SB Nation - Marco Scutaro

A Brief Look at the Blue Jays Off-Season Thus Far

R.J. Anderson — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:49:58 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

These aren't the Blue Jays of old. Which is too bad really. Their squads over the last few years have consisted of a great deal of talent, more than you would be lead to believe. A confluence of bad breaks, silly extensions, and poor drafting has lead Toronto to a barren state of existence, one that could lead to a last place divisional finish.

This is all foreign and strange-sounding though. Never have I wished ill-will upon the Jays. Not even when they had the groundball-devouring middle infield combination of John McDonald and Aaron Hill while the Rays suffered through Brendan Harris and Ty Wigginton. They are what they are; a team trying to compete with two mega-teams much in the same way the Rays have and will. To see this team do a complete 180 in terms of competitive ability is just odd.

Regardless, gone are Marco Scutaro, Brandon League, and that guy Roy Halladay. In their place are Alex Gonzalez, Brandon Morrow, and Kyle Drabek along with a slew of mostly non-impact prospects. Gonzalez is rather unimportant in the scheme of things. He's not someone to concern yourself with much at all.

Morrow is like 2006 Edwin Jackson, only with less success. His career FIP to date is 4.56 (xFIP is 4.73) despite the fact that of his career 131 appearances, only 15 have been starts. Fire? He throws it; his average fastball velocity is 95 on the tee and he does miss some bats. Consider this: 43% of Morrow's 867 batters faced have ended their plate appearance with either a walk or fly ball. Scott Kazmir had the worst season of his pro career in 2009 and 43% of his plate appearances also ended in a fly ball or walk.

Marc Hulet did a nice job covering Drabek here and here, which leaves little for me to add.

There's also the Brett Wallace addition. He's a big guy with a potentially strong bat. The questions around him are conditioning, position, and defense. Frankly, I'm not sure dealing Michael Taylor for him was worth it quite yet. We'll see.

Of course they are returning some players too, which is the way I get to link to this THT piece, illustrating how odd Aaron Hill is. Scott Downs is still great and Jason Frasor is nifty. Starters Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan should be fully recovered from injuries as well, which eases the load Morrow, Drabek, and a ragtag of lesser-known starters will have to carry in light of Halladay's absence.

Long story made short, the Jays will need some breakout performances to top 81 wins this season. Unfortunately for them, New York, Boston, Tampa, and Baltimore have gone the other way this off-season.

The Top 5 Winners in the MLB Off-Season (so far)

doron — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:35:35 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

Which teams rank as the top 5 winners in the MLB off-season, so far?

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After this memorable Hot Stove week, I figured it would be a great time to take a look at the big winners thus far in the MLB off-season. Which teams have made big splashes already, and which teams should be focusing on those remaining free agents? With that in mind, here are my picks for the top five winners thus far in the off-season.

5. Minnesota Twins

While by comparison to the names ahead on this list, the Twins off-season might seem quiet thus far, they’ve been helped by circumstance as much as they’ve helped themselves. The Twins made the first big acquisition of the off-season trading for shortstop JJ Hardy, and relinquishing Carlos Gomez, a trade that most believe favors the Twins. So long as JJ Hardy can recover from a down year in 2009, the Twins will be adding a great bat, with average, power and defense, at a premium position. Add to this the rumors that a Joe Mauer extension is in the works, the loss of Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco by the Tigers, and the risky moves we’ve seen from the White Sox, and it seems that the Twins are a clear favorite to take the AL Central even with these small moves.

Next Steps: Extending Joe Mauer, and perhaps upgrades at third-base (Adrian Beltre?) or a mid-level starting pitcher.

4. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have made some great baseball decisions this off-season. For starters, they declined their option on Pedro Feliz and replaced him with a better-defensive player who gets on-base at a better rate in Placido Polanco. Their other big move of course was upgrading staff aces by adding Roy Halladay, despite the loss of Cliff Lee. They gave up some great prospects in the deal, but were at least able to replace them with similar talents. Phillippe Aumont, in particular, may not be far away from being able to help the bullpen of the Phillies, if they decide to keep him in a relief role in the minors. With Doc under contract for the next four years, the Phillies are in a great position to start off the next decade with success.

Next Steps: Bullpen help for Brad Lidge

3. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox off-season seems to have taken hints from the Seattle Mariners with their defense focus. They added Mike Cameron, who will be a gigantic defense upgrade over Jason Bay. They’ve also added solid shortstop Marco Scutaro, who is a versatile defender and, if he can replicate his 2009 season, will be a big offensive boost at the shortstop position that’s hurt them for years. They are also looking to move Mike Lowell to Texas, and rumors tell us that Adrian Beltre, one of the best defensive third-basemen in the game, would be their main target for third base in that case. On top of that, they added the markets best free agent pitcher in John Lackey, which gives them a very dominant looking rotation.

Next Steps: Perhaps signing Adrian Beltre if Lowell is traded, and those never-ending Adrian Gonzalez rumors.

2. New York Yankees

The Yankees have essentially made two substantial moves this off-season, and they’ve both been excellent. They made a massive splash by trading for Curtis Granderson, who will allow the outfield positions to shift and create a huge defensive upgrade over Johnny Damon. On top of that, his lefty-handed bat and power to right field will play perfect in Yankee Stadium, allowing most to think that he’ll have a terrific season in 2010. He’s also got the reputation of being a great guy, and that never hurts. This week, they also added Nick Johnson, who will likely replace DH Hideki Matsui. Johnson is what I like to refer to as an "OBP Monster", and while the 2-spot is unconventional for a DH, his propensity to take walks would look great in front of Mark Texeira and Alex Rodriguez.

Next Steps: It’s hard to imagine any, really. Unless they get crazy and try to add Jason Bay or Matt Holliday, their lineup of all-stars looks complete.

1. Seattle Mariners

At the beginning of the off-season, there were rumblings that the Mariners had a ton of cash to spend, but many dismissed that rumor. I don’t think anyone expected this type of off-season from Seattle. They picked up speedy Chone Figgins to provide great defense and get on-base with Ichiro at the top of the lineup, acquired Cliff Lee to give them baseball’s best one-two pitching punch, and now added Milton Bradley, who will give them a very good bat, so long as his attitude doesn’t get in the way. The man they call "Jack Z" is being essentially universally-praised these days, and with good reason. In less than two years, he’s taken the Mariners from a train-wreck to the clear-cut favorites to win the AL West. With the pitching they have, they may even be able to make a great run through the playoffs.

Next Steps: A power-bat in the middle of the lineup, though Jason Bay doesn’t fit their defense-minded approach. A slugging first-baseman should do the trick.

Poll

Who do you think has won the MLB Off-Season so far?

MLB Trade Rumors: Red Sox Sign John Lackey and Mike Cameron; Is Deal for Adrian Gonzalez Next?

raygu — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:00:20 -0000

by David Zalubowski - AP

3 months ago: San Diego Padres' Adrian Gonzalez follows the flight of his single to drive in two runs against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning of the Rockies' 11-10 victory in a baseball game in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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The Boston Red Sox also made news on Monday signing starting pitcher John Lackey to a reported 5 year $85 million deal, and signing Mike Cameron to a 2 year $15 million deal. It appears that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is placing more and more value into defensive metrics illustrated by his signing of Marco Scutaro and Mike Cameron. Epstein appears to have washed his hands of Jason Bay and his big bat/no glove in left field.

Epstein is also close to dealing third baseman Mike Lowell to the Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez. Lowell has been injury prone over the last two years, and Epstein is looking to sign Adrian Beltre to play 3B, or is he?

Now that the Sox have signed John Lackey, they have an extra starting pitcher that new Padres GM Ned Hoyer covets in Clay Bucholz. Could the Sox be entertaining the idea of del Bucholz now that they have signed Lackey? A package of Bucholz, Casey Kelly, Ryan Westmoreland and 1-2 more prospects would surely entice Hoyer who knows the Sox system inside and out. And Gonzalez's bat and glove would be an ideal fit for Epstein's new approach to building a ballclub.

Poll

Will Padres GM Ned Hoyer finally cave and deal Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox?

2010 MLB Free Agent Predictions: 41-50

Eli Greenspan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:47 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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40. Darren Oliver, Angels

- Oliver has been a great veteran influence on some of the younger Angels pitchers, and the Angels are expected to lock him up for one more season.

Prediction: Angels

41. Ronnie Belliard, Dodgers

- After putting together a strong finish, where he effectively won the starting position over, Belliard will certainly receive an offer for next season.

Prediction: Dodgers

42. Troy Glaus, Cardinals

- Glaus was reduced to limited playing time this past season, and may be reduced to a minor league deal if teams take their time this off season. A team in need of a DH/corner infielder could benefit from a healthy Glaus.

Prediction: Athletics

43.Carlos Delgado, Mets

- Delgado has 30-homer potential, and the Orioles could capitalize with his bat in the lineup, especially in the DH spot.

Prediction: Orioles

44. Aubrey Huff, Tigers

- Huff put up decent numbers with the Orioles and Tigers last season, but it sure to draw interest on the open market. A dozen or so teams are in the market for DH or first baseman, where Huff has experience.

Prediction: White Sox

45. Orlando Cabrera, Twins

- Cabrera doesn't have the market that he thought he would have, now that Marco Scutaro and Alex Gonzalez are off the market. Several teams report he is out of there price range, which could lead to a team like the Angels picking him up on a one or two year deal.

Prediction: Astros

46. Rod Barajas, Blue Jays

- Barajas is drawing interest from several teams, but may opt for New York if they extend him an offer.

Prediction: Giants

47. Matt Capps, Pirates

- Baseball executives were surprised to hear Capps was released, despite his poor numbers in 2009. Teams are still interested in Capps, and he should be picked up soon.

Prediction: Cubs

48. Garrett Atkins, Rockies

- Atkins was also non-tendered, and it is only a matter of time before he signs somewhere too. The Twins, Orioles, and Giants are possibilities.

Prediction: Giants

49. Russell Branyan, Mariners

- Branyan is playing hardball with the Mariners, but he has already made it known he wants to return.

Prediction: Mariners

50. Kelly Johnson, Braves

- After putting up fairly decent numbers between 2007-2008, his numbers dropped significantly to the point of being non-tendered following the 2009 season. Still, the Diamondbacks' interest in Johnson goes way back and he could end up in Arizona.

Prediction: Diamondbacks

What Kind of Day Has it Been?

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:25:39 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, left, walks with pitcher Clay Buchholz in the outfield of Fenway Park in Boston, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Buchholz is scheduled to start when the Red Sox host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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I woke up today at 4 in the morning. No good reason why other than that I'd uncharacteristically fallen asleep at 8 PM last night, but I had some time to kill before my 11 AM class. It was Monday, which meant it was time for me to get the Minor League update together. I did that on-off for a while, along with other random internet browsing, and eventually got it posted around 9 AM.

Looking around, I found out that the Mike Lowell trade had even more hitches, as his right thumb could require surgery. The status of the trade--and of 3rd base in 2010--seemed murkier than ever before. After signing Marco Scutaro on the 4th, the Red Sox had been remarkably quiet. Half the world seemed to think they were after Bay, the other half that they'd given up and moved on to Holliday, but there was nothing at all concrete. Anyways, I threw it up on the front page and went to class after mucking about for an hour.

At this point, the day had all the makings of a slow news day. Nothing was "in the works" that seemed likely to go down soon. In fact, it seemed like we might go quite a while before seeing any movement on any front.

And then came the storm.

It started when I noticed Randy had posted that John Lackey had taken a physical for the Red Sox. The next two hours were filled with speculation: had Lackey signed? Was this a ruse? A ploy? If he signed, for how much, and was that good?

At 3:30, I was back from class, and Randy had confirmation enough to put it on the front page. John Lackey, the #1 pitching free agent of the 2009-2010 offseason, had signed with the Boston Red Sox. The deal? 5 years, 85 million. The reaction? Mixed.

Knowing that Lackey had signed, though, had done nothing but fuel speculation. The Red Sox had 6 starters (all of whom seem set to start out of Spring Training), a hole at 3rd, and one very marketable young starter in Clay Buchholz. Was this a sign of things to come?

So far, we've seen nothing on that end. But that doesn't mean the Sox stopped there. No, within 2 hours, the Sox were in "serious talks" with center fielder Mike Cameron. 3 hours later, they had reached an agreement for 2 years and 15 million dollars.

In less than 12 hours, the Red Sox had made their mark on the postseason. They had set their outfield for the season, with a significant defensive improvement hopefully balancing out the loss of Jason Bay's bat. Whether Ellsbury will move to left or Cameron will take over there remains to be seen, but either way they've changed their defensive look for the better. More importantly, they bolstered their rotation to the point where it's a strong contender for the best in the MLB. The cherry on the top? Lackey was a potential candidate to fill holes for American League rival Yankees and Angels. The Yankees will now have to try and either make due with Joba and Hughes at #4 and #5--both of whom are significant question marks--and the Angels are in dire trouble with few solutions in sight.

Of course, nothing comes without consequences. The Red Sox are now spending at nearly Yankee levels. They've lost, in effect, a 2nd round pick by signing Lackey. The Blue Jays will now get that pick while the first rounder goes to the Angels. The Sox are still, ironically, without an answer to the question that started the day off, as 3rd base remains conspicuously vacant. Who knows whether the Sox can still afford signing Adrian Beltre? And is our offense good enough without any power bats on the left side of the field? And who on Earth is going to come out of the mess of humanity that is the Red Sox' bullpen? There's plenty still left to do.

Oh, yeah, and Roy Halladay went to the NL while Cliff Lee hits Seattle. The Jays? They got some of the young, cheap talent they needed all along, but it's going to be a long year for them.

So, Red Sox Nation, Over the Monster readers:

What kind of day has it been?

How Does Jacoby Ellsbury Fit Into This Offseason Puzzle?

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:07:49 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

4 months ago: Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury dives unsuccessfully for a fly ball hit for a single by Baltimore Orioles' Aubrey Huff during the second inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 31, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Many observers of the Red Sox this offseason have pegged them as a team on the hunt for defense. This is not an outrageous claim—last year the Red Sox ranked 16^th in the league defensively by UZR, with notable deficiencies at 3^rd (second worst in the league), center field (worst in the league), and left field (6^th worst in the league). Between the 3 main starters at these positions, the Red Sox gave up over 40 runs more than they would have by inserting replacement-level defenders at the position.

So far, though, one has to question just how well Theo and co. are doing at achieving their goals. The only major signing of the postseason so far has been Marco Scutaro. Talk all you want about consistency or stability at the position, but last year the revolving door of shortstops did combine to post a slightly positive UZR—better than Marco Scutaro has put up in 2 of his past 3 years.

Theo's most compelling move on this front has yet to even happen yet. By shipping Mike Lowell and his awful defense to Texas, the Sox are almost assuring themselves an improvement at 3^rd base. If, as many expect, they were to sign Adrian Beltre, the improvement would be astronomical. Exchanging a whole year of Lowell at 3^rd for a whole year of Beltre should be worth a net gain of over 20 defensive runs. Of course, the wisdom of signing Beltre lies largely in his offense, and how much they can avoid the Scott Boras overpay. But that's a story for another article.

The real question has to be the outfield. If rumors are to be believed, then Theo would be perfectly content to go into 2010 fielding the same starters as he did in 2009. Can a team that claims to be focused on defense really accept two fielders who aren't just not good, but in fact at the bottom of the barrel?

Now, left field in Fenway is always going to be something of an anomaly. If you're going to sacrifice defense for offense anywhere, it may as well be somewhere where the only fly ball going over the defenders head are either bouncing off the wall or going for 4 bases. This isn't to say that Jason Bay is a victim of the Monster—he was no great fielder in his last season-and-a-half in Pittsburgh either—just that any defensive considerations in left have to take a backseat to offense. No, the main concern is in center field.

For all the world, Jacoby Ellsbury looks like he's a defensive star. His diving grabs make regular appearances on top-10 lists, he has speed enough to cover the large territory in center, and he's not prone to careless drops or tragic misplays. And yet, advanced defensive metrics will tell you that he is in fact the single worst center fielder in the majors. Observing the young speedster in action will reveal that the reason behind this—as has been discussed so many times before—is that he gets bad breaks on balls, often having to completely reverse direction after the ball is in the air, costing him valuable time and wasting much of his speed and glove.

Perhaps Theo and the front office expect Ellsbury to improve his reads next year. Maybe they think he was just off in 2009, and that he'll be back strong in 2010. But if not, what are they doing? It's puzzling why the Sox would claim to focus on defense, and then ignore their single biggest defensive problem. Especially with viable options out there. The Detroit Tigers actually crafted a seemingly perfect solution for the Sox, offering them a 1-for-1 deal: Ellsbury for Curtis Granderson, who would have been a huge defensive improvement with similar offensive production (or superior if he rebounds, as his low BABIP would predict). Even now, Mike Cameron is an available free agent. A switch from Ellsbury to Cameron last year would have been worth more than 20 runs! And with two center field prospects in Reddick and Kalish projected to be ready within the next 2 years, Cameron's age would not be an issue. And, if the Granderson offer is any indication, Ellsbury still has plenty of trade value depending on the GM and their adherence to the new statistics.

I expect I'll get plenty of disagreement on this. Whether from the anti-UZR crowd, the steal-obsessed, or the legions of young girls who have proposed marriage to Jacoby—even if only by means of cardboard sign. But this is how our front office works. It puts importance on the stats that reflect poorly on Ellsbury, and consider things like steals to be relatively unimportant. Maybe they know something we don't, but if not, then their silence on this front is both very odd, and very worrying.

Winter Meetings Primer, 2009

Jesse — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:15:52 -0000

More photos » by Jennifer Simonson - AP

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Sure, it's a rumor-filled week that generally leads to nothing. But it's still a rumor-filled week, and to me that equals fun.

Twins Needs

Second Base
Third Base
Starting Pitcher
Bench Depth
Joe Mauer Extension

Between LEN III and Joe C., the Twins have been tied to a few names already this off-season: Mark DeRosa, Rich Harden, Adrian Beltre, Jarrod Washburn and Orlando Hudson. There has been little speculation fueled by comments from the front office, although this has been commonplace during the Bill Smith era. Now entering his third Winter Meetings and in the best position to win since taking on the role of General Manager, it will be interesting to see if the rumors lead to anything concrete this season.

Obviously the Twins are still in the market for at least one infielder after picking up J.J. Hardy a few weeks ago, and the recent (and early) signings of Chone Figgins (four years, $36 million), Placido Polanco (three years, $18 million) and Marco Scutaro (two years, $12.5 million with an option for more) seem to set the market for starting infielders. Considering the combination of age and history I feel like all three teams overpaid, on either years or dollars or both.

Last season at this time there was a lot of talk surrounding Casey Blake and Garrett Atkins, and there's been nothing quite like that this season. This front office, and I've said it before, plays things notoriously close to the vest. Sure, it might not make for interesting discussion fodder, but it serves the best interests of the team.

A vast majority of the time all of the rumors and speculation lead to absolutely nothing during the week of the Winter Meetings. The common theme is for teams to read each other and, if possible, lay a foundation for things to happen over the following weeks. But that doesn't mean we won't hear some interesting tidbits over the next few days.

Names of Interest (after the break)

Adrian Beltre - With the Phillies signing Polanco, one of the Twins main competetors for the free agent third baseman may have just taken themselves out of the market. The biggest issue surrounding Beltre is Scott Boraas and his $10 million per year asking price. Even for his glove, I'm not sure Minnesota is going to fork out that kind of money for Beltre.

Mark DeRosa - He's also been rumored to be asking for nearly $10 million per season. Yikes.

Josh Johnson - The Marlins have said that Johnson won't be traded this off-season, but it's always hard to tell what's truth and what's posturing. If his name comes up this week, or at anytime over the next couple of months, I'll be listening.

Rich Harden - Along with Ben Sheets and Erik Bedard, it will be interesting to see how much teams are willing to gamble on these guys. Will the Twins maintain their interest in Harden?

Jed Lowrie - With the Red Sox the proud owners of a Scutaro, will he be on the block?

Carl Pavano - Will he accept arbitration?

Dan Uggla - The Marlins second baseman has been linked to about half of the teams in baseball at some point over the last couple of months, although no team has been connected more often than the Giants. His offense as a second baseman is superior, and in spite of his defense is still probably a three-win player.

In Closing

The Winter Meetings this season aren't set to be quite as interesting as they were the last couple of seasons, if only because the first thing on everyone's mind isn't really who else the front office can bring in but who can they sign to an extension. "General discussions" between the Twins and Mauer have begun, but nothing hard core so far, so stay tuned.

It's an exciting time of year. Be sure to keep checking back here for the latest rumblings and grumblings.

Poll

Make the call: what, if anything, will happen this week at the Winter Meetings for the Minnesota Twins?

They'll pull off some kind of a trade

79 votes

They'll lay foundations for discussions after the meetings

127 votes

They'll sign a free agent

57 votes

Nothing

137 votes

400 votes | Poll has closed

Saturday Bird Droppings

Stacey — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

Your Off-Season O of the Day: Alfredo Simon (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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First, your hot stove news, including a few stories that were linked in the comments of yesterday's Open Thread. The Mariners and Chone Figgins have agreed on a 4 year, $36M contract and the Orioles have re-signed Chad Moeller for the 2010 season. Marco Scutaro is now a Red Sox, having agreed to a two year, $12.5M contract with an option for a third year, and Placido Polanco signed with the Philles for three years, $18M.

Throwing Strikes With Brad Bergesen
The Bowie Baysox caught up with Bergy to ask him a few questions about Thanksgiving, his leg, and his toughest opponent. -Stacey

WSBA-AM talking with Orioles
Don't fear, York County residents, the O's will be on the radio in 2010. -Stacey

Nets beat Bobcats to snap record 0-18 run
The O's 1988 record is safe for another year as the Nets defeated the Bobcats 97-91 for their first win of the year. -Stacey

Keys President Named Minor League Executive Of The Year
Ken Young, President of the Frederick Keys and owner of several other minor league teams, oversaw improvements to the Keys stadium and that, combined with the young prospects, led to the Keys leading the Carolina league in attendance in 2009. -Stacey

Jeff Fiorentino: 2010’s Ryan Langerhans?
FanGraphs thinks that Jeff Fiorentino could be a league average center fielder and that a team would be smart to sign him over Scott Podsednik or Rick Ankiel. -Stacey

Baltimore Orioles Top 20 Prospects for 2010 - Minor League Ball
John Sickels rates the top 20 prospects in the O's minor league system. A very fair assessment, I think, though my favorite comment is about Steve Johnson (ranked #12): "Might get overlooked because of his boring name." -Stacey

Jorge Says No! | Hypothetically Speaking: The Adam Jones Contract Extension
Even though we're only in December, Adam Jones has to be one of the offseason's biggest losers so far. Jones narrowly missed out on being arbitration eligible, losing the final "super two" spot to Mike Fontenot of the Cubs. ...This sets up the ideal scenario for Jones and the Orioles to come to terms on a contract extension. The Orioles can lock up Jones before his price tag becomes too large and Jones can get a raise in 2010 and a nice amount of guaranteed money for the future. (hat tip to Dempsey's Army for finding this) -zk

Holiday announcements from the Shorebirds All kinds of holiday goodness at Arthur W. Perdue stadium today from 10 a.m. to noon, including pictures with Santa AND Sherman the Shorebird. -Stacey

Old Mill rides backup running back to Class 4A state title
Ok, so it's not O's related. It doesn't have anything to do with baseball, even. But Old Mill Senior High, my alma mater, took home the its first state football championship last night at M&T Bank Stadium against Wise High School. Old Mill won 17-16 in a hard fought game that saw their star running back injured in the first quarter. Congrats to the Patriots! Go red, white, and blue! -Stacey

A's Offered More Years, Money For Marco Scutaro

Randy Booth — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:21:57 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

20 days ago: Newly signed Boston Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro strikes a pose while trying on a Red Sox uniform during a news conference at Fenway Park, in Boston, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. After cycling through seven shortstops since the middle of the 2004 season, the Red Sox announced on Friday that they have given Scutaro a two-year deal with a club option for 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Marco Scutaro didn't want to mention at his press conference today who the "other team" was who offered him a contract, but FoxSports is reporting that it was the Oakland A's, who actually gave him more years and more money:

Scutaro turned down a slightly more lucrative three-year contract from the A's before signing his two-year, $12.5 million deal with the Red Sox, according to major-league sources.

The A's would have used Scutaro at shortstop and made Cliff Pennington their utility man. Scutaro played for the A's from 2004 to '07 before getting traded to the Blue Jays for two minor leaguers.

Clearly, the A's are operating with a measure of financial flexibility. They assumed $1.7 million of infielder Aaron Miles' $2.7 million salary as part of the price for obtaining Jake Fox in a five- player deal with the Cubs on Thursday.

Another case where Billy Beane and Theo Epstein go toe-to-toe for a player. Winner: Theo. Looks like Scutaro really wants to win.

From Top To Bottom: Marco Scutaro In Boston's Lineup

Randy Booth — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:21:17 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

20 days ago: Newly signed Boston Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro displays a Red Sox uniform during a news conference at Fenway Park, in Boston, Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. After cycling through seven shortstops since the middle of the 2004 season, the Red Sox announced on Friday that they have given Scutaro a two-year deal with a club option for 2012. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Every single at bat that Marco Scutaro had with the Blue Jays in 2009 was in the leadoff spot. That's a pretty impressive feat considering he made 680 plate appearances.

Let that streak come to an end, though, when Scutaro's name is penciled into the Red Sox's lineup come Opening Day.

Terry Francona is a big fan of Jacoby Ellsbury. Such a big fan, in fact, that he really wants to see Ellsbury in the leadoff spot for the Red Sox for good. That's where Ellsbury started in 2009 and that's where he ended. But he wasn't there the entire time.

On May 31, Francona dropped Ellsbury from the leadoff spot to the eight-hole. His .332 on-base percentage just wasn't cutting it. After trips up and down the lineup, including in the leadoff spot on the rare occasion, Ellsbury was back at No. 1 for good on July 20. The OBP went up to .343 -- a solid 11 point increase. He finished the season with a .355 OBP -- plus 12 more points. Not too shabby.

And that is where Ellsbury is going to stay. Marco, you're going to need a new spot.

While I think it's a tad too early to talk about what the 2010 lineup should look like, you know, considering we don't even have a left fielder yet (any Jeremy Hermida supporters out there?), we can get a rough idea. Let's pretend the Red Sox sign Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. It's a crazy idea, I know, but we could figure a lineup that looks similar to this:

Ellsbury, cf
Pedroia, 2b
Martinez, c
Youkilis, 1b
Ortiz, dh
Bay/Holiday, lf
Lowell, 3b
Drew, rf
Scutaro, ss

This is a lineup that's pretty interchangeable. One through three is locked, but Youkilis, Ortiz and Bay could all be flip-flopped if Tito wanted. Lowell and Drew is also a toss up, but historically Tito likes to bat Lowell ahead of Drew.

So it's not a real mystery: Scutaro goes from leadoff man to No. 9 hitter. It's not that he's a bad hitter, it's just that this is the only place for him. Except, well, when Jason Varitek is in the lineup. Then expect to see Scutaro bat eighth.

Scutaro will also likely "spell" Ellsbury in the leadoff spot when he has his days off. I think Francona would be more willing to do that than move Pedroia or Drew to leadoff. Hopefully that's the case. I love Pedroia and Drew, but both, in my opinion, seem to do better in the two-hole.

I like Scutaro in the 9-hole, though. He's the "second leadoff man," as some people like to say. It's a good OBP to have at the bottom of the order, if he produces anywhere near Bill James's prediction of .350. If Scutaro gets on and Ellsbury can't hit him around, Pedroia, Martinez and Youkilis will have their shots. I can see Scutaro scoring a lot of runs this season.

Speaking of hitting, I'll probably dissect this in its own post, but I expect a lot of doubles out of Scutaro in 2010. He had 35 with the Jays last year. With The Monster so close, I think Scutaro could be a rack in 40-50 doubles if he plays 150+ games. I'll take that.

Where do you see Scutaro in the Red Sox's lineup?

Poll

On a typical night, where will Marco Scutaro hit in the Red Sox's lineup?

No. 9 -- no better place to put him

320 votes

No. 8 -- Francona will surprise us a bit

116 votes

No. 1 -- Francona will REALLY surprise us

62 votes

498 votes | Poll has closed