The Boston Red Sox, who had a ?down? year in 2010 when they missed the playoffs with 89 wins, are doing everything they can to make sure they aren?t third in the American League East behind the Yankees and Rays once again. Four days after acquiring first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who they?ve courted for quite some time, the Red Sox sent shock waves through baseball by agreeing to a seven-year, $142 million deal with free-agent outfielder Carl Crawford. The rival Yankees took the acquisition of Crawford, who many had all but put in Anaheim with the Angels, so seriously that they turned around and upped their offer to free-agent left hander Cliff Lee. Two winters after the Yankees made headlines for spending more than the GDP of a few countries on CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett, the Red Sox have gone on a splurge of their own. In addition to Crawford?s $142 million deal, Gonzalez is believed to be in line for a seven-year, $150-plus million contract. Ironically enough, the Yankees added Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett after missing the playoffs with 89 wins (behind the Tampa Bay and Boston). The Red Sox will certainly welcome more irony if they win the World Series less than 10 months from now. For a number of reasons, the 2011 Red Sox were already closer to title contention than the 2009 Yankees were prior to their shopping spree. Kevin Youkilis (60 missed games), Dustin Pedroia (87), Mike Cameron (114) and Jacoby Ellsbury (144) all sat out for an extended period of time in 2010. Assuming Youkilis and Pedroia come back 100% healthy and David Ortiz avoids another first-half slump, the Red Sox will have an incredibly dangerous lineup that features, but isn?t limited to Pedroia, Youkilis, Crawford, Ortiz and Gonzalez. The addition of Crawford has sparked rumors that the Red Sox could deal Jacoby Ellsbury for pitching, but if he returns to the player we saw in 2009 he?ll add another dimension to perhaps the best lineup manager Terry Francona has had in Boston. Remember, they have won two World Series in the last six years. The Red Sox ranked near the top in most offensive categories in 2010 -- runs (second), OBP (third) and OPS (first). They used a number of different players in left field with Cameron and Ellsbury out with injuries and the collection posted an OPS of .698. Assuming Crawford is inserted right into his usual position, he?ll bring an OPS of .851 with elite speed. He?s also coming off his best offensive season with a career-high 19 home runs and 90 runs batted in. He earned his first Gold Glove in 2010 as well. Crawford?s WAR was 4.8 in Tampa Bay this past season. They?ll make a tiny upgrade at first base as well, with Youkilis sliding to third (replacing the departing Adrian Beltre) and Gonzalez manning the position while Ortiz serves as the designated hitter. First base was actually Boston?s second most productive position, but Gonzalez?s numbers in San Diego were superior. Gonzalez had an OPS of .904 with 31 home runs and 101 runs batted in for the Padres with a WAR of 6.3 (seventh in all of baseball). Boston used Youkilis, Mike Lowell, Victor Martinez and Ortiz at the position this past season and they combined to post an OPS of .849 with 24 homers and 84 RBI. Thanks to Beltre and his health, third base was Boston?s most reliable and productive slot in the lineup. He posted 28 homers and 102 RBI with a WAR of 6.1 and an OPS of .919. What can?t be dismissed in these recent moves is that Youkilis will replace him on the field and in turn, in the lineup. In 2009, his last close-to-full season, Youkilis had 27 home runs and 94 RBI with an OPS of .961. When you combine the acquisitions of Crawford and Gonzalez, along with the return of Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury, it almost seems a foregone conclusion that Boston will have baseball?s most potent offense in 2011. Grade for Red Sox: A The only demerit the Red Sox receive in either deal is that they came close to selling the farm to get Gonzalez. They sent pitching prospect Casey Kelly and first base prospect Anthony Rizzo to San Diego, among the best players in their farm system, along with Reymond Fuentes, a young 19-year-old outfielder. With that said, Rizzo and Fuentes would have been kept in the minors for quite some time with Gonzalez and Crawford playing at Fenway Park well into the next decade. Grade for Crawford, Gonzalez: A+ Crawford and Gonzalez will both contend for a championship over the next seven years after trying to catch lightning in a bottle in Tampa Bay and San Diego, respectively. Gonzalez and Crawford also spent too many seasons trying to carry an entire offense, but they?ll sometimes be Boston?s fourth and fifth-best offensive player when Ortiz, Youkilis and Pedroia are swinging the bat to the best of their abilities. I can predict that I?ll get e-mails pointing out that Gonzo has yet to reach an agreement with the Red Sox, especially since he came out with comments against a formal contract on Friday. Meanwhile, I?m writing as though the acquisition will keep him in Boston for seven years. Once Gonzalez realizes he can endure a slump without also suffering through an extended losing streak, he?ll happily put pen to paper on a long-term deal. Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: [email protected]. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7.