Mending the Sox

They were tattered and worn. There was a big hole in the big toe. The heel had been mended over with two mismatched pieces of smaller fabric.

Such was the state of the Boston Red Sox, just a week ago. Now that big hole in the big toe—otherwise known as the hole in the top of the lineup, since Johnny Damon turned traitor to the Red Sox Nation and signed with the Yankees—seems fixed.

In a trade that seems close to being finalized, the Sox are trading Andy Marte for Coco Crisp. There are other players involved, but they only amount to one GM trying to haggle another for a role player. Crisp would bat leadoff, play center, and probably be every bit as good as Damon, at a much lower price.

Marte would fill the Indians gaping organizational hole at third base, which has caused them to re-sign Aaron Boone, and play Casey Blake, over the last few years.

And those darned Sox aren’t done yet. Sometime this week, they will have a press conference that will announce how they have re-hired Theo Epstein. No more mending the heel with two smaller pieces of fabric, like the Red Sox did at the winter meetings with GM-by-committee. They are back to basics with the whiz kid that broke the Bambino’s curse.

Alex Gonzalez, the 28 year old shortstop, formerly of the Marlins, is also rumored to be close to signing with the Sox, pushing Alex Cora to a more comfortable utility player role. Gonzalez and Cora are equally weak offensively, with Gonzalez having a career .245avg/.391slg/.291ob, to Cora’s .244avg/.349slg/.310ob .

Gonzalez slugged a career high 23 homers in 2004, and Cora hit .291 with a .371 OB% in 2002. Gonzo is probably the better shortstop right now, and Cora can play multiple positions, so this, at the very least, adds bench depth.

In a further unbelievable development, all this has knocked Manny Ramirez out of the headlines for almost a whole week. The Dreadlock Dread-Press wonder has not made any further public statements of discontent this week, much to everyone’s delight.

So the Sox seem to be on the mend. All that remains to be seen is if they can find a matched pair-- of World Series trophies, in the same century.

Peace-Out
Jim Evans
jevans@baseballdigestdaily.com