MLB Free Agents 2012: Grady Sizemore Wouldn't Make Red Sox Fans Forget J.D. Drew

With the Major League Baseball Hot Stove season getting ready to kick off on Thursday at 12:01 p.m. EDT, one of the most intriguing names on the market is Grady Sizemore. The 29-year-old is coming off three injury-plagued seasons, which means he will not cost a lot of money for teams to sign. 

One of the most frequent teams mentioned in connection with Sizemore is the Boston Red Sox, who have an opening in right field with the oft-injured J.D. Drew's contract expiring. 

Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald seems to think that this would be a great fit for both parties on a cheap one- or two-year deal.

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So far, the Red Sox have not contacted Sizemore, but one of the chief reasons they are expected to do so is that Sizemore is expected to be amenable to a short-term — one or two years — incentive-laden contract with a relatively low base salary that would include a player option...

If Sizemore’s situation reminds you some of the one-year, $10 million Adrian Beltre deal the Sox forged before the 2010 season, it should.

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The comparisons between Sizemore and Beltre don't hold water because Beltre played in at least 143 games his first four seasons in Seattle. His injury-marred 2009 season saw him play in 111 games, which is more than Sizemore has played in the last two seasons combined (104).

Sizemore is a mirror image of Drew at this point in his career. He can't stay healthy, he has had four surgeries in the last two years alone and has never played a corner outfield position. 

Fenway Park's right field is the most difficult to play in all of baseball; do you expect someone who has never played that position to be able to hold his own?

Sizemore should be the last option that the Red Sox look for when deciding who they want to play right field in 2012. You can't depend on him to play in more than 100 games, and even if he does, it will take a long time before he gets used to the speed and timing of the game.