Pawtucket Red Sox Ides of July review: The bats
By Rick McNair
May 5, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Allen Craig (5) at bat during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Allen Craig is a mystery on how quick this former All-Star lost his capacity to be an impact run producer. The 2015 season in Boston resulted in waivers in which no team was willing to pick-up Craig – thanks to an exorbitant contract. So on to Pawtucket, where Craig spends considerable time in the outfield.
Craig had touched over .300 in average until a slump hit that brought that average down to .269. A recent four hit game showed an encouraging spark of returning to batting life. Craig’s OBP has been consistently 100 points higher than his average, so that is a positive nugget. The negative is that Craig is well below what he had accomplished at Triple-A on the way up to St. Louis.
So what future is there for Craig with Boston?
Expect the Red Sox to keep Craig just where he is since that contract has no takers. This is storage for future use as Mike Napoli will not return to the Red Sox and may actually not survive this season. That means competition for first base in the spring.
For now Craig will remain a positive in the Pawtucket order and be watched by other teams and the Red Sox as Craig racks up considerably outfield time.