Since 2004, the Boston Red Sox have used 19 different players at shortstop. It’s been a dark spot of sorts for them especially since the trade of Nomar Garciaparra.
Look we know the trade of Nomar ended up helping us win the 2004 World Series but you can definitely say shortstop hasn’t been the same since with the exception of 2006 and the latter part of 2009 (Alex Gonzalez). Rather than shore up the position with Gonzo, they let him go via free agency.
And now that he has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Red Sox have even more limited options at shortstop.
The flavor of the day remains Blue Jays free agent shortstop Marco Scutaro. The problem is that he is 34 and also is a Type A free agent. If he is offered arbitration by the Blue Jays, the Red Sox would have to give up their first round draft pick.
There has been conflicting reports on whether the Blue Jays would offer Scutaro arbitration by the midnight deadline tonight. The latest one though is that they would in fact offer Scutaro arbitration so if he declines and signs elsewhere, they would get two draft picks.
The Blue Jays would be stupid not to offer him arbitration even with Gonzo signed and John McDonald re-signed as well. If he accepts it, they’ll find a role for him and if he doesn’t, they get two picks to build up their farm system.
So if he is offered arbitration and declines, is he worth a draft pick to the Red Sox?
Right now, he’s pretty much their only option. They could rest their laurels on Jed Lowrie coming back healthy but that doesn’t seem likely considering they’d have no real option at short should he get hurt or not recover fully from his wrist injuy.
There was a report in the New York Daily News yesterday that the Red Sox were talking to the Florida Marlins about Hanley Ramirez. But according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, that rumor was quickly put to bed.
My best guess is that we’ll see Scutaro donning a Red Sox uniform for at least a year, maybe two until Jose Iglesias is ready to take over at the major league level.
And oh by the way, the Red Sox could have had Gonzalez back if they didn’t tell him their $3 million offer would be offered after the winter meetings if they couldn’t find a better option.
