Warming up the hot stove

Baseball is an amazing game: You spend six months falling in love with 25 guys you've never met, spend almost 200 nights tuning in to see how they do, and then with one half-swing by J.D. Drew it's all over.

Eleven nailbiting and tantalizing postseason games, and that's it. See you next spring.

But what makes baseball unique - an occupation, really - is that the minute one season ends, another begins. I'll dutifully tune in to the World Series to see what's happening, of course, by my focus will be elsewhere. I'm already much more interested in watching the shape the 2009 Red Sox will take.

And there's already plenty to talk about.

Due to scouting diligence and the smarts to hang on to prospects, the Sox are pretty well set up to contend for a long time. The pitching staff is as deep as any in baseball - factor in a healthy Beckett with Matsuzaka, Lester, Wakefield, Buchholz, Masterson and future contributors Michael Bowden and Daniel Bard, and there's no shortage of quality arms available - and the lineup is sprinkled with homegrown talent, as well. Quite simply, there aren't many holes to fill.

And that might be the problem.

Perhaps the most pressing need - as evidenced by David Ortiz' showing in the postseason and the opposition's refusal to be frightened by the Red Sox lineup - is a big bat in the middle of the order. But who do you sign, and where do you put him? I think the Red Sox are going to have to get really creative here. Unfortunately, based on the rumors swirling around already, I'm not sure I like Plan A all that much.

The first name off the assembly line has been Mark Teixeira. What's not to love, right? At first glance, not much. He's a gold glove caliber first baseman, a switch hitter, and a dominant force who can hit for power, spray the ball to all fields, and will likely finish with a .300-30-100 state line every year.

But I still don't want him. Acquiring Teixeira would require Boston to jettison either Youkilis or Lowell, and would cost a freakish amount of money. They aren't getting rid of Youkilis - who emerged as essentially an equal to Teixeira this season - which leaves Lowell. And getting rid of him would be a mistake.

I think it's easy to look at the numbers and not look beyond. Lowell's contributions in the lineup are obviously significant - his absence in the playoffs left a huge hole in the batting order - but what he brings to the clubhouse is impossible to put a price on. He's the ultimate "glue guy," the veteran everyone in the locker room turns to. Every team needs one, and Boston has one of the best in baseball. Removing Lowell from the clubhouse changes the entire dynamic of the team. And even the addition of a slugger like Teixeria may not make up the difference.

My fear, though, is that the ship has already sailed on this one. The Red Sox have often talked of Teixeira how they talked of JD Drew before they hastily threw a bag of money at him the minute he became a free agent. I'm hoping it doesn't happen, but my gut tells me to be ready for another all-out chase here, with Teixeira taking the Sox for way too much money the same way Drew and Lugo did. I guess the one saving grace may be that I understand the love affair with Teixeira, at least. What made Drew and Lugo so appealing I'll never understand.

However, assuming the Sox don't sign Teixeira, what do they do? Replacing Lugo or Lowrie seems more than a little appealing, but good luck finding a shortstop to hit with enough power to plug a hole in the middle of your order. There's no place in the outfield to plunk a slugger, and you're certainly not signing anyone to DH.

My solution? Trade JD Drew - even though you'll probably have to eat a huge chunk of his contract, a la Renteria, or as in the Mike Lowell scenario, for that matter - and sign a legit slugger to play right.

Here's the funny thing: This idea is immediately rejected as unfathomable. Why? I honestly don't get it. Trading Lowell seems a choice everyone in the media can wrap their brains around, but trading Drew isn't an option. How come? If they sign Teixeria and dump Lowell, they're trading away a well-paid veteran to create space for someone else. Getting rid of Drew seems the exact same move, to me.

And in the process you're also getting rid of someone who has underachieved wildly based on his salary, has a history of injury problems and hasn't put together a completely solid season since arriving in Boston. I'll be the first to admit he's come up with some remarkably clutch hits in the postseason, but he also whiffed in his most important at-bat as a Red Sox.

He also has no personality, and therefore, no critical affect in the clubhouse.

It'll never happen. Because "baseball people" love Drew's swing and five tools and inability to muster enough emotion to even fake a smile, and they love Teixeria's "upside" and defense and are anxious to see how good he is at stuffing huge wads of money in all of his pockets.

But you know what I love? A unified baseball team that bands together for a six-month ride and plays with a tangible passion and energy every night. A team a fan can support because it's comprised of likeable guys who are also damn good at baseball. With Mike Lowell, you have that. Without him and with Teixeria in his place, I'm not so sure you do.