I was looking through Google for any news of the return of Manny to the lineup this weekend when I came across this notes page on MLB.com. The stuff about Manny (which is no longer up to date) is at the top, but the last item concerns Brandon Moss, the Pawtucket call-up who did duty in left against Tampa Bay to spell the aching Jacoby Ellsbury. This sentence in particular jumped out at me: "Moss, an outfielder by trade, will play a little bit of first base in a winter ball stint in the Dominican Republic."Unlike Ellsbury, Moss is not a top-rated prospect, and the section's conclusion, "with all the outfielders that the Red Sox have under their contractual control, Moss might increase his chances of making the 2008 team by learning a new position," gives the impression of a super-utility player in the works. But Moss's minor-league numbers give the profile of a potential slugger, and I wonder if the Sox are preparing Moss to be an "only if necessary" option if they can't sign Mike Lowell or Alex Rodriguez for next year, where Youkilis would move to third base and Moss would take over at first.
Speaking of post-season doings, the Yankees made things a little easier for the Sox last night by losing the final game of their series to Toronto, pushing Boston's AL East lead to 5.5 games. Should another disastrous sweep occur, that half game might become pretty important. On the more positive side, though: the Sox stand poised to win their 90th game tonight, with fifteen games left to play. Smashing the franchise record (105 games in 1912) is impossible for this year, but how about breaking 100 wins for the first time since 1946?
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