The free agent market is starting to sort itself out with only the major players really remaining. With the Red Sox still needing a solution for second base if Pedroia isn’t healthy, could a former player be the quick and cheap answer?
Whether we want to admit it or not, the Red Sox can’t fully count on Dustin Pedroia for 2019. After a year where he only played in three games, the longtime second baseman is looking to make his return this coming season. But too many questions still exist about the health of his knee, and there are far too few answers.
We’ve all discussed who would be around to fill in for Pedroia if he goes down again and the consensus is either Brock Holt or Eduardo Nunez. With Ian Kinsler leaving via free agency to the Padres, our options are limited.
So, looking at the free agent market today I noticed a familiar name still available, Jed Lowrie. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Yes, Lowrie was a bit of a bust when he was with the Red Sox prior, having never lived up to what we had hoped. But he has been a reliable constant for both the A’s and Astros.
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Comparing both Kinsler and Lowrie this past season was a no-brainer who I’d rather take in a crunch. Jed put up a .267/.353/.448/.801 year versus Ian’s .240/.301/.380/.681. Lowrie led in each major offensive category, which we all know, was not a positive for Kinsler this past season. So if Kinsler was able to net $8 Million, I think we could easily get Jed for that if not less on some sort of home cooking deal to bring him back.
I’m not looking for him to be an All-Star but someone we can easily plug into the post if Pedroia goes down again. And, we could get him on the cheap. Kinsler signed with the Padres for only $8 Million. The downside here is that Jed will be heading into his 12th season and is 34 years old. The positive is that in the last two season he’s played in 310 out of a possible 324 games. Not bad at all.
I could hear all of the collective groans from everyone that is reading this and hating it but think about it. We need someone to be there if Dustin can’t go, which is a very realistic situation the Red Sox could run into this year. Holt could be best served as a pinch hitter and at other positions and I’d rather keep Nunez near third base.
We could bring Jed Lowrie back to Boston on the cheap and have someone reliable that can play strings of games at a time if we need it. I’d be more confident in an experienced player coming in, especially one that knows Boston well, than bringing up a kid from the minors. This is a short-term solution. Don’t get me wrong, I’m don’t want to be signing Lowrie for years here. But I think a cheap one-to-two year deal wouldn’t be bad.
We’d then have two second baseman that can get the job done while we groom a kid from the minors or start to transition Nunez or Holt to second full-time. So with the free agent market clearing up and roster spots starting to disappear, we could get Lowrie for dirt cheap and have a quick solution to a big problem.