Sox Should Second Guess Gonzalez Deal

All of Boston is second guessing the signings of Carl Crawford and John Lackey. They have been huge disappointments thus far. The Sox trading for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is a move that has not been questioned.

Adrian Gonzalez was among the best players in baseball this year. He was second in the American League in batting average, third in OPS, and was arguably the best defensive first baseman in all of baseball. However, had the Sox not signed Gonzalez, their future may look a little brighter.

Last offseason the Red Sox had a decision to make. They could either resign third baseman Adrian Beltre and catcher Victor Martinez, or look to fill their void through free agency or a trade. The Sox chose the latter, trading for All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and also signing outfielder Carl Crawford.

Had the Sox chosen to sign Beltre and Martinez, they would have set themselves up perfectly for the future. This would have allowed Kevin Youkilis to stay at first base this past season, where he plays gold glove defense compared to his pedestrian defense at third. Had Youkilis stayed at first he may have avoided the numerous injuries he suffered this year.

Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez would have brought the team stability at third base and catcher respectively, two positions that were less than stellar for the team this past season. Beltre is perhaps the best defensive third baseman in baseball and also a feared power hitter, as evidenced by his 32 home runs this season. Resigning Beltre would have given Boston the flexibility to move Kevin Youkilis to DH for the 2012 season instead of having to sign David Ortiz to a multi-year deal.

Martinez is an elite hitter at the catcher position and while his defensive play is not spectacular, it is comparable to that of Jared Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek.

Maybe most importantly, not signing Gonzalez would have allowed the Sox to go after Albert Pujols this season. Pujols is arguably the best right handed hitter of all time and also a tremendous defensive first baseman. Equally important, Pujols has proven to be a clutch playoff hitter boasting a .342 career postseason batting average. No disrespect to Gonzalez, but if given the choice you’d rather have Pujols on your team.

Had the Red Sox not signed Adrian Gonzalez, they’d be looking at a lineup that could include the likes of Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, and Kevin Youkilis. Adrian Gonzalez is one of the best players in baseball, but if the Red Sox passed on him, they would be in a better position today.