This morning in his notebook, the Boston Herald’s Jeff Horrigan mentions that the Red Sox have initiated interest in veteran infielder Placido Polanco. He seems to think that Boston would sign him as a super-utility sort and insurance for an injury to Bill Mueller or Mark Bellhorn. I commend him for getting the story but I think his analysis is a bit shortsighted. While Polanco hasn’t played shortstop since 2002, he has played there 121 times in his big league career. Given that he is a dazzling defensive player both at second base and the hot corner, I see no reason to believe that Polanco couldn’t provide adequate glove work at short. If I know anything about this front office, Polanco is being considered for the full-time, everyday shortstop gig. The reason that adequate glove work at shortstop would be sufficient is that Polanco is a good hitter, one who has performed above the National League average for second basemen, third basemen and especially shortstops for the past three seasons. Consider…

2002 National League Averages
2B: .271/.330/.394
3B: .261/.325/.412
SS: .260/.313/.378
Placido Polanco: .288/.330/.403

2003 National League Averages
2B: .279/.340/.412
3B: .256/.323/.418
SS: .261/.313/.383
PP: .289/.352/.447

2004 National League Averages
2B: .279/.337/.421
3B: .277/.338/.458
SS: .267/.314/.393
PP: .298/.345/.441

Polanco may cost a bit more than what some hope to spend – he did make close to $4MM this year – but in a market where 37 year old Omar Vizquel is handed a three-year deal at $4MM per and the god-awful Cristian Guzman gets to make $4MM per season over four years, you could do a lot worse than a well above-average 29 year old that will only command two years at the most. This story represents yet another data point that the rift between the GM’s that understand the talent landscape and those that don’t is becoming wider by the second. Theo’s ability to think outside the box and identify undervalued but solid Major Leaguers has netted Boston players like Bill Mueller, Mark Bellhorn and even David Ortiz over the last couple of off-seasons. It’s interesting just how opposite Theo and, say, Jim Bowden’s mindsets are. They are so opposite in fact that there almost seems to be a cutting symmetry to it all. Just as Theo would never, in a million years, consider handing out $17MM to Cristian Guzman, I bet Jim Bowden, never in a million years, would have even considered that Placido Polanco could handle shortstop duties.

People like to talk about the payroll discrepancies and how they provide an inherent advantage to the larger market clubs. Of course there is some truth to this but if smaller market GM’s would conduct their affairs with the implementation of mere rudimentary logic, that gap would narrow considerably. Part of the reason the Red Sox are so good is that because so many of the teams that could actually afford Bellhorn, Mueller and Ortiz conscientiously passed on them, the Red Sox have been able to sign such types cheaply and afford Curt Schilling, Keith Foulke and others. Finding value is an imperative skill for GM’s of all teams, regardless of payroll size. The ones that do this best will have the best teams.