On The Right Side

The Red Sox, despite the perception, do have some question marks. There is a position or two that might not be guaranteed to someone. I’m willing to bet, however, that will not be the case on the right side of the infield.

Anyone think that Adrian Gonzalez might not have job security? In a monster of an off-season, A-Gone was easily the biggest fish in the pond. He had been coveted by the Red Sox and their fans for a long time. And, with good reason. Everyone who was upset at the Red Sox losing out of Mark Teixeira a few off seasons ago feels better now. By waiting, the Sox got the better guy. Gonzalez can hit. Gonzalez can field. Gonzalez fits into the clubhouse. Really, is there anything more to ask from a player? If there’s one downside to Gonzalez, it’s that he expectations are so high. Last season, he batted .298, hit 31 home runs, and drove in 101. Those are great numbers. It would be enough pressure to be expected to match those numbers after switching cities and leagues. But, fans aren’t content with matching. He’s in a better line-up now. He should increase those numbers by 10%. He’s also playing half his games at Fenway, not Petco. He gets to visit Yankee Stadium instead of Dodger Stadium. Those numbers should go up another 10%. He’s tailor-made for Fenway. Add another 10%. Now, I’m not saying those are valid points. I’m not saying I don’t believe it. But, we’re looking at a guy who could be considered a failure if he only hits .310-35-112. That’s a scary proposition.

The second base position should once again be manned by Dustin Pedroia. Sox fans are pretty excited about this as well. Pedroia was hurt last year, in more ways than one. First, he broke his foot, causing him to miss games. Added to that was his hurt pride. He found out that he can’t actually will bone to heal. He can’t try harder to get healthy. He just had to wait. But, this year there appears to be no reason not to expect a return to form. The Red Sox look to have a gold glove winning, silver slugger winning right side of the infield. That’s pretty impressive. Might they also be the starting right side for the AL all-star team? I don’t see why not.

So, if I need to make predictions?

Gonzalez: .323-42-122

Pedroia: .324-19-85