With the Boston Red Sox signing of former Toronto Blue Jay Marco Scutaro to (hopefully) become the steady shortstop until Jose Iglesias is ready for full-time duty (approximately the 2012 season).
Boston signed Scutaro for two years, with an option for a third, for $12.5 million.
For some reason, upon hearing the salary, I immediately flashed-back to the four year, $40 million contract that the Red Sox gave to Edgar Renteria and the four year, $26 million contract that the Red Sox gave Julio Lugo before the 2005 season and 2007 seasons, respectively.
As you remember, Renteria was terrible for the Red Sox, hitting .276 with eight home runs and 70 RBI. His on-base percentage in 2005 was .335 and his slugging percentage was .385 and his OPS was .721. Not terrible offensive numbers, but he committed a career high 30 errors at shortstop for a career-low fielding percentage of .954 on the defensive side. Renteria was 29 when the Sox signed him, and turned 30 in early August.
A season later, after the 2006 season, the Red Sox signed 31-year-old Julio Lugo to a four-year $36 million contract. Lugo had long been the apple of Theo Epstein's eye. Lugo spent two and a half seasons in Boston, never hitting higher than .268 in a Red Sox uniform, never having more than eight home runs in a Red Sox uniform and never having higher than 73 RBI. He was constantly injured and his defense was very sub-par.
The Scutaro contract is not nearly as large as Renteria's and Lugo's, but the Red Sox are paying $12.5 million for a shortstop who will turn 35 just after the All-Star break who is potentially coming off a potential fluke season.
I'll be the first to admit that I wanted Scutaro in Boston for a while. I had my eye on him since 2007, and recently wrote an article about the potential of Scutaro coming to Boston. But, since 2009's interim shortstop Alex Gonzalez has already left Boston (again) to join the Blue Jays, meaning that there really isn't a backup for shortstop of Scutaro is injured or is not good.
Terry Francona might have Jed Lowrie becoming the middle-infield backup but Lowrie is also oft-injured.
Either way, there seems to be a lot of questions floating around Marco Scutaro as he becomes the newest member of the Boston Red Sox.
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