Mark Kotsay, the backup “first baseman” who endeared himself to fans of the Tampa Bay Rays last October, will be occupying a 25-man roster spot once again.

I understand he’ll likely play better than his putrid 2008 pennant-killing stint, and yes, he can play CF, but why not just utilize some of the AAAA talent waiting in Pawtucket instead of throwing 1+ million dollars at an empty uniform?  Is Kotsay’s grittiness/character/whatever a factor that vaults him ahead of the rest of the pack?

Folks who are worried about the durability of J.D. Drew and Rocco Baldelli need to understand that there are better in-house resources available in the event that the aforementioned players go down with injuries.

For what it’s worth, 2009 MARCEL projections:

Mark Kotsay: .258/.317/.373

Jeff Bailey: .266/.345/.438
Chris Carter: .278/.349/.422
Jonathan Van Every: .262/.332/.412

6 Responses to “The Return of Kotsay”

1. KFish says:

   1/9/2009 at 3:47 pm

   Do you like anyone? This is one of the most negative blogs I’ve seen.
2. Jimmy says:

   1/9/2009 at 4:10 pm

   I like Christopher Walken. I like the bartender at Magoun’s. Let me think, is there anyone else…? Nope, that about covers it.

   On a serious note, yeah, I tend to be bearish on certain guys, especially those who have a 3-year OBP of .320. I thought my Smoltz prediction was pretty optimistic, for what it’s worth.
3. Mike says:

   1/9/2009 at 5:47 pm

   KFish – How could anyone be positive about this move? And, I’d say this blog is the most realistic, cautiously optimistic, Red Sox blog I’ve read in a while. It’s right down the middle, just like a Mike Timlin fastball.
4. KenJr says:

   1/17/2009 at 9:38 pm

   Yes, because Kotsay’s value DEFENSIVELY, his versatility, plus his veteran presence don’t offset the slight loss his PROJECTIONS predict offensively.
5. Jimmy says:

   1/19/2009 at 9:15 am

   On that we agree.
6. KenJr says:

   1/19/2009 at 2:50 pm

   HEH