More On Boston's #16, Marco Scutaro

New Boston Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro was in town yesterday and proudly showed his number sixteen Red Sox uniform and cap to the assembled media. To say he looked like a happy man is an understatement. He signed a two-year $12.5 million contract with a club option for a third year for $6 million or a player option for $3 million. By the way, he was almost snatched by the A's. Here he is...

“There was a team that was making a real good offer, but I can say this, I took a little less money just to come here, to have a chance to win a ring,’’ Scutaro said yesterday. You get to a point where you just want to live the experience, you want to be in the World Series, you want to win the ring,’’ Scutaro said. “And I think this is the perfect team to go there.’’

With that kind of attitude, the Fenway Faithful and all of Red Sox Nation and Red Sox International will love him. Boston GM Theo Epstein spoke of the club's thinking process about Marco, who will be a perfect fit for two years until Iglesias will be ready to take over the six hole...

“We were looking to upgrade at shortstop. Right from the start, we identified Marco as the best free agent and a guy who would be the best fit for this ball club. When someone has a career year, a best of his career year at age 33, I think you have to look at it with some scrutiny. The more we looked at Marco’s career, and broke down his performance from the time he played in the minor leagues through his transition period into the big leagues to his career as a utility guy to the last couple years, it’s clear there’s been improvement. We don’t expect him to go out every year and repeat what he did last year, that would be unrealistic to expect that,’’ Epstein said. “But I think we feel like we’re seeing a really good player finally get his chance. Marco’s got great hands. He’s got good range. He knows how to play all the infield positions."

He sure sounds like he'll be a perfect fit for that team from New England. The entire deal will be finalized after his complete physical, including a close look at his right heel which was hurting him and ended his '09 season two weeks early. The cause of his pain was determined to be plantar fascitis. Any pressure on that heel caused him jolting pain and limited his range enough to ride the bench. PF is a sometimes re-occuring ailment and we have to hope that that is not the case for the upcoming season. I think he'll be great. Now Theo Epstein must turn his eyes to acquiring a couple power bats (left field and first base), two arms for the bullpen and maybe (doubtful but maybe) another starting pitcher. Yes, he has his hands full but to be able to be competitive with those New York pinstripers, those moves are essential.

I hope you have a great weekend as we here in north central Connecticut and much of New England expect a few inches of snow later in the day. It's no big deal but because it will be the first measurable (?) white stuff of the season, it's worth mentioning.

You can click on this post's title for SI's Red Sox home page. As always and forever, BE WELL. I need you here to read my sometimes rambling but most of the time sensible thoughts about the Boston Red Sox, MY baseball team. Thanks.