Word on the street is that the Red Sox have traded backup catcher Doug Mirabelli for mediocre second baseman Mark Loretta. Doug has been the best backup catcher in baseball, in my books, for the past two seasons and was most adept at catching for Tim Wakefield. Loretta strikes me somewhat as a Bill Mueller type player. His career average is .301 but he doesn't hit for much power with only 63 career homeruns in 9 full MLB seasons. He, like Mueller, is also a career National Leaguer.
The one thing Loretta has going for him apart from his batting average is his defensive versatility. He has played over 160 games at each of the four infield positions. He's also made an appearance in left-field, DHed a few times in Interleague games, and pitched an inning (no runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 2 Ks). As far as second basemen go, he is a decent hitter. He's no Alfonso Soriano, but he should be able to replace Bill Mueller in the lineup.
It is sad to see Mirabelli go. He was a great hitter, and a great catcher for Tim Wakefield. He was an integral part of the 2004 World Series team and despite his numbers, he knew the value of winning was more important than playing time.
Reportedly, the Red Sox are also close to a deal to trade Manny Ramirez. Moreover, Edgar Renteria is being talked about as part of possible deals.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have seemingly decided to rest on their laurels in the Josh Beckett deal. AJ Burnett was out there, and now he is not. The Blue Jays have signed him for $55 million over 5 years. I think he would have been worth it and would have DRAMATICALLY improved our rotation.
On a funnier note, Grady Little has been hired to manage the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers downward spiral shall now continue indefinately.
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As you know, Mirabelli was a complete bust here in San Diego. We like Josh Bard much better, thank you very much. The original trade that sent Loretta to Boston was not very popular in San Diego. We felt Mirabelli wasn't worth what we gave up. But with the acquisition of Bard and the performance of Josh Barfield, we are quite happy now.
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