As the two most notable free agents of the 2010-2011 MLB offseason, outfielders Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth will forever be compared. Both have the potential to excel in their current situations, but there will always be the "what if" factor.
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe is already pondering that question , and he says that the consensus is that while Crawford is the better player, Werth may have been the better fit for the Red Sox.
Cafardo says that in addition to being right-handed, Werth is more of hard-nosed, middle-of-the-order hitter, which could have complemented the current Red Sox lineup quite nicely. He said one American League GM told him that, while Crawford should have a big impact with the Sox, Werth would have been the better fit because he balances their lineup better.
Crawford, he says, is more of a No. 1 or No. 2 hitter, which the Red Sox are having a difficult time finding the right spot for.
Cafardo notes that Werth's career OPS (.921) is a lot higher than Crawford's (.777) and that, while Werth is two years older, Crawford has endured more wear and tear; he's played in 1,247 career games, compared to Werth's 788.
He also notes that the Red Sox already had a Crawford-type player in fellow outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.
One National League GM also said, according to Cafardo, "One of the worst decisions both by a team and by a player was Jason Bay leaving Boston."
He quoted the GM as saying Bay was "so perfect as a power-hitting right-handed bat" in the Red Sox lineup, and that, as good as Crawford is, "they miss Bay and Bay misses them."
It's intriguing to look back at the past couple of offseasons, but Cafardo admits that the next few months and years will ultimately paint a clearer picture.
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