Axe Lugo... Bring Bank Alex Gonzalez

Keep smiling, dude. Baseball scouts are taught to look for talent based on five tools -- speed, power, fielding, throwing, and ability to hit for averge. Well, congratulations, you are the only zero-tool player I have ever seen in the Major Leagues.

Julio Lugo continues to be abysmal for the Boston Red Sox. Despite a recent hot streak, he is still hitting under .240. That number might be acceptable if Lugo were brilliant with the glove or solid in fundamentals, like bunting or moving runners with ground balls.

But no. Not only has Lugo's stretch of five multi-hit games merely raised his batting average from atrocious to terrible, he also muffed two attempts at a sacrifice bunt Sunday and looked like a fool in four instances over four games in Baltimore last weekend.

He's especially bad when taken in comparison to Alex Gonzalez, the defensive whiz he replaced and was supposed to be an offensive upgrade over.

I want this man back (pause).

A-Gon was the most remarkable defensive shortstop I've ever seen. That includes Rey Ordonez, Derek Jeter, Omar Vizquel, et cetera, et cetera. He's having a down year in the field this year with the Reds, but the man simply doesn't make errors. In 111 games with Boston last year, Gonzalez made seven errors. Seven.

Here's the statistical breakdown:

Julio Lugo, Boston Red Sox, SS

Batting average: .238

On-base percentage: .299

RBI: 55

Home runs: 6

Doubles: 24

Runs: 51

Errors: 14 (in 109 games)

Alex Gonzalez, Cincinnati Reds, SS

Batting average: .262

On-base percentage: .317

RBI: 51

Home runs: 16

Doubles: 23

Runs: 46

Errors: 15 (in 91 games)

Keep in mind that Lugo is receiving $36 million over four years and Gonzalez is receiving $14 milliong over three years. Also, adjust run production for the fact Lugo plays on a team that scores many more runs, and he's actually a worse RBI guy and run-scorer.

Bring back Alex.