The LaRoche move seems fine, just unexciting. I was kind of hoping to steal Scott Rolen though

Lugo got shipped to St Louis for Chis Duncan. Don't get why they're even bothering, he doesn't look any better than Bailey/Carter to me

Once they DFAed Lugo, my assumption was that they'd get nothing for him. So, in this case, Chris Duncan is quite literally better than nothing. Both this and the LaRoche deals are solid moves that improve the team a bit around the margins while giving up very, very little.

I think the Sox are right to take this approach to 2009--tinker a bit here and there, but refrain from doing anything drastic--and hope/expect the considerable talent they've already assembled will pick it up soon and get back to their division-leading ways. Henry tweeted something to this effect last night, i.e. don't expect any blockbusters because the price in prospects would be too high. I'm fine with that.

Lowell's in the lineup against a lefty.

It's not necessary, for the LaRoche deal to upgrade the club, that Lowell sit against every single opposing righty. This series, for instance, the O's are starting three RHP in a row, and I'm ok with Lowell getting one of these starts. But just one.

Or maybe this suggests that the Tito and Theo think that Mike Lowell will be able to recover and be an effective enough fielder and runner that he deserves to start. (This would then be reminiscent of the Mientkiewicz / Millar deal of '04, where we all were convinced that the trade could make sense because Millar sucked and Minky was an improvement, but then Millar went on a nice little tear and Mientkiewicz became an expensive Dave Stapleton.)

Maybe it's both, Mikael. Maybe they think Lowell can come back, but that the best way for him to do that is for LaRoche to get something like 70% of the starts while Lowell's hip continues to heal.

That's my hope, anyway. With any luck, come October this team will (a) be in the playoffs and (b) have three reasonably healthy and productive options to choose from at the corner infield positions.

Well, they used some of their chips in a good way.