Saturday, November 30, 2013

What About Giancarlo Stanton?

I'm surprised that we haven't heard more about the Red Sox going after this young power hitter. So I checked other blogs & found a piece on Stanton that said the Sox should hold off. Reasons - nagging injuries like a hamstring that had him out 41 games; Marlins may want 3 or 4 top prospects in return, depleting the farm system; 33% swings on balls out of the strike zone; not a good fielder for RF at Fenway. I say an average of 39 homers per 162 games for a kid who's just 23 is worth the risk. We have no power bats in the farm system, other than Bryce Brentz who shot himself in the leg cleaning his gun last year. We need a younger bat to replace David Ortiz - who is lobbying for a contract extension after 2014. The Sox have a surplus of talented infielders - Cecchini, Marrero, Betts who can all be shopped. There is also a log jam of young pitchers - Renauldo, Owens, Webster, de la Rosa. If Ben can get Stanton for any 4 of these 7 guys, I'd do it. A young hitter like Stanton doesn't come along but once in a great while. And Stanton is under control for the next 3 or 4 years. With Middlebrooks, Bogaerts & Pedroia the infield is pretty well set for the next several years. With Lester, Buck & Doubront the Sox have 3 of their 5 starters for the next several years, although Buck isn't dependable. A few farm hands will pitch in the bigs & Ben can always find a few vets to sign short-term deals. I say go full guns after Stanton. It beats paying the big dollars for free agents.

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