Red Sox Lineup Still Needs Help

The Red Sox lineup still is in need of another productive bat. My pipe dream for Theo Epstein to (re)acquire Hanley Ramirez would be great but even a blind optimist like myself can't see the Marlins trading away their best player or the Red Sox giving up their three or four best prospects. That doesn't mean that the Sox should stop looking. The first two months of the season are done and Boston finds itself in a tie for first place in the AL East with the Yankees. This is in spite of David Ortiz hitting .187 with just 1 homerun. However, to keep pace with the Yankees and their powerful lineup, Theo needs to find a hitter. Names like Victor Martinez and Mark DeRosa of the Indians, Corey Hart of the Brewers, and Jeff Francoeur of the Braves have all been mentioned. One other name on the radar, and the one that makes the most sense for the Red Sox, is Nick Johnson of the Nationals. Johnson is perfect for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, he is a good hitter. Through 51 games in 2009, Johnson has posted a .330 batting average, 4 homeruns, 27 RBI, and has an OPS of .880. He isn't the second coming of Babe Ruth but he would provide a substantial upgrade over Ortiz. Johnson's ability to take pitches and work deep into counts is something the Red Sox value and it would complement Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew, two Sox sluggers who put a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers. Johnson also is a very good defensive firstbaseman. This skill would allow Terry Francona to shift Youkilis from first to third and make Mike Lowell the DH. With Lowell still looking slow in the field coming off hip surgery this winter, the ability to be the DH would help sustain his performance at the plate (.302, 8, 36, .832 through 52 games). Finally, Johnson would come relatively cheap in terms of salary (he's owed less than $4-million for the rest of 2009) and compensation for the Nationals. The Nationals are in need of pitching and while it is highly doubtful the Sox would give away one of their top pitching prospects, a trade of Manny Delcarmen for Johnson would work for both teams. Delcarmen is a luxury in the deep Boston bullpen who could immediately become the closer in Washington. There would be many potential lineup scenarios for Francona if the Sox can land Johnson. Based on his recent shuffle of the order that moved Dustin Pedroia to the leadoff spot, here is what the lineup could look like: 1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 2. Nick Johnson, 1B 3. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 4. Jason Bay, LF 5. J.D. Drew, RF 6. Mike Lowell, DH 7. Jason Varitek, C 8. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 9. Jed Lowrie/Nick Green/Julio Lugo, SS A lineup with that kind of depth, combined with the great starting pitching and bullpen, would make the Red Sox prohibitive favorites to win the 2009 World Series.