Crispy Critter

You knew it was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, it was never about the type of GM we had, it was about the price. Andy Marte goes from super-prospect to suspect, and Coco Crisp is a younger, faster, healthier version of Johnny Damon. Could we spin it any other way?

Meanwhile, on the shortstop front, I am not sold on A-Gone. We already have a good field, limited hit guy in A-Core, and since we couldn't get A-Rod, why settle for A-Gone at Lloyds of London prices? We're not going to get a ton of offense (at least as of now), so why overpay?

I am more intrigued about the availability of a Kevin Mench, who would be a healthier, younger version of Trot Nixon (really). Nixon always fascinated me, because he is a 'tease' kind of player, always threatening to breakout, but limited by injury and limited production against LHP. I always wondered if he could move to first base.

So, the lineup looks pretty set:

Crisp
Loretta
Ortiz
Ramirez
Varitek
Lowell
Nixon
Youkilis
Shortstop (Cora for now)

OF Stern
OF Mohr
IF Snow
IF Graffanino
C Bard

P Beckett
P Schilling
P Papelbon
P Wakefield
P Arroyo
? Clement/Wells

P Timlin
P Foulke
P Seanez
P Tavarez
P Riske
P Hansen or Delcarmen

out there: Lester, Van Buren, DiNardo, Pedroia, Machado, Vermilyea