The item currently on the front burner of the 2009 Hot Stove Season is a potential Red Sox-Tigers trade.  The deal would send one of Dontrelle Willis or Nate Robertson (both starting pitchers) to the Sox for SS Julio Lugo.

While many Red Sox fans might relish the idea of shipping the much-maligned Lugo out of town, it is my belief that GM Theo Epstein should run away from this deal as fast as his pasty white legs can take him.  Maybe even spit in the face of Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski beforehand, for posterity.

The two pitchers on the table, Robertson and Willis, have one thing in common.  They’ve both performed gradually worse over the past 3 years, culminating in horrible 2008 campaigns.  Dontrelle suffered an extreme case of the yips, walking 35 hitters in 24 innings in between a couple of merciful minor league “rehab” stints, and Robertson spent his summer pitching 168 innings of batting practice to eager American League hitters, posting a 7.95 ERA on the road.

You say you hate Julio Lugo?  Let me explain something to you: until you watch either of these two men pitch in a Red Sox uniform – you don’t know what hatred is.  There many reasons not to do this deal, the biggest of which is the fact that there are more attractive 5th starter options out there, some of which are already in-house (Buchholz, Bowden, maybe even Masterson).

I’m lobbying for Julio Lugo to return to the Red Sox next season.  Here’s why:

1. His trade value is at an all-time low, and the team would be forced to accept expensive garbage in return (see above).
2. He can be used in a utility infielder role, replacing Alex Cora’s embalmed cadaver on the roster as the backup SS, 2B, and occasional 3B.  Lugo is a better player than Cora in most measurable areas.

Yes, this deal would help Detroit, but it makes zero sense for the Red Sox.  Let’s not do them any favors.

Comments are closed