Marco Scutaro had a solid first season in Boston after signing a two-year, $12.5 million contract as a free agent last winter, basically duplicating his career numbers by hitting .275/.333/.388 despite playing through multiple injuries.
He was signed in large part because of Jed Lowrie’s uncertain injury status, but now that Lowrie is healthy again Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Red Sox “are opening to trading Scutaro for the right part.”
Scutaro is owed $5 million in 2011, with a $6.5 million option or $1.5 million buyout for 2012, which suddenly looks like a very reasonable contract in what is a very weak market for free agent shortstops. However, while the Red Sox’s odds of cashing in Scutaro for good value are helped by the weak market, trading him without bringing in another shortstop option would be placing an awful lot of faith in Lowrie staying healthy.
Lowrie was fantastic after joining the team in mid-July, hitting .287/.381/.526 in 197 plate appearances, and at 26 years old has likely reasserted himself as Boston’s long-term shortstop, but he’s played a total of 87 games in the past two seasons and the Red Sox typically like to stockpile depth as much as any team. Plus, with Dustin Pedroia coming back from a broken foot having both Scutaro and Lowrie is hardly overkill.
