Red Sox Searching for Last Piece of Their Rebuilt Triple-A Infield

The Boston Red Sox remain quietly engaged in discussions for free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, according to an industry source.

The Beltre talks, expected to resume after the New Year, have been complicated by the voiding of the Mike Lowell trade to Texas.

The Sox remain engaged in discussions on Beltre, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, even though his signing could put them over the luxury tax threshold. The market for Beltre seems to have collapsed somewhat, the Red Sox thinking that maybe they can get him at a much more reasonable price than Beltre was originally seeking. In mid-December, Beltre was believed to be looking for a five-year deal worth $13 million-$16 million per season.

Beltre, who is widely regarded as one of the best defensive third basemen in the majors, hit .265 with eight homers and 44 RBIs for the Seattle Mariners last season. (story courtesy of The Worldwide Leader in Red Sox Fans)




I couldn't say it any better myself after reading this story when I got home from work today.  Once again Theo Epstein is just proving his genius over every other GM in the game by entertaining the thought of spending money on a former juicer who had his only productive offensive season in a contract year and since has had his play at the plate erode so dramatically that he's barely even an average MLB player anymore.  Never mind the fact that his team would be better off with Casey Kotchman at first and Youkilis back at 3rd, but Theo's still got Mike Lowell's rotting carcass on his hands and now he wants to continue to clog up the corner infield with MORE underachievers?  Brilliant, fucking brilliant.

And not for nothing, but how can you say you're "quietly engaged" with somebody when the story about that negotiation makes it to the top news link collection on the ESPN.com homepage and is the only story to be reported for MLB on the ESPN Bottom Line scroll?  I know ESPN is under the covers with Fraud Sox Nation, but if they were looking to keep this quiet, don't you think ESPN would help them in that effort rather than plaster the story all over their multiple media outlets?

And how shitty does it have to be to be Mike Lowell right now?  The Sox are so desperate to keep this guy off the field that they're seriously considering going over the luxury tax threshold for Adrian Fucking Beltre!!  And not only that, the fact that they couldn't trade Lowell is "complicating" their efforts to bring in Beltre.  It's like Lowell has a combination of H1N1, ebola, and rabies all at the same time.  Don't forget that despite his injury issues and the fact that he runs the bases like James Caan after he got hobbled in "Misery," Lowell still hit .290/.337/.474 with 17 HRs and 75 RBIs last year in just 119 games.  For the sake of comparison, Beltre hit .265/.304/.379 with 8 HRs and 44 RBIs in 111 games.  Who would you want on your team?

Hey Mike, if you're reading this. why not make like Nick Johnson and come back home to the Yankees where you got your start?  I doubt the Sox would make a trade with the Yanks since they're in such a desperate panic to catch up to them, but you're a vet; you've got some pull, make it happen.  I'm sure Joe could find a use for you: backup 3rd baseman, late-game pinch hitter off the bench, ball boy, something.  And if not, the stadium crew can cut a crawl space under the bench in the dugout and you can put your uniform on and hang out there and just come out when Joe tells you to.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!