Wow. 232 posts on the acquisition of Gonzalez. I've read all the posts and have nothing new to add except my opinion.
Gonzalez was the best defensive SS that I ever saw play for the Sox in 40+ years of watching them play. He was a noodle bat then and from appearances is a little worse now. Everyone here is concerned that he does not have the range that he had in 2006. Maybe not. This could be attributed to the knee injury and subsequent surgery. It could be just that he is three years older. Or it could be both. Whatever. Using his latest defensive stats to make assumptions about how he will perform here now is an imprecise process at best. Most of you know that I am not convinced that UZR is a strong indicator of defensive prowess but I am not discounting the stats for that reason. I believe that his current stats (ones post-op) are too small a sample to be used exclusively to judge his current ability.
I also believe that the Sox had plenty of scouting of all available SS candidates to make an informed decision. The Sox wanted an upgrade of the left side defense and wanted to add quality defensive depth. I am hoping that they have done just that. If the other components in the offense start producing simultaneously and on a regular basis, Gonzalez's meager production will not be a big problem. Hopefully he can hit above .210! But that may not be necessary.
I really wanted O'Cab before the 07/31 deadline but accept that there are underlying reasons (that I do not understand) for his exclusion. Too bad.
Overall, this move is not going to substantially increase the Sox chances of getting to the post season.
I accept that because I don't believe that it is in the cards for the Sox to advance this year. The Sox have put a tantalizingly competitive team on the field this year. That, I believe, was the FO's objective after failing to make the necessary offensive upgrades during the past off season.
One other thing, I am disappointed that the Sox have been caught with their pants down with little OF depth. I love Rocco, but counting on him was a big mistake. Dumping Kotsay has made that abundantly clear.
Thank you for your time.