Hope springs eternal on Opening Day.

On Thursday the Red Sox will take the field in Detroit, hoping to make a good first impression on Red Sox Nation. It is the beginning of a marathon journey, and in so many ways the start of a new era in Boston baseball.

It is also the end of one of the most tumultuous offseasons in the history of the franchise.

Since Robert Andino’s sinking liner fell in front of Carl Crawford, the Sox have fired their manager and allowed the general manager to leave with a year remaining on his contract.

They watched the greatest closer in team history leave for Philadelphia, and later take a shot at Boston fans.

They saw the enigmatic right fielder retire, and several mid-range prospects get traded.

In exchange, the Red Sox got a manager who is never afraid to say what’s on his mind. Bobby Valentine might be the most controversial manager this team has had in 15 years.

They promoted a new GM who has strong roots in scouting and developing players. Ben Cherington has been with the team longer than the ownership group, and should continue the team’s excellent record of drafting players if he doesn’t have to spend all his time dealing with the manager.

They got Cody Ross, an outfielder who led the team in spring training home runs; Andrew Bailey, a closer who has battled injuries throughout his young career and is battling an injury now; and Mark Melancon, a setup man who suffered through a disappointing spring.

The Sox open the season with two starting pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, and will replace John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka with Daniel Bard and Felix Doubront.

That means 40 percent of the starting rotation has a combined three major league starts. The Red Sox left Alfredo Aceves in the bullpen, telling him to be ready to shift to starting duties if Josh Beckett’s thumb problem is worse than expected. He also might close when Bailey is out.

There are new coaches and medical personnel surrounding the team, part of an inevitable house cleaning that includes restrictions on postgame alcohol consumption by players.

Yet, by and large, this is the group of players that was so good for much of last season — and so bad at the end. Seven of the nine regulars in the lineup (counting Crawford) are back from last year.

In spite of September’s collapse, the 2011 Red Sox led the majors in runs scored. There will be plenty of offense again this year.

The top of the rotation is strong. And, with the playoff field expanded, this team should certainly contend for a playoff spot again.

To say the least, this will be an intriguing team. The Red Sox no longer have to answer questions about the September meltdown or what they ate and drank in the clubhouse. It’s a team that can finally move on and look ahead.

That’s why this Opening Day is so important to the Red Sox. It’s the starting line, or course. But it’s also the finish line to a story that dragged on for six months.

Tom Caron is the studio host for Red Sox broadcasts on the New England Sports Network. His column appears in the Press Herald on Tuesdays.