An ERA of 9.00

For all the major acquisitions of this off-season, the Boston Red Sox will enter the 2006 campaign with a pitcher who has a career ERA of 9.00. Fortunately, he hits a littler better than that.

New Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta threw an inning of relief for the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2001 season. Though he did give up a hit and an earned run in that appearance, Loretta also struck out two major league hitters. Okay, one may have been a pitcher, but he still struck out a major league hitter.

Loretta’s versatility may come in handy for the Red Sox this year. In addition to being a career .300 hitter, he’s played all four infield positions and some left field. Not bad when you consider all the Red Sox gave up was a catcher who only caught every five days.

92 Ks for Mike Lowell in 2002

A number like that won’t make anyone forget Mark Bellhorn. Yet that represents Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell’s career high. Ironically, during his catastrophic 2005 season, he struck out only 58 times while playing a Gold Glove third base (Bill Mueller struck out 74 times in ’05).

The significance of those numbers? Well, if Lowell returns to form, the Boston Red Sox have a Gold Glove third baseman who averaged more than 20 HRs and 80+ RBI per season from 2000-04 while never striking out more than 100 times. That’s an extremely unusual stat for a power hitter.

So while Boston Red Sox fans might consider Lowell to be the dead weight part of the Josh Beckett deal, he could certainly make what seems to be a one-sided trade into something of Ruthian proportions if he returns to his form of just two years ago.