Red Sox Acquire Gonzalez to play Shortstop.

Rather than report on the tragic news of the Alito confirmation, or the start of the Enron trial, or even wax snarkily over the upcoming State of the Union address by Preznit Flight Suit Fantasy, I'll pick up where yesterday's post left off by reporting that the Red Sox have apparently rounded out their infield by acquiring shortstop Alex Gonzalez. ESPN.com excerpt:

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $3 million, one-year deal with shortstop Alex Gonzalez, according to a report in the Boston Herald.

Gonzalez, who reportedly will take a required physical exam Tuesday or Wednesday, batted .264 with five home runs and 45 RBI last season for the Florida Marlins. In Boston, he would replace Edgar Renteria, who was traded to the Atlanta Braves in December.

Gonzalez, who in Miami teamed with Luis Castillo to form one of baseball's best middle infields, should be an improvement at shortstop over Renteria, who struggled in his only season with the Red Sox, committing a major-league-worst 30 errors.

Gonzalez, who reportedly will take a required physical exam Tuesday or Wednesday, batted .264 with five home runs and 45 RBI last season for the Florida Marlins. In Boston, he would replace Edgar Renteria, who was traded to the Atlanta Braves in December.

Gonzalez, who in Miami teamed with Luis Castillo to form one of baseball's best middle infields, should be an improvement at shortstop over Renteria, who struggled in his only season with the Red Sox, committing a major-league-worst 30 errors.

Now the Red Sox infield is more or less set. Gonzalez has a terrible strikeout to walk ratio (almost five whiffs per walk), and they obviously hope he will regain the stroke that saw him hit 41 homers in 2003/4 rather than the measly five he cranked in 2005. But he is a solid defender who will most likely not collapse with the glove the way Renteria did last season.

That leaves Alex Cora, along with Tony Graffanino, who played so well at second base last year after having been acquired from the Royals, in reserve. They will provide excellent infield depth. Now, rumor has it that the Sox are trying to trade David Wells. Stay tuned!

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