Let's consider the infield, outfield, pitching and batting over the next wee while. First the infield.
So we now have Lugo.
The question is this: is Lowell, Lugo, Pedroia and Youkilis better than Lowell, Loretta, Gonzalez, Youkilis. I am not pleased that Mark Loretta was not taken up for another year. I saw nothing in Pedrioa that told me he was ready at the end of last year. Last year, Youk looked good because so many of the throws to first base were right on the money. And they hold on to Cora , too, as the utility man for short and second which means if Pedrioa doesn't pan out he is the main man at second. I don't know. I liked Gonzalez and Loretta.
Tangent: This is weird:
The Blue Jays say the decision to remove the face of Vernon Wells from the team's holiday greeting card wasn't guided by business considerations. Their soon-to-be free agent star disagrees, but thinks the team was right to cut him out in any case. The card features sluggers Lyle Overbay and Troy Glaus, as wells as pitchers Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan. After being pictured last year, Wells is missing from the card currently landing in mailboxes around Toronto. Two weeks ago, Wells was also notable by his absence from a new series of print ads aimed at season ticket buyers.
Comments
Alan - December 6, 2006 9:50 PM
This is very inspiring from the Boston Herald:<blockquote class="smalltext">Lugo, 31, is regarded as an adequate shortstop with a variety of offensive skills. A favorite of Sox manager Terry Francona, Lugo is a career .277 hitter with a .340 on-base percentage and doubles power. A right-handed hitter, he had 12 homers in 122 games last season and stole 27 bases between Tampa Bay and the Dodgers. Lugo projects as a potential leadoff hitter for the Sox, though he could bat in the No. 2 spot.</blockquote>From a few days before:<blockquote class="smalltext">Lugo, of course, would be the Red Sox’ fifth full-time shortstop since the start of the 2004 season, following Nomar Garciaparra, Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria and Alex Gonzalez, the latter of whom recently signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. The logical precedent for Lugo’s contract would be that signed by Cabrera, who agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels following the 2004 season. That deal came after the Red Sox signed Renteria to a four-year, $40 million range. Nonetheless, sources indicate that the deal Lugo signs this winter will be worth in excess of $8 million per season, which could place the deal between $34-$38 million over four years, an average of between $8.5 million and $9.5 million per season.</blockquote>I fear change.
Alan - December 6, 2006 10:00 PM
So, Gonzalez is a Red and gets a 3 year 18 million contract while Lugo gets 4 years for 35 million. Further:<blockquote class="smalltext">Gonzalez, 29, batted .255 with nine home runs and 50 RBIs in 111 games while making $2.68 million for the Red Sox last season. He played for the Marlins from 1998-2005 and won a World Series title with Florida in 2003...Considered one of the best defensive shortstops available on the market, Gonzalez committed only seven errors in 2006 and owned a .985 fielding percentage. His lifetime fielding percentage is .970. </blockquote>While:<blockquote class="smalltext">Lugo split last season between Tampa Bay and Los Angeles, hitting .278, scoring 69 runs, hitting 12 homers and stealing 24 bases.</blockquote>But he got 19 errors.