The Boston Red Sox actually found a taker for shortstop Julio Lugo. And get this: They even got something in return!

On the same day the BoSox traded for Pirates’ first baseman Adam LaRoche, they also acquired Chris Duncan from the Cardinals in exchange for Lugo, whom Boston will still have to pay $13.5 million over the next two and a half years.

Of course, trading Lugo for Duncan is like swapping your broken Neo-Geo for your buddy’s broken Sega Genesis. Neither team is getting anything of any real value, although both clubs have to be glad to get the stench of these players out of their organizations.

Lugo gives the Cardinals an experienced backup at shortstop who provides depth off the bench, although his defense is brutal, he can’t hit and his speed has seriously diminished. So…good luck with that.

In Duncan, the Red Sox get something for Lugo, although that something is a 28-year-old outfielder that has no upside, can’t hit and is a liability on defense. But again, they found a trade partner for Lugo, whom they would have taken a big bucket of sunflower seeds and an extra rosen bag for. Maybe a change of scenery will help Duncan realize his mediocre potential and he’ll develop into a decent bat off the bench. But if he doesn’t, Theo Epstein and company isn’t going to lose sleep over it.

Anyone up for some Sonic the Hedgehog?

No matter where you are right now, if you listen close enough you’ll hear the faint chants of jubilation coming from the Boston, Massachusetts’s area.

BoSox fans your wish has come true: Julio Lugo has officially been designated for assignment, which means he no longer will haunt your baseball dreams.

The Red Sox now have 10 days to either trade Lugo, release him or re-assign him.
The Red Sox have put feelers out for a potential trade partner for Lugo, though they’d likely be on the hook for the most — if not all — of the $13.5 million the shortstop is owed through the end of 2010.

Such a situation would have seemed unthinkable in December 2006, when the Red Sox signed Lugo off the free-agent market for four years at $36 million.

Originally signed to be the club’s leadoff hitter, Lugo struggled early in his first season and never fully rebounded to be the sparkplug the Red Sox remember playing against with the Tampa Bay Rays. Lugo has batted in the bottom portion of the order during most of his time in Boston. But the bigger issue was his defense.

After making 16 errors in the first half of the 2008 season, Lugo tore his left quad and missed the entire second half.

He came to Spring Training this season eager to try to reclaim his job in a position battle with Lowrie. But that plan ended when Lugo, 33, had to undergo right knee surgery in March.

Though Lowrie had to undergo left wrist surgery in April, Lugo couldn’t capitalize on the opening once he returned to the roster on April 27. His range was seemingly limited from his leg woes, and he was supplanted by Green for good in late May.

Playing in 37 games this season, Lugo hit .284 with one homer and eight RBIs. He made seven errors in 97 total chances.

Lugo was brutal from the moment he signed and what made matters worse was that Boston had to hang onto him because of his inflated salary. There’s obviously no guarantee that a free agent signing will pan out and there have been hundreds of FA busts over the years.

But Lugo will definitely go down as one of the worst free agent signings in some time, especially considering that Boston once had Hanley Ramirez in its farm system. Granted, the Red Sox got Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell out of that deal with Florida for Ramirez, but still, Lugo wouldn’t have been signed had Boston stuck with Hanley.

According to a report by FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, the Red Sox are willing to eat Julio Logo’s remaining salary in a trade.

The Red Sox, facing a roster bind as they prepare for the returns of shortstop Jed Lowrie and third baseman Mike Lowell, have informed teams that they are willing to assume virtually all of shortstop Julio Lugo’s remaining salary in a trade, according to a major-league source.

While another source told FOXSports.com earlier Thursday that the Sox were “desperately” trying to move Lugo, the second source offered a different view.

The Red Sox, he said, recognize that Lugo is a “sunk cost,” and would accept a fringe prospect for him in return. In other words, they are willing to assume the same financial burden that they would if they released him.

A release could be the ultimate outcome. The Red Sox are likely to designate Lugo for assignment if they are unable to trade him once Lowrie returns.

The problem with Lugo’s trade value — besides his erratic defense since returning from knee surgery — is his contract. Lugo, 33, is owed the remainder of his $9 million salary this season, plus $9 million next season. The Sox have been trying to move him since last off-season.

Boston is going to have a tough time moving Lugo, even if they do eat all of his salary. He’s brutal defensively, has zero pop and is already 33. He’s done.

Whether it’s that reliever that always seems to blow tight games in late innings, that batter that leaves runners on the bases, or that starter that walks seven batters an inning, every team has at least one player that as a fan, you’d rather set your eyelids on fire than watch trot onto the field for just one more inning.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 infuriating, punch-a-hole-through-your-wall MLB players to watch. Granted, this list is by no means all-inclusive (and I implore you the reader to list the guys that drive you nuts in the comments section). But these are the 10 that seem to make my blood boil on a consistent basis, whether they’re playing for my favorite team or not.

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I get it – baseball trades are fun. They’re fun to speculate about, they’re fun to debate and they’re fun to analyze. But just because a club needs a bat, an arm or is just looking to shrink salary, doesn’t mean that a trade needs to happen.

I’ve compiled a list of five trade rumors and where they originated. I then discuss why each of them makes sense, but why they also don’t necessarily need to happen.

Rumor #1: The Red Sox will trade for Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Why it makes sense: Boston is growing impatient waiting for Jed Lowrie to recover from a wrist injury that has held him out since mid-April. They’re also tired of watching Julio Lugo (who is equally bad offensively as he is defensively) make a mockery of the game whenever he trots onto the field. While Nick Green has done well filling in for Lowrie while he’s been hurt and for Lugo while he continues to work on being the most overpaid player in professional sports, the Sox feel they could do better with Wilson. (There’s also a rumor making the rounds that Boston wouldn’t have to give up any top prospects in order to acquire Wilson – they just would need to take on the rest of his salary.)
Why it doesn’t need to happen: Wilson is excellent defensively, but he brings very little to the table in terms of offense. He’s also overpaid himself, as he’ll make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 despite being limited at the dish. While waiting for Lowrie to return to the field has been a slow death for the Sox, he’s cheaper than Wilson and gives the team a better overall player at the position (when he’s healthy, of course). Plus, Green has played well and Boston might be better served holding onto prospects in order to make a more productive move around the trade deadline (i.e. adding another bat in case David Oritz plans on hitting south of .200 all season) than one involving Wilson.

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According to a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, trade rumors between the Red Sox and Pirates involving shortstop Jack Wilson are starting to heat up. There is some hesitation, however, on the Pittsburgh’s behalf because the club doesn’t want to alienate its fan base by trading away another popular player as it did last week when they dealt Nate McLouth to the Braves.

While Boston would love to add a shortstop while Jed Lowrie continues to recover from a wrist injury, I don’t know if Wilson would be the right fit. While he’s excellent defensively, Wilson brings little to the table offensively and he’s grossly overpaid (he’s set to make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 with a club option buyout of $600,000).

Even though Lowrie is hurt, he should return at some point this year and he gives the Sox a better overall player at the position than Wilson does. Not to mention, Lowrie is also cheaper.

The problem is waiting for Lowrie to return. He’s been out since mid April and while Nick Green has filled in admirably, he doesn’t offer much long-term upside. The other issue is that with Lowrie out, there’s a possibility that Julio Lugo may continue to see the field and as all Sox fans know, that’s a tragedy.

Personally, I think Boston would be better off not making a move for Wilson. Lowrie offers the Sox the most upside at the position and while it may be painful waiting for him to return, they might be better off in the long run if they hold off on making any moves (at least at shortstop).

According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox “have left no stone unturned” in looking for a shortstop to replace Julio Lugo. The club would love to plug Jed Lowrie into the position, but the 25-year old hasn’t played since early April due to a wrist injury.

Some of the names that the Sox have been linked to around the league include Omar Vizquel, Jack Wilson, J.J. Hardy, Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Crosby, Jason Donald and Miguel Tejada, but so far no trade has come to fruition.

I’m not a Red Sox fan, but even I’d rather scratch my eyes out with an ice pick than watch Lugo play another inning. He’s absolutely brutal in all facets of the game and it’s flabbergasting how much Boston is currently paying him ($9 million this year, $9 million in 2010, $9 million in 2011) to be the worst player on the diamond most nights. At some point, the Sox are just going to have to eat that contact to ensure Lugo never plays in Boston again.

Getting back to the club’s options, Vizquel has openly said that he wants to play for the Sox (which is a bit of a slap in the face to his current team the Rangers, but moving on…) and is currently batting .345 this season. He’s 79 years old (at least), but the guy still plays shortstop like he’s 30, so he would be an immediate upgrade over Lugo defensively.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Red Sox make a move or if they’ll just wait for Lowrie to come back (whenever that may be). If they decide to wait, here’s hoping for Boston fans that Nick Green continues to see the field and not that suck-the-life-out-of-you Lugo.

Rays’ outfielder Carl Crawford was a one-man wrecking crew in Tampa’s 5-3 win over the Red Sox on Sunday, going 4 for 4 with two runs scored an RBI and oh yeah, six stolen bases. Crawford tied a modern MLB record and joined Eric Young, Otis Nixon and Eddie Collins as the only players in baseball history to ever steal six bases.

Everybody in the building seemed to know what was going on. That is, except Crawford, who was aware of how many steals he had but had no clue that just three other players had accomplished the same since 1900.

“I found that out late. I wish I had known during the game,” said Crawford, who got No. 6 in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

“I probably would have broken it if I knew. I’d have definitely tried,” he added. “I didn’t even try. I don’t know if that will ever happen again.”

“He’s good,” catcher Jason Varitek agreed, “and he’s got the speed to go along with it.”

If you watched the game or saw the highlights, you would know that Varitek never even had a chance to gun down Crawford on any of his steal attempts. Brad Penny didn’t do a good enough job holding him on and even when Varitek did get off a throw it was either nowhere near the bag (see his first attempt) or dead on, but seconds behind Crawford’s slide. Crawford’s day was truly an impressive feat.

And I know I’m just throwing salt in the wounds of BoSox fans, but how bad is Julio Lugo? He can’t make even the most routine plays at short and he’s brutal offensively. Outside of speed and a veteran presence in the clubhouse, he brings little to the table, yet is eating $9 million in salary this season.