Right now, it’s not looking like he’ll be a member of the Boston Red Sox.
According to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox have declined the $6 million option on the contract of shortstop Alex Gonzalez. He does say the Red Sox would like to have him back at a lesser salary.
By declining the option, the Red Sox will pay the $500,000 buyout on his contract.
Given the fact that Jed Lowrie has had injury problems, this move is surprising to me.
The Red Sox will now enter the offseason without a shortstop, a position which has been something of a black hole for them since the trade of Nomar Garciaparra. Gonzalez did an admirable job in 2006 but wasn’t asked back.
He did the same thing in 2009 as he committed just one error in 44 games with the Red Sox. Not known for his bat, he was rather productive as he hit .284 with five home runs and fifteen RBIs.
I sure hope that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has a plan because Red Sox Nation will be all over him if he doesn’t bring in a shortstop that can get the job done. All you need to do is look at what happened to Julio Lugo.
