MVN: Most Valuable Network

Note: Jerry Hairston, Jr. re-signed with the Reds this week, and since it is becoming more and more likely that the Red Sox will simply use Lugo and Lowrie to cover the infield in 2009, we're going to take a look at Ty Wigginton and a few other players that could end up on the bench in Boston come April.

Ty Wigginton - 1B/2B/3B/OF

If you play fantasy baseball you know all about Ty Wigginton. He's a career .270 hitter with some pop and is usually eligible at every position on your fantasy roster. It's for this reason that the Red Sox should consider snatching this guy off the free agent market.

If Mike Lowell's return from hip surgery does not go well - Wiggy can fill in at third and enable Tito to keep Youk and his Gold Glove at first base. But if Youk needs a day off - Wiggy can handle that too. And if Jason Bay or JD Drew need a day off - Wiggy can do that too, but at 225 lbs, it might be best to keep him in left field where he played 30+ games for Houston in 2008.

Seriously, this guy's is the definition of "utility player" and I'm not sure why more teams aren't talking about him. He's 31 years old, he's just a year older than Bay and two years older than Youk... but he's two years on Drew and three on Lowell.

He logged 822 at-bats in one and half years with Tampa Bay, hitting .275 and 40 home runs. Then he hit .284 for Houston to finish the 2007 season, earning him more playing time in 2008. The Astros used him primarily at third base, but he did play 31 games in left, and hit .285 with 25 homers and 58 RBI from the 6th or 7th spot in the lineup.

Let's see, what is it the Red Sox are looking for right now? Oh that's right, another bat to protect Ortiz and bolster the middle of the lineup...

Don't get me wrong, Ty Wigginton is not Manny, but his offensive stats are comparable to Jason Bay's - the guy that could be sharing time with Youk in cleanup for the Sox this year:

Some rough math (multiply Wiggy's stats by 1.5 to get 579 ABs) suggests that Wigginton would have admittedly walked less than Bay (69/81), had he registered the same number of at-bats, but he would also have wiffed 30 less times than Bay (103/137).

Bottom Line: With enough at-bats, Jeff Bailey might offer the same kind of pop that Wiggy can offer, but Wigginton has more versatility and major league experience. One might argue that Wiggy's numbers could regress with a return the AL East, but he's just two years removed from Tampa Bay where, as we opened with, he hit .275 and knocked 40 ding dongs.

Also... I like to say "Wiggy."

Kevin Millar - 1B/DH

Ahhhh... El Bencho. Nobody would love to see Kevin Millar return to Boston, but Kevin's days of roaming the outfield appear to be done and I'm not sure we need another DH.

Millar also logged 531 at-bats with Baltimore last year, the most he's had since his first year in Boston (541)... so I'm not sure he's ready for a bench role. But after three years in Baltimore, Millar might just be itching from one more shot at the big stage, and there's no grander stage than Fenway Park in October.

Okay - this is a pipe dream for Kevin and me both, but he did have 20 homers and 72 RBI last year, despite a .234 average. A .280 BA through three years in Boston might suggest that a return to Fenway could fix that problem...

Eric Hinkse - OF/1B

Another ex-Sox that was a fan favorite in his short time in Boston. With a serious bump in playing time in Tampa Bay last season, Hinske's production numbers more than doubled.

Millar and Hinske actually have quite a bit in common: Both players remained in the AL East after leaving the Red Sox. Both players knocked 20 homers and saw their production increase with more at-bats. And both players have watched their averaged plummet after leaving Boston...

Bottom Line: We're not looking for any of these Battle for the Bench candidates to anchor the lineup, so Eric's .254 BA doesn't concern me. In fact, his versatility and familiarity with Fenway Park's nooks and crannies, makes me think that Hinske, Millar and Kotsay are all on Theo's radar as we inch closer to Spring Training...

For the record, here are Bill James' projection for these three players:

James 2009: Wigginton - 520 AB, .269 BA, 31 2B, 23 HR, 75 RBI 

James 2009: Millar - 407 AB, .253 AVG, 23 2B, 14 HR, 55 RBI

James 2009: Hinske - 339 AB, .245 AVG, 21 2B, 14 HR, 47 RBI 

I hope you guys enjoyed this feature. The FBAL guys make me look like a kindegardener when it comes to analizing the stats, but I hope you guys had as much fun reading these posts as I did writing them.