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.

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.