Boston Red Sox Sign Marco Scutaro

If first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, and try again.

Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has tried and tried and tried to find a replacement at shortstop for Nomar Garciaparra ever since he traded the star shortstop in the summer of 2003.

Perhaps tonight, he has finally tried and succeeded.

According to Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse , the Red Sox have signed free agent SS Marco Scutaro to a two-year contract. The deal also includes a mutual option for a third year.

No financial terms of the deal have been disclosed yet.

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I wrote a free agent primer and said that Scutaro would be the biggest bust hitter of this free agent class. And despite Scutaro signing with the team I root for, I am sticking to my statement.

The Ghost of Moonlight Graham doesn’t backtrack on statements.

I don’t care if this deal was for one-year, two-years, or 10-years–I am not a fan of this signing. This has Julio Lugo Part Two written all over it.

I just don’t see how a guy, who was a scrub his whole life and is 34-years-old, has one good year and all of a sudden is going to produce like that on a yearly basis. I am sorry, but I just don’t see it.

What also kills me about the Red Sox signing Scutaro is that they have to give up a first-round pick for the guy. Due to the fact that Scutaro is a Type A free agent and was offered arbitration by the Toronto Blue Jays, Scutaro will cost the Red Sox the 29th pick overall and a supplemental pick in the 2010 draft.

I have a hard time justifying giving up a first-round pick for a stop-gap shortstop.

There are a couple of positives to deal, so I am not going to be completely negative.

First, unlike the Lugo deal, this deal is only for two years. Epstein was smart not to give Scutaro anything longer than two years. Second, this will give slick fielding shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias time to develop in the minors.

The Scutaro signing means Iglesias won’t be rushed to the majors–hopefully.

Scutaro last season hit .282 for the Blue Jays, with a .379 OBP, 35 doubles, 90 walks (seventh in the AL) and 100 runs scored. My guess is Scutaro will bat ninth for the Red Sox in 2010.

The deal is pending a physical and should be finalized Friday morning.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg