Sox diligent in shortstop search

I would LOVE to see Miguel Tejada in a Red Sox uniform. It would put the biggest smile on my face. Come on Theo!!!

can we PLEASE get a long-term solution for this position?!?

Yes, you do spot a need for Lugo. The need is for him to learn how to play shortstop at a major league level. The Mets certainly do not need or want that POS anywhere near thier team. On the flipside, Reyes would make a nice RedSox but would unfortunately cost alot. Any truth to the rumor of the Daisuke for Reyes talks from last summer? That may be a nice conversation to start back up. I'd do that deal in a NY minute.

I can't imagine any team that has a need for Lugo at this point.

Why would the Mets take Lugo from Boston while the Red Sox go acquire someone they like better? The Mets should be looking at Wilson, Cabrera, Hardy etc. along with Boston.

Hey, nice post, very well written. You should write more about this.

"Do I spot a need for Lugo?

Yeah, if you need a $36 million dollar pinch runner.

Can't see the Mets taking Lugo unless Sox give him up for essentially nothing (non-prospect minor leaguer) and eat his contract this year and next - he won't be happy backing up Reyes long-term, so he'd be a short-term fix but probably a long-term liability...

Who could the SS from Atlanta be?

We're coming out of a golden age of shortstops. I wonder if expectations of that position will regress to the historical norm.

However, the designated hitter SHOULD be the best hitter.

Who is the mystery shortstop with the Braves? Escobar?

Why is it a difficult decision to eat the contract or not? Renteria seems to have put up better offensive numbers here his only season (compared to Lugo's first season) before being traded and the Sox ate most of that contract. His defense was worse than Lugo's defensive first year with the Sox but still...I cannot see how this decision should be any more difficult than the decision to trade Renteria. By the way, Lugo's fielding percentages last year and this current year, both worse than Renteria's only year here. I'm no Renteria fan...I just don't see how deciding to say bye to Lugo should be any harder than saying bye to Renteria.

Yes we need a shortstop as Lowrie should be the utility player until he gets well.
Lugo has lost speed with injury and is plain just bad. He did nothing in LA to justify the contract.

He is well taken care of to go in the sunset!

maby it is time to let Lugo go, but im not exactly sure Lowrie can handle the starting position just yet, trade for a rental player and let Lowrie get back into shape

"The Red Sox have left no stone unturned in looking at or discussing deals for shortstops."

Keep in mind, though: They found Lugo under one of those rocks.

Answer to last question: No. (He can't play shortstop.)

Lugo to the Mets? Yes, let's make that happen. If fact, let's chip in for bus fare. If they take 1/2 his salary, we should even throw in Jarvey Lopez.

Take our shortstop please!

I am so sick of this shortstop talk. It seems to me the sox had two great defensive shorstops, gonzales and cabrera, but Theo had such a man love for lugo he got rid of those two and we are stuck with this stick in the mud. Hey Theo you made some good moves in the past, but what was wrong with cabrera and or gonzales. they were both damn good ...

JJ Hardy; Jason Donald, Troy from the 'backs -- No one else. DFA Julio, although I'm sorry. But it's obvious.

No one's gong to pay a nickle for Lugo.

This is an important move that needs to be made in the next week.

Tejada is still solid, the gain would be short term, do not give a top prospect for him, but he is easily the best of the bunch. Go for it.

It's not usually about eating a contract, is it? It's about eating pride. It is a final admission that somebody screwed up. The money is already blown.

//Jed Lowrie, who has a great chance to fend off this shortstop talk if he'd accelerate his return to the Sox lineup.//

"Accelerate his return"? You mean, come back before he's ready and hurt his wrist again?

Eat Lugo's contract Theo. It's the only way you're going to learn not to make stupid deals. Consider it the price of a GM education. You never should've signed Lugo. Now you finally know what the rest of us knew all along...

i think they need to give up on Lugo he has done nothing at all they can go out and trade him and a prospect and someone else and get a power hitter to help ortiz some holes in the red sox line. but for the most part get rid of lugo hes not worth it.

send Lugo anywhere and eat part of his contract, if that does not work let him go, it was a bad signing that never could or will be justified

send Lugo anywhere and eat part of his contract, if that does not work let him go, it was a bad signing that never could or will be justified

The only way this makes sense is if the Sox think Lowrie isn't coming back. He's solid defensively and who cares if he hits the Mendoza line. He's the #9 hitter. Green & Lugo can't cut it in the field. Thats where they need the upgrade now. Lugo has been a liability. Sox will have to eat all his money & then hope to get a prospect from A ball.

Glenn Hoffman is an upgrade from Lugo. Or even Jackie Gutierrez! You know what, bring back the original "Papi" (Stan) for an improvement at the 6-hole.

Rid yourself if anyone will take the player. Most likley they will have to redo the Edgar Renteria saga. That means eat most of the contract. Jed Lowrie might not be the offensive person they want, but defensively he is! The only trade that makes sense is JJ Hardy. How much is that going to cost? Great question! How much do we really need him and that is how much we give up. Bowden, maybe

Let us hope the Mets are that blind. Lugo runs like a DH and fields like one, too.

woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!

I spot the #9 Bus leaving Boston with Lugo on it ~ HURRRRRRY Bus driver, STEP ON THE GAS . . . fastttterrrrrrrrr!

buh-bye. . .

Bring back Orlando Cabrera and hope for a repeat of 2004 . . . all the way to a World Series victory.
It was a mistake to let him walk back then.

Lets make a trade even up Lugo for Cora. The Red Sox will benefit as Lugo wanted to be traded anyway if he didnt"t get the starting shortstop position. Cora is much more pleasant and Cora's corner could again become part of the Red Sox pregame show on radio. The Red Sox would definitely get the advantage in this trade.

Are Brad Penny and Manny Delcarmen headed to Texas for Omar Vizquel? Sounds good to me, Delcarmen is another pitcher who can be "thrown into the deal" because of the long list of arms that are near ready to be used at the major league level. However, this is a season that is only marching on, and are you really going to want to have to put Bard, Bowden, and Masterson, who has been shaky at times, into some big spots this early in their careers because of the hole Delcarmen would leave? I feel like it's a good deal. Lugo is killing us, RELEASE HIM!!!!!!

Troy Tulowitsky for John Lester

if the sox are really focusing on defense then why not look at john mcdonald in toronto? he's only signed through this year and he's not too expensive. the jays haven't used him much, but perhaps they would be reluctant to trade within the division?

I hope they pull the string on J.J. Hardy. He'd fit right in hitting at Fenway with the same style batting as Lowell. It would be nice to have Orlando "Abra" Carbera back again too. Send Lugo packing, and Nick "E-6" Green needs more time on the farm.

Why would the Mets want Lugo? This guy was a bust for the Dodges long before he was a joke for the redsox

Why would the Mets want Lugo? This guy was a bust for the Dodges long before he was a joke for the redsox

How about Clay Bucholz, Lars Anderson, David Ortiz, Cash Considerations/and or other prospect(s) for Hanley Ramirez?

Bringing in another shortstop only compounds the problem of what to do with Lugo/Green/ Lowrie. In spring training, the thought was..."let the better player win the job on the field"... This approach should be continued rather than hire some "used to be", "woulda, shoulda, coulda", "over the hill" player just to convince the faithful that management is doing S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G!!

Please, NO GM is stupid enough to go after Lugo. The quick fix ss's are not the answer either- each has his own particular holes in his game. The answer for now is patience and Lowrie.
I hope we draft a shortshop tonight?

Send Lugo anywhere! Can't find someone? As Rico Petrocelli to come back. At his age his range and defensive skills can't be that far off from Lugo's :-) and, he might still have some of that "pop" in his bat that Lugo has never had!!

I am being sarcastic of course, but I hate this guy as a player!

Tom

Omar Vizquel has been the best defensive shortstop during the last twenty years, he is a switch-hitter and still has some speed on the bases. He is polite and has outstanding work ethics. The best of all, you can use it for the rest of the season and, then, let him go. It seems to me he would be an excellent back-up/mentor for Lowrie.

what braves shortstop?

Eat the contract ! ! ! Eat it ! ! ! !

Get Omar. There's no one better in the field. And he's a good guy, doesn't pout and pitchers love him. So, what if he hits .195 with one or two HRs? We're paying $13MM to a guy who hits like Omar, and he's in the lineup almost every frickin day. Geez. This is NOT THAT HARD.

Of the players Nick mentions, only J.J. Hardy provides a long-term (8-10 year) solution to the Red Sox SS woes.

While reliable, I see Lowrie as more of a SS-2B-3B utility-type player in the long-term, with not enough enough pop in his bat to be Lowell's successor in a couple of years.

If I were The Boy Genius, I'd be willing to part with as much as Buchholz and MDC to the Brewers for Hardy, a 25/80/.270 guy with a decent glove who's entering his prime of his career. He and Pedroia would provide middle infield strength for the Red Sox well into the next decade.

Shortstop is a major concern, but the names above are at retreads...Escobar from Atlanta would be the play if available, Vizquel would work if you were able to pry Gonzalez away from San Diego or Dunn form Washington...Without addressing the offense, or lack there of from DH, and def from SS, Boston cant hope to compete with the YANKS, who seam to be primed for summer success...

Trade Lugo to the Mets for a parking lot attendant.

why not sign Tejeda, he could play SS until Lowrie is truely ready then play DH if Ortiz still hasn't come around. Tejeda is currently hitting .350 or so !!! Other best option I quess is J.J. Hardy.

Take a look at the list mentioned above...Jack Wilson is the only guy on that list worth pursuing. No one is going to take Lugo at his salary. I'd rather platoon Lowrie and Green and save the money/prospects. And why would the Mets take Lugo when they could go out and get anyone on the list above? Doesn't make any sense.

Nothing personal ... but compare the hitting and fielding statistics (not to mention age and current salary) of J.J. Hardy and Jack Wilson on baseball-reference.com.

Unless there are some intangible factors (like inability to perform under pressure) that I'm not aware of, Hardy is clearly the best long-term solution to the Red Sox probems at SS.

As for Lugo, NO TEAM IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would take a flier on him - even if the Sox offered to pay his salary, like they had to do with Rent-A-Wreck a few years back.

Still sick over Teixeira..the only way to solve ss problems and to stick it to the evil empire is to bit the bullet and get Hanley back.....whatever it takes

I've been shaking my head since the winter of 2006-07. Theo wasted, absolutely just wasted 106 million DOLLARS on Lugo and JD Drew. It's really astonishing.
No one was bidding againist Theo for Drew. Spending 14 million a year for 5 years was a stuningly bad deceison. If I knew that Drew was often injuey prone and liked to back out of the line-up surely Theo knew this, yet still he signed him.
I don't know how John henry keeps from telling Theo everyday what a waste of money Lugo and Drew are. If I was the owner I wouldn't be able to hold my tonuge.

All these whiners on here forget that Lugo was in the lineup when the Sox won the pennant and theWorld Series--so life doesn't end with Lugo at shortstop----but it could if we continue with Ortiz no matter how nice of a guy he is. He is just too much of a liability to have in the lineup. Bring up Lars!

Wilson for Lars Anderson.

Ortiz isn't so bad, he does have more home runs than Dustin Pedroia. I think we need Tejada. With that offensive stability the Red Sox would do great. Seriously the people who play shortstop on the red sox are the ones who can't hit

theo you need to get rid of julio lugo and you can get JJ Hardy or Jack Wilson

Shortstop answer: ALEX CORA

Trade with pittsburgh but leave the hitless Wilson behind.
Freddy Sanchez can play some SS now and move over to play 3B when Lowrie returns soon. Gives the Sox another excellent bat and gives Mike Lowell more time OFF the field this summer where his defense is getting weaker.
Sanchez is on target to hit 50+ doubles this year.

Buccos are you a Yankees Fan? Anderson has been touted as a true prospect. Have you forgetten that we gave up on Ramirez, H, Texeira (a former Red Sox), Murphy, and dare I mention the tart we threw the Astros many years back. Granted Beckett and Lowell worked well, but we are still talking about sending previous prospects that have worked out well! The only deal that I recall besides Beckett, and Lowell is Varitek, and Lowe for Slocomb.
Don't give up Anderson, Clay or any other high prospect. Where would we have been without Pedroia, Youkilus, Papelbon, Ellsbury, Delcarmen, Bard, and Masterson iver theese past years

Why not pursue Hanley Ramirez. The Sox have plenty talent to land the other Ramirez. Imagine him in the line up. Since hitting is contagious, this may help Big Papi as well. Pedrioa, Ramirez, Youkilis, Bay, Drew, Lowell, Ortiz,Varitek, Ellsbury;
with this line up and the starting pitching improving , this will certainly make the Sox a very strong contender.

trade pitching to the white sox and get alexei ramirez

Why would the Brewers give up their starting SS when they are deeply entrenched in the playoff hunt?

The Braves would probably deal Martin Prado or Diory Hernandez before they would trade off Yunel Escobar.