the two worst were JD DREW and GARY MATTHEWS JR.
gary matthews is not worth 10 million a year for 5 years, especially since the only “good” season he had came last season, at age 32, in a hitter friendly ballpark at the top of a very potent lineup. in addition, as a switch hitter, he is prone to slumps from either side of the plate (or both) and has more work to do to maintain a good hitting stroke. i understand the value of his defense, but that alone does not justify the deal.
jd drew’s deal, monetarily at 14 million a year, was a good move by the red sox, except for one thing. they gave him 5 years. this is a guy who has topped 80 RBI TWICE in his career. he has also only topped 140 games twice in his career, in the same seasons. counting on him to stay relatively healthy for 2-3 years is one thing. but at age 31, to look to him to still be healthy and productive (as well as maintain maneuverability in the deep fenway RF AND speed on the basepaths) until age 36 is a very large stretch. i could see this contract becoming an albatross for boston down the road, and that has nothing to do with the fact i’m a yankee fan.
