The baseball world fixated on the New York Yankees' pursuit of Randy Johnson leading up to Saturday's trade deadline. However, it was the Yankees' arch rival, the Boston Red Sox, who made the weekend's headlines. The Sox traded shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, a five-time all star and two-time batting champion, in return for shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. While the Sox lost a Boston icon in the trade, they will ultimately be a better team because of it as they now become the favorite to win the American League pennant.
The trade allowed the Sox to address their biggest weakness: defense. Nomar has been nagged by recent injuries and that, coupled with the lack of a true first baseman, resulted in the Sox having the worst defensive infield in the AL. By acquiring Mientkiewicz and Cabrera -- both Gold Glove winners -- the team not only their infield defense, but also transformed the unit into the league's best.
The improved defense should bolster the team's pitching, too. In particular, sinker-ball pitcher Derek Lowe, who frequently induces batters into groundballs and thus requires strong infield defense, should be re-invigorated by the additions. By fortifying the defense behind the inconsistent Lowe, the Sox essentially added a new, quality starting pitcher.
With the improved pitching and defense to complement the team's offensive firepower, the Red Sox now stand alone with the Yankees as the league's two most complete teams. All the other contenders still face major problems: Oakland and Minnesota lack offense while Anaheim, Texas, and Chicago lack solid pitching and experience.
In the end, perhaps the most significant trade was the one that never happened: Randy Johnson not becoming a Yankee. Without Johnson, the Yankees will be forced to rely on a depleted starting rotation and over-used bullpen. In contrast, the Red Sox can put forth a trio of Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and a revamped Lowe and a healthier, deeper bullpen. Since the Sox possess an offense equal to that of the Yankees, their superior defense and pitching give them the overall edge.
When Nomar first arrived in Boston, many heralded him as the player to help lead the way to ending the team's championship drought. Ironically, by leaving the team this year, he may do just that.
