gordon, and Matt Garza. All would require at least one of the Killer B’s along with a couple other mid level prospects. The most interesting name could be Tim Lincecum, whose role in San Francisco is currently undefined.

The Red Sox are not expected to re-sign Loney or Dice – K. This article’s purpose was to review the options the Red Sox have. Check back in a few weeks for an early 2013 season preview.

NBA commissioner David Stern announced today that he plans to retire on February 1, 2014, thirty years to the day after he initially received the job title. It’s hard to find a commissioner that has grown his sport more in his tenure than Stern has in his. He relocated six franchises, added seven teams to the league, spread the game internationally and created both the WNBA and D – League.

Stern will be the first to admit that he took over as commissioner at the right time. After the Celtics dynasty of the 1960′s had fallen, the 1970′s was not a good decade of professional basketball. Of course, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were drafted in 1979 and the league received some marketing help with the renewing of the Celtics – Lakers rivalry. The 1980′s were called the “Golden Age” of basketball with superstars such as Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwan, Charles Barkley, John Stockton and others entering the league at the same time.

These players helped form the 1992 USA Olympic team, also known as The Dream Team. This team represented the first ever Olympics where NBA players could play and the fanfare around them was a major force in spreading the game internationally. Players such as Dirk Nowitzki, Pau and Marc Gasol, and Manu Ginobli all may not have come over to the NBA had it not been for the dream team.

Even with all the improvements in professional basketball over the past thirty years, there is definitely still some problems. Many small market teams complain about the forming of super teams such as the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. In order for a small market team to compete, they would have to get lucky in the draft on more than one occasion such as the Oklahoma City Thunder did. Another change that could be seen soon is a full minor league system that over takes the D – League.

Commissioners are judged liked presidents, such as their success as a leader is judged by how things went during the time they were in charge. Stern should be considered a great commissioner simply because of how well the NBA did during his thirty years of office. Surely there were some moments that seemed shady, such as the lottery system of the draft,  but overall Stern has grown the sport and should forever have a positive legacy.

While the rest of the baseball world is focusing on game one of the 2012 World Series tonight, the Boston Red Sox continue their quest to build a better on field product for 2013. In a largely unnoticed move, Boston hired former pitching coach John Farrell to succeed Bobby Valentine as the next manger of the Red Sox. Today rumors leaked that general manager Ben Cherington is in talks to bring Ortiz back, a move the Sox desperately need.

As of this writing the only firepower the Sox have in their offense is an oft injured center fielder named Jacoby Ellsbury and a scrappy second baseman who goes by Dustin Pedroia. When Ortiz went down for good in July, Will Middlebrooks got injured and once Adrian Gonzalez was traded, Boston had the likes of Cody Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia hitting cleanup. While they are great role players it’s tough to imagine a championship team with them in the heart of the order. It’s alright that Boston won’t field an all star at every position. A big plan of theirs is to get the Cody Ross’s of the world, guys who will play hard for Farrell.

Ortiz will undoubtedly play hard for Farrell. He should also be the focus point of the Red Sox offense, hitting third every game behind Ellsbury and Pedroia. Up until his Achilles injury, Ortiz was having his best season since 2007, hitting .318 with 23 homers and 60 RBI in only 90 games. He is however 37 years old and paying a designated hitter $15 million a season at that age is a little scary. If anyone deserves it however it is Ortiz, the only member of that 2004 World Series team still with the club.

Rumors say the talks could be finalized by the end of the week and Ortiz has already met with Farrell and his been working out at Fenway’s facilities, signs that these rumors are indeed true. A multi-year deal could keep Ortiz in a Boston uniform until he retires. He’s been a clutch performer, a fan favorite, a world series winner, and a team leader. It’s time he gets payed and helps Cherington build the next great Red Sox team.

“ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE!!!” screamed Kevin Garnett upon winning the clinching game six of the 2008 NBA finals against the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers. It was a great moment for the Cetlics who behind the big three of Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen brought the seventeenth championship banner to the TD Garden.

For the first time in five seasons the Celtics are in training camp without the all time leader in three pointers made, Ray Allen. Over the off season Allen elected to take less money for a perceived better chance at another NBA championship.

Allen cited many reasons for his departure, most notably being his feud with franchise player Rajan Rondo. Allen was frustrated with Rondo’s antics and game management style. Making matters worse, Avery Bradley took over the starting shooting guard position late this season moving Allen to the bench. Pile on the fact that Allen has been the target of trade talks the past two years and it’s tough to hate him for leaving.

This however does not excuse the fact that he left for the Miami Heat, the team the Celtics lost to in an emotionally exhausting seven game eastern conference finals. What better way to start the season than with a Celtics – Heat matchup in Miami when Lebron James and company will receive their rings.

Celtics fan will hope the defending Atlantic division champs can minimize the amount of times James or Dwyane Wade drive to the hoop and kick it out to a wide open Allen for three. The Heat will be heavily favored both for that game and to return to the finals as eastern conference champs. But if there’s one things we’ve learned from the Garnett era it’s that anything’s possible.