Tzu-Wei Lin: Is Lin the Everyday Shortstop the Red Sox Have Been Searching For?

Many moons ago, the Boston Red Sox had Nomar Garciaparra at shortstop, and it was good.

When Nomar left the team via a midseason trade in 2004, Orlando Cabrera took over at short. Then came Edgar Renteria in 2005, Alex Gonzalez in 2006, Julio Lugo in 2007 and 2008, Nick Green and Alex Cora in 2009, and Marco Scutaro in 2010 and 2011.

This year, Mike Aviles has manned short for the Red Sox and has generally handled the job very well. But he, too, is just another stopgap option, a placeholder for the time being while the Red Sox continue their search for an everyday shortstop.

The word around the campfire is that the Red Sox are about to add a new player to their current list of possibilities: Taiwanese shortstop prospect Tzu-Wei Lin.

According to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are nearing a deal with the 18-year-old Lin, who almost signed with the New York Yankees in 2010 before the deal was determined to be invalid. Lin's deal with the Red Sox will be worth $2.05 million if and when it gets done which will supposedly be very soon.

When the deal is completed, Lin will become one of the top prospects in Boston's system. And fortunately for the Red Sox, he'll be one of several very good shortstop prospects down on the farm.

The team already has 22-year-old defensive wiz Jose Iglesias and 19-year-old hitting-stud Xander Bogaerts in development, and they will soon be joined by 2012 first-round draft pick Deven Marrero, a shortstop out of Arizona State (Dustin Pedroia's alma mater).

So between Bogaerts, Iglesias, Lin and Marrero, who has the best shot of becoming Boston's everyday shortstop one day in the not-too-distant future?

Good question. Let's take a look at each player's strengths and weaknesses and see if we can't come up with an answer.

Xander Bogaerts

There's one thing scouts love about Bogaerts: his bat.

ESPN's Keith Law (Insider required) wrote before the start of the 2012 season that Bogaerts is a player with "excellent bat speed," and that the ball "really comes off his bat well, thanks to strong wrists and forearms and a very rotational swing with great extension through contact."

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus is also a fan of Bogaerts' bat, writing that he has "easy plus-plus raw power" that allows him to hit the ball out of the park without fully squaring it up.

Bogaerts has been showing off his hitting skills for High-A Salem this season. Per MiLB.com, he's hitting .288 with a .482 slugging percentage and eight home runs in 60 games.

There's just one problem: Bogaerts doesn't project as a shortstop down the road. He's too big, and he doesn't have the range to handle the position. A move to third base or the outfield is in the cards.

A position change seems inevitable, so the odds of Bogaerts becoming Boston's everyday shortstop are pretty slim. He's more likely to come up at a different position. If he moves to third, his path to the big leagues is likely to be obstructed by Will Middlebrooks.

Jose Iglesias

Red Sox fans are plenty familiar with what Iglesias brings to the table. He's billed as one of the top defensive shortstops in the minor leagues, and deservedly so.

Here's what Goldstein wrote about Iglesias' defensive abilities: "He makes every play look easy with outstanding instincts, perfect fundamentals, and a plus arm, while also being capable of highlight reel plays every night."

Even rival third baseman Alex Rodriguez had nice things to say about Iglesias.

"His hands ... great hands. Really, really stood out for me," said A-Rod to The Boston Globe last season. "He's gonna be a good one. The Red Sox fans should be very excited to see this kid in the future."

Iglesias is much further along in his development than Bogaerts is, but his main problem is the exact opposite of Bogaerts' main problem: Iglesias can't hit.

Iglesias has actually done pretty well at the plate this season with Triple-A Pawtucket, but he's not going to be an above-average hitter at the major league level. He's likely to be a career No. 9 hitter capable of hitting singles and nothing more.

He's a candidate to be the club's everyday shortstop because of his defense, but he's not exactly the next Derek Jeter.

Tzu-Wei Lin

The scouting reports make Lin sound awfully similar to Iglesias.

MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports that "[Lin] has some offensive ability, but no power to speak of. He runs extremely well and has a strong arm from shortstop. Think a smaller version of Rays prospect Hak-Ju Lee."

Lee, for the record, is arguably the best prospect in Tampa Bay's system right now. According to Goldstein, he's an above-average defensive player who will be capable of hitting around .300 with over 20 stolen bases year in and year out.

That's the kind of scouting report Lin might have in a couple of seasons. For now, all we know is that he has solid tools. The biggest question is whether he'll be able to handle the pitching in the states. If not, he'll likely never be heard from.

Given Lin's small stature (he's listed at 5'8" and 160 pounds), it's also worth noting that there's a chance he could be developed at second base, a position more befitting of his weak bat and plus speed.

Deven Marrero

A couple months before the 2012 MLB draft, Deven Marrero was generating some buzz as a potential top-10 pick.

That ship sailed when Marrero proceeded to struggle at the plate in his junior season, and Baseball America (subscription required) wrote that he frustrated scouts because he didn't seem to care that he was struggling so much.

The good news is that there's little question Marrero will be able to stay at shortstop throughout his professional career. Here's what Mayo wrote about him:

"

Marrero's defensive abilities are what jump out first as there is no question he will be a shortstop at the next level. He'll be plus on that side of the ball -- arm, hands and range -- and it plays up even more because of his baseball instincts. 

"

It gets better. Though Marrero struggled at the plate as a junior, he's by no means a bad hitter. He's a line-drive hitter who can find the gaps, and he has some power potential.

Marrero will have to hone his offensive skills in the minors. But compared to the other three guys on this list, he doesn't need much work before he's ready to play shortstop at the major league level.

So Who's Going to Be Boston's Everyday Shortstop?

Allow me to run through the odds real quick.

Bogaerts: 12/1 odds

The potential position switch is a big factor in these odds, and he's also a guy who could be dealt due to his offensive upside.

Iglesias: 4/1 odds

Given the lack of long-term solutions at the major league level right now, it's just a matter of time before Iglesias becomes Boston's full-time shortstop. The question is how long he's going to be able to hold the job, as his weak bat will make him expendable.

Lin: 6/1 odds

He projects as a defensive stud with good speed on the basepaths which is always good. If he can hit, the odds will be very much in his favor. However, the "if" is worth repeating here.

Marrero: 3/1 odds

He gets the slight edge over Iglesias because he's a good defensive player who also projects as a decent hitter. There are no guarantees in the hitting department when it comes to Iglesias.

Of the four, Lin will be the dark horse in Boston's system once he signs. In a couple years down the road, he could go from being an intriguing prospect to being a can't-miss prospect.

I shouldn't have to say this, but I will anyway: Stay tuned.

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