What would you do to strengthen the Boston Red Sox lineup?

Yes, the Red Sox are in first place. But can the Red Sox sit on their success over the first two months? I doubt if Theo and company are sitting in cruise control.

Moves will likely be made. Here is my humble suggestion for a move.

Trade Wily Mo Pena to the highest bidder (if there is one) and promote Jacoby Ellsbury to Boston.

Here are the advantages:
Ellsbury give you two factors: a leadoff hitter and a solid-hitting center fielder.
Shortstop Julio Lugo, with his .214 batting and .274 on-base percentage, can move down in the lineup.

Center fielder Coco Crisp becomes the Alex Cora of the outfield, i.e. a back-up who plays often (giving Ellsbury time to settle in). He can pinch-hit (a switch-hitter) and can obviously pinch run.

Wily Mo no longer becomes a defensive liability for Boston. A trade would also be fair for Pena. He is not getting enough at-bats (83, so far, with a ,241 average and four home runs) to establish himself and he is coming up on free agency (after 2008).

What are the risks?
Ellsbury is not proven in the majors. But like Dustin Pedroia, Ellsbury succeeds everywhere he goes. Give him time to settle in, and he will.

Crisp may not like the deal. But what leverage does he have with a .224 batting average?

After trading Bronson Arroyo for Pena, Boston will likely get little now for Pena. Well, look at Arroyo now (2-7, 5.01 ERA). The Arroyo-for-Pena trade was a decent risk, if Pena turned into a consistent power hitter. That is not likely going to happen in the next year and a half.

So, that's my suggestion for the Boston brain trust. What's yours?

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