Theo & his crew are constantly searching for ways to improve the team, and I imagine with the health issues of Lugo, Lowrie, Lowell, Youk & Pedroia, his crew is working overtime.
I recall the off season hue and cry to trade one or two of the kids (Masterson, Buchholz, Bowden, Bard) for a catcher to replace or supplement Tek; to get Holliday to replace Bay or Drew and Reddick or Kalish; to dump Lugo & Lowrie to get O.Cab or the SS of the future like JJ Hardy; to dump Mike Lowell, eliminate Lars Anderson, and move Youk to 3rd for Teixeira. Also, to pick up Adam Dunn or other big bats because of Youk’s, Pedey’s, Bay’s and Papi’s inevitable regressions, etc.
Looking at the team on May 10, I wondered what could be improved. The results were surprising. The Red Sox rank #1 – 3 in most A.L. offensive categories, just like 2008. IMO Theo was wise not to pull those triggers:
1. O.Cab is hitting .231/.287/256/0/6 and J.J. is at .216/ .299/ 392/ 5/ 17. Lugo and Green are both hitting better and errors are comparable.
2. Teixeira is hitting .196/ .341/ .412/ 6/ 16 while Holliday (yet another outrageously expensive Boras client . . . see Teix, Manny, A-Rod, Lowe) is hitting.234/ .292/ .376/ 4/ 20 even as we are witnessing a redux of 2007 Mike Lowell, 2008 Youk and J.D., and a whole new species of Jason Bay who is out-Mannying Manny.
3. Tek has contributed mightily both behind the plate and at bat with .226/.327/.440/4/11. George Kottaras has handled our only consistent pitcher beautifully, and otherwise been an excellent receiver, but his bat still hasn’t awakened. Tek isn’t going anywhere, and probably neither is Kottaras. But while Tek & Kotts are arguably superior receivers, both Salty and Montero are hitting better than either of them: Salty in 80AB is .275/.310/.438/3/13. TG in just 32AB is .219/.306/.250/0/3. Montero in 42AB is .279/ .340/ .512/ 2/ 5. M.A.G. may be right on this one, getting a catcher of the future to work under Tek, but more than ever giving up Masterson, Buchholz, Bowden or Bard for this offensive upgrade seems counter-productive.
Conclusion, we are in and out of 1st place in the toughest division, with 20W, because of the heroics of the existing Red Sox lineup and pitching, despite their injuries and issues. To this point, Holliday, Teixeira, O.Cab, JJ Hardy, Dunn, TG would have depressed run production; and Salty, Montero or TG instead of Kottaras would have neutralized the rotation’s most successful starter while costing us Buchholz, Bowden and/or Bard.