Shortstop

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff BALTIMORE — It's raining here in the Charm City, but the storm is moving out to sea, so we should have a baseball game tonight. So what else is going on? In the wake of Mike Aviles belting three home runs against the Phillies, let's review how he's doing compared to his predecessor at shortstop, Marco Scutaro. Aviles: Has played in 40 of 41 games, making 39 starts at shortstop. Hitting .275/.303/.497 with an OPS+ of 112. Has 13 doubles, 0 triples, 8 home runs, 27 RBIs, 26 runs scored and five stolen bases in eight attempts.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff BALTIMORE — It's raining here in the Charm City, but the storm is moving out to sea, so we should have a baseball game tonight. So what else is going on? In the wake of Mike Aviles belting three home runs against the Phillies, let's review how he's doing compared to his predecessor at shortstop, Marco Scutaro. Aviles: Has played in 40 of 41 games, making 39 starts at shortstop. Hitting .275/.303/.497 with an OPS+ of 112. Has 13 doubles, 0 triples, 8 home runs, 27 RBIs, 26 runs scored and five stolen bases in eight attempts.

When all was said and done, the decision to trade shortstop Marco Scutaro saved the Red Sox pennies, at least with regard to the luxury tax. The question now concerns how the Red Sox intend to replace him, something for which some of us are willing to give the Sox almost an entire season to answer. After all, if Jose Iglesias is the starter by, say, Aug. 1, then all of this may make a good deal more sense. At the moment, the chance of that happening seems incredibly slim, if for no other reason than the wretched .235 batting average and .554 OPS that Iglesias registered in 101 games last...

Have a question? Submit your question here to be considered for the next edition of Ask Nick. By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff There were a lot of inquiries this week about the Red Sox dealing Kevin Youkilis, but that's jumping the gun. First of all, Youkilis has to be completely healthy and show he's completely healthy by playing. Even though there's a great need for third basemen around baseball, nobody's going to make a deal for a player who has recurring injuries.

SARASOTA, Fla. - When the Red Sox traded shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Colorado Rockies in late January, infield instructor Jerry Royster started reviewing the career of Mike Aviles to see what he had to work with. He didn't like what he found. Aviles had started only eight games at shortstop in 2011, playing a total of 91 innings. The last time Aviles had played the position regularly was in 2008, his rookie season with the Royals. "Trust me, this winter when I was sitting back home I thought I had my hands full trying to get a big league shortstop ready who hasn't played there...

The Red Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra on July 31, 2004, sending the disgruntled five-time All-Star to the Chicago Cubs. It proved to be an inspired move as the Red Sox went on to win their first World Series since 1918. But in the 7 1/2 seasons since then, finding a shortstop has been astonishingly problematic for an organization that excels in other aspects of building a competitive team. The Red Sox have started 18 players at shortstop since Garciaparra was traded. None has started 70 percent of the games at the position for two years in a row. ‘'I've kind of...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Someday - maybe when hell freezes over - we will hear a Red Sox manager or general manager say that the team is sacrificing offense for defense at shortstop. We thought this might be the time, but the rejection button on defense was pushed again when Bobby Valentine became the umpteenth consecutive Red Sox manager to announce a nondefensive shortstop as the winner of the battle. Mike Aviles is their man. He has had a very good camp. He did nothing to lose the job. He has hit well (.313)

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Mike Aviles has done everything he can do to be the Red Sox' starting shortstop on Opening Day. He's hitting .333 in spring training after a 3-for-4 effort Sunday that included a pair of doubles as the leadoff hitter in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Blue Jays. He has made all of the routine plays at shortstop. What he hasn't done is wow anyone with his defense the way his main competition, Jose Iglesias, can. Whether Aviles will win the job at least temporarily (it inevitably will belong to Iglesias)

SARASOTA, Fla. - When the Red Sox traded shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Colorado Rockies in late January, infield instructor Jerry Royster started reviewing the career of Mike Aviles to see what he had to work with. He didn't like what he found. Aviles had started only eight games at shortstop in 2011, playing a total of 91 innings. The last time Aviles had played the position regularly was in 2008, his rookie season with the Royals. "Trust me, this winter when I was sitting back home I thought I had my hands full trying to get a big league shortstop ready who hasn't played there in...

Will Middlebrooks made his major-league debut Wednesday night at Fenway Park (Getty Images) By Tony Massarotti, Boston.com Columnist In retrospect, going all the way back to the beginning of the offseason, maybe the Red Sox were just biding their time. Maybe the Red Sox had their eyes on 2013 far more than they ever did on 2012, and maybe the goal was to make them just interesting enough to draw your ire. If it looks like a bridge year and feels like a bridge year ... it's a bridge year.

Katie Caruso, Newton North- The junior shortstop went 7 for 10 last week, scored five runs and knocked in six. She's hit nine home runs in 13 games and is batting .667. Jenna Ferguson, Sandwich - Hitting .667 last week, the sophomore shortstop was 6 for 9, hit three home runs and recorded six RBIs. Trish Hansen, Kelly English, Mansfield - English went 6 for 11 and knocked in eight runs with a .537 batting average. Hansen was 3-0 on the mound and went 7 for 10 at the plate.

The Milford High baseball program has always been synonymous with success, but this year's team can be the first in school history to win three consecutive league titles. That includes the Scarlet Hawks' years in the old Midland League, according to coach Steve Manguso, whose team is competing in the Mid-Wach A for the final spring. Milford is moving from the Mid-Wach, a Central Massachusetts league, to the Hockomock (Eastern Mass.) this fall in every sport except for football, which will follow in 2013.

Will Middlebrooks made his major-league debut Wednesday night at Fenway Park (Getty Images) By Tony Massarotti, Boston.com Columnist In retrospect, going all the way back to the beginning of the offseason, maybe the Red Sox were just biding their time. Maybe the Red Sox had their eyes on 2013 far more than they ever did on 2012, and maybe the goal was to make them just interesting enough to draw your ire. If it looks like a bridge year and feels like a bridge year ... it's a bridge year.

The Toronto Blue Jays have turned their first triple play in 33 years. The Kansas City Royals had runners on first and second in the third inning Friday night when Eric Hosmer lined out to first baseman Adam Lind, who stepped on the bag to double off Yuniesky Betancourt. Lind then fired to shortstop Yunel Escobar to retire Alex Gordon, who had strayed off second. It was Toronto's first triple play since Sept. 21, 1979, against the New York Yankees. Al Cowens was the previous Royals batter to hit into a triple play on June...

Boulter makes impact in N.H. Southern New Hampshire baseball coach Scott Loiseau says Matt Boulter, his junior shortstop and cleanup hitter from Wrentham, has "ability that you can't teach, and what you can teach, he keeps improving upon. " Boulter, who earned All-New England and All-Northeast-10 Conference honors last season after hitting a team-high .338 in a wood-bat league, is off to a .331 start while leading the Penmen in runs (29), doubles (13), triples (3), and runs batted in (32)

The Red Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra on July 31, 2004, sending the disgruntled five-time All-Star to the Chicago Cubs. It proved to be an inspired move as the Red Sox went on to win their first World Series since 1918. But in the 7 1/2 seasons since then, finding a shortstop has been astonishingly problematic for an organization that excels in other aspects of building a competitive team. The Red Sox have started 18 players at shortstop since Garciaparra was traded. None has started 70 percent of the games at the position for two years in a row. ‘'I've kind of...

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Mike Aviles has been an infielder throughout his career, primarily a shortstop. But when the Red Sox asked him to play winter ball in Puerto Rico to better learn how to play the outfield, he agreed, knowing that versatility would help keep him on the roster. Then the Sox traded shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Rockies Jan. 21. Now Aviles is the leading candidate to start the season at shortstop. That Scutaro was traded a month before spring training came as a surprise.

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.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Someday - maybe when hell freezes over - we will hear a Red Sox manager or general manager say that the team is sacrificing offense for defense at shortstop. We thought this might be the time, but the rejection button on defense was pushed again when Bobby Valentine became the umpteenth consecutive Red Sox manager to announce a nondefensive shortstop as the winner of the battle. Mike Aviles is their man. He has had a very good camp. He did nothing to lose the job. He has hit well (.313)

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Someday - maybe when hell freezes over - we will hear a Red Sox manager or general manager say that the team is sacrificing offense for defense at shortstop. We thought this might be the time, but the rejection button on defense was pushed again when Bobby Valentine became the umpteenth consecutive Red Sox manager to announce a nondefensive shortstop as the winner of the battle. Mike Aviles is their man. He has had a very good camp. He did nothing to lose the job. He has hit well (.313)