I'm Talkin' Red Sox!
I know, I know, why bother posting about the Red Sox at this point in the season, but I was getting overwhelmed by Yankees banter and needed to put some Red Sox flavor back into this site, even knowing it'll quickly be drowned out by other topics...
Red Sox needs:
- Shortstop
- Left Fielder
- Impact Bat
The Red Sox need other things besides the above, but those 3 are a good starting point. Exercising the team option on Alex Gonzalez's deal ($6.5mm) would give you a steady, slightly range-challenged shortstop who cannot hit. He is a known quantity and he would offer some comfort to fans and teammates alike, but he really isn't that good. He doesn't get on base and his one heralded defense has gone from great to just ok. The options include counting on Jed Lowrie (unlikely) or trading for a better solution.
Re-signing Jason Bay would be a good move to fill the LF void. Matt Holliday is available too, but Bay proved he can handle Boston and is pretty consistent from year to year, so why not go with what you know versus taking a risk in signing a player not familiar with the Boston atmosphere (as pleasant as it is).
David Ortiz's struggles, Jason Varitek's disappearing act and no production from the shortstop position made the 2009 Red Sox offense anemic. I've mentioned this before, but when Manny Ramirez left town, gone was the player in the line-up every team feared. Bay is good, Youkilis is good, but the Red Sox do not have an elite, top 5 bat anymore.
Granted, just how many elite bats are there? Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Ichiro, Hanley Ramirez, Prince Fielder, ARod, Mark Teixeira? This list is not official of course and you could argue others belong, but the point is, the Red Sox have Bay and Youkilis as their best 2 hitters and while both are good hitters, they have holes. Bay can go into a 2 month slump and Youkilis is only good for 145 games and lacks the power you'd like to see from a game-changing hitter.
So I'd like to see the Red Sox pursue such a player. It'll cost a bunch, but it would be worth it. This team needs a shot in the arm (no, not of steroids). With no free agents fitting this mold, we are talking about a trade.
This season is mercifully coming to and end at which point we can all get on to talking about the important task of getting the Red Sox ready for 2010.
