Josh Beckett may have been the headliner of the blockbuster deal with the Marlins in 2006, but Mike Lowell proved to be equally as important to the championship they would help bring a year later.
While Beckett struggled to adjust in his first year in Boston, Lowell delivered a respectable .284/.339/.475 line in his Red Sox debut season, along with his usual solid defensive play at third base.
Lowell was already a known commodity after making three All-Star appearances with the Marlins, but his 2007 season with the Red Sox was the best performance of his career. He set career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBI, earning him a fifth place finish on the AL MVP ballot.
The veteran third baseman had an impressive season, but the postseason was where he truly shined. After going 12-for-26 (.333) through the opening two rounds of the playoffs, Lowell followed by hitting a blistering .400 with a 1.300 OPS in the sweep over the Colorado Rockies to earn World Series MVP honors.
Lowell spent five seasons in Boston, compiling a .290/.346/.468 slash line with 80 home runs and an 8.6 fWAR that ranks 13th in franchise history at the position (in fairness, many of the names ahead of him on that list spent significant time at other positions as well).