Coco

Crisp

Coco Crisp, who has hit .325 since the All-Star break (seventh highest in the AL), is in line to be the Tribe’s leadoff or number two hitter next season. He looks like a keeper to us.

Crisp appears committed to developing lead-off skills, but as long as Cleveland remains happy with Milton Bradley in that role, it will take an injury or trade for Crisp to have any value.

Sounds good to us. Belliard could be the primary No. 2 hitter against righties. Crisp will probably bat near the bottom of the lineup against southpaws, with perhaps Aaron Boone sliding into the second spot.

''I still think he has the ability to be an everyday player,’' Wedge said. ''Both Coco and Alex will have their opportunity. Whichever one steps up is going to end up playing more.’' Escobar has a 657 OPS to Crisp’s 575. The vibe from Wedge seems to be that if all things are equal he prefers Crisp’s speed as the team could use a leadoff man. But Coco simply must improve his dreadful .269 on-base percentage.

The Indians are getting closer to viewing Crisp as a reliable leadoff hitter for now and the future. He’s now hitting .294, but needs to do some work on his on-base percentage, which sits at .333. He’s also been caught on 5-of-12 stolen base attempts.

He injured it on the wall in Cleveland on Tuesday, but he is fine now, and lucky he didn’t miss any time with it.

Several sources reported that the White Sox turned down a Crisp-for-Mark Buehrle trade, so you’ll have to pick who you trust.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that none will be traded, but it suggests that no deals are done at the moment.

Ortiz went on to walk and Manny Ramirez hit a single that surely would have plated a run had Crisp been standing on second. But he wasn’t, of course, and that run seemed big after the Red Sox lost 5-4. Featuring a .284 OBP in 29 games, Crisp has been a huge liability in his time as a leadoff hitter. Terry Francona has robbed the Red Sox of a great deal of their margin for error with his poor decision making this year, and GM Theo Epstein hasn’t helped him out lately by making no moves to bolster the pen and a weak bench.

The worst was when he grounded into an inning-ending double play with two on in a tie game in the eighth. Crisp doesn’t get on base like a leadoff hitter, doesn’t take pitches like a leadoff hitter and doesn’t steal bases like a leadoff hitter. That he’s getting more at-bats than anyone else in Boston’s lineup is just bad baseball.