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| Scutaro vs. Gonzalez: A Landslide Decision | 11.29.09 at 2:29 am ET |
Now that Alex Gonzalez has signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Red Sox’ primary target to play shortstop should be Marco Scutaro. As a matter of fact, it should have been Scutaro from the very beginning.
There has been a lot of talk about how Scutaro is coming off a career year at the age of 33. People are calling his defense “adequate,” saying that Marco is a career utility guy.
The reality is is that for the first time in his career, he was given the starting job at short, his best defensive position. His defense is ABOVE average at short. If you ask me, the American League Gold Glove should have gone to either Eric Aybar or Marco Scutaro.
People have no idea how good this kid is because we will always view him as the utility guy for the Oakland A’s. He’s much better than that. I actually don’t see much difference between Scutaro and Alex Gonzalez defensively.
I’m not talking about the Gonzo from 2006 — that was one of the best defensive seasons I have ever seen. I’m talking about the 2009 version of Alex Gonzalez.
I’ve played against Scutaro for years, in the minor leagues and the big leagues. I’ve always been amazed that no team ever gave him a shot to start. Now the price for his services may be a three-year deal, but as Sox fans, I thought that we were more concerned with getting the better player.
Scutaro is a more complete shortstop than Alex Gonzalez. He’ll come at a higher price. But what do you care how much money the Sox dish out? You’re not paying it.
30 Comments for “Scutaro vs. Gonzalez: A Landslide Decision”
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November 29th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Scutaro is Lou’s hero. A career utility player who has one good year at age 34 and now wants to cash in on a 3 year $18 million+ deal. This has got Theo mistake written all over it. The Sox should assume Marco will return to his 260 BA and 340 OBP. They should also assume he will play shortstop like a player in his mid 30s who is entering his late 30s.
The Sox should sign Tejada for 1 year if the Astros don’t offer arbitration (i.e. no loss of draft pick). Take the offense from the position and have a late inning utility substitute. See what Lowrie does at Pawtucket. This gives you options and long term flexibility at the SS position.
November 29th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Excuse me, Lou, but what the hell are you talking about? If you have a season ticket, go to a game, watch it on NESN or on the radio, then you are paying for it. I love these guys that get into games for free with their stinking press pass, telling the rest of us who shell out huge bucks for games that we don’t have to worry about the costs of tickets to sporting events. FU Lou, FU!!!!
November 29th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I agree with Bill. Lou states “But what do you care how much money the Sox dish out? You’re not paying it.” My 9 year old son absolutely loves baseball but has only been to one game at Fenway and we paid $26 per seat for the Bleacher section. For the two of us it cost almost $100 when you add it the T, food, souvenirs, etc. Thank God we didn’t park that would have added another $30-50.
Heck it is even rare to catch a game on TV that you do not have to pay an outrageous cable bill just to watch.
Player’s salaries keep rising astronomically and baseball is quickly becoming the sport for the “haves” and NOT the “have nots”
Lou, who the heck do you think paid your salary when you were playing? The 35,000-39,000 who fill the seats at Fenway every game! Maybe we should break the chain of sellout crowds and “management” may take a look at the salaries. Bring on the salary cap!!!
Lou, How much did you pay for your last ticket to a Sox game??
November 29th, 2009 at 11:16 am
The ticket prices are already set, so giving cutaro a contract won’t change anything. $100 to see the Sox is a good deal. Try Six Flags, a Jonas Bros concert, or a Broadway show for that amount. Wake up it is 2009, entertainment isn’t cheap anymore.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Lou, gotta agree with the other comments. We DO pay for it. You blew this one but, I can live with Scutaro for a couple of years IF he isn’t offered arbitration by Toronto and we don’t have to pony up a couple of draft picks and IF he will settle for 2 years @ 3 mil per.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Clearly he is wrong to say the fans do not pay for it. But the fans getting all worked up are the ones who would revolt if the Sox lowered ticket prices and decided to swap rosters with the Pirates. We wanted this monster and now we have it. It must be fed and you must pay large sums to see them perform. And people do. If they didn’t I believe some economic principle which, I cant name would kick in and the price would go down.
November 29th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Lou- stick to the radio. Once again you make statements without bringing anything to the table to justify your position. If you feel you must continue to write then please take a freshman English course on basic expository writing at a community college…
November 29th, 2009 at 11:53 am
If the Sox could get Marco Scutaro for 1 year, $4 million, with a club option for 2011 at $4 million it would not be a bad deal.
The problem is that Marco Scutaro is going to cost $6-$8 million per year, 3 years and a possible club option for a 4th year, and 2 draft picks to Toronto. When you add that all up it’s practically another Julio Lugo contract for a 34 year old SS.
Can the Sox really afford throwing 2 draft picks and $20-$24 million over 3-4 years at (ideally) a 1 year stopgap?
November 29th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
If you people think that payroll effects what you pay for a ticket, you are all so wrong. Its called supply and demand.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Lou,
I for one have to agree with you. The Sox were fortunate to catch A-Gon for a couple of months of good hitting last yr to go along with his good SS work (not excellent as in 2006). Scutaro is a better all-around player, he’s more durable, a more consistent hitter & run scorer, much better OBP guy. And don’t forget that famous walkoff HR he hit a few yrs ago against Mariano. A-Gon has more power and is perhaps slightly better in the field, but I’d still prefer Marco. However, with the promising SS’s in the Sox system, I wouldn’t pay him more than $5 Ml per yr for 2 yrs with an option on yr 3.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Scutaro was good last year…should the sox be in this position of having to lose a first round pick to TORONTO…should they be in the position of having to overpay for a replacement. The sox may not even get Scutaro…how will Scutaro fair in Boston if they do get him..under the spotlight…we all know GONZO could handle. And yes Lou $$ do count..the sox try to stay within a limit so the more they spend where they did not need to spend the less they will spend where they do need to spend. And the escalating ticket prices are good for no one! Its not just supply and demand that plays into ticket prices..no question it does, but costs are passed on to the consumer in baseball just like anyother business.
November 29th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Hey Lou, you state..”He’ll come at a higher price. But what do you care how much money the Sox dish out? You’re not paying it.”
We do pay for it, every time food, beverage and ticket prices go up. Do you really think ownership is going to pay for players out of pocket? This is a business nowadays. If ownership wasn’t making money on us fans there would be no more baseball in Boston. Tell me how many baseball franchises that lose money every year are still around.
November 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Look I’m more upset at him saying the Soxs should settle Marco Scutaro. With the cash we stick in these guys pockets, got get someone that can hit. They need a guy who is gonna hit 20 plus bombs and hit between .275 and .300. They need to stop getting these turds and sticking them in the black hole. If polish all the guys they have put at SS up, guess what … they still have turds! Go get JD’s brother from the D backs at least he is 26.
November 29th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Well said Lou !!
November 29th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
If the Sox don’t pay for high priced Free Agents like Bay or Holliday, or if they don’t trade for high priced players like Halladay or Cabrera, who will be the first people to complain…..Bill, TJ, Ed? You’ll call them cheap. So what do you want? Do you want them to spend money to put out a better team or don’t you? As long as the Sox sell out, ticket prices will continue to go up. Really cable bills? Whats next, complaining about wireless internet costs to follow the game? Just wondering on the one year stop gap theory. Who is close to the big leagues ready to step in? Inglesias is a few years away, 2 if you’re lucky!!!
November 29th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Hey Lou, we’re paying for it in ticket prices. If the Sox want to compete with the Yanks, I hate to say it, but we need a bigger stadium. Bigger stadium equals more revenue. Simple. How much money would they have to spend if they had 50,000 seats versus 35,000?
November 29th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Love ya Lou. I don’t see how or why anyone would want Tejada at this point in his career. He would be another former standout on the downside of his career, and he comes with baggage. So, I say glen88 needs to update his knowledge of the pool of players available. Say, when do you get a real picture to go at the top of the blog. This cartoon looks like Bluto from the old Popeye strip. (Guess that dayes me, huh?)
November 30th, 2009 at 8:37 am
I don’t understand the fascination with Lou on this station and on Comcast. He is a bleepin DICK. Never has anyone gotten so far by being friends with a steroid freak(Nomahhhh)
November 30th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
hey jeff, you answered your own question. how much money would they have to spend if they had 50,000 seats versus 35,000…well if you add 15,000 seats how much do you think the ticket prices would be? Ticket prices are a function of supply and demand, there is almost no correlation between ticket prices and salary. Its ALL about willingness to pay. this is an indisputable economic fact.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Lou, keep up the good work. You’re the man!
November 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
The Red Sox sell out because they have been doing well and are giving us the opportunity to see possible world series teams play. If we want to continue to field world series caliber teams we have to continue going after the best players possible, which we all know comes at a premium. Hence the prices of our tickets going up. I personally would prefer to watch a good Sox team and have hope of possibly winning a series than watch a team that ownership has no interest in and fields a losing team year after year. Talk to Pirates fans.
Why don’t the Sox try to go after Troy Tulowitzki from the Rockies? I would love to see that kid in a Red Sox uniform.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Great article Lou. You’re 100% correct across the board. Scutaro offers above average defense and a bat that will fit in perfectly to the 2010 lineup. For as good as Gonzo’s defense is, his bat is just as bad, possibly the worst hitting shortstop in baseball. The Sox could use Scutaro’s on base ability at the top of the lineup, maybe slid Ellsbury to the bottom of the lineup. I like Ellsbury, but the .350 OPB just doesn’t make sense leading off, especially if you can get a .380 guy to take his spot.
And for anyone who equates salary costs to ticket prices, I’d suggest an online economics course. Contrary to what you believe and read, there is ZERO relation between the two.
November 30th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Jed Lowrie is a lousy baseball player…And Clay Bucholz pitches way too freaking high in the zone and will forever be a mediocre pitcher unless he learns to keep the ball down…If I were the FO of the red sox, I would make Clay Bucholz watch Roy Halladay tape 12 hours a day and see how keeping the ball down in the zone is critical…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
Enough of the Red Sox filling the SS position with losers…And if they are going to do it, atleast only sign them for a year…Nobody wants to see a guy who sux ass signing 3 years for the sox…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
If the sox sign Jason Bay, you heard it here first that Bay will have a 200 strike out year…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Lou Merloni is a f$cking pretty boy who is the worst homer on TV…Rumor has it he has a Nomar poster hanging from his full mirrored ceiling above his bed…
November 30th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Lou its a Landslide Decision from the Red Sox fans that we believe that Nomar needs to get a restraining order against you…Be glad that South park never did a skit about your love for Nomar…
December 1st, 2009 at 9:01 am
Who cares? When will the Red Sox realize that this line up puts no fear into opposing pitchers anymore. The Sox beat up on bad pitching, they miss Man-Ram.
Go out and trade for Hanley Ramirez. Lars Anderson, Bucholz, Tazawa and Bowden get that deal done.
Only way to compete against the Yankees, especially since the satanic steinbrenners are going to get Doc Holliday.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
What do you mean were not paying it? Any fan that goes to a game is paying for it. I agree with Socrates lets make a trade for a shortstop Hanley Ramirez would look awfully nice in the middle of that lineup.
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:46 am
hope yorwearing a pair of good work gloves lou,carrying the red sox management water bucket is going to give you some bad blisters, articles like that just show how totally irrelevant the mainstream spoets media has become. YOU are not paying anything we are ,when was the the last time you paid to see the red sox underperfom ,oh i mean play, do some real journalistic research and tell us the real reason alex was not signed.