Red Sox: Is Moving Carl Crawford Down Batting Order a Sign of Panic for Boston?

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Boston Red Sox Having Buyer's Remorse With Carl Crawford?

During the offseason, the Boston Red Sox spent big bucks on prized free-agent Carl Crawford.

To open the season, Crawford was immediately slotted No. 3 in the Boston battling lineup, where high expectations are the norm.

However, he floundered and went 0-for-7 in his first two games, with four strikeouts. Soon after that, Crawford was dropped to No. 7 of the batting order by manager Terry Francona.

Does this move mean a sudden panic in Red Sox Nation?

No. Not in the least.

John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes:

"It wasn’t a demotion, and it won’t last long. Francona recognized the pressure Crawford was placing on himself following the $142 million deal he signed this winter, and he hoped a drop in the order would ease the burden."

The Red Sox did their due diligence before they offered Crawford his multi-million dollar deal. They even went so far as to hire a private investigator to make sure they were getting a stand-up guy with nothing to hide. You can bet that they're committed to keeping him at the top of their lineup for the long term.

Based on there postseason success from the past decade, it's fair to say that this is a team that doesn't panic.

Not this early in the season.

The move to drop Crawford in the order, was simply a way for him to shake off all the jitters.

“Looking at him, it’s obvious he’s trying too hard,” Francona told the Herald. “As soon as he gets on base and can start causing some havoc, he’ll loosen up and the real Carl will come out. In the meantime, we’ll take a little heat off him.”

This was a smart move by a very experienced manager in Francona. He understands how important Crawford is to this team and knows how important it is for him to start the season well.

Although some skeptics may immediately read too much into this batting lineup change, it is a maneuver that could ultimately pay off for Crawford and the entire Red Sox team.

Not a panic move.

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