Will Adam LaRoche be a Red Sox for long?

by Randy Booth on Jul 28, 2009 6:00 AM EDT in News

With the trade for Adam LaRoche, the Red Sox gained a pretty valuable bat off the bench and a solid defensive first baseman. For a lot of teams, LaRoche could be a starter, but for the Sox he'll be on the bench (for the most part) for the rest of the season.

But what's 2010 look like for the Red Sox's newest acquisition?

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Red Sox will pay LaRoche's remaining salary for 2009 -- about $3M dollars.LaRoche avoided arbitration by signing a 1yr/$7.05M contract with the Pirates before the 2009 season.

That's a lot of dough for a backup.

However, it is just a one-year deal, meaning he's up for grabs once the season is over. If the Red Sox re-sign him, odds are that it'll be just for what he's doing now, working the bench. Does LaRoche really want that? He has said before he's comfortable doing whatever, but a guy of LaRoche's caliber -- who could start for many teams -- would probably want to try and play every day.

Plus look at the cost. It cost the Pirates $7.05M for a year of LaRoche's service. Can the Sox do that for a backup? Would they really want to do that? Who knows what it would cost for LaRoche in 2010.

Plus there's the fact Lars Anderson is in the system, a 1B/DH of the future. Yeah, Lars isn't hitting too well this year (.260/.352/.391), but we still need to be thinking about him and where he fits on this team in '10, '11 and the future after that. Although the "plan" would have been for Lars to be in AAA by now and potentially a major leaguer to start 2010, it just isn't going to work like that right now. We still need to plan for him, though.

So it looks like the next three months (hopefully) LaRoche will be a Red Sox. But after that, don't hold your breath.

Let's hope we get a great three months out of him.

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Comments

I was wondering about this as well but for this year mainly.

LaRoche seems to be needed in the line-up this year maybe everyday, but so is Lowell, Youk, and Papi. So how do you juggle all these so as to play all of them most of the time or at least when they can play and not bench them due to pure logistics??

Next year may settle itself anyway because Lowell or Papi or both may be retired or too old to play regularly.

by NG on Jul 28, 2009 8:06 AM EDT reply actions

Oh, one more idea,

can LaRoche possibly play catcher, and how good is his throwing arm down to second?

by NG on Jul 28, 2009 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions

No

That’s insane.

by Gnick on Jul 28, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

It is, as per usual, all about Lowell.

Is he healthy? Then LaRoche is out.

by Ben Buchanan on Jul 28, 2009 10:55 AM EDT reply actions

Agreed

The only other thing to consider is would Lowell want to play from the bench. He might consider it now with his hip forcing him to take a day off all the time.

by drabidea on Jul 28, 2009 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

If he keeps hitting like he is, than yes.

by NESPORTS on Jul 28, 2009 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

Could they possibly move him again for A. Gonzalez or Martinez?

by Blue Ridge on Jul 28, 2009 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

A package deal that is, not straight up obviously.

by Blue Ridge on Jul 28, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions

Probably not.

Martinez won’t be looked at any more than he has. AGon would be a better option after the season, when we wouldn’t be paying through the nose for him just because we’re down a few games.

@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.

by bdalebs on Jul 29, 2009 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions

Forget Martinez

he does not improve the team at all. As a catcher this year he has a 709 OPS-far below Tek. He is a good hitter, but not what we need as a 1b. As a 1b, he is not an improvement over using La Roche/Lowell as a lefty/righty split with Youk palying either first or third. Given that, can anyone explain why we would trade anything for him?

On that topic-this should be an interesting read:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2009/7/28/964024/using-team-context-to-better
The point is that you don’t just acquire a good player, you acquire one that is needed at the right position. AGonz is a different story-he is in his prime and a better player than Martinez. That is the kind of player to go after. But I doubt he will be traded at the trade deadline, if at all.

by Buzzy on Jul 28, 2009 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

+1

I totally agree.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Jul 28, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Lars Anderson

I believe this move relies entirely on whether Lars Anderson will be considered MLB ready anytime next season. If Epstein doesn’t believe he is, then I can easily see him spending the money to sign LaRoche to another one year deal. However, if he believes 2010 is the year we finally see Anderson, then no, I do not think LaRoche will be here.

by Justin_Bobo on Jul 28, 2009 1:30 PM EDT reply actions