[NT!]

alex gonzalez is definitely not the best defensive shortstop in baseball. FRAR and FRAR2 both have him as below-average, in fact.

how is it 'flat out wrong' to let a guy go for someone who has roughly equivalent numbers, even if that were true? and by the way, it isn't true - renteria had two years of 115+ OPS in the three years before the sox signed him. cabrera has a career OPS+ of 86, only one season of 100+, and is a year older.

in fact, renteria even hit better than cabrera IN 2005 WHILE HE WAS WITH THE RED SOX, when he had a lousy year, and he has been way better than cabrera since then.

if lugo had performed anywhere near projections, he would have had a much better year at the plate than gonzalez, and i expect he will bounce back (after hitting .320 or so after the AS break). the difference between the two at the plate more than makes up for gonzalez' defense, which, as i said, is not 'the best in baseball.' FRAR2 has him as about 5 runs better, in a full season, than Lugo.

lugo is certainly overpriced, but the fact that he had a lousy first half doesn't mean he should be run out of boston. of course, that's exactly what idiots like you do, which is part of why it's so hard to play here.