While the Red Sox wait for all-stars Carl Crawford ($22 million/year) and Jacoby Ellsbury ($8 million) to return, they certainly have done well with their bargain basement replacements.
Posednick ($1.65M/yr) has hit.387 in 62 at bats, Nava ($400K) .340 with 21 runs and 21 RBI 106 at bats, Ryan Sweeney ($1.75M) .292 in 171 at bats, and even Marlon Byrd ($400K) hit .270 in 100 at-bats in Boston before being let go. And right fielder Cody Ross ($3 million) produces at the rate of 35 homers and 130 RBI per 162 games played.
Add to that the fact that Middlebrooks is playing like an all-star for $400K, that Saltalamacchia ($2.5 million) projects to 31 homers and 80 RBI in 130 games this year, and shortstop Mike Aviles is outproducing the dependable and underappreciated Marco Scutaro for one fifth the price ($1.2 million v $6 million) and now highly regarded Ryan Kalish with his $400K salary may have finally arrived.
Felix Doubront has been the ace of the starting rotation for just $485,000, Aceves the dependable closer, gets $1.2M. Reclamation project Andrew Miller has pitched lights out relief in 15 of 17 relief appearances, posting an overall ERA of 1.88 while being under contract this season for just $1,080,000. And Mark Melancon ($520,000), who had a horrific 4 game Red Sox debut that exiled him and his 49.5 ERA to Pawtuckett, where he gave up just two runs and had an ERA of 0.83, has now found his groove and has an ERA of 0.00 in four relief appearances since he has returned.
That's nearly half of a major league roster of exceptional performers under contract to get paid under $11 million of the Red Sox current $173 million annual payroll.
This season is looking like pennant winning year 2007, when Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Papelbon, Buchholz and Okajima received about $3.2 million of the Red Sox $160 million payroll.
Posednick ($1.65M/yr) has hit.387 in 62 at bats, Nava ($400K) .340 with 21 runs and 21 RBI 106 at bats, Ryan Sweeney ($1.75M) .292 in 171 at bats, and even Marlon Byrd ($400K) hit .270 in 100 at-bats in Boston before being let go. And right fielder Cody Ross ($3 million) produces at the rate of 35 homers and 130 RBI per 162 games played.
Add to that the fact that Middlebrooks is playing like an all-star for $400K, that Saltalamacchia ($2.5 million) projects to 31 homers and 80 RBI in 130 games this year, and shortstop Mike Aviles is outproducing the dependable and underappreciated Marco Scutaro for one fifth the price ($1.2 million v $6 million) and now highly regarded Ryan Kalish with his $400K salary may have finally arrived.
Felix Doubront has been the ace of the starting rotation for just $485,000, Aceves the dependable closer, gets $1.2M. Reclamation project Andrew Miller has pitched lights out relief in 15 of 17 relief appearances, posting an overall ERA of 1.88 while being under contract this season for just $1,080,000. And Mark Melancon ($520,000), who had a horrific 4 game Red Sox debut that exiled him and his 49.5 ERA to Pawtuckett, where he gave up just two runs and had an ERA of 0.83, has now found his groove and has an ERA of 0.00 in four relief appearances since he has returned.
That's nearly half of a major league roster of exceptional performers under contract to get paid under $11 million of the Red Sox current $173 million annual payroll.
This season is looking like pennant winning year 2007, when Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Papelbon, Buchholz and Okajima received about $3.2 million of the Red Sox $160 million payroll.
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