Alex Gonzalez

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff Great stat from Bill Chuck of Billy-Ball.com: Since 2004, the Red Sox have had 24 different shortstops. In that same time period, the Yankees have used 15 different shortstops with Derek Jeter playing 1,188 games. Here's a breakdown of the Red Sox starters: 2004 Pokey Reese 56 Orlando Cabrera 58 Nomar Garciaparra 37 Cesar Crespo 7 Ricky Gutierrez 3 Mark Bellhorn 1 2005 Edgar Renteria 150 Ramon Vazquez 6 Alex Cora 5 Mark Bellhorn 1 2006 Alex Gonzalez 110 Alex Cora 47 ...

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff Maybe it was Ben Cherington's call. Maybe Bobby Valentine resisted. Or maybe, perceived rift be damned, the Red Sox manager and general manager worked in unison and came to the conclusion after talking through the possibilities. But really, the process doesn't much matter at the moment. It's about the result, and in this case, it's the correct one. Sending Jose Iglesias to Pawtucket to start the season is the right thing to do. Tuesday morning's news that slick-fielding, offensively raw 22-year-old shortstop was among six players sent...

Here’s one thing we can say about Alex Gonzalez. The ball is hit to short and you can write “6-3’’ in your scorebook without looking up. It’s a done deal. So why won’t he be here next year? Did anyone ask the pitchers what they think? Instead of Alex Gonzalez and the sure 6-3s, we will have a familiar player at short next year. Mr. X. Mr. X might be Marco Scutaro or Khalil Greene or even Jed Lowrie (if he ever cures his wrist woes), or it could be someone off our radar screen entirely.

The two best players at the catcher and shortstop positions in the Red Sox organization are Ryan Lavarnway and Jose Iglesias. If they don't make the final 25-man roster, you have to wonder what's going on. Iglesias saves runs, will likely hit better than people think, and is almost necessary for what could be a challenged starting rotation. In other words, the pitchers are going to need help. You can't have balls trickle through the shortstop hole or go up the middle uncontested.

The two best players at the catcher and shortstop positions in the Red Sox organization are Ryan Lavarnway and Jose Iglesias. If they don't make the final 25-man roster, you have to wonder what's going on. Iglesias saves runs, will likely hit better than people think, and is almost necessary for what could be a challenged starting rotation. In other words, the pitchers are going to need help. You can't have balls trickle through the shortstop hole or go up the middle uncontested.

The Colorado Rockies acquired infielder Marco Scutaro from the Red Sox for right-hander Clayton Mortensen on Saturday in a surprising trade that could pave the way for top Boston prospect Jose Iglesias to take over at shortstop sooner than expected. The 36-year-old Scutaro hit a career-high .299 for the Red Sox last season, when he had seven homers, 26 doubles, 54 RBIs and a .358 on-base percentage. Boston picked up his $6 million option in October, a month after the team missed the playoffs following a record collapse down the stretch.

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff Maybe it was Ben Cherington's call. Maybe Bobby Valentine resisted. Or maybe, perceived rift be damned, the Red Sox manager and general manager worked in unison and came to the conclusion after talking through the possibilities. But really, the process doesn't much matter at the moment. It's about the result, and in this case, it's the correct one. Sending Jose Iglesias to Pawtucket to start the season is the right thing to do. Tuesday morning's news that slick-fielding, offensively raw 22-year-old shortstop was among six players sent...

Alex Gonzalez has some experience in replacing Edgar Renteria. In 1999, when the Marlins traded Renteria to the Cardinals, Gonzalez became Florida's everyday shortstop and made the All-Star team for the only time in his career (he pinch hit for Barry Larkin and popped to second base in the game at Fenway Park). Now, pending the outcome of the physical he is scheduled to undergo this morning after flying here yesterday from his native Venezuela, Gonzalez is poised to replace Renteria again, this time as shortstop for the Red Sox. The acquisition completes a makeover of the Red...

So it wasn't quite last year's Opening Day. No World Series banner unfurled, no rings, no Bill Russell, no laughing Mariano Rivera taking a bow, no Alex Rodriguez miscue to open the floodgates. It wasn't perfect . But it was, as the day played out, proper. Mike Lowell, known in these parts more for his momentous offensive decline of 2005 than for the sharp mind and bat that made him a catalyst in Florida, twice dented the Monster in equaling career highs in hits (4) and doubles (3)

The standing ovation for Kevin Millar lasted through the first pitch he saw from Curt Schilling last night. The smattering of boos weren't heard until he sent a Schilling pitch into left field for a single. Unlike friend and fellow former co-face of the Red Sox, Johnny Damon, for whom the boos outweighed the cheers in his debut at Fenway Park as a Yankee, Millar's welcome back was unanimous. And that is the difference between a return in a Yankee uniform and a return in a Baltimore uniform.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff Great stat from Bill Chuck of Billy-Ball.com: Since 2004, the Red Sox have had 24 different shortstops. In that same time period, the Yankees have used 15 different shortstops with Derek Jeter playing 1,188 games. Here's a breakdown of the Red Sox starters: 2004 Pokey Reese 56 Orlando Cabrera 58 Nomar Garciaparra 37 Cesar Crespo 7 Ricky Gutierrez 3 Mark Bellhorn 1 2005 Edgar Renteria 150 Ramon Vazquez 6 Alex Cora 5 Mark Bellhorn 1 2006 Alex Gonzalez 110 Alex Cora 47 ...

The Colorado Rockies acquired infielder Marco Scutaro from the Red Sox for right-hander Clayton Mortensen on Saturday in a surprising trade that could pave the way for top Boston prospect Jose Iglesias to take over at shortstop sooner than expected. The 36-year-old Scutaro hit a career-high .299 for the Red Sox last season, when he had seven homers, 26 doubles, 54 RBIs and a .358 on-base percentage. Boston picked up his $6 million option in October, a month after the team missed the playoffs following a record collapse down the stretch.

Final, Orioles 6, Red Sox 5: The Sox go down without a fight in the ninth. Three straight ground balls and this late-season spiral looks as dismal as ever. Top of the ninth, Orioles 6, Red Sox 5: Can't ask for much more out of Aceves. Three scoreless innings in a one-run ballgame. Now the Sox are in a situation no one likely thought they'd be in when they glanced at the schedule before the season: A high-pressure situation in late-season game with the Orioles.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — This was no time for refinement. As far as Red Sox pitcher John Lackey was concerned, his first outing of spring training was about getting in some nitty-gritty work. Something like breaking rocks with a sledgehammer. Lackey, who left the Angels last year to sign a five-year, $82 million deal with the Red Sox, brought that hard-hat approach to the mound yesterday at City of Palms Park, where the lanky Texan force-fed the Braves a steady diet of fastballs.

The Red Sox aren’t part of the baseball playoffs this season, but several former Sox could have an impact in the Division Series round, which begins today, and beyond. Derek Lowe, who won 16 games this season, will be the Braves’ starter in Game 1 against the Giants tomorrow night, and Bronson Arroyo, who won 17 the Reds, will pitch Game 2 against the Phillies. Former Sox farmhand Carl Pavano, who won 17 games for the Twins, will pitch Game 2 against the Yankees at Target Field.

TORONTO — What’s the difference between Red Sox starters John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka? One has struggled with his control all season, put too many runners on base, and has fans wondering whether he is worth the large contract paid to lure him away from the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The other one is Japanese. Lackey had another rough outing yesterday, getting pulled in the fifth inning after giving up seven runs as the Red Sox were beaten, 9-5, by the Toronto Blue Jays.

TORONTO - While desperation might not have crept into their minds as they limped out of Texas Sunday, the games have become more urgent for the Red Sox. Each at-bat, each pitch has gained a measure of importance not felt in April or May. The calendar had begun to catch up with them. So in the face of an encroaching Rangers team and a playing-out-the-string Blue Jays team, the Sox took advantage of the latter, parlaying Toronto’s wrongs and their own rights into a three-game sweep.