The Boston Red Sox have declined their $6 million option on shortstop Alex Gonzalez for next season, according to the Boston Globe, once again leaving the team without a reliable everyday player at the position heading into offseason.It's been a revolving door at shortstop in Boston since the team dealt Nomar Garciaparra at the trading deadline in 2004, with general manager Theo Epstein unable to find a suitable long-term replacement.
Four different players -- Gonzalez, Nick Green, Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie -- played at least 21 games at the position this season. Between Garciaparra's departure and this season, Orlando Cabrera, Edgar Renteria, Gonzalez (in 2006), Lugo and Lowrie have manned the position, with the Red Sox doling out $76 million in contracts to Renteria and Lugo alone.
According to the report, Boston has not ruled out bringing back Gonzalez, just at a lower salary than the $6 million they would have had to pay had they picked up the option.
Gonzalez was very good down the stretch for the Red Sox, hitting .284 with a .769 OPS in 44 games after being traded from the Reds, but those numbers are well out of line with his career norms (his lifetime OPS is 80 points lower), and Boston doesn't typically go for players with such poor plate discipline. Gonzalez's career on-base percentage is .294.
The Red Sox are not afraid to get creative, and they have been linked to the recently traded J.J. Hardy and Marlins superstar (and former Boston farmhand) Hanley Ramirez over the last year or so. Still, the acquisition cost of a major upgrade at short could be very high in trade and a weak free-agent class could lead Gonzalez back into the arms of Boston.
