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Julio Lugo: Another Sunk Cost At Short?May 14th, 2008
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Ever since the eleventh-hour deadline deal that shipped Nomar Garciaparra off to the Cubbies as part of a three-way trade machination and, along with it, sent a Red Sox fandom into knee-jerk hysteria—then eventual baseball ecstasy three months later—general manager Theo Epstein has aggressively engaged in a seasonal pursuit for Boston’s next long-term shortstop.
But for the past four winters—each filled and followed by one fruitless search after another—Epstein’s hunt has seemingly mirrored the life and times of Elmer Fudd. Far too elusive to nab, that wascawly shortstop has evaded the grasp of the Sox GM at every turn—only self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the form of failed signings left in all the aftermath.
So, to say the shortstop position under the Epstein-era has seen more ups, downs and (public relations) spin than a merry-go-round wouldn’t be much of an understatement. In fact, by now, some Red Sox supporters might prefer a daintily handcrafted carousel horse to the club’s incumbent shortstop, one Julio Lugo.
Thought to be the signing that would finally put a stop to the clanking turnstile over at shortstop, the previous off-season saw the Red Sox land the now much-maligned Lugo to a multi-year pact. Epstein, who had grown enamored with the athletic shortstop during his time in Tampa Bay, hammered out a four-year, $36 million deal for the speedster, with the idea in mind that Lugo would sit atop the Boston lineup while adding another dimension an already potent offense
However, very quickly the griping mounted about the sizable contract handed out to an error-prone shortstop—not to mention the fact that Lugo saw a precipitous collapse at the plate after being traded to the Dodgers at the 2006 trade deadline. But since Lugo’s production drop in La-La Land coincided with his shoehorning into a super-sub role by then Dodgers’ manager Grady Little, the Boston baseball ops department chalked up his offensive blues to a lack of consistent at-bats and a steady defensive position.
And then the 2007 season started.
A little more than halfway through the baseball year, Lugo had managed to barely hit his weight—quite a feat for a 165-pounder—as he sported a .261 on-base mark coupled with a .277 slugging percentage, a combination that ranked the bewildered shortstop dead last among regulars in the American League.
Long displaced from the top of the lineup, Lugo bounced back with a serviceable final three months to the regular season and a decent playoff run. But even while his defensive play at short—thanks, in part, to improved throwing mechanics—remained solid throughout the season, Lugo’s disastrous first-half easily overshadowed the limited peaks to his inaugural year with the Red Sox.
As it turned, the Lugo gripers were correct after year one; and, so far, they can’t be considered wrong in year two, either.
While his numbers look respectable enough this season, especially for an AL shortstop as the league average batting line for the position on the year currently sits at a lowly .259/.305/.351 compared to Lugo’s .286/.348/.341, it is not his empty batting average that has been most alarming, but rather the rapid downturn in his defense.
With 11 errors (five throwing, six fielding) in just 35 games, Lugo is far and away the the major league leader in miscues on the field. And this hasn’t been a case of great range leading to a handful of tough plays as Lugo ranks dead last in Revised Zone Rating (RZR) among all qualified shortstops as of May 12, according to The Hardball Times.
Lugo’s fielding woes reached a new low last Wednesday in Detroit when he botched a routine grounder that ignited a Tigers’ comeback win in the ninth inning. And just two games later, though not as costly, Lugo muffed another easy grounder in Minnesota. To add insult to injury (or, injury to insult for chronological purposes) the night only worsened for Lugo when he suffered a mild concussion after taking a knee to the back of the head as he slid into second base, thusly capping off a tumultuous week for the embattled shortstop.
With Lugo out for the final three games of the Twins’ series, shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie sparked a Sox come-from-behind win with his first career three-hit game, which also included his first big league home run. And then, with infielder Alex Cora ready to return to action the following day, Lowrie headed back to Triple-A Pawtucket, while Cora followed the rookie’s momentary last hurrah by picking up five hits of his own in eight trips to the plate over the weekend.
If one listens carefully enough, the collective clamor for the immediate garroting of a concussed Lugo can be faintly heard throughout the realm of Red Sox Nation™.
But with three years and around $27 million left on his deal (plus a vesting option based on plate appearances for an additional season at another $9 million), Lugo’s contract is all but unmovable barring an extra-hefty subsidization from Boston’s end—an option not likely to be considered with the Sox still paying for a portion of Edgar Renteria’s salary.
Even with Lowrie waiting in the wings, it’s Lugo’s job for better or worse in the foreseeable future—just another case of the business side of the game trumping what may be best for a team.
Tavarez Relieved As The Mayor Returns
On Monday, the Red Sox designated right-hander reliever Julian Tavarez for assignment in order to make room for first baseman Sean Casey (hip flexor) following his stint on the disabled list. The team has ten days to trade, release or send Tavarez to the minors.
With a then eight-man bullpen intact, the Sox had been attempting to trade Tavarez prior to his designation; however, a deal with another team could not be fleshed out before Casey’s return. Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies are believed to be interested in Tavarez’ services.
First off, I’m really going to miss those bowling ball rolls over to first base. But entertaining quirks aside, Tavarez’ role in the bullpen had been regulated to some few and far between long-relief appearances—and mostly ineffective ones at that.
As currently constituted, any combination of Mike Timlin, David Aardsma and Manny Delcarmen can fill the “void” left by Tavarez. Recently re-called Craig Hansen should and likely will take over Delcarmen’s spot as the team’s right-handed setup man until the other Manny returns to his 2007 form.
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May 14th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
[...] sent a Red Sox fandom into knee-jerk hysteria??then eventual baseball ecstasy three months later??http://hometown9.com/boston-red-sox/julio-lugo-another-sunk-cost-at-short/Gagne returns as Brewers beat Dodgers AP via Yahoo! News Ryan Braun delivered another big hit and [...]
May 15th, 2008 at 7:01 am
[...] [...]