The Need
Travis Shaw had a very surprising and respectable first half, hitting .269/.332/.456, with 9 HR, and 48 RBI.
In the second half, he has hit .189/.268/.360 with 5 HR, and 13 RBI.
In August, as Shaw and Aaron Hill platooned the Hot Corner, the total production from 3B for the Red Sox was .180/.264/.258, with 2 HR and, nine RBI. Those numbers account for the half run per game decline in our offensive production.
Our offense has been towing an anchor since the All-Star Break. That anchor is in the form of any man standing on third base when we are in the field.
I hate to knock “Thrill Hill,” as he produced a crucial hit yesterday and rescued our bacon; however, Hill and Shaw have not hit a lick all August. With their “significant” contributions, our run production in the month of August was a “paltry” 5.0 runs per game, comparing unfavorably to our season’s average of almost 5.5 runs per game.
It is irrefutable that the position is in need of a dramatic upgrade and there happens to be a homegrown player available to step in on a regular basis to return the position to the prominence it once enjoyed during the halcyon days of Mike Lowell.
Next: Law: The times are changing