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The Road Less Traveled By
Though baseball may not be in its physical form right now, it is still at the forefront of many of our minds on a daily basis. The Red Sox have decided to indulge in a defensive makeover, which I think was a very wise move considering the Sox were second to last in the American League despite their accumulation of 95 wins. Makeovers are always entertaining, risky and a little bit awkward at first. You might be familiar with some of the following scenarios: Glinda giving Elphaba a makeover in Wicked, Kurt Hummel giving Rachel Berry a makeover in Glee, and Mia Thermopolis' makeover in The Princess Diaries. The thing about Elpheba's makeover was that she didn't exactly need it, nor did she want it. Similarly, Rachel Berry's makeover was unnecessary because the boy whom she was trying to impress, Finn Hudson, liked her for who she was. Neither of these scenarios applies to the Red Sox though. In Mia Thermopolis' case, her makeover was necessary because she was not living up to her full potential yet. Sometimes, a new look can really kick things into gear, and I think this is the case for the Red Sox. And the offseason is the perfect time to find the best way to make a team fulfill it's ultimate potential.
They say that the pen is mightier in the sword, and in baseball terms, perhaps the glove is mightier than the bat. Good offense is one thing, but a lack of solid defense could stifle the efforts of that good offense. So even if the offense is depleted a little bit, a better defense will certainly compensate for it. Re-signing Jason Bay was at the top of Mr. Epstein's priorities at the start of this offseason. This was a noble goal considering Jason Bay provided a good majority of the offense throughout the season. I thought that the Red Sox offered him a very fair price: $60 million for four years. That's $15 million a year! To be honest, he is not worth more than that. Even his bat became anemic throughout the course of the season.
I understand that he wanted to explore the market, but really, who does he think he is? I cannot deny that the loss of his bat is of some significance, but I don't think that the Red Sox are going to be struggling offensively. People misconstrued Theo's comment that this year would be a "bridge year". The fact of the matter is that the Red Sox are waiting on the next batch of minor leaguers, “the babies”. I call some of these signings temporary fill-ins. Think about it: if the Red Sox had signed Jason Bay to a four year deal, they would be blocking the talent of guys like Josh Reddick, Ryan Kalish, and Ryan Westmoreland.
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Don't forget about the infield either. The Red Sox have Lars Anderson in the minors, and he will be flourishing at first base in a couple of years. So in order to allow these guys to come up at the proper time, the Red Sox signed Mike Cameron to a two year deal, and Adrian Beltre to a one year deal. I haven't talked about Adrian Beltre much. Many of you know my undying affection for Mike Lowell. Part of me still thinks that the Red Sox should just let him ride out his contract because he is one year removed from that surgery. That being said, his defensive range should be improved, and there is nothing wrong with his offense. Nonetheless, he is still a bit of a liability as far as injuries go, and Adrian Beltre is a healthier option.
That signing basically ensures that Mike Lowell will be traded. Don't get me wrong, I love having Lowell on the Sox, it's just economically unfeasible to have him on the bench. Plus, it would be much better for him to play on another team where he will have the chance to play every single day. The truth of the matter is, he just doesn't fit into the Red Sox's plans right now.
The main question is, will the Red Sox be able to perform offensively? I think the answer is yes. All of the players whom the Red Sox have acquired throughout this offseason will compensate for the loss of Jason Bay's bat. There is Marco Scutaro, Mike Cameron, and now Adrian Beltre. Not to mention the fact that the Sox will have Victor Martinez around for the whole season. They will be able to pick up the slack. As I was watching MLB Network's "Hot Stove" segment, broadcaster Mitch Williams said, "Good pitching will always beat good hitting". What does that have to do with defense though? Well, a pitcher can't do anything without solid defense. When I was talking to Red Sox pitching prospect Michael Bowden, he told me that defense makes all the difference in the world.
So the Red Sox seem to be taking a bit of a different route than other teams. The Red Sox didn't sign a power bat like the Yankees did last offseason, but fear not my dear friends, because it looks like the Red Sox are taking Robert Frost's advice: they're taking the road less traveled by, and it will make all the difference.
By: Elizabeth Dreeson
ProBaseball-fans.com Red Sox Correspondent
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