Years from now, when baseball historians look back on the 2009 Yankees, they'll remember them for the exorbitant amount of money they spent and the historic dividends it paid. By investing $423 million last winter in CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, the Bronx Bombers all but assured themselves of World Series glory — not just now, but in the years ahead as well.
The Red Sox went into this offseason knowing that if they want to compete on that level, they have to spend the big bucks too. And while it may not be a cool $423 mil, the Red Sox have spent handsomely on their 2010 championship quest.
The signings of John Lackey, Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro add up to just over $120 million in new contracts added in the last month and a half. And while that might not be even in the same universe with the cash the Yankees doled out, it gets the job done just fine in Boston.
The Red Sox were a competitive team in 2009 — they won 95 games and the American League wild card. They weren't in the market for a complete overhaul this winter — they just needed a few minor tweaks to make their team even better for 2010. It wasn't about big contracts for huge superstars — the Red Sox just needed deeper pitching, better defense and a complete lineup from one through nine.
In Lackey, they get the best starting pitching upgrade money can buy. They add yet another All-Star to a pitching staff already packed with them — and with him in the fold, their rotation is better than ever. They're not pressured to use Tim Wakefield in a starting role, they're not compelled to rush Michael Bowden or Junichi Tazawa back to the majors, and they're not even all that worried about injuries. With pitching this deep, they've got contingency plans for whatever comes their way.
And in the postseason? Lights out. No one will have a better 1-2-3 playoff rotation than Lackey, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. No one.
In Cameron, the Red Sox get the flexibility to vastly improve their outfield defensively. Cameron, one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, will man the deep, cavernous center field at Fenway Park, and Jacoby Ellsbury can move to the shallower left field while he works on developing his range. And if the veteran outfielder gives the Red Sox 25-homer power, as he's plenty capable of doing? Well, that's just gravy.
Beltre is the sleek new replacement for Mike Lowell — he's younger, he's cheaper, he's better defensively at this stage, and he'll probably pack just as much punch at the plate.
Scutaro has blossomed into a star shortstop in his early 30s — he put up a .379 on-base percentage last season, finishing in the AL's top 10 in walks. He's a perfect player for the Red Sox' system.
None of these players are MVP candidates. They don't carry the swagger of a Teixeira or a Sabathia, but they're all important steps toward making the Red Sox competitive with the Bombers in 2010.
The Red Sox have given up on outspending the Yankees. Reasonably speaking, it's just not possible. But the Red Sox are smarter than that — they're finding ways to do more with less.
Reliable pitchers and efficient defenders can be had a lot cheaper than monster home run and strikeout totals. The Red Sox are building a winning team by doing the little things — and doing them well.
Have the Red Sox spent enough to dethrone the Yankees next season? On paper, no, they haven't. But that's beside the point. The Sox may never have a $200 million payroll, but they're ready to win anyway.
