The Shortstop Shuffle

Will Rent Own the Position?

"The Red Sox, meanwhile, chose to invest money that might have helped retain Pedro Martinez or Derek Lowe in Renteria. With the signing of David Wells (2-4, 6.75) now looking like an unmitigated disaster, one has to wonder just how judiciously the Red Sox allocated their resources this winter.

"While a more impulsive organization may have looked at what Cabrera did in the second half and postseason last year and compensated him accordingly, the Red Sox and their pragmatic GM Theo Epstein took the long view..." -- Kevin Hench on FOXSports.com

Ask Edes Mailbag on Renteria

"...Edgar's batting average steadily rose on the trip, he had a couple of big hits, and while he's made a few errors, he's made more than his share of outstanding plays, too. The man has a track record as a winner. Give it some time, instead of opting for the snap judgments of the uninformed." -- Gordon Edes Mailbag 5.19.05

Manny Reasons for Ramirez Slump

"I find it astonishing that as of May 18, he was hitting just .237. The lowest his average has been this late into a season was .219, and that was in June, 1994, his first full season in the majors. He told our Chris Snow that he's worried about the health of his mother, but was vague about her condition and described it as arthritis only with prompting. He has used ailing (and dying) relatives before as excuses, so both reporter and reader alike are advised to tread carefully..." -- Gordon Edes Mailbag 5.19.05