The news that Dustin Pedroia and the Red Sox have discussed having the Gold Glove second baseman to shortstop isn’t exactly a breaking story. Our man Chad Finn mentioned it on his Extra Bases blog a couple of days ago:
“They’ve asked me if I think I could play shortstop,” Pedroia told Gammons. “They’ve put it out there and I’ve told them I’m all for it. I can do it. I can’t wait for Tito [Terry Francona] to call me and ask, ‘Can you do it?’ I can do it. I really want to do it.”
A poll on the website showed 65% of people voting agreed that the move would be a good one, at least for the short term. For the first time in written history, I agree with Tony Mazz:
Let’s be honest here, folks. The Red Sox need hitters and, at the moment, they need more than one. Finding a second baseman who can hit 10-15 homers and knock in 65 runs isn’t going to do the trick. Somewhere between now and Opening Day 2010 or 2011 – anyone else think this going to be a rebuilding year? – the Sox need to find a legitimate, middle-of-the order bat like Miguel Cabrera or Adrian Gonzalez, and that is in addition to resolving their current issue in left field, be it with Jason Bay or Matt Holliday.
This move reeks of a desperate team. A team lacking answers to the real problems it has. The Sox should have picked up the six million dollar option on A-Gon and focused on finding a power-hitting left-fielder in the event they can’t lock up Jason Bay. Instead, they are considering weakening themselves defensively at second base so Pedroia can hit a few more homers at short than A-Gon would have?
This is crazy talk. It has “bad idea” written all over it. Like when they replaced Dick York with Dick Sargent as Darrin, or when Coca-Cola introduced New Coke. Some things are better left alone. Who’s with me?
"SURVIVING GRADY is Red Sox Nation's 'Mystery Science Theater 3000.' Brilliant, irreverent, and merciless." -- Stewart O'Nan, author, 
