Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Having dropped far out of contention last month, the Red Sox gave Iglesias 15 starts over the season’s final 18 games, an audition designed to gauge his readiness to be an everyday shortstop. And although he lived up to his reputation as a defensive whiz, he did little to prove he can hit major league pitching, batting .118 (8-for-68) with three extra-base hits and a .200 on-base percentage.
But after agreeing to send journeyman Mike Aviles to the Toronto Blue Jays as compensation for hiring away manager John Farrell, the Sox enter the offseason with Iglesias as their incumbent shortstop, a job they still aren’t sure he is prepared to handle.
“We believe Jose is ready to be a major league shortstop, but we’re not ready to commit to that,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “We’ll look for ways to improve the team, and shortstop could be one of those areas.”
Sound like a mixed message? To some extent, it is.
[...]
“(Iglesias) can help a major league team, particularly if the rest of the roster is set up right,” Cherington said. “We’ll see what the offseason bears. John and I have started to talk about the roster and different positions and different needs. We’ll have our eyes open. We’ll see what opportunities exist. If there are ways to improve the team in other areas, we’ll do that, too.”
Herald: Iglesias still not a hit
Every time there is an article regarding Jose Iglesias, I have to make the point that I am the only Ted's Army contributor that is still not sold on him. One might say I am the Felger of the site when it comes to that topic, which is a very harsh statement.
Jose Iglesias has one of the best gloves I have ever seen at short for the Red Sox, which is not a concern for them at all. His bat is one of the worst that I have seen in a long time, the cause for their concern. The Sox can't afford to lose too much run production in exchange for great defense. The problem is, who do you get? There are not many veteran shortstops available and is it worth a trade? Probably not. I wouldn't rule out names like Stephen Drew, Marco Scutaro, or Yuniesky Betancourt, but they are probably not likely.
I can't believe I am saying this, the Red Sox should stick with Iglesias and focus more on getting some pitching and filling in the outfield. Oh, and filling in the huge hole left by the very big bat of James Loney.
The rest of the links:
Globe: Hazen: Farrell manages it all | ESPN Boston: Lovullo-Farrell bond bodes well for 2013 | SoxProspects handicaps trading chips | Globe: To Red Sox manager John Farrell, he's returning to the "epicenter of the game" in coming back to Boston | Why Bruce Bochy should give Red Sox fans some optimism | CSNNE: Crawford feels 'relief' after trade to Dodgers
