When the Boston Red Sox signed Short Stop Julio Lugo, I had mix reactions. So far, I have been feeling those exact feelings still. He has not done much for the Red Sox in terms of Defense and Offense that a man like Alex Cora could do.
If the Red Sox wanted to blow money on a free-agent Short Stop, they could have picked up Bloomquist or try to get a kid like Yunel Escobar (Atlanta Braves) from the minor league system.
During the 2007 season, Julio Lugo hit .237 with only eight home runs and seventy three RBIs in 147 games, while Alex Cora hit .246 three home runs and eighteen RBIs in just 83 games. Now if the Boston Red Sox could give Mr. Cora more playing time, I would guarantee his game would change dramatically.
This season in just 43 games he is hitting .280 in seventy-five at bats. On the flip side you had Jed Lowrie who is filling in perfectly for Lugo. In his rookie season (38 games) he is hitting a fantastic .279 with twenty-two RBIs.
Why not work on these young players and get some salary space (like the Red Sox need to do that) to pick up better relievers. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia was a great example of what they did. Before Pedroia became a full-time second baseman, they always had some big move that would supposedly work out in the long-run, just like the Short Stop situation. Tony Graffanino, Doug Mienkiewicz (who mostly worked 1B), Bill Mueller (did a decent job), Mark Bellhorne (atrocious hitter but great defense) and the list went on.
The Short Stop position is going on right now. If Nomar Garciaparra did not have so many injuries as he does, he could as well be the Derek Jeter for the Red Sox as of right now. Just imagine the salary space the Sox would have if they did not have to keep throwing money at the problem with Edgar Renteria, Orlando Cabrera (did a decent job as well) and the list goes on again. I
n the end, the Red Sox will turn into the New York Yankees organization but with a better farm system. As long as there is no salary cap, teams like the Cincinnati Reds or Baltimore Orioles will not succeed but that does not stop the Tampa Bay Rays from winning (but that’s a whole other story).
