Boston Sports Then and Now

Will Mike Lowell play for the Red Sox in 2010?

The talks and emails about Jason Bay have dissolved over the last few weeks as he signed with the New York Mets. The Red Sox signed John Lackey, Marco Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.

So what is next for the Red Sox? What else does Theo Epstein need to do before his team meets for spring training? There are a couple of big questions that surround the team right now:

1. Will the Red Sox be able to produce as many runs as they have in the past?
2. Who will play then infield?

With the loss of Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez over the past couple of years, Boston has some big holes to fill if they choose to receive offensive production. David Ortiz and Victor Martinez are the two biggest hitters in the Boston lineup, and they need to be just that.

Last season, Ortiz had a horrible time at the plate, especially in the first half. Due to his wrist injury, he was unable to get enough practice time in. This offseason, Ortiz is doing more workouts, and he hopes he can return to his true form.

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With the addition of John Lackey, Boston now has the best pitching staff in the A.L.

Yes, $85 million…that’s how much former Angels pitcher John Lackey will make with the Red Sox over the next five seasons. Lackey will join an already potent pitching staff this Spring. As of right now here is how the Sox rotation looks (with last year’s statistics):

Jon Lester: 15-8   3.41 ERA   201.3 IP
Josh Beckett: 17-6  3.86 ERA   212.1 IP
John Lackey: 11-8 3.83 ERA  176.1 IP
Tim Wakefield: 11-5 4.58 ERA 129.2 IP
Daisuke Matsuzaka: 4-6 5.76 ERA 59.1 IP

You can even throw in Clay Buchholz who went 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA. He has potential to become a good pitcher that could fit in the rotation perfectly.

Red Sox Nation is very excited for the signing of Lackey. He is a solid pitcher and is considered to be one of the best. However, this means that the Boston will not be able to keep Jason Bay, who reportedly rejected a contract offer from the Red Sox.
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Red Sox sign Marco Scutaro to two-year deal w/ option

The shortshop carousel continues to turn in Boston.

Shortstop number 18, come on down!

It was late last night when reports began to leak that the Red Sox had agreed to terms with free agent shortstop, Marco Scutaro. The deal was completed when the 34-year-old completed a physical here in Boston on Friday morning.

There were multiple reports of what the terms of the deal would be, but on Friday morning, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that Scutaro would be paid $5 million in 2010, another $5 million in 2011 and similar to Jason Varitek’s previous contract, the Red Sox hold a $6 million club option for 2012, while Scutaro holds a $3 million player option for the same year. The deal also includes a $1 million signing bonus and a $1.5 million buyout after two years.

The Red Sox will forfeit their first round draft pick to the Toronto Blue Jays, as Scutaro qualified for Type A free agent status. However, he is not highly ranked among other Type A free agents that the Red Sox have been linked to. If the Red Sox were to sign Matt Holliday, John Lackey, Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez or Jose Valverde, their first round pick would go to the former team of the free agent listed above in which they signed.

I’d like to compare three shortstops who were available at the start of the offseason and we’ll cover up the names so that you, as a fan, can put your bias aside.
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A quick look at the SS situation in 2010…

Who will play at shortstop in 2010?

As we have all witnessed since Theo Epstein took the position of Red Sox GM from Mike Port following the 2002 season, it is safe to say that the shortstop position isn’t the wonder boy’s strong point.

By no means is that a knock against Epstein; he isn’t the one taking grounders in between third and second, and he doesn’t have a bat in his hands four times a night. However, he is in charge of making a judgment and then withdrawing x amount of dollars from John Henry’s bank account.

If and when the Red Sox sign a free agent to become what hopes to be the Opening Day shortstop, that man will have the honor of being called the eighteenth shortstop to wear a Red Sox uniform since the Epstein era began in Boston. Since Nomar Garciaparra departed from Boston in the summer of 2004, no shortstop has started in consecutive Opening Day games for the Red Sox.

Alex Gonzalez was an excellent fit for Boston defensively, making just one error in 44 games for the Sox in 2009. Even his offense was highly respectable as an added bonus when the right-hander hit .284 with 5 HR and 15 RBI.

However, although not the best option, Gonzalez is no longer an option at all to be the Red Sox Opening Day starter in 2010. The Blue Jays, who offered arbitration to their previous shortstop Marco Scutaro on Tuesday, signed Gonzalez to a two-year deal, plucking him from Boston’s long list of potential solutions at the shortstop position.

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Will Jason Bay be roaming around left field for Boston next season?

With their arch rivals winning the World Series this year, you better believe the Red Sox will do whatever it takes to get back at the Yankees.

Boston played 162 games this past season only to get swept by the Angels in the playoffs. Almost seems like a waste. The Red Sox won’t let that happen again.

General manager Theo Epstein has his eyes on a few key players if the team cannot keep Bay.

Bay batted .267 with 36 homers and 119 RBI’s. He led the team with 94 walks, but he also led with 162 strikeouts.

Over 171 players applied for free agency, so there are plenty of big names on the market.

The Boston Herald reported that the Red Sox are currently interested in outfielders Matt Holliday and Rick Ankiel. Third basemen Adrian Beltre and reliever Mike Gonzalez are also on Boston’s radar.

Holliday did have a greater batting average compared to Bay. He hit .313 with 24 home runs and 109 RBI’s.

If the Red Sox do not sign Bay, I would expect them to go after Holliday. He would be a great fit in Boston. He has a little less power than Bay, but hits for more average.
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