Boston Red Sox: Are Sox Better off with Marco Scutaro or Jose Iglesias at Short?

At this point, the Boston Red Sox's starting shortstop job is a lot like the Sphinx's nose. It may never get a permanent fix.

To his credit, Marco Scutaro has done a pretty good job of holding down the fort at short in the last two seasons. He hasn't been great at the plate or in the field, but at least he's been there.

According to the Boston Herald, the Sox might be bringing Scutaro back for one more season. He has a $6 million option for 2012, and new GM Ben Cherington is apparently leaning towards picking it up.

Another year of Scutaro is by no means a bad thing. As the Herald points out, Scutaro finished hot with a .387 batting average in September, and he is a valuable veteran presence in a clubhouse that saw a few too many veterans go off the rails in 2011.

However, it is definitely worth noting that another year with Scutaro means another year without Jose Iglesias. My guess is that Sox fans are split on the idea.

Sox fans should know everything there is to know about Iglesias. If you're hearing about him for the first time, all you really need to know is that he is a 21-year-old Cuban shortstop with some of the sweetest defensive skills scouts have ever seen.

He's got great range, a great glove, soft hands and outstanding body control. When he gets to the bigs, he's going to be a Gold Glover.

Which is something the Sox haven't had at short since Rick Burleson in 1979. And from the sound of things, Iglesias could very well be the next Omar Vizquel.

The problem, naturally, is that Iglesias doesn't hit much. In 357 at-bats with Triple-A Pawtucket, Iglesias hit just .235. He did have two hits in six at-bats in the show, but that's not a good enough indication that his bat is ready for the majors.

No doubt there are some fans out there who could care less. Scutaro made 18 errors at short in 2010 and another 12 in 2011. Presumably, Iglesias would be a vacuum cleaner, which would mean fewer of those pesky unearned runs.

And in a year where the Sox's pitching may be light, unearned runs must be spared, am I right?

I have to admit, I do like the idea of Iglesias taking over the shortstop gig for good in 2012. The Sox could use a shot in the arm after the season they just went though, and Iglesias could be the guy to give it to them.

But I can understand why Cherington is leaning towards bringing Scutaro back. In his first year as GM, the last thing he wants to do is mess with one of the team's top prospects. If Scutaro leaves and Iglesias can't get it done in his stead, the Sox would be in some pretty deep trouble.

So as lame as it feels to see it, this is a case where the Sox are perfectly justified in playing it safe. Scutaro will be solid for another year, and Iglesias will develop for another year.

Hopefully, he'll be ready in 2013.