Over the weekend, the Boston Red Sox made the biggest splash of the young off-season by landing Adrian Gonzalez. Apparently, they aren't finished, as a report is emerging on Tuesday that suggests that general manager Theo Epstein is in pursuit of veteran slugger Magglio Ordonez. From CSN's Sean McAdam:
Magglio Ordonez Rumors: Red Sox Interested In Adding Right-Handed Bat
A baseball source said the Sox are interested in the free agent outfielder as an answer to their left field vacancy. The Sox would like a righthanded bat to play left, to help balance out a lineup that, especially in the aftermath of the Gonzalez deal, leans lefthanded.
Ordonez, a free agent, just finished his sixth season with the Detroit Tigers. He suffered an ankle injury on July 24th and was forced to miss the rest of the season; in the 84 games he played in 2010, he hit .303 with an OPS of .852. He's four seasons removed from a spectacular 2007 in which he hit a league-best .363 with 28 home runs, and aside from last season's injury, he's been nagged by other ailments that have caused him to miss some games in recent years.
So while Magglio is still a very productive hitter, come the 2011 season, he’ll be a 37-year-old hitter with a recent history of injuries. He made $17 million last season, and it’s difficult to say exactly how much he’ll be able to command on the open market.
(Story via Hardball Talk.)
For more on the Red Sox, check in with SB Nation’s Red Sox blog, Over the Monster.
See More:
