The Red Sox believe their roster is built to contend in 2009 and well beyond. They attempted to think positive even after losing in seven games to the Rays in this past season's ALCS. "For us, this is something that's going to happen for years," said closer Jonathan Papelbon. "Year after year, we're going to put ourselves in a position to win championships. You can't ask for anything else." Thanks to the scouting and development machine that has taken place under the regime of GM Theo Epstein, the Red Sox have a stable of homegrown players who have become cornerstones. "I think we feel that we have stability, and we have a strong foundation and a great farm system, and we have a lot of pitching coming and most positions filled, and that's not something we take for granted," Epstein said. "That's the product of a lot of hard work by a lot of people and a lot of long-term planning and a lot of luck and a lot of good things."