According to speculation from the Chicago Sun Times the Sox are probably headed for a mid-season fire sale.  Basically the gist of the article is that the team will probably win more, but in the ultra competitive AL Central they don't stand a chance.  The time frame for this, according to the Sun Time, would start around the All Star break.  The article also covers the failure that is the Cubs, but the interesting part deals with the fact that the Sox are older, slower, more prone to injuries and continuing to get more expensive.  I'd toss in the fact they don't have enough pitching, but that's just my take.  Williams can't contend and rebuild at the same time (he should've asked Shapiro how that turned out).

If this speculation holds true, there's at least a bit less competition in the division to overcome.