Farrell has numbers in mind for Pierzynski, Ross

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Known for being a workhorse behind the plate throughout his career, A.J. Pierzynski might play a little less than he's accustomed to this season. But it won't come as a surprise to the 37-year-old, who is in his first season with the Red Sox.

"When we talked with A.J. in the offseason during kind of the recruiting process, we outlined that we saw it as 100 to 110 starts for A.J. and 50 to 60 for David [Ross]," said manager John Farrell. "That was an estimate. I'm certainly not going to hold myself to an exact number. That was kind of the breakdown we saw because of David Ross's capabilities and how productive he is. That's just kind of a general estimate."

Pierzynski started 111 games for the Rangers last season, but he spent time on the disabled list with an oblique strain.

The Red Sox feel fortunate to have a backup catcher like Ross, who was the team's primary starter in the American League Championship Series and the World Series.

"You can't measure David Ross's value by the number of at-bats or what the batting average is," said Farrell. "We know he can be a productive player. His vision or his view of the game -- he's a leader in the role that he's in. In games when he's not in the lineup, it's almost like having another coach on the bench."