1st Base Options Galore
By Brian Phair
As the MLB post-season has roared past the Division series round and onto the Championship series, the Red Sox are looking deeper and deeper into their infield options for 2011. There are a few things we know for sure, barring injuries and unforeseen circumstances (trades). First, Dustin Pedroia will be the Sox starting second baseman and Kevin Youkilis will either play 1B or 3B. Second, either Marco Scutaro or Jed Lowrie will be the Sox SS. I don’t think there is a ton of uncertainty at SS, because Scutaro was brought in before last season to be the everyday guy and put up solid numbers even playing through a rotator cuff issue. The 4th member of the infield (putting catcher aside for now) still remains to be seen. Many believe the Red Sox should bring back Adrian Beltre to play the hot-corner, but with Scott Boras as his agent, his asking price may be too rich for the Sox blood. If Beltre does not return in 2011, what options do the Sox have? Here are a few…(more after the jump)
One of the reasons Beltre is likely to sign elsewhere is the lack of depth at the 3B position in this year’s free agent market. Besides Jorge Cantu and maybe Aramis Ramirez if he doesn’t pick up his player option, the list is thin with potential everyday starters. Lucky for the Red Sox, they have a natural 3rd baseman playing 1st base in Kevin Youkilis and can decide to swing him back to the left side of the diamond in order to bring in a power hitting 1st baseman. After looking at some of the potential free agents this off-season, it became obvious that there are a handful of solid choice the Sox can make to bring in power and defense at 1st base while still maintaining the level of play at the hot-corner. Here are a few players the Red Sox should consider to fill out their infield.
1B Derrek Lee
Until coming over to the Atlanta Braves mid-season, Derrek Lee had be a consistent figure in the Chicago Cubs lineup for more than 6 years. He has accumulated 415 home runs since entering the league in 1997 and has been a feared hitter in the National League. The 2-time All-Star has a career batting average of .282 and has eclipsed the 30 home run plateau 9 different seasons. On top of his bat, Lee is a 3-time gold glover and would provide a big 6’5″ target for throws across the diamond. Lee has played in 27 post-season games as well, giving him some experience that the Sox need down the stretch. In my opinion Lee may be the best overall available option for the Sox and because he doesn’t have a player or team option, will likely jump into the free agent pool looking for a new home.
1B Paul Konerko
The 34-year old Paul Konerko just keeps producing and had one of his best years this past season. He hit .312 with 39 home runs for the Chicago White Sox and drove in 111 runs. Since 1999, Konerko has appeared in 122+ games every single season and hit under 20 home runs just once over that span, when he hit 18 in 2003. Konerko has been selected for 4 All-Star teams in his long tenure with the White Sox and like Derrek Lee, Konerko has a bunch of post-season experience, hitting 7 home runs in 19 games. Konerko is a solid defensive 1st baseman as well, committing only 7 errors in 2010 with a fielding percentage of .994. Although it seems likely the Chicago White Sox will resign Konerko, you never know what will happen if the Red Sox offer a better deal.
After spending his entire career with the Houston Astros, Lance Berkman found a new home with the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. His tenure with the Yankees began slowly with a major slump at the plate and plenty of boos from the Yankee faithful. Those boos began to drift away once the real Lance began to swing the bat well and contribute with a 2 for 4 appearance including a home run against the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS. Like the other free agent options mentioned above, Berkman has been a consistent player throughout his career playing in 130+ games a season since 2000, with the exception of 2 years in which he played in 114 and 122 games each. The 5-time All-Star can hit for power on occasion, but isn’t the greatest mobile and defensive 1st baseman. The Yankees may opt to re-sign Berkman as their DH for 2011 with the hopes he will settle in and be more comfortable in New York.
1B Lyle Overbay
A name that is often overlooked in discussions of 1st baseman is Lyle Overbay. The Red Sox are very familiar with the slugger who has player north of the border in Toronto for the past 5 years. Overbay is a mid-to-upper .200s hitter with some pop (15-20 home runs a season), but has historically crushed the Sox. In 2010, Overbay hit .302 against the Sox with 19 hits in 18 games, including 4 of his 20 home runs. Overbay is a solid defensive 1st baseman and would compliment the Sox well with his lefty bat in the 6th or 7th spot in the lineup. There are certainly better options on the table, but Overbay will likely cost the Sox less and give them value for their money.
I have been begging for Adrian Gonzalez to put on a Red Sox uniform for a few years now. He is the complete package with offensive numbers that could make babies cry (176 home runs in his last 5 seasons) and strong defensive numbers as well. The best part of Adrian Gonzalez? He’s only 28 and has a long and fruitful career in front of him. I’m not going to re-profess my love for Gonzo, if you want a bit more of my feelings you can check out my plea for him to come to Boston in December of 2009, but it is certainly worth noting Gonzalez as a prospect because the Sox have been interested for a few years. San Diego Padres may have something to say about Gonzo’s future, especially if he files for arbitration this off-season.