The late Haywood Sullivan believed that you should be able to replace your entire major league team with fully developed prospects every five years. Most teams fall far short of that, but there is new talent out there.
The Red Sox have candidates in Iglesias, catcher Ryan Lavarnway, and lefthander Felix Doubront.
Lavarnway is a power hitter, and if he proves himself in the defensive aspect of the game, he could join the Red Sox and never look back.
Iglesias is such a magician with the glove that if he could ever show hitting prowess or even consistency, he could add an instant spark.
And Doubront?
Seems like we’ve been waiting forever for him. He is out of options and will likely make the team, as a starter or reliever. Inside the organization, Doubront is the sleeper choice of many. If he could nail down the No. 5 starter’s spot, the Sox may be in a nice position.
Fact is, young players provide spark. Dustin Pedroia did it his rookie season. Jacoby Ellsbury did it when he came up. The Sox are also paying Iglesias, a Cuban defector, $2.04 million a year.
While Iglesias has never been a consistent enough hitter in the minors, many baseball people believe he could be better in the majors. He seems to lack confidence in his hitting approach. He’s a man of many stances and grips, and often tries to copy someone else’s style. At some point, he simply needs to be himself.
Shortstop has been Boston’s merry-go-round position since Nomar Garciaparra was traded in 2004. Some 25 men have played there in that time, with Julio Lugo seeing the most action.
Once upon a time, playing shortstop meant something. Perhaps newfangled statistical analysis has de-emphasized the position to the point where teams think they can get by with utility players there. But the Red Sox don’t feel that way.
