One $9 Million Question Answered, One More Arises

Adrian Beltre, The Player This off-season has had quite an emphasis on trusting higher-order statistical metrics as, surely, both Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre do not fit the conventional mold for key cogs on championship caliber teams. Two players whose values lie predominantly with their defensive production, 2010 will be a trial by fire for the front office’s new-fangled policy of relying on fielding. Sabermetricians worldwide rejoice at this move towards the mainstream (myself included). As a Red Sox fan, however, I find myself wishing some other team were the guinea pig. Which begs the question: what kind of player are the Red Sox getting with Adrian Beltre? A Move Within a Move Maybe that last point runs contrary to the whole business side of sports – that, because you pay these players so much, they should do whatever the hell you tell ‘em to do. He should be the good soldier, not reply, and go into camp as Beltre’s backup. If he whines about not playing, too bad! Go get a day job! Though, in reality, that’s not the way things work. Aging veterans who have earned their stripes always get traded - and this may very well be the last bastion of humanity left in the business side of sports...