Sox shortstop candidates

Kevin · 11-19-2006, 03:00 PM

Of course everyone is talking about Matsukaza and that's a topic which I'm sure will come up. But unfortunately, Japanese pitchers are something for tangotiger to tackle and not I.

But shortstops, I'm sure we all have a few opinions. Now with Alex Gonzalez gone, the apparent candidates are slim: Pedroia internally, Lugo externally. Is anyone else worth a look?

Obviously Tejada still seems to be a trade option and the Tejada for Manny swap could be resurrected. Clearly that's the Sox best SS option but let me just suggest a few "far out" scenarios:

- Stephen Drew gets the job in Arizona and Craig Counsell becomes available for a year. He's coming off his best season and has always been respectable defensively.

- Brandon Wood is ready for the job in Anaheim and so David Eckstein and his new Corvette come to Beantown.

- Houston will surely give away Adam Everett for a bag of beans. Maybe his string cheese bat will be slightly less painful in the American League. Certainly he wouldn't mind coming back to Boston.

- Tampa Bay gets willing to trade Joel Guzman or BJ Upton. Think about it. BJ can't play short in Tampa and they've just signed a new 3B. Guzman never quite had the position and was rushed up to the majors as an outfielder.

- Kevin

BleacherBum593 · 11-19-2006, 07:09 PM

"-Brandon Wood is ready for the job in Anaheim and so David Eckstein and his new Corvette come to Beantown."

How little you know about baseball

A. Cards all ready gave you one SS (Edgar Renteria)and you ran him out of Beantown in quick order.
B. Eck is with the Cards, not the Angels.
C. We're (St Louis) still pissed over 2004 and that "trophy" that we gave you....No way you get the Eckman.

'nuff said.

bedir than average · 11-19-2006, 11:45 PM

Maybe Kevin doesn't want to remember the Orlando Cabrera experiment?

Dada · 11-20-2006, 12:10 PM

Not 'doesn't remember' but in denial.

stormshadow · 11-20-2006, 12:42 PM

I miss Ed Romero

SportsFanForLife · 11-20-2006, 06:43 PM

Nomar is going to be off the market - I wouldn't mind Michael Young.

Papi4President · 11-21-2006, 06:26 PM

WOW, talk about out of it....... Eckstein (angels?)... Tejada being worth anything?... You guys know he has lost 10 steps? I wouldn't take Tejada in any deal if I were the sox unless it was one where we gave up 3rd rate prospects or some huge salary we had on the big league club... SO if we sign Drew to the 15mil he wants we can trade him next year for Tejada.... because he sux!

AutomatedTeller · 11-22-2006, 01:52 PM

SS for the Sox will be interesting. I don't know what the backup plan is if they don't get Lugo - I'm not sure it will be good.

WhosyourPapi?? · 11-22-2006, 06:31 PM

With all of these signings this year and how ridulous the market has been would Julio Lugo at 8 or 9 million a year sound so bad?

SportsFanForLife · 11-22-2006, 06:47 PM

Yes - just because the rest of MLB is getting bad contracts doesn't mean you have to continue with the trend.

AutomatedTeller · 11-22-2006, 07:11 PM

well, one problem is that you don't know if they are bad contracts or not. I mean, Gary Matthews and Mark DeRosa are dumb, in terms of length - but the amount of money might be ok.

10 years ago, a $20M contract would have been unthinkable. 20 years ago, no one had a $2M contract. IN fact, in '86, Rice had the highest contract at $1.98M. 4 years later, his contract was $2.35M and was just 5th highest.

$8M for Lugo sounds nuts, but that may be reasonable in a year.

rubberball · 11-22-2006, 11:42 PM

what about lowell? he should be huge on the trade market then, .275, 15-20hr gold glove defense and a good guy; all that can be yours for 9 million (okay okay, the sox will throw in a million or two) and a young bullpen arm.

Trade him, move Youks to 3b and sign lugo for the same money (8ish a year). sign Huff (5-7 mil a year), he could play first. Probaly about the same output as drew for the same money as signing Drew.

phenweigh · 11-23-2006, 11:00 AM

Alex Cora?

EnderSwarm · 11-24-2006, 12:11 AM

Assuming we'll only be able to afford one, would you rather "overpay" for Lugo or "overpay" for Drew?

Rubberball, good point about Lowell's contract being a reasonable sum in this current market. Not quite the albatross it once seemed (and not just due to him actually having a decent year in 2006).

Are we assuming that Pedroia gets the 2B nod or will he factor into the SS equation somewhere as well?

AutomatedTeller · 11-24-2006, 12:57 AM

I think they'll stick with lowell and youk on the corners, if for no other reason than it makes for a good IF defense. Cora is a good defensive SS and pedroia is supposed to be outstanding at 2B. Of course, Cora can't hit.

Other SS:

Christian Guzman can be had for nothing from the Nats.
Aurilia is on the market, but he's no longer really a SS.
They could put Pedroia at SS and keep Loretta.

Frankly, Beckett better start pitching, because the Sox *had* a SS

11-19-2006, 03:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Kevin FanHome Founder Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New York, NY Posts: 102	Sox shortstop candidates Of course everyone is talking about Matsukaza and that's a topic which I'm sure will come up. But unfortunately, Japanese pitchers are something for tangotiger to tackle and not I. But shortstops, I'm sure we all have a few opinions. Now with Alex Gonzalez gone, the apparent candidates are slim: Pedroia internally, Lugo externally. Is anyone else worth a look? Obviously Tejada still seems to be a trade option and the Tejada for Manny swap could be resurrected. Clearly that's the Sox best SS option but let me just suggest a few "far out" scenarios: - Stephen Drew gets the job in Arizona and Craig Counsell becomes available for a year. He's coming off his best season and has always been respectable defensively. - Brandon Wood is ready for the job in Anaheim and so David Eckstein and his new Corvette come to Beantown. - Houston will surely give away Adam Everett for a bag of beans. Maybe his string cheese bat will be slightly less painful in the American League. Certainly he wouldn't mind coming back to Boston. - Tampa Bay gets willing to trade Joel Guzman or BJ Upton. Think about it. BJ can't play short in Tampa and they've just signed a new 3B. Guzman never quite had the position and was rushed up to the majors as an outfielder. - Kevin

11-19-2006, 11:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
bedir than average Administrator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,256	Maybe Kevin doesn't want to remember the Orlando Cabrera experiment? __________________ US Men's National Team World Cup Qualifying \| Democracy in Sports Meets My First Campaign "You're only so sure you're right because they're so sure you're wrong." Orson Scott Card in Xenocide

11-20-2006, 12:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
stormshadow Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 22	I miss Ed Romero __________________ 2001, 2003 and 2004 SB Champs! Your New England Patriots

11-24-2006, 12:11 AM	#14 (permalink)
EnderSwarm Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 15	Assuming we'll only be able to afford one, would you rather "overpay" for Lugo or "overpay" for Drew? Rubberball, good point about Lowell's contract being a reasonable sum in this current market. Not quite the albatross it once seemed (and not just due to him actually having a decent year in 2006). Are we assuming that Pedroia gets the 2B nod or will he factor into the SS equation somewhere as well? Last edited by EnderSwarm; 11-24-2006 at 12:17 AM.

11-19-2006, 07:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
BleacherBum593 Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: St Louis (LF Bleachers) Posts: 1,862	"-Brandon Wood is ready for the job in Anaheim and so David Eckstein and his new Corvette come to Beantown." How little you know about baseball A. Cards all ready gave you one SS (Edgar Renteria)and you ran him out of Beantown in quick order. B. Eck is with the Cards, not the Angels. C. We're (St Louis) still pissed over 2004 and that "trophy" that we gave you....No way you get the Eckman. 'nuff said.

11-20-2006, 12:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Dada Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 125	Not 'doesn't remember' but in denial.

11-20-2006, 06:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
SportsFanForLife Rookie Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11	Nomar is going to be off the market - I wouldn't mind Michael Young.

11-21-2006, 06:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
Papi4President New Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 9	WOW, talk about out of it....... Eckstein (angels?)... Tejada being worth anything?... You guys know he has lost 10 steps? I wouldn't take Tejada in any deal if I were the sox unless it was one where we gave up 3rd rate prospects or some huge salary we had on the big league club... SO if we sign Drew to the 15mil he wants we can trade him next year for Tejada.... because he sux!

11-22-2006, 01:52 PM	#8 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 544	SS for the Sox will be interesting. I don't know what the backup plan is if they don't get Lugo - I'm not sure it will be good.

11-22-2006, 06:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
WhosyourPapi?? New Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1	With all of these signings this year and how ridulous the market has been would Julio Lugo at 8 or 9 million a year sound so bad?

11-22-2006, 06:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
SportsFanForLife Rookie Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 11	Yes - just because the rest of MLB is getting bad contracts doesn't mean you have to continue with the trend.

11-22-2006, 07:11 PM	#11 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 544	well, one problem is that you don't know if they are bad contracts or not. I mean, Gary Matthews and Mark DeRosa are dumb, in terms of length - but the amount of money might be ok. 10 years ago, a $20M contract would have been unthinkable. 20 years ago, no one had a $2M contract. IN fact, in '86, Rice had the highest contract at $1.98M. 4 years later, his contract was $2.35M and was just 5th highest. $8M for Lugo sounds nuts, but that may be reasonable in a year.

11-22-2006, 11:42 PM	#12 (permalink)
rubberball Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 29	what about lowell? he should be huge on the trade market then, .275, 15-20hr gold glove defense and a good guy; all that can be yours for 9 million (okay okay, the sox will throw in a million or two) and a young bullpen arm. Trade him, move Youks to 3b and sign lugo for the same money (8ish a year). sign Huff (5-7 mil a year), he could play first. Probaly about the same output as drew for the same money as signing Drew.

11-23-2006, 11:00 AM	#13 (permalink)
phenweigh Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Westfield, MA Posts: 787	Alex Cora?

11-24-2006, 12:57 AM	#15 (permalink)
AutomatedTeller Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 544	I think they'll stick with lowell and youk on the corners, if for no other reason than it makes for a good IF defense. Cora is a good defensive SS and pedroia is supposed to be outstanding at 2B. Of course, Cora can't hit. Other SS: Christian Guzman can be had for nothing from the Nats. Aurilia is on the market, but he's no longer really a SS. They could put Pedroia at SS and keep Loretta. Frankly, Beckett better start pitching, because the Sox had a SS