Rizzo; go get this guy! Photo Bosoxinjection.com
The Red Sox’s signing of Carl Crawford to a 7yr, $142M contract (a contract undoubtedly pushed skyward by the Nats Jayson Werth deal a few days earlier) makes for a rather imposing possible Red Sox Lineup in 2011. Here’s a probable opening day lineup:
- 2B Dustin Pedroia (R)
- LF Carl Crawford (L)
- 1B Adrian Gonzalez (L)
- 3B Kevin Youkilis (R)
- DH David Ortiz (L)
- RF J.D. Drew (L)
- SS Marco Scutaro (R)
- C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S)
- CF Jacoby Ellsbury (L)
Now, one thing is immediately apparent with this lineup. They are incredibly lefty-heavy through the heart of their order. And in a division with CC Sabathia, probably Andy Pettitte and potentially Cliff Lee on their main competitor, this could be rather bad during key divisional games.
Clearly the Red Sox need to get some righty help in the heart of their lineup. Enter Josh Willingham.
Trade Proposal: The Nats trade Willingham and a decent prospect (perhaps one of our AA pitchers) to the Red Sox for Jacoby Ellsbury. Crawford slides over to center for Boston, Willingham plays left, and you have Mike Cameron as your late inning defensive replacement outfielder.
Ellsbury is exactly what the Nats need; leadoff center fielder who shows more promise and more self control than our current leadoff/CF Nyjer Morgan. He lost most of 2010 to injury but in 2009 lead the league in stolen bases and would give us good defense in center per his uzr/150 rankings. He’s cost contained (not yet arbitration eligible) and we’d control him for at least 3 more years.
Willingham’s approach at the plate fits the Sabremetric-thinking Red Sox; he has a high OBP, sees a lot of pitches and puts up a good OPS when healthy. He is defensively challenged but left field at Fenway might be the best place in all of baseball to “hide” a crummy defender. He’d give the Red Sox a righty presence in the middle of the lineup and replace a 9th place hitter with a middle of the order hitter. He’s in the last year of arbitration but still projects to be relatively cheap (by Boston’s standards), probably earning around $6M/year. He clearly wants to set down roots and could be a nice 3 or 4-year signing in Boston.
With Willingham, here’s a Potential Boston lineup:
- 2B Dustin Pedroia (R)
- CF Carl Crawford (L)
- 3B Kevin Youkilis (R)
- 1B Adrian Gonzalez (L)
- LF Josh Willingham (R)
- DH David Ortiz (L)
- RF J.D. Drew (L)
- SS Marco Scutaro (R)
- C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S)
Now they go R-L alternatively for the first 6 hitters, and if Saltamacchia catches or if Varitek gets some ABs they both switch hit and could slot above Scutaro to give even more flexibility.
Who says no first?
Your logic would make sense if not for a couple of points: Ellsbury hits for a higher average against left-handed pitchers. His .304 average against southpaws is better than Willingham’s average against lefties or righties. Ellsbury has better defensive skills than Willingham.
I’m not in favor of a trade.
soxfan17881
9 Dec 10 at 2:08 pm
But, Willingham is a beast in the middle of the order and an outfield of Willingham-Crawford-Drew has significantly more impact than Crawford-Ellsbury-Drew. Would you rather have a #5 hitter or a #9 hitter?
I think the Sox could be convinced to make this trade if the throwin prospects from the Nats made it worth their while.
Todd Boss
9 Dec 10 at 6:24 pm
[…] Redsox have a very lefty heavy line-up. The Nationals happen to have a certain power hitting right hander that could be had in a trade. Even with the acquisition of Carl Crawford some think it is still a […]
Nationals Daily Evolutions 12/10/10 | %page_title%
10 Dec 10 at 11:55 am
[…] Nationals Arm Race "…….Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same – pitching.” — Earl Weaver « Nats should trade for Jacoby Ellsbury […]
Rizzo’s off-season todo list: where do we stand? « Nationals Arm Race
13 Dec 10 at 12:27 pm
[…] hitter any longer. Desmond really is a #2 hitter. It is one of the reasons I advocated for an attempted trade for someone like Jacoby Ellsbury back in the middle of the […]
Werth Batting 2nd? It doesn’t solve our main L-R problem « Nationals Arm Race
26 Mar 11 at 10:53 am
[…] http://www.nationalsarmrace.com/?p=455 14 April 2012 7:28am – Images « Can Jacoby Ellsbury replicate the success he had last year for the Jacoby Ellsbury Boston Red Sox Picutres Photos Images » […]
Boston Red Sox 10 Things You Didn t Know About Jacoby Ellsbury » Images Search
14 Apr 12 at 10:29 am