This piece is definitely not meant to show any disrespect for J.D. Drew and what he has accomplished for the Red Sox.
When he is in the lineup, he is a very good hitter. The obvious problem is, he's not in the lineup nearly as often as he should be and, therefore, should not be holding down the five-spot in the Red Sox' lineup.
The Red Sox lack power in the middle of the order as it is, so it seems unusual that they would stuff Jason Bay, arguably their best, most reliable power hitter, in the six-spot.
When J.D. Drew inevitably hurts his back or shoulder or anything else, Bay will certainly get the nod to move up one spot. So why not just keep Bay there all season?
Bay is younger, faster, more productive and, obviously, more durable than Drew. And he has proved to be more powerful the higher he is in the order.
Bay hit eight home runs in 122 at-bats hitting fifth in 2008, as opposed to just one in 64 at-bats hitting sixth. In the long run, it would make sense for the Red Sox to let him get comfortable in the five-hole.
Bay's 2008 numbers with the Sox would project to about 30 homers and 122 RBI over a full season, and it's not unreasonable to expect around those numbers in a much better lineup and ballpark than Pittsburgh, if he hits in the right spot in the lineup.
He's still in his prime; Drew is not. And in a contract year, Bay will be super-motivated to earn himself some serious money. Why not maximize that potential?
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