By Phil Shore, Yawkey Talkies Correspondent

The 2009 campaign started off so rosy for Red Sox Nation. The Sox started out 8-0 versus the Yankees with three-straight sweeps in the first half of the season.

The Yankees got hot though, going 52-22 after the All-Star break. They went on a roll at the expense of the Red Sox, beating their division rivals nine out of ten times, including a three-game sweep at the end of September and winning the AL East crown.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, stumbled into the Wild Card after losing eight of ten games from September 21-30 — including a six-game losing streak where they were outscored 47-19 — before sweeping the Indians for four games to end the season.

And then as we all know, they were swept by the Angels in the ALDS.

One thing that failed Boston was inconsistent pitching. Of their last 14 games, they surrendered more than three runs (the maximum number of runs allowed for a starting pitcher to be considered for a quality start) nine times. Starters and relievers both failed the Sox at times, culminating in usually-reliable closer Jonathan Papelbon giving up three runs to the Angels at the end of game three, blowing the save, losing the game and the series.

What the Red Sox needed most was some confidence going into the playoffs. The old adage is that you need to be playing your best ball at the right time of the season, kind of like when the Rockies won 21 out of 22 games in September of 2007 to win the Wild Card and get to the World Series (before losing to, ironically, the Boston Red Sox).

Instead the Red Sox stumbled. They backed into the Wild Card after the Texas Rangers couldn’t cut into the lead the Red Sox built up. There was not much to celebrate for Boston though. Sure they were in the playoffs but losses like the September 21, 12-9 loss to Kansas City, the September 25, 9-5 loss to the Yankees, as well as the entire September 28-30 series against the Blue Jays (losses of 11-5, 8-7 and 12-0) were embarrassing, and they never fully recovered.

The mood surrounding Fenway Park is a somber one now (it doesn’t help that on the same day the Sox were eliminated, the Patriots also lost). Looking ahead to the next season has seemingly never been so difficult.

Jason Bay has declared he is going to test out the free-agency market. Reliever Billy Wagner is a free agent and will probably look to sign with a team where he can once again be the closer.

What will the team do with captain Jason Varitek? When the Sox acquired Victor Martinez (who has a club option, which most likely will, and should, get picked up) ‘Tek’s role was changed dramatically. The Sox have a $5-million club option for him as well. Do they pick it up? If they decline to, Varitek also has a $3 million player option. Does he accept a new role?

And what is to become of the shortstop position? Alex Gonzalez was acquired in August and played well defensively and hit surprisingly well. He has a $6-million mutual club and player option. Do the Sox pick it up? Do they go after an even stronger shortstop in the offseason, hoping to make the weakest spot on in the lineup better? Who would even be available?

The mood in Boston surrounding the beloved Red Sox is a very drab one right now, and the offseason, at least right now, looks like it will be more confusing than entertaining and hopeful.

Where do the Red Sox go from here? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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