Sox management has tended not to make panic moves in-season. So, I have no doubt they’re exploring options, but I doubt they’ll pull the trigger at least for a few more weeks.

You can’t trade him without his consent: he’s a 10-5 player.
You can’t send him down to the minors without his consent.

The only options are to send him to the DL or release him. In either case, the Sox still owe him another $20 million or so for the next two years.

There are no simple fixes.

The Sox have done everything they can to keep him in his comfort zone. At this point, something has to change. They also have to do what is best for the team. And right now, that means they should bat Tek ahead of Ortiz.

Lowell, Tek, and (a functional) Ortiz right now all have similar characteristics: aging, slow bats with some power. I’d rank them in the order Lowell, Tek, Ortiz. With Lowell and Ortiz hitting back-to-back, I believe there’s no incentive whatsoever to pitch to Bay if first base is open. You can just IBB him and take your chances on getting a double play ball from Lowell or Ortiz—-anything catchable in the infield will do the trick, thanks to their lack of speed. Tek doesn’t hit a lot, but he’s also not GIDP too much, either.

He’s like a assisted living patient who still believes they can do everything the way they used to. He’s going to need a big shock, like being moved into the last 3rd of the lineup before it finally hits him.

Just because it’s where we’re headed doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do – a team that cares about it’s players deserves more respect than a team that dumps a player if he goes 0-4 in a game.