Jeremy Hermida and Alex Gonzalez
In what appears to be a hedge against the possibility of losing Jason Bay, the Red Sox traded for outfielder, Jeremy Hermida. Had this move been made 3 seasons ago, I'd have been thrilled, but Hermida hasn't lived up to his hype and now this move looks like a low-risk move for a player who will hopefully serve as a back-up.
A change of scenery might be what Hermida needs and he still might be a star, but after 5 seasons in the majors (and almost 2000 plate appearances), he is looking more like a mediocre player. If Bay is re-signed, Hermida's acquisition will have been for depth, if Bay is not re-signed, Boston is clearly hoping they can extract that star potential.
As for Alex Gonzalez, the Red Sox held a 2010 option at $6.5mm, but declined it today. The guess is they are trying to hammer out a 1 or 2 year deal with Gonzalez for much less $.
It'll be interesting to see this play out as if he is re-signed, it serves as evidence the Red Sox are content to let Jed Lowrie complete for playing time, while if they don't re-sign him, it says to me the Red Sox will try to solve SS via trade. Letting Lowrie lay claim to SS is too dangerous as he just cannot stay healthy.
The General Managers Meetings kick off tomorrow in Chicago. MLB doesn't screw around, just days after the World Series, teams are hard at work getting ready for 2010. As most of you know, these meetings typically serve as the genesis of many trades and free agent signings later in the off-season.
Fire up the Hot Stove.
