Fear not, Red Sox fans. This team will show it is the best in the AL East

We go through this every year at the first sign of a Red Sox slump. Easily excitable members of Red Sox Nation start to panic. Hacks like Boston Globe sportswriters Dan Shaughnessy and Eric Wilbur start writing doomsday columns just to evoke a reaction. Then a majority of Red Sox fans from New England to New Guinea must be reminded that the sky is not falling.

Sure, the Red Sox were swept in a three-game weekend series at Toronto after winning three of four against Oakland. True, the bats are mostly dormant, and the bullpen was shaky at the Rogers Centre. And Julio Lugo - where was his mind and his glove? Three errors in one game? Simply awful. Yet there is no reason for concern. The season is seven games old. That leaves 155 on the schedule.

If the year was 1998, there would be cause for panic. Then, the New York Yankees were a force. They were stacked with talent in every area, leaving other teams in the American League East little room for error. Times have changed. The Yankees are still a contender for a playoff spot, but they are not remotely as strong as they once were, even three years ago. Their bullpen has holes, as does their starting rotation. Chances are, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Bobby Abreu will not make it through the season healthy. Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada are already aching.

Toronto and Tampa Bay are undoubtedly formidable opponents, and a series with either team will be a test, yet the Blue Jays and Rays are not quite deep enough to be a legitimate contender for the AL East title. As for the Baltimore Orioles, they are headed in the right direction with their youth movement, but they will be fortunate if they avoid losing 100 games this season.

My point is this. As long as the Sox do not fall into a long losing streak that plummets them several games under .500, they can weather a mediocre April. They have the most talent and depth of any team in the AL East. The Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Orioles are not good enough to run away early, or at any point of the season.

I write this to sooth the anxiety of Red Sox fans who are pushing the panic button because a team that had an interrupted spring training and an 18-day, three-country road trip was swept by a division rival. April could be a topsy turvy month for Boston. There could be more series like the one just completed in Toronto. The Sox could be straddling .500 when they host the Blue Jays on May 1.

Though .500 is unacceptable for a franchise that is loaded with talent and depth, and holds the title of defending World Series champions, it will not hover around that mark for long. The lineup will start producing, the starting rotation (which has pitched well so far) will be consistent and the bullpen will settle down, as will the defense. Of course, the bullpen is the main question mark that might not be answered until May.

Kyle Snyder was the first reliever to depart when he was designated for assignment to make room for Josh Beckett. If he is not traded, or if another team does not claim him, he could remain with Boston if he accepts an assignment to Pawtucket. That will likely not happen. Too many teams need bullpen help, and Snyder was effective enough last season to attract interest.

Bryan Corey, one of my favorite Red Sox organization darkhorses (along with Devern Hansack), has not done himself any favors by serving up runs in three of five appearances in the young season. He is likely the odd man out when Mike Timlin returns from the disabled list because Julian Tavarez has value as a spot starter and long reliever, Javier Lopez throws with his left arm, and David Aardsma has a high ceiling and has looked impressive during spring training and in a short stint against Oakland and Toronto.

If the bullpen continues to struggle, the Sox have options at Pawtucket. Veteran right-hander Dan Kolb is throwing the ball well, as is Lee Gronkiewicz and Craig Hansen (who has not surrendered an earned run in four innings, and is throwing strikes). At Double-A Portland, Justin Masterson tossed four scoreless innings in his first start and could help in a relief role, if needed.

Then there is Coco Crisp. Though he has value to the Sox as a fourth outfielder, Crisp does not want a reserve role, and he could fetch a solid reliever in a trade.

I am confident that Delcarmen will recover from a forgettable weekend, and Aardsma will pitch well enough to warrant more calls from Terry Francona. Mike Timlin's return from the disabled list will provide more help when the Sox need relief help in the sixth and seventh innings.

So for those of you who fervently follow the Red Sox and are frustrated and shaken after the weekend sweep, I feel your aggravation, but I don't share your concern. This team will climb atop the AL East no later than mid-May, and it will be in the same spot when the calendar turns to October.