The Red Sox are surely disappointed they did not sign free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. But they’re far from devastated.
The Sox have coveted Teixeira ever since he was playing high school ball in Maryland, and for good reason: He fits their profile for what they want a major-league hitter to be.
But so does Lars Anderson, the Red Sox’ 21-year-old phenom who finished only his second season in the organization at Class AA Portland this summer.
At 6-4 and 215 pounds, Anderson is already an inch taller than Teixeira. The two first basemen weigh almost the same, but Anderson’s frame still hasn’t filled out yet.
The lefthanded-hitting Anderson hit .317 between Class A Lancaster and Portland last summer with a .417 on-base percentage and .517 slugging percentage. He belted 32 doubles and 18 homers with 80 RBI in 118 games, and the Red Sox have no reason to think he isn’t going to get even better as he gets stronger and gains more experience.
The Red Sox have immense faith in their farm system, and they should. They’ve invested more money in player development than any other team since John Henry’s syndicate purchased the club, and the system has already churned out a number of players who have played key roles for the team. Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, and Justin Masterson are all products of their developmental system. I’ll throw Kevin Youkilis into the group as well because, even though he was drafted before the Henry group bought the club, it was Theo Epstein who recognized his talents and kept him from being traded to Oakland in 2002.
Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden could also become impact pitchers for the club in 2009.
Sure, the Red Sox could have kept playing greenback leapfrog with the Yankees for Teixeira’s services for the next eight years. But if you have a player who you believe has enough talent and potential to be as good as Teixeira, then it doesn’t really make sense to spend $200 million for a free agent whose role you very well might be able to fill from within your own organization.
Yes, the Red Sox could have afforded to sign Teixeira at any price. But while they would have loved to have had him, they weren’t desperate to sign him. The only real negative is that he signed with the Yankees instead of the Orioles, Nationals, or Angels.
It’s possible that Anderson could make his debut with the Red Sox before the end of the 2009 season and be ready for full-time duty in 2010. By then Mike Lowell’s contract will be up, and the Red Sox can shift Youkilis over to third base.
By refusing to get in a ridiculous bidding war with the Yankees for Teixeira, the Red Sox have confirmed their faith in their scouts, minor-league managers, coaches, and instructors. And why shouldn’t they? The system has not let them down yet.