The Finishing Touch
In very quick fashion, the Red Sox have become a different team, especially when it comes to team defense and pitching.
Assuming Mike Lowell does get traded, we might be looking at this as an opening day line-up:
cf – Ellsbury
2b - Pedroia
c - Martinez
3b - Youkilis
rf - Ortiz
lf - Cameron
dh - Drew
1b - Kotchman
ss – Scutaro
The defensive improvements would be seen at 3b, SS (not over Alex Gonzalez, but all the shortstops in 2009) and LF while 1b would stay about the same (you could argue a slight decline with Kotchman vs. Youkilis at 1b). If Ellsbury is traded (see below) and Hermida plays left with Cameron moving to CF, then the CF position would have been upgraded defensively with LF staying the same.
As for the rotation (age next season):
Lester (26)
Beckett (30)
Lackey (31)
Buchholz (25)
Matsuzaka (28
Wakefield (43)
The rotation sports a combination of quality and pitchers either entering or smack in the middle of their prime, with the exception being Wakefield. The depth the Lackey and Cameron signings created, now allows the Red Sox to consider dangling either Buchholz and/or Ellsbury in front of Jed Hoyer’s nose in an attempt to land Adrian Gonzalez, something I mentioned back in mid-November.
An upgrade like Gonzalez would allow Boston to maintain good defense at 1b while giving the line-up a big boost. It would mean the Red Sox improved their rotation, defense and at worst maintained their offense which was 4th in MLB in runs scored in 2009 and in fact, might even have improved the offense.
Out (OPS+)
Lowell (106)
Bay (134)
Gonzalez, Alex (95)
Ellsbury (97)
In (OPS+)
Cameron (111)
Scutaro (111)
Gonzalez (166)
Hermida (94)
Now all of this is predicated on the Red Sox being able to acquire Gonzalez. Various tweets and reports suggest the Red Sox are working on it, but they will have to pay a high price.
Comments
it or something like it will happen, has to. No other reason to eat $9m of Lowell's contract to make room for Casey Kotchman by moving Youk to 3B.
Gotta be a deal for somebody or they would have just gone with Lowell for $3.5m more($12.5m less $9m)
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 16, 2009 07:32 PM
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BL, i agree..
Posted by: bornwithpinstripes | December 16, 2009 08:00 PM |
I'd rather give up both Casey Kelly and Westmoreland rather than part with Ellsbury. You make him sound pedestrian in your post Andy. 26 year old, still learning how to hit the other way, fastest player in the game. Good article on boston.com about him today. The Sox have never had anybody like him, he will continue to improve and be a force with his abilities and speed.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 16, 2009 08:53 PM
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BL, you are right, I wasn't overly flattering of Ellsbury. I heard one of the 2 sports shows talking about him yesterday and they summed up my thoughts on him pretty well.
They said he is a good bottom of the order hitter. The problem is, he is leading off for Boston. He had 691 plate appearances last year and scored only 98 runs, even with his 70 steals.
Now 98 isn't terrible, but with Pedroia, Youkilis and Bay hitting behind you, the need is there to get on base more. His .355 obp needs to be more like .380 to be considered a legit lead-off hitter. If Boston can find someone else to lead off and Ellsbury can go back to 8th or 9th in the line-up, then I'd be really happy.
But who is that person? Scutaro? I doubt it as his OBP last year was way higher than his career and at age 34 or whatever.
But you are right, only his 2nd full season in the bigs and theoretically entering his prime, there is still time for him to improve.
Posted by: Andy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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December 17, 2009 09:08 AM
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Johnny DAmon.. for leadoff, please give him 13mil for 3 years
Posted by: bornwithpinstripes | December 17, 2009 04:53 PM |