Scutaro to Pedroia to Youkilis
It rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
Someone named Ed Price, of Fanhouse.com (???) has been Twittering (Tweeting...or has Tweeted...Twittered...whatever) that the Red Sox and Marco Scutaro have agreed on a 2-year deal. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and Gordon Edes are reporting that Scutaro worked out for the Red Sox and are closing in on a 2-year deal.
So if we believe what we read, the Red Sox have solved their shortstop vacancy. Is Scutaro a premier fit? In a word, no. He is coming off a career year at an old age, but can play an average shortstop and seems to have decent control of the strike zone. That said, I fully expect the Red Sox to give Jed Lowrie as much opportunity as possible to win the job.
Scutaro's 2009 employer was said to have been considering moving him to the outfield had he accepted arbitration. That doesn't speak volumes of their confidence in him as a defender, but perhaps it was just a rumor floated to force Scutaro out the door. His leaving will garner the Jays the Red Sox first round pick and a supplemental pick in the 2010 amateur draft.
So with shortstop most likely filled, the Red Sox now need to sign a left fielder (or trade for one). I still think this offense needs some additional giddy-up. More to come I suspect.
