One Year Wonder: Class of 2022

One way to try to catch up on these is to go each year and cover the players.  I had everyone from 2021 covered (Adam Ottavino, Danny Santana and Kyle Schwarber).  I did previously cover Matt Strahm and Michael Wacha in individual posts, but I thought I would do a post for the remaining players.  I will only cover those for whom cards have been made, so no Yolmer Sanchez, Jake Diekman, Abraham Almonte or Jaylin Davis, all of whom were covered in my Red Sox With No Cards post covering 2022.  That leaves me with two players.  

ERIC HOSMER

Eric Hosmer was once a big star.  He was a major part of the Kansas City Royals team that appeared in back-to-back World Series, winning it all in 2015.  He was a four-time Gold Glover and also won a Silver Slugger and was an All Star in 2016.  He hit over .300 a couple of times, twice hit 25 home runs and had a 100 RBI season.  Then, he signed a huge deal with the Padres and that was a horrendous move for him.  He had a decent power season his second year in San Diego, but by and large his hitting stats took a nosedive.  The Padres attempted to move him in the deal that brought Juan Soto to the Padres, but he exercised his no-trade clause.  He was convinced to waive his rights and approve a trade to the Red Sox, which the Padres sweetened by adding a couple of prospects in return for former top prospect Jay Groome.  Hosmer appeared in just 14 games for the Red Sox, hitting .244/.320/.311 with just three doubles, no homers and four RBIs.  He played for the Cubs in 2023, but his power was still gone and that was it for the former Royals star.  Hosmer does not come close to being in the conversation for All-Time One-Year Wonder first-baseman, which is held by Nick Esasky.

TOMMY PHAM

Pham has had an interesting Major League career.  He was a role player for a few seasons with the Cardinals before a big season in 2017 in which he hit over .300 and had more than 20 home runs.  The next season was similar, but had him traded to the Rays in a deadline deal.  He had another big year in 2019 before being traded to the Padres along with Jake Cronenworth for a package that included Hunter Renfroe.  He had a chaotic stint in San Diego.  He signed with the Reds prior to the 2022 season and was reasonably productive.  He was traded to the Red Sox for a minor leaguer at the deadline.  Pham played in 53 games for Boston, hitting .234/.298/.374.  He had 12 doubles, six homers and drove in 24 runs.  After the season, he was once again a free agent.  Since 2022, he has played for the Mets, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Cardinals, Royals and Pirates.  He is still active at this time, though he is once more a free agent.  Pham also does not come close to being in the conversation for All-Time One-Year Wonder left-fielder, which is held by Cliff Floyd.

One Year Wonder Pt. 32: Adam Ottavino

In an extremely rare move, Adam Ottavino was acquired in a "trade" from the Yankees.  Once one of the premier middle relievers with the Rockies and Yankees, Ottavino had a rough season in 2020.  His first season with the Yankees, he had a 1.90 ERA in 73 games with 88 strikeouts in 66.1 innings, but his ERA ballooned to 5.89 in 2020.  His contract was fairly expensive and the Yankees were looking to move him, even dangling a prospect for a team to come in and simply take him off their hands if they paid the entire contract.  The Red Sox stepped up and acquired Ottavino along with flamethrower Franklin German.

Ottavino had a good, if somewhat inconsistent, season in his only year in Boston. The right-hander notably wore the jersey number 0 (for Ottavino), becoming just the second player in Red Sox history to do so (Brandon Phillips was the other one).  He was primarily a middle reliever, but due to Boston having some closer issues at various points, he found himself in the role off and on.

Ottavino's 69 games pitched led the team and he threw 62 innings.  He had a record of 7-3 with a 4.21 ERA that was inflated by a couple of bad outings.  He struck out 71 batters while walking 35.  His eleven saves were second on the team to incumbent closer Matt Barnes.  He made it into five games in the postseason, giving up just one run in four innings pitched and struck out three.

After the season, Ottavino was allowed to leave as a free agent and joined the Mets.  He is still active this season.  

As far as his stance on the All Time One Year Wonder list, though he had a decent year, it is not close to enough to unseat Takashi Saito as middle reliever.  If considered as a closer, which is somewhat debatable, he is probably a little closer to the top, but still not better than Rick Aguilera.

All-Time One-Year Wonder Update: Right-Handed Starting Pitcher

I recently grabbed this autograph card of Michael Wacha, so it is time to determine if he can unseat Hideo Nomo as the top one-year wonder right-handed starter.

Wacha was signed as a free agent from the Rays prior to the lockout in the offseason before 2022.  He had been a rookie standout with the Cardinals and pitched in the 2013 World Series against the Red Sox.  He pitched three terrific games in the postseason, leading up to the World Series and was named the NLCS MVP.  He pitched another great game in Game 2 of the World Series, winning it, but then losing the clinching Game 6.

Wacha was an All Star in 2015, but then injuries started to take their toll.  He was eventually allowed to leave for the Mets in 2020.  He had a rough season there and continued to struggle in 2021 with the Rays.  Not a lot was expected of him coming to the Red Sox, but he surprised everyone with the season he had.

2022 saw Wacha have his best season since his injury-shortened 2018.  He quickly proved to be the most consistent of Boston's starters, though he did still miss some time due to injuries.  Wacha put up a very impressive 11-2 record in 23 games started, pitching 127.1 innings with a 3.32 ERA.  He struck out 104 while walking just 31.  He threw a shutout, which ended up leading the league.  He recorded a 4.14 FIP, 1.115 WHIP and 3.35 strikeout to walk ratio.

So, how does he compare to my All-Time One-Year Wonder Right-Handed Starter?  Well, Wacha had a better winning percentage by a significant margin (.846 to .565) and ERA (Nomo was 4.50) and he generally had better rate stats, beating Nomo in BB9 (2.2 to 4.4) and strikeouts to walks (Nomo was 2.29).  He also ended up having a higher WAR (3.3 to 3.1) despite the fact that he pitched ten fewer games and more than 70 fewer innings.  Finally, he walked significantly fewer batters.  Nomo led the league with 96 walks, more than three times as many as Wacha.  So analytics seem to prefer Wacha.

The biggest point against Wacha is obviously the fact that he pitched in fewer games and fewer innings.  That allowed Nomo to record some numbers higher than Wacha.  First and foremost would be the number of victories.  Nomo won 13 games, two more than Wacha, but had Wacha pitched more, he likely would have tied that.  Nomo threw 198 innings as well.  Nomo also has Wacha beat in shutouts (two), complete games (two) and strikeouts (220).  Strikeouts is the biggest point in Nomo's favor as Wacha would likely not have come close to that number even if he had pitched 198 innings.  Nomo led the league in strikeouts and SO9 (10.0).  

So where does that leave us?  I am tempted to give the title over to Wacha, because he seems to have been generally better than Nomo, but health is extremely important as well.  The Red Sox were able to count on Nomo to make almost every start in 2001 and he threw nearly 200 innings.  Coupled with his league lead in strikeouts and the no-hitter, and I think I am going to keep Nomo as the winner.  Plus, there is the fact that Nomo was a more well-known pitcher and that I was generally much more invested in seeing Nomo pitch, and there is the answer.  

Any thoughts?  Agree?  Disagree?

One Year Wonder Pt. 31: Garrett Richards

Garrett Richards always seemed like he was just on the cusp of turning into a very good pitcher.  He had a couple of great seasons in 2014 and 2015, then suffered significant injury setbacks over the next few years.  He was finally mostly healthy in 2020 and had some decent pitching metrics.  It allowed the Red Sox to take a flyer on him in 2021, signing him to a one-year deal.

Richards started the 2021 season in the rotation.  He was very inconsistent, seemingly alternating poor starts and good ones.  He seemed to be trending in the right direction after a start in which he struck out ten over seven one-run innings against the Mets.  But early in the season, MLB announced new rules which were meant to crack down on substances used for gripping the ball.  Richards was one of the pitchers who suffered greatly from this change.  After his ERA increased to over 5.00, he was removed from the rotation and put in the bullpen.

Richards flourished for awhile in the bullpen and even notched three saves, even though he was not the primary closer.  Two of those saves involved him pitching three innings of scoreless ball.  Both times he struck out four batters.  His final numbers in the regular season were a record of 7-8, an ERA of 4.87 in 136.2 innings pitched (his most since 2015).  He struck out 115 batters and walked 60.  He only appeared in the postseason for a third of an inning against the Rays in the ALDS, allowing no hits or walks.  After the season, Richards signed a deal with the Rangers and pitched mostly out of the bullpen.  

So, how does he measure up on my All-Time One-Year Wonder post?  He qualifies more as a starter than a reliever, but it does not really matter where you put him.  He is not unseating either Hideo Nomo or Takashi Saito.

One Year Wonder Pt. 30: Travis Lakins

Our next recent One-Year Wonder is reliever Travis Lakins.  Lakins was drafted by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft out of Big 10 power house Ohio State.  Lakins moved steadily through the minors, accumulating impressive pitching numbers.  His best season was in 2018 when he had a 2.32 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched over 36 games.  

Lakins made his Major League debut in a doubleheader against the Tigers.  He pitched 2.2 innings, giving up a run and striking out two while walking none.  Lakins came up a couple of times throughout  the season.  He started three games as an opener, which Boston experimented with heavily in 2019 and 2020.  Lakins made it into 16 games in 2019, throwing 23.1 innings.  He had a record of 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.  He struck out 18, while walking 10.  He looked like a potential bullpen piece going forward.

Lakins was traded to the Cubs in January of 2020 for Jhonny Pereda, mostly in order to open up a roster spot.  He never pitched for the Cubs as he was placed on waivers ten days later.  The Orioles snatched him up and were able to keep him on their roster.  He had a very good season in 2020, pitching to a 2.81 ERA in 22 games.  Boston definitely could have used him that year as their bullpen was in shambles.  Unfortunately, he has not been able to replicate that success in the next two seasons.  He pitched in just six games in 2022 and has yet to catch on with a new team.

His one season in Boston was decent, but it was definitely not enough to unseat All-Time One-Year Wonder Right-Handed Reliever Takashi Saito.

One Year Wonder Pt. 29: Andrew Cashner

I chose to do an Andrew Cashner post as part of the One Year Wonder series since he was not close to taking down Hideo Nomo as the All Time One Year Wonder Right Handed Starter or Takashi Saito as the All Time One Year Wonder Right Handed Reliever.  I will get to all of that.

Andrew Cashner had been a quality starting pitcher for a lot of bad teams during his career.  He previously played for the Cubs, Padres, Marlins, Rangers and Orioles before joining the Red Sox.  He came up with the Cubs and was traded to the Padres in the deal that brought former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo to the North Side.  Cashner was a dependable starter for the Padres, but I am guessing they would like a do-over on that trade.  After a few seasons, he was traded to the Marlins in a deadline deal that did not go well for the Marlins.

Cashner had a decent season with the Rangers the next year, which he parlayed into a multi-year deal with the Orioles.  He was 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA when the Orioles traded him to the Red Sox in a mid-July deal when Boston needed pitching help to contend.  Boston sent two minor leaguers to the O's who have yet to make any significant noise.  Again, Cashner struggled greatly.  He ended up struggling so much that he was removed from the rotation altogether.  He ended up pitching better in the bullpen.

In 25 games with the Red Sox, Cashner made six starts and pitched 53.2 innings.  He had a record of 2-5 and notched 42 strikeouts and 29 walks.  His ERA was an unsightly 6.20.  One thing that Cashner did do in Boston that he had never done before was to pick up his first Major League save.  After the season, Cashner filed for free agency, but was unable to sign a contract prior to the COVID season of 2020.  He has not pitched in the Majors since.

Cashner probably qualified more as a reliever than a starter for the purposes of determining if he could unseat the All Time One Year Wonder.  It really doesn't matter because his numbers were not close to qualifying at either position.

One Year Wonder: Second Base Update

It has been a few years now since I did my All-Time One-Year Wonder post on second-basemen.  Well, last year a new player entered the fray and it is time to determine if he is good enough to unseat the winner of that post: Luis Alicea.

It is also time to show off my new card of this player, Ian Kinsler:

This is the 2018 Topps Update base variation of Kinsler.  It is not the most exciting of variations as it shows Kinsler with a glove instead of hitting.  But oh well.  It is still interesting enough.

Kinsler is a four-time All Star, with three of those seasons occurring with the Rangers and one with the Tigers.  At his best, he was right there along with Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano as the top second-basemen in the league.  Unfortunately, his career has been going downhill lately, which brings us to 2018.  Kinsler started the year with the Angels and had hit 13 home runs before being traded to the Red Sox for Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez, two bullpen arms that have helped out a bit.  Kinsler was acquired in order to help replace the production of the injured Pedroia.  He played in 37 games down the stretch, but his batting line was a paltry .242/.294/.311 with just one home run and 16 RBIs.  He did hit well in the ALDS against the Yankees, collecting two doubles among four hits in 14 plate appearances and knocking in a pair of runs.  He did not do much else the rest of the postseason though.  Kinsler signed with the Padres as a free agent for 2019.  Kinsler's stint with Boston was notable for one thing: he won the Gold Glove Award, being the only one-year Red Sox second-baseman to do so.

So, is Kinsler the new front-runner for one-year Red Sox second-basemen?  Uh, no.  In fact, Kinsler probably falls way down on the list.  Among the players who performed better than Kinsler are Johnny Hodapp, Bill Cissell, Bobby Avila, Rey Sanchez, Todd Walker, Tony Graffanino, Mark Loretta, and of course Alicea.  So no, we definitely do not have a new leader at second base.  Kinsler's Gold Glove is impressive, but his hitting definitely fell short.  He does have one last thing though that none of the other second-basemen have and that is a World Series ring.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 28: Jamie Moyer

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Jamie Moyer had a career that spanned 25 seasons, an incredibly long time.  He made his Major League debut in 1986 at the age of 23 with the Chicago Cubs.  He appeared for the final time in 2012 with the Rockies at the age of 49.  Very few pitchers were ever able to pitch to that age.  In between, he spent time with the Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners, and Phillies.  He enjoyed his most success with the Mariners.  It is often forgotten that he had spent some time with the Red Sox, mostly because it was so brief.

Moyer was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox from the Orioles prior to the 1996 season in order to help stabilize the rotation.  Moyer was a crafty left-hander and was capable of starting and pitching out of the bullpen, and he did perform both roles well with Boston in his short time.  He pitched in 23 games for the Red Sox, starting ten and relieving 13.  He had a terrific record of 7-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 90 innings en route to leading the league in winning percentage that season.  Unfortunately the Red Sox were not doing much by the time the trading deadline came around that season and Moyer was in high demand.  Boston ended up shipping him to Seattle in exchange for young outfielder Darren Bragg.  That ended up being a regrettable trade as Moyer was a very good pitcher for several years for the Mariners, while Bragg was merely a serviceable outfielder.  Meanwhile Boston continued to have a dearth of pitching for several seasons.

Jamie Moyer was a memorable player due to the extreme length of his career.  He had a very brief tenure with the Red Sox, but it was a successful one.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 27: Rey Sanchez

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Rey Sanchez was a very good-fielding middle infielder who did not hit a lot.  He came up with the Cubs and played mostly shortstop for them for several years.  He moved over to second base after Ryne Sandberg retired.  Sanchez bounced around a little bit after that, playing with the Yankees, Royals, Giants, and Braves.  He solidified his reputation as a good defensive player while hitting just enough to stay in the lineup.  

Boston signed him prior to the 2002 season to solidify second base after purging the roster of Mike Lansing, Jose Offerman, Lou Merloni, and Chris Stynes the previous season.  He proved to be everything he was advertised to be as he hit .286/.318/.345, decent numbers, but certainly not dazzling.  But he was once again terrific in the field.  He never hit for much power, but he managed to hit his first home run since 2000 that season.  For the season, he was a 1.4 WAR player, much of that coming from his defensive prowess.

Sanchez was allowed to leave as a free agent after the season.  Boston decided to go with a more offensive player at second base, picking up Todd Walker, himself only lasting one season.  But where Walker was better with the bat, he was a significant step down with the glove. 

One-Year Wonder Pt. 26: Chris Stynes

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Coming off a very good season for the Reds in 2000 in which he hit .334/.386/.497 with 12 home runs, Stynes was acquired by Boston in exchange for Donnie Sadler and Michael Coleman, two former prospects who were largely disappointing.  It was hoped that Stynes was a rising young star and the trade was lauded.

Stynes was expected to step in and solidify the third base position.  That position had been a disaster in 2000 for Boston due to injuries and ineffectiveness by John Valentin, Wilton Veras, Ed Sprague, Lou Merloni, and Manny Alexander.  However, rookie Shea Hillenbrand had a terrific spring and carried his hot start into the season.  Stynes ended up in a platoon at second base with Jose Offerman and Mike Lansing, while also spelling Hillenbrand at third base, despite the fact that Stynes was a better player than all of them.  Stynes also appeared occasionally in the outfield.

Unfortunately Stynes had some injury issues, missing significant time early in the season.  In just 96 games, Stynes ended up hitting .280/.322/.410 with eight home runs.  Solid numbers, though disappointing after his breakthrough year with the Reds in 2000.  It was still better than Sadler or Coleman produced for the Reds, so in that respect the trade worked out better for Boston, though Coleman was part of a trade with the Yankees for Wily Mo Pena.

That was Stynes's only season in Boston.  After the season, Boston non-tendered Stynes in December and he left to join the Cubs.  He never did really return to his 2000 form, though he did play almost every day for the Rockies in 2003.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 25: Luis Alicea

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Boston needed a second-baseman coming into the 1995 season as Scott Fletcher struggled in 1994 and Tim Naehring was expected to take over at third base.  So Boston acquired the switch-hitting Alicea from the Cardinals for Jeff McNeely and Nate Minchey, two players who were basically spare parts at the time.

Alicea was an underrated part of the 1995 team that won their division.  He did a lot of the little things to help the team win.  He hit .270/.367/.375 for the season and hit six home runs.  In one game he hit home runs from both sides of the plate.  Alicea also stole 13 bases and came in second in the league for sacrifice hits and sixth for sacrifice flies, showing a willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the team.

Defensively, Alicea had his best season yet, finishing in the top five AL second-basemen in a number of categories, including assists, putouts, and led the league in double plays turned.  It was a sparkling defensive season that was overlooked because of the presence of Roberto Alomar at the position in the AL.

In the postseason, Alicea was one of the few players that played well in the three game sweep at the hands of the Indians.  He had six hits in the three games and hit a home run, a double and stole a base.

Unfortunately Boston wanted more offense in 1996 and declined to bring Alicea back.  He returned to the Cardinals as a free agent and Boston acquired Wil Cordero to play second.  Cordero could hit, but was forced to move to left field in 1997 due to his defensive inadequacies.

Alicea did eventually return to Boston, as a first-base coach in 2007 and 2008.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 24: Grady Sizemore

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

There was a period of time when Grady Sizemore was one of the best all-around players in the game.  He could hit for power, steal bases, hit for a decent average, and was a great defensive center-fielder.  He was a three-time All Star, finished in the Top 10 in MVP balloting, won two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger, and was a member of the 30/30 club.  Unfortunately, a variety of injuries did him in and his career looked to be over after the 2011 season.

Sizemore did not even play in the majors in 2012 or 2013, and Cleveland did not resign him after he was granted free agency after the 2012 season.  Suddenly there was talk that he was finally healthy and ready to return to the Majors in 2014.  He found a contract with the Red Sox that was a low-risk, high-reward deal with a lot of incentives.  He came into Spring Training with low expectations, but began tearing the cover off the ball.  Sizemore forced his way into the conversation for the Major League team even though they already had Daniel Nava, Shane Victorino, Mike Carp, Jonny Gomes, and Jackie Bradley Jr. for the outfield.  Sizemore was so impressive in the Spring that Boston decided to name him their starting center fielder for opening day.

On Opening Day 2014, Sizemore did indeed start in center field, and he even managed to collect two hits, including his first home run since 2011.  After the first ten games of the season, he was hitting .343/.395/.571 with two home runs, four RBIs, and a stolen base.  Unfortunately, that was the high point for Sizemore and his numbers declined dramatically after that.  

Sizemore would play in 52 games for the Red Sox in 2014 and only hit .216/.288/.324 with just the two home runs and 15 RBIs.  The experiment ended in mid-June.  Boston released him and ended up going with Mookie Betts, a decision that worked out well for Boston.  Sizemore found a job fairly quickly though.  He signed with the Phillies and his numbers improved somewhat.  His days of being a great player are over, but Sizemore has proven to be a useful player in his time since leaving Boston.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 23: David Cone

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

David Cone was one of those rare players that left the Yankees to join the Red Sox.  Of course, he was well past his prime when he did so, at 38 years of age and coming off of a season in which he was 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA.  Cone had previously been one of the top pitchers in the game, back when he was with the Mets, Royals, and Yankees.  He was a two-time 20 game winner and lead the league in strikeouts two years in a row while with the Mets.  He won the 1994 AL Cy Young Award while with the Royals in 1994, and he was an All Star five times.  He also threw a perfect game while with the Yankees.

But, as previously mentioned, Cone was 38 years old when he signed as a free agent with the Red Sox and coming off of the worst season of his career.  All that is not to mention the fact that he was hurt and would not make his debut in 2001 until mid-May.  But Dan Duquette loved reclamation projects, especially pitchers.  He had previously signed Tim Wakefield and Bret Saberhagen, who worked out, and Ramon Martinez and Steve Avery, who didn't, on the cheap.  He was looking to add David Cone to that list.

Unfortunately, this was one much more like Ramon Martinez than Bret Saberhagen.  Boston was pretty desperate for pitching help, especially after Pedro Martinez went down with an injury, leaving the rotation in the somewhat shaky hands of Hideo Nomo and Frank Castillo.  Cone went 9-7 with a 4.31 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 135.2 innings.  It was not a terrible season for Cone, but it certainly was not what the front office had in mind when bringing Cone in.  

Cone only lasted the one season in Boston.  He did not play in 2002 due to injuries.  He returned in 2003 for four games early in the season back with the Mets before retiring for good due to an ongoing hip problem.  

One-Year Wonder Pt. 22: Todd Walker

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

TODD WALKER
Second base had been a position with a lot of turmoil in the 90's and early 2000's for the Red Sox.  Jody Reed started the decade as a capable regular, but Boston had trouble finding consistency after he was selected in the expansion draft.  Scott Fletcher had a very good season in 1993 highlighted by impressive defense but he faltered in 1994.  Luis Alicea took over in 1995 and turned in average offensive and defensive numbers.  1996 saw Boston run their team like a fantasy team, bringing in offense-first players at several positions, one of which was second base with Wil Cordero.  His defense was so bad though he was moved to left field where he could not hurt the team as much.  Then Boston went through a bunch of players over the next few years at the position.  Jeff Frye, Mike Benjamin, and Lou Merloni all proved to be better off as utility players than everyday second basemen.  John Valentin was moved to second to accommodate Nomar Garciaparra, then moved to third after Tim Naehring went down, which was much more successful.  Donnie Sadler was unable to translate his minor league success into the Majors.  Mark Lemke suffered a concussion and could not hit.  Jose Offerman then had an All Star season in 1999 but later on proved to be a very expensive bust.  Mike Lansing was acquired solely for Boston to be able to get Rolando Arrojo and played like a throw-in, albeit a $7 million one.  Chris Stynes could not stay healthy and finally Rey Sanchez was a very good defensive player, but a complete zero at the plate.  Which brings us to 2003 and Todd Walker.  He would not be a long-term solution either.

2003 was the first season under Theo Epstein as general manager.  He brought a Moneyball-esque philosophy to building his team.  Walker had the ability to get on base, even though he was largely considered a bust after being the eighth overall pick in the 1994 draft.  He did not get along well with managers or players and he did not hit nearly as well as he was expected.  Nevertheless, Walker was a decent buy-low candidate for the Red Sox vacant second base position.  All he cost were two failed prospects in their own right, Josh Thigpen and Tony Blanco.  Only Blanco made the Majors, and he did not live up to expectations.

Walker came in and performed as advertized.  He was often the #2 hitter on the team and provided some decent offense without providing much on defense.  He finished the season at .283/.333/.428 with 13 home runs and 85 RBIs.  The Red Sox were an offensive juggernaut that season and having a second baseman hitting like that was a big reason why.

Walker really impressed in the postseason, hitting five home runs, including a controversial home run against the Yankees in the ALCS.  It was certainly not Walker's fault that the Red Sox were not able to beat the Yankees in the ALCS as he hit .370/.414/.704 with two home runs, a triple, and two RBIs.
After the season, Walker was allowed to leave as a free agent and Mark Bellhorn replaced him.  Bellhorn was basically the same player as Walker, but slightly better in all categories. 

One-Year Wonder Pt. 21: Sean Casey

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Sean Casey had been a high-average first-baseman for the Cincinnati Reds for several seasons in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  He was a three-time All Star for the Reds and had his best season in 2004 when he hit .324/.381/.534 with 24 home runs and 99 RBIs.  Casey was also a good defensive first-baseman and was very popular with teammates and opposing players alike.

Casey was on the decline for a few years while bouncing from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh to Detroit and finally to Boston in 2008.  Casey was brought in as injury insurance for Kevin Youkilis and Mike Lowell.  Casey was just 33, but it was pretty clear that he was not the player he was before.  He did hit .322 with a .381 OBP, but his slugging percentage was just .392.  He had virtually no power in 2008.  He did not hit a single home run and only picked up 14 doubles in 218 plate appearances.  He also struck out in his only two postseason at-bats.

2008 was his final season in the Major Leagues.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 20: John Olerud

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

I really have not done John Olerud yet?  Huh.  A lot of people may not remember that Olerud played for Boston.  It was brief.  Very brief.  He had been with the Yankees in the latter part of 2004 but did not play well in the ALCS against the Red Sox.  He did not get a Major League contract until May of 2005 with the Red Sox.  He actually played briefly in Pawtucket, the Red Sox's AAA team, which was, believe it or not, the first time Olerud ever played in the minors.

John Olerud was kind of a big deal in my house growing up.  He was the first baseman for the Blue Jays for his first several seasons.  My younger brother was a big Blue Jays fan at the time.  Olerud was one of his favorite players and it was his trade to the Mets that started to sour him on baseball.  It was a pretty bad trade after all.

Olerud played in 87 games for the Red Sox in 2005.  He got quite a bit of time in due to injuries to Kevin Millar, among others, and actually played quite well.  Olerud finished the season with a line of .289/.344/.451 with seven home runs and 37 RBIs.  Not bad numbers, actually pretty decent.  Given that he was 36 at the time, they are actually fairly impressive numbers.

Unfortunately Olerud only made it into the 2005 Topps Update set.  He had the parallels of those cards as well.  It's a shame there are not more cards of Olerud with the Red Sox.

It was to be Olerud's last season in the Major Leagues.  I still think he should have gotten a little more consideration for the Hall of Fame.  He may not be quite worthy, but he should not have fallen off the ballot after the first year.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 19: Rocco Baldelli

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

It seems like there were a lot of these One-Year Wonders in 2009.  Rocco Baldelli joined Takashi Saito, John Smoltz, and Billy Wagner.  Baldelli though got a lot more cards made, and some pretty nice ones too.

Baldelli had been suffering from a rare mitochondrial disease for years to this point.  It sapped his energy and prevented him from reaching his full potential as a player.  He had not played in a full season since 2004.  It was a very unfortunate situation.  He was brought in to Boston in 2009 to act as a reserve outfielder, a job he performed capably. 

Baldelli made it into 62 games in 2009 and finished with a batting line of .253/.311/.433 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs.  It was his versatility as an outfielder that was his best quality.  He played all three outfield positions, designated hitter, and even a little third base.

Unfortunately, Baldelli continued to deal with his disease.  He returned to Tampa Bay the next season but then retired.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 18: Takashi Saito

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

In 2009 Boston had four Japanese pitchers on their staff.  Holdovers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima were joined by rookie Junichi Tazawa and veteran free agent Takashi Saito.  Saito arguably had the best year of the four.  The former Dodgers closer joined the Red Sox on a one-year contract and provided a reliable arm out of the bullpen.

Saito pitched in 56 games for the Red Sox and had a 2.43 ERA and a 3-3 record.  He struck out 52 in 55.1 innings with 25 walks.  He picked up two saves but he was not needed as a closer because of the presence of Jonathan Papelbon.

I had hoped that Saito would return in 2010 but he got a good offer to go to the Braves as a free agent.  There are not many cards that show Saito with the Red Sox, but I make my best effort to get the ones I see.

One Year Wonder Pt. 17: Dave Roberts

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

It was such a minor thing.  But it led to something huge.  Big things sometimes have small beginnings.  I am of course referring to the stolen base that led to the Red Sox coming all the way back from being down three games to none in the ALCS to go to the World Series in 2004.  

Roberts entered the game as a pinch runner after Kevin Millar worked a walk off of Mariano Rivera with the Red Sox down by a run.  He stole second base even though everyone in the park knew it was coming.  He then scored on a base hit from Bill Mueller to tie the game.  And it all built from there.

Roberts was picked up from the Dodgers at the trading deadline for Henri Stanley.  He was acquired to do one thing.  And he did it at the biggest possible moment.  He did not play a lot down the stretch, making it into 45 games but with only 101 plate appearances.  He hit .256/.330/.442 with two home runs.  He stole five bases.  He was used exclusively as a pinch hitter in the postseason, scoring twice and stealing just the one base.  He did not play in the World Series.

Roberts was traded after the season to the Padres for Ramon Vazquez, Jay Payton, and David Pauley.  Despite such a short stint, he remains a big hero.  And it is all due to such a small event.  Which led to big things.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 16: Adrian Beltre

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

Adrian Beltre resurrected his career in Boston in 2010.  At the age of 25, he lead the National League in home runs with 48.  He then signed a long free agent contract with the Mariners, who played in a notorious pitcher's park.  He still managed to hit 25 or more home runs in three of his five seasons in Seattle, but his overall hitting numbers were down.

He signed with the Red Sox to a fairly cheap one-year contract and promptly put up big enough numbers that he was able to get a new big multi-year contract.  Beltre was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable 2010 season in Beantown.  He hit .321/.365/.553 for the Red Sox with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs.  He lead the league with 49 doubles.  He also played terrific defense at third base.

Beltre was an All Star selection in his only year in Boston and won the Silver Slugger for his position.  He also finished ninth in the AL MVP race.  At the end of the season though Boston did not make much of an effort to resign him.  Eventually they traded for Adrian Gonzalez and moved Kevin Youkilis back to third base.  Beltre signed with the Rangers where he has put up big enough numbers that he is now considered a possibility for the Hall of Fame.

I was very disappointed that the Red Sox declined to sign Beltre, but the Gonzalez move was a good one for the 2011 season.  It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Beltre stayed.  But with the way Middlebrooks is hitting the last few days, I am okay with how things worked out.