Red Sox Second Basemen

The Red Sox are trying to recover from a disastrous collapse in 2011.  Their method right now appears to be to keep everything that works intact and put a band-aid on the things that didn't work.  One area that shouldn't need a band-aid is second base.

1.  Dustin Pedroia:  Pedroia had a good season on all fronts last year, finishing with a .307 batting average, 102 runs scored, 21 homers, and 26 stolen bases.  He turns 29 in August and should still be in his prime.  The Red Sox are hoping that he can repeat with another strong season in 2012.

2.  Nick Punto:  Punto was signed as a free agent after winning the World Series with St. Louis last season.  A veteran utility player, he can play just about anywhere but the Red Sox only have him penciled in to see considerable time at second.  Last season he batted .278 in 133 at-bats for St. Louis.  The Red Sox would welcome that type of production from him again in 2012, though good versatile defense with not a whole lot of offense is more likely from the 34-year-old infielder.

3.  Mike Aviles:  Valentine had Aviles penciled in to get a lot of playing time in left at the beginning of the season following wrist surgery for LF Carl Crawford, but with the departure of SS Marco Scutaro and the trading of IF Jed Lowrie, Aviles has suddenly emerged as the everyday shortstop.  Having said that, he still figures to get some time at second base, and maybe even in left every now and again and at other positions as well.  But with Pedroia figuring to be out there most of the time and Punto available for good defense his innings at second should be few and far between.

4.  Oscar Tejeda:  Tejeda is a top prospect in Boston's system who was converted to second from shortstop in 2010.  Tejeda needs another year in the Minors, but Boston has added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule V Draft.  He had a rough season last year at Portland, batting .249 in 457 at-bats and striking out 101 times, while only drawing 29 walks.  He also made 24 errors in the field, which is really too many.  The Red Sox will look for him to display more patience at the plate next season, cut down on his strikeouts, and raise his batting average back up to about .270.  He also needs to improve upon his defense.

The Red Sox look good at second base.  Pedroia is a star in every sense of the word.  Punto is a good backup.  Aviles is a good option to have in an emergency.  Tejeda is still a promising young player whom the Red Sox believe in, but he took a big step back last season.