When the Red Sox signed Stephen Drew to a 1-year $9.5 million contract back in December it was assumed that he would be the starting shortstop.Pedro Ciriaco had a decent season last year, but could he be your starting everyday shortstop? Jose Iglesias was widely regarded as a busted prospect with good defensive skills but lacking the offensive skills to be an everyday MLB shortstop. Xander Bogaerts was the future, but needed more experience in the minors. Drew suffered a concussion during spring training and Iglesias got to step into the starting role. Iglesias missed two games with a minor elbow injury, but in the five games he has played he's been tearing it up and is currently batting .450. Meanwhile, Stephen Drew has gone 2 for 13 in 4 rehab games in AA Portland. I understand that these are small sample sizes and Drew has a much longer track record of productivity at the major league level than Iglesias, but I would really like to see Iglesias get a little more time with the big club. At one time people spoke about Iglesias the way they are currently talking about Xander Bogaerts. People saw a lot of talent in Iglesias and I'd like to see him get the chance to live up to those expectations. He's been bouncing around the minors for a while, I think he needs to get the chance to prove he's not a bust. At the same time, can you really bench a player you spent $9.5 Million this season? That's the 6th highest paid player on the team between Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. He does deserve a chance to show that he's worth the money. It's sort of an embarrassment of riches to have so many viable options at shortstop. Drew is reportedly done with his rehab assignment and will join the Red Sox on Wednesday.
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