As I’m sitting at the Beerworks in Salem yesterday and watching playoff baseball I started thinking about the upcoming off-season with the Sox. I know it’s early but I also think it’s good to start checking out what’s available. Now, I’m still hoping that Theo will be with the Cubs and there will be a different GM making the calls.
So I was remembering a column I had written back at the beginning of the season. Turns out it was back in February. I had read a column by Gordon Edes saying that Pujols could come to the Sox. Well, given their collapse in September I think that ownership is in full Yankee mode now and they’ll want to buy a championship.
What better way to buy a championship than go after the best right handed hitter of our generation?
The team has locked up Adrian Gonzalez so Pujols wouldn’t play his normal first base but didn’t the Cardinals have Pujols playing third this year? Also didn’t he play in the outfield while coming up with the Cardinals?
Our first instinct of course would be to make Pujols the DH. You let Ortiz walk (no idea where he would go) and insert Pujols as your DH. But I’m thinking something a little more grand.
If he could play third full time (which I doubt but let’s go with it) you trade Youk who is a clunhouse cancer from reports. Youk would probably net you a #3 starter on the trade market which likely would be an improvement over Lackey (who I think the team is also going to try and move).
But he’s not going to play third.
What if his outfield playing time wasn’t over? Would the team move Crawford to right and have Pujols in left field (think Manny playing the wall)?
Bottom line of course is that it’s a pipe dream. I don’t think the Sox are going to get Pujols. I don’t think that $30 million of your payroll wrapped up in a DH is smart business. Doesn’t mean that the team in the Bronx wouldn’t pay that for their DH, I just don’t think that the Sox will pull the trigger.
The Youk and Lackey trades however could be real ideas. Such as, Henry gives the Cubs permission to talk to Theo but if they get him they have to take Lackey and his contract (we can dream right?).
Given the collapse this past September and the Yankees elimination just five games later, means the Sox aren’t going to be the only ones fighting on the free agent market this off-season. Needless to say, this will be a very interesting off-season.
