Plympton91 said:
Have you not read the 600 posts explaining why releasing Drew is stupid or do you disagree with the reasoning but don't want to say why?
Also, Middlebrooks is now nursing two injuries and was hitting 227 on gigs previous rehab stint. Why would there be any rush whatsoever to call him up?
Finally, Cecchini seemingly hasn't gotten a hit since May. He's probably now 5th on the depth chart for the left side of the infield and unlikely to even get a September call up to sit on the bench. Why would there be any rush whatsoever on him?
Just pretend Steven Drew has changed his name to Jose Iglesias and enjoy the fact that every routine play to SS is turned into a least one out.
Have you read my post where I never mentioned releasing Drew? No? Ok. Good. Please read it again.
And for god sakes tone it down. Your intellectual superiority is blinding me.
I don't think Stephen Drew should play. He's a sunk cost that was predicated by WMB getting hurt. Up to that point, the Sox were content to pursue the path of WMB at 3B and Xander at SS. Yes, his defense is great but how does it help the Red Sox as an organization if we leave him in there until he hits ? And how long will that take? He's gone after this year. He hasn't been the antidote the FO thought he might be. All that is left is for him to burnish his own FA credentials. For the Sox, run prevention has been at least average. The offense,however, has been a catastrophe. My vote is for offensive upside with the added benefit of giving WMB the opportunity that he was supposed to get at the beginning of the season: to see if he could provide power from the right side with solid defense at 3B. To further that point, play him so that the FO can see what they were trying to see in the first place when they were comfortable moving forward without Drew: If the left side of the infield could be held down by Middlebrooks and Bogaerts. All it is a return to Plan A.
The $10 Million is gone. A team like the Red Sox shouldn't be playing Drew only because of that money. The FO can eat a mistake like that.
Your point about Cecchini not being ready at all is a good one, but what I am advocating isn't specific to any one player. What I am advocating is finding out whether Will can do it so we can move onto to whoever is next on the depth chart. Whether that is Marrero at SS with Xander to moving to third it doesn't matter. Will Middlebrooks has proven himself at AAA. To some extent he has proven himself at the Major League level. His development should be with the Sox now if they aren't interested in trading him. The FO should find out what they have, which was the plan at the beginning of the season and never came to fruition because of injuries. Let's answer some of those questions by playing Middlebrooks at 3B and Bogaerts at SS. Best case they hit like crazy and boost the offense and the Sox at least play some winning ball. Worst case Will swings at breaking balls away and is exactly where he was before, and Xander is ready to play SS full-time next year.