People say they are looking for a premium bat, but I look at the market and I do not see a premium bat out there. The only person I think that is a big bat in this market is Jason Bay. I personally prefer Figgins to Bay. He brings a lot more to the table. Bay is terrible defensively. He is slow on the base paths, and he is going to seek a long term big money contract. He has more minus' than Figgins. Figgins can not hit the long ball, but he can get on base (high OBP), steal bases (turning singles into doubles and triples), get in the heads of opposing pitchers, which helps bring up the pitch count and gets them out of their groove. Figgins can come cheaper and for fewer years.

I would prefer a big bat, that is why we should have signed Texeria last year. This market does not have a big bat available. If we sign Figgins and Beltre we shore up the defense, and keep the draft picks, via losing Bay. It puts us in a better position long term and for the trading deadline, when we still have all of our prospects out there.

Holiday is no good in the AL East. I would rather have Abreu. I think people are being a little rediculous and not adapting to what the market has to offer. You need to move with the market, you can not pay someone big money because it is a weak market. If there was a Manny Ramirez circa 2000 in this market I would be all over him, but there is not. Figgins in my opinion is the best free agent out there. He brings more to the table than anyone, and gives the team more flexibility in the case that Mike Lowell or Big Papi have a semi bounce back year. If you sign Holiday or Bay to a long term deal, then you are stuck with them. Holiday is the new version of JD Drew. I do not want another guy like that on this team. Theo was coned by Boris with JD Drew and he does not want another version in the same outfield.

Play the market fellas.

"Add in the positives that defense has to offer and Drew is a great player." as Tito says, I think you're reaching. I would not say JD Drew is a great player at all. He's not even a top 10 outfielder. I'm not trying to bash him at all. I just do not want another version of him on this team. It has nothing to do with the dirt dog mentality that you so fondly remember. I unlike you are not living in 2004. As much as you seem to ignore the money involved, money does affect other transactions. If we take a lesser player this year on a $100 million dollar contract, when the right one comes by we will not be able to bid on them. The Sox are handicapped right now because of players like Ortiz and Lowell who have immovable contracts. I want flexibility, so when the best options come up we can jump on them. It is called being prepared. I personally think that Figgins brings more to the table than any of these other clowns in this weak free agent market. I'd rather see him get 3 years around 10 million than sign Bay or Holliday for 5 years and double the money. I do not want the Sox to limit themselves by bringing on a big contract that they can not move in the next few years because this year was a weak crop of free agents.

Never act based off of reaction. Act based off of understanding.

My point is that there is not a good free agent available for the cost. Which is why I say wait it out, and choose the right fit when the right fit is available, down the road. I do not want the Sox to sign a player for more than he is worth, and then be saddled with a bad contract. I do not think that free agent exists this year. I think Figgins gives the Sox flexibility that they need. He can play the infield and outfield. He gives the team much needed speed. He changes the game in more aspects than Bay and Holiday. I understand that he is not the ideal left fielder, however he brings a lot to the table. The team is getting very slow and unathletic. Bring in a speedy guy who can play a lot of positions, who allows you to change the lineup depending on who you are playing.

The top of the order with Figgins and Pedroia, would be very good, both high OBP guys. That already helps your 3 and 4 guys. It allows Ellsbury to relax a little, seeing as he is not hacking it as a lead off hitter. Figgins allows other players to fall in place, and if they get cold, he can fill in or Youk can move across the diamond, etc.

I disagree with you that Lowell can be traded and Ortiz will have a monster year. Most scouts think he has slowed down and can't catch up to the baseball, I do not know if a better work out plan during the offseason will help improve this. Lowell is being paid a lot of money in a down economic year. Who can you see picking him up? Clearly if the Sox want to eat the whole contract, but that is a different story.

I do not like Holiday or Bay for 5 years, and Figgins at 4 years is not the greatest either, but I still would rather take some speed at this point with defensive value than a DH in waiting, and the possibility that Holiday can't hack it in the AL. As we saw with the A's he has had trouble in the AL. I do not want Bay, I see him turning into Ortiz down the road, clogging up the bases, not being able to catch up to fast balls. I just want flexibility. Save the money for the right opportunity.