Red Sox Sign Marco Scutaro

[jambr380]

Well, SS has always seemed to be Theo's achilles.  I'm not enamored with the deal but I can accept it.  As long as his defense is steady, I'll be fine with it.  I'm looking for help on offense in other places, although I'm still not convinced Theo is going to make any big splashes this off-season at least not via free agency. 

IMO, any big moves made by the Sox this off-season will be done via the trade route.

Well to be fair to Theo, he came out and said he wouldn't have done the Beckett trade, in which case we'd have Hanley, in which case no shortstop problem.

Did Theo really say this? I guess I missed that. I am surprised he would make such a bold statement, seeing how Beckett is still on our roster (and may be for several more years). He was also HUGE for us in 2007 when we won the world series. It's great that Theo has second thoughts on Beckett/Lowell for Hanley, but I am very very very happy that he made that trade, as Hanley would not have brought us a world series. Yeah, it would be nice to have Hanley now, but not at the expense of a world series.

As for Scutaro, I kind of follow Nick's argument here- decent player coming off of a career year. He will probably be 'okay', but he is older and there is really no reason to believe he will replicate his 09 numbers...hopefully he can just be Lowell-like and be decent for a couple of years.

[yall hate]

But he isn't a difference maker and he is exactly the type of player and contract I expect from this team this year. Nothing big time. Nothing long term. They are going to give this group of players(Tek, Papi, Beckett, Lowell, Papelbon, Okijima, Drew, etc.) another year or so and then start over with the best of the best of what they have and go nuts replacing people starting next off season.

Does your opinion change when they give Bay or Holliday a big money deal for at least 4 years?

And I know you have pushed your thinking that they are going to make small deals, but what other SS or 2b (if you believe Pedroia being moved over made sense), that is available,  would have been a better signing?

Honestly, for what Scutaro gives them, I expected them to reup Gonzalez for a two year $5.5 million deal. Gonzalez gives them just about everything that Scutaro gives them except the walks and pitches per at bat.

Except Scutaro is a better defensive player then Gonzalez (Gonzalez 5 years ago, maybe not). 

Offensively, it isnt really close either.  look at the career averages of each (so as to control against people saying Scutaro had a career year last year)

Scutaro:  SO 73 AVG .265 OBP .337 SLG .384 OPS .721

AGon:  SO 116 AVG .247 OBP .294 SLG .395 OPS .689

Certainly, not intended to diminish what Agon has done for this team, because he has been a good ss among some bad ones, but Scutaro is simply a better fit.

Check out this article discussing Gonzalez's diminished range

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/08/15/sox_welcome_back_shortstop_gonzalez/


We get a better offensive and defensive player for about 7 million more over 2 years then you wanted to give Agon.  3.5 million per year is next to nothing to the sox, so why not improve?

[nickagneta]

Some telling comments from Theo Epstein which kinda of prove what I have been saying about their approach of not trying to win it all every year while looking for the opportunity to make sure they can win it all every few years.

“I think that’s why we’ve made a conscious effort to ignore the media, ignore the next day’s headlines, ignore anything that focuses on the short term. Because I think baseball is best enjoyed day-to-day, moment-to-moment, but best understood year-to-year, from 10,000 feet up. So you can make an argument that the Red Sox for 86 years were too focused on the next day’s headlines and too focused on what the fans in the stands thought on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis.

“It is important to take a step back and remove the organization from the narrative that surrounds the team and focus on delivering a healthy, long-term foundation and then trusting that foundation will lead to success. When you come off the disappointing years, it’s always harder. That shiny toy looks shinier.

“But in the end you have to realize you’re not going to win every single year, you’re not going to win 95 games every year, you’re not going to make the playoffs every year, you’re certainly not going to win the World Series every year. You have to always do what’s in the best long-term interest of your organization.’’

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2009/12/06/balanced_approach_is_a_big_deal_for_epstein_red_sox/?page=3

[Brickowski]

Oh please, ladies and gentlemen, this whole Scutaro thing has been total spin control by the Red Sox.  Scutaro is a career backup who had a great contract year.  He's Jed Lowrie seven years from now.  To say he's better defensively than Gonzalez is absurd.

Don't believe the Red Sox and their spinmeister allies in the Boston media.  Don't believe J.P. Riciardi, either, who is currently unemployed and will not criticize any GM until J.P. finds a new job.  Hey, J.P., I hear there is a opening for an ex-GM at ESPN.

This is a stopgap move until the kid in A ball is ready.  Epstein has blown it with every shortstop he has brought in; it's the curse of Orlando Cabrera. Why should this signing be any different?

P.S. They also overpaid, but it's not my money.